Maxon OSD-9 Overdrive Soft Distortion Pedal

In 1977 Maxon released their first effect pedal – the OD880 Overdrive/Soft Distortion – and the world would never be the same.

Employing a passive distortion circuit based around the 741 Op Amp (also used in the popular DOD 250), the OD880 was coveted for its warm and natural overdrive tone. The 880 was perfect for use as a transparent booster to take a tube-amp over the edge, offering singing blues tones unrivaled by other boxes.

Japanese guitar legend Char made the OD880 famous as his booster-of-choice, causing original versions to skyrocket into the $600 range on the vintage market.

In the early 90’s Maxon reissued a limited edition run of the OD880.  Yet with no distribution outside of Japan, this model went largely unnoticed by the rest of the world, leaving its amazing tone a secret to all save the discerning collector.

Now Maxon has once again resurrected the OD880 in the form of the OSD-9 Overdrive/Soft Distortion.

The OSD-9 offers a warm, open-sounding overdrive with a mild high-end roll off.  It reacts smoothly to input level changes, offering a highly interactive response to player dynamics.  Perfect as a stand-alone dirt box or for pushing an amp, the OSD-9 can also be stacked with other OD’s to add clarity and character to their tone.

The OSD offers up all these classic sounds in Maxon’s indestructible, industry standard 9-Series chassis. Modern-day utility features such as mechanical true bypass switching and a voltage regulator have also been added to provide smooth, consistent performance.

Over 30 years after the original OD880 was released, the OSD-9 promises to bestow the legendary tones of its predecessor upon a new generation of discerning players – are you ready?