I’m not sure what it is about the Ibanez Tube Screamer that has fascinated guitarist from it’s conception in the late 70s. Guitarists such as Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Johnson, Trey Anastasio, Scott Henderon, (and thousands more) have all sworn by some variation of these pedals. These iconic seasick-green pedals, or one of the many clones, can be found in just about every guitarists’ rig. If you play the guitar this is a must have!
These pedals sound great stock, but if you’re in the market buy the Maxon OD-9. These have the JRC4458D chip and are true bypass. With that said, for a little more $$ you can get an even better sounding tube screamer from the Analogman or Robert keeley. They both do excellent work and their mods sound great. Personally, I’m biased towards the Analogman’s mods, but I’ve used them both.
For a more in-depth history on the TS-808/TS-9 from the Analogman look here