Maxon OD-820

Easy to use, three knobs, Drive, Tone, Level.

In reading some of the previous reviews, I really wonder what these guys who criticize this pedal were hearing. I think it's a top notch overdrive, and competes with the best pedals in the business, including the MSD Bonnie Blue and the Tech 21 California. It provides a great boost to your amp, and can also be used for direct recording.

I had an original Tube Screamer back in the early 1980s, and this pedal is actually better than the original. I like the fact that it boosts the 9 volt signal to 18 volts.

So far so good.

Haven't needed any customer support.

Used it to boost a Germino Lead 55 and a Bogner Shiva, both sounded superb with this pedal.

Easy to use, three button controls a la every other dirt box out there.

If anything, I would grumble that I wish it had separate treble and bass controls, as a single tone control just seems too lo-fi for such an otherwise great pedal. To illustrate, the B. K. Butler tube driver comes in a three knob flavor that's 'good,' or a four knob flavor that's so 'gerat' that Eric Johnson used it. I wish I had a little more control.

Also, the manual doesn't explain where or how the unit goes from it's low grunt 'boost' mode into it's Tube Screamer, overdrive mode. Somewhere around 8 o'clock on the dial there's a change, and below that point sounds more like a transparent boost, but immediately after that things change. The site has some sample tones, but I hate them. They don't sound like the way I use this pedal. Too SRV and rock oriented, and there might be better pedals for that kind of music. The OD-820 excels in other areas.

I have been looking for a ZZ Top, David Grissom, old Buddy Guy type overdrive / boost pedal, something that give me a little more juice without taking over my rig, and I found it in the OD-820. It adds meat, potatoes and booze harmonic thickness to the mix. Sort of like Tom Jones to an Tom Waits, but maybe not even that dramatic. In fact, this can be a VERY subtle effect, which is not something all of them can say--most OD boxes are not this transparent. I love it.

I play a Hamer Special P-90 loaded with Fralins into the OD-820, into a Tweed Deluxe clone with Weber P-12Q. Sometimes I jumpter the OD-820 between the channels and plug the guitar straight into the amp. I find it is a bit noisy on the higher gain settings, but at that level nobody at the club gives a damn.

I can depend on this pedal, and I would gig without a backup. It has a thick metal housing and a sturdy feel.

No idea.

I play blues, trashy, low rent jazz, alt-country, and some classic rock. This pedal is extremely versatile for these styles. I love the way it adds just a little more soul to the tone, without changing the essential character. Since it's not a terrific gain pedal, IMO, it will not make rockers or metal players happy, except perhaps for a crunch channel booster for chording.

I've been playing for 20 years, and I had just about every different fuzz and drive box out there up until ten years ago. At that point I started buying Fulltone gear and stopped buying anything else, so I don't know about the competition these days. But I dropped the Fulltone stuff also, and all of my other effects, and I am very happy with just the OD-820. But then again, I have a simple rig and want to keep it that way. I prefer it over the Fulldrive, FWIW, because the Fulldrive didn't do low gain as well and lost low end, and the high gain channel was way too much for me.

This pedal definitely helps the music, and doesn't get in the way.

Easy as it gets with any 3 knobbed overdrive.

I was quite disappointed with the sound of this unit, especially since I own and love the Maxon OD808. I thought the "Pro" would afford me the same wonderful tone with even more gain. To me, it's a completely different pedal, that tone-wise, pales in comparison to the OD808. The "engage" switch makes a horribly loud "click" through my amp, which is unforgiveable for a unit of it's retail price. I've been playing pedals since they're inception in the 60's. It's not a piece of junk mind you, but if you're looking for the Holy Grail of overdrives, the one I've found is called the Cusack Screamer. Yeah, baby!!!

Can't depend on it with that click through my amp every time I step on it.

I've been a rocker since the 60's man. Again, it's not a bad pedal, it's just that there are superior ones to be had instead. I wish it did what I had hoped, simply given me more gain in the very nice enclosure it's housed in. And of course, a silent switch for God's sake.

Three knobs, standard tubescreamer setup.

Amazing sound. I've owned a TS-9, OD-9, and Fulltone OCD, and this really my favorite. The sound is very tubescreamer-esque, just not thin/brittle. Plenty of gain in the pedal, really the best OD I've used.

It seems to be built sturdy, I've only had it for a couple weeks.

An absolute must for tubescreamer lovers. You can find a great price for them in the used market.

About as simple as it gets. Found that the manual's suggested setting provided a good jumping off point too.

