Goodbye BD-2, hello TS-808!

[Danny G]

I finally got to use my newly built TS-808 in practice yesterday...    

I gotta say, it sounded much better than my DIY Keeley-modded Blues Driver!  The BD had more low end and more horsepower, but just sounded kinda muddy and muffled in comparison.

Hell yeah!  It's a good feeling to replace something I've had on my pedalboard for about 3 years with something I built myself.  Now I need to build my dual-phaser (Phase 45 and 90 in same box w/2 stomp switches) so my wife can add my old modded Phase 90 to her bass rig.  Or I could just build her a phaser, too!

[Ben N]

Damn!

I have been trying to get my wife to play bass for 15 years!

And she just says, "You want me to do WHAT?"

 :cry:  

[Danny G]

Heh!  You can't imagine my jubilation when it was time to buy her a bass rig.  

I found a guy selling a 70's SVT in the paper for $900.  I had my speech prepared for Gina... "More money than we want to spend, but a good investment...  we could sell this in ten years for 2 grand...  most pro players don't have as good an amp as this... etc etc."  She looked at me and said "You're the expert."  Score!  I talked the guy down to $800, and now my little lady has a monstrous bass rig, heh heh!

But alas, she's going for her masters right now and isn't playing much.

[cd]

That's a great price for an SVT (especially if it came with a cab) but just wait until you have to retube it  I think NOS GEs will run around $300, modern Russian/Chinese around half that.

[Danny G]

No cab with it.  Got her an Ampeg Isovent cab (2x10's and 2x15's mounted like a clamshell) separately for about $400.  Nice sounding rig, hella low end.

[Lonestarjohnny]

Danny, what do you like about the 808's tone, what kinda rig you play it through ?
Johnny

[Danny G]

I play an '81 JCM800 2203 into 2 stock Marshall 4x12's, with natural overdrive about 3/4's up.  Paul Stanley Iceman and LP Studio.  

TS controls:  Level--dimed, Dist--about noon, Tone--around 9/10 am
BD controls:  Level--dimed, Dist--all the way down, Tone about 9/10 am

I used the pedals to boost the natural overdrive.

The TS was crisper and had more definition, was just cleaner overall.  Better harmonics too.

The BD-2 had WAY more horsepower and low end, but was muddier and a bit duller sounding.

[cd]

I play an '81 JCM800 2203 into 2 stock Marshall 4x12's, with natural overdrive about 3/4's up.  Paul Stanley Iceman and LP Studio.  

TS controls:  Level--dimed, Dist--about noon, Tone--around 9/10 am
BD controls:  Level--dimed, Dist--all the way down, Tone about 9/10 am

Holy crap Batman, I hope you wear earplugs too!! (or keep the MV low)

[vanhansen]

I've had the same scenario running a BD-2 through my Marshall (2100- pre-SLX model).  I just use an SD-1, CH-1, Phase 90 and Crybaby.  Crybaby and Phase 90 to be moded soon.  The BD-2 was too muddy for me too.  The SD-1 has more clarity for my style.  I still have the BD-2 and am going to sell it.

[nooneknows]

very strange, I have both pedals, running a JCM800, and I think the stock bd2 is quite crispier than the stock SD1 that, without any mod, sounds to me... unclear. My only complain about BD2 is the bass side, a bit to pumped.
A modded version of the SD1 is better than the modded version of a BD2, sounds more musical

[bwanasonic]

Hell yeah!  It's a good feeling to replace something I've had on my pedalboard for about 3 years with something I built myself.

That is cool, but comparing those two pedal designs is a slight case of apples and oranges IMO. Though it's great when you find the *right* pedal for your rig, and it turns out to be one you built!   The BD2 sounds better as a slightly hairy boost to me, than it does as a stand alone distortion. Works well WITH a TS type pedal also. I would run it after (as a solo boost), but try it in front as well. The BD2 can get a really cool bluesy edge-of-breakup sound, kind of *Keef* like.

Kerry M

[MartyMart]

This is very interesting information and confirms my experience that different players/guitars/pedals and amps all add up to different `'sets`' of tone and drive.
One mans "TS" with his rig is perfect and another will be a complete no no!.
I happen to like the "TS" circuit with a little more bass through the drive section, but not too much as it will "Muddy" up very quickly.

I think that the BD2 is a very under rated pedal,  a "stock" version is nice to begin with, but after a few tweaks of the circuit and improvements to some "cheap" electro's it sounds awesome.
I've sold a few to some friends who are pro's and very fussy about their sound and the response has been fantastic, one guy leaves it "on" in his signal path the whole time, set to an almost "clean" boost which improves his tone through the pedal board to amp.
Guitar-stompers-amp . . . . . . . . .
someimes there's just too much choice !
Cheers and enjoy,
Marty.