[Product Review] Warm Audio Tube Squealer by Ryoji Saito

WARM AUDIO / Tube Squealer

Throughout the years of my guitar journey, I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve sold and repurchased TS-type overdrive pedals.

That green, demonic looking box is almost a fate for guitarists.

Turning the soul’s scream into a sobbing bend, filling gaps in the walls of heavy metal, and even adding harmonic richness to bass has become one of those effects I can’t do without.

The WARM AUDIO Tube Squealer I tried this time is like a dream machine, encompassing the obsessions and variations of TS enthusiasts all in one unit.

The pickup voicing and selector switches are extremely practical.

I used it in single mode for this test, but even with just this switch, the tonal changes are significant.

Turning the voltage boost ON gives the headroom some breathing room and shifts the tone to a gentler, more refined character.

On top of that, the clean mix works beautifully.

Being able to finely control the TS-specific clean blend is, in my view, a very important factor when choosing an overdrive these days.

This time, I tested it at the recording studio “Gumbo Studio,” which I often work with, and recorded three separate voicings.

Settings

Fender Stratocaster (center pickup) → Tube Squealer → Fender Twin Reverb.

Pickup voicing set to Single Mode, voltage boost ON, Drive at 1 o’clock, Level at 12 o’clock, Tone at 12 o’clock, Clean Mix at 9 o’clock for the recording.

TS808

Vintage-like, with a slightly uneven character that’s part of its charm.

TS9

The most familiar to the ear, the TS most people imagine.

TS10

Very well-behaved, seems to benefit most from the adjustments of each knob.

That said, a guitarist’s obsession can be extreme, and the truth is that listeners probably won’t notice a huge difference in this “rabbit hole.”

The differences between these three modes affect your fretting hand more than your ears.

What you play and how you play—it’s a pedal that really influences both.

Overall Evaluation

This pedal combines the historic charm of the TS with modern practicality.

I feel it’s the ultimate cutting-edge TS worthy of being the first choice for overdrive.

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