Ibanez TS808 vs TS9, which is better? If you are planning to purchase an overdrive pedal, then I am sure you have heard of these two famous options, the TS808 and TS9 by Ibanez. Although they are similar to each other, there are still differences with them that make them unique compared to others, and that’s why we are here to find that out.
Build Quality
Ibanez TS808
The Ibanez TS808 Tube Screamer is renowned for its exceptional build quality, making it a highly regarded overdrive pedal among guitarists. Ibanez is renowned for craftsmanship and attention to detail; the TS808 is no exception.
The TS808 is housed in a sturdy metal enclosure built to withstand the rigors of live performances and heavy use. The pedal features high-quality components and soldering, ensuring reliability and durability over time. The footswitch is robust and responsive, designed for countless stomps on stage.
Ibanez is known for its stringent quality control, ensuring that each TS808 pedal meets its high standards before leaving the factory. This commitment to excellence contributes to the pedal’s overall build quality and reliability.
The TS808 features top-notch electronics, including high-grade integrated circuits and premium capacitors. These components contribute to the pedal’s iconic and sought-after tone while also ensuring long-lasting performance.
The Ibanez TS808 Tube Screamer exhibits excellent build quality, featuring a rugged enclosure, reliable footswitch, and high-quality components. Its construction and attention to detail make it a trusted and enduring choice for guitarists seeking classic overdrive tones.
Ibanez TS9
The Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer is built with excellent quality, exhibiting the craftsmanship and attention to detail that Ibanez is known for. The pedal is housed in a sturdy metal enclosure that ensures durability and protection against the rigors of regular use and live performances.
Ibanez maintains stringent quality control standards, ensuring that each TS9 pedal meets its high expectations before it reaches the market. The pedal’s reliable construction and long-lasting performance reflect this commitment to quality.
The TS9 features high-quality components and soldering, ensuring reliable operation and resistance to wear and tear. The footswitch is robust and responsive, designed to withstand countless engagements on stage. The pedal’s knobs and switches offer smooth operation and are built to last.
The Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer exhibits solid build quality, durable enclosure, reliable components, and meticulous craftsmanship. It is designed to withstand the demands of professional musicians and provide years of reliable performance.
Verdict
So, TS808 vs TS9, which has better build quality? Although I know both guitar pedals are famous for their durability, I would go for the TS9 because of its larger size, which also gives me a better feel when stomping on a pedal than the TS808.
Sound Quality
Ibanez TS808
The Ibanez TS808 Tube Screamer is revered for its exceptional sound quality, making it one of the most beloved overdrive pedals in the guitar community. Known for its warm and smooth tones, the TS808 delivers a classic, vintage-style overdrive that has become a staple in countless genres.
The TS808’s sound is characterized by its creamy and responsive overdrive, adding a touch of warmth and sustain to your guitar tone. It pushes tube amplifiers into a natural, harmonically rich breakup, allowing dynamic and expressive play.
The pedal’s iconic mid-range hump gives your guitar a vocal-like quality, making it ideal for cutting through the mix in both live and studio settings. It enhances the presence and articulation of your playing while maintaining the integrity of your guitar’s original tone.
The TS808’s dynamics and touch sensitivity make it highly responsive to your playing style, allowing you to easily control the amount of gain and the intensity of your sound. Whether you’re aiming for smooth bluesy tones or adding a bit of grit to your high-gain sounds, the TS808 delivers with finesse and versatility.
Ibanez TS9
One of the most famous guitar pedals that Ibanez has ever made, the Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer is celebrated for its exceptional sound quality, offering a classic and versatile overdrive tone that has made it an iconic pedal in the guitar world. It delivers a warm, smooth, and transparent overdrive that enhances your guitar’s natural tone.
The TS9 excels at adding a subtle yet distinctive breakup to your signal, allowing for dynamic and expressive playing. It preserves the integrity of your guitar’s original tone while adding a touch of compression and sustain.
This pedal is known for its mid-range emphasis, which gives your guitar a vocal-like quality and helps it cut through the mix. It enhances the presence and articulation of your playing, making it ideal for solos and lead work.
The TS9’s controls are highly responsive, allowing you to fine-tune the amount of gain, the tone shaping, and the overall output level. It interacts well with your guitar’s volume knob, providing a wide range of tones and dynamics.
The Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer offers exceptional sound quality with its warm and transparent overdrive, vocal-like mid-range, and dynamic response. It remains a sought-after choice for guitarists seeking a versatile and classic overdrive sound that enhances their playing and musical expression.
Like the TS808, the TS9 is not only widely used by regular musicians but also by many legendary guitar players such as Stevie Ray Vaughan, John Frusciante, John Mayer, Bille Joe Armstrong, James Hetfield, and many more.
Verdict
TS808 vs TS9, which sounds better? Although I tried both pedals for just a very short time, I immediately liked how the TS808 sounded. It may also be because of its all-analog circuitry, but I preferred its sound to the TS9.
Controls
Ibanez TS808
The controls on the Ibanez TS808 Tube Screamer are highly responsive, allowing for precise adjustments to shape your overdrive tone to your liking.
The Overdrive control is particularly responsive, offering various gain levels. Even slight adjustments can noticeably impact the amount of saturation and distortion added to your signal. This sensitivity enables you to dial in the perfect amount of overdrive, from subtle and transparent to a more driven and saturated sound.
The Tone control is also responsive, providing a smooth adjustment of the pedal’s frequency response. Turning it clockwise boosts the high frequencies, adding sparkle and clarity, while turning it counterclockwise results in a warmer and smoother tone. This responsiveness allows you to tailor the tonal character of the TS808 to suit your preferences and the specific characteristics of your guitar and amplifier.
The Level control adjusts the overall output volume of the pedal, providing a boost or attenuation as needed. It allows for fine-tuning the output level to match the desired volume level and maintain consistency in your signal chain.
Overall, the Ibanez TS808 Tube Screamer controls are sensitive and responsive, allowing you to achieve precise tonal adjustments and tailor the pedal’s sound to suit your playing style and musical needs.
Ibanez TS9
Like its predecessor TS808, the controls on the Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer are highly responsive, allowing for precise adjustments. It also has the same knobs as the TS808, as it has a drive control that adjusts the amount of gain, a tone control that shapes the frequency response, and a level control that adjusts the overall output volume. Even slight adjustments can noticeably impact the pedal’s saturation, tonal character, and volume. This responsiveness allows for fine-tuning and customization of the TS9’s overdrive effect to suit the player’s preferences and musical style.
Verdict
How responsive are the controls of the TS808 vs TS9, and which is better of them? Although I was really not able to spend much time with these pedals, I like how the TS9 responded when I started to tweak the knobs, and maybe this is because of its additional digital technology.
So, Ibanez TS808 vs TS9, which is better? Although both guitar pedals are famous for their quality, I have to choose one. I will have to go with the TS9, as they are more affordable, and still very similar to the TS808 when it comes to their build and sound quality.
