Ibanez SD-9 Distortion

Simple...Push button and turn knobs till you like what you hear.

This is a great pedal; too me it's like a TS-9 with a lot more output/bottom end with a little less warmth. In fact I use a TS-9 re-issue in front of it to get more bottom end warmth. My setup is an American Strat w/TX specials, TS-9, SD-9 and a Fender Blues Jr. with a Legend GB128 speaker. I am into blues/blues rock and so far I like the tones I'm getting from the SD-9.

Settings that I like:
TS-9: Drive 7 o'clock, Tone 7 0'clock, Level 3 o'clock
SD-9: Gain 10 o'clock, Tone 10 o'clock, Level 5 o'clock

AMP: Bass and Middle maxed, Treble 3/4

My SD-9 is 26 years old and still going strong!

Luckily I haven't had to find out.

Overall I love this pedal because of the output and flexibility of sound that can be obtained, especially when used with a TS-9. If something happens to this one I will defiantly find another one. In fact I may buy another one just to have as a back-up. Unfortunately, nice ones are getting harder to find and are getting pricy as well. I found mine locally on Craig???s List for $80 and it is virgin with the JRC4558D chip. So far I feel like I stole it! Happy tones :-)

it's super EZ, controls are like TS-9, however they interact slightly different.... it's got a ton more range !

This is my main distortion pedal, why? it's got tone! it's got range! it's got simplicity! It's got TONE! I like to set it into to chunky territory and then use my guitar volume to go from tubey bluesy clean to crunchy chunky rythm or sustaining leads ITS ALL THERE! the better your amp the better it'll sound. I've a/b'd this to the Maxon SD-9 which you would think might be better, but you'd be wrong (IMHO) - I use either a ibanez CP-9 or a boss CS-2 compressor in front of it and it's all i ever wanted - plus no mid range hump like the TS9 - the tone control gets trebly but does effect your sound, and remember you can change the amount of treble elsewhere in your chain too in most cases anyways(guitar) - I've tried more distortion / fuzz pedals than i care to remember, and pound for pound dollar for dollar! i ended up here because like i say... tone , RANGE , simplicity! ALSO works equally well w/ PAFs or single coils for me and the kind of music i play anyways. texas blues / stoner rock

this is an Ibanez i've owned many! they've always been damn reliable the only problem i;ve ever had with ibanez's are switches but i've always been able to resolve my issues on my own, usually just a good cleaning, but if you need a switch you can bet there's one to be had - it NOT MADE IN CHINA OR TWAWON OR KOREA OR INDONESA OR MEXICO, there's at least a 50/50 chance it's outlive you!

i don't know anybody who uses customer support ??? do you ?

like i said.... I LIKE IT! ALOT! i've seen other guys complain about the tone control not being as usable all the way up, but COME ON! that is so freakN nit picky,, your can only use it on one setting at a time and most of the time it's same setting once you get your sound dialed in and after that change the guitar volume & tone control ON THE FLY,or change the EQ on your amp ! seriously this pedal used to be a sleeper but plenty of pros use this NOW. I'd say get one before somebody famous drives the price up!

Only three knobs: Distortion, Tone, and Level. What else?

The tone is a bit bright, but that doesn't really matter to me. I put this pedal after Ibanez TS9 that acts as a booster. I set the tone level at around 10-11 to reduce the bright tone... I love it, better than DS-1.

I have 2 Ibanez TS9, so that I know Ibanez 9 series products are the best built of Ibanez pedal effect products.

never have to deal with them.

I don't have idea why Ibanez don't try to re-issue this pedal. I think this pedal deserve it. I works with solidstate or tube amp, but I prefer using it with tube amp. the sound is awesome even with cheap amp.

C'mon, 3 knobs Tone, Drive & Volume.... Why Ibanez (or Maxon?) gave it so much available treble, I don't know. I purchased it wfrom a used music store when I was looking for a TS-9... Needless to say I never got a TS-9... the DS-9 is sooooo much better.

I trade stuff in & out of muy rig all the time but usually a Yamaha Pac 1221 to a Boss Tuner, Dano Echo, Ibanez CS-9, Digitech X-series Digital Delay, to the Lovely SD-9 (Tone slightly above 9 o'clock, Drive usually around 12:00, The the volume at 1-2:00, never check to see what chips are in it), to a MXR booster to various amps including an old solid state Ricenbecker T-75. We play mostly classic rock/80's, some blues stuff (3 piece). The SD-9 covers alot of ground, roll the drive back & it is warm & blusey, turn it up & it is absolutley "phat"... warm. This is not a "Nu Metal" pedal by any means but it does have a hell of a lot more punch than the TS-9. I tried to use them together (Well a TS-7) but didn't like it. Maybe 'cause I such a sucky plyer with a bad ear or two.... dunno. Check out Maxon's reviews of thier new version. Ibanez... get on the stick & reissue this baby 'cause the ebay price on the used is getting crazy! A little bit of hiss but mild compared to other pedal's I've heard & tried.

