Tag: maxon

Maxon OD808 Review

maxon od808 reviewThis is a Guest Post by Tom Jenkinson

The most imitated pedal of all time: the Ibanez Tubescreamer. Maxon, who produced the original Tubescreamers for Ibanez continued production with the original circuitry after Ibanez and Maxon parted ways in 2002. Ibanez has produced countless re-issue pedals since. Re-issues which, unlike the Maxon OD808, do not truly capture that creamy, overdriven magic.

The OD808 provides thick, luscious tones straight out of the box. With only three knobs, the pedal is simple to use. Dialling in crunch or cream can be achieved with the most minimal of knowledge. The ‘Overdrive’ knob controls the amount of gain. ‘Balance’ provides control over the level of effect in comparison to guitar signal. Lastly, the ‘Tone’ knob makes the difference between ‘Bluesbreaker’-esque smoothness or Townshend mid-range punch.

The pedal is lightweight (260g) and the size of this beast means you’d barely notice it on your pedal board. But what really sets this pedal apart from countless competitors, is its true-to-vintage construction. Unlike similar overdrives, and even Ibanez’s own-brand reissues, the OD808 captures real vintage tones, instead of mimicking them.

Plug in a telecaster and expect a rockabilly twang; roll up the overdrive and the pedal really thickens up. Even for single coils, the OD808 really packs a punch. Think Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin or Cream to name a few. However, swap the single coils for high output humbuckers and this pedal is lethal. Played through a Marshall JVM205, the OD808 really pushes the tubes into a natural overdrive. Metal tones such as Ozzy Osbourne and Metallica are well within its capability and sound astonishing.

A truly remarkable piece of equipment, it is almost unbelievable that so much tonal Nirvana can be found in such a compact box. Powered by either 9V battery or DC power supply the OD808 is the most versatile pedal around. The proof is in the pudding: used by an endless list of artists from all spectrums of music the Maxon OD808 is an absolute-must for tone addicts and music enthusiast alike.

View the Maxon OD808 on Amazon.

The Best Tube Screamer Pedals on the Market

Ah, the legendary Tube Screamer, first created by Ibanez was a benchmark pedal that really gave electric guitars great tone. They were designed to push your amp, and as the name suggests, it’ll make your notes scream out. This pedal was a big part of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s tone, which is a big reason why this pedal gained so much popularity. Today, there are many clones on the market, so this article will showcase the best tubescreamers out there.

Ibanez TS808 Vintage Tube Screamer Reissue

ibanez tubescreamer ts808

Of course the reissue of the famous Ibanez pedal needs to be on this list. But at the end of the day, it is not exactly like the original. That being said, it is still a very good rendition that many are very happy with. If you don’t know where to start, and don’t want to shell out a lot of money on boutique versions of the tube screamer, the Ibanez Reissue is a good middle ground. Ibanez also had a limited hand-wired run which I reckon would be even closer to the original sound. View the Ibanez TS808 on Amazon.

Maxon OD808 Overdrive

maxon od808 tubescreamer

Maxon did an excellent job of their rendition of the tube screamer. Some say that Maxon’s is closest to that of the original pedal. At a good price point, and vintage styling, it is a great pick. The Maxon is also true-bypass, which preserves your tone when the pedal is off. View the Maxon OD808 on Amazon.

MJM Phantom Overdrive

mjm phantom overdrive

Probably the best 808 replica on this list. The Phantom OD sounds very organic and maintain that vintage tone close to the original. MJM Electronics is widely know as a maker of vintage sounding effects, and this pedal is no different.  MJM used to have another tube scream style pedal called the Blues Devil, which was great, but it looks to be discontinued.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, if you want to get even closer to the original vintage pedal, Analogman offers a good mod kit that helps achieve this with modern day tube screamers. Definitely worth looking into.