Fulltone OCD Vs Ibanez Tube Screamer (Comparison)
Our pick: Fulltone OCD
Though it's a bit more expensive, we find the tone and flexibility of the Fulltone OCD is better than the Tube Screamer, which we've always thought was a bit overhyped.
The Ibanez Tube Screamer and Fulltone OCD overdrive pedals are fairly similar. They're both overdrives with some flexibility, a basic three-knob configuration, and a vintage style bend. And while the Tube Screamer is easily the more popular of the two, is it the one you should settle on?
We'd say no, and recommend going with the Fulltone OCD instead, even though it costs a bit more.
While the Tube Screamer has been around for a long time, it's not as versatile or satisfying as the Fulltone OCD, in our humble opinion (of course).
The OCD sounds better, overall, and gives you more control.
But let's start with a basic comparison first.
Fulltone OCD VS Ibanez Tube Screamer Comparison Tool
This tool allows you to compare pricing and basic specs for these two pedals, side by side. Note that you can support our work by shopping via the Sweetwater buttons, which we might earn a commission from at no extra cost to you.
PEDALS | Title | Rated | Browse |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fulltone OCD | n/a | |
 | Ibanez TubeScreamer | n/a |
For tone comparison, these are the two demos that we've found the most helpful. Again, note the flexibility of the OCD compared to the Tube Screamer. We think it just sounds better and is capable of accommodating more playing styles.
Detailed Specs
In this section we've put together a more detailed comparison of the two pedals. Though it's important to mention that from a bare specs comparison, the two overdrive pedals have almost zero differences. This is a case where the audio demos get to some crucial nuance between two otherwise very similar pedals.
Header | OCD | Tube Screamer |
|---|---|---|
Effect Type | Overdrive | Overdrive |
Analog/Digital | Class A JFET | Analog |
Features | n/a | n/a |
Knobs | Volume, Drive, and Tone | Drive, Tone, and Level |
Switches | HP/LP | n/a |
Inputs | 1 x 1/4" | 1 x 1/4" |
Outputs | 1 x 1/4" | 1 x 1/4" |
MIDI | no | no |
Height | 2.1" | 2" |
Width | 2.5" | 3" |
Depth | 4.5" | 4.9" |
Weight | 1 lbs. | 1.3 lbs. |
Very similar spec sheets, but which is better? Is there a tone difference? We'd say there is.
At the end of the day, it's a tone quality issue
If you're torn between these two pedals, it's important to mention that there isn't really a "wrong" choice here.
You can go for the popularity buy and pick up the Tube Screamer and be totally happy with what you're getting.
But purely from a value argument, we'd still contend that the OCD is worth the additional cost and is - at its core - a better overdrive than the Tube Screamer. And while there's some subjectivity associated with our conclusion (what sounds good to us might not sound good to you), we make every effort to be objective about tone and sound quality questions.
Having used both, we like the tone of the OCD better.
If you disagree, let us know in the comments section below.
Questions and Comments
Do you have questions about the Ibanez Tube Screamer or the Fulltone OCD overdrive?
If so, drop them in the comments section below.
We'll jump in and help out as much as possible.
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Written by Bobby on Pedals and Reviews
Written by Bobby on Pedals and Roundups
I’ve had TS for years and although it provides a decent amount of boost and bite, it does color the tone a bit. I found an OCD and ordered it but it hasn’t arrived yet. It’s coming with an 18v power supply which I find intriguing. I’ll have to come back and give you a final opinion.
Got my OCD today. The gain is like 10x that of the TS, with minimal coloration. OCD wins hands down. I got mine used from Reverb. Sweetwater doesn’t have any. Mine is Made in USA. Beware the cheap Chinese clones selling for $30.
Hey, Bob – thanks for sharing this! Glad to have another voice propping up the OCD. I think it’s clearly the better of the two. An underrated pedal over the years.
Kind of a stupid comparison don’t you think? They are completely two different pedals. Not even in the same “category” as far as overdrive pedals. It would make more sense to compare the Fulldrive 2 against the tube screamer. This is like comparing a Fender to a Marshall.
Category = gain.
What does “analog/digital” mean? Says “digital” for both but neither is even remotely “digital”. Both are 100% analog.
OCD has more available gain, more dynamic range, passive tone control without the mid hump, and they use two totally different kinds of clipping/limiting. Other than both pedals intentionally distorting the signal, they are not similar to each other in any way. Most players will have both kinds of pedals on their pedal boards due to how different they are. There is zero content in this article other than pointing to two demos done by other people. The “detailed specs” mainly has the dimensions of the pedals and nothing else! Lol. Where is the “detail”?