Martin TS-5 Tube Stack

Very easy to use. Volume level. Distortion level. Tone. From mild overdrive to high overdrive or distortion. Controls work well and it's easy to find a spot you like because all the controls transition gradually and smoothly. Has an LED to let you know it is on. I am not sure if it has true bypass, but it seems like it does. Your equipment sounds exactly like you're plugged in direct when the pedal is off. Uses 9 volt battery or power source.

90 American Standard Strat and 95 Mexican Strat with Tex-Mex pickups, 72 Fender Deluxe Reverb and 95 Fender Hot Rod Deville. Less noisy than other pedals I've tried, not noticable until the dials are turned up a lot. I like this pedal better than the overdrive in my Deville. It's warm an not harsh. It's a bit "midrangey" and the lows roll off, but this is not unusual for pedals like this. There are 2 of the revered JRC4558D chips in this pedal, the same chips used in the famous Ibanez TS-808. I attribute the warm overdrive to these chips. I wish there was more bottom. I cannot say I get the sound of my favorite artist (yet). Although I like the tone I have been getting with my tube amps, I am looking to have more flexbility at low volumes. I love SRV's tone (who doesn't?), Clapton, and many other blues and blues rock greats who use strats through tube amps. So I am looking to try other affordable effects pedals such as Guyatone or TS-9 with TS-808 upgrade. I really don't like too much fuzz or metal distortion. I like the sound quality of this pedal, but I know there are better ones out there. I can get sort of a ZZ Top sound on LaGrange, which is OK, but I think Billy Gibbons is a little extreme with effects.

I have had this thing on many gigs with my blues band. It is a solid metal case with the pots attached to the case, not the board. This is an important quality feature for durability. The pedal is the full width of the unit and overlaps the sides. It is very easy to work from whatever angle your foot happens to hit the pedal. This thing can take the rigors of playing in clubs. No need for backup.

The Martin Stinger division no longer exists. The complete name of this pedal is a Martin Singer Tube Stack TS-5.

I play blues and blues rock. Good pedal for this music. I have been playing for 35 years, seriously for 17 years. Also own a Dunlop Rotovibe and Original Crybaby. I have never seen another one of these and I cannot find it anywhere on eBay or the web, so I doubt I could replace it. I would replace it with t TS-808 or something similar based upon the reading I have been doing on effects pedals for blues music. I already have a Guyatone OD-2 on order. I did not have much knowledge of pedals when I bought this, but I got lucky. Although I don't remember the price, I know it was a factor at the time of purchase about 12 years ago. I use this pedal when I want some dirt for playing LaGrange or I Drink Alone or tunes like that. But I always want my Strat to sound like a Strat through a quality tube amp. Martin is a quality company and it shows on this pedal.