# Maxon od808 or TS9??



## Jake (Apr 28, 2011)

Hey guys im buying my peavey 6505+ really soon and i cant decide which overdrive pedal i want to use to boost im running a mesa 4x12 rec cab and ill have a bbe sonic maximizer and noise suppressor in the chain as well i know this is a highly debated topic so id like to see what some of you guys think


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## Rook (Apr 28, 2011)

Od808, it's identical to the original ts808's and works better as a clean boost too

Here the OD808 is actually cheaper than the TS9, I think it's the other way round in the states, but go Maxon every time.


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## pearl_07 (Apr 28, 2011)

I have that exact same setup minus the maximizer, and I love my OD808.


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## Jake (Apr 28, 2011)

Fun111 said:


> Od808, it's identical to the original ts808's and works better as a clean boost too
> 
> Here the OD808 is actually cheaper than the TS9, I think it's the other way round in the states, but go Maxon every time.


Thanks man im gonna go with the Maxon then hopefully i can find a good deal on one as I will have little money left after this amp head purchase lol


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## Rook (Apr 28, 2011)

They go for about $80-100 used, go for that.


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## 155 (Apr 28, 2011)

808 for me


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## DVRP (Apr 28, 2011)

Id go Ts-9 just because of the price difference. Mine serves me well.


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## Leuchty (Apr 28, 2011)

MXR GT-OD. times a thousand.


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## slayerrulesyo (Apr 28, 2011)

OD808, I have the same set up (as a backup rig) as well


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## warlock7strEMG (Apr 28, 2011)

neither, ditch the Sonic Maximizer and get BBE Green Screamer. sounds just like the 808 but with less low end cut. also only costs $100, sometimes even cheaper. sounds alot thicker in comparison to the TS9 and costs the same price, i did a back to back comparison boosting a 6505+


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## Rook (Apr 29, 2011)

I personally like the Low Cut, it makes the gain stage more responsive, you can always make up the low end if you have a post gain stage EQ, which most modern amps (6505/+ included) do.


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## petereanima (Apr 29, 2011)

The low-cut is one of the main reasons for me to use a Tubescreamer...i like my signal going TIGHT to the amp, and Bass/Deep-knobs of the amp get more useable.


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## warlock7strEMG (Apr 29, 2011)

i like low cut/bass tightening of an OD pedal too, but some amps dont need as much cut out as other in my opinion. the 6505+ is one of those amps. i usually prefer the BBE Green Screamer and Maxon OD9, both still cuts out a noticeable amount of bass and tighten but dont completely neuter the low end like some OD pedals do, like the TS9. however i feel some amps such as the regular 6505/5150 and Rectos can greatly benefit from or at least be ok with an OD that cuts alot of bass like the TS9 or TS7. just my preference


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## warlock7strEMG (Apr 29, 2011)

717ctsjz said:


> Thanks man im gonna go with the Maxon then hopefully i can find a good deal on one as I will have little money left after this amp head purchase lol



if you do go with a Maxon, get the OD9 instead


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## sleepy502 (Apr 29, 2011)

Get whatever is on sale, you won't notice a difference.


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## TMM (Apr 29, 2011)

Honestly, do yourself a favor, and check out a TC Nova Drive. I didn't think much of them until I tried one out side-by-side with a TS9 and TS808 (and some other ODs), and it left them in the dust. Not even a close comparison.


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## Double A (Apr 30, 2011)

sleepy502 said:


> Get whatever is on sale, you won't notice a difference.


Wow, definitely not this.


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## Rook (Apr 30, 2011)

TMM said:


> Honestly, do yourself a favor, and check out a TC Nova Drive. I didn't think much of them until I tried one out side-by-side with a TS9 and TS808 (and some other ODs), and it left them in the dust. Not even a close comparison.



Mmmmmm.... They're different.

I've owned literally over a hundred pedals (look at my eBay history, lol) including plenty of OD's and booster and I've stuck with the TS stuff. I'm looking to swap my TS808 for a Maxon at the moment but that's purely for the smaller footprint.

