MJM Guitar Effects Blues Devil Overdrive

This is an Overdrive pedal that's part of the very large TubeScreamer family. This is one of the very early builds - under 100 for the serial number and hand built. You have your three basic dials , volume-tone-gain.

This TS family member has its own unique voice. it's very clear and articulate - great blues pedal. i use it into a Super Reverb head or a Vox AC15 Heritage head out to a Lopo 2x12 closed back cab sporting a pair of WGS ET65 speakers (love'm!!!). my signal flow : guitars (SG, McCarty, Strat, Tele, Charvel So Cal) > pedalboard > amp / cab. the noise floor is low on this pedal. it's the best OD pedal in TS family i've used ... and it just got way better. in fact, that's why i'm writing this post. i replaced the stock JRC4558D op amp with the LM833N chip from my Mi Audio CrunchBox. i was out to improve the performance of the CB and thought of using the chip from the Blues Devil to make it happen - i had no intention of tinkering with the BD because i didn't like its sound. well, i got better results with the CB from the chip swap - but i gained way better performance from the Blues Devil as well placing the LM833N chip into it. that's because the BD is a much simpler circuit than the CB and the LM833N is a low noise Hi-Fi type chip (something the JRC4558D isn't - but a standard TS chip for that legendary tone). the BD has gained a much smoother quality to it with super improved clarity and dynamics - i dig it. it is now one very hip overdrive unit. the sound , the detail and dynamic improvements are something to hear.

works just fine.

I play a variety of styles but love blues/fusion , jazz/fusion type material. for the tones i like most, i have found certain Lovepedals to work best for me as well as the Zendrive. after hearing the Blues Devil with this op amp swap, it has made its way back onto my pedalboard next to the Zendrive and two Lovepedals (Golden Dragon + COT 50 Red). the Blues Devil for my taste and style of playing out performs the CrunchBox via the op amp swap - the BD got the better part of the swap. my pedalboard holds taylor made OD tones now that are rich with dynamics in equal parts. i just set the eq's different at each pedal to get some separation. for the singing sustaining leed tone a CrunchBox is known for, i have gotten a much more useful type sound combining the two Lovepedals - gone is the compression i was getting from the CrunchBox - the Lovepedals just soar with a wide open voice together. the newly improved Blues Devil serves up all my ultimate low gain tones now without any rasp ... it just has to be heard.

808 Love, is the bottom line. I hear this pedal is discontinued. No wonder, with all the gain avaiable on modern multi channel amps it's like tits on a bull, unless you want that 808 sound. I had to discipline myself to turn the gain way down on my amps (Marshall, Rivera, Fender) in order to use this pedal. It is has to compete with you amp's gain voice - OD, the result is not usual musical, like a transistor radio. WIth the gain gone, it's another thing entirely. Extremely simple to use once you set your rig to neutral. Have several hours with both SC and HBs.

Very cool vintage vibe, and remarkable different when in front of a Vox, Marshall or Fender amp. Very useable sound, as long as you don't get it in a OD battle with you amp's tubes. I suspect it would be fun in front of a solid state amp, like a JC. Musical all the way, it adds a fresh option to the OD you're usually pulling from the amp. And I agree with the previous reviewer, great bloom on solo tones and double-stops.

I love / hate the lay-out. Love the chicken heads for a quick glance at the settings, and making small moves with your toe.Super simple and easy. Hate the lay-out, as someone else said, because every time you hit the switch you'll likely to toss your current setting by grazing the knobs. The fix seems simple, switch the level knob (& maybe the drive) for a round, perhaps mini, knob. For live playing the lay-out has some issues.

Putting aside the lay-out issue, and considering the price paid, wow. This is a alot of useable, classic OD 808 love for not a lot of money or hassle. Nice job.

