DEMO Little Green Scream Machine (TS808)

[MichaelW]

Build Rating

5.00 star(s)

So I suppose this is the ultimate YATS since it actually IS a Tube Screamer

I've built so many TS based drive pedals this past year that but ironically I've never owned a real Tube Screamer. So I decided it would be a good idea to build one out and at least have a "reference" pedal.

Oddly enough, or maybe not so odd, I REALLY LIKE how this one sounds! It doesn't sound near as muffled as some of the TS based pedals I've built sound. (Cough Cough KingTone Soloist)

I built it stock to the BOM except for the clippers, I used some genuine Toshiba 1S1588's. They fell in the .500-.600mv vF range so I think they're "correct" to the original.

I've got the Extreme Scream Machine board that I want to build next but looking at the board it looks almost identical to the LGSM.
I'm headed off to New Hampshire tomorrow through the Memorial Day weekend, so no pedal or guitar tomfoolery from me for a few days.

In the meantime, I recorded a demo comparing the LGSM against a few recent TS based builds. The Bastion OD, Virgil, and Eternal Burst.

I didn't have a green enclosure for the LGSM, the closest I had was an Matte Army Green so I went with that.

Super quick build, and a highly recommended classic for the collection.







In this demo is also the first demo/appearance of my 50's blackguard tele.

Every once in a while, I'll build a guitar where everything just comes together perfectly and the end result is greater than the sum of it's constituent parts.
This Tele is one of those builds.

Somehow everything about it is just perfect. From the lightweight, super resonant pine body to the shape of the neck profile, to the fretwork to the pickups.
As you may recall, this one has the Wolfetone pickup set that I originally got for my 60's Tele. Somehow they didn't quite fit that guitar quite right and I wound up putting some Lollar Special T pickups in it.

But they sound PERFECT for this guitar. Makes sense as the bridge pickup was wound modeled after a Broadcaster pickup according to Wolfe.
The neck pickup is airy and a little bit "stratty" sounding and the bridge is pure kick ass Tele. I absolutely love this guitar. Most definitely my favorite Tele out of my recent builds. So versatile, so many sounds.

 

[Erik S]

Have fun in my state!!

 

[HamishR]

Always fun in my state - drunken stupor.

 

[DAJE]

I expected to be unimpressed by my LGSM but the damn thing sounds really good and is very usable.

 

[szukalski]

I love the family cameo!

 

[MichaelW]

Yah the wife just got home and came in to tell me she got me some sushi.....and of course Bonnie the Wonder dog wanted some......

 

[mybud]

So I suppose this is the ultimate YATS since it actually IS a Tube Screamer

I've built so many TS based drive pedals this past year that but ironically I've never owned a real Tube Screamer. So I decided it would be a good idea to build one out and at least have a "reference" pedal.

Oddly enough, or maybe not so odd, I REALLY LIKE how this one sounds! It doesn't sound near as muffled as some of the TS based pedals I've built sound. (Cough Cough KingTone Soloist)

I built it stock to the BOM except for the clippers, I used some genuine Toshiba 1S1588's. They fell in the .500-.600mv vF range so I think they're "correct" to the original.

I've got the Extreme Scream Machine board that I want to build next but looking at the board it looks almost identical to the LGSM.
I'm headed off to New Hampshire tomorrow through the Memorial Day weekend, so no pedal or guitar tomfoolery from me for a few days.

In the meantime, I recorded a demo comparing the LGSM against a few recent TS based builds. The Bastion OD, Virgil, and Eternal Burst.

I didn't have a green enclosure for the LGSM, the closest I had was an Matte Army Green so I went with that.

Super quick build, and a highly recommended classic for the collection.

View attachment 49236

View attachment 49237



In this demo is also the first demo/appearance of my 50's blackguard tele.

Every once in a while, I'll build a guitar where everything just comes together perfectly and the end result is greater than the sum of it's constituent parts.
This Tele is one of those builds.

Somehow everything about it is just perfect. From the lightweight, super resonant pine body to the shape of the neck profile, to the fretwork to the pickups.
As you may recall, this one has the Wolfetone pickup set that I originally got for my 60's Tele. Somehow they didn't quite fit that guitar quite right and I wound up putting some Lollar Special T pickups in it.

