The brand's biggest moment in the wider spotlight came through Ibanez. At Winter NAMM in January 2019 the two Japanese firms announced the TSV808, a collaboration overdrive that merges Ibanez's Tube Screamer with the Vemuram Jan Ray456.
Hand-wired overdrives from Japan
Vemuram's identity in the pedal world rests on its overdrives. The Jan Ray is a boutique analog overdrive pedal2, and Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio describes it as "probably their most popular pedal"1. That reputation extends beyond a single product: the brand as a whole is known for hand-wired overdrive circuits and careful component selection1.
"a super-solid reputation among tone connoisseurs for their hand-wired overdrives built with top-notch components and rigorous engineering"
The Jan Ray's standing is such that it became one half of a major collaboration. MusicRadar described the Tube Screamer and the Jan Ray as "each firm's most notable pedals" when Ibanez and Vemuram teamed up3.
Vemuram's range is not limited to overdrive. The Butter Machine is a distortion pedal, built to its designer's idea of an ideal distortion pedal7.
| Pedal | Type |
|---|---|
| Jan Ray | Analog overdrive13 |
| Butter Machine | Distortion7 |
| Galea | Overdrive |
| Karen | Overdrive |
| Las Lunas | Distortion |
| Josh Smith Myriad Fuzz | Fuzz |
| Budi | Overdrive |
| Budi-G Boost | Boost |
The Ibanez TSV808 collaboration
The TSV808 grew out of a collaboration between Ibanez and Vemuram, pairing the Tube Screamer with Vemuram's Jan Ray. Ibanez says the build went through many stages of prototyping before both companies were happy with the result38.
Delicious Audio billed the TSV808 as a "Next Generation Tubescreamer," calling it "a marriage of the Tubescreamer and Vemuram's Jan Ray overdrive"4. In sound, it "combines the familiar mid-boost EQ curve of the Tubescreamer with the expanded dynamic and frequency range of the Jan Ray"6.
The build was not straightforward. Gearnews reported that the pedal "went through many stages of prototyping before both Ibanez and Vemuram were happy with the result"8.
The TSV808's recommended retail price was still to be confirmed at the time of its NAMM 2019 announcement8.
What the TSV808 offers
| Feature | What it is |
|---|---|
| Quad-layered PCB | Reflects Vemuram's production practices3 |
| Saturation trim pot | Internal trim pot controlling saturation8 |
| Bass trim pot | Internal trim pot controlling bass8 |
| Output | A reported 7dB extra output compared to a typical Ibanez Tube Screamer pedal8 |
For players interested in the Tube Screamer side of the pairing, the TSV808 sits alongside Ibanez's own TS808 family, including hand-wired and Tamura-modified versions of the classic circuit4910.
The range (10)
| Type | Pedals |
|---|---|
| Boost | Vemuram Budi, Vemuram Budi-G Boost |
| Distortion | Vemuram Butter Machine, Vemuram Las Lunas |
| Fuzz | Vemuram Josh Smith Myriad Fuzz |
| Overdrive | Vemuram Galea, Vemuram Jan Ray, Vemuram John Shanks ODS-1 Overdrive, Vemuram Karen, Vemuram Shanks ODS-1 |
News
Questions
Where are Vemuram pedals made?
Vemuram is a boutique pedal manufacturer based in Japan. Its pedals are described in the press as hand-wired overdrives built with top-notch components and rigorous engineering, and the company has a strong reputation among players who focus on tone.
Did Vemuram work with Ibanez?
Yes. Ibanez and Vemuram announced a collaboration pedal, the TSV808, at Winter NAMM in January 2019. The two Japanese firms had first met at Vemuram's Winter NAMM 2018 booth, which led to talks about merging the Tube Screamer with the Jan Ray.
What is the Ibanez TSV808?
The TSV808 is an overdrive pedal billed as a Next Generation Tube Screamer, combining the Tube Screamer with Vemuram's Jan Ray overdrive. It has internal trim pots for Saturation and Bass, and a reported 7dB extra output compared to a typical Ibanez Tube Screamer.
Are Vemuram pedals hand-wired?
Yes. Vemuram has a reputation among tone connoisseurs for hand-wired overdrives built with top-notch components and rigorous engineering, as described in press coverage of the brand.
Sources (10)
- Vemuram Jan Ray Overdrive, Delicious Audio, 2020-08-06
- Jan Ray by Vemuram, RockBoard (rockboard.de), 2026
- NAMM 2019: Ibanez and Vemuram have teamed-up for a Tube Screamer and Jan Ray hybrid, MusicRadar, 2019-01-25
- Ibanez Vemuram TSV808 Tube Screamer, Delicious Audio, 2022-05-23
- Ibanez Launches 40th Anniversary Tube Screamer, Premier Guitar, 2019-01-24
- Ibanez Announces The NTS Nu Tube Screamer, Delicious Audio, 2018-01-02
- Butter Machine by Vemuram, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- NAMM 2019: Ibanez collaborate with Vemuram on TSV808, gearnews.com, 2019-01-25
- Original Tube Screamer designer Susumu Tamura unveils Ibanez TS808-TMv.2 | Guitar World, Guitar World, 2023-12-15
- Ibanez has a new handwired Tube Screamer, and it doesn’t come cheap | Guitar.com, Guitar.com