Gearank

The Maxon OD808 Overdrive pedal is a copy of the original Tubescreamer, which was actually produced by Maxon on behalf of Ibanez. The OD808 actually uses the same chip as the original Tubescreamer, so it’s a great way to get the same response of the original pedals without shelling out the cash for a vintage piece of gear.

The Maxon OD808 also comes with a blend control, which allows you to mix clean and distorted signals. This is a great to increase the girth of your tone, as well increase harmonic complexity. It’s analogous to using a two-amp system (though not quite as effective).

Features:

• Controls: Overdrive, Tone, Balance
• Analog
• Hardwire Bypass
• 9-Volt Adapter/Battery
• Artists: Phil Sgrosso, Nick Hipa, Adam Dutkiewicz

Something to be aware of with this pedal is that it does have a strong mid-range hump and a noticeable low-end cut. This is great to tighten up the tone of darker voiced rigs, but if your rig is more brightly voiced it can make your tone a bit thin.

This was on our recommend list until a major review of overdrives in February 2020 uncovered more highly rated options which you will find in our guide to The Best Overdrive Pedals - Under $50, $100 & $150.