Are Vintage Pedals a SCAM?
Tubescreamers, they are ALL the same, right? Maybe not…
In this video, I finally do the shootout I swore I’d never do: the legendary vintage Ibanez TS808 Tube Screamer from 1979 goes head-to-head with the brand-new handwired TS808HW V2. One costs around $1,500, the other about $300 but Is there a Difference? That’s what we’re here to find out.
We’ll run both pedals through clean and crunchy amps, single coils and humbuckers, with blind tests, knob-matching, and a bit of existential tone confusion along the way. Whether you’re a Tube Screamer collector, a tone purist, or just wondering if mojo is real or marketing, this is the A/B test you’ve been waiting for.
Get a Vintage TS-808 from Reverb https://tidd.ly/43n6XRi
Get a new Ibanez TS808 Handwired V2
Sweetwater (US ????????) – https://sweetwater.sjv.io/55mP31
Thomann (EU ????????) – https://thmn.to/thoprod/603995?offid=1&affid=288
Andertons (UK ????????) – https://clk.tradedoubler.com/click?p=323652&a=3288404&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.andertons.co.uk%2Fibanez-ts808hwb-tubescreamer-handwired-v2-pedal%2F
Marshall JTM Studio
Sweetwater (US ????????) – https://sweetwater.sjv.io/mOrV61
Thomann (EU ????????) – https://thmn.to/thoprod/550465?offid=1&affid=288
Andertons (UK ????????) – https://clk.tradedoubler.com/click?p=323652&a=3288404&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.andertons.co.uk%2Fmarshall-st20h-studio-jtm-valve-amp-head%2F
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00:00 – Intro: Vintage vs Handwired TS808
01:33 – Blind Test Begins – Can You Tell?
03:10 – Reveal: Which Pedal Was Which
04:41 – Trying to Level Match the Outputs
06:16 – Initial Tone Impressions
07:55 – So… Is There a Real Difference?
09:21 – Price vs Perception – Let’s Talk Value
10:46 – Why the Handwired Might Surprise You
12:10 – Sustain, Midrange, and Clarity Check
14:05 – Vintage vs Modern – Final A/B Thoughts
16:04 – What I’d Actually Spend My Money On
18:04 – Outro & Personal Verdict
DISCLAIMERS
Some of the links in this description are affiliate links. If you purchase gear through these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting the channel!
All opinions shared in this video are my own and were not reviewed or influenced by any outside parties.
#TheGuitarGeek #tubescreamer #ibanez #ts808
#Vintage #Pedals #SCAM
Originally posted by UCI5i6aBbINMIEkYW3b6olHg at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aGz8_8pG9o
So… Vintage or Handwired?
Get a Vintage TS-808 from Reverb https://tidd.ly/43n6XRi
Get a new Ibanez TS808 Handwired V2
Sweetwater (US ????????) – https://sweetwater.sjv.io/55mP31
Thomann (EU ????????) – https://thmn.to/thoprod/603995?offid=1&affid=288
Andertons (UK ????????) –https://clk.tradedoubler.com/click?p=323652&a=3288404&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.andertons.co.uk%2Fibanez-ts808hwb-tubescreamer-handwired-v2-pedal%2F
There are some sub $100 kits that got it right, if you're handy with a soldering iron. I had a couple of opportunities to compare them directly to the TS-808. I left mine sitting on a stage at a VFW hall after a chaotic gig opening for the Dead Kennedy's (yeah, I'm old). I hope it's on somebody's pedalboard somewhere. This is a good comparison. Well done.
n.1 is better for single coil n.2 for Humbucker
I think it's like a lot of things. When you a/b them, you can hear a (slight) difference.
But each on their own (no a/b)? The $300 is good enough. In this case anyway.
There is no way I'd pay $1200 more for such a slight difference.
Granted, there IS the "mojo" thing. So, that does count. But not $1200 worth of it.
I’m too new to playing to have a dog in the fight. I just enjoyed the video, and I was curious what you’d pick!
It's purely psychological. It's nice to own 'vintage', I get it, but most of it was junk, cheaply made. Each to their own though
Interesting stuff.
The Behringer “Vintage Overdrive “, a clone of the TS, costs $30. It sounds…I’m not kidding….exactly like a vintage TS. Josh Scott at JHS pedals compared it to a real super vintage TS and they sound the same.
Yes.
They are metal and plastic in a box. Yet people want to keep fighting each other about things in a blind test we have never accurately found differences with accurate clones.
Why use the handwired? Better to compare the cheapest version or better yet the JHS Bonsai..
Did you borrow the original pedal Andy or is it part of your collection ?
Edit: aaah you answered that at the end but I won’t spoil it for anyone who hasn’t watched it all ????
3:40 i love your Ibanez Iceman in the background there
3:00 i liked pedal no 1 with the first guitar and pedal no 2 with the single cut guitar hehe.
Paused at 0:26 to type this comment. I bought a tube screamer brand new in 1983. I still have it along with my JC50, DM-10 (mains powered), BF-2 also all bought new in 1983.
Those were the days hey ?
Im looking fwd to this review – unpaused ????
Cheers from NZ ????????????
