Tone Report Weekly 197 | Page 29

This is the only dirt box on this list without the Ibanez brand on it, and it can’t legally be called a Tube Screamer, but it is undoubtedly a Screamer in every other way. The TS808 was originally designed by Susumu Tamura of Maxon, after all, and the company also manufactured the little green wonder for Ibanez in the early years, so the lineage is unquestionably legit. The company’s ST-9 Pro+ Super Tube, with its characteristically long-winded Maxon name, carries on in this fine tone tradition, and should be of particular interest to the metal-minded OD enthusiast. For one, its Mid in clarity, headroom, dynamics, and overall tightness of the bottom end, all of which is ideal for metal. The Maxon ST-9 Pro+ Super Tube sells new for just under 200 dollars American. Enhance control offers considerably improved mid-range shaping capability, letting the user focus in on either the lower-middle or upper-middle frequency ranges. It also offers an 18- volt power option, which is particularly useful for guitarists that are rocking through an already distorted, high- volume amp. Running the pedal at 18 volts will offer a drastic increase ToneReport.com 29