Absolutely Loving This!

Whew! I just couldn't ever justify paying that much for any one pedal, unless I just won the lottery or something....lol.

$.02
 
Has anyone ever A/B'd the original 808 against the Maxon 808?

Anyone heard that Aramat "Green Machine" clone?

After getting the Klon, I sold every other OD pedal I had, including the original TS-9, Stamps Drive O Matic, Banzai Coldfusion and Fireball. I still highly recommend the Coldfusion.
 
Bludave said:
I just saw one of the 808's at a show for $550. Is that a fair price?

Actually that's highway robbery! The reissue 808 is an excellent pedal and I'd bet it's so close to the original 808 at $169...I really like mine alot but I did some small tweaks to mine..

John
 
that thing is way outta my price range....if i had that money to burn on guitar "stuff" i would get a new amp, or a new guitar, or a bunch of pedals (3-5) or a pedalboard and a guitar case before i bought one of those, total waste of money,

but

if u already had hardcases for all ur guitars, a pedalboard and pedals u liked and were working for you, a good tube amp, a few solid guitar, i could see someone buying it as an investment, or as a really kickass pedal id be really afraid of breaking...
 
I A/B 'ed one of my old 808's against the new reissue 808. Very, very close !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
59paul said:
I A/B 'ed one of my old 808's against the new reissue 808. Very, very close !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cool Rob....let me guess.The original version is a bit warmer right? :D You're hearing some component tolerence and ageing and slight drifting of components...Mostly cap drift if any because the carbon film resistors don't drift much if at all in values from their 5% ratings...I wonder if the opamps are making a difference also,as you know,I've changed my opamp in my own 808...

Tell us what you hear different and that it's truely something you hear and not a placebo effect? In other words,if you were to turn around and have someone alternate between the 2 808s,would you know which one is the original?

Can you adjust your reissue to sound just like the original because of a possibility of just pot tolerences being different? That's what I'm really wanting to know...;)

John
 
Whew !!! I don't know, I'm sittin here now A/B ing em again. The old original 808 is just a touch "darker" ??? I've got the knobs all set the same on both of em. I could tell them apart, if someone else was switchin them, if they were set like they are now, just because the original is a bit darker, but...I can turn the tone knob down some on the reissue, and man, it's oh so close !!! I have a couple of the originals, and they have very slight differences in tone from each other. The new reissue fits in well with the old one's. I hope it ages as well as the others. To my ears, it just really sounds good. But.....that's just my opinion, ya know??
 
59paul said:
Whew !!! I don't know, I'm sittin here now A/B ing em again. The old original 808 is just a touch "darker" ??? I've got the knobs all set the same on both of em. I could tell them apart, if someone else was switchin them, if they were set like they are now, just because the original is a bit darker, but...I can turn the tone knob down some on the reissue, and man, it's oh so close !!! I have a couple of the originals, and they have very slight differences in tone from each other. The new reissue fits in well with the old one's. I hope it ages as well as the others. To my ears, it just really sounds good. But.....that's just my opinion, ya know??

It's all part tolerences buddy...But you can make both pedals sound the same if you tweak one 808's controls to the other? Is the amount of gain and the overall gain character the same for both...I Mean are they that close and is one worth $450 compared to the reissue? I'd bet my 808 with it's small tweaks sounds better than your original...Without a doubt...Again,what does "better" mean to all of us? :D

John
 
Rob..Make sure you're using the same battery! Eric Johnson hears it...:D The voltages do make a difference if one is lower than the other..The higher the voltage,the tighter the tone...

John
 
I can get em to sound awfully close. Every pedal is probably gonna be just a little different, but for the price difference??? If you're really wrapped up in the " Vintage" thang, I guess you'd want the original. But....to be honest, they are close enough that I certainly am not disappointed at all in the reissue. Ya gotta remember, I got my originals years ago, before they became "Vintage", now, some of the TS9's are becoming " Vintage". I would advise folks not to get too caught up in labels, and to use their ears. For $169, it's an Awesome pedal, in my humble opinion. :)
 
I can get em to sound awfully close. Every pedal is probably gonna be just a little different, but for the price difference??? If you're really wrapped up in the " Vintage" thang, I guess you'd want the original. But....to be honest, they are close enough that I certainly am not disappointed at all in the reissue. Ya gotta remember, I got my originals years ago, before they became "Vintage", now, some of the TS9's are becoming " Vintage". I would advise folks not to get too caught up in labels, and to use their ears. For $169, it's an Awesome pedal, in my humble opinion. :)
 
59paul said:
I can get em to sound awfully close. Every pedal is probably gonna be just a little different, but for the price difference??? If you're really wrapped up in the " Vintage" thang, I guess you'd want the original. But....to be honest, they are close enough that I certainly am not disappointed at all in the reissue. Ya gotta remember, I got my originals years ago, before they became "Vintage", now, some of the TS9's are becoming " Vintage". I would advise folks not to get too caught up in labels, and to use their ears. For $169, it's an Awesome pedal, in my humble opinion. :)

Nice post and info Rob...I'm not at all caught up in spending that kind of $$$$ on an original,especially when I can improve on the circuit and custom tailor it to my liking..Heck,I'd rather have 2 new reissues for the price of one original...it's cool that you in fact own the originals also...They make great paperweights and great conversation peices also...Just kidding...:D

John
 
Sorry for the echo on my last reply.....my computer was acting up a bit. I got the battery thing covered. They all have brand new batteries, same type and brand. I'd have to agree with ya, John. If I had a choice between 2 of the new ones or one old one, I'd probably take the new ones. When I bought my old ones, they weren't anywhere near $500 LOL !!!!! In fact, they were almost new when I bought em. So.....given time, these reissues will eventually become coveted and "Vintage", I guess. Anyway, I like em. :)
 
Speakin of batteries........I'm sure other folks have experienced this, but....I guess I'm old school, I like good ol plain jane Ever ready batteries. Here's the thing...the pedal ( talkin 808's here ) seems to sound it's best, to me, right when the battery starts to "sag". Now, I use a good Alkaline, like a Duracell, for live gigs. But for recording, or for playin for my own enjoyment, I always keep a bunch of " used" ever ready batteries around. Anyone else do this ???
 
I don't know about used ones, but carbon batteries have higher voltages than alkaline - that's the reason to use them, AFAIK.
 
Hey ya' Curly. Good to hear from ya, man!!! I hear ya on the batteries. Maybe it's just me, but right before the battery dies, it seems like the Overdrive get's just , kind of..... well it hit's it's Sweet Spot, in a manner of speakin'. I don't know...maybe it's just too many gigs, too many late nights..LOL
 
Curly said:
I don't know about used ones, but carbon batteries have higher voltages than alkaline - that's the reason to use them, AFAIK.

Hello Curly...I never actually see the carbon batteries,but I only use a battery during the testing stages of my mods...If I play live,I'll only use either the Boss PSA or the Ibanez 9v adapters with all of my pedals...One thing I do notice,is that a pedal is tighter and brighter with the adapter than it is with any battery I've ever tryed..If you have a pedal that just seems a bit saggy in the lows,the adapter usually is a cure...

John
 
I think pedals sound better with batteries. I think it's the way the power drains from the battery, makes the pedals sound better.
 
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