'Opening up' the tone on a tube screamer

[gutsofgold]

I did a few mods to my tube screamer.

Using an RC4558P
Replaced the C2 .047uF for a .1uF to get a touch more bass.
Replaced the .22uF tantalum on the tone control with a .22uF film cap.
Replaced the original clipping diodes with 1N914 silicons
All 1uF NP aluminum caps were replaced with poly film caps
Replaced original FETs with 2SK30A-GR, which were supposedly in the original ones.

The pedal sounds a bit better to my ears, smoother distortion now. However it is still very very midrangy and "obvious" if that makes any sense. I turn it on and the difference between my original tone and the effected is night and day no matter how I set the knobs. If I recorded it, I'm sure quite a few would say "too much 'screamer on that there guitar." This isn't the case with a GGG screamer build I did a few months ago which was more transparent overdrive.

Is there a way I can "open up" the tone and have this dark, nasaly sound go away? Perhaps change the cap at the tone pot?

[Greg_G]

What schematic are you looking at ?

Looking at the GGG schematic, changing C5 to a lower value will open up the top end in a similar way to how you've opened up the bottom end.
Try a .18 or .15.
This is how you'll reduce the mids, by extending the lows and highs.

[gutsofgold]

http://www.muzique.com/schem/ts808.gif

I'm using that one. I will try that out too!

[m-theory]

You could try replacing one of the clippers with a 3mm red LED.  That would definitely "open it up" considerably, though it will also change the overall characteristics of the pedal (in a good way, imo). 

[earthtonesaudio]

I've been experimenting for the first time with the ts-style "clippers in the feedback loop" type of distortion... leaving things out, trying to get at the bare minimum circuit so I can hear what the different diode types sound like.

I eliminated the mid hump by increasing the f.back cap to 10u, and I left out the TS-style tone control, and left out the 50pF from the f.back loop.  It's now full-range, so I can hear what the diodes are doing, but the bass gets mushy with loud notes (opamp distorting).  The treble is very present though.  Right now I'm liking the sound of one red LED and one 1n4001... but that's just personal taste.


...So taking out the 51pF cap lets a lot more treble get clipped, which I like the sound of.  When you play quietly it's a bit like the tone of a Fuzz Face with the guitar volume rolled off, and when you play loudly it's got a bit of that seething high end that I like .  I would just remove that cap and see if you like it.


If you read R.G.'s "Technology of Tube Screamer" article on Geofex, it's very helpful.  Also the AMZ lab notebook articles, if you haven't read them already.