View other reviews for this product:
glassjaw7 « Good overdrive, but nowhere near the best »
Published on 03/27/11 at 22:27The Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer is a classic. It's synonymous with rock and blues guitar tone almost to the extent that Marshall or Mesa Boogie are...well ok, maybe not to that extent. This overdrive pedal is widely recognized by musicians and non-musicians alike though, as a staple in any guitarist's rig. This is the "other" little green stomp box (the original being the Ibanez TS808)
Ibanez used several different op amp chips throughout the years (whatever was laying around, lol) and the results were that some TS9s sounded better than others. I believe the chip that was intended was the JRC4558 that was used in the more consistent (and much better sounding in my opinion) TS808. There is a reason why so many people mod their TS9s to 808 specs...
It's a simple pedal: foot switch and three knobs, which control drive, tone and level.
The TS9 is powered by a 9 volt battery or standard 9 volt AC adapter.
UTILIZATION
This pedal is extremely easy to use, though not always easy to dial in a pleasing sound with every rig. The tone control can be a bit finicky.
SOUND QUALITY
The TS9 debuted in the early 80's as a variation of the TS808. The circuits of the two units are similar, but the sounds are not. Someone stated in another review that the differences in tone between the TS9 and 808 are subtle, when in actuality they are quite different sounding, as one listen will tell.
The 808 has a very transparent and smooth character due to its Japanese JRC4558 chip. It isn't harsh or bright, and has a very musical and pleasing tone and is still the standard box that most of the boutique builders copy! The TS9 in comparison, is very bright and much thinner sounding, with less transparency, and more obnoxious biting high end sound. It doesn't sound as thick as the 808, and doesn't provide the smooth and singing, violin-like lead sounds that the 808 can provide.
Many players have coaxed fantastic blues sounds out of the TS9. This is especially possible through thick and dark sounding amps, as the thin and bright character of the TS9 adds just the right amount of bite and grit to turn a Fender or Boogie clean sound into a gnarly stinging blues tone.
Another strength of the TS9 is its boosting capabilities for rock and metal where tightness and clarity are needed in distortion tones. The TS9 is a great unit for boosting an already distorted amp into that pushed realm, and simultaneously cleaning up the bottom end response, and adding some presence. However, I feel that only certain amps, preferably dark and muddy ones, benefit from this boost sound. If an amp already has a bright and present character, the TS9 may be too crispy and biting and may warrant unpleasant results.
The 808 is a much more well-rounded boost, and provides the same benefits with none of the drawbacks.
One other important thing to note about the TS9 is the range of the Tone control. I found that it was really only usable in the 7:00-11:00 positions. Anything more than that produced very bright and unpleasant sounds. The high end frequencies in this thing are just too piercing.
OVERALL OPINION
The TS9 has been heard on many great recordings and can be used effectively as a rock/metal boost, or a straight up blues overdrive. That said, I feel that there are literally hundreds of better overdrives on the market, and one of them (possibly one of the best ever) is the TS9's big brother, the TS808.
Skip this one and go for the ultimate in overdrive, the TS808.
Ibanez used several different op amp chips throughout the years (whatever was laying around, lol) and the results were that some TS9s sounded better than others. I believe the chip that was intended was the JRC4558 that was used in the more consistent (and much better sounding in my opinion) TS808. There is a reason why so many people mod their TS9s to 808 specs...
It's a simple pedal: foot switch and three knobs, which control drive, tone and level.
The TS9 is powered by a 9 volt battery or standard 9 volt AC adapter.
UTILIZATION
This pedal is extremely easy to use, though not always easy to dial in a pleasing sound with every rig. The tone control can be a bit finicky.
SOUND QUALITY
The TS9 debuted in the early 80's as a variation of the TS808. The circuits of the two units are similar, but the sounds are not. Someone stated in another review that the differences in tone between the TS9 and 808 are subtle, when in actuality they are quite different sounding, as one listen will tell.
The 808 has a very transparent and smooth character due to its Japanese JRC4558 chip. It isn't harsh or bright, and has a very musical and pleasing tone and is still the standard box that most of the boutique builders copy! The TS9 in comparison, is very bright and much thinner sounding, with less transparency, and more obnoxious biting high end sound. It doesn't sound as thick as the 808, and doesn't provide the smooth and singing, violin-like lead sounds that the 808 can provide.
Many players have coaxed fantastic blues sounds out of the TS9. This is especially possible through thick and dark sounding amps, as the thin and bright character of the TS9 adds just the right amount of bite and grit to turn a Fender or Boogie clean sound into a gnarly stinging blues tone.
Another strength of the TS9 is its boosting capabilities for rock and metal where tightness and clarity are needed in distortion tones. The TS9 is a great unit for boosting an already distorted amp into that pushed realm, and simultaneously cleaning up the bottom end response, and adding some presence. However, I feel that only certain amps, preferably dark and muddy ones, benefit from this boost sound. If an amp already has a bright and present character, the TS9 may be too crispy and biting and may warrant unpleasant results.
The 808 is a much more well-rounded boost, and provides the same benefits with none of the drawbacks.
One other important thing to note about the TS9 is the range of the Tone control. I found that it was really only usable in the 7:00-11:00 positions. Anything more than that produced very bright and unpleasant sounds. The high end frequencies in this thing are just too piercing.
OVERALL OPINION
The TS9 has been heard on many great recordings and can be used effectively as a rock/metal boost, or a straight up blues overdrive. That said, I feel that there are literally hundreds of better overdrives on the market, and one of them (possibly one of the best ever) is the TS9's big brother, the TS808.
Skip this one and go for the ultimate in overdrive, the TS808.