# Detailed TS7 to TS808 mod instructions!



## LordOVchaoS (Oct 15, 2007)

Several have asked me how to do this. It's easy! Just be careful with your iron and remove ALL solder before trying to remove the old parts. Use an iron no hotter than 30 watts and some desoldering braid. The resistors should wiggle freely when they're ready to come out. If there's still solder on there you risk ripping up a solder pad. 

PARTS: You'll need a 10kohm resistor (1/8w or 1/4w), a 100 ohm resistor (1/8w or 1/4w), a soldering iron, desoldering braid, and some solder.

Open your pedal by taking out the four screws on the bottom. Remove the bottom cover and put it off to one side. Be careful not to lose the spring that will fall out of the switch end of the pedal.







Remove the two screws holding the large circuit board to the pedal chassis.






Carefully lift the large circuit board out of the chassis. The power adapter end will be connected to another board underneath. Pull gently to 'unplug' the large board from the smaller one.






Locate the small circuit board next to the output jack and remove the two screws holding it to the pedal chassis. The output jack is soldered to this board so when you pull it out you will also have the jack out of the chassis.






Replace the resistor labled R58 (the blue circle) with your 10kohm resistor and replace the resistor labled R55 (the yellow circle) with your 100 ohm resistor.

The green arrow points to the JRC4558D chip mentioned earlier.






That's it. Screw everything back together and you've got a modern TS808 Tube Screamer.






These aren't my pics or instructions. They came from the site that I learned how to do it from, I saved the page on my hard drive and copied/pasted from there.

Try it guys! If you run into any problems ask me for help!


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## B Lopez (Oct 16, 2007)

That's it?  

Ibanez is weird. 

Thanks though, although my TS7 happens to be Chaos modded 

(btw, did you ever catch my pm?)


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## Alpo (Oct 16, 2007)

Thanks for that.  I'm still scared I'll screw something up, though.


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## cadenhead (Oct 16, 2007)

I see you left out the part about putting the blue LEDoVChaos.  



That's just way too easy.


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## TomAwesome (Oct 16, 2007)

That's pretty simple. You'd think Ibanez would ship them like that if it was that easy.

Oh yeah, then they'd sell too few of their $170 TS808 pedals because everyone would buy the $40 pedal that sounds the same! 

I'd seriously consider getting a TS-7 and doing this myself if I didn't have a Bloody Murder coming to me soon


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## LordOVchaoS (Oct 16, 2007)

B Lopez said:


> That's it?
> 
> Ibanez is weird.
> 
> ...




The Chaos mod is MUCH more in depth! I won't be posting how to do that any time soon 

I don't think I got a PM from you bro  Send me another one!


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## 7 Dying Trees (Oct 16, 2007)

Just tell me where to get the blue LED from  Mine hasn't got that and I feel left out


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## loktide (Oct 16, 2007)

hehe, this is one of the things that happened to my TS7


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## LordOVchaoS (Oct 16, 2007)

7 Dying Trees said:


> Just tell me where to get the blue LED from  Mine hasn't got that and I feel left out



I buy mine in bulk off ebay! They usually have to be shipped from Hong Kong!


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## Seedawakener (Oct 17, 2007)

I'm looking at different resistors right now... and there are like a billion different types... Can you be a bit more specific on which to get? And what kind of solder? I'm thinking of getting a TS7 and do this mod fairly soon. THX A MILLION!


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## Used666 (Oct 17, 2007)

You can most easily find resistors at smallbearelec.com and look under "Resistors - 5% Carbon Composition or Resistors - 1% Metal Film " and then find the needed values. As far as solder they have it on smallbear as well, i personally use Kester 60/40. Hope that helps.


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## 7 Strings of Hate (Oct 17, 2007)

nice post lordofchaos, i'v done quite a bit of pedal mods to my own pedals and usually its just a simple hand full of resistors or capacitors that can make or break a pedal, but kudos for the lesson


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## Seedawakener (Oct 17, 2007)

Used666 said:


> You can most easily find resistors at smallbearelec.com and look under "Resistors - 5% Carbon Composition or Resistors - 1% Metal Film " and then find the needed values. As far as solder they have it on smallbear as well, i personally use Kester 60/40. Hope that helps.



