Slimer Overdrive

Overview
Slimer is my favorite modifications to the good old TS-808. I have been messing around with this circuit for over 20 years, and I’ve come up with some simple adjustments that to me keep the flare of the original but make it more useable and sound it’s best.

To reflect that this to my taste is the circuit's apex, I’ve intentionally kept it very simple. No diode selections. No low voicing. No frequency shifting. Just the same 3 controls that made the original easy and intuitive.

Compared to a typical TS, Slimer has a shifted input impedance so that it interacts in a more pleasant way with the guitar pickups. I’ve also completely eliminated any high-pass roll-off in the input. The clipping stage uses NOS Toshiba IS1588 diodes in an “asymmetric” arrangement. I have slightly adjusted the frequency of the high-pass filter in this stage so that it is slightly less nasal, but still very mid-forward. The tone control is left untouched, as it is critical for the character of the TS. That being said, both the clipping stage and the tone control are driven by a Burr-Brown OPA2134 for lower noise, wider frequency bandwidth, and less compression. The output driver is again slightly adjusted, and is coupled downstream with a NOS Nichicon Muse capacitor. A subtle difference for sure, but in the process of trying to make this my favorite, it is a necessity.

Controls
LEVEL - this is just the volume control for the pedal.

TREBLE – adjusts the high frequency content of the pedal. At minimum is somewhat dull, and as increased it becomes more aggressive and biting.

SLIME - this controls the amount of internal clipping the pedal has. As mentioned above, the diodes and opamp used help make this section lower noise and more naturally combine with your amplifier.