Easy to use, 3 knobs, Level, Tone, Drive. No tricks, just straight up. The most difficult part about using it live is its layout. The layout is aesthetically pleasing but just not functional for live playing. It's too easy to bump the level knob (possible to bump tone knob too) and drop your volume out right when you need to bring the pedal on or if you're about to switch an adjacent pedal.

Sound quality. This is a good sounding pedal, no doubt. A little more punch/volume would be nice. It doesn't really have its own signature, very much like a sparkle drive and some other tubescream knock-offs, but it seems to be missing some guts.

Never had a problem with it.

This is a good pedal, but I'm switching back to my sparkle drive. It lacks some variance. It pretty much only has one sound, tone adjustment and volume don't seem to have a magic combination when playing in different settings (room sizes and such). I'd probably be more inclined to hang onto it if it we're for the location of the volume knob with respect to the footswitch.

The layout of the pedal is simple. I did not get a manual for it as I bought mine new/used. But you don't need a manual to get a great sound out of this pedal--there are no bad sounds! Most importantly, take tiem with the tone control (it is not a matter of going from bass to treble--there is a lot in between!)

I've been playing over 45 years as a soloist blues/blues rock player. Pedals have come and gone, many of them the top ten. But this pedal, this pedal is the ONE! It is the best sounding pedal I've ever used and it is always on my board. It is the best 808 type pedal on the market--even better than the Original 808! It is that and a lot more! Ever heard of note bloom? At higher volumes (gigging volumes) bending a note can soar and grow wings! Seriously, I can bend a note and it blooms and looms larger, then slide the note up two frets and it blooms again!! I have never had a pedal that can do this! I use the Blues Devil through my Super Reverb RI and an original 2X12 Fender Blues Deville into n SRV custom strat anda Fender Texas Special Strat (got to bring those pups down flush with the pickguard for best tone). Pedals are a digitech delay, Blues Devil, TS/9 reissue, and Vox Crybaby.

I have not had any problems with it so far. I have emailed MIchael and he is so friendly and always emails you back.

I have no problem knowing that michael would be there for you if you needed him!

I've been playing Blues and Rock/Blues, as well as Funk, Motown, etc. for 45 years. My lead work (please hear the blues devil at work at myspace.com/mikespivey) has been formed around Hendrix, SRV, Santana, MOuntain's Leslie West, Johnny Winter. I have developed my own tone and feel and I owe some of that to the Blues Devil. I would seriously miss it if it was stolen. In fact I plan on getting a new one as a back up! These pedals are not that well known at the moment. Let me make my main point: This pedal, on low volume, sounds great. However, in a home situation, at low volume, you may think it is buzzy a bit and very midrange heavy. However, it is in the band mix and on stage where this little devil will blow you and the band and the crowd away!! Note Bloom people! It grows as the night goes on and this baby warms up with your amp. I think it would sound best with a tube amp by the way. I generally set it up as follows: Volume at 3:00, Tone at 11 to 11:30. and gain at about 1:00. From gain at 10 to 12:00, sweet cleaner tone (think SRV on clean!), from 12 to 4:00, more singing gain. At higher volumes, rich overdrive, never fuzzy, clear bell-tone, blooming, singing overdrive! It will not cover your mistakes! It is not a fuzz pedal! But this little box will push your tubes into some great SRVish, Hendrix type tones! This is the only pedal that I have seriously made a central part of my sound. Again, check my myspace above for live practice sessions and live performance with the blues devil in the driver seat. I also use it to drive my ts/9 reissue when I want more drive. The blues devil pedal is like a workhorse on your pedal board and it works wonders with other pedals. I keep it on all the time and just back off with my guitar's volume control. Great note articulation and bloom while using cords, just listen to it! If you have heard SRV's El Mocambo DVD, the Blues Devil is voiced almost exactly to his tones on the DVD. But, it will display your tone and your playing, your guitar and amp. If you have bad equipment, the BD is not going to help you much. I have a Klon Centaur on order and I consider it to be a freind of my Blues Devil and I will use them together! This pedal loves other pedals! It is the top Overdrive in the TS tradition out there! Hands down! Simple, powerful, cuts through the mix, best with other pedals! Not raspy, fuzzy, just bell-like screaming tone and heavenly grown note bloom! All that and the price is less than it is worth. Really!! Try it folks!

