The ModestScream is an analog overdrive pedal from Andrew, the builder behind The Tone God, who previously made the NerFuzz programmable fuzz. It is built on the classic Tube Screamer circuit: Premier Guitar's reviewer described it as capable of "the type of classic tones that make the TS-9 and TS-808 a legend," but with far more flexibility built in1.
What sets it apart is how you control it. There are no knobs and no conventional switches. Instead, tones are dialed up from a touch interface with three contact points that respond to skin contact only. The only part that moves is a large metal control plate, which engages an internal relay for bypass switching1.
What it does
The ModestScream takes the Tube Screamer formula and multiplies it. Four popular circuit board modifications enable different types of diode clipping, 18 in all, and four op amp chips are switchable: RC4558D, TL072, NE5532 and TLC227212.
Seven parameters can be changed from the panel:
- Diode type and combination1
- Cutoff frequency1
- Op amp chip1
- Clean blend1
- Amount of overdrive1
- Treble level1
- Overall output volume1
The company claims 576 different combinations at your fingertips1.
What reviewers said
Premier Guitar's reviewer found the tone "smooth and luscious" on the first diode and opamp setting, which pairs the RC4558D chip with two silicon diodes for symmetrical overdrive1.
Versions and related pedals
The pedal was announced as the Acute ModestScream in a 2011 press release, alongside the Acute NerFuzz, with the same $230 U.S. street price and true bypass with LED indicator and automatic bypass on power failure2. The Tube Screamer circuit it draws from has a long modding history: Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer units have been reworked by modders such as Tamura and Alchemy Audio, and the Godlyke Tamura-modded TS808 TubeScreamer is one factory-modded take on the same circuit13.
The 2011 press release lists the pedal as the Acute ModestScream with true bypass and an LED indicator; the later Premier Guitar review describes the relay-switched bypass operated by the metal control plate2.
Videos
Andrew “The Tone God” TheToneGod
Questions
Does the ModestScream have any knobs?
No. Tones are dialed up from a touch interface with three contact points that respond to skin contact only, and there are no knobs or conventional switches. The only part that moves is a large metal control plate, which engages an internal relay for bypass switching.
Which op amp chips can the ModestScream switch between?
The pedal offers four switchable op amps: RC4558D, TL072, NE5532 and TLC2272. Combined with the diode clipping options and the other panel parameters, the company claims 576 different combinations at your fingertips.
Is the ModestScream bypass relay switched?
Yes. The large metal control plate on the pedal engages an internal relay for bypass switching. It is the only part of the pedal that moves.
How much does the Tone God ModestScream cost?
The U.S. street price is $230, as given in Premier Guitar's review and the pedal's original press release.
Sources (3)
- The Tone God Acute ModestScream Pedal Review, Premier Guitar, 2012-02-22
- Tone God Unveils New ModestScream & NerFuzz Pedals, Premier Guitar, 2011-11-28
- TAMURA-MOD TS808 Tube Screamer (TS808TM), Godlyke, Inc. (maxonfx.com)
