What makes an overdrive pedal original? Are they all Tubescreamers?

[@morganghetti]

Man those guys at the gear page hear things the pedal designers don't even hear. They can even hear if a cap has been installed by hand or on a PCB. Pretty incredible.

[@Les537]

Instructions unclear. Soldered amp to guitar.

[@MrDoboz]

instructions not clear, dick stuck in rework station nozzle

[@iommi13]

Best tone, go direct. Skip the pedals, skip the wireless, hell skip the wires. Through hole leaded solder, is the only connection you need.

[@whereandbackagain7059]

The truest of bypasses

[@azcharlie2009]

I would recommend that any parent that has a kid that aspires to play guitar, but the parent wants them to study hard and become an engineer, show these videos to your kid. You might end up getting both.

[@sdell88]

I followed your first diagram and was able to plug my pedal into my front load washing machine. Tone was awesome! Played best with towels and shirt loads. Analog filtering maybe?

[@wampler_pedals]

That's always the best way, if you like a little dirt 😂

[@papaacorn9479]

There is a pun here with the lint tray and fuzz.

[@thisdyingsoul76]

Geddy Lee would be proud! :P

[@CorbCorbin]

James Oakes Yeah into the dryer you can get some really vintage "Lint" tones.

[@Bhh-j2s]

And of course we all know music goes in cycles

[@CurlyTop1492]

I think the pedal building community is one of the best in customer relations. With channels like yours and JHS, I learn more and see more about guitar pedals than I ever would have on my own. It's so cool to get to learn this kind of stuff directly from the people who create such incredible products. Thanks for the knowledge Brian!

[@Okla_Soft]

I completely agree, I’ve owned pedals and amps for years without ever knowing anything about the circuits inside of them that make the work, and in this age we live in, I can build my own copies of these things with lots of detailed resources on how to do it. We live in a great age of gear knowledge and it’s so cool to learn from and interact with the guys who make these things.

[@k9er233]

@@Okla_Soft We really are in a new age of discovery for those of us who have our minds open to learning new things about our musical gear.

[@josephsmith8673]

I learned in 1982 from Craig Anderton's Electronic Projects For Musicians that A: most of these circuits were perfected early on, B: there are infinite variables to these circuits, and C: all that matters is that you like the sound.

[@suleymancetinkaya2755]

D: all that matters is that you don't like the sound.

[@CurlyTop1492]

"If it sounds good, it is good" - Josh Scott

[@NicoVillanueva]

Since these two years that past, do you recommend this Anderton's book? I've started building pedal kits not long ago and I'm somewhat starting to get the gist of the electronics involved. Pure electronics books help, but I don't intend to do a lot more than noise-making machines, so they may be a bit too general. Would you recommend other(s) book for music-oriented electronics?

[@Todesnuss]

That cat's gurgling meow is adorable.

[@Josbornevonosborne]

Yeah, but that's because electronics is based on magic, you really can't predict what's going to happen. It's not a science....

[@ntxmt]

Quite contrary. Engineering is objective. It's all the nonsense that guitar players exchange is what make it all magic. Your not understanding circuit design does not make it magic.

[@andymellor9056]

Someone missing irony ntxmt?

[@BlackCatBonz]

lol... I have the same problem. Irony, colloquialisms, metaphor and sarcasm are completely incomprehensible to me. It can make for some seriously funny conversations...in retrospect that is.

[@MrBownze]

...he said ironically.

[@whynottalklikeapirat]

@@ntxmt Leave it to an internet engineering enthusiast to be a complete literalist. God, I wish you were just trolling o.O Besides - those drawings and symbols are clearly magic formulae. In fact all the commercial satanism of 80's metal started at the level of pedal design. Those old vintage pedals are brimming with dark magic. There are weird lights and far off sounds coming out of the closet where I keep mine. The other day I accidentally arranged some of them in a circle on my board and I out of nowhere I suddenaly had to fight for real to push Nyarlathotep, the crawling chaos back down the portal that sprang into resistance. Frankly it was rather a loosing battle until I accidentally dialed back the volume on my red fuzz face mini what with all the commotion. For some reason that made it fade and disappear with strange farty sound. So yeah - it's magic man, to the point where I've just named my board "Hogwarts"

[@corkscrew4585]

We need a dedicated channel of that cat talking about things.

