Cor-Tek acquires DigiTech/DOD and relaunches DOD Overdrive Preamp 250

January 9, 2023 · 6 sources

Cor-Tek Corporation, the parent company of Cort Guitars, announced on January 9, 2023 that it had acquired the DigiTech/DOD brand and would relaunch the DOD Overdrive Preamp 250¹. The pedal is set to make its debut at the 2023 NAMM Show, April 13-15, and is the first of nine classic models slated to be brought back¹.

The updated version "maintains the classic tone and spirit of the vintage gray LM741 250," according to the announcement, and has Gain and Level controls that the maker says allow users to overdrive an amp or use the pedal as a stand-alone distortion¹. It has true bypass switching and runs on a 9V DC power supply¹. Guitar.com describes the circuit as a distortion built around the LM741 op-amp chip, similar in some ways to the MXR Distortion Plus². Guitar World and Guitar Player both wrote that the 2023 pedal looks much like its 2010s-era predecessor, with the yellow enclosure, Gain and Level knobs and blue LED status light, though DOD promises "elevated" performance³⁴.

Prices differ by source. Premier Guitar lists an MSRP of $153 and a MAP of $109.99⁵. MusicRadar gives a MAP of $109.99⁶, and Guitar World cites an MAP of $109 and an MSRP of $153³. Guitar.com gives an MSRP of $153². Guitar Player reported the pedal available now for $109⁴.

DigiTech/DOD longtime marketer Tom Cram, along with several key DigiTech and DOD engineers, will lead U.S. operations from the brand's current Utah headquarters¹.

Cor-Tek said 2023 marks its 50th anniversary and 10 years since the DOD 250 Preamp Overdrive was updated to the gold version¹. DOD was co-founded by John Johnson and David O. DiFrancesco in Utah, and DigiTech/DOD was eventually sold to Harman International, a division of Samsung¹.