The Ibanez AD99 Analog Delay is an analog delay pedal from Ibanez's Classic Series, produced between 1996 and 19991. As the name says, it is an analog design, not a digital delay, which shapes both how it sounds and why players still seek it out1. It has never been reissued, so every AD99 in circulation is an original from that three-year production run1.
What it sounds like
The AD99's character is a dark delay. In a demo video, Joshua Scott of JHS Pedals, playing alongside Tim Marcus of Milkman Sound, described it this way2:
"it's really dark delay so you can still hear all the pick attack and stuff overall the delay stuff underneath"
That darkness is the point for many players: the repeats sit underneath the dry signal rather than crowding it, leaving pick attack clear. For a fuller picture of how analog delays like this sit in a rig, see the site's page on Delay Pedals.
Production history and collectibility
Ibanez made the AD99 from 1996 to 1999 as part of the Classic Series1. The company has not reissued it1, and TONEHOME rates its collectibility as high1. At the same time, TONEHOME describes its availability as good1, so players hunting one down are not chasing an unobtainable rarity, even though production ended more than two decades ago.
Ibanez has continued to explore the delay category since the AD99's era, with recent releases such as the Ibanez LD303 Layer Delayer and earlier analog designs like the Ibanez AD9 Analog Delay and the Ibanez AD-80 Analog Delay.
Manual and documentation
The original AD99 manual is available as a PDF hosted by TONEHOME on the pedal's product page, for owners who need the factory documentation1.
Demo
JHS Pedals published a demo of the AD99 in which Joshua Scott and Tim Marcus play through the pedal and discuss its dark, pick-attack-friendly character2.
Videos
Six string to rock
SPI channel
The Pedal Picassos
Questions
Is the Ibanez AD99 analog or digital?
The AD99 is an analog delay. TONEHOME lists it as the AD99 Analog Delay in Ibanez's Classic Series, and its effect type is delay. That places it among Ibanez's analog delay designs rather than the digital delay pedals the company also made during the same era, such as the DDL series.
Has the Ibanez AD99 been reissued?
No. TONEHOME records the AD99 as re-issued: no, meaning Ibanez has not brought the pedal back into production. The pedal was made between 1996 and 1999, and the units in circulation today are originals from that production period.
When was the Ibanez AD99 made?
The AD99 was produced from 1996 to 1999, according to TONEHOME. It belongs to Ibanez's Classic Series of pedals from that period.
Where can I find the Ibanez AD99 manual?
TONEHOME hosts a copy of the Ibanez AD99 Analog Delay manual as a PDF download on its AD99 product page, which is where owners looking for the original documentation are directed.
Is the Ibanez AD99 collectible?
Yes. TONEHOME rates the AD99's collectibility as high, while also noting that its availability is good. That combination means players looking for one can find them, though the pedal's status as an out-of-production analog delay from the late 1990s gives it collector appeal.
Sources (2)
- TONEHOME, TONEHOME
- Guitar Pedals For Pedal Steel With Tim Marcus (Milkman Sound), JHS Pedals (YouTube), 2018-11-08
