Maxon OD-9

Anyone familiar with the tube screamer genre pretty much already knows how this pedal sweeps and plays.

Some brightness may challenge in the first ten minutes, old fashioned punchy very light compression drive and clean boost, in a word: ROCK. Warm aggression in the lead channel, warm/fat in the clean. Maxon making a move to reclaim the TS crown with a JRC4558 and a bag-o-chips, more present midrange and a gain boost. They did retain the sustained feedback-like tone. I've run gibson/fender into fender, vox, marshall, and boutique class a/b, rocked all them nicely enough. True bypass ultimately sold me, clean and quiet! Perhaps an 8.5 in voodoo tone scale, but I just had to toss it half a bone just for shere bone crunch capabilities.

Not a pop in three years, says something. The paint is not what one would call reliable though, perhaps this is a hidden retro marketing ploy. My foot and gig bag appear to be combining forces to create an instant "heavy relic" without the actual extreme use. Showing steel...its dead sexy! If you want to keep this one museum, might want to put it in a dust free case, wrapped in plastic.

Warm clean crunch/screamer OD, powerful clean mid boost, likely find it a keeper/adder in this genre pedal.

I bought mine in two months ago, and it's been working great. It is your typical tube screamer with three knobs. No matter where they're pointing, you're getting that nice punchy tube screamer sound. Hard to mess that up. It took me a day to get used to the switch. I'm more used to the loose feel of the TS9's switch, but the OD9 requires just a little more force to engage. No biggie, though.

I run a PRS McCarty into a Mesa F50. I play in a rock/pop band that doesn't require Mesa distortion. I'd been using an Ibanez TS9 on top of the clean channel, but my TS9 got stolen. I mean, who steals a reissue TS9? lol Anyways, I read wonderful things about the OD9, and thought it'd give it a try. I do think it sounds better than the TS9. I didn't get to do a side by side comparision, but the OD9 seems to let wider band of freq. come through than the Ibanez. True bypass is nice, but I wasn't suffering from degradation anyways. Most of the time, I use only about 20% of available gain just to fatten and brighten up the neck humbucker. It sounds so good, people die from it. Well, not really, but it still sounds amazing.

I paid for a Tube Screamer, and I got a tube screamer. It's pretty much plug & play. It's hard to get a wrong sound out of it. I've tried my share of OD pedals, and TS clones, but I learned not to mess around with copies when you can get the real thing that started it all. I bought mine used for $70. By the way, did you know used Maxon OD9 pedals are WAY cheaper than used Ibanez TS9s? Too many people buy into brands.

The pedal is quite simple. The three dials are self explanatory. I think the switch feels awkward but whatever.

I play a Baker Guitar into a Reverend Kingsnake.
My pedal setup is: Maxon OD-9 > Ernie Ball Volume Pedal > Budda Wah > Pigtronix EP-1 > Pigtronix Echolution

The pedal provides classic tube screamer overdrive. As a result it has an emphasis on the mids and doesn???t have much bass. The pedal has a great range of gain without going too far.

It has a great clean-sounding distortion and really screams in the upper register. It is very focused and never muddy. The pedal has a very organic sound and doesn???t sound processed or too noisy. It is absolutely better than what Ibanez is putting out these days.

I???ve never had a problem with the pedal. It is built better than BOSS pedals.

N/A

I play jazz, blues, classic rock, and funk. I have played guitar for 11 years.

All the tonal qualms I have with this pedal have been solved by variations of the OD-9. I am interested in getting the Silver Mod by analogman to give it more bass, less mid, and a less compressed tone. The OD-9 Pro+ also looks pretty cool.

Overall, a quality no frills overdrive.

3 knobs?

Nice tone, a little compressed.
Sounds great in front of my Bandmaster & Bassman.
Not much volume separation for solos.

It's solid. However I know that the switches go out
at some point.

????

For Rock, Punk Rock, Hard Rock it's still one of the best pedals you'll ever find. Do yourself a favor & stay away from the modded TS-9's & OD-9's. These pedals are supposed to have a Mid-Hump. And they sound like shit with added low-end. If you're buying a modded pedal try some other new ones on the market like, Barber, MI Audio, Fulltone etc....
Why spend $150 on a modded pedal? It makes no sense.
The OD-9 is a great pedal & much better than the Reissue Ibanez TS-9.

level, tone, gain knop and the on / off switch !!

Great, I can dail in a range from smooth B.B King Blues to crunchy Pearl Jam Rock, with some added delay I feel like "Smashing Pumkins meets Colplay sound " ;-) Somtimes I also use it as a booster for lead lines, works great for that ! makes the sound louder, fater and more dynamic.
I have a Boss super Overdrive and a red Jekyll and Hyde, a Nobels Overdrive at home, also I have tested the Maxon 808 and the Ibanez TS 9 from my friend and this one works for me, the most.
Its a real musician overdrive and in my oppinion the "true" Tubescreamer.

