Before we jump into some of our favorite pedals, we thought it would be good to provide a short history of the Tube Screamer and how it came to be. There have been many iterations of the effect and different components have changed from metal, diodes, chips, knobs, size, etc.
In the mid 70s, Japanese guitar manufacturer IBANEZ and its parent company HOSHINONPA began adding effects pedals to their product lines. One such pedal was the TS-808 tube screamer. At the same time, NISSHIN'S agreement with IBANEZ allowed NISSHIN to sell these same pedals UNDER THEIR OWN MAXON name. By 1979, the line consisted of the Maxon OD808 and the TS-909, both of which were internally identical to the TS-808, except for the output transformer. While the OD808 was designed to replace the TS-808, it was marketed as the "9" series, because there were no numbers following the letter "O".
As the story goes, HOSHIIN was better suited to international distribution, so the IBANEZ brand was sold in America, while the NISSHIN brand remained in Japan. In 1981, IBANEZ introduced the TS-9, which was similar to the TS-808/OD808 except that the output transformer was different, resulting in a slightly darker sound and a smoother tone.
The story behind the TS9 Tube Screamers is one of corporate espionage, deception, and betrayal. When it came out, the TS9 was an immediate hit among musicians, and many people bought into the idea that the tube screamer was superior to the original TS808. But there was another side to the story that never got told.
In 1978, Nisshin Onpa was asked to make custom pedals for Ibanez guitars. These were used for testing purposes, and were known as the "Tester Series." They weren't marketed anywhere else.
At the same time, Ibanez wanted to expand their pedal lineup, and approached Nisshin about making some of their own products. After much discussion, Nisshin agreed to produce three pedals for Ibanez. One was the TS7 Bass Overdrive, another was the TS6 Distortion Pedal, and the third was the TS5 Amp Simulator. All three were extremely successful, and Nisshin went on to make several hundred thousand units each.
After production began, however, Nisshin's engineers found that the TS5 was too similar to the TS7 and TS6, and made changes accordingly. Eventually, the TS5 became the TS8, and the TS7 and TS8 became the TS9.
Ibanez didn't like the fact that Nisshin was selling the TS9 under their own name, so they approached Hoshino to see if they could buy the rights to the name. Instead, Hoshino offered to give Ibanez exclusive manufacturing rights to the TS9, and gave Nisshin the chance to continue producing the pedal under their own name.
Nisshin chose to use the TS9 name because it sounded cool, and because they liked the way the name sounded. And so the legend of the TS9 Tube Screaming Machine begins...
Overdrive pedals are different from distortions because they don't change the sound of your guitar entirely. They're simply meant to make your amp louder and give you a bigger sound. You still hear the same notes as you do without an overdrive pedal, just amplified. There are many types of overdrive pedals out there, including boost, fuzz, lead, and even chorus. Boost pedals work like regular volume controls, where you turn up the gain on your amp to make it louder. Fuzz pedals distort the sound of your guitar, making it sound like someone dropped a microphone into your amp. Lead pedals add some extra low end to your tone, giving it a little bite. And finally, chorus pedals are essentially delay effects that let you play chords while the note stays ringing in your ears.
Stevie Ray Vaughan was one of the most influential guitarists of all time. He created a new tone and style of playing that is still sought after and mimicked to this day. One of SRV's greatest tools was the TS-808. This in conjunction with a Fender Stratocaster created the signature tone guitarists aspire to create on a regular basis. It could be said that this was the musician who launched the real popularity of the tube screamer. The tube screamer would not be as popular and successful as it has been without SRV using it in his rig.
Trey Anastasio is another popular guitarist that uses the Tube Screamer in his rig. Trey has been using different combinations and variations of Tube Screamers for a long time. One of the key setups the Trey uses is 2 Tube Screamers, less and more, with a compression effect in between the two. He still uses some combination of this setup today. If someone wants to build a pedal board similar to Trey Anastasio, a good place to start is with two Ibanez Tube Screamers.
