Fulltone OCD Version 4

Plug it in and play! Although it takes a 9v battery I also run mine from a modified mobile phone charger

This pedal is something else: I've ditched my other pedals (Vox Satchurator, Boss Blues, Digi Monkey) and just use this in mid-gain position. The guitar vol control dictates the tone, from quiet neutral to loud valvey.
Robin Trower is one of my all-time guitar gods, and this pedal means I can get his sort of sound. All I need now is to have his playing ability....

Dunno, but given it is handbuilt I guess there will be no problems

Dunno.

I just love this pedal.
The only improvement I can think of is an additional footswitch like the Satchurator which whacks gain to max.

It's a stompbox, not a 747...Yes, it's easy on the brain

After a "number" of years of playing, I picked up a few rules. One I have recently adopted is....never (and I mean NEVER) pay more than $50.00 for a disto/OD pedal...new or used! That's just MY philosophy. Unfortunately, having ignored my own rule, I broke down and forked over $150 for the OCD. I was disappointed and less than impressed. The tone was lacking in the high end department and the low end was kinda "flabby" (lacked definition)and there simply wasn't enough "Drive" to call it a "distortion" pedal.(The word "distortion" is clearly printed on the box) I tried tweaking and tweaking and it just kept coming up flat. I walked away and then came back to it several hours later and it still didn't talk to me. I used several strats, one with a 54 custom shop P/U in the neck position, through an Ampeg VT-22 a VT-40 and a Blackheart 5 watt "Little Giant" all with Celestions, Jensens and various other speakers. PLEASE NOTE: I, in no way, shape or form, am bashing this pedal or it's makers... I'm sure it has it's uses, but just not for me. My Arion MTE-1 "Tubulator" has better drive, EQ and response as an overdrive than this pedal did...and I think I paid $12.99 for the tubulator and I have tried alot of pedals both overdrives and distortions....i.e. The entire Marshall line, old and new (kept only the shredmasters, still use them), Keely modded DS-1 (sold it), MXR Dist+ and the III (nope), Barber DD (Pretty darn OK), Menatone stuff (Pretty Good), DOD 250 (Nope), Ibanez TS9DX (just OK)...etc..etc.. Blah, blah, blah, you get the idea. The OCD just didn't float MY boat.

Can't find any flaws here. Looks and feels like it was built to last forever. I just didn't have it long enough to form an opinion.

I'm sure they're all fine people, didn't need to check in with them.

I am a "Rock" guitarist..... not a metal guitarist or a blues guitarist. I can play both of those styles as they are both incorporated into the "Rock" sound. I know what I like and I know what I don't like. I wanted to like this pedal but I had to send it packing. It's a lukewarm overdrive at best, teetering on a mild distortion. It just didn't give me a chubby. I definately would not have ever advertised this as a distortion pedal. My fave overdrive pedal to date, the Tubulator, hands down (check out the reviews here on H/C). I mainly use a Shredmaster, a Boss MT-2 and a current fave, The Washburn "Soloist Distortion" that I got at Target for $30.00 bucks (Love it). With those pedals you can "dial in" a useable "overdrive" sound as well as a full out distortion tone. NOTE TO FULLTONE....Take the word "distortion" off the box, it really isn't one. Just a small guys 2 cents worth.

Very easy to use. Three dials and one mini toggle switch.

This is my favourite stompbox of all time! I've been playing over 20yrs and have owned tons of gear and this is by far the best piece of gear I have ever owned, hands down. There literally are no bad sounds with this pedal. The one thing that it will not do is super high gain, but this pedal was not designed for that. It's quiet as a mouse, even with the gain maxed. The tone control is great, as it never gives too much or too little. This pedal makes me look forward to playing my guitars. I play both strats and Les pauls and this pedal sounds great with both.

Fulltone makes great stuff, very high quality.

N/A

I never EVER give 10's, but I really cannot find any faults with this pedal! Some people ***** about the placement of the power source on this pedal. Well, as long as it sounds like it does, I don't care where they put the power source. If fulltone were to ever introduce a high gain version on this pedal, I think they'd have the boutique od/dist pedal market all to themselves. Fulltone pedals are great, but the OCD is just unreal.

This has been covered 3 knobs, vol, tone, gain. Then the toggle for hi and low voicing.
Hard to find a bad sound, the volume range is huge (issue will be noted below)
Looks cool and fits any board. Only slight issue is the battery change, though they added knurled thumb screws for easy access. The latter is no issue for me as I use a power supply.