I play a "pimpt" Fender US Strat. and a Gibson Paula.
In a old 100 Watt Tube Plexi over a 4x12 celestion V 30 Cab.
But more and more over the Engl screamer Combo + 1 x 12 Cab.
( more versatile ) !!
My Effect chain is simple; Boss DD3 - Maxon Od9 - Morley Tremonti WahWah and a Korg Dt 10 Tuner.....sometimes with a Roger Mayer Voodoo Vibe.....all of these are running over a Visual One Spot Adapter.

Becaouse Im very happy with the Od9, it gets 10, well done, points.

have it since 4 years without any problem.
all parts fell strong and good quality like.
But I dont know what is in 20 years ?.......so 9 points.

No points for the unknown.

I play a mix of Hendrix, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Metallica, Al Di Meola, Beethoven and myself Stuff.
Since 20 years, in many Bands, at many gigs and also in some Studios.
Also I have testet many Equipment stuff over the years, some good ones, but the most are bad ones....But not the Maxon OD 9.
When you searching for a Overdrive stomb box, test one of these.

I need only a good Guitar and a good Amp to feel and play good.
So I give it 8 points...

Level, Tone and Drive. I deducted two points because the footswitch takes some getting used to. You must press the footswitch down completely and then release it in order to turn the effect on and off. This must be done with a firm, FAST stomp in order to avoid a split second of silence between your signal and the OD going on or off. Once you get the hang of it you can switch it on and off smoothly without any audible glitches. Still, the fact that you have to learn a new ???stomping technique??? is kind of a pain in the arse initially.

I love Tubescreamers, I???ve played the real deal ???vintage??? TS-9s and I used to own a TS-9 reissue (circa 1997), the Maxon beats them all by a mile. I A/Bd my OD-9 with a 2004 TS-9 and the Maxon was far warmer with more low-end and gain. The TS-9 sounded thin and weak in comparison. Plus, the Maxon is True Bypass making it a no-brainer; this is THE Tubescreamer to get.

As a stand alone OD it has enough gain for AC/DC type tones and that???s as extreme as it gets. The tone works great for classic rock or blues, but it???s not enough for hard rock or Metal. It???s not a ???hi-fi??? sounding pedal either. It does have a compressed, boxy sound due to the bass cut and mid-hump it???s famous for. However, it???s these characteristics that make it cut through in a band mix, which is one reason why this pedal has been so popular with so many guitarists.

My favorite application is to use it as a clean boost into my cranked Marshall (1982 JCM 800 2204). This sends my already distorted Marshall over the edge into total Metal insanity! Chords are thick and crunchy, palm mutes are tight and powerful, and leads have a sweet, violin like sustain.

Don???t know but it???s built like a tank so no worries.

I???ve been playing guitar since 1984, my favorite styles are classic Metal (Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Dio) and Death/Thrash (80s Slayer, Morbid Angel). If lost or stolen I would definitely get another one. Maxon designed and built all of the original Tubescreamers for Ibanez so this is the real deal, more so than an Ibanez RI TS-9 or 808. I own some really nice boutique overdrives that I love but nothing does it for me like a good Tubescreamer boosting a cranked Marshall. Aside from the weird feeling of the footswitch, this pedal is great in everyway, for Tubescreamers it doesn???t get any better. If your looking for a Tubescreamer, you can???t go wrong with the OD-9, highly recommended.

3 knobs... drive, tone and level. every combination sounds awesome but there are definitely sweet spots for every rig so mess around and find what works for you.

manual offers some standard presets and they all sound great.

i play in Turtle Soup which is a jamband. i was looking for that creamy, smooth, crying distortion to and this is it. i tried a lot of pedals but there was too much edge or gain or an attempt to imitate a marshall amp. as soon as i played through this i was instantly hooked. it's the sound i was looking for.

my setup:

Paul Reed Smith fitted with Roland GR-20 Guitar Synth (or) Fender Strat -> Fender Tuner
A/B switch ->
Morley Bad Horsie Wah ->
Keeley Compressor ->
Maxon OD-9 ->
Damage Control Womanizer ->
Fender Hot Rod Deville 212

Effects Loop:
Visual Sound H2O Chorus/Echo
Boss DD8

I usually just back off a bit from pinning the drive, put the tone at around 1, and adjust the output level per situation or gig (every room is different).

A SICK RIDE.
you can play screaming leads without that shrill high-endy metal sound. it's warm and bubbly, similar to a horn, but it's got balls too. i mix it with the keely comp and the H20 Chorus to get an AMAZING tone.

