Are you making this mistake with OD250 or Distortion + pedals?

In the video, I discuss two pedals that don't get enough attention in the Wampler world: the MXR Distortion Plus and the DOD OD250. We'll discuss how OD250 is very similar to that of the Distortion Plus. Since I don't have an old vintage OD250 I'm using the JHS overdrive preamp pedal that is based on the OD250 and has a very authentic vintage sound to it.
Then we'll talk about how I believe these type of pedals sound best when used in a specific way, which is not the way that guitar players typically use distortion pedals.
Both the Distortion Plus and the OD250 circuits use a 741 op-amp chip, which is known for taking off some high-end and giving a vintage-sounding tone. Many people like to use these pedals through clean amps, but I personally prefer to use them with a dirty amp as it gives a more unique and interesting sound.
Overall, the video is a detailed comparison of two classic distortion pedals, the MXR Distortion Plus and the DOD OD250, and a modern overdrive preamp pedal, the JHS Overdrive Preamp. I'll also dive into the schematics, comparing the frequency analysis of each and comparing the two schematics to each other.
Notes:
✅ Wampler Guitar Pedal Courses Now Available! 🎸🎛️
www.guitarpedalcourse.com/
Chasing Tone Podcast is now back on youtube as well! Subscribe to the new channel to see the new podcast video each week if that's your thing: www.youtube.com/@chasingtonepodcast7004

[@ChrisRash]

Your schematics do not look correct. The MXR should have a 4.7k and 47n where you show a 560ohm and 4.7u. That will make a huge difference.

[@wampler_pedals]

Ugh, hot turds in a bucket you're right. Not sure what happened to that distortion + schematic there. I've updated it. I've also made the schematics public, so feel free to check it out: www.circuitlab.com/circuit/jz7s3vzd2kbp/mxr-distortion-schematic/ and www.circuitlab.com/circuit/a2nhd4b9zzt8/dod-od250-schematic/

[@joshuaevans1922]

@@wampler_pedals LOL hot turds in a bucket indeed! My favorite: "Holy crap on a pita!"

[@DanHoskins529]

Hot Turds in a bucket?! Love it. Hope you are feeling better Brian

[@smellymala3103]

Is there a difference between the new ones and my ‘75?

[@FilipeReishandmade]

Also the original MXR have germanium diodes, right ?

[@voxpathfinder15r]

I have never lost my love for these circuits. Don’t forget about the Ross Distortion!

[@ukwan]

I need to find my Ross Distortion it's hiding somewhere in my parents loft I keep looking for it but I've not found it yet.

[@playAgainMe]

I don't know why but I love the OD250 for a lead boost. Same reason I love the rat distortion.

[@mr.d.572]

I started out with an MXR Distortion+! Back in the late 70's. The Distortion+ and the Big Muff were really the biggest names in town back then, it was not like the ridiculous number of effects pedals we have today. I used the MXR for many years and I'm surprised that no one talks about it anymore.

[@MrPodvig]

Me too.

[@ck2music712]

LoL, EVERYONE talks about it...

[@castleanthrax1833]

Yep, there's so many today that when I'm looking at buying a new dirt pedal I spend hours on research, to ensure it's not something I have already.

[@dr_tomK]

Me three. Got mine in 1980.

[@CorbCorbin]

Even in the late 70’s, there were many different pedals. There just wasn’t any way for folks to easily know what all was out there, and who used what. There were already what, at least 6 different Muffs by 78’? That’s just one company, and just one pedal they kept tweaking for different artists. I mean Gilmour was using, compressors, a drive pedal(or two), a muff, a phaser or univibe, a flanger, and then an Echorec and Leslie speaker, by Animals. That’s seven different effects he was using. The biggest difference is small builders just had little chance of making a living building pedals, unless they were making them for an artist.

