Maxon OD808-40

The Maxon OD808-40 is a limited-edition overdrive pedal released in 2019 to mark the 40th anniversary of the Maxon OD808, the circuit that was later rebranded for Ibanez as the TS808 Tube Screamer¹. It uses the current-production OD808 as its base, with specific circuit modifications provided by Susumu Tamura, the Japanese engineer who designed the original 808 overdrive²¹. According to the maker, those changes "provide a more open, articulate sound with improved dynamic response"².

The first run was limited to 400 units, each with a signed certificate of authenticity, and the first 40 of those were hand-signed by Tamura himself¹³⁴. It is now sold out in both runs.

An OD808 tuned for a more open, articulate sound

The OD808-40 starts from the current-production OD808 circuit, and Tamura's modifications are the whole point of the pedal. Godlyke's product page puts it plainly: the changes "provide a more open, articulate sound with improved dynamic response"¹. Guitar.com's news coverage described the same modifications as catering "for more transparent and articulate sounds along with an improved dynamic response"⁶.

For a player, that means the pedal keeps the OD808's role as an amp-pushing overdrive but aims to be less colored than the stock circuit. Maxon's own page notes the 808 design became "the go-to amp-pushing pedal for countless guitarists around the globe," a lineage that includes Stevie Ray Vaughan². The OD808-40 carries a commemorative nameplate marking the anniversary¹.

History and versions: a 40th anniversary limited run

The OD808 dates to 1979, and in 2019, its 40th anniversary year, Maxon celebrated with this limited edition in collaboration with Godlyke². Premier Guitar carried the announcement in April 2019, describing it as the limited-edition Maxon 40th Anniversary OD808-40 Overdrive pedal⁵.

The runs break down like this:

The first run sold out, and Godlyke announced a second run "due to overwhelming popular demand." The second-run pedals kept the same mod and commemorative nameplate but switched to the stock OD808 knobs³¹. That second run is also listed as sold out³.

At launch, MusicRadar reported preorders at $199 for serial numbers 41 to 400, or $400 for the signed serial numbers 1 to 40⁴, and Premier Guitar's announcement gave the same street prices⁵. Godlyke's product page later listed the pedal at £191.00 GBP³, with a B-stock unit (#666) at £153.00 GBP¹.

Gearnews covered the announcement with a collector's eye:

How it differs from a regular OD808

The differences are the circuit modifications, the commemorative nameplate, and the limited numbering. Everything else follows the OD808 it is built from: it is an overdrive pedal in the 808 tradition, and the second run even reverted to the stock OD808 knobs³¹. Players comparing it against the standard pedal today will find the regular OD808 also listed as sold out on Godlyke's page⁸.

The wider 40th anniversary family

The OD808-40 was not the only anniversary pedal. Maxon also recruited outside builders to modify the OD808 for the same anniversary, each edition limited to 400 individually numbered units with its own signed certificate of authenticity⁹¹⁰:

• Maxon OD808-40K, the Keeley-modified version, which Robert Keeley described as "a very hot, stacked gain sounding overdrive"
• Maxon OD808-40C, the Catalinbread-modified version
• Maxon OD808-40E, the EarthQuaker Devices-modified version, with "more clarity and punch thanks to an enhanced upper midrange, alternate clipping diodes, and increased output volume"⁹
• Maxon OD808-40P, the Pigtronix-modified version

The 40E and 40P pages now show sold out and discontinued status respectively⁹¹⁰. The OD808-40 itself is also shown as sold out², and Guitar World's reviewer expected the anniversary pedals to be purchased by collectors rather than players³².

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