relied on tube amps for classic tones, the new
sounds they injected into their signal paths
via pedals were made possible by the 1948
invention of the transistor. Pedals quickly
became one of the most cost-effective, convenient, and instantaneous ways to generate
the exciting new sounds that shaped rock
’n’ roll—and modern culture by extension.
By the late ’60s, the market was flooded
with portable sound-modifying devices, and
effects became commonplace in pop music.
Sonic expression was forever changed.
1982-1984
Model: Ts9
series: 9 series
Knob Configuration: overdrive,
Tone, Level
notes: same basic configuration as
Ts808 but with a bigger footswitch
and 9V aC operation.
Country of Origin: Japan
Ibanez and its parent company, Hoshino,
were infamous in the late ’60s and early ’70s
for their Fender, Gibson, and Rickenbacker
knockoffs. Unsurprisingly, it also added
effects pedals to its lineup by the mid ’70s.
These pedals were actually manufactured
by Nisshin, a Japanese company that produced pickups for some Ibanez guitars. In a
curious business arrangement, Nisshin was
allowed to market its own line of effects,
which were identical to those it made for
Ibanez, and they were sold under the Maxon
1984
Model: s T9
series: 9 series
Knob Configuration: overdrive,
Mid Boost, Tone, Level
notes: Mid Boost control added.
Breifly available in europe but not
in the us. extremely rare.
Country of Origin: Japan
photo by Mike “analog Man” piera
brand name. By the late ’70s, Nisshin was
developing the first Tube Screamer—the
famed TS808 that debuted in 1979 and
that was later popularized by Stevie Ray
Vaughan, among others. According to former Ibanez product manager John Lomas,
when the Tube Screamer was created,
Roland—a major Japanese competitor—was
producing the Boss OD- 1 OverDrive and
already had a patent on solid-state asymmetrical clipping. This prompted Nisshin to use
symmetrical clipping in the Tube Screamer.
1985
Model: s TL super Tube
series: Master/L
Knob Configuration:
overdrive, Level, Bite, Bright
notes: not officially a Tube
screamer, but uses a Tube
screamer circuit with a 2-band eQ.
Country of Origin: Japan
