Maxon OSD-9 Overdrive/Soft Distortion pedal

General

When Maxon unleashed their debut stompbox in 1977, the world of guitar effects would never look the same again. The passive distortion circuit of the OD-880 Overdrive/Soft Distortion was immediately loved for its warmth and transparency, and that love still has yet to fade. Since the original 880 is now pretty hard to come by, Maxon please their younger fans with the introduction of the OSD-9. This reboot of a classic is home to the same deliciously warm, musical and dynamically responsive distortion with an intensity that's literally controlled by how hard you hit the strings. It also comes wrapped up in Maxon's own signature box and runs on a standard 9V battery or power supply.

The Best Components

At the heart of the passive distortion circuit of the vintage Maxon OD-880 sits the myth and legend that is the 741 opamp. Also found in the guts of the vintage DOD 250 distortion pedals, this special little opamp is exactly what makes that familiar warmth and transparency possible, and to make absolutely certain that the OSD-9 delivers the same flavour and character, it's been loaded with 'New Old Stock' 741 opamps. This humble pedal will comfortably serve as part of any setup - vintage or modern - and can be set up as a front-of-amp stompbox just as easily as it can be inserted into the effects loop. Since it's also been finished with a true bypass Fujisoku 4PDT switch, you're also guaranteed clean switching and a completely uncoloured signal when the pedal isn't active.

Maxon

First born in the '60s, Maxon was initially busy producing pickups, but by the end of that defining decade, had already started dipping into the dynamic world of effects pedal development. Since they were mostly making pedals for other brands, when the '70s arrived, Maxon were building stompboxes almost exclusively for Ibanez. As such, many legendary Ibanez pedals are actually Maxon designed and made. The most renowned pedal from this period has to be the Ibanez Tube Screamer (also known as the Maxon 808 Overdrive). This partnership carried on well into 2002 when Ibanez and Maxon finally parted ways. Ever since, Maxon have been producing their own gear, under their own name, and some of their fresh pedals include versions of older Ibanez stompboxes - reissued, and re-stamped with the now-independent Maxon name.