Ibanez TS9 Tubescreamer

It's become fashionable to disparage the Tubescreamer, but I think most people who turn off YouTube and get off the Gear Page and Reddit and actually play one agree: it's a superb sounding pedal. It's not brittle or boxy or ice-picky. It's bright, angular, and alive. No, it's not for all circumstances (a Les Paul into a HiWatt or Orange amp, for example), but what is? On a Strat in position 4 or 5, a Telecaster in the middle position, or a guitar with humbuckers going into a Fender, it's just perfect. Focused and tight, and with really unique harmonics if you turn up the gain a bit. So yes, get 'transparent' overdrives and whatever else seems fun/useful, but make sure you have a Tubescreamer as well!