Maxon OD-808 Reissue

Very easy to use- three knobs control volume, tone, and drive.

Sounds like a tube amp- very convincing tone. The reviewer below who trashes this pedal in favor of a cheap throw-away overdrive is completely clueless and downright incorrect as this pedal is a real beauty- its built well too with quality parts. The reason the output section of the re-issue isnt identical to the 25 year-old original 808 pedal is because maxon has IMPROVED the design to eliminate static-electric build up which caused noise- so the re-issued pedal is quieter than the original. The sound is very clear, smooth wth lots of sustain.

No back-up needed.

Very fast responses to e-mail.

Been playing for 20 years, I use this pedal with a 1989 Gibson Les Paul Standard and the new Marshall AVT 50 watt amp.

Great pedal, so ignore the bad reviewers who have a bad axe to grind.

Very simple

Not bad, but a Nobels ODR-1 is WAY warmer and smoother--Kicks this
things sorry little ass. The 808 is more hype than anything. The ODR-1 is $40.00 new.

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I've had a least 7-8 tubescreamers over the years. If you get a good
one matched up with the right amp they're pretty usable. But this
new highly hyped up Tubescreamer/808 craze is just lame! Most of you fools just want an easy definitive way of buying some cool. As if
having one of these units gives you legendary tone or something. Open
your ears, there are sooo many creative options, many much better
than this. In this day of the ADD-USA generation the "be your self"
motto of the good old days has been replaced with the brain washed
easy to manipulate putty head aproach "everyone be the same"
Just listen to the radio? Hmmm?
Look a little deaper, use your own opinion, it dosen't cost more,
many time less to find a unique tone. The white boy with a Strat and
a tubescreamer is sooo tired!

Very easy to use : three knobs --> Overdrive, Tone and Balance
You can't get a bad sound out of this thing. It's not really cheap, but you will not be disappointed ... worth every dollar !

IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A TS-808, DON'T LOOK ANY FURTHER, BUY A MAXON OD-808 AT +/- 140 $. THIS IS A PERFECT COPY OF THE IBANEZ TS-808.

This pedal has EXACTLY the same circuit, resistors and opamp (JRC4558D) as the original and legendary Ibanez TS-808. Maxon produced the TS-808 pedals for Ibanez in the early years ... but now they came with their own version of the TS-808, it's called the Maxon OD-808 and it is exactly the same as a real TS-808, only 1/4 of the price you pay today for a vintage TS-808 (!), and of course it doesn't look like a TS-808. Why is everybody giving 500 $ or more for a vintage TS-808 ... why is everybody doing 808-mod's on their TS-9 ??? Probably because they never heard of Maxon ...
I use my Maxon together with an SRV Strat, a Vox Wah, a TS-9/808 and a Fender Super Reverb '65 Re-issue (with Svetlana tubes).
The Maxon and the TS-9/808 boosting each other gives me perfect SRV Tones, while the BD-2 provides me some nasty and growling overdrive/distortion tones.
The Maxon should NOT be used with solid state amps, it was made for being used with (good) tube amps. Much of it's quality will be lost when placed before a SS amp.
The pedal isn't noisy at all.
It IS a TS-808 ... the most sought after pedal in history !!!

I have it for 2 weeks now. Can't say if it is reliable, but it seems a rock-solid box. Weighs less than my Ibanez TS-9/808.

Never had to deal with Maxon, only when buying the pedal. I'm living in Belgium and received my pedal (from the States) 2 weeks later. It was well-packed and fast delivered !!! Good and fast service ...
It came in a black box with a green line on it, just the same as the box of my Ibanez TS-9.

I always wanted to buy a TS-808 ... until I found the MAXON OD-808.
A friend of mine convinced me to buy one instead of a TS-808 at 1/4 of the price of a real TS-808. I didn't believe it would sound the same as a real TS-808 ... until I plugged it in.
I was nailed with my feet to the ground !!!!!!!
This pedal is the Holy Grail for any blues player, especially when you are into SRV like me ...
Buy one now because these pedals are going to become LEGENDARY !!!

Please feel free to mail me if you have any further questions about the Maxon OD-808

3-knobs. Balance, overdrive, and tone. Would be easier if it came with a little trained monkey to turn the knobs for me on command.

