TS-808 Questions...

[econpatric]

I am wondering about the TS-808. I have built and re-built the General Guitar Gadgets schematic of the TS-808 on my bread board. When I plug my guitar into it, I don't get much for distortion without turning the amp gain up (which obviously is what is creating the distortion at that point)... I should note here that I am using a solid state amp (Fender Mustang I) to test this... I am not substituting any parts on the build all values of resistors, transistors, caps, and diodes are as specified in the schematic.

I have a hunch that the TS-808 is meant to push the tubes to create distortion, rather than create distortion on its own, but I don't know...

[blooze_man]

You should definitely get a bit of distortion through a solid state. Could you post voltages?

[R.G.]

The tube screamer makes its own distortion just fine. Yours is not working correctly. Read and follow "Debugging: What to do when it doesn't work".

[edvard]

I disagree.
Well, somewhat...

My name is Eddy and I'm a high-gain addict. 
The TS-808 was never enough for me and for a long time I thought I hated them.
Then one day I had the opportunity to try a Tube Screamer as a dirty booster for the distortion channel of an old Randall practice amp that didn't have enough 'oomph' of it's own.
Ever since then, I have understood what they were for and WILL build one if I feel the need.

I suppose if you like a smooth, 'bluesy', my-amp-is-on-the-verge sort of sound, then yes the TS makes enough distortion.
If you are more partial to the aw-dammit-I-set-the-speakers-on-fire-again sort of sound, then no it doesn't.

YMMV...

[R.G.]

My name is Eddy and I'm a high-gain addict. 
The TS-808 was never enough for me and for a long time I thought I hated them.
Then one day I had the opportunity to try a Tube Screamer as a dirty booster for the distortion channel of an old Randall practice amp that didn't have enough 'oomph' of it's own.
Ever since then, I have understood what they were for and WILL build one if I feel the need.

I suppose if you like a smooth, 'bluesy', my-amp-is-on-the-verge sort of sound, then yes the TS makes enough distortion.
If you are more partial to the aw-dammit-I-set-the-speakers-on-fire-again sort of sound, then no it doesn't.

Your comments are correct within their context. You are correct that a tube screamer does not make enough distortion for some people.

However, the original poster said:

I don't get much for distortion without turning the amp gain up (which obviously is what is creating the distortion at that point)...I have a hunch that the TS-808 is meant to push the tubes to create distortion, rather than create distortion on its own, but I don't know

Which is not the case. A tube screamer makes a perfectly noticeable distortion on its own, not the distortion caused by the amp, and it does so nicely into a solid state amp as well as into a tube amp.

I may have misunderstood him, but I read that as "I don't get noticeable distortion unless the amp is doing it all," plus the statement that he did this on a breadboard to indicate that there is some flaw in the setup.

I could be wrong. 

[Paul Marossy]

The tube screamer makes its own distortion just fine. Yours is not working correctly. Read and follow "Debugging: What to do when it doesn't work".

+1.

[econpatric]

Yes R.G. you are correct, I am not getting any distortion at all. My build is more like a compressor with little or no distortion. Should I have distortion coming out of the input buffer? Is it right to run the input buffer to pin 3 of the 4558?

I have built this particular pedal several times with the same problem, so I am sure it's a mistake that I am making over and over.

Can you post a link to the debugging page you are refering to? I clicked on the debugging page tab at the top of this page, but didn't find anything with the title you described?

[econpatric]

Well, after reviewing the schematic several times, I finally figured out what was wrong... I was plugging the 4.5v ref into pin one on the chip instead of pin two !