Ibanez Tube Screamer TS9 Not Working

chilipeppermaniac

chilipeppermaniac

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Hi all, I posted here because as the title says, my TS9 seems broken.

I bought it a number of years ago, used at a Music Go Round and basically brought it home and thought it was working right so I filed it away for a later date when I could actually use it once my Marshall amp was fixed.

Now that I got my Amp fixed, it seems my pedal is broken too. If anyone can help me diagnose the issue I would in all likelihood be able to fix it if walked through the process.
I have it plugged in properly, I have the amp making sound and it even makes sound through the pedal UNTIL I step on the switch to try to make use of the pedal itself.

Seeing the red indicator light brightly lit, I expect sound but instead, I only can hear the guitar if the pedal is switched to Off.

Anyway, if anyone can help me fix it I'd be grateful. Cheers
 
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Sounds to me like the switch is working okay. It must be in the overdrive circuit somewhere. Have a look for damaged solder joints. It might have been dropped hard at some point

Other than that it could be a chip. Like the op-amp
 
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Google common problems with these.
I got a TS5 dirty cheap with a know foot switch issue that required a cap value change and its all good.

I can only state the obvious:
try it both with fresh battery and ac adapter?
Did a battery left in it leak and make a mess inside?

Sweep the pots back and forth a few times, you never know.
Tap the whole thing on the floor gently and see if it cuts in and out, the rattle test.

You can put a very small signal on the input from guitar or an mp3 player or something and flex the board a little, press and wiggle things around for clues.

Pull the board out and inspect for broken wires, burnt components or damaged board traces, interference or grounding with the case, inspect the jacks.

after that you can use a DMM to verify foot switch operation, pot functionality in general and voltage points if you can find a good schematic.

After that its signal tracer time I think.

You can always scrap the guts as a last resort and use the enclosure to build something.

OR, toss it and just move on and use the time saved to play.

Good luck either way!!
 
The SD1 is basically a clone of the TS9. This was copied from a post at freestomoboxes.org

"Also had a dead SD1 come in from the same guy, he must have used a totally incorrect power adapter. This SD1 was DEAD, no led, no signal. Turns out protection diode D1 was shorted and jrc4558 was dead. LED worked and signal passed as soon as I changed d1 for a 4001. Installed IC socket and new 4558, sounds good now."

So as Dave said, could be the chip.
 
jtcnj said:
Google common problems with these.
I got a TS5 dirty cheap with a know foot switch issue that required a cap value change and its all good.

I can only state the obvious:
try it both with fresh battery and ac adapter?
Did a battery left in it leak and make a mess inside?

Sweep the pots back and forth a few times, you never know.
Tap the whole thing on the floor gently and see if it cuts in and out, the rattle test.

Good luck either way!!
Click to expand...

Dang JT. U have a nanny cam on me?
I did almost verbatim the above. No battery leakage. All my other pedals work too. I also may appeal to the mercy of Music Go Round to fix for me since I basically bought it, tried it. Then put in a box for later.
 
flatrockmobile said:
The SD1 is basically a clone of the TS9. This was copied from a post at freestomoboxes.org

"Also had a dead SD1 come in from the same guy, he must have used a totally incorrect power adapter. This SD1 was DEAD, no led, no signal. Turns out protection diode D1 was shorted and jrc4558 was dead. LED worked and signal passed as soon as I changed d1 for a 4001. Installed IC socket and new 4558, sounds good now."

So as Dave said, could be the chip.
Click to expand...
Thanks flat. I will get schematic, open it up and probe, get magnifier out to get visual inspection and my multimeter to see what's up.
 
Check the DC adaptor.

Info link:
The Technology of the Tube Screamer

Maintenance problems in the basic TS series
The TS series as a whole has a couple of weaknesses that you should know about if you own one of them.

In the TS 808 and 9, and probably the TS10 as well, the external DC adapter connector is prone to craciking either the solder or the board where it's soldered on. This can lead to intermittent operation of the unit, as the normal battery power goes through there as well. To fix this, open the unit up and examine the power jack and board immediately around it. If you have solder cracking, ust remelting the solder with a touch of an iron and a little fresh rosin core solder will fix it right up.
 
syscokid said:
Check the DC adaptor.

Info link:
The Technology of the Tube Screamer

Maintenance problems in the basic TS series
The TS series as a whole has a couple of weaknesses that you should know about if you own one of them.