[@ukwan]

I think what a lot of people forget is when the DOD 250 and MXR Dist+ came out, nobody gave a flying monkey about stage volume, they were designed to be for gigging musicians who would happily crank their amps, people trying to re-purpose them today as "preamp in a box" type distortion pedals will be sorely disappointed. I love these old classics 250, Dist +, DS1, SD1, TS808, TS9 etc to be used on top of an already LOUD and dirty amp, they absolutely rock in that context and I'm 100% certain that's how they're designed to be used.

[@MrJackrockerman]

200 % true.. agree

[@d8ford]

This was my first pedal, and that was exactly how we used them, cranked into a cranked amp. Still love that sound!

[@AvnerRosenstein-ULTRA-LXV]

Randy Rhoads famously used the Distortion Plus exclusively and he only used it through an already dirty amp which is the only way I'd even remotely use it. Couple that pedal with an EQ pedal and it's magic. Great info in this vid!

[@CurranKevin]

Great video. And it reminds me how much I wish people would stop making content about how OD/distortion pedals made in the 70s/early 80s "suck." They were designed to mesh with the natural distortion of an amp, not to be played through clean "pedal platforms," today's prevailing method. It was a different era -- context matters! Thanks a mil.

[@redearthpaul178]

The distortion+ is the sound of Bob mould in husker du and his solo albums. The sound on 'copper blue' is excellent

[@codyfoster17]

Is that what Bob used? I LOVED his tone on both of the Sugar albums.

[@spross216]

Don’t forget Randy rhoads too

[@jcwm01]

Been using both for years. I use mine as a lead boost. Level full up and dist rolled in until I get the desired saturation I'm looking for. Love 'em both used this way. Great vid. Cheers!

[@awwwyeaboyeeee]

The 250 is such an underrated pedal. Definitely takes some experimentation but there's nothing like it.

[@haveagoodone5830]

I love this channel for being this comprehensively technical. Thank you Brian. Btw, I just bought a Tumnus Deluxe for my bd

[@nocaster5120]

How do you like the tumnus?

[@SteveMavronis]

My first pedal was the Ross Distortion. I still have it in tan. I got into the DOD 250 when I was into Yngwie and have his YJM308. That led me to DIY my first pedal I call the Neo-Classic 741 Overdrive which is based on the 1979-1980 grey 250 circuit. It’s still my go to pedal. I also have a box logo MXR Distortion+ that I made a replica PCB repair because the guy who gave it to me had fried it bypassing the battery. Need to find a new enclosed stereo input jack for it.

[@UseTheSupeRsonic]

LOVE the 250. Super versatile in what it can do depending on how you set it. I like it for basically a harmonic boost on my heavy rhythm tone. Gain most or all the way down, and the output up towards full, and back off the amps gain. It gets really tight and compressed but is pretty saturated still, so it records heavy guitars REALLY well and isn’t all messy sounding like a TS

[@vintagetubeamplifiers]

I still have my 1980 MXR Distortion+ that I got in 1986 and I always loved that pedal.

[@frlfda]

Love the A-B comparison. One thing I noticed, especially for me, is how much difference the guitar you are using makes. I have an MXR, and it's not near as brassy with the highs with my humbucker loaded guitars. I've used other distortion pedals and can't seem to get enough highs. P90's seem to float in the middle but my tele and 59 strat copy, both do get kind of chimey. So much good info from you that helps us all shape our sound. Thanks.

[@DS-nw4eq]

Lol… these are two of my favs. The distortion + was the inspiration for adding clipping circuits to amplifiers… leading to the JCM 800

[@haveagoodone5830]

Awesome into as always. The more I watch this channel the more inclination I feel to try some DIY, whatever ugly it may turn out.

[@larsfocken3456]

I have two vintage Distortion+ Pedals. One is from 1980 and has no LED and no external Jack for DC supply. The other one is from 1981 and has LED and a DC Jack. They sound significantly different, the one without LED is more smooth and creamy, while the second one with the LED and the Jack sounds more harsh. IMO this would be an interesting topic to discuss because e.g. the Big Muffs originally also came without LEDs. The second thing is that hardclippers always sound better when they run in front of an already overdriven tube amp. E.g. the Bos DS-1 and the ProCo Rat. Thank you very much for your interesting videos!