INSANE SUSTAIN
Keely comp -> OD-9 -> DC Womanizer (nuclear)
when i want to kick it in more, i can change the channel on the fender amp or use the DC womanizer pedal. literally i can hold notes forever. if i wanted, i can bend into a note, hold it for literally 18 minutes and come down on it without breaking the phrase.

NOISE FACTOR
well, its supposed to be noisy, cmon now. hello? has no noise while playing. BUT this pedal has true bypass so there is no coloration of the sound when off. and for a tube screamer that sounds this good, you don't even notice the minimal noise unless you're an anal retentive sound guy or something. again, though i do have the drive near dimed.

SOLID AS A ROCK
this pedal is built sturdy as hell. i use it all the time without a backup. but it's my main go-to lead tone.

N/A

This is perfect for me. i've been playing for over 12 years, and currently play in the jamband Turtle Soup, mixing rock, jazz, funk, blues and many more elements. there's a lot of guitar soloing and this pedal delivers a smooth ripping sound, without that edge that gets tired. however it is a signature sound and has it's place in the pallette. it's not a one-stop shop.

if lost or stolen, i would definitely buy another one, and have considered buying 2 and cascading them.

I mix the driven guitar tones with the roland guitar synth GR-20 and it sounds so incredible you really don't belive what is going on. I love everything about this pedal.

I compared it to a lot, and i'd say that if you wanted a heavy sound, this pedal is not it. i have the Damage Control womanizer for that edgier power chord arena rock sound. it's vicious! this pedal is great for mellower, smoother distortion.

Highly recommended!

If you'd like to hear the Maxon OD-9 in use in both live and studio settings, visit Turtle Soup's website at www.myspace.com/turtlesoupband for sound clips and gig dates.

3 knobs..drive tone level.,,

id say better than the ts9RI..im pretty sure its the RI..i a/bd this pedal with a 1981 ibanez TS9-no difference at all!i dont have to pay $345 anymore..i was gona buy the TS9 before buh i was a bit hesitant to buy it cause of the price ($345AUD)..so i went to other stores and check other TS clone pedals MI Auido Blues Pro-its ok.not impressed,behringer to800-identical with TS9RI pedal but reliability is the issue,bad monkey-it was a good pedal.i was gona buy it buh when i turned the gain up my tone sounded like fake well for me i dunno maybe its jus me,ibanez ts808-yeah its alrightbuh im still looking for something else,maxon od9-at first(today was the 2nd time i tried it) cudnt get the sound i wanted so i checkd the maxon site to get some ideas so yeah went back to the store and had a go with it.even with low volumes i was amazed with it..found the tone i was lookinh for..

wellits brick

very helpful

BUY IT!!!

Very easy, can't get any easier ...

BRILLIANT !

Sure you can !

Great !

I SOLD a Maxon OD808 reissue just to go and buy this one !
Need to say anything else ? ?? I will, the 808 wasn't bright enough for me and, when I turned the tone knob clockwise the lows were simply gone ... real shit !
I dug this pedal more because it does have some extra bite and it's quite crispy without ever becoming short of low-end, which I consider to be quite important.
Also, the True-Bypassing switching is a MUST-HAVE !
This OD9 has a bit more overdrive than the OD808 and it really has become a keeper for me, simply GREAT !

p.s. - The Ibanez original "equal" isnt't equal at all. Please check Analogman's website where he explains this is a Tube Screamer circuit and the Ibanez never was ...

Not much to say about this. There is no relevance. This is a simple distortion pedal with three knobs and a switch.

I own an Ibanez TS9. I really like this pedal, far better than TS808. TS9 has clear highs and better fidelity. Considering what I need out of a distortion pedal in my current setup, where I need just a little more juice & cut during solos on top of either already overdriven signal or clean, none can do a better job than a TS9. TS808 is silky/smooth, but too round sounding for this paticularapplication. TS9 & TS808 truly are two different animals. Both great pedals. Ok.. enough on the TS talk.

True-bypass has become such a hot thing nowadays. While it's such a tentalizing idea to maintain the signal unaltered by the pedal cirtcuit when the pedal is not in use, the question is how much different does it make, and is it worth the extra money? The verdict is it REALLY does make a difference, however with varying degrees of difference depending on the pedals/manufacturers. For example, I made a HUGE improvement in tone, when I replaced the regular switch on my Vox wah with a fulltone DPDT switch. Some pedals suck some good tone out by thinning/weaking the signal.

