How did it get to this point?

The Tube Screamer has gotten to the point of boutique pandemonium that now even Ibanez is making a boutique version of its own TS808.



The TS808HW boasts hand wiring and "select" 4558D chips. We all know by now the ridiculous hype around, well, just about any Tube Screamer really, but I just don't get it. I honestly think people come up with this stuff because they know folks at TheGearPage have just GOTTA HAVE IT and it's free publicity. The big difference I do see inside is that it is built onto a turret board instead of PCB. It's probably bufferless too *yawn*.

Anyway, Tube Screamers are cool circuits, but I don't think they are the reinvention of the wheel. How did it get to this point? Where everyone has to have some sort of Tube Screamer variant? Don't get me wrong, I've got a modded TS5 and I built a Lovepedal Eternity clone. But... look folks, there's more than one pedal design out there, and I believe there's far more to be discovered. Take Brian Wampler or Frantone for example. They're still going analog and working up new tones.

I know it seems like it's getting to the hair splitting stage of distortions now, but everyone pretty much abandoned Fuzzes too until Jack White came along and made them explode back onto the scene. Now they're everywhere again and sounding cooler all the time.

Anyway, I think the Tube Screamer wave has finally crested with this product, and it will come crashing ashore soon.

I wonder what the next big thing will be in overdrives/distortions. Hmmm....