Guitar Pedals · owner-verdict comparison

Boss RC-1 Loop Station vs Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer: what real owners say

Real owners lean toward the Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer: 73% of 52 owners recommend it, vs 58% of 26 for the Boss RC-1 Loop Station.

Verdicts aggregated from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube owner comments — affiliate reviews excluded. Sample sizes differ; judge accordingly. How we score

Boss RC-1 Loop Station

58%of 26 owners recommend

58% recommend · 15% neutral · 27% don't

Owners praise

Circular LED shows where you are in the loop, which owners credit for making the timing easier to learn
One knob and one footswitch, with nothing to configure before the first take
Boss enclosure and switch that gigging owners expect to keep working

Owners complain about

Stopping takes a double tap and clearing takes a press and hold, which owners fumble in the middle of a song
Called unintuitive often enough that some owners leave it on the shelf, and others say it only clicked after working through the manual
Entry-level feature set that owners describe living with until they move to something more capable

Full owner report →

Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer

73%of 52 owners recommend

73% recommend · 14% neutral · 13% don't

Owners praise

Classic, great-sounding overdrive tone
Excellent boost to overdrive a tube amp
Popular, reputable industry-standard pedal

Owners complain about

Mid-heavy voicing that cuts low-end and suits some styles more than others

Full owner report →

Which should you buy?

Get the Boss RC-1 Loop Station if

✓First-time loopers who want to see where they are in the loop while learning to play in time
✓Practice at home, on live streams, or as a quick scratchpad for testing new pedals
✓Players who want to record without setting a tempo or navigating menus first
✓Used buyers, where owners say these turn up for very little

Skip it if

Performers who need clean stops, restarts, and clears on stage without adding an external footswitch
Players who want drums, tempo sync, or more than one loop to work with

Get the Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer if

✓Tube amp owners wanting to push their amp
✓Blues and classic-rock players
✓Fender Strat and Tele guitarists
✓Anyone needing a lead boost or overdrive platform

Skip it if

Players running hot, modern high-output pickups
Those who dislike a mid-forward tone

What Boss RC-1 Loop Station owners say

“RC-1 was more quiet than the RC-3, but indistinguishable from RC-5. I ended up using the RC-1 more because the RC-5 is a pain to set up for simple looping without tempo sync. I'd say go for it.”
— jonslow1212 on Reddit

“I use an rc1 as my main looper for practicing and for playing on live streams. The rc1's visual loop display is extremely helpful and that's something the rc5 does not have.”
— AxelAlexK on Reddit

“If you are looking to use it live, the stop/start functions seem a little clunky to me. I don’t have experience with others, but I’m hesitant to use it on stage for that reason.”
— ZappVanagon on Reddit

What Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer owners say

“I love my TS9 that I've had since the 90s, but I have an EQ pedal after it, which has made all the difference.”
— @DonaldMerand on YouTube

“This really is the greatest distortion pedal I’ve ever owned.”
— @TheDCGuitar13 on YouTube

“Only thing I’d change is the TS for a DS1 or a Boss Super Distortion or an MXR distortion. I was never a fan of the Tube Screamer.”
— _1JackMove on Reddit

Boss RC-1 Loop Station vs Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer: frequently asked questions

Is the Boss RC-1 Loop Station or the Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer better?

Real owners lean toward the Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer: 73% of 52 owners recommend it, vs 58% of 26 for the Boss RC-1 Loop Station.

Who should get the Boss RC-1 Loop Station?

Owners point the Boss RC-1 Loop Station at first-time loopers who want to see where they are in the loop while learning to play in time, and practice at home, on live streams, or as a quick scratchpad for testing new pedals.

Who should get the Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer?

Owners point the Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer at tube amp owners wanting to push their amp, and blues and classic-rock players.

What do owners complain about?

The most-cited downside of the Boss RC-1 Loop Station is stopping takes a double tap and clearing takes a press and hold, which owners fumble in the middle of a song. For the Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer, it's mid-heavy voicing that cuts low-end and suits some styles more than others.