[@shaunmorrison6448]

I use a DOD250 clone made by Dunn Effects on my bass pedalboard (after seeing Al Cisneros uses one); phenomenal bass sounds.

[@masonianbund]

I acquired a beat up old ‘80s DOD 250 from some guy’s junk drawer. “It don’t work, you can have it.” A little contact cleaner and elbow grease and I discovered the joy of this great and underrated pedal.

[@sergeyv4908]

"Underrated" tag sure hard to pin on pedal which costs 1000+ usd now and have a zonds of clones in the production lines of the top boutique pedal companies.

[@michaellinsky2654]

This was super helpful. Started using the JHS Overdrive Preamp in front of my ODR1, and it sounds huge!

[@ErikEarlJohnson]

Agree 100% with the philosophy of use here...Neither is great on front of a clean amp. However, the MXR dist+ or OD250 in front of an already overdriven Marshall Plexi or JCM800 is the classic EARLY 80's Heavy Metal sound as in Dio, Iron Maiden, Ozzy, Quiet Riot, Yngwie, etc.. 1980-1984 era. Once I tried these pedals out I had a realization that a lot of what I've always assumed was the amps power section blitzed or a modded amp was probably just one of these in front of a stock Marshall on a lot of those recordings. I use each on occasion with a JCM800, running the level 100% and the distortion on 40-50%. The Marshall providing maybe 80% of the clipping and the pedal just adding more hair and sag, bordering on fuzz-like with a flubbier bottom than a tube screamer which is cleaner and tighter. The OD250 definitely sounds warmer pushing more low mids through the amp and the MXR is brighter. Noise gates help with these as well, they are inherently hissy.

[@JedNadin]

It took too long to get to this comment. 100% this.

[@um3899]

anxiously awaiting the MXR Randy Rhoads edition of the Distortion Plus, they recently analyzed his pedalboard with his sister's permission and (reading between the lines) it seems they found some special mod that was unique to his pedal

[@rafsbio]

Same. I'll get that as soon as it's out.

[@coryfeldman-hz2yj]

I'd just look for a period correct dist + It will be more authentic probably cheaper too.

[@buddhasmokesbuddha3077]

Appreciate you, my dude! I love your videos with circuit breakdowns/history/information. Thank you.

[@FoundryStreetJason]

I have both of these pedals and they are very very fun. Thanks for the video.

[@elvisgeardemos]

Thanks Brian, I love your in-depth videos! This is such great information and you have a beautiful way of explaining it. I wish I'd known this 40 years ago when I had a Deluxe Reverb and a D+ that I built with the help of my guitar teacher, who had the schematic. But boy are those DRs loud when you turn them up!

[@monmixer]

I used a Deluxe reverb for 15 years in my heavy club days. Great pedal amp for me. I had and MXR D+ but scrapped it and bought the rat when it came out. Still have the rat. Played everything through that amp from country, to Judas Priest and it worked just fine.

[@scottbaker5938]

Back in the 70s when these circuits were first developed and sold, there weren't high gain amps to be had. You couldn't buy a Diesel or an EVH, or a Triple Rectifier or anything like that, so guitarists were using these pedals to get more gain from their amps. With that in mind, it is likely that they were intended to be in front of a distorted amp to get more distortion. You are demonstrating that when using the pedals how they were designed to be used, they sound better. To my ear, they sound way better.

[@mikewhittenmusic]

Spot on assessment

[@iuchilton]

Pretty timely video as I just got the JHS Overdrive Preamp a week ago. I love it right in the front of my chain in the switch up position with gain around 2oclock. Sets a nice dynamic tone that gets gritty when digging in hard to a clean Super Reverb. However what I love is what it does to my down chain pedals like the Browne Protein and especially the Rat. This into the rat is a glorious tone through the 4x10!

[@howardanderson3061]

Thanks Brian for another super informative show, you give so much to the Guitar community.

[@mykalgambullmusic5520]

Buddy bought me an MXR Limited Edition Distortion + for Christmas one year and it sounds absolutely awesome and like Brian said; it doesn't get enough love.

