When it comes to the classic pedals of the rock music, the Tubescreamer has to have a very high ranking. At the end of the 70s, the Ibanez Tube Screamer 808 appeared, an overdrive with real tube-like characteristics, back then a sensation. His successor, the TS 9, has since been found on countless pedalboards of all the great guitar players - here just two representatives are mentioned: Stevie Ray Vaughan basically overdrove his Fender Amps with a TS, thus setting a new standard for guitar sounds, and Gary Moore took the best out of his Marshall amps for many years by feeding them with a TS signal. The TS is not too distorted, but the volume is boosted thus getting more from the amp. Ideal for amplifiers that don't have that much distortion. Just a kick on the pedal, and you have a harmoniously balanced and assertive lead sound.
For those who want to torment their amps a bit more, there are 3 more available beside of the TS mode, namely "+", "hot" and "turbo". More gain and bass can be produced here, without losing the classic tubescreamer charm. Settings with higher gain naturally sound also great.
The ideal TS for people who want to have "more".