Repair and Modification Ibanez TS-9 Tubescreamer 

Holy crap, PCB's from back then had crazy looking trace marks!

If you want to change the sound of the TS, providing you want to use it as a dirt pedal not just a boost, is to change out the clipping diodes. All the op amp does is boost the signal enough for the clipping diodes to have something to clip. If one wants to use the TS as a clean boost, adjusting values in the EQ section is the only way to change how it sounds. Remember, tone is subjective.

Another great video! I've played around with the Tube Screamer circuit a bit in the past (one of my first pedal builds was a Tube Screamer and I still use it to this day) and can definitely agree that the opamp really doesn't matter much and that you'll get a much bigger difference changing the clipping diodes than you ever will changing the opamp. The only places I've noticed that opamp type really makes a difference in guitar applications are in situations where the opamp itself is driven into clipping which simply doesn't happen in soft clipping circuits like the Tube Screamer since the output is limited by the diodes in the feedback loop.

The repair and your soldering skills are very cool. I too have "updated" a TS-9 to TS-808 specs and heard absolutely no difference. What does make a huge improvement is to change the series (to ground) cap in the feedback loop of the clipping stage from .047 to .1mfd. it extends the low frequency response of the pedal and gives more clipping.. Becomes "Santana in a box." BTW, the TS-5 plastic pedals sound just as good but aren't as robust. The opamp in those is a 7558 SIP package.

The 808 version does sound better to my ears 👂👂

Love a simple fix on a faulty pedal picked up for cheap. I did a mod to a Mini Tube Screamer that made it true to TS-808 spec.

Btw:. All the resistor change does is change the max output volume.

That was a fun one.

I used a DPDT toggle switch on the PCB I designed in order to switch between the TS-808 and the TS-9. That way you don't really have to make a choice 😉

I'm not into Tube Screamers so I can't comment on that but I have a Rat where you can switch between 2 different op-amps and it can make a huge difference, contrary to what certain individuals are claiming (who just compare the 308 and the 07 which I think are exactly the same, spec-wise). I have a slightly more modern op-amp installed and it has no sag (because faster slew rate) and isn't as muffled as the 308, gives it more bite. I also experimented with some old soviet op-amps and they give the Rat a really interesting lo-fi sound.

Awesome as always🙌🏻🔥

Another great video, Joe! Please keep them coming and what are your thoughts on taking a look at any of the Strymon pedals. I’ve always been curious to see what their guts look like and how well made they actually are. Do you make/sell any of your own pedals?

What temperature are you setting your iron when working on pedal circuit boards? For amp work I run mine at 750F and work fast. With the pedals light board I’m pretty sure the temp should be lower. Thanks for your reply, just discovered your channel and am very happy with the content.

what about the led so dim? I tried to put another one that was much brighter but seems like there is a resistor somewhere in the pcb that weakens back whatever led you put in there.

Greats mods! I'm trying to set up a switch to go between symmetrical/off/asymmetrical, but I'm having trouble getting it to work. Any advice?

GRAY BENCH< can you go over the schematic for 808 tube screamer circuits that have Dynamic sensitivity for picking attack because the new Original Effects HALCYON Green overdrive has an adaptive mod which adapts to the picking attack and changes the response of the tube screamer circuit. I don't know what type of volume envelope circuits they are using in this dynamic overdrive pedals but would be nice to go over

The date coffee is usually in the bottom line of the marking. The last 4 digits are "week number" and "year"

Those are RCA 4558, and they will sound pretty much the same. I use 4559's in mine as they have less noise and a bit more gain.

My tube screamer works but there is no distortion. Would that just be a broken pot? Volume and tone work fine... and while telling you this I decide to test it and now it has distortion. So now what would be the issue? It either works fine or works fine less distortion. What could be the issue? Anybody? Everyone give me their most plausible guess and see what we come up with.

Great job! Worst indicator light in history btw!😂

I’m planning on picking up a used TS9 and trying this. Did you use 1/4w resistors during this mod? I saw another video with the TS808 mod but the resistors looked much smaller than what was originally in the pedal. Just want to be sure I order the correct components. Thanks!

Hi there! Can you just pop the chip out of a ts9, and swap for another? Is there soldering involved in that?

I have an Ibanez SM9 with barely audible output. I can hear the distortion, but the room has to be silent to hear the output. Can you shoot me a repair estimate to repair it?

Can u show us on how to put battery on that?

wait.. where's the tube?

While true for Ibanez, I never find Boss pedals with missing battery doors. If someone did enough damage to a Boss pedal to have had its battery door fall off, I'm probably passing on it.