Ibanez Tube Screamer

The Ibanez Tube Screamer is the archetypal green overdrive, known for a midrange hump that pushes the mids forward while trimming a little low end. Owners are split on it as a standalone drive, some finding it a bit meh on its own, but nearly everyone agrees on its main job: as a boost in front of a gained-up amp or another overdrive, where it tightens and thickens high-gain tones and adds cut. A point often raised in its favor is consistency, with one owner noting it always acts like a Tube Screamer regardless of heat, humidity or venue. The line runs from the fatter TS808 to the brighter TS9 and the compact Mini, and it has spawned a whole world of variants and clones, from Maxon and Nobels to Keeley and multi-mode boxes that pack several Tube Screamer voicings into one pedal.