Behringer TO800

It has green color, just like the Ibanez Tube Screamer, but does it sound the same? Ibanez tube screamer probably has become the most copied overdrive pedal of all time, from an amateur guitar junkies to world class boutique pedal has tried to copied this pedal.

It has a plastic (ABS) body. The unit sits on a flat stamped steel base plate but the rest of it, including the footswitch, is plastic. The plastic has been spray painted rather than coloured and it is a rather lurid shade of green. To keep costs down, only the exterior of the unit has been sprayed and the inside remains the original white plastic.

So, what does it sound like? To be honest, not bad! It doesn’t sound exactly the same as my TS-808, but it’s in the same ballpark. The Behringer provides slightly more of everything at the same knob positions – a bit more drive, slightly brighter and slightly louder. At the full-on positions the TO800 can give a fair bit of extra overdrive, a more trebly sound and a louder signal. However, the way it responds to the guitar and playing techniques sounds very similar. There is still that emphasis on the middle frequencies and lack of bass characteristic of the TS-808 that helps the guitar cut through in a live situation.

The battery sits in a compartment underneath the on/off selector switch like Boss units (note that a 9v battery is not included). Unlike Boss units, the battery is accessed by removing the whole of the on/off foot switch. This is achieved by depressing the two sprung loaded plastic pivots (which act as the hinges) with a pen and pressing the footswitch off.

It has a cheap price compare to the TS-9 or TS-808, but if you want those sound with a minimal budget, buy this pedal, it really worth with the price. But if you really need a very reliable pedal that will last 20-30 years, save your money and buy the real Ibanez Tubescreamer.