Smooooooooooooooth. Did I say smooth? I like it alot. I've had mine for over a year now and I've yet to be dissapointed with it. I don't know why anyone would want to mod one of these unless they're going to use it on bass or something. To me, it sounds perfect. It's like giving my amp an instant case of the blues (in a good way, of course). I use this for mainly 2 things: 1.By itself, as an awesome stand-alone overdrive for a good tube amp to get those perfect blues tones and 2. With any combination of many effects to dirty up or overdrive other distortion and fuzz pedals. It's also the only OD I've tried that sounds really great before a wah. This thing's perfect for me and I see no reason to pay any more for any of the high-dollar ODs that seem to be the rage these days.

Looks kosher to me!

Don't know.

I play almost every kind of music and this thing hasn't failed me yet. If lost or stolen I'd definitely get another but, I might try the new Maxon 9 series because I think it's the same circuit but with true bypass. I like the way this one looks better, though. I should also add that this thing is very clear and transparent and the noise it does have is a good kind of noise. I love the way the articulation of the attack comes through on this and I'll even go as far as to say that I play slightly better with this OD than others because of the way I can hear myself play and my guitar's tone through it.

Dead easuy: 3 knobs :-)

I have all those famous overdrives including tube-based
and this is the most satisfying: better than my TS9 !

The gentleman below me must have had a faulty unit:
I play since 1962 and I have tried any top gear and this
is as good as it gets - my guitars keep the character
and I can sing if I have to even with this overdrive :-)

Many concerts - no problem:

But I also use the VHT Valvulator 1 - top secret !

Do not need it.

I would buy another one immediately.

I have all the very best gear in the world (>$20'000)
and this is the best tubescreamer there is, period.

It overdrives or sings and respects your guitar sound.

Go and buy one.

Easy to use.

I don't even feel inclined to list all my gear and experiences, 'cause this pedal is too overpriced and sounds only marginally better,if that, than a tubescreamer. Let's face it...Maxon is just cashing in on the market. This pedal isn't AT ALL worth it. The parts aren't very good, the sound isn't good(to me), it's overpriced(I must stress that) and there are just too many better sounding/better build quality tubescreamer types out there. Go buy an MJM Blues Devil or even a Sparkle Drive or Fulldrive 2. The OD808 is harsh and uninspiring, to say the least. Try one at a store before you buy!!!

Who cares, if it sounds bad?

Nah...

Yuk!! Sorry the review isn't very conclusive, but the pedal is THAT uninspiring!

There really isn't much to these controls. Basically Drive, Tone, and what they call "Balance" which is your Level control. The tone know seems a bit small...You have to, have to, have to, compare this with other Tubescreamers etc. to make sure it is voiced right for you-

My setup : Danelectro U3 into Maxon CP101 Compressor or MXR dynacomp>Ibanez TS-9 reissue (or Maxon OD808)>Boss NS-2 Noise supressor>Fender Princeton Chorus Amp>Voodoo Lab Tremolo and Akai Headrush delay in effects loop.I'll admit that I'm a little lost on the hype here. I have an un-modded TS9 reissue that I think sounds great, of course the idea that it may sound better led me to purchase the OD808. I've spent hours a/b ing them and I decided to stick with the TS9. These boxes sounded almost identical (almost) the OD808 was a little smoother, but seemed to lack that midrangey-bite that the TS9 has. The tone controls are also voiced very differently on these two pedals, I found the tone control on the OD808 too harsh and trebley,(I can't believe I just said that!) whereas the tone control on the TS9 adds alot of midrange to my Dano which really makes it sound "hollow" which of course, it is! I don't know, The OD808 sounds really good-I can almost clone my TS9 sound on the OD808 except for the midrange. The TS9 cannot clone the OD808 sound however because the drive is smoother-but one man's smoothness is another mans "lack of definition" and that's why I decided to stick with the TS9. Both pedals come ALIVE when you put a compressor in front of them, especioally Maxon's CP101 which is phenomenally clean,but maybe the fact that I use a solid state amp and rely on the pedal for my main source of overdrive has caused me to stay with my un-modded TS9. I'm sending this one back, for the money- I'd rather have another TS9 and fifty bucks in my pocket. The OD808 does sound REALLY good however, just not enough to woo me away from my TS9.

