Wimpy Tubes Screamer

[drewl]

This is annoying.

Got an Ibanez TS9 that just sounds weak, plenty of volume but gain just sounds off.

Everything looks okay, voltages good, looks good on a scope, but compared to others the gain seems off.

I replaced the opamp a couple times, rebuilt the whole clipping stage, even tweaking it by increasing the gain pot and increasing the gain of the second opamp, it has more output but just lacks in sound and feel.

I tried new switching FET's figuring they were leaky, no change, swapped out the tantalum caps to ground, no change.

Guess I'll try the coupling caps, this is weird.

[Jon Snell]

Check the centre voltage is half battery voltage.

[loudthud]

Which caps are tantalum ? I'd suspect the np 1uF caps if they are aluminum electrolytic types.

[drewl]

Voltages are all good, it works, just sounds wimpy.

Coupling caps are next.

Never had one like this, they either work or don't.
Hell I've built a bunch even.

[Helmholtz]

Maybe this helps (excerpts from the original TS808 manual), should all apply to the TS-9 as well. Board is the same. IIRC the only difference is a resistor in the output section:

[vintagekiki]

About TS

https://www.thetonerooms.com/threads/ibanez-tube-screamer-ts9-not-working.3109/

https://www.tonehome.de/app/download/8039214/Ibanez_TS808sbfi_servicemanual.pdf

https://www.tonehome.de/ibanez/0-series-ts-808/ts-808-tube-scr/

http://www.geofex.com/article_folders/tstech/tsxtech.htm

https://www.freestompboxes.org/viewtopic.php?t=8179

https://elektrotanya.com/showresult?what=ibanez&kategoria=&kat2=Minden%20 (All)&page=2

http://revolutiondeux.blogspot.com/2012/05/maxon-ibanez-super-tube-screamer-st-9.html

http://www.muzique.com/schem/ts808.gif

http://fuzzcentral.ssguitar.com/schematics.php

[drewl]

Replacing the 1uf bipolars helped, but it's still anemic.

I've replaced all but two coupling caps so far and the two transistors.

[vintagekiki]

Remove both 2SK30A. On the "right" fet, short circuit drain and source.
The TS9 is constantly on. Check is it now sounds satisfactory.
If the tone control works unconvincingly, check (replace) .22u
Question. How it manifests anemic tone, what is missing?

[drewl]

Hard to explain, not as full, not as much sustain.

I'll try removing the FET's and hardwire the distorted path removing the clean signal.

The FET's I installed were used so, they still might be the problem.

[pdf64]

This type of OD typically sounds awful with a ‘hot but clean’ signal input and a clean amp on its output.

[Helmholtz]

This type of OD typically sounds awful with a ‘hot but clean’ signal input and a clean amp on its output.

I think a TS-9 sounds great with an LP into a BF Fender. Prefer it over most other OD pedals, except maybe a Zendrive.

[Helmholtz]

Hard to explain, not as full, not as much sustain.

I'll try removing the FET's and hardwire the distorted path removing the clean signal.

The FET's I installed were used so, they still might be the problem.

Did you compare the waveshapes shown in the manual I posted?

[pdf64]

I think a TS-9 sounds great with an LP into a BF Fender. Prefer it over most other OD pedals, except maybe a Zendrive.

Haha, there’s always someone
Surely that would be with the amp pushed, even a bit, into its sweet spot?
To me, totally clean (eg plugged into the #2 input of a normal channel), the sound is rather disjointed, with a funny little overdrive signal kinda ‘sitting on top of’ a muffled clean signal.
With a bit of ‘push’ it all seems to merge together into that great classic tone.
The disjointed thing is much reduced with lower output pickups; unless a clean booster is inserted between guitar and TS.

[vintagekiki]

The best is the A / B test. From a colleague, procure for try TS808 or TS9 and compare it with your TS9 using the same phrase and the same preset.
Personally, I think you expect too much sound from TS. It is modest overdrive whose "bass" is "cut off", everything happens in the treble register, which musicians would say sound "no meat"
With remove both 2SK30A, you rule out the possibility that the footswitch is not working properly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZkfMFYVHR8
The Ultimate Ibanez Tube Screamer Shootout. PART 1.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juF4ORzQYH4
The Ultimate Ibanez Tube Screamer Shoot-out. PART 2.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjBPOAM0C7I
Tube Screamer Shoot Out - TS9 vs TS808

[Helmholtz]

plugged into the #2 input of a normal channel ..

I never use the normal channel with Fender amps and certainly not the #2 input, which loads down the PUs treble response. For me a good clean sound is essential. And I like a little spring reverb.
Tried dozens of OD and distortion pedals (many more than I remember), still have a drawer full of them, including a ProCo Rat, MXR Dist +, Fulltone FullDrive 2, OCD, Okko Diablo, Rockett Caliber .45, Ibanez Metal Screamer, Guyatone Tube Overdrive, Wampler Plexi-Drive and some more. Many more I returned after short trial. Also built some own ones.
Always hated early transistor fuzz pedals like Fuzz Face or Big Muff PiI, because they had low input impedance and the transition between fuzz and clean was awful. So was the sound of complex chords.
Never liked a fuzzy sound or heavy distortion anyway. And I don't like a lot a bass in guitar sound. I mainly use an OD to add some compression/sustain, but still want to be able to tell a Strat from an LP.

The only ones I use is either one of my Tubescreamers or the Zendrive. I think the bass cut before distortion is essential to avoid nasty intermodulation products.

But I don't really care about discussing personal preferences.

And I don't think it helps the OP.