Im from sweden... so i won't be ordering from the US.  But thx! You gave me the exact info I needed! +rep!


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## LordOVchaoS (Oct 17, 2007)

Seedawakener said:


> Im from sweden... so i won't be ordering from the US.  But thx! You gave me the exact info I needed! +rep!



Smallbear charges actual shipping costs and on parts like this that weigh next to nothing it won't cost very much. If you can find 1/8 watt metal film they will fit the best in this pedal, TS7's use 1/8 watt. 1/4 watt will work just fine too and really in this mod you won't hear a difference between resistor types. I use 1% metal film nearly everywhere.


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## Drache713 (Apr 11, 2008)

I hate to bump this thread but I had to let everybody know my results from this. It's INCREDIBLY easy to do if you have previous experience working with electronics. The hardest part was putting the damn bottom screw of the output jack back in!  I didn't have much time to test it out cause it's late here and I can't have my amp cranked late at night and wake the neighbors, but just plugging in cranked for a minute or two I noticed IMMEDIATE drastic results. It sounded awesome before, but this just took the sound and made it a million times better. Tight, organic, clear and articulate with BALLS! I know what the hype is about now. To give you an idea of what the wackos at Ibanez are doing nuts I measured the resistors I pulled out with a multimeter and the resistor you replace with the 10 kohm resistor read at 98.7 kohm and the resistor you replace with the 100 ohm resistor read at 456 ohms. They're limiting a LOT of current! Anyways, if you have a TS7, DO THIS MOD RIGHT NOW!


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## noodles (Apr 11, 2008)

^ No, this is EXACTLY the sort of reason to bump and old thread.


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## Zepp88 (Apr 11, 2008)

Man I forgot all about this thread...would this mod apply to the TS9 as well?


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## Drache713 (Apr 11, 2008)

Zepp88 said:


> Man I forgot all about this thread...would this mod apply to the TS9 as well?


Yes it would, I'm just not sure where the resistors to replace would be located in the TS9. The TS7 is just the TS9 in a metal housing, otherwise it's the same pedal.


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## LordOVchaoS (Apr 11, 2008)

Zepp88 said:


> Man I forgot all about this thread...would this mod apply to the TS9 as well?



Yes. All tubescreamers are the same circuit. Ibanez doesn't number the parts in a TS9 and you have the change the opamp as well. The TS7 already has the JRC4558D.

Here's how to do it!

TS-9&#8240;ü&#8216;¢¨TS-808


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## LordOVchaoS (Apr 11, 2008)

Drache713 said:


> The hardest part was putting the damn bottom screw of the output jack back in!



This is no joke!!! I used to fight those things all the time! GET A MAGNETIC SCREWDRIVER! Problem solved.


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## Zepp88 (Apr 11, 2008)

LordOVchaoS said:


> Yes. All tubescreamers are the same circuit. Ibanez doesn't number the parts in a TS9 and you have the change the opamp as well. The TS7 already has the JRC4558D.
> 
> Here's how to do it!
> 
> TS-9ü¢¨TS-808



 

The engrish on that page is entertaining.


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## WarriorOfMetal (Apr 5, 2009)

Just a bump so I can find this easily tomorrow after I pick up my TS7 




also a question...the instructions say 1/8W or 1/4W...what if you get something rated higher, like 1/2W? will that make any difference?


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## Scoop_89 (Apr 5, 2009)

I just got a pm from Joe today in which he says that he just recieved my TS-7 and now it's ready to be chaos modded


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## Ketzer (Sep 28, 2009)

Bumping this. Just did the mod, wow. sounds fucking great. Trouble is, I did it to my buddys, so what I have to do is buy a new one and swap the new one with the one I modded in his board so I get the modded one


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## Meldville (Sep 29, 2009)

Oh man, seriously going to do this.


