JAM Pedals TubeDreamer

The JAM Pedals TubeDreamer is the Greek maker's take on the legendary 808 Tube Screamer circuit, an overdrive pedal built around the JRC4558D chip and three-diode asymmetrical clipping. JAM Pedals describes the current mk.2 as "a warm, rich and articulate 808-style overdrive built to cut through a mix without ever sounding congested or harsh"¹. The original TubeDreamer goes back to 2010, and the mk.2 revamp arrived in May 2026 with a second footswitch, a no-diode clipping mode and a redesigned Gain control².

The circuit: an 808-style overdrive with a no-diode mode

At its core the TubeDreamer follows the classic 808 recipe: the JRC4558D op-amp chip, the same one used in the original, sought-after TS808, plus that familiar midrange hump⁴⁵. Where the original Tube Screamer clips symmetrically, JAM Pedals uses three diodes for asymmetrical clipping, which the maker says enhances the pedal's responsiveness to picking dynamics⁶.

The mk.2 adds a second clipping option. A Clipping toggle selects between asymmetrical and no-diode operation¹. In no-diode mode the diode clipping is removed entirely, leaving pure op-amp gain. JAM Pedals says this delivers "a more open, dynamic and amp-like feel with extra headroom"¹, and Delicious Audio's reviewer described it as "cranked-amp, dynamic, touch-sensitive overdrive land"⁴.

The two modes suit different jobs. Gearnews notes that with the clipping stage active, the three-diode asymmetrical circuit gives a more compressed, dense sound that reacts less to dynamics and stays focused, while the diode-less mode opens the pedal up with greater headroom and clarity².

Controls and the two footswitches

The control layout stays close to the 808 formula, with three knobs and a toggle¹⁵⁷:

¹

Gearnews describes the three knobs as "L" for level, "G" for gain and "T" for tone shaping, unchanged from the original². The Gain control was redesigned for the mk.2 with more resolution at low settings, which JAM Pedals says expands the range of usable clean push and edge-of-breakup tones⁴⁸⁹.

The pedal carries two footswitches. One engages and bypasses the pedal; the other is a dedicated HIGH GAIN footswitch that activates an additional gain stage, turning the TubeDreamer into a two-stage performance tool⁵¹⁰⁴. On the original TubeDreamer, high gain was reached through a small switch on the upper right-hand corner of the enclosure², so the mk.2 change puts that mode under your foot mid-song. Delicious Audio's reviewer found the high-gain mode adds "more saturation, instantly, without tap-dancing," rather than working as a separate channel or a boost that changes your volume⁴. Internal trimmers set the high-gain stage's output independently for the asymmetrical and no-diode modes, so the two can be level-matched or the high-gain side set as a deliberate boost⁷.

Can it work as a clean boost?

Yes, according to reviewers. Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio found that with the redesigned Gain control, "the Tubedreamer Mk2 actually works as a clean-ish boost now, not just a 'barely overdriven' tone"⁴. Combined with the extra headroom of the no-diode mode, the mk.2 covers more ground than the original, from clean push through edge-of-breakup to saturated lead tones.

History and versions

The original TubeDreamer dates from 2010 and, in Gearnews' words, "already had a lot of fans" before the mk.2 update arrived in May 2026². The same circuit also appears in the Double Dreamer, which stacks the Tubedreamer with a second drive in one enclosure⁶.

The mk.2 is sold alongside a range of limited artwork editions, each the same pedal with hand-painted graphics¹³¹⁰:

• "Blood Spatter" Tubedreamer
• "Butteskull" Tubedreamer
• "Celestial Window" Tubedreamer
• "Monterey" Tubedreamer
• "Astronaut-y" Tubedreamer

JAM Pedals describes these as "same sound, different artwork": every custom artwork pedal is a one-of-a-kind hand-painted piece, and the pedal you receive will differ in detail from the photos shown⁹.

What reviewers said

Early coverage of the mk.2 was positive. Gearnews wrote that "the upgrades to the TubeDreamer MK2 make a great overdrive pedal even more versatile" and that it "might become one of the go-to solutions for vintage TS-style pedals on the market"². Guitar Pedal X called it "an undeniably cool and handy evolution of that format, with a little more action and horsepower under the hood"⁵. Delicious Audio's verdict was blunt: "It's just a really good overdrive that finally figured out the Tube Screamer formula needed some updates"⁴.

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