Ibanez TS-808 Reissue

This pedal is very easy to use. Three self-explanatory knobs, dial it up a go.

This is a reissue of the original TS808 and sounds really good. I have played thru an original TS808 and to my ear the reissue is dead on. This is a great mild to medium gain pedal. Just remember it's an overdrive not a distortion pedal. If you want hard rock or metal tones get a different pedal. Classic rock tone is all inside this little green box.

This pedal is reliable, and built well. I will use it on my pedal board and not worry about a backup.

I have never had to deal with Ibanez customer support, so I can't help here.

I play in a Christian worship band and play a ton of different styles of music, this pedal suites what I do just fine. I have the TS808 and a Fulltone Fulldrive2 on my board and don't need any other overdrive pedals. I run my board thru a Super Reverb and get all the tone I need. I'll give this pedal a rating of 10 anyday.

Super easy, 3 knobs and normal/effect switch. Very understandable and easy to get good sounds.

Alot of bullshit has been spilled on the ts808. Vintage specs, modifications, whatever. I've even heard one guy here on HC saying it only works on tube amps and that it does nothing on solid state amps.
TOTAL BULLSHIT.

It's a really good pedal, it works on all amps. Does it sound better on a tube amp? Yes. Why? Because everything sounds better on a A class tube amp, they're better amps. So that one is total BS. and if you don't like it's sound, then don't buy it! Don't trust some idiot saying "Oh sure it doesn't sound ok, caus it's not modded to vintage specs and modified so it has more gain en more bass response blahblahblah" The original ones didn't have that, and since the reissue is a near-perfect copy, it doesn't have that shit either.

What this thing does is beautiful light to medium gain overdrive, it has class, style, it's smooth. I never wanna turn it off. So far i've only found one problem : With all the knobs on full, when you press the button there's an audible beep. That shouldn't happen with noise-less switching. Although I would NEVER (and almost no-one would) use that setting, it's still not ok for that beep to be there. So there goes a point. Otherwise, the thing is a dream.

It's very hardcore built and heavy, i think it'll survive alot, seeing as the old ones are still all over the place.

never dealt with them

It's a great overdrive for blues/jazz/rock. Don't expect to get metal or hardrock or whatever out of it. If you want that, buy something else. For me, the hype is real. But all the modding shit isn't. The reissue is real good, I wouldn't let anyone touch it just because it'll sound better to "their" ears. It's all about mine. I play rock/jazz and it's great, I just got it so haven't played it live yet, but i will. It gets a 9 for what it does, light to medium gain overdrive, the only real problem is that beep with all buttons on max. (a setting I and most guitarist would never use, since most of the time you'll wanna keep the volume in sync with clean, and full tone is way too harsh)

Everything is written on the pedal, dont even need the manual !

Sounds reaaaaly good.
I use it to boost my Marshall Bluesbreaker.
I leave this unit alway on on the top of my amp, tone @ 9, volume @ 14, drive @10.
Give me the an extra drive i need to play some modern rock, from Motorhead to The Bronx, Dommriders, Noise conspiracy ... Can do nearly everything i want, just have to choose the right axe (Fender tele / Gibson LP). Also have and excellent blues tone when i use it with my Fender Champ.
Sounds better than the TS9, more bass, less mids .. and a better switch !

Build like a tank

Well, i think i will keep it forever. Excellent overdrive. Will work with many styles of music, and gives a nice color to your tone.

I only give it a 9, because the only overdrive pedal which can have a 10 is the Banzai Cold Fusion (best overdrive on earth) !

3 knobs; can't get much easier. Manual is straight forward, probably don't even need it. It even comes with an adapter plug so you can use a standard 9v adapter to it.

