Ibanez Tube Screamer TS808 Settings Guide
The Ibanez TS808 Tube Screamer is the original 1979 circuit that started the Tube Screamer lineage. It uses a JRC4558D op-amp in its original configuration — the specific chip that gave early TS808s their warm, slightly compressed character. The TS808 reissue (introduced 1996) is generally considered warmer and smoother than the TS9 reissue due to its op-amp implementation. SRV's main overdrive, John Mayer's foundational tone tool, and the reference point for "Tube Screamer sound."
Used by: Stevie Ray Vaughan, John Mayer, Joe Bonamassa
The best Ibanez Tube Screamer TS808 settings start with: Drive at 4/10, Tone at 5/10, Output at 7/10. Adjust from there based on your amp, guitar, and room volume. For Blues: Drive 3/10, Tone 5/10, Output 7/10.
⚡ Start Here — Recommended Settings
| Control | Starting Position | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Drive | 4/10 | None → Full |
| Tone | 5/10 | Dark → Bright |
| Output | 7/10 | Off → Loud |
These are universal starting points. Adjust based on your amp, guitar, and room. Scroll down for genre-specific settings and artist-documented positions.
What Each Control Does
Recommended Starting Settings
Safe starting positions for any style. Adjust from here based on your amp and room.
All values on a 0–10 scale. These are starting points — fine-tune by ear.
Settings by Genre
Low Drive for maximum pick sensitivity — the TS808 at Drive 3 responds dramatically to how hard you pick. Light picking stays relatively clean; digging in adds warmth and compression. This is the SRV application: a Stratocaster into a cranked Fender Twin, with the TS808 boosting the midrange and adding the foundational warmth for his solo tone.
Minimum Drive, maximum Output — the TS808 as a clean boost pushes the amp harder while adding the characteristic midrange emphasis. The midrange bump (centered around 700Hz–1kHz) makes the guitar cut through a band mix better without adding distortion. Effective before a slightly-saturated amp where more level produces more power-amp compression.
Moderate Drive for a classic rock overdrive. The TS808 at Drive 6 has a warm, musical clipping character — smooth rather than harsh, with the characteristic midrange emphasis that helps the guitar sit in a mix. Suits rhythm playing where you want the guitar to be present and warm rather than scooped and aggressive.
Very low Drive with elevated Output and Tone — the TS808 as a country clean boost. The slight Tone increase adds brightness that helps Telecaster twang cut through. At Drive 2 there is minimal clipping — the effect is primarily a level and midrange boost that drives the amp.
Artist Settings
Documented settings used by professional guitarists on this unit.
SRV's famous TS808 setting was reportedly very low Drive with moderate Output — he used the Tube Screamer primarily for the midrange boost and harmonic warmth rather than as a distortion source. His actual distortion came from cranked Dumble, Fender, and Marshall amps. The TS808 pushed already-saturated amps into more sustain and warmth, not from clean to dirty.
Mayer uses the TS808 as a foundation of his blues-influenced tone — into Dumble and Two Rock amps, the TS808's midrange emphasis adds the voice that makes his lead lines sing. At moderate Drive, the TS808 adds musical compression and warmth without significantly altering the amp's fundamental character.
Bonamassa is a known TS808 collector and user — his approach mirrors SRV's philosophy of using the pedal to warm up already-good amp tones rather than as a standalone distortion device. He uses the TS808 before cranked vintage amplifiers where its midrange push and slight compression enhance the amp's natural character.
Also in Our Rig Database
Guitarists who feature this gear in their documented rig — explore their full setup.
Tips & Common Mistakes
- The TS808 vs. TS9 debate centers on the op-amp configuration and the exact JRC4558D chip variant used. In practice, the difference is subtle — the TS808 is often described as slightly warmer and smoother. Both are midrange-boosting soft-clip overdrives with similar character.
- The Tube Screamer's midrange boost is both its defining feature and its limitation. The bump around 700Hz–1kHz that makes guitar cut through a band mix also makes it sound "honky" or nasal in isolation. This is why many players use it into an amp rather than as a standalone distortion.
- Running two Tube Screamers in series (the "double TS" technique) is popular for solo boosts — the second TS at Drive 0 and Level maximum pushes the first TS harder, producing more sustain and compression. Gary Moore, SRV, and Bonamassa have all used this approach.
FAQ
Ibanez Tube Screamer TS808 — Common Questions
Best starting settings for Ibanez Tube Screamer TS808: Drive at 4/10, Tone at 5/10, Output at 7/10. Adjust from there based on your guitar, room, and playing style.
For Blues: Drive 3/10, Tone 5/10, Output 7/10. Low Drive for maximum pick sensitivity — the TS808 at Drive 3 responds dramatically to how hard you pick. Light picking stays relatively clean; digging in adds warmth and compression. This is the SRV application: a Stratocaster into a cranked Fender Twin, with the TS808 boosting the midrange and adding the foundational warmth for his solo tone.
For Clean Boost: Drive 0/10, Tone 5/10, Output 9/10. Minimum Drive, maximum Output — the TS808 as a clean boost pushes the amp harder while adding the characteristic midrange emphasis. The midrange bump (centered around 700Hz–1kHz) makes the guitar cut through a band mix better without adding distortion. Effective before a slightly-saturated amp where more level produces more power-amp compression.
Drive: Overdrive / clipping amount (None to Full). Tone: Tone / treble cut (Dark to Bright). Output: Output level (Off to Loud)
The TS808 vs. TS9 debate centers on the op-amp configuration and the exact JRC4558D chip variant used. In practice, the difference is subtle — the TS808 is often described as slightly warmer and smoother. Both are midrange-boosting soft-clip overdrives with similar character. The Tube Screamer's midrange boost is both its defining feature and its limitation. The bump around 700Hz–1kHz that makes guitar cut through a band mix also makes it sound "honky" or nasal in isolation. This is why many players use it into an amp rather than as a standalone distortion. Running two Tube Screamers in series (the "double TS" technique) is popular for solo boosts — the second TS at Drive 0 and Level maximum pushes the first TS harder, producing more sustain and compression. Gary Moore, SRV, and Bonamassa have all used this approach.
Stevie Ray Vaughan settings: Drive 3/10, Tone 4/10, Output 7/10. SRV's famous TS808 setting was reportedly very low Drive with moderate Output — he used the Tube Screamer primarily for the midrange boost and harmonic warmth rather than as a distortion source. His actual distortion came from cranked Dumble, Fender, and Marshall amps. The TS808 pushed already-saturated amps into more sustain and warmth, not from clean to dirty.
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