MJM Guitar Effects Blues Devil Overdrive

This is a Ibanez TS-808 clone. It has volume, tone and gain knobs and is laid out just like all Tubescreamers.

My effects are: MJM Ulysses wah, London Fuzz, Sixties-Vibe, Fulldrive 2, Octafuzz and a Fat Boost. This is the perfect TS-808 clone with true-bypass and even a bit more available gain. It is has a wonderful bass response as well as bit more tranparency with the classic Tubescreamer midrange character to cut through. You gotta love this thing!! I can get all kinds of great tones from the unit and for Blues, it is does the job in spades. If you are looking for a great overdriven tone, the Blues Devil is the one without question! Michael uses the JRC4558 chip that does sound best in Tubesreamers/clones. It has a nice smooth creamy tone with a bit of grit!! I play mostly Strats through Fender amps and it sounds great. I even tried this through some Marshalls and it was equally impressive. The tone is clean and clear with a perfect amount of gain and responds to my picking dynamics with flying colors!!!

This unit is built very tough and can stand abuse without any problems. I've had the Blues Devil for a while and it has traveled with me all over the place. I gig with it all the time and still is ticking without any problems. Any problems? Call or e-mail Michael and he will make sure it's taken care of without any fuss.

Michael Milcetic is the best in the business my friends. You will never find anyone better if you tried! He replies to all e-mails and is a joy to talk with on the phone. He is proud of his products and makes sure that you are. There is no issues with this man, he is as straight forward as they come and will go leaps and bounds to make you one satisfied customer. I know I am!!! He is extremely knowledgeable and will try his best to answer any of your questions without any BS. IMHO he is #1, a true class act. There is no one who can touch this man and his products.

I play Blues and Hendrix type stuff. The Blues Devil fits like a glove in all styles. It is an all around winner. I've been playing for 23 years and being a Tubescreamer man, the Blues Devil was very welcomed addition to my collection and setup.

My Blues Devil Mine is in a Gold "Hammerite" Hammond case. What a looker!! If it were lost or stolen I would die. I would immediately have Michael make me another. All you you can do is just imagine a TS-808 with more "mojo". The Blues Devil is superb!! It helps me to kick it up a notch when soloing. This is my favorite Tubescreamer/clone period. It does it all and more. Great tone!!!!!!!!!!!! Go buy one, even sight unseen and it will still blow you away. This is the one!!!

Laid out just like the Tube Screamer it mimics: volume, tone and gain knobs. They behave just like a Tube Screamer's too: the tone knob is very gradual as you turn it up then all of a sudden you get a big treble boost at the very end. What's up with that? I've found that to be the case on every Tube Screamer and TS clone I've tried.

True bypass switching. Mine is in a silver "Hammerite" Hammond-style case. Lettering is from one of those do-it-yourself label makers. Kinda cheep I guess but I like the basic look of these boutique pedals. Wiring inside is neat and tidy.

I didn't much feel inspired to write a review of this pedal cuz I'm not gung-ho about it but I thought it might be nice to toss a little cold water on all the hype this pedal gets.

It's a very nice, hand-built TS-808 with true bypass. And that's all it is. For the price, it's worth it, IMO. People pay about the same for an 808-modded TS-9 so the MJM isn't overpriced if you ask me.

I am not a fan of the midrangy, compressed, smooth tone that TS pedals put out. Some folks -- heck, most folks -- seem to love it. I've tried to love it. I've owned several TS clones over the last few years. I keep trying to like them but they're just not my thing. The pedal loves my little 6v6-powered Magnatone but doesn't work as well with my EL34-based amps and really doesn't like my EL84-based amp. I guess Tube Screamers prefer Fender amps and you could probably say the same thing about the Blues Devil.

Again, it's just not my thing. My ears prefer a more transparent, slightly grittier, chunckier tone. But that's me. This pedal is NOT transparent. I'm so sick of reading that about overdrive pedals. It definately adds some mids and compresses and smooths out your tone. You can't set it as just a clean boost. It changes your tone too much. Phew, okay, I've typed enough now.

