Recommend alternatives to T.S. for blues

[DougH]

Gainster or Red Snapper- anything in that lineage.

[AceLuby]

+1 on the EQ

I have the same amp and when I want a real bluesy sound I go for a mid humped EQ pedal.  Sometimes before a SD-1 and sometimes after a boost.  Seems to give me the best results.

[Mark Hammer]

If you like late 60's British blues, then it is hard to recommend anything more than a decent Rangemaster build in conjunction with a nice tube amp.  I always describe it to people as instant Beano.  (The Bluesbreakers album nickname, not the stuff for making one's stomach less noisy)

[96ecss]

I built a Fat Bastard (Fat Boostered) http://www.aronnelson.com/gallery/main.php/v/MarkMs-Gallery/album15/album76/FatBoostered_revised_LAYOUT_001.gif.html for a friend of mine who uses it for exactly what you're describing. He plays Strats, Teles, a 335 and Les Pauls through vaious Fender amps and he loves the Fat Boostered. He never turns it off when he's playing Blues. With the EQ control it has, it sounds great with both humbuckers and single coils. It's a very simple build too.

Dave

[spudulike]

Timmy or Hotcake.

[slideman82]

hw89- way too much gain for what it seems that you are after.

Easy! Just try some Ge's!

[jrc4558]

Anything to do with mu-amp. BSIAB with a smalleg gain potentiometer. Of just build it stock and leave gain pot at 9am. Compresses very well, adds some dirt, but quite soft at lower gains. And its a beast when you crank that gain up!

[Nick C.]

Head spinning, too many choices

I should know that everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Would it help if I had asked:

What's a cool light overdrive, that will work well with a variety of pickups and amps? Must work well with a SS amp. Something that sounds full and smooth as opposed to thin and harsh.

Probably just as many opinions. Might be nice to do a poll for stuff like this, I didn't notice any. Some people don't like them. Couldn't find any schematic or layouts for hotcake, gainster, or red snapper.

[johnny5]

I'm currently building a ROG Odie.  It's supposed to be a TS alternative using FETs.  I'm still building so I can't give you a complete review, but the sound clips on ROG were nice.  Just thought I'd throw that out there and report back later when I finish.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on how the Odie turns out. I think the sound clips are pretty great at ROG.

[OrionManMatt]

I've had good success with a Bluesbreaker, Guvn'r, and similar pedals with SS amps. Perhaps you could try the new Jekyll n' Hyde?

[lenwood]

"What's a cool light overdrive, that will work well with a variety of pickups and amps? Must work well with a SS amp. Something that sounds full and smooth as opposed to thin and harsh."

answer: Gus' overdrive  see Gus' post for schematic  +1

simple light overdrive works well with single coils and humbuckers and into different type amps.

[slideman82]

I've had good success with a Bluesbreaker, Guvn'r, and similar pedals with SS amps. Perhaps you could try the new Jekyll n' Hyde?

Are u recommending a modded TS and a modded/incomplete Marshall Shredmaster?

[nooneknows]

If you still like the TS characteristcs (for the blues I think it's unbeatable) I'd recommend the Red Snapper or a dimiliar circuit: I think it's the best overdrive I've ever used.
The circuit schem is not around but think about it as a TS without input and output buffer and with asymmetrical clipping, like a SD1.
You could use the Tube Reamer 2 as a starting point, I've built one modifying the clipping, reducing the gain of the second stage and adding a Stupid Wonderful Tone Control on the output, it's really really nice in conjunction with my Red Snapper.

[slideman82]

If you still like the TS characteristcs (for the blues I think it's unbeatable)

I still disagree... TS is some guitarist invention, the true blues sound comes from only a tube amp and a guitar (getting better with reverb), nothing less... a treble booster will make that dirt wanted by many, also in a SS amp. Well, that's my opinion (I'm almost a purist).

[joegagan]

sorry for tooting my own horn but i have found the brontoboost to be an excellent blues machine into any amp.

there were a lot of great suggestions in this thread so far as well.

i made a brontoboost video just for this thread, i used a p90 guitar too.

i think what makes it nice for blues is that it has a juicy high end feel like a good rangemaster, with added clipping capability.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7UqpVvz86c&fmt=18

[dschwartz]

try a dr boogie with a very low gain setting and taking out the first fet bypass cap (i call it "vintage" mode)..sounds amazingly bluesy!!! and very full bodied and responsive..

[moro]

sorry for tooting my own horn but i have found the brontoboost to be an excellent blues machine into any amp.

there were a lot of great suggestions in this thread so far as well.

i made a brontoboost video just for this thread, i used a p90 guitar too.

i think what makes it nice for blues is that it has a juicy high end feel like a good rangemaster, with added clipping capability.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7UqpVvz86c&fmt=18

Nice tone and nice playing.

Sorry for the OT question, but what is that bar your strap is attached to?

[joegagan]

thanks moro.

it is a strap button extension that connects to the headstock for better sustain and resonance.
i prefer the strap somewhere near the 12th fret for balance and ease of wrist angle. since it started as a righty guitar it would have been way off balance without it.

[nooneknows]

[ still disagree... TS is some guitarist invention, the true blues sound comes from only a tube amp and a guitar (getting better with reverb), nothing less...

Ok, my sentence might be corrected in : "for the blues I think it's unbeatable in my setup".
Anyway I think you're a bit too radical about it, there are a lot of variables involved. Hendrix didn't sounded blues because he used a Fuzz Face? I think Blues comes from somewhere else than a setup, I'd like to say from the soul but it could appear rhetorical.
I like TS because it produces in my rig a fat, warm and balanced sound that helps me getting 'that' feeling (and I guess that's what Nick C were searching for). I'm not looking for a particular sound I'm looking for my voice.
ciao
M

[jpm83]

How about modding your TS to asymmetric clipping.

Janne