Now the main topic! How does OD9 compare to TS9, tone-wise? How does TS9 sound/how much does TS9 alter the tone when it's off? First off, Maxon used to make TS9, so they do nail the looks. I AB'ed the two pedals and they do sound very close too as well. However, Maxon sounds very very slightly more focused midrange. I'm guessing this difference is as a result of the difference in the use of JRC4558 IC chip on Maxon, compared to TA75558 IC on Ibanez. But again, the difference is very sutle. In terms of bypass, again the difference is sutle as well. You're probably not be able to tell the difference between them two in the live application.

Aside from all the analysis and comparison, the Maxon pedal, standalone, is a great TS9 pedal.

Maxon sounds great, and does give you a peace of mind with the DPDT true-bypass switching. The justification of paying extra $35 depends on your current setup and where you use them. If you run a few pedals with your amp, going true-bypass with one pedal will not make a big difference. If you use many pedals on your signal path, you'll need to go true-bypass on most of your pedals to make a difference. Also, if your application is in live situations, the difference/improvement becomes less obvious.

3 knobs. Standard Tubescreamer set-up. Trick is to find the best combination for your sound.

I play a stock 1985 Japanese '57 Reissue Strat (I bought it in Tokyo and it was made for the Japanese market, not for export) through a Blues Jr. with a Jensen C12N. When I first bought the unmodded pedal I was a bit disappointed. It hissed loudly when on. The hiss increased with an increase in gain and effect level. The tone control was unusable past half as it became raspy with ice pick treble. With the Analogman 808 mod the pedal is almost silent unless gain and effect are all the way up (even through my single coil pups). The tone control can be used in all settings. I get a beautiful clean boost with the gain turned off or barely on, to a bluesy solid tube crunch with the gain up from one-quarter to half, and an incredible double-stack Marshall tube distortion at three-fourths. The sound is transparent, natural and sweet. Absolutely Incredible!

Maxon builds pedals that could survive a nuclear bomb. I don't anticipate that the mod will have any problems. I have, and will gig without a backup.

Mike replied to all emails quickly and was able to change the return address upon request. Much appreciated.

I've been playing on and off for over 35 years, mostly blues and classic hard rock. This mod allows me to achieve the cranked up sound I love for rock at low volumes and that smooth, creamy, just at the point of breaking up sound that suits my preference for blues. It also allows me to increase the volume with or without an increase in gain or unwanted "pedal" noise. I use a Digitech RP50 with the Blues Jr. for a touch of delay and reverb (a great pedal for this purpose). The modded OD-9 eliminates my need for multiple amp and effect settings on the RP50. I would feel confident to use the OD-9 without the RP50 to gig if needed. I am very pleased with the work that was done as I now have a useful pedal that allows me to pick and choose my sound within a natural tube driven framework. If lost I would quickly replace this pedal from Analogman and I am thinking of adding another, perhaps the Silver Mod, at some time in the future. It is well worth the additional investment. Next time I will purchase directly from analogman.com.

Very easy to use with 3 knobs!

This is a great pedal! My setup SG Standard->Some type of phaser->Dynacomp or Analongman BiComp->TS808 reissue or OD9->Marshall JCM2000 DSL 401. Its no more noisy than my TS808. The OD9 is great for crunchy type distortion. You can lightly rake your strings and it sounds clean. Play a little harder it gets a little "dirty." Really smack the strings and its some crazy distortion. I did feel that the OD9 was a little louder and sometimes harsher compared to the TS808. These pedals are pretty much identical the one difference that I noticed is the TS808 sounds like it has a slight, slight amount of compression and the OD9 is True Bypass.

Its a Maxon of course its Reliable!

Never dealt with them

I play classic rock and hippie stuff. I already had the TS808 reissue and then ordered the OD9 from Music123.com. I did end up returning the OD9 only because I felt that it sounded almost exactly the same as my TS808. If i had known then what i know now i would have definetly gone with the OD9! Its an awesome pedal! If it was stolen i would be pissed and would buy another one. The one thing i wish it had was a little more gain for some more distortion but its an overdrive pedal so i think i'll live.

Three knobs so it is really friendly to techincally challenged folks like me

Ok folks,these are the words from the worlds biggest pedal hater ever so here we go.I ve been playing for 20 years and curently own '64 Stratocaster,'64 Super reverb amp and '58 Les Paul reissue.
I play bvlues and classic rock and this pedal is amazing sounding box.
I have owned all existing versions ov tube screamers and that one is the best. It has less mids and they are so sweet and juicy.All other TS I ve played had those papery mids I ve hated.True bypass is great if you use good cables(I don't he he).It is brighter than old screamers so I keep the tone at 0 or at 9 o clock.

Just great is my verdict.Most natural sounding pedal I ve played.
Best tube screamer ever produced.
Al my friends musicians and the crowd in the audience love my tone.
Mabe it is just a great match to my guitars and amp,mabe other units are not that good,but mine sounds killer.
Absolutely dead on SRV tone with '64 strat and SR amp.
With Les Pauls it does Allmans,Green,ZZ..