The box is well constructed and the switch is probably the nicest I've come accross. The box is aluminum and lighter than an MXR box which is heavy!!I never worry about "backups" Strings, tubes, fuses, even a second guitar maybe, sure-but stompboxes? no-if it dies then hell, it must be rock-n-roll! 13 years on club circut, never seen one die of any brand/make/model. Bad switch once on old Ibanez Flanger...

Never tried- Good warranty documentation in box.

I've been playing clubs for more than 13 years, I am primarilly a bassist, but I have played guitar for much longer than bass and I have owned/played a ton of gear. First distortion box was MXR Distortion+ circa 1985 2000 series, I was 15 and loaned it out, it was stolen. (Sigh) Anyway- This is a great overdrive pedal that is well constructed and seems to have alot of "vintage credibility" but it wasn't quite voiced right for me. There are alot of recipies for great tone, and the TS9, even in it's unmodified reissue state sounds pretty damn good. If this is what vintage 808's sound like, then maybe I don't need all that vintage stuff- I've found that there is a huge difference between getting vintage tone and having vintage gear, "vintage" is thrown around alot these days and is applied to gear that wasn't that great in it's own time. I think this pedal should cost 100.00 not 135.00, it is a great sounding overdrive, but I'm going to give the VOodoo Lab Sparkle Drive a go against the TS9 and see where I stand. I'm not 100% satisfied with the TS9 either, but it has a certain sound- go to legendarytones.com for a shootout between these two pedals.

Real easy plug and play type.

Great sounding smooth sounding overdrive at all the settings you can?t really dial in a bad sound. Responds excellent to my volume and tone on my dearmond pick ups which can be quite finicky with distortion & overdrives, Sounds good with solid-state amps too which is a plus. A good all around overdrive that kicks ass. Very smooth and warm with tube or solid-state amps.

Three knobs - Balance(volume), Tone and Overdrive level. The tone control has a wide range, better than a TS-9. Small red LED and the footswitch is the easy switching kind not the harder to push in ones like on the MXR pedals. Mine is brand new and Made in Japan.

OK forgot about TS-9 Mods that everyone is doing now, spending way too much for an orginal TS808 which you will just end up looking at and any other clone that is Tube Screamer like. I have owned a TS-9, Fulltone FD2, SD-1, a Line 6 DM4 and many other OD pedals. This is the best! It's quiet and just smoother than a TS-9 and also has more of a volume boost. It's basically a TS808 made from the same company that manufactured the TS808 originally. Don't waste your time with anything else, this is it the BEST OVERDRIVE PEDAL AROUND!

Just got it, no problems yet.

The best, a must for any serious guitarist.

Most of the reviews here talk about how easy this pedal is to use. To get the tones I was looking for took some tweaking. I wouldn't consider this a plug and play type pedal... if that is what you are looking for you might do well to look at something else. If not, the time spent tweaking the guitar/pedal/amp settings is WELL worth it... this pedal sounds GOOD.

Im running a Fender Stratocaster into a Crybaby and the Maxon OD-808. Im using a Peavey Delta Blues 210 amp.

I love this pedal. By varying my guitar/OD-808/amp settings I can go from CLEAN CLEAN to breaking up to full on, feeding back, out of control noise. My favorite uses for this pedal though are to push the clean channel harder to break up early or boost the distortion channel to get a little nastier sound. You can really play with the volume knob on your guitar to get a wide range of tones from one setting though. You can set it nasty, then back off the guitar's volume to clean it up as necessary. If you play blues or classic rock I can't imagine a better overdrive pedal. Yes, the classic tones that are associated with TS-9s and TS-808s are there... and there are tons of other tones to be found as well. One thing to keep in mind... I have heard that these pedals (and others) don't perform nearly as well with solid-state amps. Tubes are where it's at!

I baby my gear, so I don't think gigging with this pedal would be a problem for me. If you jump up and down on it like some sort of freak I'm sure you could manage to break it eventually. Kids, take care of your gear and it will last you a long time and provide a lot of enjoyment. Extra 9-volts are never a bad idea where pedals are concerned, although this one doesn't seem to hard on batteries.