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## warlock7strEMG (Oct 3, 2009)

im totally doin this to my ts7 this week!!! can anyone tell me what affect this will have on the HOT setting, if any at all?


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## Empryrean (Oct 3, 2009)

I'm saving this, then going to my local music store tomorrow to see if they carry ts7's 

Thanks op for the brilliant step by step


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## Ketzer (Oct 4, 2009)

Empryrean said:


> I'm saving this, then going to my local music store tomorrow to see if they carry ts7's
> 
> Thanks op for the brilliant step by step



Most stores don't, they just have the TS9s and TS808s. I ordered 3 of them from a local store yesterday, and got a discount on them  If everyone knew that it was this easy, why would Ibanez keep selling the 808 reissues.


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## Empryrean (Oct 4, 2009)

Ketzer said:


> Most stores don't, they just have the TS9s and TS808s. I ordered 3 of them from a local store yesterday, and got a discount on them  If everyone knew that it was this easy, why would Ibanez keep selling the 808 reissues.



So I have to find one used or something? :/


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## Metaljim (Oct 4, 2009)

Empryrean said:


> So I have to find one used or something? :/


$40 on Musicians friend.


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## gtrbmart (Oct 4, 2009)

It doesn't matter what kind of resistor you get. Just grab whatever is cheapest. Just make sure it's at least 1/8 Watt power rated and maybe about 5% error margin. Metal film should do the job. Get lead solder. It's much easier to work with than the RoHS stuff. It doesn't need to be very thick.


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## metal_sam14 (Oct 5, 2009)

well i went to the music store today, and came home with a TS7. i tried all the OD's my store had in stock: boss OD-3, digitech hardwire overdrive and a TS9. i A/B'd the ts9 and the ts7. verry little difference, like a miniscule amount of difference. i liked the ibanez ones most, the boss had wayyyyy too much bass and the hardwire was only just second to the tubescreamers. might try this mod down the track, looks interesting.


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## budda (Oct 15, 2009)

Bump for Cadavuh


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## LordOVchaoS (Nov 2, 2009)

Wow, this thread has successfully lasted two years


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## JJ Rodriguez (Nov 2, 2009)

Hey man, just curious if you know of any site that lists a shit ton of opamps and the description of what they do in a TS? Thinking about racking up the ol' Bloody Panties again, and maybe swapping out an opamp to try something new. I was recommended a PA2134.


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## LordOVchaoS (Nov 2, 2009)

Ask and ye shall receive:

Pedal Mod Parts



> Chip Descriptions
> JRC4558D  Made by Japan Radio Corporation (JRC). Used in the original TS808s and TS9s. Ibanez later changed the chip used in their pedals. The JRC4558D is actually a very inexpensive chip thats not considered Hi-Fi and was chosen because of its inexpensive cost and not for the tone it produced. It just happened to sound great when used with the Tube Screamers original circuitry. This chip has a little bit smoother gain than the RC4558P which is considered a more Hi-Fi chip. I like the JRC4558D in the SD-1, it's smoother gain in the top end helps to offset the extra hair in the SD-1's gain. I prefer the RC4558P in a Tube Screamer because the Tube Screamer circuit produces a smoother gain and the RC4558P has a little more high end grit than a JRC4558D.
> 
> JRC4558DD  Made by Japan Radio Corporation (JRC). This is a Higher Gain & Smoother version of the JRC4558D (notice one has one "D" and the other two "DD"s). It's less Hi-Fi and has a smoother gain structure with a slight rounding off in the highs. This "DD" chip sounds surprisingly good in an SD-1. This is the stock chip you'll find in most SD-1s and TS7s. This is a good match for my SD-808. Try it and I think you'll agree. My SD-808 has clearer top end and more hair. The JRC4558DD tames the SD-808 a bit in the highs. Depending on your amp you might like this chip better. I have a few of these. Contact me if you want one, I don't have these listed for sell on my pedal mods page because most people write them off as being a bad chip. But, who cares what others say, the proof is in the tone and I say they sound great with some SD-1 setups. Of course, YMMV.
> ...