It is built like a tank

Simple.well built and great sounding pedal for not so muck money.
It was my last attempt to love tube screamers and I m glad I bought it.
You have to realize that I own great guitars and amps but I can't imagine anyone using any decent gear would be able to make this pedal sound bad.
Great for blues and classic rock.
Amp has to be tube and you have to turn it a bit because it wont sound good if the amp is to quiet.

Three knobs for overdrive, tone, and level. Pretty simple setup.

Fantastic. This is the best tubescreamer available.

I'm running a Fender 52 reissue telecaster with Bare Knuckle Country Boys into a Budda Budwah->Toadworks Mr. Squishy->Maxon OD9->Fender Silver Face Champ with a Weber 8a125 speaker.

The OD9 is a midrange heavy pedal like all tubescreamers but isn't thin sounding. It has a great clear tone although a little on the nasal side do to the midrange boost and slight bass drop. The true bypass switching works great, there is no signal degradation at all when the pedal is off. Each of the control knobs seem to have plenty of range. I really enjoyed the pedal before I purchased my Toadworks Mr. Squishy, but when the two are paired together it sounds fantastic. I think adding something to beef up your tone just before the pedal really makes this thing shine. These two pedals make my small champ sound exactly like a miniature version of my friend's 1972 Marshall 50 watt head, a very thick tone.

I don't gig with this pedal so I'm not in a position to say.

Haven't dealt with them.

This is the best tubescreamer available. I owned a Maxon OD808 and I prefer this pedal do to its wider range of distortion and its true bypass switching.

It's a good pedal in its own right, but after adding the Mr. Squishy and beefing up the tone I'm very satisfied.

Three knobs make it easy to find your sounds. Gain has to be pushed pretty high to start to get the pedal to sing. Is pretty much a one-sound pedal but that's the sound most people want from this pedal to begin with.

A very full, warm tone. Almost ne edge at all, and even with higher tone settings don't expect alot of bite. Then again, that's not what people buy this pedal for. Very quiet but not especially flexible in tone ranges.

Seems solidly built. Very heavy compared to many pedals.

If this is the sound you want the Maxon OD will make you happy. If you need some other options in the same pedal this isn't it. Again, very warm and full. I guess you need to have a clear idea what you want before buying this effect. It is what it is, and that's all.

I know there are aleady a lot of good reviews on this but I just had to add one because I love my OD-9 so much. It's super easy to use. Just like the old 80's TS-9 it replaced, 3 knobs. Super easy to get a good sound from it.

The OD-9 has a little more drive and gain than the old TS-9. It has more range to the amount of drive as well. That means I can get the very close to the old TS-9 sounds or I can get a little hotter TS-9 sound. Maybe between the hot side of my old TS-7(which sounds very good but the switch went out) and the TS-9. The TS-9 sounded a little smoother than this OD-9 but I like the OD-9 better live because it cuts well. It is THE mild overdrive sound! The true bypass works very well. It does not change my tone when bypassed. I love this pedal!

Seemd well built. I just hope the switch never goes out like the one on my old TS-9 did. These have a true bypass switch that's most likely different than the old ones though. I've used it for the last 6 months without any trouble.

I don't know. Their website had some useful information though.

Great sounding pedal! I would buy another if it was lost or stolen. I am using it with a '71 Twin Reverb and several other, mostly true bypass pdeals and it works well with them all. I use it in conjunction with a Fulldrive II custom cream for more dirt and both together for tons of gain. It plays nice with other.

Very easy to use - the typical tubescreamer set up.

Within the parameters of the Tube Screamer world this pedal is the best. It has the correct chip, it is noise free, it is built well, It has the universal (Boss) AC jack, it is housed in the good old T/S chassis - but most importantly it sounds great! Smooth tube amp break up with a nice mid range bite. Doesn't suck tone when off and works well with the amp when it is on (especially if you use Silverface or Blackface Fenders).

I gigged with the same one since the day they came out without a problem. (3 years or so)

Answered all my emails. No complaints. Be nice if Guitar Center carried Maxon.

Coming from the world of "tone freak voodoo", where every little thing is analyzed and scutinized but basically boils down to paying big bucks for vintage gear, I have some advice - use your ears and some logic.

I own just about every overdrive pedal known to man: Ibanez T/S, Sparkle Drive, Fulldrive2, Klon, SD-1, OD-808 - you get the idea. The common thread to most/all of these pedals is the JRC4558 chip but the circuits are similar. This pedal has the right chip with a modern refresh on the circuitry. So you can spend $$ for a vintage TS9/8 with some noise or get your TS9 modded for more $$. The OD-9 comes brand new with the mod already done for just a little more than a TS9 re-issue and it sounds great.