I've never dealth with Maxon... I have no earthly idea what their customer support is like. I guess Godlyke is the US distributor for Maxon, Guyatone, and Bixonic... I assume they would be the people to talk to if you ever had a problem. I'd try my local music store first, they have always taken care of me.

I've been playing for around 15 years. I've owned a bunch of gear, some good... and some bad. This is the best pedal I've ever owned. Play one yourself, you just might fall in love too. I almost bought a TS-9 modded to TS-808 specs... but this Maxon OD-808 was so sweet I had to have it. It will always be in front of my amp.

Sounds very similar to the TS-808 but has a less cohesive sound. With both pedals up full the od808 has a less even decay than the TS808. This may have been just the 2 pedals I tried...they all vary slightly. A good pedal. A good workhorse if you don't want to gig your TS808.

I good buy but not the TS808.

The OD-808 could'nt get much simpler to use. Plug in, set the level to your guitar, add the amount of overdrive you like, EQ the sound with the tone Knob and play, go back and tweek if you need to, thats it.

How do I give my Marshall the crunch of a boogie while keeping that addicting Marshall tone? a Ibanez TS-808. I've tried every overdrive/distortion/fuzz box I could get my hands on just to see if there was anything else out there as good as the Tube Screamer, and they all fell at least a little if not terribly short, until now. The Maxon is probably 99% identical to my ear to the Ibanez. There is a difference that you can occasionally hear when comparing the pedals plugged in side by side. You really have to listen for it. It's not bad, they both sound great. Now my TS-808 is retired and the Maxon pushes my Marshall. I've waited for this pedal for years, Thank you Maxon.

I've only had mine a few months, but the construction seems very tuff. I'm not afraid to stomp on it.

Everythings fine so far, hope I don't have to deal with repairing it someday.

If you know anything about older cranked up Marshall tube amps, and you don't want just an AC/DC sound(no offense Angus) you need to run some sort of stomp box. The Maxon is a indispensible link in the chain. I'm going to buy another one of these pedals for backup/collectors purposes. I did'nt play without the Tube Screamer and I won't play without the Maxon, yes it's that good.

EASE OF USE IS UNBEATABLE!!! 3 KNOBS...WHAT COULD BE SIMPLER?

MY SETUP RUNS CLOSE/SOMEWHAT SIMILAR THAT OF KWS...
SRV SIG. STRAT-CRYBABY WAH- TS-9 - OD-808 - DANELECTRO DELAY/ECHO - BOSS TU-12H TUNER- 1967 BLACKFACE SUPER REVERB (ALL ORIGINAL)

THE OD-808 IS DA BOMB OVERDRIVE PEDAL! IT WILL REALLY COMPLIMENT A TS-9 AND WILL STILL MAKE YOUR GUITAR SOUND GREAT WITH THE TS-9 (IT'LL GIVE YOU A REALLY NICE CLEAN SOUND) IMPOSSIBLE TO DIAL IN A BAD SOUND ON THIS THING!

IT'S PRETTY STURDY...WOUDLIN'T WANNA KICK IT AROUND THOUGH...

NEVER DELT WITH THEM

I PLAY ALOT OF SRV AND KWS..SO THIS IS REALLY A GREAT PEDAL FOR THIS TYPE OF MUSIC. I BET YOU COULD PROBABLY SET IT TO GET A LITTLE MUDDY FOR PUNK OR WHATEVER YOU WANT. I COMPARED THIS TO THE OLD TS-808 AND IT WAS SCARY CLOSE....GREAT PEDAL.

Very easy - 3 buttons :-)

It's THE best overdrive there is, period.

I play since 1960 and have and can buy the BEST gear
and I have all these pedals: TS7, Baby Blue, FD II and
H&K Tubefactor etc ... and also VG-88 and the POD ...

This is THE BEST, period: go and buy one.

looks great

don't know

I can and do buy all the top gear: this is the best overdrive
in the ''808'' family: sounds like a genuine tube-screamer
and makes my tube-boutique amps sound Divine !

It is similar yet better than Ibanez TS9 reissue ...

All I can say is: go and buy one !
Guitar Player was right for once: a MUST BUY.

Can't be any easier. Three knobs and usefull settings in the manual

I use a Fender Blues Junior - Maxon - Crybaby - Les Paul. It's a simple setup and it sounds awesome. From Hendrix to Duane Allman with no problems. Very responsive to pick attack and limited feedback. You can control the volume with your guitar or just by playing softer. I finally found the tone I've been looking for!!