[@MichaelSorensen-bl3ec]

Finally, someone shows what these pedals were really designed to do best. It drives me crazy when people always demo them into a clean amp. They don't sound very good in that setting. But slam the front end of a dirty Marshall with these pedals, and you are in sonic heaven!

[@jedimindfrak82]

The 250 is my favorite pedal, I freaking love them. Thanks for making a video!

[@deanallen927]

Great video! I have DOD's first "comeback version" from a few years ago (Josh called it the V 10) and I love it. My amps (AC30 or PRS HDRX 20) are always on crunch, and this pedal is always on six and six. It's a perfect "lead channel" pedal on these amps, a little fattening but mostly "your amp on 15" sound. I think a tiny bit of highs reduction is normally a good idea for soloing anyway. Thanks to you I may have to get this JHS now!

[@MatsDagerlind]

I used the MXR Distoriton + back in the mid 70's and always found it a bit too thin and fizzy, A really underrated MXR pedal however is the Distortion III, less fizzy.less thin, less raspy, tighter and more modern sounding but still in classic rock territory, not scooped chug metal. Its up there with the best boutique distortion pedals in my opinion, but at a fraction of the price, and it works very well into a clean Fender style amp and makes it believe it's a dimed Marshall.

[@Diggerdog2nd]

I still have my MXR from over 40 years ago, bought a new one in 92 when my 70's was broke for a while & a buddy gave me an 70's DOD 250 that I also still have & use back in the early 90's. I'm an MXR guy mainly but both are great.

[@davidcohn8444]

I love my DOD250! I use it at the end of my effects chain to add a little grit to my signal and it really tames some fuzz pedals and makes them sound much heftier!

[@ポールの赤テレ]

In the 1970s and early 1980s I had a Ross Distortion, which I understand was a clone of an MXR D+, fed into a Twin Reverb and it sounded great. It was an early one in an MXR-style enclosure. Probably would have been worth a little money today, but it's been lost for decades.

[@grosebud4554]

Garcia did the same set up!

[@hugomartinho2555]

Randy Rhoads used a Dist+ to boost his very cranked (and modded) marshalls. Well, that tone was just killer. Cheers. HM

[@deanallen927]

I have a 250 that's about five years old, new gold finish, blue L.E.D., 9v jack. I use it with both knobs at 6 (1 o'clock). Perfect with an overdriven amp like my PRS HDRX 20, Granger 1987 or a Vox AC30. To me they ARE actually traditional overdrdrive/distortions because they were about the first things we had after fuzz boxes. It seems to be almost the perfect "transparent" overdrive. Very much enjoy this box.

[@ChrisBrayden]

Great info. Love the SPICE demo, first time I have seen that. Very cool. I need to check that out. Thanks for the suggestions on the circuit. My breadboard just got its next project.

[@0b11000100]

look at brian, with his, "what does it sound like through a kemper? i don't know." subtle analog flex. i see you there.

[@smelltheglove2038]

I will never understand the draw of a modeling amp. Probably because I have tube amps and the idea of using something that tries and fails to capture what makes them great isn’t a good one.

[@wampler_pedals]

😁It wasn't intentional, but I don't use digital modeling amps unless I can't bring or use a tube amp. No slight against them really, I just like tube amps 🙂

[@jayfabe620]

I love love love my OD250. I have the gain around 1 o'clock. Sounds good with any amp I use, especially my Gen 1 Model T.

[@jonathanwapner6262]

Perfect timing. This video was the reminder that I needed. We're trying to find the right voice for a new solo track. I think the D+ is the sound we're looking for.

[@AngusClarkGTR]

I love your work Brian! It is confusing to me that in nearly all of the coverage of the current 250 clones there is an overt avoidance of the most influenatial use case: Yngwie. Josh sort of addressed it in a very dismissive way during the launch of his pedal. If there’s any confusion about how to use the 250 just listen to Yngwie with Alcatrazz and his first three solo albums. That’s it. That’s what the pedal is for. Strat with noiseless pickups > DOD 250 cranked > Marshall Super Lead.