The pedal number 2 has midhump in a different place and it kind feel bit more open. Like there is bit of scooped out boxy lower mids and it makes it feel more natural and ear pleasing.
I was expecting less of a difference. No to find out, if I wish for the vintage one or what.
PS: ouch, from blind shootout I prefer the vintage, damn, now for the rest of the video.
What guitar is Andy playing in the first riff test?
I own the vintage that I bought new in 78. I had a Peavey Backstage 30 amp, and I thought “tube screamer” would make it sound more like a tube amp. I actually didn’t like it that much as an overdrive, so I bought a Big Muffin Pi. I still have the screamer, but unfortunately I traded the Muff. The screamer wasn't worth much in the early 80s.
There's the pot tolerance which is basically a variable resistor but most importantly, all the other components in the circuit also have variations within the range of a certain tolerance.
I could tell the difference at all points – but I wouldn't spend the extra money on the better sounding vintage model.
1 and 2 sounded almost identical, but 1 had slightly more low-end coming through. Either way, just get a $60 TS Mini and shut up.
This "handwired" garbage will never die…
I only guessed correctly because I could hear the noise floor change, and assumed the more modern parts would have something to reduce unwanted noise better.
The vintage definitely one has more mids and a little less bass. Its sound is more precise, but pfff… Though I like it more, I'm pretty sure you can try several new Tube Screamers and find one that has exactly that sound. No need to spend heaps of cash for a vintage model, except if that's your thing of course.
What're your JTM Studio settings in this Andy? Would be great to get even a 2 second shot of your (amp) knobs in this sort of shootout. Thanks!
I'd love to hear the same showdown with the $19.99 Behringer TO800 Vintage Tube Overdrive.
Both pedals did their job inspireing a good guitarist to play. Neither of them is better in my ears, it`s the player which is important. BTW arn`t some sound dependent on a dying 9 volt battery? Thanks for this long overdue Tube Screamer video 😉
I still prefer the Turbo. Because I'm from the 80s
I felt like the vintage one had a smoothness to its overdrive that I really liked, but it's unjustified at the price, I'm sure if we rolled the tone knob off on the guitar we'd find ourselves with a similar enough tone.
Number 2 was a bit more creamy. ( I had no clue which is which)
I'll take my magic parts-tolerances TS-9 over both of these, thank you very much. I got it for ~£75 over a decade ago, and that thing will never ever leave my pedalboard! But the handwired certainly sounds really, really good. There definitely was a difference between both, but nothing that would not be achievable on the other pedal, I think. The vintage TS808 sounded like it had a bit more "presence" if I'm honest. Perhaps that was what gave the impression of more "beef" in the handwired? Loved seeing the turret boards inside the handwired! I thought it'd still be a PCB but handwired. Dunno why, but it reminded me of the Death Star run at the end of Episode IV.
No way would I buy one… built a few. Easy.
A highQ parts TubeScreamer is a nice green box to own … i do get this
Me got the MAXON 808 with the correct chip … won against a TS9 … but looking back me should have bought both
Was on the verge of buying a DS turbo BUT – blame is on you Andy – now me wants the HandWired
Thanks a lot 4 this review
That 808 has to be the one Stevie Ray Vaughan used, as you the price! ????
i got the blind A/B correct (01:37) and X/Y correct too (09:25). the modern one has slightly more mids, and the vintage has that trebly scooped sound. that said its SO close that outside of closing my eyes and listening to A/B comparisons I would never notice the different. throw ANY other instrument or noisy room and there'd be no chance at all.
If they were the same price I'd probably go the vintage, for the green paint and the look, plus it might stay out of the way of the mix slightly better. but honestly you'd probably be the only person in the room that knew it. but with the crazy price difference i reckon the modern version is the only way to go. just not enough difference to validate the price. unless you're a pedal youtuber or something and will have it on display. definitely a mojo tax.
This was so good! I was able to (just) differentiate them in the blind tests and choose "correctly" which was which. I think it's a good thing that guitarists are the way we are and that we have the choice to spend crazy money on the "real" deal if we like. It's very "human" and I feel each pedal has their place on a particular person's pedalboard. For the majority of guitarists, the handwired will be indistinguishable from the vintage and easier to replace in case of incidents. But inspiration is part of playing, if your gear "gives" something to you, it's worth it. So for some, the vintage is still the "right" choice. Sometimes, a particular pedal will provide that subtle boost that can be the difference between simply enjoying playing and not wanting to stop playing.
for me, at the everything on 12 setting the vintage sounds better. start twiddling the knobs however, and i would be more than happy to use the modern one forever.
Definitely a used $40 Boss SD1 for me. ????
Initially I was struggling to hear any difference so I got out my high end Sennheisers that are not optimized for a DAC which my iPad doesn’t have. I put them on and began the demo over. I could tell a difference initially when you gave the first test. However later in the video there were places where they sounded the same and a couple of places where they didn’t. I checked the prices and the original starts around $700 and goes into the Stratosphere. And I noticed there is an Ibanez reissue like the original, $189 new, and not like the new one you have so there are technically 3 to pick from. I think I would go for the $189 Reissue even without hearing it. I love to take risks. Great demo. I’m a mechanical savant and can’t get enough of this technical stuff. ????☮️????????????⭐️