So far so good. I've had it less than a year but the construction seems solid and the footswitch is great. Old school

Worth every penny. I've been playing for 12 years and LOVE Hendrix, Allman Bros, Phish, etc. I can get a variety of tones and it's so easy to use. I compared it to the reissue TS-9 and this blew it away. My amp/Maxon cost me around $350 and it sounds like a $1000 amp. If you're not playing gigs I would recommend a nice small tube amp (Fender Blues Jr, Ampeg Jet Reissue) and a Maxon 808 reissue. You can't go wrong and you'll sound like you spent a lot more money

Pretty simple. Three Knobs...dial it in to your liking.

This thing nails the tube screamer sound and more. Great range of overall tone and better than my original TS-9 that I got rid of a couple years back. I like rolling the tone knob back...very warm and thick. I am mostly into blues and rock so this pedal is now a must for me.

Good construction, seems built to last. Nice switch.

Haven't had to deal with it.

Been playing for about 18 years now and this thing really compliments my playing style. I would much rather go with this pedal than spending hundreds on a TS-808. I had heard too much hype that the OD-808 Reissue couldn't keep up with it, but it can definitely hold its own.

As user-friendly as it gets. Three knobs: tone, balance and drive. Easy to grab them during a gig or rehearsal to tweak the pedal.

I had been using an Ibanez TS-9 reissue for the last several years. I liked the sound quality just fine. However... that darn footswitch was so unreliable. Some days, it worked great; other days, it was a struggle to get it on and off. Figured I'd give the Maxon OD 808 a try. Not only does the switch turn the effect on and off umpteen percent more reliably, but this box sounds superior to the TS-9. With the Tube Screamer, I'd usually find myself completely rolling off the treble on the tone knob since it sounded somewhat harsh past 12 o'clock. With the OD 808, I have a more useable range of tones with the tone knob. Sounds great in every position, although I veer toward around 11 o'clock. With each pedal, I use it more along the lines of a clean boost, cranking the level, but keeping the drive control usually around 9 o'clock maximum. Also, the Maxon maintains the bass response better than the Screamer, which seems to compress the signal.
Noise specs are what you would expect for a gain device, which means it's going to offer some hiss.

I use the OD 808 with my overdrive channel on my Crate VC5212 amps (all-tube) and it gives a nice little boost for emphasizing lead lines or for soloing. Guitars I use include: a Hamer solid-body archtop (Les Paul-style axe); a heavily modded Ibanez RG 570; and a Squier Stratocaster.

I can depend on this. Would gig without a backup for sure. The box is lighter than the TS-9, but I have it anchored down to my pedalboard so it's not going anywhere.

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I've been playing guitar for roughly 23 years. I play lots of different styles, but particularly enjoy playing psychedelia, blues, hard rock/heavy metal, free jazz and experimental-type things. This pedal respects your guitar's tone (as well as the amplifier's). This would be ideal for a blues player and handy for rock 'n' rollers who like the warmth of tube-type tone. I wouldn't recommend setting your amp on clean and using this pedal as your sole distortion source--it's not really made for that function. Use it to juice up your already overdriven tube amp. It's more musical than the reissue TS-9 and keeps your bass response intact. If I were to quibble, I might argue that it's a bit pricey for an overdrive pedal and the case doesn't seem as solid as the Screamer.

Very easy to use, standard 3 knobs like that of a tube screamer. Maxon owns ibanez and this is really a reissue of the original Ibanez TS-808. It has the same op amp chip at also

This pedal sounds like a tube screamer, but it doesn't have the crappy switch like a tubescreamer has. The box looks like an MXR style box. This has more gain than the vox valvetone that I have and is great for blues. But it is not as clear as the vox and sounds kind of like my amp has a sock over it. But still good, more of a blues sound though. Its very smooth and sounds just as good as my friends original TS-9

Very reliable, low current draw so batteries last forever. Good switch

Never delt with maxon

I play rock, blues, punk, and metal and this pedal works great. I compared it to the TS-5, TS-10, TS-9 and this is what I ended up with. Now I hear the TS-7 is suppose to be very good, but I never tried it out and I am a little sketical of the newer ibanez pedals especially after the soundtank series. I would definetely recommend this over a reissue TS-9. For the money the TS-7 may be a better deal, but this is a great pedal

Very easy to use.