Id also say there is definitely an audible difference between the 9 and 808, the 808's a touch softer an functions better as a clean boost.


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## 7StringSloan (Apr 30, 2011)

Maxon is definetly worth the extra cost. My buddy played both through his cranked to hell 6505+ and the Maxon was 10x better at least to my ears.


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## Curt (Apr 30, 2011)

sleepy502 said:


> Get whatever is on sale, you won't notice a difference.



probably the most uninformed thing i've ever seen posted regarding OD pedals.

an SD-1 will sound different than a TS808, and the TS9 will sound different from both of those, etc...

each and every pedal has its own characteristic that is IMMEDIATELY noticeable to most.

I find the 808 is smoother, and with less bright highs in comparison to the TS9 where it's almost fizzy with the high frequencies, the GT-OD by MXR is somewhere in between an 808 and a TS9.


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## Andii (May 1, 2011)

petereanima said:


> The low-cut is one of the main reasons for me to use a Tubescreamer...i like my signal going TIGHT to the amp, and Bass/Deep-knobs of the amp get more useable.



Yes!



7StringSloan said:


> Maxon is definetly worth the extra cost. My buddy played both through his cranked to hell 6505+ and the Maxon was 10x better at least to my ears.



Yes!


I own a TS9 and an OD808. The OD808 sounds way better than the TS9 for any use and in every aspect hands down.


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## Jake (May 6, 2011)

thanks everyone yeah im gonna just go with the maxon if i find one but if not i will go with a ts9 but im not sure yet i guess still looking for a 6505/5150 at the moment first haha


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## TheChuggernaut (May 6, 2011)

i have a 5150II and use a Maxon OD808...it definitely tightens the tone up and gives it a good amount of punch. i live and die by this little win box.


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## Deliverowned (May 7, 2011)

A friend of mine ABed the mxr gt of and the maxon od808 and they were wounding close to identical he told me.

Id get one of those.I own the gt od and its smooth, transparent clear, I really love it.


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## Shabadoo (May 7, 2011)

I love the OD808, for the past two years it's the only piece of gear in my rig that has been with me the whole time.


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## youheardme (May 7, 2011)

I skipped trying the TS9 and went straight for the 808


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## JeffHenneman (May 7, 2011)

To the OP, lots of good info in here and they are right that each one have there own characteristics. In your case, you do not have the amp yet, so maybe you should spend some time dialing it in first then make your decision. Cause at this point the differences in the pedals might not be that much of a big deal. Does that make sense?


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## Taylo234 (May 7, 2011)

Same setup as well. The maxon od808 added alot of feedback for me but i also have my peavey's gain at 8 and the maxon OD at 12 oclock. xD


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## warlock7strEMG (May 7, 2011)

Taylo234 said:


> Same setup as well. The maxon od808 added alot of feedback for me but i also have my peavey's gain at 8 and the maxon OD at 12 oclock. xD



On 8?! Geez!!!! The gain on 6 or 7 is more than enough on a 6505+ without an OD boost. Try turning it down to like 4-5. U will have less feedback and it'll sound much better and clearer


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## Deliverowned (May 8, 2011)

warlock7strEMG said:


> On 8?! Geez!!!! The gain on 6 or 7 is more than enough on a 6505+ without an OD boost. Try turning it down to like 4-5. U will have less feedback and it'll sound much better and clearer



Yeah when my 5150 is boosted, i have the gain at like 2.5-3, at the minimum, as soon as the gain kicks in.
But maybe hes going for another type of tone uber satured but even going for that I woulndt go past 6 6.5.


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## Enselmis (May 8, 2011)

I modded my TS9 for a bit less gain and a bit more clarity and it sounds fantastic. That said, I usually stick to the Lovepedal Eternity. It's a treble booster as opposed to a straight OD, think Brian May. 

When I modded the TS9, I moved the cutoff for the highpass slightly lower, and I think that really helped.


