Einkaufsführer
There are some guitar pedals that are instantly recognisable: just by seeing them or hearing them, we know exactly what they are.
Although various iterations of the Ibanez Tube Screamer exist, there is no mistaking that classic green overdrive pedal that we've seen on countless pedalboards, from pub gigs to arena shows.
The fabled Ibanez Tube Screamer didn't actually start out life as an Ibanez product; the first Tube Screamer was released under Hoshino Gakki's (The parent company of Ibanez and Maxon) own brand, Maxon, as the OD808, but this was later rebranded as Ibanez since Maxon at that point could not export products outside of Japan.
The company initially started out producing high quality, branded copies of big name guitar brands, but decided during the 1970s they wanted to get into the guitar pedal market and create a product to rival the Boss OD-1.
They enlisted the help of a sub-contactor in the form of a company called Nisshin, who handled the development of pedals for the brand. The first Tube Screamer circuit was built in 1979 by an engineer named Susumu Tamura, who worked at Nisshin.
The name “Tube Screamer” was coined when members of Hoshino and Susumu went on a business trip to the United States to try and sell to retail stores. During a meeting with the retailer Sam Ash, the Sam Ash founder's grandson made the comment that the pedal “sounded like a screaming tube amp.”
After this meeting, the pedal was re-branded as the Ibanez TS-808, and the Tube Screamer was born.
Over the last 40 years, many different variations of Tube Screamer have been produced. Some faithful to the original design, some with different mods for additional sounds.
When it comes to classifying Tube Screamer style pedals, most guitar players will start with what many consider to the the three “core” Tube Screamer pedals:
The TS-808 is the original design and is still widely available to this day. The 808 variation is one of the most popular versions of the Tube Screamer, especially with guitar players chasing the vintage tone of this classic pedal.
From 1981, Ibanez started producing pedals in what was known as the “9 Series”. One of these pedals was the TS9, a slightly modified, updated version of the Tube Screamer circuit.
The TS9 is mostly similar to the TS-808 but with a few subtle variations, particularly to the output section, which give it a brighter and more aggressive sound over smoother sounding 808.
From 1986, Ibanez began building pedals for their “Power Series” of pedals. Unfortunately at this point in time, the Japanese economy was struggling and that was reflected in this range.
The TS10 was built with cheap jack plugs, pots and switches that were easily broken but very difficult to replace. Over the years the TS-10 has become a very sought after unit.
Between 1991 and 1998 Ibanez produced the TS5. This is a similar circuit to the TS9 but made in Taiwan. The TS5 was also housed in a plastic casing after its first year of production, making it less reliable for touring musicians.
In 1999, Ibanez created the Tone-Lok series of pedals, which had pots that could be set to the desired value and then pressed down and locked into the pedal to prevent them being changed accidentally. This pedal also had a “Hot” mod for additional gain.
The Turbo Tube Screamer is the ultimate Tube Screamer for the guitarist who needs more. It has 4 different modes: TS9, +, Hot, and Turbo. Each incremental mode boosts the low end and gain levels.
Other circuits and variations have existed such as the TS9 Reissue, introduced in 1992 and made with a different chip, and the TS-808HW, a hand-wired take on the classic 808 circuit.
The Tube Screamer was designed to compete with the two big overdrive pedals on the market at the time: the Boss OD-1 and the MXR Distortion+.
Boss utilised solid state asymmetric clipping and held a patent for this circuit design, which meant that other overdrive pedals needed to be designed differently to prevent overstepping Boss's existing patent.
As a result, the Tube Screamer was designed on a circuit that used an integrated circuit (IC) chip. The aim was to make a pedal that would replicate the sound and feel of a cranked valve amp.
The IC chips are a form of operational amplifier (op-amp) which produce a soft symmetrical clipping, much like the clipping characteristics of a valve amp as it is gradually pushed into overdrive. Soft symmetrical clipping produces a wide dynamic range and good response.
A low-pass filter rolls off some of the low end, which is often seen as a desirable characteristic of the Tube Screamer, helping to keep the tone clear of any muddiness, especially when playing through a loud amp in a band context.
The IC chip used in the Tube Screamer circuit has been the source of many internet debates over the years concerning which is the best for that perfect “Tube Screamer tone”.
Over the years, Ibanez has used a variety of IC chips in the circuit, due to various factors ranging from cost to market availability.
Here are some of the most common chips found in the Tube Screamer:
Alongside these chips, Ibanez have also used TI RC4558P and OPA2134 chips in their Tube Screamer pedals over the years.
The op-amp actually only has a minor effect on the sound – the majority of the “Tube Screamer sound” actually derives from the diodes in the feedback path of the op-amp.
The Tube Screamer is a low- to medium-gain overdrive pedal. Over the years it has found its way onto the pedalboards of many influential guitar players, and has been used on countless classic albums across all genres.
It can be used as a standalone overdrive into a clean amp. Using it this way will give you a lighter overdriven sound, perfect for playing bluesy music and adding some attitude and sustain to your playing.
The Tube Screamer also works well into an already overdriven amp. Using it this way adds an additional gain stage and hits the front end of the amp slightly harder, pushing it a little further into overdrive.
Another great use for a Tube Screamer is with a high gain amp like a Peavey 5150. Running the Tube Screamer with the gain on 0, the volume turned up and the tone set to taste, into an already highly gained-up amp will give your tone mroe focus, less low end mud, and a nicely pushed mid-range. Perfect for high-gain Metal riffs!
You don't need to look too hard to find the Tube Screamer used as part of a live rig or recording setup. The famous green overdrive pedal has been used across every imaginable genre, and you will have heard this pedal on more songs than you realise: guaranteed.
Here is a list of just a few notable users of the Ibanez Tube Screamer:
With the exception of the hand-wired models, the Ibanez Tube Screamer remains a very budget friendly overdrive pedal, however you can also find some fantastic variations on this legendary circuit.
Perhaps one of the most versatile Tube Screamer pedals out there, the Bonsai allows you to switch between 9 different voicings ranging from the classics through to modern modifications. A must-have for anyone who wants all the Tube Screamer sounds in one place.
The East River Drive is built on the same JRC4558 architecture that Tube Screamer fans love, but this pedal is voiced to be slightly more transparent in the mid-range –perfect if you don't want to change your tone too much but still want some subtle TS vibe.
For the tone chaser on a tight budget, the NUX Tube Man is a mini-pedal that nails the Tube Screamer sounds. This little pedal might be small, but it packs a punch. Simple to use, it gives you the classic mid-boosted TS sound but with a little more gain on tap for when it's needed.
Lead image credit: Bergamont - stock.adobe.com
Picture the scene... you've just spent some time dialling in your dream high gain tone. You've got the amp cooking, stacked the overdrive pedals and achieved that perfect balance between saturation and clarity... but now there is an overwhelming hiss coming from the amp that threatens to derail your tone. What do you do?
Fresh from a successful NAMM ‘25, Daniel was gracious enough to answer some of our questions to help shed a little light on what Lichtlaerm Audio is all about and why we should all be excited to get our hands on the gear!
We are absolutely thrilled to welcome our newest brand onboard, Lichtlaerm Audio. And if you don't know these guys already, you're in for a treat...
