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pdecirce
Published on 08/07/08 at 12:13
This is the famous (or infamous) Ibanez TS-9 Tube Screamer analog pedal. Of course renowned for their beautiful guitar line, this pedal may be a second close to their claim to fame. It features the simple in/out 1/4'' standard on most pedals, runs easily from an adaptor or 9v battery and features three distinct knobs, from left to right, 'drive' 'level' 'tone'. Its familiar green housing and sturdy construction make this a classic pedal. Very few rock and even less blues-rock players will not know about and use this pedal.
UTILIZATION
This pedal is used primarily to make low-end amplifiers, or solid-state amplifiers, sound like they are tube driven, or capable of creating distortion/sustain or a combination of that. Tube 'tone' is much preferred to electric guitarists who use varying tones and styles, as opposed to solid-state, which can make many 'fake' tones, like crunch et al., but try using a tube pedal on a tube amp and you'll suddenly hear a much 'fatter' or deep guitar tone. Some players even leave this pedal on all the time, but I use it primarily for soloing and also with wah or delay. You can drive up the 'drive' knob and keep the tone low for a 'distorted' tone, but much richer than you may imagine. Or crank the level and keep the drive down for a cleaner, 'Clapton' type sound.
It's also important to briefly note that many of these pedals sound different. A lot of the original ones are either gone, in collections / use, or have been tricked out by upgrading and new 'boards,;' all of this is fine, because most people should want to use this pedal, not collect it. As long as it sounds good to you, the pedal is what works.
These pedals are renowned as a staple in the rock guitarist analog board and you should consider yourself behind the game if you're fooling around with solos and haven't tried this pedal.
Not exactly for the heavy metal player (they may find the crunch not crispy enough and prefer to some proper distortion pedals, or dial it in on their amps more likely), but perfect for anything and anyone thinking 'rock and roll'.
SOUND QUALITY
The right one can be a revelation, the wrong one can sound like mud. But consider something like this a must if you play quietly from time to time but also need to 'rock out' on solos and stuff. It creates a pretty rich sustain, very similar to all the blues greats. Nothing is ever a substitute for a good amp and pickup, though. The true reward of this pedal is when you use it with good gear; it performs yet again.
OVERALL OPINION
Overall for the price of admission I'd choose it over things like Boss' Distortion or Blues Driver pedals, but this one will cost a bit more than those. It's a piece of rock gear that spans back to the early 80s and then before that the TS-8 (real gems to find).
UTILIZATION
This pedal is used primarily to make low-end amplifiers, or solid-state amplifiers, sound like they are tube driven, or capable of creating distortion/sustain or a combination of that. Tube 'tone' is much preferred to electric guitarists who use varying tones and styles, as opposed to solid-state, which can make many 'fake' tones, like crunch et al., but try using a tube pedal on a tube amp and you'll suddenly hear a much 'fatter' or deep guitar tone. Some players even leave this pedal on all the time, but I use it primarily for soloing and also with wah or delay. You can drive up the 'drive' knob and keep the tone low for a 'distorted' tone, but much richer than you may imagine. Or crank the level and keep the drive down for a cleaner, 'Clapton' type sound.
It's also important to briefly note that many of these pedals sound different. A lot of the original ones are either gone, in collections / use, or have been tricked out by upgrading and new 'boards,;' all of this is fine, because most people should want to use this pedal, not collect it. As long as it sounds good to you, the pedal is what works.
These pedals are renowned as a staple in the rock guitarist analog board and you should consider yourself behind the game if you're fooling around with solos and haven't tried this pedal.
Not exactly for the heavy metal player (they may find the crunch not crispy enough and prefer to some proper distortion pedals, or dial it in on their amps more likely), but perfect for anything and anyone thinking 'rock and roll'.
SOUND QUALITY
The right one can be a revelation, the wrong one can sound like mud. But consider something like this a must if you play quietly from time to time but also need to 'rock out' on solos and stuff. It creates a pretty rich sustain, very similar to all the blues greats. Nothing is ever a substitute for a good amp and pickup, though. The true reward of this pedal is when you use it with good gear; it performs yet again.
OVERALL OPINION
Overall for the price of admission I'd choose it over things like Boss' Distortion or Blues Driver pedals, but this one will cost a bit more than those. It's a piece of rock gear that spans back to the early 80s and then before that the TS-8 (real gems to find).