Wish Mesa Grid Slammer

[Randalljax]

This is a really great overall boost pedal from Mesa and looks kind of like a combo of a tube screamer/ FET Boost

Found a schematic for it would be cool to have in The Axe

 

[FractalAudio]

It's a blatant ripoff of a tube screamer except with two diodes in series. Use a Tube Screamer model and change the number of diodes.

 

[State of Epicicity]

It's a blatant ripoff of a tube screamer except with two diodes in series. Use a Tube Screamer model and change the number of diodes.

Was Boogie worse about ripping off circuits than other companies? It seems like so many well known pieces of gear are just mods, but I can’t tell for sure.

 

[FractalAudio]

Was Boogie worse about ripping off circuits than other companies? It seems like so many well known pieces of gear are just mods, but I can’t tell for sure.

No. Lots of drive pedals are ripoffs. It's a pet peeve of mine. Copy a Tube Screamer, change a resistor value, put in a different box and charge $300 for it.

 

[State of Epicicity]

No. Lots of drive pedals are ripoffs. It's a pet peeve of mine. Copy a Tube Screamer, change a resistor value, put in a different box and charge $300 for it.

I meant for amps too. Like the Triple Crown based on the Tone Master. Is it just as bad in the amp world?

 

[FractalAudio]

I meant for amps too. Like the Triple Brown based on the Tone Master. Is it just as bad in the amp world?

Yeah, it's pretty bad in the amp world too.

 

[MKB99]

Was Boogie worse about ripping off circuits than other companies? It seems like so many well known pieces of gear are just mods, but I can’t tell for sure.

Not sure about them ripping off other companies (their early amps were very Fendery BTW, and Dual Rectifiers took a LOT from the SLO), but they sure will sue the crap out of anyone that "infringes" their patents. One patent claim is for an unusually large resistor in a grid supply; you can infringe on that patent by simply misreading the resistor value.

 

[gb714us]

I feel like we're getting into Cliff's origin story.

 

[pedalbuilder]

No. Lots of drive pedals are ripoffs. It's a pet peeve of mine. Copy a Tube Screamer, change a resistor value, put in a different box and charge $300 for it.

This particular phenomenon is so widespread that it even has its own acronym—YATS (yet another Tube Screamer).

 

[MKB99]

This particular phenomenon is so widespread that it even has its own acronym—YATS (yet another Tube Screamer).

Some modern boutique pedal builders are far more blatant, they will copy everything except for cosmetics (not just topology). I mean cloning pedals from other boutique manufacturers. I probably need not mention any names, y'all know who they are. And then there is the line of Behringer pedals.....

On the Mesa schematic, I don't think there are any FETs in the pedal. Those two C1815 transistors are buffers only.

 

[JTI]

The Grid Slammer into the Mercurial Spark is GODLY sounding. First time a digital pedal had me GAS'sing for the "real thing".

 

[State of Epicicity]

The Grid Slammer into the Mercurial Spark is GODLY sounding. First time a digital pedal had me GAS'sing for the "real thing".

Yeah, I have that one. I used to use Mercurial stuff before I had any Fractal gear. I agree that their Grid Slammer is awesome.

 

[pedalbuilder]

Here's a block preset for the Grid Slammer. The values for R19 and R14 differ between the TS808 and TS9, with the Grid Slammer using the TS9's values, so the block uses the Valve Screamer VS9.

 

[JTI]

Yeah, I have that one. I used to use Mercurial stuff before I had any Fractal gear. I agree that their Grid Slammer is awesome.

I don't normally get impressed by plugins. Too many things I don't want to deal with when playing guitar. But Spark was something special imo. And I never care about dirt pedals really at all as I always just like "amp" gain. But that thing was just

 

[Randalljax]

Here's a block preset for the Grid Slammer. The values for R19 and R14 differ between the TS808 and TS9, with the Grid Slammer using the TS9's values, so the block uses the Valve Screamer VS9.

very cool thanks so much , will check it out

 

[MKB99]

Part of the mojo of this pedal (and perhaps what earned it the Grid Slammer name) is that output buffer Q2 and its supporting resistors. The original Tube Screamer used a non-bypass switching circuit that required buffers to the pedal input and output to work properly. But the buffers have tonal effects on their own, and a common mod you see in pedal conversion is tweaks to the output buffer resistors (a significant difference between the TS808 and TS9 IIRC). Many newer pedals with the basic TS topology do not have the buffers if a true bypass mechanical switch is used. But the Grid Slammer has them. I assume the Grid Slammer has a standard 3PDT mechanical switch true bypass.

And the Grid Slammer's 100 ohm resistor between the battery and the rest of the circuit... that's unusual. Wonder what it does tonally, other than increase the parallel impedance of the battery as seen by the circuit. Partially dead battery tweak perhaps?

 

[Randalljax]

Here's a block preset for the Grid Slammer. The values for R19 and R14 differ between the TS808 and TS9, with the Grid Slammer using the TS9's values, so the block uses the Valve Screamer VS9.

thanks again for the block it works great

 

[My name is mud]

Part of the mojo of this pedal (and perhaps what earned it the Grid Slammer name) is that output buffer Q2 and its supporting resistors. The original Tube Screamer used a non-bypass switching circuit that required buffers to the pedal input and output to work properly. But the buffers have tonal effects on their own, and a common mod you see in pedal conversion is tweaks to the output buffer resistors (a significant difference between the TS808 and TS9 IIRC). Many newer pedals with the basic TS topology do not have the buffers if a true bypass mechanical switch is used. But the Grid Slammer has them. I assume the Grid Slammer has a standard 3PDT mechanical switch true bypass.

And the Grid Slammer's 100 ohm resistor between the battery and the rest of the circuit... that's unusual. Wonder what it does tonally, other than increase the parallel impedance of the battery as seen by the circuit. Partially dead battery tweak perhaps?

Reading this is more than just a ts9 rip off so.

 

[MKB99]

If you really wanted this thing to slam your grids, look inside and ensure all caps are rated for >20v (especially the tantalums), and run it on 18v.

 

[pedalbuilder]

Reading this is more than just a ts9 rip off so.

I'm not seeing the difference. The output buffer and the values of the supporting resistors in the Grid Slammer and TS9 are the same. And I don't see how the 100 ohm resistor would have any meaningful effect on the tone. It's really just a TS9 with two additional diodes.