New Pedal Day- MXR Classic OD

[Franknfilms]

I just picked up an mxr classic overdrive yesterday. Guitar center anniversary version in white. I currently own a keeley stacked boss sd-1. I have also owned a maxon od9 and a ts9 in the past.

OD9, TS9 have seem to have this multiple personality thing going on with them. On the clean channel you can hear your guitar coming through perfectly clean and then it is matched with some background distortion. When boosting a gain channel, it sounds a little fuzzy. Not for me.

My sd-1 has pretty heavy gain with the gain on zero. Makes a clean channel sound like a crunch channel. Makes a distortion channel sound like you suddenly have an emg equipped guitar! This is very cool but still kind of a one trick pony. I am keeping this pedal for those times when I just want to sound ultra modern.

Enter the maxon classic overdrive. The bass is retained much better than with any of the above pedals. The zero gain is truly low gain, just barely noticeable, making this pedal super flexible. No multiple personality disorder, boosting a clean channel sounds amazing, like you are really pushing it to break up instead of just adding distortion in the background. Against a distortion channel, it tightens and enhances without adding too much fuzz or cutting too much bass. This apparently is the od pedal I have always wanted and I got it for only $40! (thank you Gearjoneser )

I am no od pedal expert, just wanted to share my experiences and highly recommend the MXR classic overdrive.

[Bludave]

Re: New Pedal Day- MXR Classic OD

I have one too! Just picked it up on Friday. Haven't had too much time with it yet, but so far I am liking it. I played it into my Bogner Shiva with a Les Paul equipped with Slash AlnicoII pickups & a Clapton Strat!. The Les Paul sounded awesome with the neck pickup. In the clean channel it adds enough bite to the signal to really grind for mild blues based solos. It sounds a little richer then my TS9 did. In the Overdrive channel it just kills it. Not in a bad way at all. A very pleasing sound and plenty of harmonics. I can pull sustain out of the guitar at any point I choose to. With the Les Paul it is thick & creamy sounding in the neck. If I roll back the tone a bit its very Gary Moore in nature. The bridge pickup is crisp yet not overpoweringly bright. Very pleasant in all cases. With my Clapton Strat it sounds wonderful in the neck position. Warm woody with plenty of overtones. The bridge offers a little more brightness yet not harsh tones. Clear sounding and details galore. The middle position offers a little less treble but a lot of texture to the tone. The "out of phase" positions are hands down my favorite so far. Its a great pedal at a great price!

[ErikH]

Re: New Pedal Day- MXR Classic OD

I have a green one and love it. I run it with the level up all the way and the drive down completely. The tone sits anywhere from noon to 1 o'clock depending on the guitar I use. I like what it adds to an already overdriven amp that way. Just enough more drive for my needs. Nice, thick, warm, just enough highs, the lows don't get cut out as much as OD's in the past. Just a plain killer pedal. Best $40 I spent on my rig in a long time.

[Gearjoneser]

Re: New Pedal Day- MXR Classic OD

Glad it's working out for everyone who rushed to GC to pick one up. The salesman even told me that they're flying off the shelves as fast as they arrive.

A couple years ago, when they released the green one, I only bought it because it was $30, hoping it would sound alright. It actually restored my belief that OD pedals don't need to cost over $200 to be good. For once, we actually get more than our money's worth.

MXR and Dunlop has actually gotten a lot better in recent years. I wonder how much of that is attributed to hiring Jorge Tripps? As far as I know, he's behind everything good that Dunlop/MXR/Way Huge has done recently, like the signature pedals and Carbon Copy.

[Franknfilms]

Re: New Pedal Day- MXR Classic OD

Now I just need to find instructions for doing that mod (with pictures). I understand how to access the board of course and use the switch. But if I wanted to remove the switch and wire up a on/on toggle switch, I'm not sure what I'd be looking at and where the wires would go etc. If I could easily toggle I'm thinking I could sell my boss sd-1, because the zw mode is probably similar.

[Mononoaware]

Re: New Pedal Day- MXR Classic OD

Stop buying these, guys. I want one, but can't get to GC until this weekend. At this rate they'll all be gone!!!!!!!!

[guitarded]

Re: New Pedal Day- MXR Classic OD

You can get them on ebay fairly easy

[Franknfilms]

Re: New Pedal Day- MXR Classic OD

You can get them on ebay fairly easy

Yep, like this one

http://cgi.ebay.com/MXR-CLASSIC-OVERDRIVE-M-66-LIMITED-EDITION-MINT-/130455750767?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item1e5fc4c86f#ht_2136wt_952

[Franknfilms]

Re: New Pedal Day- MXR Classic OD

Or buy from this jackass with no pictures.

http://cgi.ebay.com/MXR-M-66-Classic-Overdrive-/110725351009?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item19c7bec661#ht_500wt_1156

What is wrong with these people???!!!!

[JCM900MkIII]

Re: New Pedal Day- MXR Classic OD

This is a crappy (my very first "mod") GT-OD/ZW44 switch fabrication thingy.
Your lay-out and switch should be similar to mine.






You need to buy a on/on switch and connect the wires parallel and you are good




Be carefull putting the in/output caps in. Metal thread and plastic don't want ot be forced. You might damage the plastic

[Franknfilms]

Re: New Pedal Day- MXR Classic OD

This is a crappy (my very first "mod") GT-OD/ZW44 switch fabrication thingy.
Your lay-out and switch should be similar to mine.

Thanks! That is very helpful, much easier than the latest push/pull wiring I did. I'm definitely going to do this. My only concern is where to put the actual switch. I've seen them in a few different places, I don't want to worry about the switch pressing up against the board. I'm thinking top right hand or left hand corners? I like your position in the middle there, but was it hard to fit it there?

[ErikH]

Re: New Pedal Day- MXR Classic OD

The best spot, IMO, is right where the PCB switch was located, or close to it in that upper left area. You can real estate by removing the stock switch anyway.

[King IzzO)))]

Re: New Pedal Day- MXR Classic OD

That's where I'm going with mine (top left corner).

[Franknfilms]

Re: New Pedal Day- MXR Classic OD

I'm going with top left. Now I just have to figure out how to actually wire. I'm kind of a colors and pictures guy, I don't actually know anything about electronics. If I had those same wires on the board (two reds on the ends, one black in the middle) which lugs on the mini switch do I attach them to? Here is me taking my best guess:

[Franknfilms]

Re: New Pedal Day- MXR Classic OD

Another practical question. How does the original switch come off of the board? Just yank it with some pliers? I really need everything spelled out for me, this is not my main area of expertise.