The Ibanez TS808HWV2 is a hand-wired overdrive in the company's TS808 Tube Screamer line. Ibanez says the new version features a sleek black look and handwired construction, along with a stomp-style footswitch for easy operation12. Its look has been revamped to give it a high-end appearance while retaining the traditional shape, and it continues to feature the JRC NJM4558 op-amp2.
What it is and what it does
The TS808HWV2 is an overdrive pedal in the Tube Screamer family, built around a refined circuit design that Ibanez says maintains the original's "transparent and mid-range-focused tone", a voicing Guitar.com describes as letting guitarists cut through mixes effectively, making it suitable for both lead and rhythm playing2. The hand-wired construction and a set of new high-end components are the headline changes, along with the boosted output25.
The controls are the familiar Tube Screamer set: Tone, Level and Overdrive knobs, plus a stomp-style footswitch for easy operation2. The enclosure has been revamped with a sleek black, high-end look while retaining the traditional TS808 shape2.
The op-amp and the circuit
At the heart of the pedal is the JRC NJM4558 op-amp, which Ibanez describes as "essential" to the Tube Screamer's character5. The V2 keeps that chip in place. Around it, the changes reported at launch include:
- Hand-wired construction2
- Mogami OFC cables5
- A maximum output 6 dB higher than the previous hand-wired model54
- A refined circuit design that keeps the original tone2
TS808HW and TS808HWV2
The V2 replaces the first hand-wired TS808HW. The original TS808HW was described by Analog Man as "the highest-end Tube Screamer ever made", hand soldered onto a strip board with no circuit board1. The V2 carries the same hand-wired approach forward but reworks the circuit, adds the Mogami wiring and the 6 dB output increase, and changes the finish to black254. RockBoard's PedalPedia describes the V2 as "a re-envisioning of the flagship, hand-wired model"6.
The first TS808HW was listed at Thomann in 2022 at $349.00 / £333.00 / 389.00 EUR7. The V2 launched at a lower US list price in 202425.
Price and where it sits
Within Ibanez's line, the TS808HWV2 sits as the hand-wired take on the TS808 Tube Screamer: Ibanez describes it as having handwired construction and a revamped look that gives it a high-end appearance while retaining the traditional shape12.
Guitar World's take on the price was mixed: the site called this variant "undoubtedly the most high-end Ibanez-branded version of the humble Tube Screamer available today", but added that "When placed against the competition it has in that price bracket, the Tube Screamer starts to look slightly out of its depth"3.
"When placed against the competition it has in that price bracket, the Tube Screamer starts to look slightly out of its depth."
For players comparing it within the Tube Screamer line, the standard TS808, the TS9 Tube Screamer and the Tube Screamer Mini sit well below it in price and construction, while the TS808TM2 Tamura-Mod v2 is another premium Ibanez variant. More broadly, see the site's guide to Overdrive Pedals8.
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Questions
What op-amp is in the Ibanez TS808HWV2?
The TS808HWV2 continues to use the JRC NJM4558 op-amp, the chip long associated with the Tube Screamer circuit. Ibanez describes the NJM4558 as essential to the Tube Screamer's character, and the V2 keeps it in place while upgrading other components around it, including Mogami OFC wiring and a 6 dB higher maximum output than the previous hand-wired model.
How much does the TS808HW V2 cost?
At launch in November 2024, Guitar.com reported the TS808HWV2 at $300, while MusicRadar listed it at $299 (with a UK price of £249). The two reports differ by a dollar; both describe the same pedal at its US list price at release.
What is the difference between the TS808HW and TS808HWV2?
The V2 is a re-envisioning of the hand-wired flagship. Ibanez refined the circuit while keeping the original's transparent, mid-range-focused tone, retained the JRC NJM4558 op-amp, added Mogami OFC cables, and raised the maximum output by 6 dB. The look was also revamped with a sleek black finish that keeps the traditional TS808 shape.
Is the TS808HWV2 worth $300 compared with other Tube Screamers?
Guitar World called it undoubtedly the most high-end Ibanez-branded Tube Screamer available today, but its reviewer also noted that when placed against the competition in that price bracket, the Tube Screamer starts to look slightly out of its depth. Whether the hand-wired build justifies the price is a judgment the player has to make.
Sources (8)
- Ibanez TS9 and TS808 Tube Screamers, Maxon OD9 and similar effects pedals and mods, Analog Man (analogman.com), 2022
- Ibanez has a new handwired Tube Screamer, Guitar.com, 2024-11-04
- Ibanez launches $300 hand-wired TS808HWV2 Tube Screamer, Guitar World, 2024-11-01
- Ibanez TS808 HW V2: Hand-wired Luxury Tube Screamer, gearnews.com, 2024-11-05
- “We've taken the iconic pedal to new heights with hand-wired craftsmanship, premium components, and a boosted output”: Ibanez rolls out the upgrades on its flagship overdrive pedal for the launch of the TS808HW V2 Tube Screamer, MusicRadar, 2024-11-04
- TS808 HW V2 by Ibanez, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- Origin Effects Halcyon Green Overdrive a refined TS808?, gearnews.com, 2022-07-26
- [TAMURA-MOD v2 TS808 Tube Screamer (TS808TM2)