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## Jake (May 9, 2011)

JeffHenneman said:


> To the OP, lots of good info in here and they are right that each one have there own characteristics. In your case, you do not have the amp yet, so maybe you should spend some time dialing it in first then make your decision. Cause at this point the differences in the pedals might not be that much of a big deal. Does that make sense?


 yeah it makes sense obviously once i find a 6505/5150 (which seems like every time i do the deal falls through) im deffinitly going to spend time dialing it in first and figuring out what i need from there just trying to get some opinions on pedals haha


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## Larrikin666 (May 9, 2011)

I modded my OD808 for less gain and got a chaos modded TS9. They're both really interesting and different. At the end of the day though, I could adjust a rig to sound the same with either. I'd try the 808 first.


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## Andii (May 11, 2011)

youheardme said:


> I skipped trying the TS9 and went straight for the 808



I sure wish I would have done that. 

$100 I'll never get back.


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## ibanezRG1527 (May 11, 2011)

im in this debate as well. will probably be going through a b52 at-100 head with a genz benz gb412g-flex cab and which of these pedals will get me a low end death metal tone. im not looking for a super tight djent tone so if the ts9 (or the 808) excells specifically in djent, i dont want it. are there any cheaper pedals i can go for? maybe even a bass overdrive pedal (like a prescription electronics depth charge)? i know head from korn used to use one...


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## Jake (May 19, 2011)

hey guys i got my amp..its a beast like i imagined so then i went to the od's i got an sd-1 and tried it out and liked it for a little bit but then i decided to go for the ts-9 after some advice from my friends and it sounds incredible already im still gonna try out an od808 but for now this is great


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## VILARIKA (May 19, 2011)

CYBERSYN said:


> MXR GT-OD. times a thousand.


 
I currently run this with my 6505+ and a Mesa Rectifier 2x12 and an ISP Decimator. Great setup, good tones! I'd still like to try Maxon though, but the GT-OD does a good job.


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## Xherion (May 19, 2011)

I recommend the OD9 Pro. Compared it to an OD808 and regular OD9 and it sounds better. It's expensive though.

IMO, OD9 Pro > OD9 > OD808


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## warlock7strEMG (May 19, 2011)

ibanezRG1527 said:


> im in this debate as well. will probably be going through a b52 at-100 head with a genz benz gb412g-flex cab and which of these pedals will get me a low end death metal tone. im not looking for a super tight djent tone so if the ts9 (or the 808) excells specifically in djent, i dont want it. are there any cheaper pedals i can go for? maybe even a bass overdrive pedal (like a prescription electronics depth charge)? i know head from korn used to use one...



The AT100 will pretty much get u to ballsy death metal territory on it's own, ESP thru the G-Flex cab, those things sound huge!!! But having an OD will help u get the gain sizzling a little more by just driving ur preamp harder, and u can get that from pretty much any OD pedal u buy, but I'm guessing u want one that will retain ur low end the most. In that case I would go for the Maxon OD9. Its a little more aggressive than alot of other OD pedals so it will be great for getting ur amp into death metal territory, it also will cut less of ur low end than most other OD pedals. 

But for what ur goin for, since u aren't particularly goin for tight, I would also consider getting a MetalZone to boost the amps gain(amp gain at 5-ish, pedal set distortion:0, level:7-8, pedal EQ all at 5). This is how Cannibal Corpse gets that death metal sizzle from their Rectos, so it'll definitely work with the AT100, as they are somewhat similar to a Recto.


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## JeffHenneman (May 21, 2011)

I figured I would chime in once again since I just bought a Peavey 6505 and a mxr gt-od. I have not had much time with it, but I gotta say that running the od level all the way up and the gain at zero has made the rythm channel so awesome. It sound awesome for rythm. It made the lead channel have that thick creamy tone thats dreams are made of. Can't wait to get more time with it tommorrow.


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## noob_pwn (May 21, 2011)

OD808, my all time favorite OD


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## trickae (Jun 14, 2011)

I'm in a similar situation at the moment. 

