The DOD 280A Compressor Clone is not a finished pedal but a DIY effects project: a stompbox kit, project and PCBs sold by General Guitar Gadgets, which describes its offering as "Fine stompbox kits, projects & PCBs"1. The circuit it reproduces is an optical compressor, in the words of the project page "a replica of a popular optical compressor," based on the DOD 280A compressor1. An optical compressor controls gain with a light-sensitive element driven by an internal light source, an approach associated with a smooth, gradual compression character among compressor pedals.
What the project includes
The project page provides the schematic of the DOD 280A compressor as both an image and a PDF, so a builder can study the circuit before committing to a build1. Beyond the kit and PCBs themselves, that documentation is the core of what the listing offers.
This is a build-it-yourself project, not a ready-made pedal: it requires soldering, an enclosure and parts sourcing beyond what a finished pedal involves.
Where it sits among DOD compressors
DOD's compressor line extends beyond the 280A. The company later released the DOD Compressor 280, and other DOD compressors include the DOD FX80B Compressor Sustainer and the DOD FX84 Milk Box. A builder deciding between the clone and an original or reissue pedal is weighing a soldering project against a factory-built unit.
Sources (1)
- DOD™ 280A™ Compressor Clone: Schematic & Layout, General Guitar Gadgets, 2014-05-12
