Ibanez TS-7

Easy. Three knobs Drive, Tone and Level - all do, what you would expect. I like that I don't have to turn a screw when changing battery.

It is a solid nine. I use it mainly as a booster for an already heavily distorting all tube amp while playing leads. It gives them kind of "liquid quality" and sustain. It reminds me of Kirk Hammet's lead sound. I don't agree with people, who say tubescreamers are not good for metal. They are, provided you have an already distorted tone. It is a little addictive to use it for rhytm as well but on lower gain setting...the key isto experiment. Every metalhead and every distorted guitar player should have one or at least try one. I've found one amp, with which it didn't work - Peavey 5150. It did almost nothing to the distorted sound, nothing worth to speak about...

Well, I've had some trouble with the switch. You have to step on it right way or it does not switch at all:( It is five, as the jacks are not bolt on to the case. Otherwise it looks very solid.

I cannot rate.

If this had a true bypass and only a little different tonal characteristic, it would get a 10 from me. It is only 8, because when bypassed, it influences the sound in a very negative way:(Also the LED is not very bright, when playing outdoor gigs, i cannot really see, if the pedal is on or off - but I can clearly hear it:) BTW I use mostly a custom made tube amp and Dean guitar with custom wound AlNiCo pickups. I yet have to resolve the true bypass stuff - with some kind of looper. I do not regret buying it, and that is by itself a sign of a useful product:)

With just 3 knobs is extremely easy to use. Just to breathe or drink water is easiest.

Fender Strat Proudly MIM with kinman pups. + GCB-95 Dunlop Crybaby + TS-7 + Boss Digital Delay DD3 + Marshall Valvestate. I love this baby!. The TS9-HOT swith is IMHO one of the greatest elements on this pedal. Hot mode is, as I have read before kind of noisy but I don't f* care'bout that... My V8 Mustang is also kind of noisy... and i looove it!...:D.... The sounds i get from this unit are just awesome... I've tried some boss, dod, and marshall overdrives but this one is just what i was lookin' for... It have the JRC4558 chip and is a lot cheaper than a TS9... not to mention a TS-808. Very great sounds u can get out of it for the money u pay for...

on/off swith sometimes just fails... IMHO is a minor problem... the important thing is what u hear out of it....

Dunno...

My favorite pedal since i bought it... (besides my crybaby...:D...) No doubt about buyin' another one if it were stolen or lost. If u have the chance just try it and judge by yourself... what i like u will probably hate and visceversa... I hate when people pretend to sound like some artist just because they bought some kind of pedal/guitar or amp... The TS-7 or TS-9 or TS808 don't make u sound like SRV just because of the pedal... its a combination between lots of things... strings, efects, amps, speaker amps, pup, technique, etc... This pedal sounds just great...

Fairly easy to use. It doesn't take a genius to use a pedal with drive, tone, level, and hot mode/ts-9 switch.

I use this pedal mainly to boost the signal from my strat(Dimarzio HS-3's in both bridge and neck). It does the job wonderfully.

Very clear, very fat sounding.

Surprisingly, this is the best overdrive I have ever used. Previous overdrives have been:

Tube works-blue tube
DOD malmsteen overdrive
Danelectro daddy'o

I have never played a ts-9 or ts-808, but i'm tellin ya, this pedal sounds great.

Ts-9 mode is very quiet. Hot mode does add quite a bit more noise, but I turn down the gain about halfway on my v-series vfx112, then about halfway on the ts-7, and it gives a nice fat crunch.

The gain is very smooth in both modes.

So far, it's been very dependable. Supposedly, the older ones had problems with the switches. I got one of the newer ones though, so i guess it will okay.

I have not yet delt with customer support, so I can't comment.

I play mainly a bunch of neo-classical type rock(Malmsteen, Bellas, Becker, etc.),some bluesy stuff, and some jazz.

It suits all styles perfectly.

