Japan · Est. 1975
Ibanez
Creators of the Tube Screamer TS808, the most influential and copied overdrive pedal in history.
About the brand
Although Ibanez is primarily known for its guitars, its effects legacy is incalculable thanks to a single pedal: the Tube Screamer TS808, launched in 1979. Its mid-heavy sound and ability to push tube amplifiers made it the reference overdrive for blues and rock.
Stevie Ray Vaughan popularised the TS808 in the 1980s, running two of them stacked into a Dumble amplifier. That combination became the template for modern blues tone. Today hundreds of boutique builders offer their take on the Tube Screamer circuit.
The TS9 replaced the TS808 in production and remains in continuous manufacture. The reissued TS808, the TS Mini, and the Nu Tubescreamer have kept the legend alive while introducing the circuit to new generations of players.
Key facts
- TS808: the most influential overdrive pedal in history
- Popularised by Stevie Ray Vaughan in the 1980s
- The basis for hundreds of boutique clones and variations
- TS9 and TS Mini as equally iconic successors
Iconic pedals
Tube Screamer TS808
The most influential overdrive pedal in history. Its soft silicon diode clipping and mid-heavy EQ transform the sound of any tube amplifier.
Tube Screamer TS9
The revised TS808 that became the reference overdrive for blues and classic rock. Though different from the original, it has its own devoted following.
TS Mini
A compact version of the TS808 circuit that brings the iconic Tube Screamer tone to a minimum-footprint format, ideal for space-limited pedalboards.
Notable musicians
- Stevie Ray Vaughan · TS808, TS9
- John Mayer · TS808
- Gary Moore · TS808
- Carlos Santana · TS9