TS808 = OD808 = TS9?

[BloodyMurderKaraoke]

I am going to pick up an overdrive this week, probably the Maxon OD808 (since I hear lots of my favorite bands use it to boost tone).

I was looking on Musician's Friend though, and I brought up the TS9 and the TS808 alongside the Maxon. Is there a difference? There is definitely a difference in price.

The Ibanez TS808 is $25 more than the Maxon. Both descriptions mention the "JRC4558 IC chip" so I'm wondering if the circuitry is the same with a different sticker on the front.

The Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer is a reissue that's just like the original in so many ways. Same factory, same components, same housing, same famous seasick-green paint, and the same crankin' overdrive that made the original one of the all-time classic pedals

Basically, I'd rather buy the Maxon if having a TS808 is essentially the same thing. I'd also rather only spend $99 if a TS9 reissue is identical to the Maxon 808

What do you guys think?

TS808: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Ibanez-TS808-Vintage-Tube-Screamer-Reissue?sku=150343

OD808: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Maxon-OD808-Overdrive?sku=155025

TS9: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/prod...mer-Effects-Pedal-Original-Reissue?sku=150284

Well I think I answered my own question. I went to Wikipedia and found out that Maxon actually designed all the old Tube Screamers for Ibanez, and now that Maxon no longer produces the Ibanez pedals, Tube Screamers now don't use the original circuitry, so a Maxon stomp would probably be the best decision.

What is the major difference between the OD9 and the OD808. The OD9 costs more

 

[doc_backmask]

This question has been asked countless times, and I think the answer has been that they're all really solid at what they do. If you spend enough time on it, all of them work. You can also get the TS9 modded to sound better. Some people here have gotten better sound out of the TS9, some with the TS808, and some with the OD808. There is even some crushing tone tests with random pedals and such compared against some of the "flagships" (5150, Dual Rec) floating around the place.

The search function should be able to answer your question.

 

[axeman720]

the maxon 808 and ibanez 808 are identical. as well as the maxon od9 and ibanez ts9.

Ibanez pedals are relabeled, licencsed maxon pedals. If there is any difference its extremely minute and not audible.

 

[s34nsm411]

yeah, ive never really noticed much of a difference between the 808s and 9s

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

Isn't the diff between the ts9 and 808 just an op amp chip and 2 resisters?

 

[BloodyMurderKaraoke]

I went to my local guitar center this evening and the guy who worked there didn't know what I was talking about, and thought I was asking for used merchandise. I also said that Killswitch Engage uses the pedal and he said that a band that hard SURELY has something bigger in front of the amp, a little overdrive can't hardly make an amp sound that heavy...

So basically, if I paid for an Ibanez TS9 I'm getting the same product as an OD808?

 

[ochants76]

NO..you are getting a very similar one...with a different ic chip and a couple different resistor values. The 808 is more popular as a boost for metal.

 

[LSD-Studio]

Isn't the diff between the ts9 and 808 just an op amp chip and 2 resisters?

Yes, PM me for conversion-schematic....

 

[BloodyMurderKaraoke]

I picked up the TS9 today and I really can feel a difference in the way lead tones sound. It's a little more subtle on chunky riffs but leads sure are creamy!!! I would be interested in modding this pedal, so I sent you a PM LSD

 

[andy-cytomic]

I am going to pick up an overdrive this week, probably the Maxon OD808 (since I hear lots of my favorite bands use it to boost tone).

I was looking on Musician's Friend though, and I brought up the TS9 and the TS808 alongside the Maxon. Is there a difference? There is definitely a difference in price.

The Ibanez TS808 is $25 more than the Maxon. Both descriptions mention the "JRC4558 IC chip" so I'm wondering if the circuitry is the same with a different sticker on the front....
What is the major difference between the OD9 and the OD808. The OD9 costs more

From the schematics I've seen the OD808 uses an extra dual opamp chip, which is used for buffering the input and output stages, but the TS808 uses single biased transistors for this. At soft input and output levels this won't make much of a difference, but if you crank the input and have lots of drive the tone will be different between the two. Not sure if this is actually the case because I've never cracked open a Maxon OD808 to see if it has the two ICs, but it is clearly visible in the images via the links below:

OD808 Japanese page: http://www.matsumin.net/diy/bunkai/od-808/index.html
OD808 schematic from Japanese page: http://www.matsumin.net/diy/bunkai/od-808/OD-808_sch.BMP
TS808 schematic: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/dc/83/28/dc8328d490a63a3059c78a961d33fdc0.jpg

Now this is different again from the TS808 pedals that Maxon produced for Ibanez, they do have the transistor input / output buffers just like the current Ibanez produced TS808s.

 

[nezvers]

I'll just leave it there...
If someday I'd get one of them cheaply, then it would be the first thing to get rid of old JRC opamp and put higher quality and less noisy one like TL072.