The Tube Screamer clone market is, to put it modestly, going nuts right now. There are brands from all corners of the earth throwing their hats in the TS-inspired pedal ring – but some of these brands are more successful than others.
If you're looking for the closest thing to the original, then – ignoring Ibanez themselves – Maxon is your obvious choice. Back in the late '70s when the Tube Screamer first came out, the pedals were being made by Ibanez's parent company, Nisshin. They made pedals with Ibanez branding, and then decided that they would release their own version of the exact same pedal under the name Maxon. People argue that the Maxon isn't technically a clone for this reason, but as it doesn't have Ibanez written on it, it's in our guide. Electro-Harmonix also makes a killer vintage-voiced TS clone in the East River Drive, and the Mooer Green Mile delivers simple, mid-heavy gain to any pedalboard in a nice compact package.
If you're searching for a modern take on the Tube Screamer, then there are literally thousands of brands all making cool modern-voiced pedals. JHS and EarthQuaker Devices are two of the most popular, and their TS-inspired pedals don't leave much to be desired. They can cover virtually all bases, especially when it comes to modernizing that Tube Screamer tone we love.
Hudson Electronics, while not the most well-known pedal brand on our list, make some super-cool vintage-sounding pedals – especially the Sidecar. It's hard to get hold of the exclusive Sidecar, but if you can, the tones are truly impressive. Think swampy, dirty, bluesy, fuzzy, bright, open-sounding and precise sounds all in one pedal.