Cleaner Louder TS9?

[heady jam fan]

I'm thinking about modding a TS9.

Goals:
-Cleaner
-Louder
-Keep the Midrange
-Keep the Compression

Changes I'm thinking about making
1) Clipping Diodes mod options (I'll pick one of these, maybe test a few):
-Lift (not enough compression? Too 'raw?')
-Bright LED
-Double the number of Silicon Diodes (enough boost and headroom?)
-Resistor in parallel as a partial lift (if so, what value resistor?)
2) C3 to .22uf & R6 to 1Kohm: more gain, same tone
3) R5 to 10ohm: more clean at the lower end of the drive knob.

Basically, I want to keep the pedal as true to an Ibanez TS9 as possible, but I want more headroom and a louder output.

Is there any point to the last two mods (#2 and 3 above)?

Thanks much!
Jon

[flanagan0718]

I have a copy of Wampler's mod book and it has like 2 dozen different mods for this. Pm me your email and I'll send you the pages.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[heady jam fan]

Thanks!
PM sent.

Someone also suggested replacing the 500K Drive pot with a 250K pot. Makes sense if the pedal still overdrives after the other mods.

[Scruffie]

Change the clipping diodes to LEDs, that's all you need to do.

[rullywowr]

Change the clipping diodes to LEDs, that's all you need to do.

This. Or remove them all together if you want super loud and clean.

[heady jam fan]

Change the clipping diodes to LEDs, that's all you need to do.

This. Or remove them all together if you want super loud and clean.

Thanks guys!

I want it super loud and clean, but I feel like there is a bit of compression even when a TS is clean - I dont want to lose that.

[flanagan0718]

In the doc I sent you you can raise or lower the value you of a cap or two and the compression will either increase or decrease. I did a bunch of mods to a friends TS9 a couple of months ago and I changed a couple of resistors (made switchable) to decrease and increase drive. Try a few different diodes but do all the other mods with the stock diodes first. Then try switching between them. LEDs will make it MUCH louder so i would put them on a toggle switch with another pair to compare and contrast.

[heady jam fan]

In the doc I sent you you can raise or lower the value you of a cap or two and the compression will either increase or decrease. I did a bunch of mods to a friends TS9 a couple of months ago and I changed a couple of resistors (made switchable) to decrease and increase drive. Try a few different diodes but do all the other mods with the stock diodes first. Then try switching between them. LEDs will make it MUCH louder so i would put them on a toggle switch with another pair to compare and contrast.

I can't figure out which caps you mean unless your talking about the R-C to ground that I mentioned:
2) C3 to .22uf & R6 to 1Kohm: more gain, same tone (First two steps of Wampler's 316 mod)

[flanagan0718]

Yeah that's it. I also changed the "F" caps to the 1uf film. It helps with the low end distortion.

[heady jam fan]

Yeah that's it. I also changed the "F" caps to the 1uf film. It helps with the low end distortion.

Cool - I guess I should order those if the bass is distorting after the other mods I do...

Which LEDs do you guys suggest? I am looking at the Water-Clear High Brightness ones on Small Bear.
They carry both 3 & 5mm - does that make any difference?
How about the color? Someone suggested 5mm Red? I had 3mm Blue in my cart (just picked one at random).

[flanagan0718]

I used diffused Red 5mm.

[rullywowr]

Diffused or clear red seem to be a good choice. It's all about the fV. Blue will have a different clipping point than red etc. Best to socket them and try various combos. Once you get a pair you like you can set two flavors up on a Dpdt switch.  If you use a center  off Dpdt, the middle position will have the cleanest and much louder sound.

[heady jam fan]

Diffused or clear red seem to be a good choice. It's all about the fV. Blue will have a different clipping point than red etc. Best to socket them and try various combos. Once you get a pair you like you can set two flavors up on a Dpdt switch.  If you use a center  off Dpdt, the middle position will have the cleanest and much louder sound.

Interesting about the different LEDs.

The switch is a good idea, but I already have 2 TS9s on my pedalboard. They are both vintage and I don't want to mod them. One has the drive set at 11 o'clock and the other is cranked. At this point, I roll down my volume knob for my clean tone, but wish the TS was a little cleaner and louder. I've tried a Keeley Red Dirt, which is the cleanest TS clone/boutique/mod I've found (I've tried many), and I also have a PQ9 that I set to have a similar EQ to a TS, but nothing sounds as good to mean as a real Ibanez TS9.