Ibanez TS7 has a clean undertone...

[trevorus]

It's like someone put a blend in it, and there is a clean undertone that doesn't seem right. Anyone have any clues as to what could cause this?

[Mark Hammer]

It is designed to do that. The entire TS architecture is intended to compensate for how much more easily the low end is to normally reaching clipping threshold than the top end is. The low end is attenuated/filtered, going into the clipping stage, then the top end is rolled back after the clipping to that the result is not too fizzy. The result is a more even degree of clipping across the fretboard, though the complementary filtering is what produces the famous mid-bump. Keep in mind that if the amplitude from the signal at any point is not high enough to make the diodes conduct, then there will be no clipping. Hence the appearance of what you call a clean undertone.

[trevorus]

Well, I am noticing it on the high gain mode, with the gain maxxed out. After looking at the schematic, I could up the value of the resistor across the diodes in order to put more signal through the clipping diodes, and less clean sound would come through. Also, it's a bit bright, so I might change up the capacitor across the diodes as well. I do like having a bit of oomph coming from the clean side, but not as much as this thing has.

[Liam]

Have you looked at the "technology of the tubescreamer" article on the geofex page? It's very instructive, to say the least.

Liam

[trevorus]

Have you looked at the "technology of the tubescreamer" article on the geofex page? It's very instructive, to say the least.

Liam

Wow, awesome. That's exactly what I was looking for. It starts back int he input buffer... yay!