Godlyke unveils Tamura-modded Ibanez TS808-TMv.2 overdrive

December 15, 2023 · 2 sources

Godlyke, Inc. has unveiled its second Ibanez TS808 mod from the pedal's original designer, Susumu Tamura, the Ibanez TS808-TMv.2, Guitar World reported on December 15, 2023¹. The TS808-TMv.2 is the second Tamura-modded collaboration with Godlyke and mods the classic overdrive pedal¹.

The first mod, the TS808-TMv.1, focused on flattening out the 808's frequency response, while this second incarnation ditches the midrange hump of the pedal in favor of a bottom-heavy thump that Godlyke claims moves more air than its factory-built counterpart¹. The new mod offers the same "magic" IC chip of its predecessor, which Tamura describes as being integral to the original pedal's character, this time paired with NOS Toshiba 1S1588 clipping diodes¹. Godlyke says the mod gives players more accentuated lows and lower-mids, along with an increased output level on the whole, and that it is optimized to accentuate and articulate the sound of single-coil pickups¹.

The pedal features an ultra-bright gold status LED, a branded Tamura-Mod gold anodized aluminum faceplate, and a baseplate signed by Tamura¹. Like v1, it includes a standard Carling SPST plunger footswitch, in contrast to the square and rectangular switches found on the classic Maxon and Ibanez builds¹.

The first 50 pedals sold will go for an introductory price of $299, with all units sold thereafter fetching $349 apiece¹. Unlike 2021's mod, there is no mention of limited quantities this time around¹.

Gearnews, in a roundup published December 19, 2023, described the TS808-TMv.2 as the latest incarnation of the TS808, designed by the Tube Screamer's original designer, and reported the same $299 introductory price for the first 50 units and $349 thereafter².