The Ibanez JD9 Jet Driver is an Ibanez overdrive pedal that pushes toward distortion. Premier Guitar's reviewer placed it "somewhere in between a hot overdrive and a full-blown distortion," which makes it a bridge between the two categories for players who want one box to cover both duties1. It carries the Jet Driver name into Ibanez's 9 Series, the same compact casing family the company has used for some time, shared with the TS91.
What it does to your sound
The Drive knob adjusts the gain, ranging from a medium overdrive to a hard punch1. The Mid control is where the pedal's character lives: Premier Guitar's reviewer found that rolling it off yielded a darker tone reminiscent of '80s British tube growl, while a healthier dose of Mid summoned a spiked Marshall-type vibe with a more modern tinge1.
"Rolling off the Mid control yielded a darker tone reminiscent of '80s British tube growl, while a healthier dose of Mid summoned a spiked Marshall-type vibe with a more modern tinge."
On noise and transparency, the reviewer reported that the pedal runs rather quietly in the stompbox chain, though the effect is slightly less than transparent1. A verified builder report on the circuit found it "sounds really great, really close to the demo," with a very big volume boost and both the mid and tone controls giving a very large range of tones2.
Power, enclosure and LEDs
The JD9 runs on 9-volt batteries sheltered with an easy-clip cover, or by a 9-volt barrel input at the crown of the box1. The enclosure is the compact pedal casing Ibanez has used for some time, shared with the TS9, and it is sturdy. Instead of simple feet, the JD9 sits atop a full rubber pad that, in the reviewer's words, is sure to stick to any pedalboard and most barroom floors1.
The LEDs are also improved over older Ibanez pedals:
"Thankfully Ibanez got around to putting better LEDs in their boxes, those old ones were near impossible to read in direct [sunlight]."
Inside the circuit
Independent technical analysis of the JD9 circuit has documented its operating voltages, useful to anyone servicing or cloning the pedal2:
| Component | Measured voltages (DC) |
|---|---|
| Q1 | Base 2,65, Collector 8,67, Emitter 3,06 |
| Q2 | Base 2,71, Collector 8,67, Emitter 3,1 |
| IC1 (pins 1 to 8) | 4,27 / 4,34 / 4,32 / 0 / 4,19 / 4,27 / 4,27 / 8,69 |
| IC2 (pins 1 to 8) | 4,27 / 4,28 / 4,28 / 0 / 4,04 / 4,36 / 4,36 / 8,69 |
These working voltages, recorded in volts DC, come from the circuit documentation for the JD92.
The same analysis suggests a modification for players who want more flexibility: replacing the 6k8 resistor at the gyrator with a trimpot, either a 10k trimpot or a 1k5 fixed resistor and 5k trimpot in series, would make the pedal much more versatile2.
Where it sits in the Ibanez lineup
The JD9 is part of Ibanez's 9 Series, and it stands as the first true-bypass entry in that series1. Players comparing it against other Ibanez drive pedals can look at the Ibanez SD-9 Sonic Distortion, the Ibanez SD9M, or the Ibanez Hand-Wired Tube Screamer for the classic overdrive side of the family, or browse the wider world of distortion pedals and overdrive pedals.
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Questions
Does the Ibanez JD9 take a battery?
Yes. The JD9 runs on 9-volt batteries sheltered with an easy-clip cover, so swapping one is quick. It can also be powered by a 9-volt barrel input at the crown of the box, so it works with a standard pedalboard power supply as well.
Is the Ibanez JD9 Jet Driver true bypass?
Yes. Premier Guitar's review notes that the JD9 marks the first true-bypass entry in Ibanez's 9 Series of pedals, so the bypassed signal passes through without the pedal coloring it.
How much did the Ibanez JD9 Jet Driver cost?
Premier Guitar listed the JD9 Jet Driver at a street price of $90 at the time of its review. As with any pedal, current prices vary with availability and retailer.
Where does the JD9 reach unity volume?
A verified builder report on the circuit found the JD9 gives a very big volume boost, with unity volume reached at about 25% of the rotation on its linear volume pot. Below that point the pedal is still adding level.
Sources (2)
- Ibanez JD9 Jet Driver Pedal Review, Premier Guitar, 2011-07-26
- Guitar FX Layouts: Ibanez JD9 Jet Driver, Guitar FX Layouts (tagboardeffects.blogspot.com), 2015-12-14
