What for?

[Theolodger]

I just picked up an overdrive pedal, an Ibanez Tube Screamer Mini. After looking it up, I now am quite confused. Is the tube screamer meant to emulate the sound of a tube amp on a transistor amp or is it meant to be used on tube amps?

 

[Davis Sharp]

It's supposed to mimic a tube amp. But forget about what it's "supposed" to do. Just plug it in and annoy the neighbors.

I have the TS mini on my pedal board and run it into a solid state amp.

 

[Supersonic]

I don't have the mini, but I have the regular TS-9 which is supposed to be the same thing. I've never used one with a SS amp personally, but it does a fantastic job of overdriving the front end of a tube amp to get that awesome saturated tube sound without totally cranking up your amp...which is probably why it's the most copied pedal ever. Most rock or blues guitarists you've heard have probably used one or something similar. It's not really a distortion pedal but you can get that too. Works good as just a boost pedal also.

As @Davis Sharp said, just crank it up and mess around with it. If you can't get good sounds with a Tube Screamer then maybe drums are your calling.

 

[Raiyn]

If you can't get good sounds with a Tube Screamer then maybe drums are your calling.

 

[Paruwi]

What for?

to let the tubes scream.....

 

[Theolodger]

What for?

to let the tubes scream.....

Oh, of course

 

[Theolodger]

I think I'm just going to use this thread for all my questions about this guitar...

 

[Theolodger]

(Message removed)

 

[Theolodger]

Oh wait, I didn't realise, this is still in the tone zone... oops