Ibanez TS-9 on Bass

[Bass Demon]

Hi... I am just getting a vintage Ibanez TS-9 Tubescreamer and was wondering what it sounds like with bass? I have never heard one used... Is it better than the ODB-3???

[Getaway Driver]

Check out the bad monkey and Hardwire OD, as well as a plethora of other TS clones. They're all pretty much the same thing.

[tomhanzo]

Well the TS-9 is good, but loses low end. I play with a lot of mids boosted so i dont really notice if im miked up, or in a small practice area.

[paganjack]

yeah, i use a TS9DX sometimes...if its in the normal TS9 mode, it cuts plenty of low end, esp with the tone set to trebley.

The DX's bass-boosted modes work pretty well, but they will not be present in your vintage (beautifully sweet for guitar) TS9. but hey plug it in and try it out- you might like it.

[metalmariachi]

I have an old TS-9 and used it for years.
It does loose the low end.
It didn’t seem bad until I got a Jacques Tube Blower then I heard what I was missing.

Put it in a loop with a blend and it sounds very good or you can follow it with an EQ pedal to bring some of the low end back

MM

[tomhanzo]

Originally Posted by metalmariachi

I have an old TS-9 and used it for years.
It does loose the low end.
It didn’t seem bad until I got a Jacques Tube Blower then I heard what I was missing.

Put it in a loop with a blend and it sounds very good or you can follow it with an EQ pedal to bring some of the low end back

MM

u have to watch though. sometimes eq can't bring back lows cause they are gone.

[CamiloDíaz]

I use ONLY a TS9 nowadays. A little EQ to cut some highs, tone knob just a pinch from the lowest side, drive 1/4 and level to your whims. Beauty tubeish tone and very responsive. Low end loss is not THAT big of a problem. I've pretty much dealt with it live by just making the OD level way higher than clean, bypassed tone. It all depends on what ya play, tho.

[tomhanzo]

Originally Posted by CamiloDíaz

I use ONLY a TS9 nowadays. A little EQ to cut some highs, tone knob just a pinch from the lowest side, drive 1/4 and level to your whims. Beauty tubeish tone and very responsive. Low end loss is not THAT big of a problem. I've pretty much dealt with it live by just making the OD level way higher than clean, bypassed tone. It all depends on what ya play, tho.

I have found that to be true as well.

I was playing a show with it for the first time and wasnt miked. I stomped it on and went nearly silent.

You have to crank it if you arent miked

[Hoover]

Originally Posted by tomhanzo

the TS-9 is good, but loses low end.

This.

Originally Posted by metalmariachi

I have an old TS-9 and used it for years.
It does loose the low end.

And this.

Originally Posted by CamiloDíaz

Low end loss is not THAT big of a problem.

Not this.

[wdinc01]

Depending on where you are, you should be able to try one out. Personally, I'm not a fan of them, but I've never owned one. However, I love the Bad Monkey.

I don't really think you can compare it with the ODB-3, although I don't know from experience. I imagine the ODB-3 is just much, much heavier.

[73jbass]

If you want to use a tube screamer,the Turbo version is the way to go. In Turbo mode you don't get as much gain,but you dont loose low end either.

[RobertPaulson]

I used a TS-808 with a bass xciter behind it for quite awhile, worked really well.

[Al Heeley]

Theres a simple mod I'm looking into for the TS to lose that nasal mid boost and give lots of low end, its one cap change from 0.047uF to 0.47uF that extends frequencies down to 72Hz or you can simply bypass it. The reasoning was for guitar that distortion of all the lows caused too much muddiness.
I've got a homebuild one nearly finished with this as a switchable mod - will be interesting to see how it performs I've also gone for switchable asymmetric clipping diode option in order to be completely stompbox geeky