[@teacuppermike2568]

Glad someone is saying that. I’ve been scratching my head over that elephant in the room.

[@AngusClarkGTR]

@@teacuppermike2568 I also noticed on this thread there are folks pointing out Randy having used the Distortion +, and again, I don’t see much discussion of that use case either.

[@Roikat]

I’ve got the brown DOD Yngwie edition of the 250 pedal, and it sounds great. Sweetwater blew them out them for only $19. I wish I purchased 100 because I could have made a lot of money selling them off slowly.

[@MichaelBrebes]

Nice to see some attention to the Distortion Plus. Unfortunately I could hear in your video the same thing that I heard in the new LED version, some high nasty grit that wasn't in my pedal I've had from the mid 70's. I had purchased one of the LED version for a backup small pedal board that I was building up. It's that same grit that I heard in your video. Checked all the part values for both and they were the same values! I finally isolated it to the capacitors. The new ones have polypropylene caps, which I normally associated with better frequency response. My old one had all ceramic disc capacitors, which are usually known for not doing well in high quality audio circuits. Replaced the caps in the LED version with the ceramic caps and now my new LED version sounded like my 70's version. Another setup to try is to set it up for a good crunchy tone and put a Dyna Comp in front, to push it into a full distortion mode.

[@Mr.Steve-O]

Interesting that clip popped up tonight. I just started stacking my Boss BD-2 > OD-250 into my AC15 and it's incredible !! I set up my amp and BD-2 at unity gain, then the OD-250 slightly hotter in volume and add a little more gain as well. I have had trouble in the past stacking my BD-2 but this works out very well for me for a slightly thicker creamier tone. Keep the videos coming Brian, love them all !!

[@CaptainAhab-im3kd]

I bet that is why a BD-2 going into a SD1 together was such a popular setup.

[@AndrewWukusick]

I like running those type of distortion pedals as a preamp, either in the effects return, or into an IR loader

[@robertyboberty]

The DOD 250 is amazing. True swiss army knife boost/OD/drive that can go anywhere in chain. It's great on bass too with parallel clean

[@Mr.Steve-O]

Use my DOD 250 as a clean boost before my dirt and modulation pedals for some extra mojo, truly awesome pedal

[@matthijshebly]

Your excellent videos are made even better by your awesome playing

[@chingletree5397]

Love the Distortion+. I use it as my main heavy distort channel, hitting the front with a TS. Magic. I recently bought a Daredevil Drive-bi to see if a boutique take would make me even happier, but I've ended up back with my original. Must have just got a good one. And now I note that Markus Reeves of Reeves Electro is making a point-to point D+. Oh dear. There goes my savings for this month....

[@liys540]

with altec speaker ?

[@chingletree5397]

@@liys540 I'm sorry I don't fully understand. My rig goes, roughly: guitar, tubecreamer (EQD Dunes) Distortion+, Marshall Origin 50 Head, custom made 1x15 cabs. Sounds absolutely brutal.

[@jeremiahseal7778]

When I was gigging a lot 20+ years ago I used to run a Distortion + into a cranked Marshall 78 JMP 50watt. Used a 1970 LP Custom with EMGs. I loved the tone I got. I dang near forgot about this pedal - i think I may get another for old time sake as my old one bellied up years ago and I never replaced it. I still have that Marshall and the LP Custom.

[@sergeyv4908]

Brian, i did a schematic with 3 of your mods through 3 switches - additional Bass cap, Compression diodes and Led/Si clipping diodes and need to say - it so amazingly flexible for both guitar and bass and it capabilities to sound from clean boosting till really high gain with sort of vintage garage fuzziness impressed me. I haven't try centaur-like and bluesbreaker-like ODs yet but between all other overdrives Hotcake/ TS/ Rat/ treble+FF/ Marshally type OD (Animal, AMT M1, Lionsound 4.4, guv'nor) i would say DOD 250 is my favourite because of very particular tone with mid/high gain. Very amp-like with good articulation IMHO.