Bottom line: if you like the tone of the TS808 this is a great pedal. True bypass, built like a tank and the guy behind MJM is supposedly super great when you need service. As for me, my quest for the perfect OD pedal continues...

No manual included--no manual needed

The Blues Devil has very articulated, transparent tonality. If you are tired of overdrive pedals that lose their punch or wash out when you kick them on, this is for you. I play Melancon custom electric guitars through a twin reverb (not vintage), Roland JC 55, a Line 6 POD or a Musicman powered Cordovox Leslie or a combination of these & I get NOTHING BUT TONE! IMHO I like it better than the TS-808 & it has somewhat wider parameter to dial in to your liking. Best I've heard--hands down! This pedal also has true bypass. I've been searching for years for a pedal like this.

It is all handmade, heavy duty steel case with chicken head knobs so you know right where it's set at a quick glance. I've had it a little over a month so I can't offer a valid reliability report.

Suppoer is in the form of email--usually within a few hours. Ive contacted Mike, the owner/builder several times prior to purchase. Haven't needed any customer support.

I play blues, jazz & a little rock. Been playing for @ 14 years. For blues & rock, I use no other effects--just the blues devil. I would buy another in a flash if lost or stolen. Check it out for yourself at <a href="http://w4.ca/v03v/mysitebyname.asp?username=mjmguitarfx"> MJM FX <a/>

Very easy to get a good sound out of. Drive, Tone, and Level controls. Battery opperated or DC. There is no manual,no need for one. If you do need one to figure this pedal out, I'd be happy to hit you over the head with a tack-hammer.

This is where things get fun. If you've ever been a huge fan of Stevie Ray Vaughan, when you plug this pedal in, you'll know what it's all about. It's got the exact circuit that a TS-808 Tubescreamer has except probably some nicer parts in fact...and it's all handwired. I currently have a Blues Pearl Bluesmaster but will be selling that amp next summer and plan on getting a Komet 60W head(the holy grail of guitar amps). The Bluesmaster is a killer boutique amp though and it sounds great with the Blues Devil. I also use a strat with Seymour Duncan antiquity's. I sold a fulldrive II to get this baby and I'm glad I did. The fulldrive was supposed to be very transparent, but I find the Blues Devil to really retain the characteristics of your pickup better. You can hear those inbetween positions well and it's very distinctive which is a big difference between this and the fulldrive. Not to mention that the tone in this pedal is just all around better. It's grittier but can get very smooth. If you turn the level up, it's got that ability to make it so you can hear every note in the chord your playing. The tone control is effective, it can get very bright when turned up all the way but I like to keep it around 12 o clock. The drive sounds good anywhere in my opinion. If you want more of a "texas flood" tone, just turn the drive down, if you want more of the Pride and Joy tones stick it around 11 o clock or 12. If you want tightrope, turn it up a little more to about 1 o clock. When playing single notes, it just makes your guitar sound like it's really smokin and on fire like stevie ray's guitar sounded. Of course I'm not stevie ray but you get the picture. Like in the description, there is a subtle swell to the notes when you strike them and thats very evident. Some people feel like the pedal takes away some bass, I disagree though, just adjust your amp and turn the tone down a tad and your just fine. There are too many unique tonal characteristics with this overdrive to downgrade it just for that. Overall, this is better than any other overdrive I've played or heard. It's pure texas tone in a tiny metal box. Tones of cutting power with it too. Brings your signal to life.

You can definently depend on this pedal. It's built very strong in a small little box. Doesn't take up any space really either. The switch is heavy duty true bypass switch. The Pot's in the pedal are massive and high quality. The jacks are nice. I'd gig without a backup anyday.

