Ibanez TS-808 True Bypass mod

How to mod your Ibanez TS-808 to True Bypass

February 04, 2020

First of all, why would you mod your TS-808 to true bypass? The buffer inside this pedal is not so bad at all.


Well, there are some situations where you could choose to perform the mod:

1. Your original switch breaks down. They are quite expensive to replace!

2. You already have too many buffers in your chain.


If you choose to mod your pedal, you can perform it yourself by following the instructions below, or you can send it to Sonic Fields off course!





MOD INSTRUCTIONS:


Needed parts:

  • 3PDT latching switch
  • A resistor for the LED
  • Different coloured wires


First you need to remove one resistor and some wires:

 

  • Desolder following parts from the PCB:
  • Resistor R26
  • The red wire coming from the switch
  • The red and pink wires coming from the LED board
  • The input (yellow) and output (white) wires
  • The red wire coming from the battery clip


Desolder following parts from the jacks:

  • The black wire coming from the switch
  • The black wire coming from the battery clip

 

Remove the small LED board and desolder both wires.




Now you’re ready to rewire the whole thing.

 

Let’s start with the LED board:

  • Cut two pieces of wire, about 15cm will do.
  • I prefer red for the positive side of the LED and black for the negative side.
  • Solder the wires to the LED board.
  • If you want to change the LED to another color, now is the time to do so!
  • Put the LED board back in its slot and tighten the screw.





    • Attach a resistor for the LED to the other end of the black wire. The value of the resistor depends on which LED you choose. I used a 750 Ohms resistor for the stock LED.
    • To prevent the connection from making shorts you can use a piece of heatshrink or electrical tape.





    Continue with the PCB:

    • Solder the red wire coming from the LED to the hole of R26 that connects to +9V.
    • Solder a yellow wire to YEL and a white wire to WHI. These are the spots where the input and output wires were connected to. Again, about 15cm will do.






    Wire up the switch:

    • Use the diagram below.
    • The GND wire goes to one of the ground lugs from the jacks.
    • The IN and OUT wires go to the input and output jacks.







    Happy pedal modding!



    If you're not confident to perform the mod yourself,

    please let me know!







    Thanks for reading!


    Erik