I play a 52 Reissued Tele > Maxon Compressor > Xotic BB Preamp > Maxon OD 820 > Boss CE-2 Chorus > Flip Vintage Tremolo > Maxon AD-9 Analog Delay. Amp wise I use either a Reissued Fender 59 Bassman or an early 80's Marshall JCM 800 2x12 Combo. As you can probably tell I'm a bit of a Maxon fan considering half of my pedals are manufactured by them. The OD 820 was my first introduction to Maxon. I use it to fatten up and add bite to my amp which I usually run clean. I recommend this pedal for that type of sound/application. When the drive is set at about 8 or 9 o'clock you get a smooth overdrive that is fairly transparent. With a tele it gets a good tube screamer type sound - a lot of midrange and classy drive. You can, and I have, run the pedal full throdle but I don't recommend doing that. The pedal looses it's character, gets a little noisy and less transparent. But for a classic overdrive sound you can't beat it.

The only complaint I have is that one of the pots is a little scrachy. Don't really know if I can fault Maxon for that considering the dives I usually play in. Oh, and I have spilt a beer or two on it. Okay, I'll be honest, I don't take the best care of my stuff all the time. So yeah, I guess it's pretty reliable. Maybe not as solid as the original or reissued Maxon pedals - those suckers are little tanks. But I'm sure you could drop it down a few flights of stairs and not have any problems.

Never had to deal with them.

I play in what I'd call a pop rock band. We cover a broad range of styles and have songs that sound like The Rolling Stones, Elvis Costello, The Who, Guided By Voices and Sloan to name a few. This pedal fits in nicely. Like I've been saying it has a classic overdrive sound. I wouldn't recommend it to someone who isn't somewhat seasoned as a guitarist - chances are they'll hate this pedal since it doesn't hide your playing ability. It's an honest overdrive. When I bought this pedal I found out the hard way that I'd been masking my ability behind effect pedals that were nowhere near as transparent as this one. I've always wanted to have the tone that this pedal has and I could hear it when I tried it in the store. Since I started using it I've had to become a better guitar player. Hope that makes sense. If it doesn't then you probably shouldn't buy this pedal either. But if you want a real classic and natural overdrive sound then give it a try. The price isn't all that bad either.

This unit has the basic Tube Screamer controls: Drive, Tone and gain. It also has true bypass switching, which is nice. The manual has some suggested settings and can be helpful. Larger than a Tube Screamer for better noise reduction.

I'm always looking a better overdrive that sounds even more transperent and more vintage Fender sounding than the last one I've owned. Though this is a well-constructed and nice pedal, I can't say it's as transperent as my Reverend Drivetrain II. When compared to a regular Tube Screamer, it sounds very similar with just a little more low end and a little less midrange. It still has a big midrange hump when compared to the Reverend and doesn't have as good low-end. If you use it going into an already mildly overdriven amp, it will give you that singing sustain and crunch Tube Screamers are known for. With that said, you should save $100 and just get a Tube Screamer since the sound is nearly identical.

Seems well-constructed.

I play rockabilly and blues. This pedal is better than some, but not as good as others for transperent, mild "Fendery" overdrive. If you play straight rock, this may be just the ticket since the mid hump will give you that singing "honky" lead sound. But if you just want the sound of your Fender-type amp with a little more "hair" I'd try something else (Reverend, Sparkle Drive, etc.).

Very simple to use...provided the gain is used wisely, like in the first 35%...after that the character of the pedal gets lost...not that the Maxon is not useful wacked up...its just not as good. The manual gives a rough guide...those sort of settings depend on the amp and pick-ups...with the settings we'll all have different results.
Mines bog standard out the box...found on Ebay...should have got the power supply with it...wrong supplys = hum as usual. Sorted now...so all nice and easy.

Mines been going thru a soldano Atomic 16..wih either a strat or my 69 Les paul Goldtop. i prefer the with the Fender..often as a boost and second lead sound to te soldano itself.In front of it , i like to have a Guytone
To-2 overdrive ( that a class pedal! ).
The Maxon is pretty quiet, but then i've been i the habit of using little of its gain to get what i want...and here i agree with the guys whom talk about the subtle use of this pedal.The range of voicings that come out of the Maxon are truly staggering...its such a responsive to touch, as it were device...i've often had to listen twice to recordings to believe the lush,creamy and sophisticated toneof this thing. I did'nt really expect the goodies...being sed to stuff feeling chunky and industrial f its good. The maxon is a bit flimsy, but its got the tones i want...i prefer it to my V-twin...not for all uses, but for many...must be those sacred chips.
The maxon, again depending on the amp/pup thang...has got a thousand blues/rock sounds nailed...i would not relate what it does that close to the trad screamer sound...its not as liquidy...but thats why its good with the Atomic...some serious interaction here. The Maxons undoubted transparency and beautiful moodiness its greatest asset, i mean that this is the best pedal i've used for those slow/quiet lead breaks..............i'll stomp elsewhere for hairy stuff..maybe!...but this ones got the sound of tragic bad blooze nuz for those times when you just have pay what you feel...and it wont sound weak ever for this, with the gain down low. I like it often with the volume low too...but tone up. I'm not an out and out moody player, but when the Maxon does its thing, its the saddest and outright meloncholy sound on the planet.I'm sure theres more...but i use other stuff for that...and the Maxon gets to do the trippy arsed my landlords gonna eat my babies over the rent bits. If this took a year...its a fantastic achievement by maxon. Its own voice, and so much sheer clarity of the amazing soundz this puts out.A real players pedal.

