The Warm Audio WA-TS Tube Squealer is an overdrive pedal that recreates three voicings of the Ibanez Tube Screamer in one enclosure: the original 808 of the late 1970s, the TS9 and the TS10. Warm Audio, a Texas-based maker, built it as what Guitar.com's Michael Watts calls "a feature-laden take on the legendary green snarl" of the Tube Screamer, adding controls the originals never had. It lists at $149 as of December 20251.
What it is and how it works
The Tube Screamer circuit is one of the most copied overdrive designs in pedals, and the Tube Squealer does not settle for one copy. Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson describes the topology: the pedal has three distinct circuit paths for the 808, TS9 and TS10 settings. All three modes share the same tone stage built on the JRC4558 chip. The TS9 setting has its own drive stage using the JRC4580, while the 808 and TS10 share a drive stage, with the TS10 adding an extra resistor just as the original design did2.
Beyond the three voicings, the pedal adds a mix knob and a pickup voicing mini toggle to the main control panel. The mix knob can be switched off completely with a click, and the pickup selector goes from the original single coil-loving voicing, with its midrange emphasis of 88Hz, to a humbucker-friendly 2kHz1. A slider on the rear panel selects true or buffered bypass1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Drive | Amount of overdrive |
| Level | Output volume |
| Tone | Tone stage, shared by all three modes on the JRC45582 |
| Mix | Blend of clean and effected signal, click to switch off1 |
| Voice | Selects the 808, TS9 or TS10 circuit path12 |
| Pickups | Mini toggle: 88Hz midrange emphasis for single coils, 2kHz for humbuckers1 |
How it compares
Guitar Pedal X frames the pedal as the latest in a line of tributes: "Warm Audio's latest pedal tribute is, of course, a version of the venerable Tube Screamer"1. The list price is $149, according to Warm Audio's own site1. For players weighing a single-voicing Tube Screamer against a three-mode take with separate 808, TS9 and TS10 circuit paths, that combination of price and flexibility is the whole pitch of the pedal12.
What reviewers said
Guitar.com's Michael Watts opens with the obvious question, "Do we really need another Tube Screamer pedal?", and answers it with a positive verdict: a "great sounding and faithful recreation of three classic TS sounds"1. On the individual voicings, he found "the TS9 personality (my favourite of the Screamer iterations) is absolutely spot on", and judged the TS10, "while not wildly different to the other voices", a nice to have, noting the original TS10 is appreciated for its upgraded buffer1. He called the pickup switch a useful addition1.
Guitar Pedal X's Karlsson addressed the originality question directly, writing that Warm Audio's Tube Screamer-type pedals are "sufficiently differentiated to qualify for tribute versus plagiarism status, and bring something new and innovative to the table"2.
"Great sounding and faithful recreation of three classic TS sounds"
Availability and where it is made
Warm Audio is based in Texas, but Guitar.com notes the pedal is made overseas using modern manufacturing methods1. Guitar Pedal X reports the Tube Squealer is available from the Warm Audio webstore2.
Videos
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Questions
Is the Tube Squealer true bypass or buffered?
Both. A slider switch on the rear panel lets you choose between true bypass and buffered bypass, so you can set it to suit the rest of your board. Guitar.com's reviewer notes the buffered option is part of what makes the TS10 voice appealing, since the original TS10 was appreciated for its upgraded buffer.
What does the pickup switch on the Tube Squealer do?
The pickup voicing mini toggle adjusts the pedal's midrange emphasis to suit your pickups. One position gives a single coil-friendly voicing with its midrange emphasis at 88Hz, and the other moves it to a humbucker-friendly 2kHz. Guitar.com's reviewer called the pickup switch a useful addition.
How much is the Warm Audio Tube Squealer?
Guitar.com lists the Tube Squealer at $149 as of December 2025. Guitar Pedal X points out that this is just $5 more than the single-mode Ibanez TS808 Tube Screamer Overdrive Pro, for a pedal covering three Tube Screamer voicings.
Where is the Warm Audio Tube Squealer made?
Warm Audio is based in Texas, but the Tube Squealer is made overseas using modern manufacturing methods, as Guitar.com's review puts it. Guitar Pedal X reports it is available from the Warm Audio webstore.
Sources (2)
- Warm Audio WA-TS Tube Squealer review: more than meets the eye, Guitar.com, 2025-12-10
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2025-10-10
