Up for sale, a 1980 Maxon OD-808 Overdrive in excellent condition and in perfect working order, complete with the original box and paperwork. Produced by parent company Nisshin Onpa, the Maxon OD-808 is identical in its enclosure, controls and circuit to the Ibanez TS-808 Tube Screamer, and the Maxon branding was used for the Japanese domestic market. 
Central to the circuit is the Texas Instruments RC4558P IC chip for smooth, natural overdrive similar to the way a tube amp saturates at high volumes. Very similar in its tonal response to the JRC4558D chip, the RC4558P was used in a smaller number of 808s, with a voice that's fractionally darker and smoother than its better known compatriot. The OD-808 is sensitive to picking dynamics and the nuances of your individual style while retaining the true tone of your instrument.

The secret behind the legendary "808 tone" lies in the amplifier section of its circuit. Rather than having an amplifier stage followed by a clipping stage, the OD-808 uses a signal-distorting diode (Panasonic #MA150) located in the amplifier stage's negative feedback loop (which also contains the RC4558P IC chip). Therefore, the OD-808 distorts the signal in the amplifier circuit itself which yields a smoother, milder, more natural sounding distortion than a separate clipping stage. This is also the reason that the IC type used in the circuit has such a large impact on the unit's tone.

The circuit is 100% original and untouched, and unlike many TS-808s that have one of a number of other IC chips used in the circuit, this Maxon does have the most coveted RC4558P chip at its heart. The electrolytic caps date to the 24th week of '80.

The enclosure has a variety of small chips and nicks, and the white silkscreen graphics are clean. The original trio of knobs are intact, as is the black foil label on the back of the enclosure.