Upgraded Tubescreamer with Sought-After Chip
The Formula B 4558 OD is owner Marco Bovelli's take on a TS808 Tubescreamer - one of rock's most iconic pedals - an original will set you back many hundreds of pounds today!
Featuring the same Texas Instruments RC4558P chip found in some of the earliest examples of the TS808, the 4558 OD sounds absolutely incredible. If you've never done the whole Tubescreamer-Marshall thing then you're missing out big time!
Yes, this is the new, slightly updated version of the Formula B 4558 OD for 2023, with a tweaked EQ to reduce the amount of treble, and a significant volume boost. Oh, and that awesome minimalist design!
The TS808 has been used on a huge number of rock records, with fans including Rory Gallagher, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Johnson, Joe Bonamassa, Gary Moore, Andy Timmons, John Mayer and Jerry Cantrell.
It's renowned for its unique overdrive character achieved by symmetrical clipping, low-end cut and mid-frequency EQ bump. This gives a rich, gritty, crunchy sound that can cut through the mix.
The Formula B 4558 OD features a couple of improvements over the original Tubescreamer with the modern player in mind.
Firstly, it's capable of delivering more volume than an original Tubescreamer and cleans up better when the Gain control is set to 0, making it a great clean boost. But crank it up into typical Tubescreamer gain territory and the 4558 OD produces a harmonically rich distortion with a three-dimensional quality and a hint of grit.
Additionally, a toggle switch allows you to add in more bass to what is traditionally a mid-range focused sound.