I'm trying to find a store in Sydney that holds all all of the following.

Xotic BB Preamp
BBE Green Screamer 
MAXON OD808 / OD9
MXR GT-OD M193

I really have to try them out before buying one. Not being stingy - I made the mistake with buying two wah pedals (crybaby 535Q and Morley Bad Horsie 2) which I barely use. Should've just stuck with one.


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## Hybrid138 (Jun 15, 2011)

I'm thinking of getting a boost for my Roadster. I'm thinking the maxon od808?


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## Quitty (Jun 15, 2011)

I'll be counter-productive this once, and say neither - 
i recently had a go at both, and while they both sounded good, the PiggyFX Honeydrive blows 'em out of the water.
It's more transparent, tighter sounding and far, far more flexible (bass and treble knobs).


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## xtrustisyoursx (Jun 15, 2011)

Fun111 said:


> Od808, it's identical to the original ts808's and works better as a clean boost too
> 
> Here the OD808 is actually cheaper than the TS9, I think it's the other way round in the states, but go Maxon every time.



Not quite true. For some reason, Maxon does their naming backwards. The OD-808 is the same as the original Ibanez TS-9, and the Maxon OD9 is the same as the original Ibanez TS-808


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## Andii (Jun 15, 2011)

xtrustisyoursx said:


> Not quite true. For some reason, Maxon does their naming backwards. The OD-808 is the same as the original Ibanez TS-9, and the Maxon OD9 is the same as the original Ibanez TS-808


fpfpfpfpffffffff output resistors.

I will say that the OD808 sounds about 10 times better next to my reissue TS9. I have no idea why and no time to look into it, but it's completely different. It has more output and it's way clearer.


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## h1mera (Jul 28, 2011)

xtrustisyoursx said:


> Not quite true. For some reason, Maxon does their naming backwards. The OD-808 is the same as the original Ibanez TS-9, and the Maxon OD9 is the same as the original Ibanez TS-808



I had both Maxon OD808 and Ibanez TS9 and they sound differently. OD808 is a really great clean booster, TS9 has more gain and hi-freq response. I'd say TS9 works better as an individual effect (OD) pedal, and OD808 works great as a booster (but it's kinda subjective, though). I still own Maxon for that reason.


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## atticmike (Jul 28, 2011)

the od 808 is with its clarity and transparency probably the best od pedal if you want to touch your amp's sound the least possible.

Also, the od tone of the pedal, if being used, is some of the most balanced out on the market. 

Can't go wrong with an 808.

The TS9 is a little more aggressive, similar to the zakk wylde pedal.


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## Snewgle (Jul 18, 2012)

I've recently started digging into this aswell, and after finding the easy mod guide to getting a TS7 to a T808, I picked up one from a local music store for 60$ to try at home. I've yet to try an OD808 though, which one do you think would work best with a Boss Ns-2 to get me that tight but heavy djent tone?


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## wakjob (Jul 18, 2012)

I've modded the crap out of half a dozen TS or clones. They are all playing the same sport, just a different game.

There's TON's of comparison vids on YT.

For my money the BB preamp is the winner.

And I have a SparkleDrive, Maxon OD808, Sonic Glory, & a TS7 on hand at the moment.


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## OfArtAndArsenal (Jul 18, 2012)

The Custom Audio Electronics line driver is a really good, really transparent clean boost. I never had a chance to use it in front of a good high-gain amp, but it could be worth a shot. I got mine on amazon pretty.inexpensively.


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## VBCheeseGrater (Jul 18, 2012)

717ctsjz said:


> thanks everyone yeah im gonna just go with the maxon if i find one but if not i will go with a ts9 but im not sure yet i guess still looking for a 6505/5150 at the moment first haha



yeah you shouldn't be disappointed with the TS9 if you end up with it. 

