NPD Ibanez JD9 Jet Driver

This tweaked my interest when it first came out...but I figured..eh...more of the same. I was wrong. I picked one up at GC on closeout for 69 bucks plus a $10 gift card I got there yesterday for buying a new Dyna Comp.

This is exactly what I was looking for...very smooth...lots of tonal control with the tone and mid knobs...great low to med gain tones. Sweet pedal...sounds even better with the Dyna Comp in front of it. My amp does very good high gain, but lacks in the low to mid...this finally fills the gap perfectly.

This one really flew under the radar.

Slighty OT :


. . . i am looking into their (Ibanez) "new'ish" Bottom Booster.

According to the Co. it is an OD with louds of ((( L O W END )))

I tried one out at GC one time and loved it. But I came out with a Superlead. Congrats!

I tried one out at GC one time and loved it. But I came out with a Superlead. Congrats!

Yeah...I had the Superlead in my mind, but the JD9 had the quality I was looking for...plus it was 69.99. It's not a distortion like the Superlead and my amp hits that gain territory very well, but lacks in that sweet creamy OD I've been wanting...this pedal fits the bill...FINALLY! I've been searching for this for a while.

The Superlead is a really nice distortion...I may consider one in the future.

Slighty OT :


. . . i am looking into their (Ibanez) "new'ish" Bottom Booster.

According to the Co. it is an OD with louds of ((( L O W END )))

You might want to look at the Boss OD-3 or the TC Electronic MojoMojo too...they both do what you describe very well.

I had one for a while...I liked it, but I always ended up using my OCD for that stuff because it had more low end.

I picked up a "demo" Jet Driver for cheap from Ebay, and it is pretty nice. I noticed a couple of things. One, mine has a battery cover that says "Maxon" on it, but the pedal is made in China (does yours say Maxon or Ibanez on the back of the battery cover?). They may have put a replacement cover on it since it was a demo model, but I thought that was weird.

The other thing is I opened it up, and it has JRC4558 chips in it!. Not the ones printed with NJM4558, but really JRC4558. I'm thinking they are producing these chips with JRC4558 on them again, I can't believe they are using vintage JRC4558 chips in this pedal and also the new Anniversary TS-9 (which also has JRC4558 in it). The two are supposedly the same anyway, despite the hype about the older JRC4558 chips, but I thought it was interesting.

Al

You might want to look at the Boss OD-3 or the TC Electronic MojoMojo too...they both do what you describe very well.

Thanx man !

I had an OD-3, and got rid of it a few years later.
I will look into the MojoMojo though, as i do not know anything about it :wink:

Man...this JD9 is a real surprise...I like it more each time I play it...this is a real sleeper...I'm shocked no one ever really made much of this...it came out and then just fizzled away.

It wasn't really hyped and the info that Ibanez put out about it was basically nil.

True...wonder why?

I forgot to mention, I chose this over the MXR Modified OD...I felt it was much smoother and I liked the mid control better.

Not sure why. I was interested when it came out but there was literally NO hype surrounding it. No demo videos, no teasers, no nothing!

Instant collectible!

Not sure why. I was interested when it came out but there was literally NO hype surrounding it. No demo videos, no teasers, no nothing!

from YouTube and Ibanez website, this has been out since pedal was released last year:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnTBdWNceK4

I believe it was introduced at last summer's NAMM.

I bought one soon after. Used it for one live gig and found out that I couldn't dial in the sound to my liking - sounded good at home, not so good on stage - so I flipped it.

I believe it was introduced at last summer's NAMM.

I bought one soon after. Used it for one live gig and found out that I couldn't dial in the sound to my liking - sounded good at home, not so good on stage - so I flipped it.

Rat wins again!:wink:

Rat wins again!:wink:

The JD9 is basically a TS9 with a Mid control. I thought that the Mid control would help me get to like TS's but no matter what I did with the Mid control, it's still sounded to me like a TS. Just my opinion, but it is also interesting that this pedal's been out almost a year and no one knows much about it.

This tweaked my interest when it first came out...but I figured..eh...more of the same. I was wrong. I picked one up at GC on closeout for 69 bucks plus a $10 gift card I got there yesterday for buying a new Dyna Comp.

This is exactly what I was looking for...very smooth...lots of tonal control with the tone and mid knobs...great low to med gain tones. Sweet pedal...sounds even better with the Dyna Comp in front of it. My amp does very good high gain, but lacks in the low to mid...this finally fills the gap perfectly.

This one really flew under the radar.

Could you please look under the battery door and see if it says "Maxon" or "Ibanez" on the opposite side for me?. As I said in my message, I bought mine as a mint condition demo version, and it has the Maxon battery door on it. I'm thinking they lost the battery door and replaced it with the Maxon version (you can buy them on Ebay), but I'd like to know for sure. I thought at first that maybe Maxon made these for Ibanez, but it's made in China so I don't see how that could be.

Thanks,
Al

The JD9 is basically a TS9 with a Mid control. I thought that the Mid control would help me get to like TS's but no matter what I did with the Mid control, it's still sounded to me like a TS. Just my opinion, but it is also interesting that this pedal's been out almost a year and no one knows much about it.

