Last year, Cor-Tek – the parent company of Cort Guitars – announced that it had purchased the DigiTech and DOD pedal brands from Samsung.
Samsung acquired DigiTech/DOD's former parent company, Harman, in 2017, and subsequently laid off the staff of both brands, and ceased development and production of their products.
Today, though, Cor-Tek confirmed that DOD will indeed return under its ownership, announcing the relaunch of the company's beloved DOD Overdrive Preamp 250 pedal.
Significantly, Cor-Tek also confirmed that Tom Cram – who led the rejuvenation of DigiTech in the 2010s, and revived the DOD brand during the same time frame – would be returning to the DigiTech/DOD fold, along with a number of the companies' other "key" engineers.
“The team and I are thrilled to join forces with the creative minds at Cort Guitars," Cram said in a statement. "We already have a product roadmap in place that leverages our combined areas of expertise. The reintroduction of the DOD Overdrive Preamp 250 is just the beginning, and I couldn’t be more excited.”
"DigiTech/DOD guitar effect pedals have held a revered place in the guitar industry since 1974, and we have great respect for the heritage and legacy of these products,” added Cor-Tek President Jun Park. “We are excited to continue offering iconic gear, like the DOD Overdrive Preamp 250, and investing in new products that meet the evolving needs of musicians."
At least on the surface, the 2023 Overdrive Preamp 250 looks to be the same as its most recent predecessor – from a decade prior – with the familiar yellow enclosure and Gain and Level knobs. DOD, though, is promising "elevated" performance with this reissue.
The DOD Overdrive Preamp 250 pedal features true bypass switching, and runs on 9V power. It will make its full debut at the 2023 NAMM show in April, and has an MAP of $109 and an MSRP of $153.
According to Cor-Tek, there are also plenty more DOD/DigiTech reissues in the pipeline, one of which we're hypothesizing (and hoping) might be of the legendary DigiTech Whammy...
For more info on the new Overdrive Preamp 250, visit DigiTech/DOD's website.
