The TTS Music BMT Overdrive is an overdrive pedal built on the circuit of the Ibanez Tube Screamer, notably the TS808 and TS9 pedals that Stevie Ray Vaughan made famous. TTS Music set it apart from a straight clone by fitting a combination of silicon and germanium diodes for clipping, which Vintage Guitar's reviewer said was there "to create unique tonal flavors"1. It carried a list price of $175 at the time of the review1.
The Tube Screamer connection
The Tube Screamer design rolls off a lot of low end, removes treble after the overdrive stage, and uses diode clipping configured in a soft-clipping arrangement, as Origin Effects' John Dines explained in a comparison of 808-style pedals2. The BMT keeps that foundation but changes the clipping diodes. Other makers have taken similar approaches to modifying the platform: the Fortin-Modded Ibanez TS808 Tube Screamer, for example, adds a secondary diode clipping stage for increased saturation3. For a broader look at how this family of pedals compares, see Boss SD-1 vs Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer and the overdrive pedals type page.
Controls and hardware
The BMT keeps a simple control layout. Vintage Guitar's reviewer found that "the BMT's Drive knob provided a range of the crunchy stuff that could be completely tweaked with the pedal's triple-stacked" tone controls, giving the player considerable shaping ability beyond a standard Tube Screamer1.
- Drive knob: a range of crunchy overdrive, tweakable with the tone knobs1
- Footswitch: a rugged on/off footswitch1
- Jacks: quarter-inch in/out jacks and a DC jack on the sides1
- Mounting: rubber feet and adhesive Velcro underneath for pedalboard mounting1
- Finish: a dark-red enclosure1
What reviewers said
Vintage Guitar's June 2014 review was favorable on the pedal's sound and behavior. "Running through a few tube and solidstate amps, the BMT Overdrive proved a treat," the reviewer wrote1. The same review placed the pedal in the overdrive camp rather than the distortion camp, noting that "this pedal, like all good overdrives (and as opposed to distortion pedals), reacts uniquely with each particular guitar," amp and speaker array, and that it suits crunchy blues and hard-rockin' tones1.
Questions
What op-amp does the TTS BMT Overdrive use?
The BMT Overdrive uses the JRC4558D op-amp, the chip associated with the classic Ibanez Tube Screamer circuit it is based on. Vintage Guitar's June 2014 review noted that the pedal sports the JRC4558D, alongside a combination of silicon and germanium diodes for clipping that the reviewer said creates unique tonal flavors.
Is the TTS BMT Overdrive a Tube Screamer clone?
Vintage Guitar's review describes the BMT as based on the circuit of the Ibanez Tube Screamer, notably the TS808 and TS9 pedals that Stevie Ray Vaughan made famous. It is not a straight copy, though: TTS Music mixed silicon and germanium clipping diodes to give the circuit its own character.
What diodes does the BMT Overdrive use for clipping?
The BMT Overdrive uses a combination of silicon and germanium diodes for clipping. Vintage Guitar's reviewer said the mix was there to create unique tonal flavors, setting the pedal apart from the standard Tube Screamer arrangement of soft-clipping diodes.
How much did the TTS Music BMT Overdrive cost?
Vintage Guitar's June 2014 review of the BMT Overdrive listed its price at $175.
Sources (3)
- TTS Music BMT Overdrive, Vintage Guitar magazine, 2015-06-08
- M-EQ DRIVER vs HALCYON GREEN OVERDRIVE, Origin Effects, 2023-01-13
- Fortin-Modded Ibanez TS808 Tube Screamer Overdrive, Godlyke Distributing, Inc.