[@nokooyeh4538]

Dear Brian you fully deserved the cup of coffee at the end. With respect to your acknowledgement of 'soft focus', self forgiveness at the start of video, being from the rainy UK, and the nation from hence came forth Shakspere, may I, ...compare you to a summers day...... Specifically quite cloudy. No problem there the diagrams came out real clear. However, on a more electronic subject, a very Big thanks for the 'guitarists' schematicing. Those diagrams, well I guess we all know they are meant to convey, signal comes in from guitar, then wonderful things happen to the electrons, then desirable output happens again expressed in electrons. Then to amp then finally to ears. As a fledgling pedal builder, this video, has helped me a great deal, I get the basic point of all you are saying, and am encouraged to look at schematics as electronic building blocks of conventions of different manipulations applied to the signal, (which is what they are), but remember to learn the language. Can I suggest a large area of ground, lots of greenery. There all kinds of GUITAR PEDAL technology is produced and a very nice lifestyle is enjoyed, surrounded by nice people, and maybe a pet cat and goat and call it 'Germanium Valley'. Bless you Brian!

[@cesarmarquez3692]

Congratulations, this is a great one explanation about how a Tube screamer is made. And beaten the myth of Op amp, that makes unique and non-clonable the difference in the Ibanez pedals. Sorry if my grammar is not reflecting the syntax's of the things and concepts I wanna say. I'm from Spanish spoken. I´m an enthusiastic of the pedal sounds and gear. I´m a guitar player too, keyboardist...And for some reason this has been my life in the last months, I´m not a boy, neither a young anymore, and it has been very difficult for me had a stable job, the situation in the country is very precarious. I buy and sell audio equipment and occasionally I repair or mod, (but to much basically) a few pedals, and I would like to make this as an professional kind of life. Here some people built pedals and sell but in a manner of download schematics and copying without making any difference, none has an original design or sound. All are schematics clones. I want to learn to make my own design in the pedal fx industry, at least regionally. I wonder how to find some guides of how it works or the parts of which an pedal is made. I like a lot the gear you built, Dracarys, Tunmus, Pinnacle, just for mention some of it. I admire your job, for this reason I dared to ask about this matter of building / designing pedals. Could you tell me how to start?

[@TheRisingoftheLights]

Just stumbled across this while building my first pedal, as a complete novice following a kit. Thankyou, I now understand a tiny bit more of what I'm actually doing!

[@CentaurusRelax314]

You'd make a very good professor. You've almost got me believing i could someday grok all of this and build my own Dumbloid.

[@wampler_pedals]

ahhh, the dumbloid... another TS based circuit 😊

[@PhillipMcKnight]

Great video Brian, im glade you made it.

[@wampler_pedals]

Thanks Phil - hope you're doing well, and recovered from Guitcon 😊

[@le0mendez]

I love you Phil!

[@hyperluminalreality1]

I am only a minute in and have to say this. An opamp Big Muff from 1978 uses a 4558 and came out before the TS9. By the troll logic mentioned, a TS9 is just a Big Muff clone because it uses a 4558 like the Big Muff already did. Sorry trolls...you stepped in it yourself.

[@archielouis2932]

instablaster

[@misterguitargeek]

This kind of video is relevant to my interests

[@aaronabubo]

"Out To (drawing of washing machine)" lol This video is great.

[@diegocastro5114]

This is the best video for understand how clipping and tone circuits can work together..

[@mrclarksix]

I just recently started getting into pedal circuitry, just modding stiff and building kits right now. These videos are really giving me a lot of comprehensible info. I am super grateful for this resource you're providing. I don't care, I'm going full nerd.

