Ibanez introduces TSA series amps with built-in Tube Screamer
(Dave Molter | Posted 2010-08-13)
It seems that almost every guitarist -- well, except for dedicated metalheads -- is discovering the virtues of using a heavily driven small amp to produce a big sound. Premiered at Winter NAMM 2010, the new TSA series of guitar amps allows Ibanez to join the raft of guitar amp companies producing low-wattage amps designed to give wall-of-amps sound at low volume. But the TSA goes one step further by including a built-in Tube Screamer. And they're just beginning to hit stores in August 2010.
Guitarists normally have to depend on a separate effect pedal to get the distinctive, warm overdrive sounds of a tube amp. But new Ibanez TSA15H tube amp has a genuine Tube Screamer circuit built in to the front end, for all the warm tube overdrive punch and crunch you’ll need.
The TSA Includes foot-switchable function, with Tube Screamer Overdrive, Tone, and Level controls. The TSA112C speaker cabinet and IFS2G footswitch are sold separately.
15W All tube head 2 x 12AX7(Pre)
2 x 6V6(Power)
Genuine Tube Screamer circuit built into the front end
Front-panel controls are Input; Tube Screamer controls (Overdrive, Tone, Level); a Tube Screamer on/off; 6 dB boost switch; Bass, Treble, Volume; Standby and Power switches.
The rear panel features are AC power input; a 15- or 5-watt selector; output and footswitch jacks; send/return effects loop. Ibanez uses several output jacks to determine impedance: two 8 ohm; one 4 ohm; two 16 ohm; one 8 ohm; one 16 ohm.
The TSA112C cabinet has a half-open back design with one 8-ohm Celestion 12.
Modes:
Pentode - 15W
Triode - 5W
Footswitchable Tube Screamer
Footswitchable 6db boost
MSRP: Head - $399 USD ($299 street); footswitch - $35 USD street; Cabinet - $199 USD street)
I'd love to see Ibanez ramp up things a bit with a 50-watt TSA series head.
From information on the Ibanez website: www.ibanez.com.