Totally reliable but i'd always have back-up.

No idea here not needed them.i'd not upgrade it no way...thats pointless. I would never be without it priceless.

I guess its good for a range of overdrive needs.I've been playing 20 years...i'd get another. I hate nothing about it...i love its amazing range of texture.Best feature, chameleon like tones.
Compared to others, they do their thing, and the Maxon does.I choose it for its heart breakin "crying" sound. unique! Could be made like the TO-2...in a heavy box with mains to be an all conquoring classic...its legion of admires would pay.
Its inspiring for serious blues players...those tone's can sound like its time to pray to the lord!...this pedals bad news for stuff thats got no soul.I feel sorry for the competition.

Pretty simple, with drive tone and level controls.

I have a Menatone Red Snapper which I use as my light crunch/OD pedal. It has a very natural open sound and has been the King of my board for a couple of years. Having said that I'm always looing for something better, and that's why I tried out the OD820. I saw the 820 as a sort of tweaked Tubescreamer and hoped it could give the Red Snapper a run for it's money. While good, I'll keep the Menatone. The 820 is a good pedal, but it just doesn't have that open crunchiness I want.

Didn't have it very long.

A good pedal that's an improvement over the TS, but not as nice as the menatone. Well built, but a little large for my taste.

Much the same as any other OD pedal out there. Drive, tone & level. Don't get much easier than that I guess. Getting a decent overdrive sound is painless & quick. The manual gave some suggested settings but we all know the best way to figure it out is to just start twisting knobs 'till we find what we like.

First off, let me tell you that I only had this pedal for 1 day because of reasons mentioned and this is my first experience with Maxon products so all of you potential buyers of this pedal please keep that in mind. (YMMV) The pedal itself has a nice tonal quality to it with fairly warm tubelike drive that remains nice & mellow even when the drive knob is cranked high. It does have some noise but i considered it very acceptable since I only could hear it when I wasn't playing. I used an american strat & a Super Reverb reissue with this pedal and George L's cable. However, one of the reasons I didn't keep this pedal is because I also have a Sparkle Drive pedal modded by Robert Keeley & after A/B-ing these two pedals side by side, I felt the SD had more clarity, smoother drive with more gain on tap, more transparency, & slightly more midboost which IMO means more projection. I'm not knocking the OD820 at all, in fact I liked it alot soundwise but to my ears the SD just sounded better. The other reason I let this pedal go is below....

The footswitch wouldn't turn the pedal on sometimes. When I would step on the switch sometimes the sound would disappear completely even though the LED light would be on. I had to click it on & off several times to get the sound to come back. Now to me, this is an expensive pedal & for it to behave this way is totally unacceptable. I scrolled through these reviews to see if this was an issue with other OD820 owners but apparently mine seemed to be the only one with this problem. I don't gig but I do play live with friends for fun & I could not use this pedal with the switch working only sometimes. Unfortunately, I have to give a low score here.

I have never dealt with the company themselves. I bought from musicians friend after reading these reviews and checking out sound clips from the Maxon website. For some reason, music stores are not very popular where I live so I cant just go out & check out lots of gear like I wish I could. So, I depend alot on sound clips and all of my fellow musicians here on HC. Musicians friend did take it back no problem, though.

Overall, I think this pedal has decent tone and if not for the footswitch problem & the fact that I like my SD better, I would've kept it. Maxon products are condidered "high-end" products by many so I was a little disappointed with the reliability issue from it. I am considering a CS550 chorus but to be honest I am worried about the reliability now. Sound clips sound nice, though. I think the OD820 is a bit pricey & mine was unreliable but it has good, mellow bluesy tones.

3 knobs. It's pretty obvious how they work.
The manual is pretty funny actually. The motto on the manual says
"Make it your favorite for a long time." Man, those Japanese dudes are hilARious!

I play a Fender Cyclone II with Jaguar pickups into a Fender Blues Jr. Every other overdrive pedal I tried with this setup sounded too midrangy, squawky, just plain obnoxious. The Maxon is exactly what I was looking for. It's a super warm sound. There's a lot of note definition even when playing thick chords at higher drive levels. It's a great clean boost too. Best overdrive pedal ever made.

I just got it a couple days ago but it looks very sturdy.
After hearing this pedal,I wouldn't want to use anything else as a backup and I definitely can't afford to buy another one!

This is the perfect pedal for the style of music I play. I'm the only guitar player in the band, so the overdive sound needs to be THICK!! This pedal makes my pint-sized Blues Jr. sound freekin huge!
I recommend this pedal above them all.