But they sound PERFECT for this guitar. Makes sense as the bridge pickup was wound modeled after a Broadcaster pickup according to Wolfe.
The neck pickup is airy and a little bit "stratty" sounding and the bridge is pure kick ass Tele. I absolutely love this guitar. Most definitely my favorite Tele out of my recent builds. So versatile, so many sounds.

Great stuff as ever, Mike, and the new blackguard sounds and looks amazing. Out the park, man, out the park.

 

[ChrsGuit]

So I suppose this is the ultimate YATS since it actually IS a Tube Screamer

I've built so many TS based drive pedals this past year that but ironically I've never owned a real Tube Screamer. So I decided it would be a good idea to build one out and at least have a "reference" pedal.

Oddly enough, or maybe not so odd, I REALLY LIKE how this one sounds! It doesn't sound near as muffled as some of the TS based pedals I've built sound. (Cough Cough KingTone Soloist)

I built it stock to the BOM except for the clippers, I used some genuine Toshiba 1S1588's. They fell in the .500-.600mv vF range so I think they're "correct" to the original.

I've got the Extreme Scream Machine board that I want to build next but looking at the board it looks almost identical to the LGSM.
I'm headed off to New Hampshire tomorrow through the Memorial Day weekend, so no pedal or guitar tomfoolery from me for a few days.

In the meantime, I recorded a demo comparing the LGSM against a few recent TS based builds. The Bastion OD, Virgil, and Eternal Burst.

I didn't have a green enclosure for the LGSM, the closest I had was an Matte Army Green so I went with that.

Super quick build, and a highly recommended classic for the collection.

View attachment 49236

View attachment 49237



In this demo is also the first demo/appearance of my 50's blackguard tele.

Every once in a while, I'll build a guitar where everything just comes together perfectly and the end result is greater than the sum of it's constituent parts.
This Tele is one of those builds.

Somehow everything about it is just perfect. From the lightweight, super resonant pine body to the shape of the neck profile, to the fretwork to the pickups.
As you may recall, this one has the Wolfetone pickup set that I originally got for my 60's Tele. Somehow they didn't quite fit that guitar quite right and I wound up putting some Lollar Special T pickups in it.

But they sound PERFECT for this guitar. Makes sense as the bridge pickup was wound modeled after a Broadcaster pickup according to Wolfe.
The neck pickup is airy and a little bit "stratty" sounding and the bridge is pure kick ass Tele. I absolutely love this guitar. Most definitely my favorite Tele out of my recent builds. So versatile, so many sounds.

Awesome man!.
I currently have a LGSM pcb and a Tone Geek VS-10 pcb sitting on my work station...
I've been trying to find what components I need to change to build the LGSM as a TS10 instead of an 808, since I already have a real Ibanez TS-808.... The Tone Geek has some additional toggles to achieve more tonal varieties, but I wanted to build one of each and then compare them in the end.
Tone Geek did a YouTube video describing in detail the changes to make to turn a LGSM from pedal pcb into a ts10, but the pcb in his video is an older version that appears to have quite a few differences to the current production LGSM board...
I've tried searching the forum but haven't turned up anything. Any advice?

 

[MichaelW]

Awesome man!.
I currently have a LGSM pcb and a Tone Geek VS-10 pcb sitting on my work station...
I've been trying to find what components I need to change to build the LGSM as a TS10 instead of an 808, since I already have a real Ibanez TS-808.... The Tone Geek has some additional toggles to achieve more tonal varieties, but I wanted to build one of each and then compare them in the end.
Tone Geek did a YouTube video describing in detail the changes to make to turn a LGSM from pedal pcb into a ts10, but the pcb in his video is an older version that appears to have quite a few differences to the current production LGSM board...
I've tried searching the forum but haven't turned up anything. Any advice?

I'd start by comparing the current build doc with the one in your screenshot.
Looks like the biggest differences in the clipping arrangement. Some of those changes have already been incorporated into the current revision.

 

[ChrsGuit]

I'd start by comparing the current build doc with the one in your screenshot.
Looks like the biggest differences in the clipping arrangement. Some of those changes have already been incorporated into the current revision.

