Keeley TS808 or BD-2?

makikogi · #1 02-25-2008, 09:43 PM

Just wanted hear different opinions between the 2. I like the fact that the BD-2 can double as a blues pedal as well as an overdrive pedal but the tube screamer is legendary. I haven't had the pleasure of hearing any of these pedals in person only youtube....I would love to hear your opinions between the 2. I guess I want a solid overdrive pedal and if it was between the 2 unmodded pedals I would have to go for the blues driver. The tube screamer to my ears were pretty muddy, but than again it could have been the amp I was playing although it was through an all tube bassman...

zb0430 · #2 02-25-2008, 09:53 PM

The Tubescreamer is going to be a less defined overdrive. The Keeley modded Blues Driver gets outstanding reviews, and I've heard many say that it's really versatile. I've heard it can get downright dirty if desired, but it serves as a great chord distortion as well. I'm thinking of getting one when I start building a board this summer and can the Boss GT-8... Now that I got my Bad Cat, the GT-8 isn't cutting it...

I use a Keeley modded DS-1 at church occasionally when that's the only effect I need and I don't want the dirty channel on the Bad kitty. IMHO, everything Keeley touches turns to gold. His pedals get rave reviews, and they're always improvements on the originals... You might want to check out the Voodoo Labs Sparkle Drive, which gives you the drive tone of the TS, but with a blended, boosted direct signal to maintain clarity and bite. They're great pedals to begin with, using high quality components, but Keeley mods them as well, supposedly increasing their amount of available gain and deepening the low end response considerably. Worth a listen, if you're in the market.

HereIGoAgain · #3 02-25-2008, 10:19 PM

Try a Maxon OD808 or a Maxon OD9. Maxon actually "private labelled" the tubescreamers for Ibanez. (Maxon made 'em, slapped an Ibanez logo on 'em, and they split the money.) It has been said that the Maxon pedals today are much better than the Ibanez versions. (Although I haven't tried either myself.)

makikogi · #4 02-26-2008, 05:15 PM

I wondering if the ts808 is worth the $100 hike up though. Or if it's better to go with a keeley bd-2 and another pedal....

Lewguitar · #5 02-26-2008, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by makikogi

I wondering if the ts808 is worth the $100 hike up though. Or if it's better to go with a keeley bd-2 and another pedal....

Is the TS808 worth the extra money over a TS-9? Yes. SRV used the TS808.

But Steve Vai uses the Keeley modded TS-9. He also uses the Keeley modded Boss DS-1.

The DS-1 is my favorite overdrive pedal because if you set it correctly (all three knobs at about 12 o'clock or less) you can leave it on all the time and go from clean tones to overdriven tones with just your guitar's volume control.

That's how Vai and Satriani used it for years.

It's such a waste of a great, great pedal if all you do with it for a distorted lead tone and stomp it on or off for solos. Use it "right" and you can leave it on all the time and it makes other pedals plugged into it sound better than they would by themselves.

Most guys don't know what a DS-1 can really do...

HereIGoAgain · #6 02-26-2008, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lewguitar

Is the TS808 worth the extra money over a TS-9? Yes. SRV used the TS808.

But Steve Vai uses the Keeley modded TS-9. He also uses the Keeley modded Boss DS-1.

The DS-1 is my favorite overdrive pedal because if you set it correctly (all three knobs at about 12 o'clock or less) you can leave it on all the time and go from clean tones to overdriven tones with just your guitar's volume control.

That's how Vai and Satriani used it for years.

It's such a waste of a great, great pedal if all you do with it for a distorted lead tone and stomp it on or off for solos. Use it "right" and you can leave it on all the time and it makes other pedals plugged into it sound better than they would by themselves.

Most guys don't know what a DS-1 can really do...

I've never tried a Keeley mod DS-1, but I used to use a stock one. The stock one is pretty much the standard for high-gain distortion pedals. (Some suck by comparison, some can blow it away.) Anyway, I'm not sure about the Keeley mod version, but with the stock DS-1, with gain and level knobs at noon, the amp would be concert loud as soon as you turned it up enough to just hear it. That pedal has a phenominal amount of boost potential. With the level cranked and the gain anywhere past 10:00, it will hit your amp's front end like a train.

dahn8 · #7 02-26-2008, 09:52 PM

Another option: Fulltone Fulldrive II.

its the big blue pedal on my pedalboard. Its tubescreamer based but has the added options of vintage/flat mid/clean boost voicing/modes, two channels, and a MOSFET mode. You can try mine if you want (though its older without MOSFET); i like it but i'm thinking about eventually selling it to fund my new amp.

Fender66 · #8 02-27-2008, 07:46 AM

Both are very different pedals. Both offer different "values" when it comes to dirt and/or OD. Both are available in so many different mods it will make your head spin. Both are on my board and are used a LOT. Both of mine have been modified by Keeley and I highly recommend them with these mods.

Peace,

Jeff's rockin · #9 02-27-2008, 09:07 AM

Have you tried a Clark Gainster by Barber?
Awesome natural sounding overdrive!!!!

sjino · #10 02-27-2008, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff's rockin

Have you tried a Clark Gainster by Barber?
Awesome natural sounding overdrive!!!!

I have the Barber Direct Drive, and I prefer it to my Keeley modded TS1. Barber pedals are awesome, and you'll pay less than you would for the 808. See the Barber Electronics site for sound samples.

I agree that everything Keeley touches is magic. Check out his website to hear the differences between his modded BD1 and TS1. As someone else said, they're very different pedals.