Ibanez TS9 vs Electro-Harmonix Big Muff: used prices compared
UK used prices side by side, what each one tends to need fixing, and which keeps more of its value. Updated October 2026.
Quick answer: Used, the Electro-Harmonix Big Muff is the cheaper of the two: £45 to £65 against £70 to £90 for the Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer, usually about £25 apart. The ranges do not overlap, so the cheaper model is cheaper in any condition.
| Model | Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer | Electro-Harmonix Big Muff |
|---|---|---|
| Used, working order | £70 - £90 | £45 - £65 |
| New price (UK street) | £113 | £75 |
| Holds of the new price | 71% | 73% |
| How fast it sells | Sells very fast | Sells quickly |
| Usual faults listed | 4 (costs on its price page) | 4 (costs on its price page) |
The difference
Both are stompbox distortions that turn up on every beginner shortlist, and both sell within days of listing. They clip an amp in different places. The Tube Screamer is an overdrive: modest gain, less bass, a strong push in the mids, which is why players put it in front of a loud amp to tighten it rather than run it as the whole sound. The Big Muff is a fuzz: far more gain, more low end under it, and at the top of its settings it will oscillate. Resale behaves the same on both, at roughly seven tenths of the new price, so the Muff is the smaller loss in cash simply because it costs less going in. Versions are the trap on each page. The TS9 range here is reissues, and original 1980s pedals sit far higher, while the Big Muff has many circuits that look alike from the outside, so read which one the label names.
Which to buy
- The Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer if you want a boost and a mid-forward push in front of your amp.
- The Electro-Harmonix Big Muff if you want the most gain of the two, with the low end left in.
Which keeps more of its value
On the ranges in the table the Electro-Harmonix Big Muff keeps about 73% of what a new one costs, and the Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer about 71%. Buying the Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer second-hand saves more against new, and the Electro-Harmonix Big Muff is the one that loses least if you sell it on later. That is arithmetic on our own ranges, and it says nothing about how fast either sells - the row above answers that. All 31 models with figures: gear that holds its value.
What each one tends to need
Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer
- Crackly / scratchy pots or jacks: usually £5-£12 to put right (Easy - DIY, no special tools).
- No power: usually £3-£60 to put right (Medium - soldering / disassembly / YouTube guide).
- Missing power supply: usually £8-£30 to put right (Easy - DIY, no special tools).
Electro-Harmonix Big Muff
- Crackly / scratchy pots or jacks: usually £5-£12 to put right (Easy - DIY, no special tools).
- No power: usually £3-£60 to put right (Medium - soldering / disassembly / YouTube guide).
- Missing power supply: usually £8-£30 to put right (Easy - DIY, no special tools).
Those are the first three in the guide for each. The full list, with the cost of putting each right, is on the model pages and in the faults table.
Before you buy either
Each price page lists what to check, the usual faults and rough repair costs: Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer and Electro-Harmonix Big Muff. Then see how to tell if a listing is a good price.
On Marketplace, the flipper extension prices both against real sold prices and flags faults the seller mentions. It is free while in testing. Join the testers.