Sounds great as an OD, volume boost or a grinding distortion sound. All three knobs have a wide range of effect and I have it on the HP toggle setting most of the time for a beefy tone.
This is a pedal a person might want to duplicate on their board as it has a good range of tone and volume one might use for different sounds.
I have an issue with the pedal when it is put after a buffered unit in the chain. It loses volume big time, but sounds fine on the other side of the pedal, in this case a Pete Cornish P2-Fuzz. (see below regarding support)

One look inside and you see quality, even if you don't know electronics. Very clean with a nice bright blue LED.

In my opinion the owner is a slightly arrogant musician wanna-be. I've attempted to get information from them on 2-3 occasions with no reply on the last regarding the OCD input impedance. The question is simple and I'm still waiting. The other instances had to do with manual clarifications as I have the Clyde DLX wah and the OCD. The Clyde manual states that you can leave a battery in it and not worry about a drain as long as the a/c jack is in use. The OCD manual did not state this and I sent a message asking if this was true for both pedals. If, so I'd leave batteries in them. The one and only reply I received had them telling me their pedals did not have this feature? If I could have been talked down to in an email, I was. In the mean time I've got Pete Cornish (God Father of pedals & and boards) waiting for my input impedance question, so he can help me. So a guy who regularly communicates with R&R legends follows up with me twice, while Fulltone can't be bothered and to some degree post this on their Web-site. Thank you very little.

The pedal is great, but be careful where it is put in your pedal chain. Their service is a reflection of someone's large Ego and I would not count on them for service...........Fortunately the pedals are quality builds, so fork over your money, but don't ask questions.

Three knobs and a switch. Volume, Gain and Tone. The switch is for HP and LP. HP gives you more gain and volume and will color your sound(feels like more treble?), LP is more transparent with less gain and less volume.

This pedal sounds fantastic! I don't think there are any bad settings on this? VERY well designed in my opinion. It never gets noisy, even with the gain cranked. Both LP and HP modes are very usable. On the HP mode, I tend to back off the tone a bit to reduce the extra treble. In the LP mode, I turn the volume up a bit to compensate for the less gain and less volume. This lack of gain and volume in the LP mode is NOT a negative at all, it's just voiced differently and like I said is VERY usable. Some people think it gets muddy when the gain is cranked? I find that whenever this pedal starts to get "muddy" (I don't think it's very muddy at all), I turn the tone up and problem solved. Remember that different guitars and amps will give you different sounds. I like playing with both humbuckers and single coils, bridge and neck positions. The neck pickup on my Les paul studio sounds muddy with this pedal, but the neck pickup on my Les Paul Standard sings with this pedal. Bridge Humbuckers sound awesome with this pedal and with single coils sound good too; you may have to tweak the pedal to compensate, but still, you will get very usable, musical sounds. This pedal also reacts really well to your picking, VERY dynamic. I can have this pedal on at all times and as long as I adjust my picking technique, I can get it all from light to hard, simply by picking harder or softer, even with the gain pretty high. I give this pedal a 10 as far as sound goes, because unlike so many other overdrives, this one actually deserves it. This is my favorite pedal at the moment. I simply love it!

Hand built, seems pretty sturdy. Changing the battery is a bit of a pain though. I'm used to the simple battery change of say a Boss pedal and this one requires more effort.

Never had to deal with them

I play different types of rock music and this pedal covers it all. You can even eq it and pull off some metal sounds, but let me be clear that this pedal was not designed to do metal in the traditional sense. In other words, if you compare it to a high gain pedal, it won't be able to hang with it, but like I said, i don't believe that this pedal was made for that anyway. This pedal is pure tone, very very nice pedal. I highly recommend this pedal to all mature players who want real tone and not just distortion (there's a difference between distortion and tone). People ***** about the ac adapter jack placement? Are you kidding me? With the results I get from this pedal, you can put it wherever you want!

This is the V.4 of the OCD. Not too much to add here ??? 3 knobs, very smooth controls, HP/LP switch essentially making this a 2 in 1 pedal. User manual is not too informative but I guess you don't really need it.