I actually did just that after typing that...
I was trying to get a baseline on HOW different each was from one another and noticed the incorporated changes and just wrote down everything that needed changed. I noticed it says to use Tantalum on the C5&C6 220nf locations...
Is this an "originality" thing or even necessary for tonality?

 

[MichaelW]

I actually did just that after typing that...
I was trying to get a baseline on HOW different each was from one another and noticed the incorporated changes and just wrote down everything that needed changed. I noticed it says to use Tantalum on the C5&C6 220nf locations...
Is this an "originality" thing or even necessary for tonality?

I think it's a preference from Tone Geek. Lot of debate around Tantalums and what they do but me personally I can't hear any difference.

 

[ChrsGuit]

I think it's a preference from Tone Geek. Lot of debate around Tantalums and what they do but me personally I can't hear any difference.

Good to know. I have no experience with them, just know I've seen them in many old Boss and Ibanez pedals out there...

 

[owlexifry]

I actually did just that after typing that...
I was trying to get a baseline on HOW different each was from one another and noticed the incorporated changes and just wrote down everything that needed changed. I noticed it says to use Tantalum on the C5&C6 220nf locations...
Is this an "originality" thing or even necessary for tonality?

doesn't matter. so long as it's the right capacitance, voltage rating, and it fits on the board

 

[ChrsGuit]

doesn't matter. so long as it's the right capacitance, voltage rating, and it fits on the board

I'm finding that more and more...
When I got into pedal building, I was so mixed up as far as mylar, ceramic, film caps, etc... Then I realized that each uses a different makeup to more or less do the same thing... same as diodes, really... As long as they match the correct specs (I know that's a broad and over-simplified way to put it), the rest is negligible... I usually throw my caps on a little test device to make sure they're close to spec, and that MLCC'S are preferred in some locations but that's usually about as far as I bother when populating boards... Never seemed to really matter much in the end result. All my pedals have turned out nice and quiet with no buzz, hum, or noise, so I must be doing something right

 

[mkstewartesq]

Michael:

Another great build, and I always love the sound you get as a baseline in all of your demos even before you flip the effect on. If you don’t mind me asking , for this particular demo, what was your set up beyond the guitar? Did you have the volume rolled back or anything? I am actually asking for a reason very specific to this pedal, to get a sanity check since it is my first TS. For my build, I used the 1N4148s but when I play through my telecaster (or any other single coil guitar), it’s over driven from the get-go, even when Drive is set to minimum (and then, of course, increasing the drive knob does increase the overdrive, so it’s not a bad pot problem as far as I can see). But you got some quite lovely “more boost than dirty overdrive“ sounds and I was wondering if that was due to a volume knob setting on the guitar or something else before I start ripping out these clippers and trying red LEDs, green LEDs, etc. because I was really hoping for more of the tones that you got than what I ended up getting in my build.

Thanks,

Mike

 

[MichaelW]

Michael:

Another great build, and I always love the sound you get as a baseline in all of your demos even before you flip the effect on. If you don’t mind me asking , for this particular demo, what was your set up beyond the guitar? Did you have the volume rolled back or anything? I am actually asking for a reason very specific to this pedal, to get a sanity check since it is my first TS. For my build, I used the 1N4148s but when I play through my telecaster (or any other single coil guitar), it’s over driven from the get-go, even when Drive is set to minimum (and then, of course, increasing the drive knob does increase the overdrive, so it’s not a bad pot problem as far as I can see). But you got some quite lovely “more boost than dirty overdrive“ sounds and I was wondering if that was due to a volume knob setting on the guitar or something else before I start ripping out these clippers and trying red LEDs, green LEDs, etc. because I was really hoping for more of the tones that you got than what I ended up getting in my build.

Thanks,

Mike

What you're hearing before I turn on the pedal is my standard signal chain, compressor, into my Frenzel amp, and in the efx loop of the amp are two delays and a reverb pedal. (MBP Skoolies and Gravitation Reverb).

My compressor is always on but fairly subtle settings. I think your pedal is working correctly. The LGSM will never been a "clean boost".