I compared the TS-808 to my TS-9. Whoever said they are the same thing is smoking some good stuff...cuz they're not. They are similar, but not exact. Remember, it takes a good combination of instrument/amp to hear a difference, and if you're testing it on a Fender Champ, you probably won't hear much difference. But the 808 is much warmer, and you get warm punch when you pick the strings hard; something you don't get quite as good on the TS9. I think this pedal sounds better through a tube amp, but its circuitry is versatile so it sounds good on tube or solid state. Very quiet - no hum or buzz. I use it with my Fender Deluxe Reverb.

Kinda hard to break these, even on purpose. Built out of metal, made to withstand the heavy foot. I'd use it without a backup, but there's usually another overdrive in my chain anyway.

Never had to deal with Ibanez directly, but their customer relations dept is pretty slow on giving you answers (or at least that's what the kid at the music store told me - probably to save face for messing up my order himself...)

At any rate, this is a classic pedal with classic tone. Very easy to sound good. I tend to back off the overdrive these days as it creates a much warmer tone, but it can certainly give you a boost if you set the gain to max. Used in a chain with: Chandler Tube Driver (sounds good combined with this, too), proco Rat, EH Small Clone, EH Small Stone, MXR 1500, MXR analog delay. Amp is a Fender Deluxe Reverb, and guitars are: '68 reissue Stratocaster, 70's blonde Telecaster, Gibson SG standard, and an Ibanez Acoustic.

It's got knobs. Turn 'em....you'll get it! I'll give it a 9.9. If it jumped outta the box, plugged itself in, set itself up, and played the guitar for ya...It would get a 10.

My setup: Fender Classic series 1970's strat with EMG dg20 installed, blocked bridge, and Sperzel locking tuners into the ts808 into a Palomino v16 (class A 1x12 combo). What can I say? It sounds great. Very natural. I use it with the gain at zero, tone around 12 o'clock and the level maxed. It gives me a boost in volume and fattness without adding a ridiculous amount of distortion. It sounds like what it is: An OVERDRIVE pedal. Pushes the front of my amp nicely. Great sustain too...

It is a very solid peice of gear as far as I can tell. I feel comfortable gigging with it. I don't recomend gigging without a backup but finances dictate that I do. Just be kind to your gear and it will be kind to you....

Never dealt with them

This pedal suits my playing style quite nicely (blues/rock/gospel/jam band stuff), but I can see how it might be used in any style. It's all up to you. Great as a lead boost but sounds very good for rhythm playing too. You metal players out there might try this as well. It won't give ya super heavy distortion but it WILL push the front end of your tube amp quite nicely and that's really what it's all about. To sum up what this pedal does for me....LOTSA WARM POWERFUL DRIVE AND SUSTAIN WITH PLENTY OF CHARACTER!

Hard to make this thing sound bad.

Met all my expectations. Really smooth sound. Light drive. Not overpowering. I play through a Marshall stack and you can't get a nice clean smooth drive like this out of a Marshall. Very similar to the Fender Hot Rod Deville Dist. This drive is a cross between Santana meets SRV.

Haven't had it long enough to tell. Looks strong.

Great for classic rock, blues, blues rock, some modern rock. I've been playing for 10 years and I'm really impressed with this pedal. I didn't boher comparing it to any other pedals at the store because I've pretty much played them all and never heard a distortion this smooth except for on my Fender Hot Rod Deville.

Not hard unless you have no fingers and are blind.

Just beautiful. I bought this because I play strats and need that extra boost in many different situations. It is great for driving a tube amp, boosting and sustaining for solos and I use it to boost a SansAmp direct box which it does incredibly. It is one of the most useful pedals I've ever owned - When I look down at this green pedal I think "balls; no balls."

I expect to use this same pedal until I die.