Sounds to me like it has more gain...sounds smoother than a TS9 to me too.

Sounds to me like it has more gain...sounds smoother than a TS9 to me too.

That's what I'm getting from the video, like a "wamer Rat" or something- a Guinea Pig?

Sounds to me like it has more gain...sounds smoother than a TS9 to me too.

i agree...definitely more gain.

did you ever find a pedal or tone that actually makes you play better? Well this one does that for me...it's easily become my favorite OD.

Could you please look under the battery door and see if it says "Maxon" or "Ibanez" on the opposite side for me?. As I said in my message, I bought mine as a mint condition demo version, and it has the Maxon battery door on it. I'm thinking they lost the battery door and replaced it with the Maxon version (you can buy them on Ebay), but I'd like to know for sure. I thought at first that maybe Maxon made these for Ibanez, but it's made in China so I don't see how that could be.

Thanks,
Al

Mine says Ibanez.

I peeled the rubber off the back today to apply velcro...I always cringe when I do that...I'm a bit anal but try to get over myself.

Man this pedal sounds great.

Slight OT :


. . . an OD that i am starting to use more and more these days is my MXR 402 OD/Boost !

I prefer it a hundred times over my (now unused) TS9 !

Slight OT :


. . . an OD that i am starting to use more and more these days is my MXR 402 OD/Boost !

I prefer it a hundred times over my (now unused) TS9 !

That's another sleeper you don't hear too much about. That one always peaked my interest, but I never had the opportunity to try it. Glad you like it!

That's another sleeper you don't hear too much about. That one always peaked my interest, but I never had the opportunity to try it. Glad you like it!

Thanx . .. i honestly do !

And what a sleepr it is !

Best to desribe the tonnal character is : (very loosely / to my ears anyways ...) a Rat-like gain tone with an MXR Micro Amp on the BOOST-side !

:wink:

Thanx . .. i honestly do !

And what a sleepr it is !

Best to desribe the tonnal character is : (very loosely / to my ears anyways ...) a Rat-like gain tone with an MXR Micro Amp on the BOOST-side !

:wink:

Now it sounds even more interesting!

I love those kinds of finds.

Man...this JD9 is a real surprise...I like it more each time I play it...this is a real sleeper...I'm shocked no one ever really made much of this...it came out and then just fizzled away.

OK.. I got mine today...
I realllllydig it.

It is smooth and creamy with the right amount of chunk and grit. I find it a superb complement to my Boss OD3.

All the controls are usable.. The mid-knob can dial in a bunch of sweet tones and is very interactive with the other knobs.

I am partial to 4 knob ODs ( though I am getting very ready to build a Red Llama/TSF ). I have built and love a Zen clone, but its voice knob is nowhere as intuitive as the JD9.

Excellent bang for the buck. Right up there with Boss OD3, GFS Brownie (modded ala .011 gauge specs), Joyo UD and Joyo Vintage Overdrive.

But if I had to pick just one for everything it would be either the GFS Brownie or the Ibanez JD9 Jet Drive. If I couldn't mod Brownie or have it modded well by someone else, then the JD9 stands alone.. It is a great grab-n-go pedal.

My local GC has one used for $40





Very tempted

My local GC has one used for $40


Very tempted

A bargain and I don't see how you can go wrong...I'd grab it.

Anyone try stacking the JD9 with a TS9 or 808 in front?

Anyone try stacking the JD9 with a TS9 or 808 in front?

I use mine standalone with the gain at 9 o'clock, mid at 1 o'clock and tone at 10 o'clock...so sweet!

I cant understand why people consider the JD9 a distortion. I hear it as an OD for sure...more like a modded TS with mid control. Love mine muchly!

Anyone try stacking the JD9 with a TS9 or 808 in front?

Yes... Been using it with a GFS Greenie or Joyo Vintage OD.

They are complimentary. The mid control of the JD9 is centered higher than the mid boost character of an 808 style pedal. Lowering the Mid control on the JD9, thereby making it more of a transparent OD, makes a nice space to layer on an 808 style pedal.

IME though, the JD9 is a great single-pedal solution. This is because it is not the strongest transparent OD in its price range (That title is held by the Boss OD3.), but has the most-versatile, tunable good tones in its price range.

So currently my choice for under $100 T.O.D. is Boss OD3. Choice for sub $100 808 style is GFS Greenie, and choice for under $100 all around OD is Ibanez JD9. Though that being said, all of these pedals hold their own against pedals well above $100.

So in summary:

Single pedal choice: Ibanez JD9 (Or modded GFS Brownie. But that's a whole different animal)
Stacked pedal choice: GFS Greenie in to Boss OD3.

I cant understand why people consider the JD9 a distortion. I hear it as an OD for sure...more like a modded TS with mid control. Love mine muchly!

+1

I think the OD3 is a great pedal too, but for me it's too bass heavy and gets a bit raspy with the gain set higher. The JD9 just does it for me all around. I'm not much of a stacker...never had much luck with it...things get too compressed. I usually but a pedal for its individual characteristics and I feel that gets lost when stacking. I have a Dyna Comp set low before my JD9 and it brings out a beautiful harmonic quality to the pedal...great stuff...so glad I found it. I'm still looking for the perfect distortion pedal though.