[@percyhornickel]

Great explanation for non electronics guys. I´ve have build a 808 standar tube screamer, two rats and my loved npn rangemaster. I am on a self-learning way (I am petroleum engineer) but really like the way fx circuits works. I am simulating the TS808 with LTSPICE to see the way how change the signal/wave after changing some values so I could build my own overdrive designe but... ...it´s always better to do it with a breadboard after all. I´m just a novice but I like to study deeply fx electronics. Thanks for this video, would be great you to show the difference between the sound you get feeding the op amp by the +input (non inverted) or the -input (invert), I am not that clear on this. Saludos from Venezuela... ...(and sorry, my english is not perfect!!!).

[@bradconklin2878]

Love your video, Dude, and your willingness to share. Merry Christmas!

[@bb_lz9790]

Thumbs up for no other reason than "It's my video and I can do what I want!". Brian, thanks for being you!!!

[@peterjosvai9804]

love the freshness and elegance of these 'lectures' ... mind spanning... also making you wanna have some coffee...

[@spotmfd9431]

Your best video ever. Love the simple explanation of tech stuff.

[@luke_reiss]

I agree with you. With the same 4558 lots of different clipping pedals can be made. IC Big Wuff, Klon clone, TS clone, Rat like clone, OCDrive like clone, OD-1 and its sons, even a compressor, etc... or something experimental... and all of them are going to sound different to each other, depending on the surrounding structure, circuit architecture and components. Cool Video.

Thank you very much Brian! Im just starting to design boost and overdrive pedals. I studied some electronics in the college and now i am a guitar player. I just like the part that you say that are just building blocks! Thanks! Cheers from El Salvador! (I bought a Dual Fusion an a Nirvana Chorus)

[@ashwina.v.l8072]

So, if anyone ever tells you that your pedal is a tube screamer cause it has a 45-58...(weird noise emitted) slap them around a little bit 😁

[@boozoochavis7506]

All 4558 chips are the same - and all teles sound the same too! Too many discussion groups and NOT enough gigs. Thanks for 'splaining this, and I liked the little wires on the breadboard acting like little antennae - great analogy.

[@BryanDenham]

thank you for the help , ive been really enjoying making my own pedals lately . i just got into it a couple months back and you have helped me to understand a few things i was confused about .

[@Yupppi]

You could make it even funnier by dubbing the video after realizing you mixed your stuff :D What a good video though. This alone almost allows one to make their first own drive pedal.

[@andyelhardt8084]

As a musician, once I related distortion, sustain ,EQ to my circuit classes it helped me a lot understanding these concepts.

[@1991stratplus]

A while ago I bought a Wampler Plexi-drive I also tried a Boss Blues ndriver and a ibanez Tubescreamer TS-9. I ended up picking the Plexi. I wanted to get a marshall tone through my Fender Twin. When i use it with my Boss Parametric Eq i can get pretty close to that Marshall sound. Thanks for a great product.

[@MykelObvious]

Voodoo Lego pedal building blocks! Your random way of showing me things gives me hope for modding, building and designing my own pedals some day! LOL Thanks for sharing and being an awesome human being!!

[@jwatson9346]

Breakthrough: building blocks. It's all about building blocks. I've been looking at schematics one component at a time. But they're in blocks. And you add them and get rid of them in blocks. Noob. Mind. Blown.

[@grahamnunn8998]

Thanks Brian, this explains it so well. I have built some pedals from kits and have a basic understanding but this makes it so much clearer.

[@papaacorn9479]

I drew something a lot like your diagram at 12:50 once when I was much younger. There was a hallucinogen involved. And something horrifying that I called beetlebots that looked remarkably like a 4558 and burrowed under my skin. It was one of the roughest nights of my life, who knew that I may have been diagraming an amazing pedal?!

[@AuntAlnico4]

James Oakes * That may not have been all hallucinations ! look into all the demons and their corresponding symbols, they are called sigels​ or maybe sigils, the symbols due the demons are called sigils and that look just like relays and circuits.

[@MrBownze]

You're both wrong. They're extraterrestrial in nature.

[@dufflebag]

So all guitar pedals are tubescreamers? Got it.