I like my gear to sound good and be reliable so I can not worry at gigs. But I also try to keep as much of the gear as duplicate-able as possible in case it got lost or broken. In my set up the only thing that is vintage is amps (old Fenders). I like the OD-9 because it sounds good, is road worthy and I can afford a backup or just buy a new one if I had to.

Simple!

This is a great sounding pedal. I've owned TS808's, and TS9's. this pedal nails the 808 sound better than any boutique pedal out there. The mid-hump is not as big as then TS9 (like an 808). I've noticed that there are some clowns on eBay modding these, which is completely rediculous, don't be fooled by a couple carbon comp resistors, they are completely unnecessary and will only add noise. Buy a stock one and you'll be psyched, don't be a sucker. Hey, it sounds great and it's true bypass.

Built like a brick shi*house.

Never used CS.

I've tried over a dozen 808 boutique clones and this is hands down the best!

Very easy to use. Only three dials, so nice and simple. Each one has a noticeable effect on the sound and has a good range of sweep. Volume/Tone/Drive is all you need! Very easy to get a good sound.

I tried this pedal in the shop with some others (see below) using a Marshall TLS601 combo and a variety of guitars including a Hofner Colorama (with P90s), a Tokai Love Rock and a Tokai SG. With everything at 12 o'clock the OD-9 does exactly what I was expecting - it adds more volume and a subtle bit of extra colour to your sound. Most noticeable was the extra midrange 'honk', something I was really hoping to get, so I was very impressed. The OD-9 is quiet with True Bypass Switching so when it's off it's OFF!

I'll be running this pedal in my usual set up:

Gibson Les Paul Standard/Gibson Les Paul Junior Special/Gordon Smith SG-1 -> Maxon OD-9 -> Marshall Blues Driver (used as a volume boost only) -> Marshall JTM60 2x12 combo (with the parallel effect loop always on full mix via a patch cable, thickening the sound)

I'm a classic rock sound fan, so think AC/DC, The Darkness, Tokyo Dragons, This Lizzy etc. I like things simple: 12-54 strings, a fixed bridge, low pre-amp gain and as much master volume as possible. The OD-9 is perfect for what I was looking for - that extra bit of bite and honk for solos.

I've not given the OD-9 a 10 because I haven't found my perfect setting yet, but only because I haven't had chance to look! I only got the pedal yesterday...

It's very solidly built with a large metal case and solid switch. I'd have no problem gigging it without a backup, but would always take a spare battery. Having not used an Ibanez or Maxon pedal before, I'll give it a 9.

Never dealt with the company or the UK distributer, so can't really say. If I had any problems, the shop I bought it from would be my main source of support.

I also have a Parker P-38 and Zoom 509 Modulator (for that 80's spandex sound; a USA Fender Strat (for classic clean sounds) and a 1983 '62 Squier Strat with David White Old Glories (for those SRV/Hendrix moments). I have no doubt that the OD-9 will be ideal to enhance those types of sounds too, especially the Strat sounds.

As a comparison, I A/B'd the OD-9 with an Ibanez TS-9 and a Maxon OD808 in the shop before I bought it. I put everything on each pedal at 12 o'clock and flipped between them to compare sounds. I found that:

TS-9: Very clear and bright pedal, quite sharp. A good sound if a little thin maybe? My second choice.

OD808: More mellow than both other pedals and with a bassier tone. I found it a bit too mushy at the bottom end - I like a tight bass sound. Possibly the smoother and less intrusive of the three pedals. My third choice.

OD-9: Sounded the fullest of the three, with a midrange 'honk' that the others didn't have. Seemed to have a very noticeable 'sweet spot' when bending a third string to hit a double stop. Maintained the original sound, but added more of it. The one I bought.

All three pedals were good, and the differences were quite subtle, so it's worth trying them all back to back to see which one your ear prefers. Overall, the OD-9 did it for me. Highly recommended.

oh come on look at the thing

My setup is prsC22 or fender lonestar(fat 50's)through a Mesa boogie studio 22+. Compared to my boss sd1 the od9 sounds much fuller. It provides good sustain especially when the level is increased. Doesn't have any of that thin or tinny sound associated with cheaper overdrive or distortion units. Sound is very real. It also sounds really good for boosting a slightly overdriven sound from driving the clean on a tube amp. Very smooth!!!!! Doesn't have as much gain as the sd-1 but can be boosted with a great sound by with the sd-1(with minimal gain settings) I am very impressed with this pedal. Is also very quiet. Nothing gets a ten cause there is always something better. But i would recommend giving it a try

Seems to be built to take a good deal of abuse.