I have tried numerous OD's.
Liked this one the best so far.
Very warm and smooth.
No noise! Tone seems sweeter than Fulltone to me.
Records very well too.
Very nicely made. Fine craftman ship. Not cheap like some others.

Don't know yet.

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I play rock, blues, reggae, folk,funk, etc...everything.
30 years playing. I would replace it. Sounds great, looks great!
Nice switch. Compared it to Fulltone, Voodoo lab, Ibanez.
Makes me very creative. I had a very hard time picking an overdrive and finally went with this one. I like the sparkle drive a lot too.
The Fulltone sounded a little thinner to me. I think the sound and beautiful looks won me over.

if you can't figure this out, you've got severe problems. the manual is fine.

although, there should be an easier way to replace a battery on the fly. the way it is now you need a phillips-head screwdriver.

this is the best dist/sust/ovdr out there. unless you want super-heavy dist, this should be considered.

it's not noisy at all.

i use it wither several different amps: '71 twin, bruno, crate... and it sounds great with all.

very sturdy.

very nice. they take pestering quite well.

i play almost every style, but mostly: rock, surf, country, blues and heavy metal... and it's good for all. it's small too, which is a big plus. it's a little pricey, but you get what you pay for. that said, it's absolutely worth every penny.

Very easy to use. The manual had some useful setting suggestions. Dials just like a TS-808.

I lost my TS-808 (if you have it give it back). I was looking for a replacement and don't really like the TS-9. The OD808 sounds a great deal like my old reliable TS-808. The tone fully counter clockwise sounds better to me on the OD808 than my TS-808 did (less muffled), fully clockwise the OD808 is a little too tinny (like tin) but dialed back slightly it sounds just like my TS-808 did fully clockwise. I'm playing a Tele Deluxe through a GK 250ML and with the OD808 settings right I can get a nice barky overdriven Champ sound (Great on a SS amp). I like it. Wet with a little reverb it is quite nice. The best part is it still sounds like a Tele Deluxe. (I was using a Rat since I lost my Tube Screamer and it makes everything sound like anything played into a Rat.) Hats off, nice replication of the TS-808 sound. Its a 10 if your goal is to have something that works like a TS-808.

Don't know yet. I'm pretty nice to my gear so it may not be a problem, but the switch is a little lightweight, and the box is thinner than the original TS-808.

Haven't needed them, but they did do nice documentatrion.

I like to play R&B and Blues. The tones I can get out of this box are a great match. I started playing 25 years ago and took a 15 year break until recently. I play a Tele Deluxe and a Strat type that I built. If it were lost or stolen I would replace it with the same. If I had my TS-808 I would sell it for many dollars and keep the OD808 as I see them as functionally equivalent. There is nothing I wish it had it is a complete functional replication to my ear (others may disagree, beware their motives. When I started playing, any guitar built in the 70s was crap and a TS-808 was a cheapy pedal, you had to get the old stuff for it to be any good, now they are all 'vintage' and collectable). . . oh wait I wish it had a slanted face and a rectangular button, it was 25 years ond and that someone would give me $500.00 for it; then it would be perfect.

Having graduated from kindergarten 14 years ago, this pedal gave me no trouble. In fact, even when I was 5 I could've figured this pedal out. If you still have trouble with finger painting or "staying within the lines", I would not recommend od-808 re.

In my quest to sound/be like Trey Anastasio, I use the following:
PRS CE22 w/ dragon 2's > morley bad horsie wah > ds-1 distortion (dont laugh. it is cheap and compliments the maxon well) > MAXON 0D-808 RE > MXR dynacomp > Boomerang > fender m80 1x12 combo mic'd to a fender acoustisonic stereo amp. Yeah sounds odd in writing, but sounds oh so good live. In fact ever since I got the pedal, I have gotten many compliments on my tone. This pedal is an instant TREY or CARLOS

Given the amount of jaws that drop on the floor when my tone shines through I would have to give it a ten. Yeah it is pricey. Hey, im poor and in collage...what's your excuse? I believe that with the Maxon od-808 re and a little boss ds-1 for lil' extra boost is great for the phish or santana stuff. Yes I would buy one again.