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## christpuncher66 (Nov 4, 2009)

i think i might just get a ts7...


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## El Caco (Nov 4, 2009)

Now we just need a thread like this for the SD-1 and MT-2 and I'll be set.


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## lurgar (Nov 4, 2009)

s7eve said:


> Now we just need a thread like this for the SD-1 and MT-2 and I'll be set.



I actually did the Monte Allums mod for my MT-2. It helped with a lot of things, but it isn't as versatile as the descriptions would make it out to be.


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## LordOVchaoS (Nov 4, 2009)

s7eve said:


> Now we just need a thread like this for the SD-1 and MT-2 and I'll be set.





Don't have any pics for the MT-2


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## MacTown09 (Nov 5, 2009)

Hey LordOVchaos are you ever going to offer mods again??


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## Sepultorture (Nov 5, 2009)

MacTown09 said:


> Hey LordOVchaos are you ever going to offer mods again??



go to the dealers section and read the post he made there about his business and mods


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## Winspear (Dec 21, 2009)

Here is a bump for this great thread! 

About to save myself £100 with this, but wanted to check I have the right resistors.
I read here to get metal film, and here are the two I've found;

MULTICOMP|MCMF0W4FF1000A50|METAL FILM RESISTOR | Farnell United Kingdom

MULTICOMP|MCMF0W4DF1002A50|RESISTOR, 10K0 , 0.25W 0.5% 50PPM | Farnell United Kingdom

I'm pretty sure these are fine, but wondered if Voltage matters? Both these resistors are 250V.


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## LordOVchaoS (Dec 21, 2009)

EtherealEntity said:


> Here is a bump for this great thread!
> 
> About to save myself £100 with this, but wanted to check I have the right resistors.
> I read here to get metal film, and here are the two I've found;
> ...



You got it dude! The pedal is 9v so 250 should be plenty


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## Winspear (Dec 22, 2009)

Great, thanks! Should have this done by the end of tommorow if all goes well! 

EDIT: After an initial oh shit moment when I forgot the input cable needs to be in for this thing to work off of battery, this man is VERY FUCKING HAPPY


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## Scarpie (May 7, 2010)

Hey man, i gave this a shot and didn't realize i had some solder left on board and ripped up a solder pad. Is there any hope for this pedal, or is it shot? Cause now i have no sound even if the pedal is bypassed.


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## Scarpie (May 16, 2010)

I really hate to bump this thread again, but i had to include newer details. It is now learned that i used to carbon resistors, not metal film. And the result is painfully obvious. At first, i had no sound at all, afterwards i had re-soldered my connections, and the amount of gain/volume the pedal attenuated was incredible. A characteristic that couldn't benefit any guitarist. So i am going to try again with metal film resistors soon. Just thought some should know.


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## maccayoung (May 23, 2010)

LordOVchaoS said:


> PARTS: You'll need a 10kohm resistor (1/8w or 1/4w), a 100 ohm resistor (1/8w or 1/4w), a soldering iron, desoldering braid, and some solder.
> 
> Try it guys! If you run into any problems ask me for help!



I've just picked up a cheap ts7 and I'm looking to do this mod. I'm trying to source the parts locally in New Zealand if possible. 

This is the closest I can find:
10Kohm 1/2 Watt 1% Metal Film Resistors - Pk.8 - Jaycar Electronics
100ohm 1/2 Watt 1% Metal Film Resistors - Pk.8 - Jaycar Electronics

but they're both 1/2 watt instead of the specified 1/8 or 1/4 watt. Will it make a difference?

I'm also wondering how skilled you need to be with the soldering iron to do the mod? I'm not a total retard with it but I want to know my chances of breaking the pedal.

And sorry to bump and old thread, but it's relevant to me right now.


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## LordOVchaoS (May 23, 2010)

Scarpie said:


> Hey man, i gave this a shot and didn't realize i had some solder left on board and ripped up a solder pad. Is there any hope for this pedal, or is it shot? Cause now i have no sound even if the pedal is bypassed.





