Tone Report Weekly 197 | Page 25

The Ibanez Tube Screamer is perhaps the most versatile one-trick pony in all of effect pedal history . This statement probably sounds confusing and contradictory , but please allow me to explain . Firstly , regarding the pedal ’ s single trick , it is generally agreed that the standard issue three-knob Screamer only sounds good at one basic setting : Volume way up , Gain somewhere between just barely cranked and halfway up , and Tone at the most neutral sounding position . This is the manner in which most players use it , and it does have a certain magical ability to goose a tube amp when dialed in this way , adding focus , impact , and clarity . world of metal . Non-metal guitarists may be somewhat bewildered by this fact . After all , why would someone playing through a high gain metal amp need a middlin ’ gain OD pedal ? Well , it turns out that the Tube Screamer ’ s highly mid-range focused sound is invaluable for tightening up the low-end woof of a high-gain amplifier , while also rolling off harsh treble and giving a good poke to the mids . It ’ s great for dialing up a controlled rhythmic chunk , or for saturating a neck-position solo in tube-tinted liquid sheen . Just because Stevie Ray Vaughan loved it doesn ’ t mean Kirk Hammett can ’ t love it too .
The old green Screamer gets points for versatility because , despite its lack of control and sonic variety , it performs its one trick extremely well , and in a way that makes it useful for virtually any genre of music that uses electric guitars . Look at pedalboards from across the broad spectrum of guitar music , from blues and country , to jazz , pop , funk , and all subgenres of rock , and you will find that the classic Ibanez Tube Screamer is ubiquitous in all realms . Anywhere tube amps need a little extra juice , the green box will be found .
One genre where this most venerable of overdrives has become especially beloved , believe it or not , is in the
Plenty of metal guitarists use the off-theshelf TS9 and have no complaints , but there are several other , somewhat lesser known , variants of this classic dirt circuit that are actually even better suited to enhancing the sound of the devil ’ s music . Some are currently in production , while others are long discontinued , under-the-radar gems that will have to be sought out in the used gear marketplace . Here are a grip of the best Tube Screamers for metal .
The Ibanez Tube Screamer is perhaps the most versatile one-trick pony in all of effect pedal history . This statement probably sounds confusing and contradictory , but please allow me to explain . Firstly , regarding the pedal ’ s single trick , it is generally agreed that the standard issue three-knob Screamer only sounds good at one basic setting : Volume way up , Gain somewhere between just barely cranked and halfway up , and Tone at the most neutral sounding position . This is the manner in which most players use it , and it does have a certain magical ability to goose a tube amp when dialed in this way , adding focus , impact , and clarity . world of metal . Non-metal guitarists may be somewhat bewildered by this fact . After all , why would someone playing through a high gain metal amp need a middlin ’ gain OD pedal ? Well , it turns out that the Tube Screamer ’ s highly mid-range focused sound is invaluable for tightening up the low-end woof of a high-gain amplifier , while also rolling off harsh treble and giving a good poke to the mids . It ’ s great for dialing up a controlled rhythmic chunk , or for saturating a neck-position solo in tube-tinted liquid sheen . Just because Stevie Ray Vaughan loved it doesn ’ t mean Kirk Hammett can ’ t love it too .
The old green Screamer gets points for versatility because , despite its lack of control and sonic variety , it performs its one trick extremely well , and in a way that makes it useful for virtually any genre of music that uses electric guitars . Look at pedalboards from across the broad spectrum of guitar music , from blues and country , to jazz , pop , funk , and all subgenres of rock , and you will find that the classic Ibanez Tube Screamer is ubiquitous in all realms . Anywhere tube amps need a little extra juice , the green box will be found .
One genre where this most venerable of overdrives has become especially beloved , believe it or not , is in the
Plenty of metal guitarists use the off-theshelf TS9 and have no complaints , but there are several other , somewhat lesser known , variants of this classic dirt circuit that are actually even better suited to enhancing the sound of the devil ’ s music . Some are currently in production , while others are long discontinued , under-the-radar gems that will have to be sought out in the used gear marketplace . Here are a grip of the best Tube Screamers for metal .

“ Anywhere tube amps need a little extra juice , the green box will be found .”

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