building tube screamer into front end of amp

[beasleybodyshop]

anyone ever thought of doing this? I gutted an old crate solid state job and found several RC4558 chips, and it got me thinking - Wouldnt it be a cool idea to build small amp with minimal features (i was thinking matchless Spitfire) and building the pedal into the front end. You could enable/disable with a footswitch or a toggle.

I know Ibanez has already done this, but It's piqued my curiosity. Anyone ever attempt this? What did you think?

[M Fowler]

Years ago techs would open up amps for repair and find people had tried to install a tube screamer circuit into a tube amp. Now here you are contributing to the madness. Carry on

[beasleybodyshop]

lol.

I didnt know it used to be en vogue.

It could be worse, I could do some amps with green flocking paint jobs. My old man said they were popular in 1972 for about two weeks

[M Fowler]

Go ahead do up one of those flocking paint jobs and post.

[beasleybodyshop]

if only to make you feel nostalgic Mark!

[teemuk]

Yes, it's perfectly easy to build in a Tube Screamer type effect, or any other assisting solid-state circuit on that matter, to an amp when you know what you are doing.

What did you think?

It sounds like a Tube Screamer in front of a " small amp with minimal features". Personally, I would have kept that Crate.

[beasleybodyshop]

I guess I must have really missed the memo on the TS thing. lol.

Good thing im not gutting something valuable for my whims. That would be insulting wouldn't it?

[Gaz]

What would be cool is if you could have the "Tube Screamer" as a modular remote unit that you could activate/bypass with a footswitch. What I mean is that you could build the whole circuit into a small enclosure (you could even add an LED and some controls). You hook it up with typical 1/4" guitar cords, and run it off a 9VDC power supply (or battery too, I suppose). What would be cool is that you build other circuits into small boxes and even chain them together for different effects. This way you could mix and match the effects, and keep the fundamental, base tone in the amp. JM2C.

[Andy Le Blanc]

there are several marshals that are nearly that... you just need some bypass switching, like a pre-loop...

[martin manning]

What would be cool is if you could have the "Tube Screamer" as a modular remote unit that you could activate/bypass with a footswitch. What I mean is that you could build the whole circuit into a small enclosure (you could even add an LED and some controls). You hook it up with typical 1/4" guitar cords, and run it off a 9VDC power supply (or battery too, I suppose). What would be cool is that you build other circuits into small boxes and even chain them together for different effects. This way you could mix and match the effects, and keep the fundamental, base tone in the amp. JM2C.

Damn! I think you're on to something! ;^)

[Colossal]

It's been done. Check out the Ibanez line of tube amps.

Also, the Chinese built version of the one-knob Brian May AC30 featured a built in treble booster.

[Gibsonman63]

Personally, I think it would be cool on a grab and go type amp as long as it is footswitchable. I have done quite a few gigs with just my guitar, amp and cable.

...or you could revisit another 70's idea. Electra had a line of guitars with a cavity in the back for effects modules that you could control from the front of the guitar. They are semi collectable now, but not worth an major bucks. Maybe if you used that fancy green paint.

[Jana]

Don't do it! Do succumb to this fleeting desire. Eventually the brass pole loses its appeal and then what? You're stuck with it in the middle of the living room.

If you're into tube screamers, build one into a pedal. Build the amp without any extra crap inside and don't try to hide the fact that you are using a pedal.

[NickC]

Tube Screamer is a misnomer. More like Sand Screamer.

Building a Tube/Sand Screamer into the front-end of an authentic tube amp is a little like pre-installing socks into shoes; sounds good at first but isn't very practical.

[Leo_Gnardo]

If you must . . . but why go to the trouble of building a board loaded with 4558's and about 65 other components when you can buy a used TS for cheap, pry the board out, and stick that in the amp. I've done LOTS of moving boards into rack-mount modules when that was the "thing." Some muso's didn't want to go the cheap reversible way, like put the whole pedal on a shelf or drawer, so I'd spend a day or two de constructing, re constructing, drilling lettering & testing. What a hassle.

Best advice I can give is - fuggedaboudit.