Now this is a tough question and a subjective one at that. There are some many options out there now from cheap knock offs to boutique tube screamers that are extremely hard to find. A good starting place for a Tube Screamer is always the Ibanez TS-808 or TS9. There are many variations of these in the wild. You can buy these Tube Screamersnew or used and they have changed over the years. Another consideration for judging which tube screamer is the best is based on your actual rig. Amps, guitars, strings, cables, other pedals, etc all play a role in creating a guitarist's tone. So to really select the best Tube Screamer for you, the best method is to try as many as you can with your particular set up. In fact, for many pro guitarists they may have different rigs they use for different situations and therefore use a different overdrive pedal. This is because the guitar or amp may sound different and therefore better with a different variation of tube screamer.
The best Tube Screamer pedals and Tube Screamer clones reviewed
The Ibanez Tube Screamer Mini is one of the best tube screamers available. It's size and function are hard to beat!
The inner workings of the mini pedal come from the TS-808. A new True Bypass capability brings the effect's technology up to date and was a much needed enhancement.
It is durable and hard to break. It feels like a solid product made of quality parts and it barely takes up any room on a pedal board.
This stomp box requires an external power adapter, as there is no battery compartment.
Link to Amazon: https://amzn.to/3xKN73C
The JHS Bonsai pedal might be one of the coolest guitar effects around. It was built to pay tribute to the series of Ibanez Tube Screamers that have changed slightly over time.
It has a 9-way rotary toggle that switches between 9 different real replicas of the original Tube Screamers. This is not a modeling pedal as it in fact switches analog/hardware components on and off as you turn the knob.
This is a very well built pedal and has great reviews online.
Find it here on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3S6oN4m
We love Keeley effects. Period. This is another great example of a high end overdrive pedal put out by the team at Keeley. It combines new tech with old. A refinement of the best overdrive pedals from prior decades plus a new blend of high tech enhancements.
It takes design notes from the original TS9 and TS-808 pedals build by Ibanez, but then also incorporates new design components built into other Keeley pedals.
It is well built and practically bullet proof.
Find it here on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3dB68hW
Made in the good 'ole USA! This is another great overdrive tube screamer type pedal. It delivers a very balanced tone and capability.
This tube screamer provides more head room than most pedals and could also be used as a clean boost.
JHS has a reputation of delivering high quality pedals and this is another fine example.
Finally, this is one of the more affordable high quality guitar pedals on the market.
Find it on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/3xO8ot9
This is a great overdrive and clean boost pedal. Turn the gain knob all the way off and you will have a pristine clean boost. The clean signal will do wonders for a country or blues artist. The overdrive is nice and warm and competes with many of the best pedals out there.
Find it here on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3DHVAbC
The EarthQuaker Devices Plumes has kicked it up a notch in comparison to the original tube screamer.
There is a 3 - way toggle switch that allows the guitarist to control the circuit in the pedal to change the type of clipping that is being used. An incredible advantage over other tube screamer overdrive pedals as it gives you more options when trying to dial in a face melting tone.
The 3 options give you a wide variety of tone. Everything from crunch and compression to clean and fat.
This pedal would go great in front of a tube amp with a lot of head room. I could see John Mayer using one of these pedals on his next tour.
And, the best part is, the price is right! This pedal is more affordable than many other comparable pedals and still gives you a high quality product that will last for a long time.
Find it here on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3DPBmwz
Talk about a lot of bang in an overdrive effects unit, this pedal delivers!
The manufacturer states that this model is based on the legendary Ibanez TS808. It comes with 6 different clipping voices, 5 bandwidth settings and 2 gain channels that gives you a ton of variety when it comes to finding the perfect tone for your rig. This is a great pedal for off or on stage!
The clipping voices go from clean/transparent sounding to crunchy and thick while the bandwidth settings change the frequency response which can go thin, light, clean, fat, heavy and more.
Gain A is a lower gain with a wider range of grit great for strumming open chords, and Gain B is a higher gain with a tighter range great for palm muting and/or shredding solos.
Has a foot switchable volume boost with adjustable level to take your leads over the top or maybe just push the front end of your amp a little more.
This stomp box is proudly manufactured in Akron, Ohio, USA.
Find this awesome unit here on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3BEj3Yp