Fortin Amps

The Search is Over: Why the Fortin Fourteen is the Ultimate Modded Tubescreamer

For decades, the guitar community has been obsessed with a single, unassuming green box. From blues legends to modern metal architects, the "Tubescreamer" circuit has appeared on more pedalboards than perhaps any other stompbox in history. But for just as long, players have been trying to fix it.

If you have ever bought a stock TS9 or TS808, plugged it into your high-gain amp, and felt a twinge of disappointment, you aren't alone. You likely noticed the "bass cut" that makes your heavy riffs sound thin. You might have heard the "blanket" over your speakers—that nasal mid-range compression that robs your tone of its dynamic punch.

This dissatisfaction birthed an entire industry of Tubescreamer mods. For years, the only solution was to buy a pedal, void the warranty, and ship it off to a guru with a soldering iron.

At Fortin Amps, we decided it was time to stop patching the problem and start solving it. Enter the Fortin FOURTEEN®—the dual-channel overdrive that doesn't just emulate the modded green box sound; it perfects it. Here is why the Fourteen is the best modded Tubescreamer you will ever play.

The "Green Box" Dilemma: Why We Mod

To understand why the Fourteen is necessary, we have to look at why the Tubescreamer mod phenomenon exists. The original circuit was designed in the late 70s for low-output pickups and cleaner amps. It cuts low-end frequencies heavily (to tighten up flabby Fender combos) and pushes a very specific mid-range frequency (around 720Hz).

For a blues player in 1980, this was perfect. For a modern guitarist seeking a tight metal tone, it’s a compromise.

The Bass Drop: Standard units decapitate your low end.
The Headroom Issue: Stock 9V circuits compress quickly, turning your dynamic picking into a squashed, flat line.
The Noise: Vintage components often come with a high noise floor—a nightmare for high-gain rigs.

Players spent thousands of dollars chasing the "Silver Mod," the "Brown Mod," or the "Baked Mod" to fix these issues. With the Fourteen, Mike Fortin—the man who defined the modern high-gain sound—has baked the holy grail of mods directly into the circuit.

1. Three Legendary Circuits in One Pedal

Most TS mods force you to choose a lane. You can mod your pedal for the smooth, warm clipping of an 808, or the sharper, more aggressive bite of a TS9. Once the solder dries, you are stuck with that choice.

The Fortin Fourteen changes the game by giving you switchable modification topologies. We didn’t just model these sounds; we rebuilt the signal paths of the most coveted mods in history.

The F808 Mode (Classic Warmth)

This mode captures the soul of the modded TS808. It features the classic symmetrical clipping that purists love but with the "Fortin treatment"—meaning a lower noise floor and better component tolerance. It’s perfect for liquid leads or adding saturation to a crunch channel without altering the fundamental character of your amp.

The F9 Mode (Modern Aggression)

Switch to the F9, and you are in hot-rodded TS9 territory. This mode introduces a sharper attack and more output. It’s the "Djent" standard—designed to tighten up a flubby Mesa Boogie or Marshall, cutting the sub-bass just enough to keep your palm mutes percussive while retaining the body of the note.

The Hexdrive (HD) Mode (The Clean Boost Secret)

This is where the Fourteen leaves other clones in the dust. Based on our legendary Fortin Hexdrive, this mode offers massive headroom and clarity. It removes the "diode compression" that plagues standard overdrives, acting as a transparent clean boost that hits the front end of your amp with sledgehammer force.

2. The Bass Frequency Fix

The number one search query for overdrive mods is: "Tubescreamer bass mod."

We listened. The Fourteen is voiced specifically to address the "thinning" effect of the original circuit. We haven't just let all the bass through (which would cause mud); we have carefully calibrated the low-end roll-off point.

The result is a tone that remains tight and percussive but retains the girth and weight of your guitar’s natural sound. Whether you are tuning to E Standard or dropping down to F# on an 8-string, the Fourteen keeps your fundamental frequencies intact. You no longer need an EQ pedal after your drive to put the bass back in.

3. Dual Channels: Rhythm and Lead

Why buy one modded pedal when you need two? A common struggle for gigging musicians is the need for a "Tight Rhythm" sound and a "Saturated Lead" sound. Usually, this means two different pedals on the board.

The Fourteen features two identical channels, each with its own Volume, Drive, and Tone controls.

Channel 1: Set it to F9 mode with low gain and high volume for your main rhythm rhythm "tightener."
Channel 2: Set it to F808 mode with higher gain and a mid-boost for searing solos.

You can toggle between them instantly. It’s like having two boutique modded pedals in a single enclosure, saving you power outlets and patch cables.

4. Total Amp Integration

The Fourteen isn’t just a pedal; it’s a command center. One of the most innovative features is the 1/4" side jack for remote switching.

This allows the Fourteen to change the channels on your amplifier simultaneously when you engage the pedal. Imagine going from your amp's Clean Channel (dry) to your High Gain Channel (with the Fourteen engaged) in a single stomp. This level of integration is unheard of in the world of vintage clones and makes the Fourteen the smartest tool on your pedalboard.

5. High Voltage Headroom

Another common complaint with stock green boxes is that they sound "boxy" or "small" because they run on standard 9V power with limited internal headroom. This causes the pedal to clip (distort) before your signal even hits the clipping diodes, resulting in a mushy feel.

The Fourteen utilizes an internal charge pump (operating at high internal voltage) to drastically increase headroom. This means:

Better Touch Sensitivity: The pedal cleans up when you roll down your volume knob.
Less Compression: Your pick attack remains snappy and defined.
More Output: Enough volume on tap to push even the most stubborn tube amp into overdrive.

The Verdict: The Evolution of the Green Legend

There is a reason the "Tubescreamer" is a legend. It works. But in 2026, with modern amps, extended range guitars, and higher standards for tone, the stock version simply can't keep up.

You could spend months scouring forums for the best TS9 mods, risking your gear with DIY soldering kits, or paying premium prices for vintage units that hiss and hum.

Or, you could get the pedal that was built from the ground up to be the solution.

The Fortin FOURTEEN® is the culmination of Mike Fortin’s modification philosophy. It is the bass response you lost, the clarity you missed, and the aggression you craved. It is the best modded Tubescreamer because it respects the history of the circuit while refusing to be limited by it.

Ready to take the blanket off your tone?