Tube Screamer: repurpose level pot to control diodes?

[heady jam fan]

I'm getting a TS5 in the mail and my goal is to make it a clean, loud boost - while retaining as much of the tone and feel as possible (which is why I am considering this over clipping the diodes or using LEDs from the start - a clean TS still has a bit of squish I don't want to lose).

I usually leave the level knob maxed and was wondering if I could rewire the level knob to control how much signal goes through the Si Diodes? I other words, at one end of the 'level' knob would be like having the diodes removed from the circuit, the other end would be like the normal circuit. Does this seem possible? If so, how would you accomplish this?

I've also thought of (in combination with the above, or instead of):
- Removing 1 Si Diode
- Removing both Si Diodes
- Replacing one or both Diodes with LEDs
- Replacing the 51k resistor with a 10k resistor (R19 on the TS5, and IIRC R7 on the TS9) if I need more headroom

[drolo]

The effect of increasing the resistance feeding the diodes (or LED's) is that there will be less clipping and your volume will increase. You might also be in the situation where your op amp will clip instead of the diodes. Could be good or nasty, depending on your op amp (and your taste :-) )

[heady jam fan]

The effect of increasing the resistance feeding the diodes (or LED's) is that there will be less clipping and your volume will increase. You might also be in the situation where your op amp will clip instead of the diodes. Could be good or nasty, depending on your op amp (and your taste :-) )

Thanks!

That is one reason I was thinking about keeping the diodes - the avoid the opamp from being the first thing to distort (because I'm pretty sure that is not the sound I'm going for).