I bought this thing for $20 used. It looked brand new. Although I have pretty much hated Tube Screamers throughout the years, for $20 I had to buy it. I must say, I am pleasently surprised at the tone this little gem puts forth. I use it more as a booster with my boutiquee type tube amp. I keep the drive off and crank the level to taste. Then, that wonderful Albert, Freddie, BB type blues overdrive leaps from the speaker(s). My amp is a touch sensitive wonder as is and the added bit of beef the TS-9 produces massages the tubes to produce even more touch sensitive beauty. I had assigned myself to not liking this thing before I plugged it in. I was beating myself up on the way home ( well, a slight bitch slap...after all, it was only $20.00! ) for being impulsive and buying something I knew I was going to hate. But, as is the case.....sometimes when you least expect it, good things happen. It also works well with my other solid state amps as a boost and adding a smidge of overdrive. I don't like the tone with the drive past 10pm or with the "hot" switch engaged...but for a bit of boost or a hint of overdrive, this thing is a bargin. It also does a nice job of adding girth to my Vox Valve Tone and original Marshall Bluesbraker when I need to push things a bit more over the top. All in all, a nice little pedal for that light, bluesy overdrive and a bit of boost.

Very easy!

I have owned my Ts-7 for several years now and while I do like it, for sessions I keep going back to my Boss SD-1. Maybe it just works better with the guitars and amps and/or settings I choose, but the SD-1 always seems to give me what I want.

As for my experience, I have performed with several national bands, have a music degree with high honors, and have done session work for film, radio, and studios -- one engineer still uses my tone as a benchmark by which he compares all others to... however, for that session I used neither of the forementioned pedals... but always seem to have a tone that turns heads!

Additionally, in one of the national bands I performed with (as a keyboard player -- guitar is my main instrument) the guitar player and music director used strat into a Visual Sound pedal (the one with a compressor and TS-808 clone... I forget the specific name) into a solid state Fender amp (a Stage 160, I believe), and his tone was... stellar! The point is, for those of you who think tubescreamers only work with tube amps, is that if you have the ears, you can make almost anything that is pro-gear sound... stellar!

Oh -- by the way, if you've done more than three gigs at the local pub down the street, you'll learn very quickly that sound engineers will almost always ask you to reduce the stage volume of your tube amp, thus substantially reducing the 'tubiness' of your tone. I learned this the hard way early on... If you know what to listen for, there are some solid state amps (not Line 6) that sound very much like tube amps... at a much more manageable volume...

My current live guitar rig contains no pedals... a Boss GT-6 into a Roland Blues cube, and it sounds... you guessed it -- stellar. I am constantly asked what I am using -- pretty inexpensive setup that is quite versatile and easy to transport. The trick is in the ears! The trick is simplicity. Every really good sound tech I have ever worked with has said the same thing -- they can tell how good a player is before they play a note by 1)what they ask for in their monitor, and 2) the simplicity of their setup. If your rig takes more than 5 minutes to set up, you need to simplify... Mine takes less than one minute -- did I mention that I really sympathize with drummers!

That being said, for some gigs where I don't need versatility, I'll often use my TS-7 into e Blues Cube. My SD-1 stays in my studio (along with my tube amps) and I do not use any of my primary studio gear live... EVER!

The pedal's switch, as you surely know by now, is it's weak spot. When I use it live, I leave it on all the time and use the guitar's volume knob to clean up the tone. That approach has worked well.

? Don't know, don't want to know ?

Overall, it's a great pedal for the money. I can't honestly tell you how it compares to other tubescreamers... I have nearly a dozen old Ibanez pedals -- mostly 9 and 10 series -- but never owned a tubescreamer prior to this. I've played through them, just never liked them enough to buy one. This one was so cheap that I couldn't pass it up.

