In our recent TS808HW feature, we compared the limited handwired unit along with the standard reissue TS808, the Maxon OD808, and an original TS808 from 1980. The results from the test overall were clear: while the TS808HW is a fantastic pedal, the vintage TS808 had the most dynamics, the longest sustain, and was judged the most transparent from 
bottom end to top end. This surprised us (because some of us felt that vintage Tube Screamers were mostly unwarranted hype), but it also set in motion a question that drove our curiosity further. Could one of us get the reissue TS808 to sound and feel like the original TS808 – a pedal that as of this writing in late 2008 regularly sells for between $400-$600 USD?
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Tag Archives: TS-9
Ibanez TS-9 Tube Screamer Reissue Review
Ibanez began producing pedal effects in the mid 70’s. At that time, many of their products were remarkably similar in sound to one of the leading effects maker of that era, MXR. In the early 80’s, the first Tube Screamer, model TS-808, was introduced and became a success. In 1982, the updated Tube Screamer, model TS-9, was introduced and was even more successful. Acclaimed for its soft-clipping distortion characteristics that was fairly touch-responsive, especially for a pedal made in that time, the Tube Screamer became a favorite for both blues guitarists as well as rock guitarists that wanted to add more punch to their already distorted sound.
With prices of original TS-808 and TS-9 Tube Screamers literally going for hundreds of dollars more than they ever sold for new (As of this writing, TS-808’s have gone for $450+ on Ebay and I’ve seen original TS-9s in the $250-$300 price range), Ibanez decided to make the most of this demand and reissue the Tube Screamer TS-9.
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