The Maxon OD808-40K is a limited-edition overdrive pedal: a Maxon OD808 circuit modified by pedal builder Robert Keeley for the OD808's 40th anniversary. His "Max-Gain" mod gives the pedal increased gain, output and low-end response compared with a standard OD808, and the maker describes the result as "a louder, hotter, stacked-gain sound while still retaining the OD808's signature tone"1. Production was limited to 400 individually numbered units2, and the pedal is now discontinued1.
The OD808-40K was one of a series of anniversary variations on the OD808. To mark the circuit's 40th year, Maxon released a run of modified versions built with Keeley, Catalinbread and Pigtronix, alongside the stock OD808-40 reissue31.
An OD808 with Robert Keeley's Max-Gain mod
Keeley's own description of what he was after:
"For this 40th anniversary edition I put everything into making it a very hot, stacked gain sounding overdrive. It is everything a classic OD808 is, just Maxed out!"7
The maker's product page sums it up the same way: "It is everything a classic OD808 is, just Maxed out!"1
The controls and the mini-toggle on units 1 to 40
The control layout is the same three-knob arrangement as the non-modded OD808: Drive, Balance and Tone86. The visible difference from a standard unit is cosmetic as well as functional: the OD808-40K shipped with white knobs instead of black6.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Drive | Sets the amount of overdrive |
| Balance | Sets the output level |
| Tone | Rolls off or opens up the high end |
| Mini-toggle (units 1 to 40 only) | Switches between the standard OD808 tone and the Keeley Max-Gain mod19 |
The toggle is the key difference between the two versions of the run. On the first 40 units, the switch lets a player move between the stock OD808 sound and the Max-Gain mod1011. On the remaining 360 units there is no switch, which means the Max-Gain mod may not be disengaged: those pedals are always in the modified state6.
If you want to compare the modded and stock sounds side by side, only serial numbers 1 to 40 can do it. Units 41 to 400 have the Max-Gain mod permanently engaged, with no way to switch back to the standard OD808 tone16.
A limited run of 400 numbered pedals
The OD808-40K was limited to a production of 400 individually numbered units2. That run was split into two versions:
- Units 1 to 40: hand-signed by Robert Keeley, with a mini-toggle switch between the standard OD808 tone and the Max-Gain mod19
- Units 41 to 400: modded but unsigned, with no toggle switch1
At launch in 2019, street price was $199 for the unsigned version and $400 for the signed version5. Gearnews covered the release and took a dim view of the pricing, arguing that a simple, decades-old circuit does not need to recoup years of R&D investment:
"I find the price pretty outrageous, because it's not the case here that years of R&D investment have to be recouped for this simple, decades-old circuit."12
The same writer suggested the $400 signed version made more sense as a collector's item than a working pedal13.
The maker's product page also listed a price of £153.00 GBP1. A later B-stock listing for unit #375, described as new-old-stock with the box included and possibly showing minor cosmetic damage, showed a regular price of £192.00 GBP marked down to a sale price of £131.00 GBP7.
The OD808-40K is discontinued and the B-stock unit #375 listing is marked sold out17. Sales terms at launch were strict: all sales final on serial numbers 1 to 40, and a 25% restocking fee on canceled orders for serial numbers 41 to 400, with all sales final4.
How it fits the anniversary range
The OD808-40K sits inside a wider set of 40th- anniversary OD808 variants. Maxon also issued the stock OD808-40 reissue, a Catalinbread-modified OD808-40C, and a Pigtronix-modded version, each celebrating the same circuit from a different angle32. Where the OD808-40 reproduces the original, the OD808-40K takes it in the opposite direction: more gain, more output and more low end than the stock pedal5.
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Questions
How many Maxon OD808-40K pedals were made?
The OD808-40K was limited to a production run of 400 individually numbered units. The first 40 were hand-signed by Robert Keeley and fitted with a mini-toggle switch; the remaining 360 carried the same Max-Gain mod but no signature and no switch.
How much did the OD808-40K cost?
At launch in 2019 the street price was $199 for the unsigned version and $400 for the signed version with the mini-toggle. A later B-stock listing for unit #375 showed a regular price of £192.00 GBP marked down to £131.00 GBP.
Can you turn off the Max-Gain mod on the unsigned OD808-40K?
No. Only the first 40 units, the ones hand-signed by Keeley, have a mini-toggle that switches between the standard OD808 tone and the Max-Gain mod. The remaining 360 units have no switch, so the mod cannot be disengaged on them.
Is the Maxon OD808-40K discontinued?
Yes. The maker lists the OD808-40K as discontinued, and a B-stock listing for unit #375 is also marked sold out. It was a limited edition of 400 numbered units, so no further production runs were planned.
How do you tell the OD808-40K from a standard OD808?
The OD808-40K has white knobs instead of the standard OD808's black ones, and units 1 to 40 carry Robert Keeley's hand signature plus a mini-toggle switch. The unsigned units 41 to 400 look closer to a stock OD808 but still have the Max-Gain mod inside.
Sources (13)
- 40th ANNIVERSARY KEELEY MODIFIED OVERDRIVE (OD808-40K), Godlyke Distributing, Inc.
- 40th ANNIVERSARY CATALINBREAD MODIFIED OVERDRIVE (OD808-40C), Godlyke Distributing, Inc.
- 7 Of The Best Tube Screamer Clones, Variants And Reissues In 2024, Delicious Audio, 2024-04-17
- 40th ANNIVERSARY KEELEY MODIFIED OVERDRIVE (OD808-40K), Godlyke, Inc. (maxonfx.com)
- Godlyke releases Maxon 40th Anniversary Keeley-modded OD808, MusicPlayers.com, 2019-10-03
- Maxon joins forces with Keeley on modded OD808-40K, Guitar.com, 2019-06-25
- Maxon 40th Anniversary Keeley Modified Overdrive OD808-40K #375 (B-STO, Godlyke Distributing, Inc.
- Maxon OD808 & OD-9 vs Ibanez TS-9 Tube Screamer Shootout, Guitar.com, 2017-07-27
- Maxon Launches OD808-40 Limited-Edition Overdrive, Premier Guitar, 2019-04-12
- Maxon & Keeley Unveil OD808-40K for 40th Anniv., Premier Guitar, 2019-10-09
- Maxon lets Keeley have his way with the OD808 for new 40th Anniversary overdrive pedal, MusicRadar, 2019-06-24
- Maxon OD808-40K: Maxon and Keeley collaborate on 40th anniversary version, gearnews.com, 2019-06-24
- EarthQuaker Devices Plumes, gearnews.com, 2019-07-03