I picked up a Delta Labs Tube Driver the other day for $25 at GC on clearance (demo model). Beats the TS9 in every aspect, including tone, footprint, and looks


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## OfArtAndArsenal (Jul 18, 2012)

vbshredder said:


> I picked up a Delta Labs Tube Driver the other day for $25 at GC on clearance (demo model).



I've been wondering about those pedals. They're just so inexpensive I've always written them off. You say its good eh?


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## MikeSweeney (Jul 18, 2012)

visual sound route 808 its most likely the cheaper one but the hardest pushing one to


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## Sdrizis89 (Jul 18, 2012)

i love my maxon od808 on my marshall...def go for that


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## VBCheeseGrater (Jul 18, 2012)

OfArtAndArsenal said:


> I've been wondering about those pedals. They're just so inexpensive I've always written them off. You say its good eh?



Yeah, i was surprised, the delay sounds cheap - it's noisy, but works. 

The chorus sounds pretty nice but breaks up the cleans a little with humbuckers - not as bad as a mind bender or something but it's slightly noticeable. I still like it better than my boss super chorus for cleans. The boss is better for distortion chorus. Edit- if you run the chorus in stereo, one channel shuts off when you turn off chorus, which sucks.

The OD (Tube driver), on the other hand, is just a great pedal. It's my main OD now.


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## OfArtAndArsenal (Jul 19, 2012)

vbshredder said:


> The OD (Tube driver), on the other hand, is just a great pedal. It's my main OD now.



Eeeenteresting...


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## WarOfAttrition (Jul 20, 2012)

Maxon OD808 is an Ibanez TS10 circuit and the Maxon OD9 is the same as the Ibanez TS9 but the Maxon has true bypass.


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## VBCheeseGrater (Jul 20, 2012)

OfArtAndArsenal said:


> Eeeenteresting...



..and the delta delay is no longer noisy for whatever reason - maybe different place in my power chain??? Still, it's just serviceable, nothing too amazing


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## loktide (Jul 20, 2012)

+1 for the OD808


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## Atomshipped (Jul 20, 2012)

My TS9 does everything I could possibly want it to perfectly well it's a great pedal. I haven't tried the OD808 but it seems like a matter of taste. There's no "better"; only different.


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## Rock4ever (Jul 20, 2012)

I must be the only guy that doesn't care for the OD808. Last time I tried I had a hard time getting it to clean up. Next time I mess with it i'll mess with the gtr's volume control and see how far I gotta turn that down.

I also have a TS9DX(Ibby) and a Maxon VOP 9. Love those pedals.


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## arcadia fades (Nov 26, 2012)

Maxon OD808


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## MikeSweeney (Nov 26, 2012)

green rhino so under rated


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## JoshuaKaroshi (Nov 26, 2012)

I ran a TS9 into my 6505 and it was unreal. You'll be happy with getting either the TS of the Maxon. Basically the same circuit boards. Also don't pitch your maximizer. It makes the 6505's sound a lot better/clearer if you run it through the FX loop.


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## ArtDecade (Nov 26, 2012)

sleepy502 said:


> Get whatever is on sale, you won't notice a difference.



Spot on.


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## axxessdenied (Nov 26, 2012)

MikeSweeney said:


> visual sound route 808 its most likely the cheaper one but the hardest pushing one to



I came here to recommend the Route 66. It's a great tubescreamer clone! 
The bass boost is a nice feature too. I'm using the second edition not the older one.


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## Krigloch the Furious (Nov 26, 2012)

I've been wondering what I should get for my XXX


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## Seanthesheep (Nov 26, 2012)

back when I was running a 6534+, I had an Ibanez TS-9. my friend had a maxon OD-9. we barely could tell the difference in an A/B test. I think new, the maxon OD-9 is atleast 50$ more. never tried the OD808 but Im not sure its worth the 200+$ they go for here.


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## DanakinSkywalker (Nov 28, 2012)

I am running my 6505+ with a SD-1. Could you guys say that both the TS9 or OD808 are better than the Boss SD-1? Not trying to hijack the thread at all, just wondering and didn't want to create a whole new one for it.