That being said, I've never played through strats until recently... I've always used humbucker equipped guitars by manufacturers such as Ibanez, Gibson, Yamaha, Carvin, Barrington, and BC Rich... Maybe I'll prefer the TS-7 over the Boss SD-1 when using a strat??? If so, I will surely look into a TS-808 re-issue. We'll see what happens, but so far, I've liked that strat without any overdrive into a cranked 15 class A amp -- which produces significant, but manageable volume. I guess that's really the 'real' thing though, isn't it... even a TS-808 can only mimick that...

Moreover, if you are thinking about getting one of these, go ahead and get it. They are only $40 new as is the Boss SD-1 -- get both of them. You'll probably like each for a specific use. There are alot worse things you can spend $40 on!

Finally, if you think my setup is based in laziness, guess again... It is simple and easy to move, yet does NOT sacrifice tone. I could easily use my live rig for a session and still be the benchmark by which the engineer compares all others to... Some will tell you it's all in the fingers -- I disagree completely... It's all in the ears!

easy to use . 3 knobs that can be depressed into the body so your settings wont be disturbed. a switch to go from a ts9 sound to a hotter sound. Metal case

Very smooth and full of sustain . I had an old TS and didnt like it . This one I like . Not as much mid hump. It sounds tubey and it sounds good with a compressor after it. The Arion tubulator sounds good too and these pedals sound similar . I just put mine at 12:00 , 12:00 and with the gain all the way down it sounds pretty tubey . sometimes i keep the guitar vol a bit down too for a little more natural sound.

seem built well enough

dont know how Ibanez is

great pedal , dont know why others would pay $200 for the old one. I dont use the hot switch , but it makes the pedal a bit more versatile for some.

Its pretty simple to use, not much to say. If you can't turn a few knos, then it turns out to be pretty tricky.

As far as this model goes, it has descent sound quality, but it is nothing like the original TS-9. I would prefer the TS-9 or 808 over this model.

So far I haven't had much trouble with it, and it has lasted me for a while, so its not too bad.

I use two of these, for a mimick of Trey Anastasios's sound. I mostly play rock and blues, and these are eseential for most rock lead parts, butif thet ever got lost or stolen, I would go for the TS-9 without a second thought.

this pedal is a killer pedal-editing is simple great pedal ts7 i love this baby....manual -simple.u can get a really attack sound,that gives an edge.and focous the sound that gives u a deeper and sharper tone...

set up - would be-mt2-eq-ts7-boss dd3-through a crate120-marshall cab- no noise -i use good cables gold ends-u can get the edge sound -like metallica -megadeth-slayer- slipknot-morbid angel -old school stuff also -dio-great pedal.sounds GREAT..

i can depend on this gem not a prop...yes i would use this with out a back up .....

never dealt with them

i play metal -jazz progrestion- my stuff,i been playing for 10 years.i own a washburn custom made-rrjackson.i am using the crate bv120 head going through a marshall bottom cab. it sounds good . but i am getting the marshall jcm-2000 stack, and a fender 50th annivary guitar. that should be fun ...i never used a ts7 pedal before .i got to tell u it's a great pedal,,,,for 39.oo dollars at musican's friend ,can't go wrong... all i have to say is i am HAP-E..and it doe's it's job WELL'''

Piece of cake. Read the other reviews and you'll know what I mean.

Excellent. By using an EQ to reduce a bass frequency that caused my speaker to crackle, I was able to dig out the full potential of the TS7. Man , it is loud!! My Strat sings like a beauty now. TO begin with, I doubt this pedal has total true bypass 'cause my sound is really boosted up but with a midrangey clarity that I like. Without this pedal, my Strat sounds dull. The TS7 isn;t about SRV only, it can do wonders. TUrn up your gain and set your selector switch to position 3 , I can get some good Indie rock sound ( I won't need a DS2). I can also get a good light overdrive like The Edge. The fact that the volume boosted allows me to get both natural and artificial harmonics. They say a 808 mod sounds even better but I think its really good stock. But its cheap so maybe its worth buying just for modding !THis is a pedal everyone should try and appreciate for what its capable of. I can't believe the dude below gave it a mere 5 just because it didn't meet his requirements. That's rather selfish. So I'm gonna give a 10 for my TS7. I hope others will follow suit if you feel his rating was unfair given that he acknowledged the TS7's greatness.