Simplicity itself, I generally set;
the "Level" (AKA-Vol) to match the output of the amp,
the "Tone" to 3 o'clock,
the "Drive" to 1 o'clock.
I use single coils and hunbuckers, and I use the guitar's volume to overdrive the valves for solos!
It also has a "True-Bypass" footswitch, but to be honest I've never heard any benefit from a true-bypass switch over a decent non-T.BP switch! The Emperors new clothes, perhaps? I dunno!

Honestly and truthfuly, ABSOLUTELY STUNNING!

I use a 1988 Tokai Love Rock (LP.Std) through a stock 1976 Marshall 4140 4x10 combo with the amps onboard boost switched off, and my 79 Fender Strat through a Gibson GA15RV 1x12 combo. The MJM Blues Devil brings both guitars to life with a breath of pure overdriven sweetness that surpasses any other pedal I've ever used (and I've used loads), and it suits both guitars in all pickup configerations and doesn't muddy the neck PUPs! The response of this pedal through valve amps has to be heard "LIVE" to be believed, even at bedroom levels while Granny sleeps next-door!

I also have an old TS9 which the lovely and helpful Mr Robert Keeley & Co recently upgraded to 808 perfection, but it don't quite do for me what the MJM BB does!

It's built solidly by hand, but common sense says, always take a backup! I'm more worried about it being stolen at a gig by a jelous guitar player, than I am about it breaking down!

I haven't had to return to him yet except to order an MJM RM Booster, but the several emails I've sent to him were warmly welcomed and quickly replied to with commonsense and courteous responses! A nice man!

My Blues Devil was won at auction on Ebay, but he was happy to tell me exactly all I needed to know about the pedal; when it was made and what State in the USA it was sent to etc, but NOT the customer's name or address! I didn't ask, and he didn't offer!

I'm a Blues player, I'm now 53 and I've been playing since I first heard Clapton and Mayall's Beano Album when I was about 12 years old!
If some Bstd stole it, I'd have to replace it, nothing else does for me what the MJM Blues Devil does!
I love the look of the thing, and I rely on the sound of the thing! It does what I want it to: it makes me sound like a better player, which in turn pleases my audience and therefore pleases me!
Get one!
Try it!
If it don't do it for you, auction it on Ebay .... I could do with a standby!

It's cheaper by far than many other pedals that claim to do the same thing!

see my original submission..I'm just adding more to it...08/31/2005

see my original submission..I'm just adding more to it...08/31/2005

see my original submission..I'm just adding more to it...08/31/2005

see my original submission..I'm just adding more to it...08/31/2005

The true test of a pedal is what it does in different situations with different guitars and amps. I have played numerous gigs with this pedal since 08/31/2005(the date of my first submission) and have used it with all of my guitars (stock and modded strats and tele's and stock les pauls and PRS). This pedal made my rig come alive and stand out. I'd gotten a call to do 5 shows over St. Patricks weekend and these shows involved me doing covers from nickleback to stevie wonder to santana to keith urban and if I wanted a different tone all I had to do was give the guitar volume a little twist and it would clean up or slap it to the bridge and open the guitars volume. If you need or want a versitile pedal, this is the one for you. If you wanna have some fun, slap a fuzz face or any good fuzz pedal in with it and watch the smile spread across your face. Mike, you made an amazing pedal, keep it up!

Easy to get a good sound out of, since its touch sensitive with only 3 knobs being level, gain, and tone.

Use it on a mesa boogie stiletto and a tryanor. Not noisy. Sound is very very similar to a ts - 9 reissue but it has true bypass so when i hook it up with a ts 808 less sound is leached. Emulating my fav SRV.

