I've been geeking out on Analogman's site lately, and just purchased a silver mod tubescreamer. I don't normally care for Boss pedals, but today I stumbled across a mod he does on those cheap yellow Boss Overdrives, which are pretty good sounding for what they are to begin with. Apparently, he more or less just turns it into a Ts808, but installs a toggle switch so you can choose between the Boss and Ibanez types of clipping. Seems like a pretty cool mod to me. Has anyone tried this out? How does it compare to a silver mod Ts9? I'm not gonna buy one as I just made a good purchase, but I'm bored and curious, so I thought I'd ask.
Here's a link...
http://analogman.com/boss.htm#SD1
The SD1 is almost like Boss's version of a TS9 except with asymmetrical clipping which is supposed to be more like a tube amp, but I generally don't like it as much as symmetrical clipping in a pedal (so Analogman gives you both options). I find asymmetrical to be rougher/harsher/grittier. IIRC the SD1 has a little more dirt on tap as well. The other main difference is that some people seem to notice a little overdrive still even when the pedal is not engaged, but most people don't hear that. I suspect that after Analogman has modded it, it will be fairly similar sounding to his modded TS9 in some settings - definitely a good buy pedal as they usually seem to sell a bit cheaper than an AM modded TS9.
Boss pedals typically have solid buffers and are built like tanks too!
Just got my Silver mod ts9/808 in the mail. Sounds beautiful so far. Much clearer than my Maxon was. I was a little concerned that the more transparent sound of the silver mod through my Vibrolux would leave me longing for midrange, but so far it sounds wonderful, and it works great stacked with my King of Tone. Also, my other effects sound way better in conjunction with the new pedal, and I can get away with playing more complex chord voicings with dirty tones and still have every note be defined and clear. I've always been wary to not get too fussy over pedals; I'm under the impression that I should just find what works and stick with it. This however, seems to be a very welcome upgrade, although I won't know for sure til I play some shows with it.
Congrats on the pedal - glad your happy! The decrease in mids isn't earth shattering, still works well with a Fender for sure.
Looking forward to hearing it!