Three knobs: Overdrive, Balance (volume) and Tone on a puke green MXR like stomp box. It's as simple as it gets. My stock OD808 has that mysterious magical chip that seems to start that "mine is better than yours thing".
Very easy to use. Plug in and play yer geetar.

The OD808 is a mild overdrive stomp box that gives you a pleasant kick in the ass tone. I could hear all those SRV clones using this but there's more than one vibe here. If you're a Joe Walsh/Eagles fan, a Charlie Sexton, David Gilmour, Billy Gibbons or Rory Gallagher admirer, this is your pedal. Nothing will give you their exact sound, but if your phrasing is like these guys, you'll love the OD808.
Strats or Teles seem to sound best with it. My guitars identity is not colored too much. It's not entirely as "transparent" as some may say but that's a subjective view.
With my single coil guitars through my 50 watt Marshall plexi halfstack, the OD808 allows me to have the bite and tone of my guitar heroes. It sounds especially good with my Prescription Vibe Unit for that swirlly Ernie Isley "Who's that Lady" chops.

No problems.
I've only had it for a month.
Seems tough enough to step on.

Have no idea.

I've been playing for over 30 years and have heard and seen just about all of these vintage toys and remakes. The Maxon OD808 has a more defined attack and tone than my Ibanez UE400 (TS9 tube screamer) multi effects rack piece. You definately know when it's on but you can play with it on all night. Very pleasant tone. Not that ice pick or breaking glass artifical sound.
I have an early version Bixonic Expandora; MXR block letter Distortion+ (not the Dunlop one); Dano Daddy-O; Boss Blues Driver;Fulltone 69 & 70 pedals; Matchless Hot Box (THEEEEE BEST)that I use in different playing situations.
My top 3 picks in my collection are: Hot Box, Expandora and Maxon OD808. A very good choice for just a bit of extra juice.

Nothing difficult about three knobs: Overdrive, Tone and Balance. Maxon's manual provides five suggested settings and thoroughly explains the pedal's features. That said, a manual is not actually necessary. Bonus point for lack of stilted, sometimes bemusing but always amusing "Japlish" often found in other Japanese-made pedal manuals.

I use these pedals with Killer KG-Prime guitars, vintage Marshall and Park amps, Mesa Recto 4x12s, Lee Jackson preamps and a variety of rack processors.

I actually have two OD808RIs - the Japanese domestic version and the American export version which chronologically followed later. Inspection of the circuit board reveals notable differences: Four capacitors are changed in value, one capacitor and one resistor are eliminated on the American version. The Japanese version utilizes a JRC1458D chip while the American version packs the mystical-voodoo JRC4558D chip under its hood.

Resistors are tiny eighth-watt carbon film types and capacitors are equally small metal films or electrolytics depending on capcitance value. One tone cap is a tantalum cap.

It would seem that Maxon changed the circuit to respond to demands from the American market. This reflects what I believe is an essential difference as to what the average Japanese and American guitarist expects from an overdrive pedal. In Japan, Hard Rock and Metal still have large followings. The Japanese version has a tight focused tone with a slight mid-boost around 900Hz or so and a slight bass roll-off. I find the Japanese version extremely useful for a bright, yet smooth lead tone that really cuts through. It would seem that the Japanese version's intention is to compliment and punch up an already-overdriven HR/HM rhythm tone.

American guitarists by contrast, seem to prefer a pedal with a complete lack of coloration and it certainly seems that Maxon has addressed this issue well. The American version is the finest exponent of a non-coloring overdrive pedal I've had the opportunity to play. It happily passes up my benchmark overdrive pedal, a very sweet-sounding '83 TS9 with the TS808 mod.

I tend to use these pedals to give me a slight lead boost - neither pedal has its OVERDRIVE control turned past 1:00. Both pedals dish up extraordinarily smooth and responsive lead tones with out reducing pick attack to mush. Dynamics are preserved well. Very natural-sounding. Neither feature that harsh mid spike that mars the TS9.

