Tube Screamer - Non-Inverting Opamp Question - HELP

[Rayman]

The artice "Tube Screamer Secrets", see below

http://www.bteaudio.com/articles/TSS/TSS.htm

claims that the non-inverting opamp gain stage in the Tube Screamer essentially "mixes" the clipped signal with the direct signal, as opposed to an inverting opamp gain stage (I guess like the Muff Fuzz), which only outputs the clipped signal.  Is this true?  Does a non-inverting opamp mix the clipped and non-clipped signals?  Am I reading this correctly?  Is this the reason there aren't alot of distortion circuits that use an inverting gain stage?

[GibsonGM]

I would think the direct signal being mixed in a little would have more to do with the fact that the clipping is happening in the feedback loop as opposed to having the clipping diodes after the opamp, as in the MXR Dist +.   That clipped signal is then fed back into the original signal, where it goes thru the OA again.  After some point, the diodes are 'saturated', no additional clipping occurs, and the whole shebang passes thru the 1k resistor to the rest of the circuit.  So you're both clipping and providing negative feedback in that loop!