[@glenkepic3208]

Very nice offering. Had some stuff i sold in the late '70s but later bought a D Plus,,,like '81 . Short time later knew it was the RR pedal.

[@kalebaldwin5398]

Back in the day, a Distortion+ into a Marshall (either Super Lead or 2203/4) was the standard for hard rock and heavy metal. Tube Screamers and the BOSS overdrives were just coming out and hadn’t caught on yet.

[@peachmelba1000]

To my ears, both pedals sound better into a clean amp, but that's simply a function of the kind of OD tones I prefer. I recently acquired a used Fender Bassbreaker 30/18, which at about 9 o'clock on the 30 Watt channel is very loud. The amp can get so loud in fact, that it needs to have the bass control dialed back as volume is increased. That 9 o'clock volume is about right for jamming and gigging (in a small room, unmic'ed). At the same time I bought the amp, I also got a used TC Electronics MojoMojo, which has turned out to be just a _killer_ OD/distortion. It has really responsive EQ controls and can provide quite a bit of gain, if needed. I use it almost exclusively for my driven rhythm tone. In order to take things to the next level for a solo or heavier moments, I've placed an EHX LPB1 _before_ it in the chain, which provides a thick, singing, percussive tone that is saturated just enough, and only provides what I'd call and "apparent" volume boost. This comment may not be completely relevant to the video, but I like your channel, and I want to share a story of great tone.

[@dmac4793]

Great sounds on dirty solid state also , better too me on a clean solid state then tube,...its all taste though...Luv Peavey Tube amps and Bugera

[@None_More_Metal]

The distortion plus is amazing. Was my first pedal, bought it back in the 80's and absolutely love it.

[@lashlarue7924]

7:36 I confirm this technique absolutely KILLS IT through a Quilter Superblock UK on the JMP setting. With headphones and a built in cab sim! 🤯

[@martynpiggottmusic4993]

Great vid as always, thank you Brian x

[@davidstump]

I love this content. Keep it coming!!

[@nedim_guitar]

I used to put overdrive into fuzz and distortion. But I've changed my mind after I saw a Sasha Ivantic video about how you can make any fuzz sound good. Now I put my fuzz into my overdrive and it sounds so much fetter and fuller, it's amazing! My overdrive is the T-Rex Møller and my fuzz is the DOD Carcosa. T-Rex Møller is the best and most useable overdrive I've ever tried! Sure, I haven't tried dozens, but still... It's sort of like a Tube Screamer, but more transparent and it stacks amazingly! That Pedal Show guys came to the conclusion in a shootout that the Møller sounds closest to the King Of Tone. Anyway, the point is that putting overdrives with a lot of gain through a gainy amp is sort of similar as putting fuzz or distortion into a slightly (or heavily) overdriven overdrive pedal. Everywone should play around with that and with what Brian is talking about here.

[@BxCx666]

I think the beautiful grittiness of this type of circuit should be investigated more in high-gain way in future!

[@rafsbio]

Absolutely love my Dist+. It's perfect into my overdriven Laney SuperTop. Gain on 9 o'clock or more, level on 9 o'clock, up or down a little bit acting as tone. I'd certainly wouldn't use it with a Tele into Fender amp, but that's me. I agree it's a misunderstood and misused pedal. Like most classic circuits, it sounds much better into overdriven amps. The idea of "clean platform amp", in my opinion, only works in very specific contexts and yet it's the mainstream approach among pedalnerds.

[@jokester5130]

4:44 The cranked amp sounds so good

[@corpse-in-orbit]

Hey, Brian, I've never been able to find a schematic for confirmation, but I've been told that the Distortion+ and the 250 are so similar because they're both based on the Dan Armstrong Blue Clipper, which was the overdrive in the famous jack-plug line with the Green Ringer, Orange Squeezer, et al.