Switching is accomplished by a MXR-style stompswitch. Some criticism has been leveled that the OD808 uses a SPDT switch. However, this switch does not mechanically switch the signal input like say, old E-H pedals, but instead switches FET switching ala the TS9. Anyone familiar with the fragile computer-type switches on 9-series Ibanez pedals going south on ya should actually appreciate a sturdy stompswitch for FET switching.

Coloration from FETs? Not enough for me to notice and not really a consideration anyway: Both pedals are mounted on a sliding rack shelf and controlled and switched in and out of the audio path with a Rocktron Patchmate - hence true bypass.

As an aside, I've tried varying the supply voltage from an ADA Batt-Man - rotating the voltage from 5.5 to 9.2 volts reveals very little of a difference, but to be fair, neither do any of my other overdrives and distortions sound much different either. Not worth bothering with, IMHO.

Reliability? Some might be concerned about the stompswitch, that's understandable. Still seems pretty solid. As I've mentioned, they're mounted in a rack, so they won't go under the boot and the conditions you subject the pedal to may be very different.

Wave-soldering of components and hand soldering of wires are both employed in the manufacture of the pedal. It would seem sufficient solder has been deposited to the AC input to withstand mechanical stress - always a problem with pedals that have a very thin coat of solder from the wave-soldering process.

Customer support is A+++. I've had some questions concerning Maxon products, emailed the company in Japan and received very prompt, friendly and informative replies in fluent English. These guys want your business and treat everyone like a rock star.

I've been playing for over twenty years and I find both pedals eminently suitable to the styles of music I play - anything from Vinnie Moore sweeps to Trower-ish heavy blues-rock to prog metal to even stuff like Southern Rock.

As I've mentioned, my previous benchmark pedal - an '83 TS9 w/TS808 mod has been surpassed by the OD808 American version. Quite an accomplishment when I consider that TS9RIs w/TS808 mod never sounded quite as good as the '83. Why the difference? Component aging? Different manufacture of resistors and capacitors? Who knows?

All I know is that Maxon has pulled it off. This is what I was looking for.

A first glance, the price of the OD808 might seem a little high - one online retailer lists it for $134.95. When compared to the Ibanez TS9RI that can be found new some places for $99.00, it might not seem like such a bargain until one considers the cost of modifying a TS9RI and all the attendant hassles of shipping, etc. The OD808 American version comes right out of the box with the JRC4558D chip and is ready to blast.

I did try others in my endless pursuit of the ultimate overdrive including those that make as their claim, "has the TS808 circuit in it!" So why not go right to the source?

Also, when compared to boutique pedals offered by lone-man operations assembling TS808 clones in basements and garages and asking $200, $300 and even more for handpainted pedals with Radio Shack parts, the OD808 is a downright bargain. Hey, Maxon ARE the guys that came up with the TS808! And while Maxon's name might not yet have the cachet of some of the Emperor's New Clothes glitterati pedals out there, listen with your ears and your wallet. I was very pleasantly surprised and I think you will be too.

As has been said before, this is pretty easy to use (intuitive)...The footswitch is easier to nail on the fly than the TS-9's, I think. It doesn't take long to find a setting I like.

Having A-B'd this pedal against numerous distortion/overdrives, it won me over. I couldn't try it one-on-one with an original 808, but against much of the competition ( such as Hot Cake, Jekyll and Hyde, etc.) it was clearly more subtle, and thus more usable as an overdrive. I pair it up with a ProCo Rat if I want to go high-gain. This pedal has transparency, and also that wet character. The edges are rounded off (I agree that the tone knob needs to be tweaked somewhat to get this), and the other pedals I tried against this one seemd too gaudy. This one seems natural, like you're just cranking it!

The footswitch is pretty positive, although in truth, the old MXR pedals had better ones along the same lines. Maxon should look into this. The metal casing has the same feel as old MXR pedals - really good!

Haven't had to deal with them yet...Being as they are in Japan, I'm really hoping their distributor is around if I need them.

My signal chain is as follows: '72 Fender Strat>Budda Wah>Maxon OD808 reissue>ProCo Vintage Rat>EH Deluxe Memory Man Reissue>'62 Fender Bandmaster with 2X12 JBL's. My main sound is just the OD808 and the Memory Man delayed for some slapback. This gives me a very authentic blues tone, sort of Peter Green-like, sort of ballsy. Try this pedal out...definitely!