The Ibanez TS808DX Tube Screamer Overdrive Pro is an overdrive pedal with a clean boost built into the same box. Guitar World's review described it as "really two pedals in one box: the classic TS808 overdrive on one side (using the original's JRC4558D IC)". It was released as a limited 35th anniversary edition1.
Controls
The overdrive section carries the standard Tube Screamer layout, and the boost adds two controls of its own1.
| Control | Section | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Overdrive, tone and level | Overdrive | Standard controls for the overdrive section1 |
| Boost knob | Boost | Controls the amount of signal increase, up to 26db1 |
| Post/pre switch | Boost | Places the boost effect after or before the overdrive circuit1 |
Overdrive and boost can be used simultaneously or on their own, so the pedal works as a straight TS808, a straight clean boost, or both stacked in either order1.
Power and bypass
Ibanez gives users the option of switching the TS808DX between nine or 18 volts, yet it still only requires a single battery or standard nine-volt power adapter to power the unit1. The switching is relay-based true bypass, and Guitar World noted that "there's no 'pop' when turning either effect on/off"1.
The nine or 18 volt option is a switch, not a requirement: the pedal runs on a single battery or a standard nine-volt adapter1.
What reviewers said
Guitar World's reviewer found the pedal added "a beautiful grind to clean tones and drives high-gain channels into effortless harmonics, singing sustain and buttery highs"1. On the long-standing question of the Tube Screamer's midrange, the reviewer took a position against the common complaint: "Bass frequencies are not rolled off, as some users of the original TS808 pedal claim; rather, the mids are pushed higher" in the mix1.
From the TS808 to the 35th anniversary edition
The TS808 Tube Screamer Overdrive Pro itself was a narrow box pedal produced in 1979 and 1980, and is now listed by the reference site ToneHome as having rare availability and extremely high collectibility231. It was re-issued in 2014, the same year the TS808DX appeared as the 35th anniversary edition31. The 808's reputation carries much of that weight: "The 808 gained almost mythic status when players learned that it was Stevie Ray Vaughan's go-to overdrive pedal"1.
The TS808DX is one of several Tube Screamer variants Ibanez has built around the core circuit. Others on this site include the Ibanez TS808TMB, the Ibanez TS808TM2 Tamura-Mod v2 Level Boost Tube Screamer and the Ibanez TS9TMB Tamura-Mod Level Boost Tube Screamer. For more on where the TS808DX sits among pedals that lift a signal, see Boost Pedals and Overdrive Pedals1.
Videos
Guitar World
Premier Guitar
Guitar Interactive Magazine
Questions
Is the Ibanez TS808DX true bypass?
Yes. Guitar World's review describes the TS808DX as using Ibanez's relay-based true-bypass switching, and notes that there is no pop when turning either the overdrive or the boost on or off. That matters on a pedalboard where the pedal may sit in front of a sensitive amp input or alongside other buffered pedals.
Can the TS808DX run on 18 volts?
Yes. Ibanez gives users the option of switching the TS808DX between nine or 18 volts, according to Guitar World's review. Even so, the pedal still only requires a single battery or a standard nine-volt power adapter to run, so the higher voltage is an option rather than a requirement.
Does the TS808DX take a battery?
Yes. Guitar World's review states that the TS808DX still only requires a single battery or a standard nine-volt power adapter to power the unit, so it can run without a power supply if you prefer.
What is the difference between the TS808DX and the TS808?
The TS808DX is really two pedals in one box: the classic TS808 overdrive on one side, using the original's JRC4558D IC, plus a separate clean boost with its own knob and a post/pre switch that places the boost after or before the overdrive circuit. It also adds relay-based true-bypass switching and a nine or 18 volt power option.
How much boost does the TS808DX have?
A single boost knob controls the amount of signal increase, up to 26db, according to Guitar World's review. The boost can be used on its own or together with the overdrive, and the post/pre switch decides whether it hits the overdrive circuit before or after it.
Did Stevie Ray Vaughan use a TS808?
Yes. Guitar World's review notes that the 808 gained almost mythic status when players learned that it was Stevie Ray Vaughan's go-to overdrive pedal. That reputation is part of why the TS808 circuit was chosen as the basis for the TS808DX.
Sources (3)
- Review: Ibanez Tube Screamer TS808DX Overdrive Pro Pedal -Video, Guitar World, 2014-10-02
- TONEHOME, TONEHOME
- TONEHOME, TONEHOME (tonehome.de)