This is where people can't complain. Mike Milcetic probably is the best guy when dealing with customers. You won't find a nicer guy. I've delt with him previosly and bought a london fuzz from him and he was just so helpful. He'll give you tone tips, and talk guitars with you and he knows his stuff. He's not one of those people thats in a hurry to get off the line with you and get back to work or waits days to answer e-mails. He is very quick and thorough in his e-mail responses. As well as the tone and build quality of his effects, his customer service is top notch. More so than anyone else I know of. This Mike knows how to take care of his customers rather than the other Mike(yeah you all know who im talking about) but he really takes care of his customers when duty calls.

I'm a blues player. I dig everything about the pedal. Nothing more that I wish it had. Any questions about the pedal? E-mail me, I'll be sure to get back to you fast so I can brag about how I have one and you don't until you have yours. It's the greatest overdrive in the world though for that pure, fat, sizzling texas tone.

Easy to Use. Just like a tube screamer, accept a little more versatile since all three knobs sweep greater than a tube screamer (that's a good thing).

Sound is subjective. I thought it has a little different vibe than a TS9. It uses the same chip, but since it's made by hand and point to point wired, it's a little more punchy and less compressed than a Ts9. For some that's a good thing, but some people might like the Ts9 compression. I thought sound was good over all. I had a little problem getting the right balance between the treble and the drive.
In general, if you like tube screamers, this sounds bigger and punchier, but you will lose bottom end like you would with a Ts9. Now for one of the most important apsects (for me at least)...True bypass.
Some people say it doesn't matter; well if you are running a fuzz before your overdrive type pedal-it does matter! My fuzzes hated having a TS9 after them, but they had no problem with the Blues Devil.

I had a little grounding short circuiting problem at first. Mike told me how to fix it in a jiff.

Can I give him an 11? I've dealt with sooooo many manufactures. Some good, a few bad, but most have been great. He is simply the best of the great. He will not be satisfied, until you are. He will help get your pedal sounding the way you want it to. Returns email and telephone call quickly, politely, and with great knowledge. Outstanding. It simply doesn't get better.

I've owned a ton of pedals. As far as vibe and feel goes, this pedal is very cool. It's got a slightly different feel from any other pedal I've got. Overall, it's better than the TS9s (w/analog mike mod), maxon 808s, DOD 250 (original), jeckyl & hyde (not a pro piece). My prized original 808 is still my favorite when it comes to simply sitting down and wripping with my guitar, but in a live situation, this thing seems kick through the mix a little better(The Blues Devil is can be a little brighter), so it's pretty darn close (and costs a whole lot less - and did I mention the True Bypass!)

Basic OD pedal with 3 knobs: level, tone, and drive. Very straight forward to use.

Guitars: '52 Telecast RI, '89 Strat Plus w/ Van Zandt Vintage/Blues PUs, '97 Les Paul Classic w/ Tom Holmes PUs.
Amps: Blues Jr. and Dr. Z Carmen Ghia.
I played my strat w/ Van Zandt PUs through the Dr. Z Carmen Ghia and I truly felt like I was finally hearing MY tone. Essentially, I feel like I'm hearing a meatier version of my guitar and amp together. I find when the volume on my amp is high, the effect is somewhat glassy -- highlighting my tone and bringing it forward. When the amp volume is low (1 1/2), the pedal seems to push the tubes -- a much creamier sound. It really brings out my Van Zandts, I'm gettin' some serious Texas tone.
All 3 knobs are fairly sensitive allowing for a variety of tones -- I'm still discovering some.
With all of my guitars, the Blues Devil serves to really bring forth the best in your guitar and amp and your own hands. The pedal can deliver some pretty heavy distortion, but in all cases, it is very, very smooth and gradual. An absolute perfect complement to your set-up if you want to add some gain, but not lose a trace of your personal sound and tone.

My pedal, 100% hand-made, is built very tough. I opened it up upon arrival and the components look very clean and tidy. The knobs are tight and sturdy. The pedal is offerd in gold or silver.