Let's face it ??? this is the most important part and I think I have something to add here which you won't see in other reviews:
My setup is Gibson Les Paul/ Am. Telecaster into Crybaby/tuner/Boss Ge-7/MXR Blue Box/OCD/Boss BF-2/Digidelay to Amp.
I rehearse with my band (alternative rock) in various rehearsal spaces meaning I play through a different amp every week (JCM900, JCM800, Twin Reverb, Laney, Solid State amps ???. the list goes on). For years this variable in my setup had me stumped ??? How the hell do I get a good overdrive/distortion tone setting when such a huge part of my sound i.e. the amp constantly changing?
I've been through a lot of pedals over the years but constantly battled with tone. We all know that pedals color the sound and some pedals work better with certain amps. Pedals that sound huge when you are playing alone at home seem to disappear when in a band situation ??? dynamics disappear, mud appears and what do you do? You run to the amp/pedals and start to increase treble, volume, fiddle with knobs during the rehearsal/gig trying to find a setting which will let your guitar be heard clearly (blink if this sounds familiar!).
My last pedals (note: not pedal) before the OCD where a tubescreamer into a RAT. Don't get me wrong, the RAT is a great pedal and has that fuzzy edge to it but even though it is harmonically rich ??? it has nothing on the OCD!
I A/B'd the RAT, a modded Boss DS-1 and the OCD at what my ear perceived to be the same drive settings. No doubt about it, the RAT and modded DS seem to filter out some frequencies of the spectrum when compared to the OCD. The OCD is so rich, it really sounds like a good Class A Amp. The dynamics are amazing; picking hard or soft will yield clean to overdrive and every level in between. Turn down your guitar volume a (especially in LP mode) and the OCD cleans up to a VOX like chime (A smile will light up your face - I have yet to hear an overdrive pedal ??? tube or other that does this as well).
Most importantly: The pedal sounds great with every amp and cuts through perfectly in a band setting. I setup my OCD to taste according to whatever amp at my disposal and I haven't found myself going back to change amp/pedal settings in the past 5 months! For rhythm, the OCD gives me clarity and crunch I need and for solos, the OCD boosted with the Boss Ge-7 Eq cuts easily above the band with a beautiful "pro" tone. I have yet to find an unusable setting. I haven't looked at ebay/harmony central/youtube pedal reviews for 5 months since getting this = G.A.S salvation.
PS. It even sounds good when boosting software like Amplitube for home recording

Solid build, knobs are smooth with just the right amount of friction. Switch is solid and build seems indestructible though I still think the RAT wins in this department.

Never dealt with them.

I've been playing for 14yrs in various bands. Been through many guitars/amps/pedals and play everything from blues, funk, rock to shred and metal. My idea of a great overdrive sound is SRV/Robin Trower drive to Led Zep/STP/Pearl Jam to Zakk Wylde. For years I tried to look for that holy grail of drive ??? the one that will consistently project the tone in my head from any amp I use.
It may seem like an expensive pedal but when compared to the option of constantly buying/selling inferior pedals it is worth every cent. Best $150 I have ever spent!
Another tip to Mike Fuller if you are reading this: add a footswitchable clean boost that includes the option of switching the LP to HP mode and watch the devastation of the overdrive/distortion pedal market!

Simple to operate. It has volume, tone and drive. Also a switch to go from HP to LP. Read about it online to learn what the switch does, but basically, from what I can hear, HP gives you more gain and more bite?

I'm using this pedal with les pauls and strats into a matchless cheiftain combo and a mesa boogie mark 1. It seems to like humbuckers better than single colis, especially bridge humbuckers. I like playing single coils with a big muff, so I can't comment all to much on the ocd with single coils, but I can say that it sounds great with humbuckers. I like the HP mode for heavier overdrive (which never gets insanely heavy, but is still very usable and musical sounding). The LP mode is cool too and I use it for lower gain settings. This pedal really does sound like a cranked marshall. Lots of harmonic overtones. When I first read about the harmonic overtones, I had no idea what they meant by it, but now that I've heard and experienced it for myself, I can tell you that they are there and they sound wonderful! This is a really REALLY great overdrive pedal. I see why there are so many people crazy about it, it truly is a very unique sounding pedal. I've never played a pedal like the ocd. This pedal sounds amazing and will cover a lot of ground as far as styles go. The only thing it will not do is the crazy over the top metal thing, but this pedal was never geared toward that kind of music. I must say though, that with a decent outboard EQ, you can get some scooped tones out of it. I don't think it was meant for that, but just know that with an EQ (I have an old Ashley parametric EQ), you can get metal tones.