Hasnt crapped out yet.

Dunno

Overall its a ts 9 clone but with tighter bass response and true bypass. Its a good pedal. Not very keen on having the stickers made by brother p touch to put on it but its whats in the box i guess. Has the jrc chip that the original tube screamer 808 has which is a bonus.

Tone, Level and Drive controls. Easy to find the sweet spots and the Tone control has enough range to add a bit of bite. Slightly strange layout though, which leaves the controls a little too close to the footswitch for my liking.

Run through a Traynor YCV40WR with a stock Highway 1 strat. Sounds wonderful. VERY touch responsive and really retains all the nuances of your playing. Sounds particularly tasty with the bridge pickup. Have also tried with Humbuckers and got equally impressive results.

You can dial in anything from light breakup to a really nice and full overdrive sound. The timbre and 'feel' of the distortion is lovely. Also sounds amazing infront of my Germanium Fuzz.

Looks very sturdy and well made. Never had any problems with it.

Michael is very helpful indeed and was more than prepared to answer a couple of questions I had.

I play mainly blues in the vein of SRV, B.B.King, Hendrix, Cream, Peter Green, Buddy Guy et al. and this is perfect. It really allows you to find your own unqiue tone rather than simply trying to emulate someone elses. Id have no worries recommending it to anyone with similar musical tastes. Possibly not enough gain for more rocky stuff, but thats not what this is intended for.

Id definatley order another if it was stolen/lost.

3 knobs and a switch...easy

Just for my test I used my "main" guitar at the moment, an early Relc strat, 60's model that has got some dimarzio's in it(heavy blues neck, chopper bridge). I ran it straight into the clean channel of a Marshall TSL-602 and honestly, I've always had a hard time getting a good "blues" sound out of that Marshall but I'm tellin ya...This pedal kicks some ass. Alot of other reviewers have said you have to tweak it to get a good sound but honestly I had the sound I wanted in about 30 seconds. I taste compared it with a Fulldrive2 that I had to use at a show last night. The fulldrive was alright but got really muddy in the low end. This pedal is leaps and bounds better than the fulldrive...my old TS-9 and pretty much any other 'drive' pedal I've used.

I havent used it on a show...but it seems pretty sturdy...I'll find out soon.

Michael seemed cool. He got back to me rather quickly and was pollite so...whatelse do ya need?

Now I know alot of musicians on here start this off with, "...I've been playing for a while now..." But I have...haha. My guitar and gear is how I pay my rent and eat. Everything I do is supported by music so, I'd like to atleast say that I go out there and give it my best with the best I've got. I was a bit worried when I looked at the pedal itself and saw that the writing on it was actually computer printed out stickers. Thats fine though cause this book could be pink with ponies on it and I'll still say it sounds great...haha. As I said before, it out did the fulldrive2 and my TS-9 that unfortunatly died just recently and if I had a gripe about it?...I'd say I wish it had a little bit more drive to it. Now I havent used it in a live situation yet...where levels are much higher but at the moment, that would be my only thing. I definately think this pedal is great and if you want a tone thats more yours, this'll get you closer..if not nail it.

Very simple to use. No bad sound

I waited awhile to submit this rewiew. I wanted to try it with both
guitars and with all 4 amplifiers. This is the best sounding Pedel
Overdrive I have ever used. It sounds like another gain channel on the
Amp. My equipment is a 1972 SG Standard, Deluxe Strat, Badcat Hotcat,
Badcat Mini with new Tonetubby speaker (excellent), Tweed Blues Jr.,
1980 Fender Twin Reverb.

It seems very well build. No problems.

No contact with MJM but GuitarX has been great.

I play blues, rock, country rock, some country. Played over 30 years.
My other Overdrive pedals. Ibanez 808 Keeley, Sparkledrive, Jacques
Tube Blower, Kindrick Buffelo Phuz.