[@wampler_pedals]

even delays and reverbs are all tubescreamers.

[@janminor1172]

Tuning pedals???

[@thisdyingsoul76]

Yup. Even the much hyped Metal Zone.... it's just a tube screamer.

[@kierenmoore3236]

Yo momma's definitely a screamer ...

[@gvtshorts2024]

BOOM!

[@RTD553]

I showed this to my girlfriend, and she left me. Still worth it tho.

[@TheLokiwizz]

Really enjoy your videos, I would like to see more like this with the circuits in question on the breadboard to demonstrate what the changes sound like. Keep up the good work.

[@davidkeane2399]

By jeez Brian!!! Your a GENIUS man!!! A GENIUS I tell thee!! I just understood electronics for the first time in my life!

[@hugo.deoliveira]

This channel is so good, but so underrated. Congrats for the content.

[@sim0n17]

Thanks man, loved geeking out with you - enjoyed it!!

[@michael_caz_nyc]

Hey Brian - I wanna Congratulate you on the Pantheon. It's a Killer . . . and going to be Huge for You. Awesome Sounding Pedal. Fantastic job with this one. People are talking. It will be: the Must Try Pedal for Holiday Season 2018. Best of Luck brother.

[@groovee63]

You are awesome Brian!.... thanks for the info and thanks for not getting too technical

[@StevDoesBigJumps]

10:30 Isn't positive feedback with a resistor a high pass filter?

[@tamidon40]

Fascinating stuff watching Brian attempt to draw the album cover to Led Zeppelin 4 over and over and never quite get it right.

[@wampler_pedals]

+Tucker Amidon hahahaha! 😂

[@tamidon40]

:-) In all seriousness, keep the technical videos coming. I learn something from every one.

[@cincinattiblues]

Not sure what you mean, but it was hilarious.

[@robinjgill]

Watching this 3 years later and using coronavirus restrictions to learn new stuff. THis is really interesting and useful.

[@mimmotronics]

Awesome vid Brian! There's always a way to complicate things, but it's usually best to go back to the basics! In the couple times I paid attention in Chemistry class my teach always said "Science is the confusion of the obvious," and that seems to be the case with a lot of myths and lore in the pedal-space. Cheers!

[@juanebasurto2777]

Men!! Thanks!! Really, it was one of the best expanation of circuits i've ever heard!!

[@tomjames7894]

Thank you for dispelling the myths about OD pedals and the concept of transparency. I bought a O.D. several years ago because it was touted as being "transparent." That was B.S.! While it's a effective overdrive, as well as clean boost, it is not transparent. Now, thanks to your explanation, I understand why it isn't and more importantly, why a truly transparent pedal would not be desirable. And what I have learned so far about pedals, amps, and circuits in general, I have put to good use by making modifications to some of my O.D. pedals so that they give me the responses I wanted from them in the first place. Once again, if you want it done right, do it yourself.

[@riesgojavier]

I love it. I think Brian should keep on making more videos while he's baked.

[@marcohermans3207]

Thanks for sharing this most known opamp schemaics .the elementary basics of this is the knowledge of opamp schematics you have to know and understand when you're building overdrive/dirt pedals. Buy a breadboard. Buy some resistors ,caps,diodes, transistors, of different values and built these schematics.and tweak minor sections to hear how it responds. It's an addiction I tell you. What Brian wants to tell us that's not rocket science. Somtimes it is starting to squeal or hum when you use the wrong combination of components but that's the part of learing. Or put an elco in the wrong way in so that could explode....the gold old times. Keep this videos up! Soft clipping or Hard clipping, search for you dream overdrive tone or simply buy a wampler pedal....

[@jakelindseymusic]

Quick question, I have a 90's Japanese Ibanez Tube King. What overdrive is it comparable to? I want to get other gain pedals but don't want to waste money on one that is just like it. Thanks for all the videos! I have learned tons.

[@jayseb]

Gotta be honest... I don't use pedals when playing guitar (home studio / logic pro x / VST) but these Wampler videos are just so much fun, I'll start buying Wampler pedals just for fun. Cheers.