It seems like it's built quite well, very sturdy.

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I've been playing a LONG time and have owned so much gear; amps, pedals, rack units, etc., and I can honestly say that I do not remember the last time a piece of gear has blown me away like this. I can find no fault with this thing. This is an amazing pedal. I shied away from it for a long time, because everyone; so it seemed, was playing this pedal and going on about it. I tend to purposely go against the grain, but I played one out of curiosity and could not believe my ears! You have to play one to know what I'm talking about.

Pretty easy to figure out and use. Volume, gain and tone. There's also a mini toggle swith to go from hp to lp (high peak, low peak). What this does is to change the character of the pedal. Hp gives more drive, low end and will color your sound, but in a good way. Lp is more transparent and will give less gain; this setting is better (in my opinion for) for lower gain settings.

I NEVER give 10's, but this pedal is just that good! It gives me exactly the sound I've been looking for. I've always played heavy music, but am now playing in a band that does not require heavy distortion. So, I decided I needed a good overdrive pedal, something that does light to medium overdrive. Most of the pedals I tested out just didn't do it for me. I tried the ocd with a les paul, through a matchless cheiftain and WOW, there was my sound! There is a difference between overdrive and distortion. This is an overdrive pedal. If you're looking for heavy distortion, look elsewhere. This pedal is all about tone. There is a difference between distortion and tone. This pedal, even on lower gain settings, gives the sweetest tone you've evere heard. Harmonically rich, musical sounding overdrive. I can even crank the gain in the HP mode and use a parametric eq to scoop some mids and get a good metal sound. The pedal cleans up really well too, with your volume knob. Just roll it back a little to clean it up, even in the higher gain settings. This pedal is just brilliant, I don't know what else to say?

It seems solidly built?

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This is an overdrive pedal, NOT a distortion pedal. It will give you amazing tone but will not do the metal thing too well. I'm sure there are some players out there who will understand that after playing for 10yrs or so, you begin to develop better taste in guitar sounds and you begin to see things like the ocd as a godsend. After a while, the buzzy high gain thing just bores me. I find a quality tone, rich in harmonics so much more interesting. This overdrive pedal is all i need now. I see myself using it for the rest of my years in music. It really is that good.

Most settings yield VERY usable tones. Knobs are easy to operate and are very smooooth. Battery is easy to access. The 9v-18v adapter plug for some reviewers state its in a weird location. To me I DO NOT really see the problem. The guitar cable and the power supply both plugged in without any interference from each other at all. They are almost exactly the same distance as my Crybaby Wah power supply and Cable. My only guess is they must be using some strange off the wall cables and power supplies.

My setup is a Vintage Gibson SG into a Z-28 with a 1X12. The tones with this pedal depend HEAVILY on the equipment you use with it. It will open up your sound and let you know where YOU need work. I call it my "class a" amp in a box. ANY mistakes you make while playing will be not hidden in a sea of buzz. Second if your playing with an Arbor guitar into a Fender Frontman15 then you will notice even MORE!!! how badly you need to go buy a better rig. Now, if your guitar rig is a quality one you will be treated with overtones and dynamics that only a cranked Tube amp WFO will give without waking the dead. Running this pedal at 18 volts vs 9 volts does make a tone difference. More so with the LP mode.In HP mode I prefer 9 volts at rehearsal and lower volume levels. On stage I prefer the HP mode at 18 volts. Your mileage may vary.This pedal also plays well with others.It likes to have a clean boost before it especially during solos.

They have a reputation for quality. From looking at its inside Id say its as well made as any pedal out there and light years ahead of most.Fulltone seems to IMPROVE on vintage designs,not try and relive them.

Never dealt with them

I play Blues-Rock-Soul-Funk. It is versatile enough for anything but death metal.

Very easy to use

with both strats and les pauls this is by far the best sounding Overdrive pedal on the market today. you can turn the level all the way up with no noise at all. If this Pedal was $400 I'd still buy it and I have tried everything including all the keeley pedals.

It's a Fulltone so you know it's built like a tank and will last forever and a day.

never need it but sure it's fantastic.

If you play blues , southern rock and/or classic rock then this is a must have pedal and you'll want to throw out all your other OD and Distortion pedals.