Xploration • Curation • Recommendation
My second longest mission is now complete as I have 3 fantastic enhancements and evolutions of the OD-1 circuit and one intriguing adjacent
If you read my recent PastFX OG-1 piece - you would know that I initially intended to pick up an original long-dash OD-1 with the very original 14-pin JRC3403 OpAmp onboard. There’s hardly any of those available in the wild - and typically they are battered and way over-priced. I had intended to get one and have it modified with an additional tone-stack - as I always felt that was a key element missing from the original, and one of the reasons for the greater success of the Ibanez TS808 Tube Screamer. The modded original route very evidently was deemed to be wholly impractical, and instead I sought out smart evolutions of the OD-1 circuit - in the format that best suited my preferences and sensibilities.
The first of these I picked up was the Pettyjohn ODI in February of 2021 - which uses the later JCR4558D chip also found in the earliest SD-1’s. The ODI is beautifully engineered with superior components and it has a 2-Band EQ also over the original. A really fantastic take for sure - which has stood the test of time. I still had an itch for a 14-pin original OpAmp though.
Roll on to March of 2024, and my good friend Vitalii of Drunk Beaver released his exceptional Pedal Drop #19 - the Khelnytskyi OD - where he found a period correct equivalent to the JRC3403 - the Motorola MC3403. He added 2-way clipping - LED / Silicon, and the tone stack from the Boss OD-3 - to magnificent effect. It sounds so amazing on the LED clipping mode.
Next came something of a red herring just last month - in the form of the iStingor OD-1 Super OverDrive - very obviously Boss inspired in name, format and colour - even with a front-loading battery compartment with silver retaining screw. While despite its very similar key brand markers, it has nothing to do with the OD-1 circuit and is indeed it’s own distinct MOSFET circuit - with unique timbre / character and output profile - with quite a bit more gain on board, and a slightly more cutting delivery. Sounds superb on the Turbo mode - but this is its own circuit, and not at all a version of anything remotely Boss-related!
And finally just a little over a week ago I landed the big fish as such - a pedal with that hallowed original JRC3403 14-pin / leg OpAmp onboard. Evolved and enhanced in Verlie’s usual style. In fact with both OD-1 and SD-1 circuits onboard - the latter using the original SD-1 chip - the JCR4558D chip - as in my PJ ODI above. The OG-1’s OD-1 voicing is excellent, while the Drunk Beaver Khelnytskyi one is equally good, possibly even with a slight edge on its LED clipping mode for my preferences.
The big revelation for me - was that I prefer the SD-1 mode here even more - it’s louder, punchier and a little more textured. And where the OD-1 voicing is for sure brilliant - the SD-1 somehow ends up being even more exceptional for me. The OG-1 has the perfect complement of controls - and as am enhanced Dual Voiced Overdrive it’s really quite magical - delivering the best of 2 of Boss’s most celebrated overdrives.
Each of these had complications in acquisition - and I feel very privileged to own all 4 here. While the iStingor one is definitely an outlier in this company - which is why it’s marked out with a red herring symbol and MOSFET label!
Here below are the further details per each pedal!
Pettyjohn Electronics ODI Overdrive - $277
Controls - Level, Drive, Lows, Highs.
Components - 2 x JRC4558D OpAmps, 2 x 1S1588 Diodes, 1 x 1N4148 Diode.
The oldest of these evolutions - but still stands tall. A beautifully engineered pedal with the very best of components - having 2-Band EQ is so handy for this circuit. Really sounds superb. In fact sounds every bit as great as the 14-pin editions and in some ways has an even more richly textured output - particularly with the various mod options I selected. I always want the richest and most harmonic sounding drives - and I selected the Classic OpAmp Mod and the NOS Clipping Diodes Mod - which brought the total to $277. I still really love this pedal, while I was always on the look out for a 14-pin variant. While to be honest - this one is every bit as great sounding!
Drunk Beaver Pedal Drop #19 : Khelnytskyi OD - $150
Controls - Volume, Tone (from OD-3), Drive, Clipping : LED / None / Silicon.
Components - NOS Motorola MC3403 14-pin OpAmp, Equivalent Polish CEMI Diodes
This is such a smart take - where Vitalii found exact equivalent Motorola MC3403 vs JRC3403 to replicate the original circuit. He added highest quality equivalent Polish CEMI Diodes, and the tone-stack from Boss's OD-3. He also added additional 2 Red LED's, where you also get a 'No Clipping' option - as well as the stock Silicon variant. This one was an instant hit for me. The different clipping options gave it an edge - while overall the Pettyjohn ODI is just as good - I just really wanted a 14-pin chip! There's still no demo for this pedal - not many were made!
iStingor OD-1 Super OverDrive - from $79, I paid £158
Controls - Treble, Middle, Bass, Level, Voicing : Turbo (Louder / Punchier / Wirier) / Normal (more subtle), Gain.
Components - MOSFET array (reversed circuit)
This one is an oddity in several ways - down to how I got hold of it, and my fleeting contact with iStingor on Instagram - they only deigned to respond once! I bought it on Amazon via a US seller - so the pedal came to me via somewhat tortuous route, and I feel I paid slightly over the odds for it - but it was intriguing and I had to check it out. So much about this pedal makes you think it's Boss-influenced / inspired - but apart from those obvious brand markers - this really has nothing to do with any Boss circuit. I still think it's a pretty great sounding overdrive - particularly on turbo mode - and having the 3-Band EQ really helps you get the most out of this circuit. While as part of the OD-1 quest proper - this is an outlier and a red herring! But still worthy in its own way - it's just not remotely the same circuit as the OD-1! The construction features a reverse board - which means it's a pain in the ass to get into the pedal to see what the components - which task on this occasion was a little beyond me. Not and OD-1 variant - but still a very decent overdrive!
PastFX OG-1 Super/OverDrive - N/A - POA
Controls - Level, Mode : OD / SD, Gain, Presence : Stock / Additional High Frequencies, Tone, Clipping : Asymmetrical / Symmetrical, Bass : Bass Boost / Stock / Bass Cut.
In many ways this one is the GOAT in this selection - based on the fact that it has the actual original JCR3403 OpAmp onboard - and delivers both OD-1 and SD-1 circuits. The one downside for me - is that the Tone control is only active on the SD-1 Mode - I would have preferred if it had been universally applicable. You d though have the Presence push-button, and the 3-way Bass toggle switch. The OG-1 always sounds better with Symmetrical clipping - I value the harmonics and richness of texture. While in some ways I prefer the OD-1 voicings on my PJ ODI and DB Khelnytskyi OD. As an all rounder though - this OG-1 is perfect really and deserves a lot of praise. Really in terms of the core OD-1 voicings - there's nothing really to separate the three enhanced versions here - while each has their own advantages. The PastFX OG-1 gets the top point for its SD-1 inclusion. I'm glad that I can now pronounce this mission complete - while I'm sure we will see further variants along the way. My one remaining key mission is to secure a Blakemore Effects Deus Ex Machina! All these projects are several years in the making and involve a lot of patience and then high octane chasing up!
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