Maxon recruits EarthQuaker Devices, Catalinbread, Pigtronix and Keeley for 40th Anniversary Tube Screamers

Maxon OD808 40th anniversary pedals
(Image credit: Maxon)

Maxon is certainly celebrating the Tube Screamer’s 40th anniversary in style - not content with tapping up pedal legend Robert Keeley, the Japanese company has now teamed up with stompbox behemoths EarthQuaker Devices, Catalinbread and Pigtronix to deliver three further fresh takes on the iconic overdrive pedal.

EarthQuaker pedal engineer Jamie Stillman’s OD808-40E adds the company’s ‘Signal Shredder’ mod, which promises a more open feel, with increased upper-midrange clarity and punch, plus alternate clipping diodes and increased output volume.

Catalinbread’s Nicholas Kula has lent his talents to the ‘ODin808’-modded OD808-40C, which aims to deliver “creamy articulate drive” that suits any instrument or amp.

There’s a flattened midrange to this heavily modified offering, taking it into distortion territory.

David Koltai, Pigtronix president, integrated a ‘Germanium Fat Mod’ for his OD808-40P pedal, which boasts a combination of clipping diodes, increased gain and an improved low-end curve.

These, of course, join Robert Keeley’s existing OD808-40K, which offers a ‘Max-Gain’ mod for hot-rodded, stacked-gain sounds.

Each pedal is limited to just 400 units and available in late-November (apart from the Keeley, which is available now) for $199 each. The first 40 units of each pedal will be hand-signed by the relevant builder, and include additional aesthetic or circuit tweaks for $400 apiece.

See Maxon for more info.

Thank you for reading 5 articles this month**

Join now for unlimited access

US pricing $3.99 per month or $39.00 per year

UK pricing £2.99 per month or £29.00 per year 

Europe pricing €3.49 per month or €34.00 per year

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Prices from £2.99/$3.99/€3.49

Michael Astley-Brown

Mike is Editor-in-Chief of GuitarWorld.com, in addition to being an offset fiend and recovering pedal addict. He has a master's degree in journalism from Cardiff University, and over a decade's experience writing and editing for guitar publications including MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitarist, as well as 20 years of recording and live experience in original and function bands. During his career, he has interviewed the likes of John Frusciante, Chris Cornell, Tom Morello, Matt Bellamy, Kirk Hammett, Jerry Cantrell, Joe Satriani, Tom DeLonge, Ed O'Brien, Polyphia, Tosin Abasi, Yvette Young and many more. In his free time, you'll find him making progressive instrumental rock under the nom de plume Maebe.