Ibanez Tube Screamer Mini review

The iconic overdrive gets the mini-pedal treatment

  • £65
  • $114
Reviews
By ( Total Guitar ) last updated

MusicRadar Verdict

Retains the classic Tube Screamer flavour in a cute compact package. What's not to like?

Pros

  • +

    Sounds like a Tube Screamer!

Cons

  • -

    Not as versatile as some TS clones.

MusicRadar's got your back Our team of expert musicians and producers spends hours testing products to help you choose the best music-making gear for you. Find out more about how we test.

The belle of 2015's NAMM ball, the adorable TS Mini is made in Japan and packs the TS808's coveted JRC4558D IC chip: good start.

You know what to expect from a TS, and the Mini will get your mids humping and your single coils beefing up with the best of 'em. It's not the smoothest Screamer we've heard, but it is faithful to the 80s incarnation in that it compresses up a treat and cuts the low-end a little.

Ramp up your amp, cut the TS Mini's gain and up the volume, and it gives distorted tones extra attack - and that's possibly its greatest strength.

Michael Astley-Brown
Michael Astley-Brown

Mike has been Editor-in-Chief of GuitarWorld.com since 2019, and an offset fiend and recovering pedal addict for far longer. He has a master's degree in journalism from Cardiff University, and 15 years' experience writing and editing for guitar publications including MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitarist, as well as 20 years of recording and live experience in original and function bands. During his career, he has interviewed the likes of John Frusciante, Chris Cornell, Tom Morello, Matt Bellamy, Kirk Hammett, Jerry Cantrell, Joe Satriani, Tom DeLonge, Radiohead's Ed O'Brien, Polyphia, Tosin Abasi, Yvette Young and many more. His writing also appears in the The Cambridge Companion to the Electric Guitar. In his free time, you'll find him making progressive instrumental rock as Maebe.