Ibanez TS808TM2 Tamura-Mod v2 Level Boost Tube Screamer

The Ibanez TS808TM2 Tamura-Mod v2 Level Boost Tube Screamer is a modified version of the TS808 Tube Screamer overdrive, carrying a circuit change designed by Susumu Tamura, the engineer Ibanez credits as the inventor of the Tube Screamer itself¹. Where a standard Tube Screamer is known for the pronounced midrange bump that gives it its characteristic push, the Tamura-Mod v2 takes that signature feature out. Ibanez describes the result as "dumping the mid-hump in favor of a bottom-heavy thump that moves more air and adds more hair to your tone"¹.

What the Tamura-Mod v2 does to your sound

The v2 modification is the second generation of Tamura's work on his own circuit. According to Ibanez's listing, the v1 Tamura mod flattened out the 808's frequency response, while the related TS9TM focused on fine-tuning the famous, or infamous, mid-hump¹. The v2 goes further in the opposite direction: instead of keeping the midrange emphasis, it removes it and shifts the pedal's character toward the low end. Ibanez describes the modified tone as bottom-heavy, with accentuated lows and lower mids, and additional even-order harmonics in the upper register¹.

For a player, the practical difference is one of placement in a rig. A stock Tube Screamer is often used to cut through a band mix with its midrange push; the Tamura-Mod v2 instead moves more air, in Ibanez's words, which points it toward players who want the Tube Screamer's gain structure without the frequency bump that comes with it¹.

The +6dB Level Boost mod

The page's subject is the Level Boost variant, which adds one more modification on top of the v2 circuit: a +6dB Level Boost mod for increased output level¹. The same option appears across the Tamura-Mod range, including the TS9 Tamura-Mod, which is offered with a +6dB Level Boost Mod variant³. The extra output matters most for players using the pedal as a push into an amp or another drive, where level, not gain, is what does the work.

Versions and availability

Ibanez lists the TS808TM2 in four variants¹²:

• Tamura-Mod version 2 TS808
• Tamura-Mod version 2 TS808 (w/ +6dB Level Boost Mod)
• TS808TM2, True Bypass
• TS808TM2, True Bypass (w/ +6dB Boost Mod)

Availability is limited: the standard TS808TM2 v2 is listed as sold out on the Ibanez pages¹², and Ibanez notes that because of the limited availability and non-refundable fees, a 20% restocking fee will be charged on all canceled orders¹.

Where it came from

The Tamura-Mod series is unusual in that the modification comes from the circuit's original designer. Guitar World's 2022 demo of the first Tamura Mod, presented by Paul Riario, framed it the same way:

That first-generation Tamura Mod was offered in its own set of variants, including the TS808TM with a +6dB Boost Mod, a True Bypass Mod version, and a True Bypass version with the +6dB Boost Mod⁵. The v2 covered on this page is the newer stage of that line, with the mid-hump removal as its defining change¹.

The Tamura-Mod family

• TS808TM (v1): the first Tamura mod of the TS808, sold in standard, +6dB Boost, True Bypass and True Bypass + Boost variants⁵
• TS808TM2 (v2): the second-generation mod, which dumps the mid-hump for a bottom-heavy response¹
• TS9 Tamura-Mod: the same approach applied to the TS9, also offered with a +6dB Level Boost option³

Players comparing the Tamura-Mod pedals with other Tube Screamer variants may also want to look at the Ibanez TS808TMB and the TS808DX Tube Screamer Overdrive Pro, which pairs the TS808 circuit with an independent clean boost and relay-based true-bypass switching⁶. For the broader category, see Boost Pedals and Overdrive Pedals.

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