Things That Need to Be Said About the Ultimate OD, the Ibanez TS9B

This time, I am going to talk about a classic overdrive effect pedal! The Tubescreamer sound is represented by the Ibanez TS9B.

Ibanez / TS9B

The Tubescreamer has been the leading overdrive pedal for all generations, but the original is MAXON.
This long-established manufacturer is the representative of effects pedals from Japan.
MAXON created many masterpieces and they’re the creators of the world's most famous Tubescreamer.
This manufacturer is a long-established effects pedal maker whose market was only in Japan, but they were known as “Ibanez” to overseas markets.
However, it seems that the design and production are now divided.
It is important to note here that even after the split, both companies under the family umbrella are remaining persistent in keeping their “Made in Japan” labels.
Speaking for myself personally, I am an avid fan of MAXON compressors.
Now, I would like to talk passionately about the bass version of this masterpiece Tubescreamer.

Manufacturer's site

■ Main

1. That Tubescreamer is now compatible with bass!
2. It's called the Tubescreamer and it works great with the Tube Amp! I highly recommend this combo!

1. That Tubescreamer supports bass!

I was first struck by the emerald green chassis.
It’s a perfect match for my beloved electric bass (sorry for my personal biases).
And this sturdy chassis makes me feel a sense of high quality.
Compared to BOSS, it weighs about the same as two BOSSes? (I love how heavy and solid it is). I have been waiting for this for a long time.

I think there are many users who are also waiting for this.
The Tubescreamer series (both MAXON and Ibanez) have a narrower sound range and they don't work with basses!
I thought so many times, “Are you kidding me?”
I have played with the MAXON series quite a lot, and just by passing it through, I can tell right away that it's for guitar.

I had given up on using it, but to my shock and surprise, I discovered at Sound House that there is an Ibanez pedal that is compatible with bass.
I was sure that one day MAXON would come out with a Tubescreamer Pedal for bass. But, I couldn’t believe that it was from Ibanez.
“No freakin’ way!” I ordered it the moment I saw it (actually, I didn't know about it until recently).

Then I bought it on impulse. At first I didn't have a clue on how to use it.
Was there a chance that it would not match my beloved electric bass?
The reason I was having so much trouble was because I was using it as a stand-alone unit.
Just as I had found a combination with the BOSS ODB-3 before, I thought surely I could figure out a way to combine the Tubescreamer.
After trying a lot of different methods, I found that it worked great with the Tube AMP.
I think it is very good if the controls are also matched to that amp.

The image has a very raw sound.
I went with a tried-and-true method.
I think the BOSS ODB-3 is the extreme opposite.
It’s difficult to say whether that masterpiece and this masterpiece will match up.

Effects pedals that are compatible with bass have a wide range of sound in common, and most of them have a blend knob, and this one is no exception.
It is a feature of this effect pedal, but it can also be used with the blend fully open.
It’s a bit of a mystery, and you can decide how you want to make the most of the electric bass itself.
You can freely control whether you want to go for a guttural sound or a bass-tinged roar.
My impression is that it works well with PB and JB basses.

As you can see later, the knobs are a 2-band EQ for BASS and TREBLE, and DRIVE, LEVEL, and MIX to adjust the amount of boost.
This is a pedal that I hope you will enjoy in your own environment.

Please enjoy the raw sound that is different from the modern sound.
It’s not just another manufactured sound, but it’s the ultimate sound.

2. Given that it's a Tubescreamer, it works well with the Tube Amp! Here's my recommended combo!

The possibilities are already endless with combinations.
Let me introduce some of the combos that I have come up with.

MAXON CP101 → Ibanez TS9B → ALBIT A1BP VINTAGE MAEK II → AMP Return

This combination is precisely what I was going for! It’s the best.
What a wonderful glimpse into the perfection of Japanese products, all completed by Japanese manufacturers.
I felt very proud to be Japanese.

I have been using the MAXON CP101 for a long time and I feel uneasy without it for now, so I put it at the top of everything I do (at worst, I think I use it without it).
Next is the Ibanez TS9B, and last is the The Amp, the ALBIT A1BP VINTAGE MARK II.

In my opinion, I think it’s 100% perfect, but I am sure there are other opinions.
However, I will proceed here this time.

The greatest feature of this combination is that the sound changes greatly depending on the electric bass body and the cabinet.
In short, it is considerably affected by the entrance and exit.
To put it in the right way, you can create the sound you like.
To put it more simply, it is the ultimate “analog”.
The way the strings are plucked can distort or clarify the sound, and a single knob can control this.

It’s like putting together the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle one by one.
Please note that this is not something that is easy to connect and anyone can do it.

If you want to create a more modern sound, I recommend the BOSS BB-1X (BB-1X) combination.
Please refer to my previous article, “A Must-Red for Bassists! The True Power of the Tiny Giant! Introducing the Preamp”.
I recently noticed that bassists tend to lose bass when distortion increases, but the Pedal is not made in such a way that bass disappears, and the combination of the BB-1X, which produces modern distortion, and the TS9B, which plays the role of a booster, is a combination that is unexpectedly balanced. The combination of BB-1X, which makes modern distortion, and TS9B, which acts as a booster, was surprisingly well put together by BALANCE.
Specifically, MAXON CP101 -> BOSS BB-1X -> Ibanez TS9B -> ALBIT A1BP VINTAGE MAEK II.
I thought it would be more suitable for today's music scene than the BOSS ODB-3 from the same company, which has its own quirks and is assertive, but it has a slightly dazzling and cold distortion.
I previously wrote an article titled “Must-Read for Bassists! Standard Equipment, but One Out-of-Control Pre-amp”. I also introduced the combination of the BOSS ODB-3 and the MXR M80 BASS D.I+ in this article. This one produces a loud and easy-to-understand distortion, but the BB-1X to TS9B introduced in this article produces a more relaxed distortion.
If I were to use an analogy, the vigor of a 20-something would be the combination of the BOSS ODB-3 and the MXR M80 BASS D.I+, while the mature calmness of a 30-something or 40-something would be the other combination.
Rather than being made, it's more like a little bit of glitz and glamor that comes from the years of accumulation (I want that kind of a guy in my 40s).

Think of it as a Pedal that allows you to patiently search for a sound you like, without having to understand all of the technical aspects. I am sure you will find the sound you like. I hope that everyone will take this opportunity to enjoy the ultimate “analog” sound.

■ In Summary

I introduced a Tubescreamer called the Ibanez TS9B as an effects pedal, and I think you can use it as a preamp by leaving it on.
However, since it is a Tubescreamer, I thought it would be nice if you could use it by boosting the Tube AMP.
There are many other Tube PREAMPs available from ALBIT, so I hope you will find one that suits you best, and I will be so happy if you could try it with other Tube AMPs and review them.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please feel free to contact me on Twitter.

Thank you very much for reading to the end.

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