The quintessential overdrive pedal – often imitated but never matched. Identical to the original circuit and featuring the JRC4558 IC chip, the OD808 reissue offers the smooth, natural overdrive of a full-up tube amplifier in a compact pedal. Incredibly dynamic, the OD808 responds precisely to playing nuances and allows your instrument’s natural tone to shine through.

The secret behind the legendary "808 tone" lies in the amplifier section of its circuit. Rather than having an amplifier stage followed by a clipping stage, the OD808 uses a signal-distorting diode (Panasonic #MA150) that is located in the amplifier stage's negative feedback loop (which also contains the JRC4558 IC chip). Therefore, the OD808 distorts signal in the amplifier circuit itself which yields a smoother, milder, more natural sounding distortion than a separate clipping stage. This is also the reason that the IC type used in the circuit has such a large impact on the unit's tone. Maxon developed this unique design more than 20 years ago, and while it is commonplace nowadays, back then it was an industry first.