customer reviews
66 People rated this product :
8 out of 10
8 People wrote reviews
10 out of 10
"Ibanez TS-808 Tube Screamer"
Feature:
It only has three knobs, but that's all it needs. The tone knob is not very responsive, but the TS-808 has such a great tone, it doesn't really need one.
Quality:
I have owned this pedal for a year-and-a-half, and have gigged with it at least every other weekend. It barely has a scratch. Top-notch.
Value:
This is a rather expensive pedal. Of course it is a reissue of a classic. If you are actively recording or playing shows, this is a great buy. However, if you are starting out, and just want a boost, I advise to save some mulah and go for a cheaper overdrive.
Desirability:
This pedal was used by the late, great Stevie Ray Vaughn, so if you dig his music, then you probably already want or have one. But this is just an overdrive pedal (an expensive one at that). I have heard numerous complaints form other players that "it doesn't have enough gain." This is not a distortion pedal, just anoverdrive. If you want both you may want to srring for a combo like BOSS's OS-2. Of course, you need to try this pedal to decide for yourself.
Sound:
In a word: beautiful. Nice raunchy overdrive that adds crunch to any riff or an excellent sustainer and boost for leads. The tone knob's effect is somewhat subtle, but keeping it right in the middle lets you dial in your tone elsewhere (guitar, amp, etc...). This pedal adds a "vintage" sound to your tone, but that's half of its appeal.
Ease of Use:
Three knobs. It doesn't get any easier than this. Its very straight-foreward controls let you plug-in and play without having to read a manual first.
Support:
A ten because I have never needed any support with this product.
Overall:
Of all the overdrives I have tried, this is the best. Sweet tone, raunchy crunch and I guarantee it will last for ages. This will always have a spot on my pedal board.
Submitted: 4/27/2007
Style of Music: Hard, Bluesy Rock
10 out of 10
"TS-808: A must-have for tone freaks."
Feature:
Three knobs: Overdrive, Tone, and Level. That's all you need.
Quality:
Great construction. This thing is very solidly built.
Value:
Considering that original TS-808's are going for $450 nowadays, I'd have to say that despite the higher price you pay compared to other kinds of pedals, this is a great value considering what you get.
Desirability:
I just had to have this pedal after playing around with it a few times in a various guitar stores. I've been moving towards a more vintage sound in my playing, and the Tube Screamer adds that "vintage" grittiness that I like.
Sound:
Tonally, this is a great box, and it really responds well to volume changes on your guitar. At low volume settings it adds just a touch of grit. When you crank up your guitar's volume, the overdrive gets nicely dirty, but it doesn't sacrifice the overall clarity of your tone. That's important because when I get into a lead, I can go over the top of the band, without having to add more a lot more volume.
Ease of Use:
As I said above: Three knobs. It couldn't get easier than this. As another reviewer mentioned, tone control could be a little better, but I tend to use my guitar's tone controls for that, so I usually just keep the tone knob set to 12 o'clock.
Support:
Haven't had to call support on this.
Overall:
Note that this pedal is all about tone, as another reviewer stated. Yeah, you can boost your signal as that's what an overdrive does, but it's not meant for really heavy distortion. For that, you should just get a distortion pedal. But if you want to add punch and grit to your sound, the TS-808 is literally a must-have.
Submitted: 2/27/2007
Style of Music: Classic Rock, Blues, Alternative, Contemporary Christian
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