Switching caps and resistors in a tubescreamer (long)

[tonepoet]

I know that everyone must be sick of dealing with these damn pedals already!!  :x  Sorry!! Well, I've been modding my TS-9 for a while, did the TS-808 thing from Tonepad (with an IC socket) as well as change the tantalum caps to poly caps. Easy enough. Hate to say it, though, I'm not a huge Stevie Ray fan, got burned out as everyone was drooling about him. So I checked out the Technology of a Tube Screamer from Geofex. I kind of understand it, I mean I can find most of what's going on. I am kind of interested in getting more bass as well as adding drive. It seems that the 4k7 resistor and 0.047 cap have to coincide with one another somehow for either bass increase or drive increase. Has anyone found a happy medium? Also, what kind of composition should the cap or resistor be? I checked out Robert Keeley's site and he says that he uses metal film resistors in the drive stage. Anyone try this? Also, the GEO site mentions getting a sweeter distortion by changing one of the clipping diodes. How could I hook up a mini switch to keep the stock clipping diodes as well as changing out the diode for a sweeter distortion when needed? If anyone has some good layout/suggestions, I would really appreciate it!

[javacody]

Tonepoet, I have a TS5 that I have modded in most of the ways that you have mentioned. I added a switch to the input cap to go from 0.47uf to 1uF to 1.47uF for additional bass. I also changed out one of the diodes with a 1n4001.

My favorite Tube Screamer mods page was Frank Clarks'. He seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth, but fortunately you can go back in time.

http://web.archive.org/web/20030302110842/www.guitarkit.com/distortion/GeneralHotrodding.html

I think I'm going to do the more distortion mods today.

You'll also want to check out the following links:

http://home.earthlink.net/~lens/p11-amp.htm

Here's a thread that specifically answers your switching question:

http://www.diystompboxes.com/sboxforum/viewtopic.php?t=17988&highlight=tubescreamer+mods