Scarpie said:


> I really hate to bump this thread again, but i had to include newer details. It is now learned that i used to carbon resistors, not metal film. And the result is painfully obvious. At first, i had no sound at all, afterwards i had re-soldered my connections, and the amount of gain/volume the pedal attenuated was incredible. A characteristic that couldn't benefit any guitarist. So i am going to try again with metal film resistors soon. Just thought some should know.



Ah shit dude! Sorry, I haven't been on the internet much lately! The carbon resistors won't make a noticeable difference in this mod, that's not your problem. What you need to do is solder a piece of wire (the legs you cut off the resistors will work great) and solder it to the next pad from the one you ripped off. Follow the trace, you can see where it goes. Just solder it to the little leg of resistor sticking out from the lifted pad to the next one and all should be good! Also, make sure the main board is connected properly to the pots. Sometimes it can be a pain to line up those little plugs correctly!


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## LordOVchaoS (May 23, 2010)

maccayoung said:


> I've just picked up a cheap ts7 and I'm looking to do this mod. I'm trying to source the parts locally in New Zealand if possible.
> 
> This is the closest I can find:
> 10Kohm 1/2 Watt 1% Metal Film Resistors - Pk.8 - Jaycar Electronics
> ...



Those will work just fine, they're just bigger. You don't need a whole lot of skill to do this but you have to be very cautious, tedious, and patient. The solder pads are REALLY easy to rip up if you don't remove ALL the solder!!! Just take your time and you'll be fine.


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## maccayoung (May 23, 2010)

LordOVchaoS said:


> Those will work just fine, they're just bigger. You don't need a whole lot of skill to do this but you have to be very cautious, tedious, and patient. The solder pads are REALLY easy to rip up if you don't remove ALL the solder!!! Just take your time and you'll be fine.



Thanks very much man! How much difference does the mod make? I've done a bit of a search around the forums (including reading the mega post on ultimate metal) but it's hard to tell what exactly the 808 mod will sound like compared to the original ts-7. I'm wondering if it's just safer to keep it stock.


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## Valserp (May 24, 2010)

I did this MOD a while back. It is not hard at all, as long as you have minimal experience with soldering. An extra set of hands helps keep the tiny parts in place while you solder.

The difference - I can't say much. I modded the pedal almost immediately after buying it. It definitely sounded warmer when I plugged it in afterwards. I took it to the previous owner(pro musician), because he was curious of the results, and he said it's definitely much better.


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## maccayoung (May 28, 2010)

I did the mod with no hassles. If there is a difference it's very very subtle. Even A/Bing back and forth between them I can hardly tell. Still, it was good to get the soldering iron out and have my first go at modding a pedal.


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## phonix (Oct 25, 2010)

Joe I have a question - someone local to me is selling a TS7 with a "bodenhamer bloody murder mod" and claims to have purchased it directly from you. I've heard people mention TS7's with Chaos mods, but never the bloody murder mod.

What are the details/effects of this mod? How can I tell if he's legit - is there any telltale signs inside?


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## neoclassical (Oct 28, 2010)

This is the satandard ts-9 mod. Anaolgman (silver mod) and Keeley do pretty much the same thing, so once I got a look inside a couple I modded mine to the same values over the years. I left the 1k resisters stock for now (analogman uses carbon comps) and just changed the cap on the input buffer from.047uf to.027uf (haven't noticed a difference at bedroom levels) and concentrated on 808 specs and tonal/component improvements (better caps, metal film resistors etc). I also did the mid hump mod on a dpdt switch so i does the standard mid hump, and then switches in a .22uf cap for more bass (too much) I'm going to go back to a .1uf cap on the switch. All red caps are panasonic metal film. white print is original values. Yellow new values. The sanyo oscon, and nichicon muse electrolytic caps are a pain to find but they are the same values just a better version over the stock power caps. This is the best sounding ts-9 mod I've heard.


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## morbe (Sep 14, 2011)

Lol sorry if I bump this thread, but does the carbom film effect the tone, or should I just try harder to find metal film?


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