Description

The mean and green OD808 from Maxon. Probably one of, if not the most trusted overdrive in the guitar universe. The Maxon OD808 can be used as a light and organic overdrive, or a way to tighten up an already distorted amplifier for a low-cut and mid-boosted sound!

The secret behind the legendary “808 tone” lies in the amplifier section of the circuit. Rather than having separate amplifier and clipping stages, the OD808 features a signal-distorting diode (Panasonic #MA150) located in the negative feedback loop of the amplifier stage.

The OD808 distorts signal in the amplifier circuit itself which yields a smoother, milder, more natural sounding distortion than a separate clipping stage. This is also the reason that the IC type used in the circuit has such a large impact on the unit’s tone. The Reissue uses the correct JRC4558 Op Amp that made the 808 the tone of legend.