N/A

I play alt rock in a band and record pop/blues stuff. I've Been playing over 15 years and when I look for gear, I look for the classics and the "best of their kind" stuff. This TS808, in my opinion, is the best of its kind. I would replace this immediately if stolen.

lets put it this way... I found awesome tone after 2 minutes of fiddling. 3 knobs is all you need to find amazing tone.

great sound quality. good for SRV, hendrix or anything else that is classic rock. can go from slight overdrive to heavy distortion.very transparent. Seems to only work on a tube amp. works badly on all solid state amps that i've tried it on. Works great for driving a fuzz face or whatnot... I guess it's buffered or something. It drives my fuzzface when bypassed! sounds good in bypass mode. Not true bypass but sounds great anyways. Cuts the treble a bit. (that's a good thing for me). settings: OD:0 Level: half Tone: 0-half. Very quiet effect... no interference or buzzing. Rig: strat->ts-808->fuzzface-> vox wah-> Silverface fender twin (1974). I find the tone knob has little effect. Improves sound quality of other effects. I give it 8 because it sounds awesome, but only in tube amps.

built like a tank. the guys at Ibanez put quality and care into this pedal... great components, rugged construction. I like the smooth jacks and the nice pots. Interesting switch and 9v jack. LED is great. The battery is held down securely. would trust this thing without a backup. the only thing is the paint-- chips easily but that adds character.

Haven't had to deal with Ibanez but I've heard they are good.

I play blues and Classic rock, great for both genres. gives a nice sweet and warm overdrive and distortion if cranked. Been playing for 1.5 years. would buy again. Love: it's "tonal awesome-ness" and features (DC jack, LED...) I would like it better if it were a little larger... kinda unstable.
Over-all is 9 because its incompatablilty with solid-state amps. But it rocks!

I already have a similar pedal that's a hand-built version of this pedal, so the controls are very similar, but as the guy farther down said you have have to be retarded not to be able to figure it out.

I use a hand-built overdive for a heavier overdrive tone, but this pup has got BALLS. I have found myself using it more than a lighter overdrive tone. Using a compressor with this unit is just . . . wow. Like Mark Knopfler or something. Trust me this pedal is the shizznit, hands down. Don't let the boutique guys tell you it needs work. These pedals are perfect from the factory, period. Next, I want to add to anyone without experience in overdrive use a little advice. This pedal is for a TUBE amp pushed over halfway. You won't get the sound you're looking for if you use a tube amp at low volume settings. ANY overdrive will sound thin and tepid if you this. I use two Fender Blues Juniors in stereo around 7 or 8 on the dial. This pedal sends them into a very nice compressed but clean sustain like my other overdrive.

Awesome. Built like a tank and heavy.

Three words: fantatstic, fantastic, fantastic!

It's a pedal with three knobs. The knobs do turn pretty loosely, but that's ok. I actually prefer the smaller switch.

I am shocked. This is one of, if not the most highly coveted effects pedals ever. I can't argue with the fact that SRV used it heavily, and his tone is probably one of my favorites. It must sound a lot better with the amp cranked. I am using this through a Fender AMerican Deluxe HSS with S-1 and a Deluxe Reissue.

With that said, I absolutely cannot stand the sound of this pedal. It sounds too bassy, and doesn't sound anything like SRV. The tone switch is too powerful, so it does more harm then good. It also sounds very muddy. Most of all however, what I look for in a overdrive, or distortion pedal is playing fluidity. With this pedal I have to pick more notes than I want to, and I would much rather hammer-on most of them when I am playing a solo. There is no sustain. It's not noisy, but thats probably due to my guitar.

I guess this thing hasn't been around for so long for no reason.

I play all blues based music. Rock, jazz, alternate, grunge, funk. I've been playing for 5 years. I am returning this pedal ASAP. I honestly don't know what to do now, or try next. I mean, I heard about this pedal before I picked up a guitar, and now I finally have one, and it has deceived me. I simply hate the sound, thats all I care about. I may be a little crazy, but I do know what I want out of a pedal, and I haven't found it yet, and I may never, until I just get a big house and fit a JCM800 into it. But, I still don't understand how anyone can give this pedal above a 7 in the sound quality rating.