I have it for 4-5 years & have had no problems..... I have the CS-9 & it is quite reliable as well... They don't make 'em like this any more. The 9 series was great. I do like the idea of the Tone-lok knobs but plastic boxes... how ghetto.

Can't say that I have had to call them....

I have been plying for 20+ years but only started giging in the last 5 years or so. I have had a hand full of distortion pedals & this is my favorite. If it got stolen... I would pay the outrageous price Maxon is charging for a new one. My only complaint is the excessive range of the Tone knob. Like I said above, I am somewhere above 9:00 it has lost more room above that...

Ibanez...what the hell are you waiting on? Reissue this thing & don't put it in a stupid platic box.....

Very easy, 3 knobs, experiment until you get what you want- but I'm sure unless you want all out death metal, it will work for you and with an amp's distortion and this pedal, probably would still give that death metal sound. I play classic rock. I have no manual and with most pedals, it's all in what you like, it's labeled and that's it.

Very nice, adds power/loudness and distortion well. Can be "bassy" like one reviewer wrote if you cut the tone all the way to 7 o'clock, I like it more at the treble end of tone. I use a dean markley K20 or a Crate Tube Drive 50. Makes the little solid state markley sing!!! It's like a BOOSTER seat for my "baby amp". I play classic rock, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Clapton, Eagles, and bits and pieces of other stuff.

This puke green thing has been with me since the late 1980's and still sounds great.

Never needed them. But one day I might break down and buy a battery cover- or maybe not. I don't travel so doesn't really make much difference to me.

It is very versatile. I just bought an Arion Tubulator and that pedal is pretty much made for classic rock and that specialty it does well- The Ibanez has no limits but as one reviewer said, it changes drastically with slightest adjustment so the sky is the limit on sound but you may have to play with it, it can do bassy, boomy distortion or a cleaner 70's rock sound. I'd probably buy another one, as I have no more BMX bikes to trade and doubt anyone would want one at this time in history anyway. haha. I feel I got one hell of a trade.
I wish it had a battery cover but that's not it's fault, I got it like that.

Well, I guess this pedal is easy to use, though, you will have to spend time tweaking the knobs at gig/recording volumes before you'll get an idea of what works well, etc. The hardest part I experienced with this pedal was getting it to cut through the mix without being too loud or shrill.

It's in there but you'll have to tweak, tweak, tweak your brainz out!

OOh, I love the sound of this pedal. To begin with, my setup goes Custom Vibrolux Reverb--TU-2 (tuner)--Ibanez TSilver 9/808 (Analogman mod)--Ibanez SD-9--Dunlop 535 wah--Ibanez HD-1500--Fender Jazzmaster (two single coils: a p90 and the other is stock).

The distortion has the potential to be very thick and can be either very bright or very boomy (PICK YOUR DISTRUCTION!!). I like the boomy sound but you'll have no luck cutting through the mix if you turn the tone all the way down to get it. I used to have it 9 o'clock, but like I said, you won't cut through the mix very well. So, I have mine set at 10 (the knob is very dramatic), which gives you just enough treble and still retains a little low end. But with twin overdrives, you shouldn't be too short of low end, anyway. The midrange becomes scooped once you turn the tone knob up, as well, and that may frustrate some people. Just work with it and you'll have "it" in no time.

I do indie rock with funk, roots and reggae tones, as well, and I have no trouble finding use for this pedal in the mix. I do think it is perfect for the indie-rocker out there who needs a good tubey sound--something worth mentioning about this pedal. If you think it will give you just a grainy Boss DS-1 tone, then you are way off. The sound is more like a tubescreamer but with only slightly more potential for brightness and definitely more gain. Just don't be afraid to set the tone higher because it sounds bad in the bedroom. There is stage volume and there is bedroom volume--very different things. I have such a great lead tone from this pedal and the sound in conjunction with my TSilver 808 is heavenly on both the rhythm and lead channels of my guitar.

Some good setting ideas are:
Rock = tone-10 o'clock, Level-about noon, gain-10-11 o'clock.
Kind of blues tone = tone-10 o'clock, Level-noon, gain-9o'clock

It hasn't yet clashed with my wah pedal and the chorus modulation from hd-1500 is so cool. it has a very 80's like tone, which is cool for some people.

Overall, the sound works for me. Though, I have considered an Analogman mod to give me more control over the tone knob but it is not necessary as of the moment.