[@totallyunmemorable]

I have an '81 250 I've had for ~30 years. The way I Iike to use it is as basically a clean boost. I changed the input cap to the fat sounding .01 and removed the output cap for even more brightness (I love that). I turn the output pretty much all the way up, and then use the distortion control as if it were a volume control. And use it to overdrive the front end of the amp. A sound like nothing else. BE-A-U-TIFUL!

[@manthehelm]

Love that paisley tele!

[@obolobol]

Thanks again for sharing these infos!!!!

[@urbanwikstrom9246]

HI! Just ran a mild setting on the Fjord Fuzz berzerk into the Tumnus Deluxe....... Nice! It sounded a bit "nasal" on its own but really stood out in the mix. Dang. I`m 59 but still learning......... It is a rabbithole fur shure........! Thanks!

[@endoamuse]

Thanks, Brain, for another great pedal video! Dig your guitar playing and tone! 👍👍 *On a side note, your voice cadence sounds Very similar to RJ The Bike Guy on KZbin 😃

[@ltxr9973]

I love the Distortion +, it's like a secret weapon for 70's Judas Priest and Blue Öyster Cult. Even the modern one but I should really have bought the germanium one when it was briefly reissued. I feel like it sounds best before a driven Marshall and with pickups that don't have too much output. It gets really compressed if you use it with hot pickups but that can be a good thing for the priest tones. It's also great for Doom Metal because it can get quite fuzzy and fat without getting too fuzzy. Increasing the gain control seems to add high end and increasing the volume seems to add low end, these pedals really are kinda unique in their behaviour.

[@EddRocker5150]

I use the mxr in front of a Carl Martin Plexitone single channel, with volume up and gain down to get that little extra for early Van Halen style tone. It also can gets you to Yngwie's or Eric Johnson's territories with a strat on neck position, getting that violin style tone!

[@benb.7839]

I got the JHS Preamp and I really like using the softclipping mode for some clean boost with just that extracrisp. Its my weapon of choice.

[@PTguitars]

A dimed DOD250 into a 50 or 100 Marshall plexi was the sound of early 80's Yngwie Malmsteen.

[@gregsguitartone]

I like running an OD into the DOD250 to boost it. It gets a pretty heavy tone into a clean amp.

[@PooNinja]

Love my Dist + it’s as close to fuzz as I’ll get.

[@ck2music712]

Thank you, LoL... I hate fuzz... I just don't get why SO many people like it...

[@JedNadin]

I can’t even fathom that people try to use the D+/250 circuit for anything besides the Malmsteen thing. I find it such a clunky, brittle fart box pedal in front of a clean amp. But in front of a dimed Plexi, or JCM with a 10-11 o’clock gain. It is pure heaven. Chewy, spongey, dynamic. It’s like it fills in the gaps of the bright Marshall sound with a similar thing… like a perfect double negative.

[@jesseanderson4865]

Gear Ant makes a pedal called the yellow jacket that’s a double Distortion pedal and one side is a Distortion plus and the other side is a 250 and is probably my favorite distortion.I keep both sides on all the time!

[@Eliphas_Elric]

For what it's worth my AxeFx II XL+ makes for a very good pedal platform. Yeah you don't wan to slam the front input with volume, but if you set it just under clipping the input, you can boost the signal internally with an input gain trim setting. These probably would sound excellent through and AxeFX, but I've never owned and Distortion + or 250

[@Kashed]

The MXR Distortion + is what Randy Rhodes used primarily along with his Marshall.

[@psychodavee]

I only use the 250, D+ and Micro Amp (and Dyna Comp) with amps set to medium gain. The magical tone these pedals add is unobtainable with just the amp alone.

[@mortonwilson795]

Interesting! The JHS sounds a little more 'open' to me. I still have my Distortion+ from the 70's. Recently drilled a hole in the side so I can run it off the mains - no more battery changing! I haven't relied on for ages - I bought a Paul Crowther Hotcake back in NZ for live work and recently he sent me the Double Hotcake, BUT, I actually like the MXR with less tops for a sort of 'early Frippish' sound with a bit of delay . . . it has a warmth to it that is quite unique. Thanks for the comparison.

