Ibanez PQ9 Parametric EQ

The Ibanez PQ9 Parametric EQ is a parametric equalizer pedal produced in the 1980s in Japan. Unlike a graphic EQ, which gives you a row of fixed frequency bands to cut and boost, a parametric design lets you dial in the frequency itself, which is the approach the PQ9's name refers to. It belongs to Ibanez's 9 Series and sits alongside the company's other EQ pedals of the era, such as the Ibanez GE-300 Graphic EQ and the Ibanez PE-105 Power Equalizer¹².

Production and history

RockBoard's PedalPedia describes the PQ9 as "a rare parametric equalizer pedal produced in the 1980s in Japan"¹². TONEHOME, an independent reference covering vintage Ibanez pedals, likewise lists the PQ9 as rare². It belongs to a wider family of Ibanez EQ pedals from that era, alongside models such as the Ibanez GE-10 Graphic EQ².

Price when new

TONEHOME records two historical list prices for the PQ9 during its production period²:

Both figures are the prices the pedal carried when it was new: $115 USD in 1984 and 247 DM in 1983. They say nothing about what a used unit fetches today².

Rarity and collectibility

Both references describe the PQ9 as rare¹². TONEHOME, which covers vintage Ibanez pedals, carries the same availability rating². For a player, that means units do not come up often, and patience is part of the search for one².

Parametric versus graphic EQ

The PQ9's parametric approach is what sets it apart from the graphic EQs Ibanez was making at the same time, such as the Ibanez GE-601 Graphic Equalizer and the Ibanez GE9 Graphic EQ. A graphic EQ presents a set of fixed bands, each with its own slider, while a parametric EQ lets the player choose the center frequency being cut or boosted. That makes a parametric pedal a tool for targeting a specific problem frequency or pulling out one particular character in a tone, rather than shaping the overall balance across the spectrum¹².

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