TUBE SCREAMER ....The HISTORY

  TUBE SCREAMERS  

There are hundreds of Pedal makers from cheap plastic

entry level boxes to hand made gems that cost over $500.00 USD

One thing in common is that if they make OD's one will be based on the 

Tube Screamer

circuit and it's use of an OpAmp instead of transistors

Some makers admit this ...others lie by omission! lol

Every year someone claims they have made the new Miracle dirt pedal!!! 

It can be a Low Gain Drive right up to a Metal OD 

which is nothing more then a beefed up Tube Screamer

Mr. Tube Screamer himself
Susuma Tamura

It was the first OD to use an symmetrical waveform

This is ironically NOT tube like!

It does however act more in a 'transparent' way

leaving the tone of your guitar and amp's sound relatively in tact.

in this day of using many pedals running them at unity gain is the only practical thing to do.

the ts was from the start used with the output level set high ...even dimed.

As such it is not 'Pedal Board Friendly'
It can be a bit lame at unity gain.