A great addition to my collection. This pedal is and will be used everyday. It makes playing guitar fun which is why we all do it. A great investment for me!!

very easy to use, same as any tube screamer type pedal.

this pedal sounds great. I've been searching for something that sounds this good for quite a while. Its warm, natural sounding, with very little fizz, even when the drive is fully wound. On my marshall jtm60 clean channel it adds real warmth and grit, but it comes alive when it helps add extra sustain and drive to the boost channel. If i am honest I would prefer the unit to provide a little more volume, but you can take care of that with the channel levels I guess.

built like a brick shit house! Can't imagine it going wrong, but will have to wait and see.

doubt if I'll need it.

The jrc 4558d op amp chip in these units is the key here. Its the sound I was looking for, so as far as i'm concerned it was great value for money. It is a quiet pedal too.

this is a follow-up to my previous review. turns out the pedal I purchased is actually true bypass. I never looked before and stated that it wasn't TBS based on the fact that I bought it used in 2003 and a number of people on the internet claimed it not to be TBS. It certainly didn't have any effect on my purchasing the pedal in the first place, but it's nice to know anyway. Special thanx to Andreas @ Stinkfoot for all his help and expertise.

As simple as all overdrives

mostly use humbuckers, 1 strat. Amps are all classic Briish all EL-34's. Compared the OD-9 to a stock TS-9 re-issue and the Maxon is noticeable better. Much clearer note definition, slightly less brittle and a shade louder. Also the LED was brighter on the Maxon [yes i used fresh batteries on both] I will update this review after I get the TS-9 modded. definitely don't think the Maxon needs any major mods. not "true" bypass but better than the TS-9. Overall a classic sturdy overdrive

still prefer boss style switches but so far so good

Here's the deal. I waited and found one used for much less than the cost of both a new one and a new TS-9 reissue. I say if you can find a TS-9 cheap, then go that route and have it modded. But if the cost is more than what you can get a OD-9 for, don't bother cuz it don't need any mods IMO except maybe a few tweaks that you can DIY for next to nothing.

Tubescreamer- volume, tone and drive, red led light and true bypass switching.

I also own the Maxon OD-808, so unlike most of the bozos who prattle over the internet, I am actually in a position to compare the two pedals and judge the differences. The OD-9 is a bit darker and fuller sounding than the OD-808 but still not as "heavy" as the Boss BD-2. With Fender amps the OD-9 is the way to go, while with Marshall amps the extra clarity of the OD-808 is preferable, especially with the stock humbuckers pickups (pups, Oh yes they are called pups, sorry, almost forgot)- make that should read "with my stock humbucker pups".in my 1989 Gibson Les Paul Standard.

Built like a tank.

Maxon is great.

I play blues rock- been playing for 25 years. Other effects I own include the Austone Millenium Overdrive, Roger Mayer Axis and
Spitfire fuzzes, Austone Fuzz Nutz, Blues Pearl Blue Screamer and Blue Balls distortion pedals, Fulltone
Soulbender, MJM Britbender (2-knob version), Zinky True Grit, Maxon OD 820 and 808 overdrives, Rx Prescription Overdriver (new white paint
version with led and better switch!), Vintage Rat, DOD 250, Banzai Cold Fusion, Boss SD-1 and the BD-2 Blues
Driver, and the Barber Tone Pump. I play VINTAGE Gibson Les Paul Standards and Fender Strats into tube amps.

stupid proof... no brain no worries

i use: guitar(checked on many)-->maxon od9-->big muff pi-->rampage by rocktron-->cry baby 535q-->marshall vb1 tremolo-->boss ce20-->akai e1 delay-->amp..

not noisy, sounds great, smooth but not too mach, i could use a bit more gain but no complains.
great for that vintage strat sound (like david gilmor).
goes very solid with neck humbucker.

so for conclusion- great sound, extremely better than ibanez ts9/ts9dx. clean on or off (try buying only true bypass), but not a kind of "all in one" unit so you need more overdrive/distortion units (i dont think its bad but some people looking for those so i informed you).

looks great..........
but i am not a guy who likes to run my pedals under a truck.
what can you do? if u just stomp on it it will operate forever! dont you think so?????????

i play electronic music, in this arrey u need to have many sounds and a very big spectrum of FX and instruments.
in this very creative world of electronic you need all.
i like to buy all good. so thats what i do... a guitar is a small part of it.
and this unit is good so its feets my crazt standarts

Very easy to get a good sound.

I'm using it with Strats, Teles and Les Pauls into either a Fender Twin Reverb or Roland Jazz chorus. It really adds that extra push I was looking for the Twin. It's a smooth transition from when the pedal is off and on soundwise. It' pretty quiet too.

I really like the way this pedal is built. It's tough and I have no worries of gigging with it.