It just looks cheap, but its alright. Well, maybe not the knobs. What are you expecting for the price?

N/A

This pedals is fantastic and cheap. What more do you want? Cheapness doesn't always imply crap. This pedal uses the JRC4558 chip ( which makes it great) and is made in China ( low labour cost which explains the price). It has the potential to become a rare collector's item. So get it then!

Bought it used, so I don't have a manual, not that you need one.Very simple to use, Drive, Tone, Volume. Also, has a groovy switch, that goes between "TS9"-"Hot", mode. Ts9 has the classic sound of that famous original pedal that everyone wants, and the "HOT", mode gives it some BALLS.

I gave it a five because it really depends on what sound your after. I used it, when I first bought it, through my Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. Awesome S.R.V, tone. Keep the amp clean, and turn the pedals Drive and Volume to the max, beautiful tone. For guitars I use a Fender S.R.V Stratocaster, and a 1975 Gibson Deluxe, so with the strat, it's easy to get that "TEXAS", tone. For even more tone. switch to the "HOT", mode on the "TS7". But, what I really wanted it for was to achieve that classic "TS808" tone, and put it through my Marshall 1987x 50w Plexi. But, it sounds pretty messy through the Plexi. It hums horribly, but if I ignore the hum, the TS7 adds a nice "Midrange", type of tone which is like the "TS808". The "TS7", has that famous chip, the "JRC4558", that everyone is paying $500+ for in the "TS808", so I figure this is the cheaper alternative. In the "TS7's" TS9 mode, it sounds pretty weak through the Marshall, when the "HOT', mode is on, it does "BEEF UP" the overall sound of the pedal, which is cool, but thats the mode that makes that horrible hum. So, if your looking for a cheap, great sounding "Texas Blues", tone, this is your pedal, awesome sound. For my Plexi, I'll have to find something else.

You can depend on it working so long as you don't slam your foot on it. You have to smoothly put the pedal on, "cause if you don't, the pedal's LED light goes on, then turns it self of. I think the "ON/OFF", switch wasn't made that well, so be-careful with it.

Never dealt with the companies support team. I'd imagine that these pedals are pretty easy to repair, if needed. Find your self a good tech, or ship it of to "ANOLOGMAN", to modify it for you to TS808 specs.

I play a type of fusion/blues type of thing, and I always look for a great "OVERDRIVE", pedal for the stuff I do. I've played though a reissued TS9,'cause you hear such great things about them, and it just sucked ass, in my opinion . The pedal sounded so thin, not enough "Drive", to suit me. But, the TS7, has a lot more rich drive tone to it. Probably due to the JRC4558, chip. The TS9, doesn't use that chip anymore. So when you hear about the great Tube Screamer, they are talking about the late '70 to early 80's Tube Screamers. I've been playing for about 15yrs, and I've been through a lot of pedals, to many if you ask me, and I found some truly awesome main stays. You can't go wrong with a mid '80s Fuzz Face. And I also found if you get a new Tube Driver, from Tone Works, and change the tube to a 12AT7, it sounds beautiful. But I was seduced by the TS's folklore, and I wanted a good one for my sound. And the vintage ones are to expensive, and the reissues suck. So I did research on what made the old TSs' great. And it always came back to that JRC, chip. So I found out the Ts7 has that chip and I bought it. Compared with the new TS9, and the TS9DX, the TS7 rocks the true,"Texas", tone. And like I said, if I ignore that vicious hum, the Ts7 provides that smooth vintage overdrive tone. It does have great sustain, and it colors the sound with just a pinch of mids. It's a pretty good addition to my pedal board, since I can't get my hands on a real TS808. But for all you," Stevie-wanna-bees", through a good CLEAN, Fender amp, this pedal will take you straight to Austin.