[@jayseb]

And it’s done : first Wampler purchase? The beautiful sounding Tumnus Deluxe!

[@soundpark_]

Thanks for the knowledge! this is literally saving months of readings and figuring out stuff!

[@likeanuuk6612]

i personally dont see the point of boosting pedals anymore. just like i dont see the point of phaser pedals having no mix knob. (WAMPLER PHASER PEDAL PLS)

[@leostravalli]

Amazing work here! Would you please make a similar video comparing a cummon booster and a treble booster, like the range master?

[@RobynTapps]

I'm more interested in if you are drawing that schematic off the top of your head.. lol awesome video though, wish there was more videos that are this descriptive when I was starting to build effects, still learning though ;)

[@onevoiceinc]

I love the disclaimer, hahahaha! As far as your thumbnail pic, I bought a pair of those a while back, but apparently my head is too big to wear them, lol. (Guitarists with big heads? Not a first, but this is a literal case.)

[@hball6695]

It's like watching a mad scientist at work, love it!

[@davecarpenter7266]

Man! Nevermind the pedals, i want a tele in that exact colour! Very nice.

[@razeezar]

Great video... I just wish that KZbin would do something about the dodgy investment scheme ads (A "Quantum Code" longform ad came up just shy of 17 minutes through through watching).

[@russiangoose7053]

Please include more of the cat 😂 I love the mrrps and meows

[@hillelmusic]

Thank you for doing these videos. Very inspiring. Keep em coming

[@JohnDoe-pq8yw]

But what I want to know is my Boss CE-2 has a 4558 in it so why does it no sound like a tube screamer?

[@michaelcraig9449]

What is the big difference in the TS 808 and TS 9, and are both of them just as good for getting that huge Stevie Ray type tones? Did you ever try the TS 9 Turbo, it has 4 knobs, not three and it has 4 modes to click through.. the regular one, the + mode, the classic crunch, and turbo modes..just wondered if you think this one is as good as a regular TS 9, or not. Let us know, thanks.

[@mikehunty20]

Hello from the west coast. Is the transistor an NPN or a PNP and which leg is the output the Emitter or the collector? Thanks

[@ianalderman9290]

Perfect timing as I just picked up a TS9!

[@Tergative]

Could somebody please show me a schematic of how to properly bias a dual op amp so it works? I’ve never been able to properly get an op amp to actually amplify signal, and I’m getting really lost. If there’s a video or a link you could share that would be amazing! Thank you!

[@voxpathfinder15r]

My Ross Distortion pedal uses the 4558 IC - and it's basically a clone of a Distortion + / 250 preamp circuit - which is nothing like a tube screamer.

[@CamiloPefaur]

You should get into bass overdrives... The bass world needs you!

[@paulangelo1974]

Silence you thin stringed peasants (Allright, alright, I play both) . Bass pedals please! Only you can give Dark glass competition.

[@wampler_pedals]

Low Blow from wamplerpedals.com ;)

[@ShaneJacksonNumeroUno]

Would play bass but then I'd never get laid. I'm sticking with guitar.

[@paulangelo1974]

Bassists have better finger technique, guitarist pick and pick and pick.

[@CamiloPefaur]

Wampler Pedals Man! Thank you... It does look like a great pedal. Gotta find it here in Chile or ship it...

[@The_Absurdistt]

Learned more in 20 minutes from this video than 4 years of college.

[@KennethNicholson1972]

Hi Professor Pedal. I am new to electronics, but ancient at playing. I just wanted to know when it comes to high and low pass filters, how do we calculate the capacitor and resistors weneed to cut off specific frequencies? and is it possible to cut or boost frequencies with tone pots? say for instance I wanted to use the pedal for either Bass or Lead guitar but not sacrifice either instruments tonal qualities.

[@MitchMb14]

Can you do something to get rid the noise when you're experimenting with circuits on a breadboard, like put some kind of shielding or enclosure around it?

