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Fireguy8402 « Too much of a Mid Hump! »
Published on 12/23/11 at 08:17The Ibanez tubescreamer TS-9 is about as basic of an overdrive pedal you are going to find out there. One tone knob to adjust the EQ of the pedal, one knob for overall volume, and one knob for the amount of gain, that’s it. It’s the tried and true seasick green color, and supposedly uses the same factory, components and housing as that of the original Tubescreamers. Input impedance of 500 Kohms, output impedance of 10 Kohms, maximum output level of 0dBm, maximum gain of +30dB, and equivalent input noise of –100dBm (IHF-A). The pedal can be powered by 9 volt batter or external AC adapter. Dimensions of the pedal are 4.9" x 3" x 2" and it weighs about a pound and a half.
UTILIZATION
The pedal is built very sturdy, with a nice stomp plate switch exactly like the original 9 series from Ibanez. I have never heard any issues with quality control on these pedals like I have the cheaper 7 series that uses a different switch design. I wouldn’t worry about this one breaking on you. It’s a very straightforward layout and the knobs seem sturdy and hold your settings well. The housing and jacks are metal and seem like they would hold up to a good amount of abuse.
SOUND QUALITY
This pedal really does nothing for me in this department. It is one of the most copied pedals out there, if not THE most copied pedal and honestly some of the clones I’ve picked up does the sound much better. This pedal has a decent quality of drive, but the EQ section kills me. It does have a tone pot that allows for minimal tweaking but no matter how you turn it, there is a built in midrange hump to this pedal. It does allow the pedal to be used for a solo boost, and in that sense it does very well, but as a straight up overdrive it leaves a lot to be desired in my eyes (and ears).
OVERALL OPINION
Overall this pedal is built very well and should stand the test of time in the durability department. Unless you like a very midrange heavy overdrive or have an amp that is equalized to handle the pedal, I would only suggest using this pedal as a solo boost into an already overdriven tube amp. I feel this pedal is overpriced based on it’s name and the number of artists who have used it. I feel that there are several copies of this pedal that do it’s thing just as well or better for far less money. If I were looking for a Tubescreamer sound in mass produced pedal, I would urge you to take a look at other options like the far less expensive Bad Monkey by Digitech. This pedal is pretty much a tubescreamer with four knobs, including a two band eq. Separating the high and low end of the tone knob really allows the user to get a more detailed sound, makes the pedal more versatile, and it comes in at less than half the price of the TS-9. Overall the TS-9 is a decent pedal for a boost or a mid heavy overdrive, but there are just far better clones for less money.
UTILIZATION
The pedal is built very sturdy, with a nice stomp plate switch exactly like the original 9 series from Ibanez. I have never heard any issues with quality control on these pedals like I have the cheaper 7 series that uses a different switch design. I wouldn’t worry about this one breaking on you. It’s a very straightforward layout and the knobs seem sturdy and hold your settings well. The housing and jacks are metal and seem like they would hold up to a good amount of abuse.
SOUND QUALITY
This pedal really does nothing for me in this department. It is one of the most copied pedals out there, if not THE most copied pedal and honestly some of the clones I’ve picked up does the sound much better. This pedal has a decent quality of drive, but the EQ section kills me. It does have a tone pot that allows for minimal tweaking but no matter how you turn it, there is a built in midrange hump to this pedal. It does allow the pedal to be used for a solo boost, and in that sense it does very well, but as a straight up overdrive it leaves a lot to be desired in my eyes (and ears).
OVERALL OPINION
Overall this pedal is built very well and should stand the test of time in the durability department. Unless you like a very midrange heavy overdrive or have an amp that is equalized to handle the pedal, I would only suggest using this pedal as a solo boost into an already overdriven tube amp. I feel this pedal is overpriced based on it’s name and the number of artists who have used it. I feel that there are several copies of this pedal that do it’s thing just as well or better for far less money. If I were looking for a Tubescreamer sound in mass produced pedal, I would urge you to take a look at other options like the far less expensive Bad Monkey by Digitech. This pedal is pretty much a tubescreamer with four knobs, including a two band eq. Separating the high and low end of the tone knob really allows the user to get a more detailed sound, makes the pedal more versatile, and it comes in at less than half the price of the TS-9. Overall the TS-9 is a decent pedal for a boost or a mid heavy overdrive, but there are just far better clones for less money.