I think mine is from the early 80s (single board, I think) so after 20 years of playing (not by me, I'm only 26!) it seems to be doing well. No footswitch problems and the knobs are intact and working well, too.

As I stated before, I do indie roots, rock and reggae with some funk and edge from time to time. I don't hate anything about the pedal but sometimes I feel as though a good mod for the tone control is in order so that I can really explore other things. But, really, it is a basic pedal with a basic purpose. So, I'll put it off until I feel I can't use it anymore for what I need.

For the rocker, you'll have everything you want but if you're a die- hard bluesman, you'll have some pretty good tone (if you keep the gain down below noon) but not the ultimate. For that, I recommend Analogman's silver 808 mod, instead (silly PR push). These devils are getting rare, though, so grab one while you have a chance--otherwise, you'll have to buy a Maxon reissue that may or may not be any good.

Three twiddly knobs. Stamp on it and let it sing for you. Brilliant.

Versatile distortion and volume boost settings, though the tone gets a little too jangly up top. Nothing to be ashamed of, the boomier distortion makes up for it.

Durable little bugger. Stamp on it with both feet in neccessary cause it can certainly well take it.

Never had any problems.

I used this formerly for a grunge feel [highly reccomendable] but since my tastes have mellowed, I can still use it for a rocky Zeppelin feel. Using it for 3 years now, brilliant.

One of the easier pedals, lots of tone choices in this box. I have been using it on and off for 22 years and I am still finding new uses for it.

This is a pedal that has really grown on me. When I first started playing I was not sure how to use it. About 10 years ago I was using it for my main distortion source, gain way up and tone at 9 oclock. It gave me a good Metal sound. Later I got tired of that sound and modded it with LED's instead of Diodes for clipping. Now when I run it on its lowest drive setting with the tone down to 7 oclock it is just like a tube screamer, just the slightest hint of warm overdrive. But on higher gain settings it is a very nice high end overdrive sound. My current use however is for a clean volume boost to push my amps into monster grind. I use it on both my Champ and my Bassman Re. I still set the gain at zero because I don't want much solid statey breakup going on, I have the volume at max and tone anywhere between 8 oclock and 11 oclock depending on the drive setting of the amp at the moment. It works amazing for this! I run a tele with texas specials into my tube amps, so to get over the top grind my amps need a push. This pedal does a great job at this cause it has very low noise even with the volume cranked. The pedal allows my amps to do all the grinding and overdriving without adding any fakey distortion pedal flavor to the sound. The tone control comes in very handy at this point. It has the amazing ability to totally change the character of my amp tone. The tone control seems to be more than just a High boost/cut knob, it seems to have a bit of contour to it. At the higher end it cuts bass and low mids, in the mid range around 12 oclock it boosts the mids and cuts slightly the highs and bass, at the low end it boosts bass and low mids and cuts the highs. That is why I run the tone at 8 to 11 oclock, it gives me a bit of bass and mid boost that makes my amps get ANGRY! I have used lots of other distortion and overdrive pedals to try and boost my amps this way, including the Real Tube Overdrive, but they always introduce way too much hiss noise, this one does not.
Ok, my latest mod to the pedal, I only have one cliping LED installed so it only clips on one half cycle. Your saying WHA? Thats right, I just did it on a whim and it sounds great, even more subtle OD on the lowend, it does not sound strange at all, it is even more TUBEY sounding. Try it!

Not a lick of trouble in 22 years even though I have been tinkering.

Blues, Blues Rock, Metal, Fusion Jazz. This pedal works great for all. If I had to use someone elses rig and I had to choose one pedal to bring with me it would be this pedal, so that I could get my sound.

Three knobs, what could be easyer.

When I got my DS9 it had the TA7555 Chip in which makes a very brittle sound. I moded it to a NE5532AN which is much better than the JRC4558D. Now the sound is very natural and goes from a TS808/9 sound at lower gain settings to a very harmonical, sweet distortion. The overdrivesound on my JCM800 sounds much better than the original TS808. The TS808 is the winner (only in overdrivesound) on my 1972 Twin Reverb. Before the mod I would rate the sound to 6 but after it's a 10.

Well it's over 20 years old and still works fine. What more could I expect?

Haven't dealt with them.

I mostly play Blues or Bluesrock. I've been playing for 31 years. I favor Stratocasters but sometimes I also like vintage Teles. To my ears only Fender and Marshall Amps havethe right sound. In my opinion the SD9 is one of the most versatile Overdrive/Distortion I've ever playd.

all basic tone, volume, distortion thats it but with pretty good range

i play with a strat on a vox amp and this pedal just makes it sing. it gives you a wide range of sound with the tone nobe giving a boost to your highs or lows

was my dad before i was born now im 19 and its still good as new