The most common settings for boosting an amp or boosting another pedal is Level 3 o'clock, Drive 9 o'clock, tone to taste. It's a "dirty boost" with these settings but can tighten up flabby bass.

 

[mkstewartesq]

What you're hearing before I turn on the pedal is my standard signal chain, compressor, into my Frenzel amp, and in the efx loop of the amp are two delays and a reverb pedal. (MBP Skoolies and Gravitation Reverb).

My compressor is always on but fairly subtle settings. I think your pedal is working correctly. The LGSM will never been a "clean boost".

The most common settings for boosting an amp or boosting another pedal is Level 3 o'clock, Drive 9 o'clock, tone to taste. It's a "dirty boost" with these settings but can tighten up flabby bass.

Thank you, Michael. Again, you always get a wonderful sound for your demos, and I appreciate the tips and confirmation as to the sound I should be expecting from my LGSM.

Mike

 

[MichaelW]

Thank you, Michael. Again, you always get a wonderful sound for your demos, and I appreciate the tips and confirmation as to the sound I should be expecting from my LGSM.

Mike

I never answered your question hahaha, I typically play with my volume wide open on the guitar on my demos. Unless I'm specifically trying to highlight how a pedal sounds with the volume rolled off. I typically have the tone rolled off a bit with my Strat bridge pickups, I have them all wired with a dedicated tone control for the bridge pickup. On Tele's you'll usually see my roll off the tone when I switch the bridge pickup.

 

[Grubb]

I've been trying to find what components I need to change to build the LGSM as a TS10 instead of an 808...

VERY late to this but I've been looking at TS10 schematics because I'm designing and building some Mayer-inspired pedals for my daughter for Christmas. The main differences between the ToneGeek TS10 schematic and the LGSM are:

1) An additional 220R resistor between C2 and R5 (LGSM reference)
2) An on-off-on clipping switch that gives three different diode combos (you could wire this offboard on the switch itself, or omit it because it's not in the TS10)
3) 1S1588 clipping diodes - the LGSM specs 1N4148s (and sounds great with green LEDs!)
4) Another switch giving different capacitor values parallel to C4 to change the bass response of the clipping stage (same as before, wire it offboard or omit)
5) Differences in the output buffer (see images below - the LGSM has TS808 values, you could up the values of R14 and R15 to match TS9/10 - or leave stock because it's not going to make a whole bunch of difference)
6) The TG circuit has preserved the Boss flip-flop, while the LGSM is true bypass

Basically, it's one 220R resistor in the audio path and different clipping diodes to make the LGSM a TS10.


LGSM output buffer:


ToneGeek TS10 output buffer:

 

[ChrsGuit]

VERY late to this but I've been looking at TS10 schematics because I'm designing and building some Mayer-inspired pedals for my daughter for Christmas. The main differences between the ToneGeek TS10 schematic and the LGSM are:

1) An additional 220R resistor between C2 and R5 (LGSM reference)
2) An on-off-on clipping switch that gives three different diode combos (you could wire this offboard on the switch itself, or omit it because it's not in the TS10)
3) 1S1588 clipping diodes - the LGSM specs 1N4148s (and sounds great with green LEDs!)
4) Another switch giving different capacitor values parallel to C4 to change the bass response of the clipping stage (same as before, wire it offboard or omit)
5) Differences in the output buffer (see images below - the LGSM has TS808 values, you could up the values of R14 and R15 to match TS9/10 - or leave stock because it's not going to make a whole bunch of difference)
6) The TG circuit has preserved the Boss flip-flop, while the LGSM is true bypass

Basically, it's one 220R resistor in the audio path and different clipping diodes to make the LGSM a TS10.


LGSM output buffer:
View attachment 84631

ToneGeek TS10 output buffer:
View attachment 84632

I've finally finished a Bluesbreaker variant that I'm very proud of...
I own a genuine Marshall BB, and have tried a few of the usual interpretations...

I built a few from different pcb makers, and I've finally been able to meld bits and pieces I liked of those into my own thing...

It's one of those "always on" type pedals that just gets you right into that Mayer zone...

These days if I use that and a simple Reverb into one of my vintage Bassman heads, it's all I need