Susumu Tamura, the designer behind the Tube Screamer, has spent the last few years chasing an ambitious idea: What would the ultimate TS-style overdrive look like if he rebuilt it today? That pursuit led Tamura to create the TWA Source Code, a new overdrive born from analyzing nearly 100 vintage Tube Screamers and refining every detail that early models couldn’t get quite right.
In the above video, Tamura explains how Source Code preserves the classic TS response while addressing the quirks that only decades of hindsight—and a designer’s ear—can reveal. The circuit builds on the original architecture but adds improved harmonic behavior, more expressive pick dynamics, and a new Bite control that helps dial in the perfect match for single-coils or humbuckers.
From there, Tamura takes us back to the beginning: his move away from harsh fuzz tones in the ’70s, his early OD880 experiments, and the design choices that gave the TS808 its now-iconic feel. Though the Tube Screamer wasn’t a massive seller at first, its smooth breakup and amp-friendly voicing would go on to define overdrive for the next 45 years—and make it one of the most copied circuits on the planet.
Watch the full interview to hear how the new TWA Source Code carries that legacy forward, directly from the engineer who created the original. You can also get a TWA Source Code signed by Susumu Tamura, exclusively on Reverb.