Ibanez TS9B Bass Tube Screamer

The Ibanez TS9B Bass Tube Screamer is an analog overdrive pedal for bass, built by Ibanez as a variation of the famed TS9 that is revoiced for more low-end growl and modified for more tonal control¹. Premier Guitar's history of the Tube Screamer line calls it the first Tube Screamer for bass². Where a standard Tube Screamer gives you three knobs, the TS9B gives you five: Level, Gain, Bass, Treble, and Mix¹.

It was announced in February 2011 with a street price of $120, and was available at the end of that month³. Premier Guitar's 2021 review lists it at a street price of $119¹.

The controls: Level, Gain, Bass, Treble and Mix

The TS9B's five knobs break down like this¹³:

The Bass and Treble knobs are the clearest departure from the standard Tube Screamer. On the TS9, a single Tone knob handles all the high-frequency shaping, and the classic three-control layout is Drive, Tone, Level⁴. On the TS9B, that single Tone knob has been divided into two separate EQ controls, which matters on bass, where you often want to push low end harder than highs¹.

The Mix knob is the other big addition. Because it blends clean and effected signal, you can keep your fundamental low end intact while adding drive on top, and it interacts heavily with the Gain control¹. Premier Guitar's reviewer found the Gain and Mix controls among the most useful for changing music styles, and used them to lay down a fat foundation for blues-oriented material¹.

Power and specifications

The TS9B runs on one 9V battery or an external 9V AC adaptor³. The battery door is under the pedal: the enclosure sits on a thick rubber pad, and there is access to the 9V battery door through it, so a battery can be swapped without opening the case¹.

The published specifications from the 2011 announcement³:

Inside, Premier Guitar's reviewer found a neat, all-analog circuit with well-soldered connections¹.

How it differs from a regular TS9

A standard TS9 Tube Screamer is a three-knob overdrive: Drive, Tone, Level⁴. The TS9B keeps the family resemblance but makes three changes¹:

• The circuit is revoiced for more low-end growl¹.
• The single Tone knob is split into separate Bass and Treble controls¹.
• A Mix knob is added, giving a clean blend, for a total of five knobs¹.

In feel, Premier Guitar's reviewer found the TS9B bears the same sonic traits as its forebears: it is touch-sensitive, and it really shows off its muscle when you dig into the strings¹.

Where it came from: the Tube Screamer line

The TS9B sits at the end of a long lineage. The original Tube Screamer TS808 was built in the late 1970s by Nisshin, and the first edition hit the scene in 1979⁵⁶⁷¹. Guitar World's history of the line notes it was available from 1979 to 1981⁶. Ibanez introduced the first Tube Screamer in the '70s with some help from Maxon⁸.

The TS9 followed in the early 1980s, with a rejigged output stage and a resulting jump in aggression compared with the 808⁹⁷. The original TS-9 was discontinued in 1985 due to underperforming sales¹⁰, but it has since been reissued, and TONEHOME lists its current availability as good¹⁰⁹. The line then grew through versions like the TS10⁹⁷ and eventually the TS9B, the first Tube Screamer for bass².

What reviewers said

Premier Guitar reviewed the TS9B in August 2021, testing it with a Fender American Special Jazz bass through a Genz Benz ShuttleMAX 12.0 driving Genz Benz 1x12 and 1x15 cabinets¹. Their findings:

• Low-string response: While fingerpicking a groove on the low strings, the TS9B delivered just a tiny amount of grit with the Mix and Gain knobs maxed¹.
• Gain range: There is ample gain available, but not enough to compress the tone into sterility. For big, rock bass tones with plenty of dynamic range, the reviewer found it worth checking out¹.
• Extreme metal: Being an overdrive rather than a distortion, the TS9B does not dish out gain levels suitable for extreme metal. The review's skip-it line reads, "Skip if... you need raging, molten distortion."¹
• Overall verdict: "For bassists looking to put a little more attitude in their arsenal, the Bass Tube Screamer TS9B is an excellent choice"¹

The reviewer also noted that the pedal rewards players with good hand dynamics, consistent with the touch-sensitive character of the TS9 and vintage TS808¹.

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