Michael Milcetic was great. He answered numerous e-mails and the pedal was promptly shipped w/ a tracking number. Package arrived from Canada packed very well.

If you're into blues, this pedal is delivers awesome and smooth overdrive. Obviously it nails SRV, but I'm finding much more than that. What amazes me is the smoothness -- changes in tone are gradual and natural. Compared to what you would spend for an original TS-808 this is a steal. And when you consider it is all hand-made, it beats the pants off a modded Tubescreamer as well. If you want smooth OD, this is it!

So eays it's insane. There's three nobs, input jack and an out put jack. Once you have figured out how to dial in your tones you're all set

This is where this thing really takes off. The tone is completly transparent so it's just your guitar and your amp. I guess some people may compare this to a "glassy" tone. I use it for my Super Reverb "blackfaced" and JCM 800 (w/6l6's) and they sound like my amp has just been turned up to 11. The Super especially takes to this really well seeing as my speakers need replacing and can't handle the amp dimed but with a turn of the knob I can get that sound at digestible amp volumes. Another great experiment is to turn the volume on 1 for super clean sound and than let the blues devil warm up the tubes. Sounds exactly like it does wide open

I have only changed the battery once and the clip was faulty and seeing as this was a mod of an old TS 9 the on/off switch is a bit dirty and has trouble making contact. Nothing contact cleaner can't handle.

Mike has been extremly great with me. He is really back logged but after I told him I needed the pedals for an upcoming tour he put in double time to get my stuff ready. I had passed on his # to friend of mine who was blown away by my pedal and has been really nice to him as well. Seeing as I also live in Montreal he told me just to bring the pedal by if something goes wrong with it. Can't go wrong with that. He also is lightning fast about returning emails and has been quite helpful explaining to me the difference between germanium and silicone

I play punk rock/hard rock as well as blues outside of my band and this pedal just nails what I want in both categories. I have been playing a long time and play a '65 Jazzmaster, '64 jazzmaster with Seymour Duncans and Les Paul w/ seymour duncans. If it were stolen I would definetly get another one.What makes this pedal so good is that it sounds like your guitar and your amp. As compared to most 808 mods offered this also gives you more gain if your want it as well as featuring the all important true bypass so I would assume it's better than an 808. Mike seemed really proud of it when he gave it to me and said "You're going to die when you hear this" and when I asked him if it sounds like an 808 he said "better" and he was right. If I thought this pedal sucked I would tell you and I am not personal friends with Mike or was offered any free stuff. This is just a really great overdrive pedal that is easy on the pocket book.

This thing is incredibly easy to use. It has 3 knobs - tone, level and drive. There is no manual, but Mike, the owner of the company who hand builds these things himself, im sure would be glad to help you with any questions regaurding this pedal.

Let me start off by saying this is the best overdrive I have ever plugged in to! It is clean, but not to clean. It is smooth, but still a little gritty sounding just like the original Ibanez Tubescreamers. It is really small too, so if your using a pedal board, this will fit real easy. I am able to get the best blues tone I have ever been able to achieve before. I use a Fender Custom Shop
'60 Relic strat with Van Zandt pickups through a Rivera Quiana studio amp. My other effects consist of a Klon Centaur, Fulltone Fulldrive 2 (which is no longer my favorite pedal anymore), Dunlop Univibe and a Fulltone Clyde Wah. If your one of those many guitarists who are in the search of "that SRV tone" look no further. This is the perfect pedal for that classic TS808 tubescreamer tone. I have compared this pedal to many other overdrive pedals including a TS9, a TS9 modded to an 808, a TS808 and a Fulldrive. I never really liked the TS9's, they color your sound too much and I think at times they are very sheer. The TS9 modded to an 808 seemed to have the same problems still, except a little warmer. The TS808 is a good pedal, but why pay 400 bucks for some beat up pedal that is 20 years old? The MJM actually sounded fatter, they use higher quality pots and has the same exact chip and components as the TS808. These pedals are true bypass so they dont kill your tone when your turn them off either.
that really enhance the tone compared to all those japanese made pedals. This pedal also has more gain then the Tubescreamers, so you can really get an over the top sound. Stevie used 2 tubescreamers - TS808 and a TS9 for soloing. I can nail all the tones of my favorite guitarists - Stevie Ray Vaughan, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Chris Duarte.
This is the perfect pedal if you play Texas blues or Blues-rock.

