Last Updated on August 12, 2022 by Play Guitar Notes
The Ibanez Tube Screamer may well be the preeminent booster pedal. For those moments when you need a little more strength to your signal to stand above everything else in the mix, engaging a Tube Screamer is just the thing to help push you over the edge while still retaining your tone and staying free from any overbearing noise. This is absolutely essential if you’re jamming with anyone else, and that’s doubly true if you’re in an actual band. Nothing is worse than having your solo spot come up and getting drowned out by everyone else when it matters most.
Size
The Ibanez Tube Screamer Mini helps avoid that horrible situation quite handily, while also leaving a little extra room on your pedal board in the process. You can even use one while playing or recording by yourself. The added clarity and volume boost can really help you hear everything you’re playing as well, allowing for the most accurate practice sessions possible. You can even use this pedal to clean up your signal a bit, giving you the maximum control over the tone coming out of your amplifier as you play.
The Functionality
And practicality are obvious, leaving only one real topic left on the hand. How does the Tube Screamer Mini stack up to the standard Classic and TS808 models?
Price
First of all, the Mini requires less material and parts overall, meaning the retail price can be dropped without Ibanez losing profits. The savings are passed on to the consumer. This pedal is $10 less than the standard Classic version and almost less than the modernized TS808 version.
The basic functionality is much the same for the Tube Screamer Mini. It even has the same basic layout as the Classic pedal, with only the sizes of the features being changed. For instance, the overdrive knob is quite large here, and the pedal is engaged by a smaller button rather than a large foot lever. If you’re switching over from the Classic, the slight shift in available real estate may throw you off at first, but otherwise, the compact nature of the Mini more than makes up for any trifling inconvenience of that nature.
Design
You’ll notice the Ibanez’s mini Tube Screamer also shares the retro looks of its forefather. With a color that could easily be described as sea foam green, this pedal definitely looks as if it came from another time entirely. When combined with a curly primary instrument cable, you’ll have all the makings of an old-school look that will surely turn a head or two toward your direction.