The TS7 Tubescreamer, from Ibanez’s late
nineties/early aughts Tone-Lok Series
(no relation to late eighties “Funky Cold
Medina” rapper, Tone Lōc), offered up an
interesting mutation of the Tube Screamer
DNA. It is well worth seeking out if you can
get past its one-word spelling of “Tube
Screamer” and its odd looking enclosure.
Most TS7s were constructed with the time-
tested JRC4558D chip, so the pedal’s
base tone is still musical, classic sounding,
green box dirt, indistinguishable from
predecessors like the TS9. The
coolest feature for metal
Best of all, the Ibanez Tone-Lok TS7
Tubescreamer is a very common pedal, and
can be had all day long for 30-40 dollars.
Buy like five of ‘em.
dudes, though,
is its Hot mode,
which can be
engaged with a flick
of the miniature switch
located under the Level control. This
mode bumps up the gain and volume
significantly, and can really push an
already roaring stack into fits of rage,
adding considerable cut and chunk while
cleaning up that indistinct low-end woof
that is the bane of many 4x12 cabinets.
30
T