I can depend on this pedal. I havent gigged with it yet, but I plan on bringing it to my next gig. It is very sturdy looking and it is handbuilt. What more could you ask for? I would have no problem using this pedal and not gigging with a backup.

Mike Milcetic is the coolest guy that I have ever worked with. He is always friendly and he responds to emails very fast and informative as well. If you are unhappy with your pedal, Mike will even let you return it for your money back!

I love this pedal and cant say enough good things about it. Normaly I am a lot more critical when it comes to grading pedals, but I have never come across the perfect overdrive pedal until now. Leave the 400 dollar TS808's for the collectors. This pedal is the real deal except with more gain and true bypass. The parts are all high quality and it uses the same chip as the 808 as I already stated above. This pedal is only 159 bucks too! The perfect Blues overdrive pedal!

Drive, Level, Tone. Doesn't get any simpler than that

Amazing tone. Never had a TS808, but I DO have a Fulldrive 2, TS10 (with the 808 chip -4555JC or something like that), Vox Valvetone, DS-1, TS9 Reissue. There is a "class" to this little box that is almost hard to describe. It seems less compressed than most OD boxes, retaining the natural tone of your amplifier. Sounds great with my JCM800, Mesa DC-5, Silverface Twin, Garnet Pro - but absolutely AMAZING with my 59 Bassman REissue.

Beats the TS9 re-issue hands down. Vox is thin in comparison, TS10 noisy. The only real competition in my arsenal is the Fulldrive 2.

The Fulldrive is also a killer pedal. I can't say one is better than the other - just different. Here is where personal taste comes in...
THe Blues Devil seems smoother than the Fulldrive, especially sweet with single coils - they retain their ring without buzzing or becoming annoying. The Fulldrive seems to "colour" the sound more - making it ballsier. My Bassman with the Fulldrive sounds very aggresive (awesome), more "blues balls" with the Blues Devil (also awesome). I also find the neck humbucker to be less flatulent on my Les Paul with the Blues Devil.

I find my foot reaching over more and more for the Blues Devil....

Only had it for a couple of weeks but Mike Milcetic makes these by hand using quality components. This ain't the TS9 factory in some third world slave camp.

What an absolutely great guy to deal with. Talked to him for about 1/2 hour one day. Explained everything in great detail. As a fellow Canadian, I have to raise a flag and say that I am proud that such a great product is coming out of Canada. His web site is very rudimentary by todays standards - if had sound bites he could sell truckloads of these. His web page is http://w4.ca/v03v/mysitebyname.asp?username=mjmguitarfx
email is rockcity2000_99@yahoo.com

He responds to all of my emails promptly.

Just an example of customer service:

I am also trying out another pedal of his called Sixties Vibe. Didn't sound quite right to me. Get this - he offers to send me another one WHILE I STILL HAVE THE CURRENT ONE - so I can test them side by side - just to determine whether or not the pedal I currently have is defective or not. If I don't like either, he will refund my money. No BS, no bad attitude - genuine concern. It's nice to see a guy who is smart enough to realize a happy customer is his best advertisement.

Anybody looking for old TS808's, or any other OD - should check this unit out. Wow is the only word to describe. You really feel like you are graduating from kid's gear when you use products of this caliber.

Top notch guy, top notch product, top notch support.