[@justincox1685]

just turn your volume down

[@PatrickWard4]

I'm definitely a noob with electronics, I get that the 9v is powering the circuit, but how does that battery not hurt the guitar or amplifier? Is that the op amp's function to take the 9v power and increase the amplitude in the circuit? Can I basically just play around with capictors, diodes, and resistors/potentiometers as long as I correctly place the op amps?

[@spoonofslurry]

I have a fuzz with a 4558 in it, I had no idea I was playing a tubescreamer all along.

[@franksamps1924]

I opened a Joyo Vintage Overdrive and it's through hole parts and looks like a TS808 (to me). I took out the 1N4148 diodes and put in sockets and 1N34A diodes. I lost a lot of gain but it sounds "smoother". I kept one joyo VO stock to compare it to. Does it really matter that much to change to Ge?

[@riffdude]

OMG! Brian said BUFFER! BUFFER!!! It's going to destroy my sound! 😂 I love the Buffer in my Pedals. It is a great help for my signal. Thank you for this great video Brian your pedals are awesome 😍

[@compareguitarpickups536]

Sort of like deciding which pedal goes where.

[@cincinattiblues]

Thanks Brian, anything that generates as much comic relief from the peanut gallery public comments is okay with me, and I probably learned something too. Cheers.

[@TheAxe4Ever]

Dang! Brian’s thrown together breadboard distortion circuit sounds better that most other distortion pedals on the market!

[@kaistutz7067]

I built the tube screamer according to your block diagram, but I can not find the input jack on my washing machine to test it :)

[@maxonmendel5757]

I'm looking for a Wampler video that I believe may have been a comparison of different TubeScreamers where he mentions (pretty en passé) the mods for the SD-1 that he was using, specifically the C9 mod. Can anybody point me to that video?

[@vanessajazp6341]

Your 'amplifier' looks more like a dryer :D

[@philgallagher1]

LOLOLOL. I was going to say that, but I also wanted to know if Brian used his washing machine/dryer amp BEFORE Geddy Lee or after?!?!?

[@lroy730]

The 4558 was in everything Mixing Consouls just the name of one🤘 1:04

[@fanoboss]

In the Boss BF-2 Flanger, that's made in Japan, there are 2 4558 chips ...

[@albionseed4866]

2 tube screamers 😉

[@dariosaviors]

Twoobscreamer!

[@WeaponsRemorse]

So… You put spiders into your pedals… EVERYONE HAS SPIDERS IN THEIR PEDALS!!!

[@wesleycwagner]

You forgot the schematic for the guitar amp.

[@mariotee10]

how do you know to just put a resistor @ a certain spot?

[@keithrowe7617]

I know this is all about pedals, but let's acknowledge that Brian's playing is ALWAYS tasty, always great, never masturbatory, and worth showing up for every time.

[@wampler_pedals]

Thank you ☺️

[@elcochipit]

what an interesting video!, thanks for share Bryan

[@tertin_studio]

if op amp works at inverting doesn't make latencey? what if both stages are inverting?

[@christrocano]

I don't really grasp the specifics of these things, but I love that you Get specific when demonstrating. Side question, when you record guitar for these videos, what's the wattage on the amp you use? At which volume?

[@Yupppi]

Gotta say I miss these nerdy and cheeky videos a bit!

[@cgavin1]

2:24 Ok but it sounds exactly the same just with more drive and treble. *shrug

[@mherrley]

Felt like I was watching Good Will Hunting... I couldn't quit watching though. Cool video.

[@thelovelies7716]

Thanks its good to talk about guitar electronics without getting too geeky!

[@fodaseodinheiro]

this video deserves 1 billion views.

[@WilmerLebron]

It's my video! I can do what I want! Haha 😂 Love it! 🎸🎶🤘🏻

[@enriguitar]

Hi Brian! At 2.25; it's like the difference between ts9 and sd9? Same chip, but two distinct pedals..

[@plexibreath]

Can you do an episode on how the Crowther Hot Cake overdrive works? I've not seen anything like it before. Is it completely unique, or is it derived from an earlier pedal?