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## Shask (Nov 28, 2012)

DanakinSkywalker said:


> I am running my 6505+ with a SD-1. Could you guys say that both the TS9 or OD808 are better than the Boss SD-1? Not trying to hijack the thread at all, just wondering and didn't want to create a whole new one for it.


The SD-1 is crunchier/brighter/tighter than the TS9/OD808. I actually grew up with the SD-1 for years, so many times I still prefer it. It is not a bad pedal at all.

The TS9/OD808 is smoother with a mid-mid frequency emphasis, and the SD-1 is crunchy (not as smooth) with a hi-mid frequency emphasis.

I like having both


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## DanakinSkywalker (Nov 28, 2012)

Shask said:


> The SD-1 is crunchier/brighter/tighter than the TS9/OD808. I actually grew up with the SD-1 for years, so many times I still prefer it. It is not a bad pedal at all.
> 
> The TS9/OD808 is smoother with a mid-mid frequency emphasis, and the SD-1 is crunchy (not as smooth) with a hi-mid frequency emphasis.
> 
> I like having both


Thank you dude, much appreciated. I guess it comes down to personal preference.


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## Masc0t (Nov 29, 2012)

I found a TS7 brand new for about $25 when I had my 5150 and I never thought twice about it. That being said you absolutely can't go wrong with the OD808.


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## Jake (Nov 29, 2012)

whoa holy thread from my past  I see this was bumped.

If anyone is wondering I still have the ts-9 and it's still fantastic with my peavey 5150ii, granted my pedalboard has grown a little lately but still its my only overdrive.

I prefer the ts-9 over the SD-1 but the SD is not bad by any means


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## Masc0t (Nov 29, 2012)

Oh dear, didn't even notice how old this was. Hopefully this is useful to peoples' reference because its a pretty common thread


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## Jake (Nov 29, 2012)

Masc0t said:


> Oh dear, didn't even notice how old this was. Hopefully this is useful to peoples' reference because its a pretty common thread


Yeah this was like my first post here 

Hopefully it can help people though


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## JoshuaKaroshi (Nov 29, 2012)

Well, good to know you made a good choice with the ts9!


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## T-e-r-r-y (Dec 1, 2012)

I have 3, the TS9, the Boss SD-1 and the Digitech Bad Monkey. I actually kinda dig the Digitech the most, at least for boosting a high gain amp.


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## TRENCHLORD (Dec 1, 2012)

9-series Maxons are great for goosing hgh gainers.
od9pro+ and vop9 are my favorites.
Nothing wrong with those 808s either.


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## DarkWolfXV (Dec 2, 2012)

Whoever said Maxon OD-808 is same as TS-808, no, no they are not, Maxon OD-808 is TS-10 circuit, and its not same as TS-808. However there is no big difference between TS-9 and TS-808, they are basically same except one or two resistors at the output.


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## Alexis (Dec 4, 2012)

both are great but I would go with the Maxon


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## karjim (Dec 6, 2012)

It depends of what amp do you use? 
For example, with my previous triple rec I prefered the Maxon 808, but now I'm playin a Laney VH100RN and this is not a super high gain monster. I can put my gain level at 2pm and it's still intelligent, with Recto the gain was at 9'.
So with a smoother bright amp, the TS9 or Od9 works way much better than the maxon, more aggressive, tighter, with a little less low-cut, perfect for the punchy glassy Laney. 
In general, if you want metal and play in a band, YOU HAVE to get an Od Pedal, after it depends the amp and the cab before.
Od Pedal in front+ Mxr 108 Eq in loop-> That's the way you get aggressive Metal tone with any kind of amp, with a Peavey Classic 30 it works ! So.....
The low cut , the high cut, the 2kHz boost, the scoop around 500Hz, it's the job for the Eq, the od will do the tight and the punch, that's it


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## KAMI (Dec 6, 2012)

I vote Hardwire CM-2!


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