In the TS 808 and 9, and probably the TS10 as well, the external DC adapter connector is prone to craciking either the solder or the board where it's soldered on. This can lead to intermittent operation of the unit, as the normal battery power goes through there as well. To fix this, open the unit up and examine the power jack and board immediately around it. If you have solder cracking, ust remelting the solder with a touch of an iron and a little fresh rosin core solder will fix it right up.
Click to expand...


That is a super good link thanks for posting.
 
Well, I did some meter testing of voltages inside my TS, it seems I am getting 9.6 at the DC input connection on the PCB with the thing plugged in.
Then I pull the plug and see what happens when I put a 9v Battery in that I tested at 7.75v. The connections from the battery holder to the board read 7.75v.

Now I moved to another area I think makes logical sense and that is to test the Volts at the foot switch. At the switch I only am getting 2.2 v when the 9v DC adapter is plugged in and 1.75 V when using the battery which tests at 7.75 v. Yet I still get a full 7.75 when testing from ground to the end of the hot lead from holder to the board and to the solder point for the 9v socket.

Unless I am missing something, I think I should be getting 9.6 or 7.75 at the switch too.
Of course 9v if I had a full brand new battery in as well.
 
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odd TS related thing:
My TS5 turns on and off every time I turn my Donner pedal tuner on and off.
Confounded me at first as I didnt notice it by itself but when I start playing.
It is 3rd in the chain after the tuner.
I will try moving it but, weird in any case.

The switch is a momentary and toggles a flip flop type deal I think.
 
JT, I can't help ya here. I usually play clean due to being a learner plus have been basically working at restoring my good amps ( Marshall and Laney). Then if I do use a pedal, I try it 1 at a time as I only have 1 patch cord,,,,,, so I guess I could do 2 at a time.
 
Hi Chilli, this site may be of help
ElectroSmash - Tube Screamer Circuit Analysis
A good place to ask about is the Free Stompbox Forum or DIY Stompboxes Forum. They have some very knowledgeable members. Here is a full schematic including the switching circuitC__Data_Users_DefApps_AppData_INTERNETEXPLORER_Temp_Saved Images_tube-screamer-block-diagram.jpg
I'll see if I can find a pic of the board showing voltage test points etc. Check for anything shorting to ground, like any of the pot lugs shorting to the inside of the enclosure. Hopefully its something simple. Cheers
 
ivan H said:
Hi Chilli, this site may be of help
ElectroSmash - Tube Screamer Circuit Analysis
A good place to ask about is the Free Stompbox Forum or DIY Stompboxes Forum. They have some very knowledgeable members. Here is a full schematic including the switching circuitView attachment 10147
I'll see if I can find a pic of the board showing voltage test points etc. Check for anything shorting to ground, like any of the pot lugs shorting to the inside of the enclosure. Hopefully its something simple. Cheers
Click to expand...

What a great site, Thanks Ivan.
 
Sysco. I ran voltage tests at the points for DC jack as well as the 9 v battery ones and wiggled stuff around, pulled cord tip partially out of the DC jack, had the board completely free of the box so no pinched components, etc. Like I said, my voltage checks yield good voltages until I depress the switch to enact the circuit. I am pretty sure the solder points are good. Sysco
 
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The schematic posted by Ivan doesn't show the DC connections to the chip. They usually have positive on pin 8 and ground on pin 4. If you have the correct voltage at pin 8 but goes south when you turn it on, then the chip is shorting some or all of that voltage to ground. Without a complete diagram, I'm uncertain if this would be the 9vdc or the 4.5vdc.
th
 
Here are the IC & Q1 (input buffer) & Q2 (output buffer) voltages;
IC
Pin 1; 4.5V
Pin 2; 4.5V
Pin 3; 4.5V
Pin 4; 0V
Pin 5; 4.5V
Pin 6; 4.5V
Pin 7; 4.5V
Pin 8; 9V

Q1
Collector; 9V
Base; 3V
Emitter; 2.5V

Q2
Collector; 9V
Base; 3V
Emitter; 2.5V

These may vary a little but should be close on all. I don't have the switching circuit voltages at hand & my TS(9) clone uses true bypass switching so I cant take these voltages off it. But, the entire circuit is powered up "all of the time", only the audio input & output is switched. On Chilli's, even without an audio signal presented to the circuit the DC voltages are pulled down when the effect is switched in. I would think the fault would most likely be in the switching circuit, though I may be wrong. Cheers
 
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