Haven't had to deal with them and hopwfully I won't.

I Play a wide range of music so I have a varied selection of "tools". This pedal will always be in my line up. It's versatile and great sounding. I've been a pro player and session musician for some time. So from palying in the studio to playing on stage this pedal works for me. I would most definatley replace it if it got stolen or lost. For overdrive I also have a Bixonic Expandora pedal. I like the Expandora a lot, but I don't think it's as versatile as the OD-9. one of the things that made me choose this pedal aside from the fact it uses the same chip as the original TS-9 is that it's True Bypass.

Very easy to use. If you can find your way around a small combo amp, then you already know how to use this pedal. Comes with an informative, well-written manual.

I find this pedal somewhat overpriced for what it does, but in 15+ years of playing, this is the first overdrive unit I've heard that didn't sound like shit. I've been looking for so long that I decided to ignore the price tag and just go for it.

Too soon to tell but I will say this: I own a few pedals, all of which I consider to be well built, but this is the first pedal I've owned which I can honestly say I'd have no hesitation in belting through a plate glass window (not that I have any reason to...yet). I've never seen a pedal as solidly built as this. This Maxon company is truly a class act.

I have no regrets buying this pedal, but if lost or stolen, I probably wouldn't buy it again. It sounds good, the build quality is outstanding, but $250 is a bit pricey for a pedal that serves no purpose other than to add some raunch to your sound.

Not hard to uses at all. Mostly had roll off the tone knob to take some of the brightness out. Otherwise easy to set up and use.

Pretty damn good sounding right out of the box was my first impression. As the guy below says, it is VERY clear sounding with not too much of an upper midrange boost. It is extremely responsive and sounds more like a blackface Fender amp just breaking up than a buzzy overdrive pedal like a Boss SD-1. The sound is very transparent and juicy but their is a slight rolling off and hardening on the low end. It's no pronounced but it does take something away from the neck pickup of my Telecaster. Otherwise, it's amazingly musical for an effect and although the low end seems kinda weaker, the overall sound is bigger and very 3D sounding. Love the psuedo true bypass mode. I've been told by someone from Godlyke that these pedals will ship with a newly designed 3pdt switch as of Nov. 2002 and will really be true bypass switched but, this one does the trick as is.

Seems to be built like a tank.

Nice guys at Godlyke.

I play Blues and Rock and after getting hooked on Telecasters I decided I'd like a good overdrive pedal. I've read up on all of the top contenders like the Fulldrive II, the Klon Centaur, Menatone Red Snapper etc. and they are all more or less copies of the Tubescreamer design (for good reason) so I decided to go with the real deal. Nice pedal. Notwithstanding the guy belows' poke at Analog Man, my Maxon is on it's way to Mike right now as I do wan't to check out the TS-808 mod and the Brown option as well. Look for my post of the same pedal after the mod in a couple of weeks at the Analogman listing.

I don't believe that Maxon and Godlyke intend to market this pedal as some modern-day TS808, rather, it's to compete with the Ibanez TS9s. Therefore, it would be correct to include the TS9 470 ohm/100k ohm output buffer. And it would stand to reason that the TS808 spec might have already been tested and rejected.

I did experiment with the TS808 output buffer spec circuit and did not like it - seemed to make the pedal sound too smooth and so returned it to factory specs. A lot of circuitry is missing as the flip-flop circuit is omitted as was noted - the coloration added by the flip-flop circuit is noticeable by its absence. The pedal as is is VERY clear and has a very responsive tone. No mods are necessary on this one. Has the JRC4558D chip so many of you want.

Can't see how Analog Man will "improve" on this one, but I'm sure he'll come up with something for you guys with money burning a hole in your pocket. Here's my prediction: He'll have a "Brown Mod" to replace the resistors with noisy Emperor's New Clothes carbon composition resistors so you'll be able to get more of that "vintage" hiss.

Three knobs, drive, tone and level. One foot switch. Simple to use

The best sounding overdrive pedal I've yet heard (that includes a Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive, a Visual Sounds Jekyl & Hyde, an Ibanez Tone-Lok TS-7 and a few others.)
Used with a Tele (Barton pu's), MM Super Axis (DiMarzio humbuckers) and another MM with P-90s into a mesa Boogie Mark 3.

So far so good.Looks very solid so I have great hopes.

No idea

If lost I'd replace it. Very good bang for the buck at $110 (Chuck Levin's Washington Music Center in Maryland.)

Very easy to use

Sounds good

The pedal is sold as TRUE BYPASS but IT ISN'T TRUE BYPASS as the input side of the board is connected to the input jack at all times. The flip flop curcuit was removed and the JRC4558 opamp is used in this pedal but the output resistors are still not the same as the original TS808 pedal