WELL...IT IS VERY SIMPLE TO USE..WITH A LITTLE TWEAKING YOU CAN FASHION THE SOUND YOU LIKE...3 CONTROLS FOR VOLUME,TONE AND DRIVE.
RUNS ON A STANDARD 9 VOLT BATTERY. IT IS AN OVERDRIVE UNIT DESIGNED TO EMULATE A TS-808 OR AT BEST A VERY GOOD TS-9.
FASHION YOUR SOUND TO YOUR LIKING...3 CONTROLS..VOLUME,DRIVE AND TONE.

I USE EITHER ENGLISH OR AMERICAN AMPS..(FENDER,MARSHALL,SELMER)
THROUGH A LES PAUL STANDARD OR A TELECASTER.I AM MINIMAL WHEN IT COMES TO EFFECTS(ALTHOUGH I ENJOY HAVING QUITE A FEW FOR RECORDING
PURPOSES.) I USE A VERY OLD VOX WAH-WAH.A VERY OLD VALVE ECHOPLEX
AND A ROTOVERB(VERY ANCIENT LESLIE SIMULATOR). THIS IS A WONDERFUL LITTLE BOX..IT NAILS THE TS-808 DOWN TO A LINE..I SAY THIS BECAUSE ME
AND A COUPLE OF FRIENDS DID TEST COMPARISONS WITH AN OLD TS-808,A
A TS-9 AND EVEN A TS-10(A FAVORITE OF MINE)..AND THIS IS NO HYPE..THIS LITTLE BOX NAILED ALL 3 OF THEM.I EVEN LIKED THE BLUES DEVIL A BIT BETTER THAN THE TS-808..IT COMPRESSES MORE NATURALLY WHICH
I LIKE..ALSO IT HAS A BIT MORE GAIN THAN THE TS-808..THUS NAILING A VERY GOOD SOUNDING TS-10. THIS IS A HANDMADE UNIT..VERY COMPACT AND
VERY COOL LOOKING.VERY USEABLE AND VERY MUSICAL.

WHEN I FIRST GOT IT..I HAD TO TWEAK THE INPUT JACK A BIT, IT WAS A BIT LOOSE..OTHER THAN THAT IT WAS PRESTO.I USE THIS A LOT NOW IN MY LIVE SETTING. IT ADDS A SPARK OF OVERDRIVE TO ANY AMP..AND IT WORKS GREAT WITH AMERICAN AND ENGLISH AMPS. NO NEED TO SPEND 500 DOLLARS ON A TS-808....NOT FOR ME, I KNOW A GOOD OVERDRIVE WHEN I HEAR ONE..AND MOST OF THE TIME I HAVE ALWAYS PREFFERED THE NATURAL SOUND OF A VALVE AMP BEING PUSHED...BUT THIS LITTLE DEVIL IS A SWEET LITTLE GADGET.

MICHAEL MILCETIC IS A GREAT GUY,VERY HELPFUL AND VERY KNOWLEDGABLE OF HIS CRAFT..HE IS CANADIAN AND HE IS GETTING STARTED IN THE PEDAL MAKING BUSINESS...IN MY OPINION HE IS VERY GOOD AT WHAT HE DOES. AND THE REASON BEING IS BECAUSE HE LOVES MUSIC AND THE FUNDAMENTALS OF SOUND. MY BEST OF LUCK TO HIM,I THINK HE WILL DO VERY WELL.

FOR THAT BLUES SOUND AND EVEN ROCK,THE BLUES DEVIL IS ABOUT ONE OF THE BEST OVERDRIVE UNITS OUT THERE. I AM VERY SURE OF THAT.WHY SPEND
$500 DOLLARS ON A TS-808,WHEN YOU CAN SPEND ONE THIRD AND EVEN GET A MORE USEABLE SOUND.THAT IS JUST MY OPINION.I HAVE HEARD MANY OVERDRIVES AND I KNOW THE ONES THAT ARE USEABLE AND THE ONES THAT ARE
NOT...WELL,THIS IS USEABLE..IT IS A PLAYERS TOOL NOT A COLLECTORS PIECE. THE BEST 808 CLONE OUT THERE AND MORE. PERIOD.