[@JonnySoundSounds]

i used my grey spec dod od250 last night, i built my od250 modded to be slightly thicker in tone, and used silicon diodes, ran my Dean ML into the od250 into my dirty jtm45 and it sounded like heaven. normally i play either a mk2 tonebender or a mk1.5 tonebender but wanted to try something a little different

[@myrnabrean]

I like removing C2, 250 values on most components, but a three way on/off/on Ge, none, 3xMosfet clipping options on my builds. I've also tried C2x2/bypass/original value on/off/on toggle for C2 for a low/hi/norm treble switch instead of a tone pot. Will watch again for tone pot and oitput buffer inspiration/education.

[@markhammer643]

1) The "weakness" of both the Dist+ and DOD250 are that they roll off bass as gain is increased. Not so much roll off bass, as much as apply more gain to mids and highs than lower frequency content. When gain is at minimum, the full spectrum gets a bit of a boost (roughly gain of 3x). At max gain, both units apply that gain to content above roughly 720hz, not unlike a Tube Screamer. If one wants a little more "thrust" a common mod is to up the value of the capacitor in series with the gain control from .047uf to .1uf or even .22uf will keep more bass as gain is turned up. 2) Early issue Dist+ units used too low a volume pot value, often using 10k. This reduced the maximum output level, such that one had to dime the volume when gain was at anything less than max in order to get any audible volume boost. DOD smartly went with a more appropriate volume pot value of 100k, which is acknowledged as a much better value to use with a Dist+. Makes medium and lower-gain settings still loud enough to push an amp. 3) The Dist+ used germanium clipping diodes while the 250 used silicon diodes. Silicon provides for a greater maximum output level with a bit less clipping (though still more than enough). I would imagine the switch on the JHS pedal selects between the two types of diode. 4) Very few amps sound great when pushed into breakup with an input signal already high in harmonic content. Neither the Dist+ or the 250 do very much to trim back the high frequencies when they are used to push an amp into clipping. I mean, you *can* simply turn the treble down on the amp, but a more usable solution is to trim the treble back on the pedal such that what it does to the amp is more palatable, and also sidesteps the need to turn the amp treble down. To do this, locate the .001uf cap that's in parallel with the clipping diodes, and solder in a .0022uf-.0033uf cap in parallel with the existing .001uf. You'll still get plenty of bite, but the frizz will be moved to the background, and your amp will sound nicer. 5)In many respects, Brian, you're using both of these drive pedals the way one is *supposed* to use a Klon Centaur.

[@bongusdongus2137]

D+ reissue, volume maxed and gain set so the lines are about parallel, into a dimed Dual Showman Reverb has been my jam as long as I’ve been playing in bands. People love to hate on these pedals, but it’s because they just are not made for bedroom volumes; used right, there’s nothing quite like it for that raspy, mean grind.

[@sconni666]

I use the JHS for my slide tone. It’s dope.

[@TheR19r]

Well, I like to push it into other dirty pedals. As a third gain stage. Like using a clean boost in front but with a lot more character

[@almostliterally593]

I wonder if I could get a Randy Rhoads tone from a JHS overdrive preamp into a tech 21 GT2 into a tech 21 Q Strip into a PA ſpeaker?

[@michaelherriott9767]

I put my guitar through a Boss SD-1 then Distortion+ then reverb and or delay. Sounds cool.

[@jbh219]

Own 90s versions of both and for some reason gravitate towards the MXR

[@me.roderick]

Huge fan! Plexi drive mini is insane brother. Thx🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟💪🎸

[@toddgibson6817]

Another notable sleeper is the ehx hot tubes. You could rule the planet with these any of these three

[@Chris.Wiley.]

2:35 - this is the sound I remember from my Distortion+ from way back in the early 80's: raspy. I just never bonded with it.

[@FlankinspanK]

I got the JHS and a Monte Allums tri gain mod Distortion + this past year.

[@HBSuccess]

I used the crap out of a late 70's Distortion+...in combo with a 2-channel clean/dirt amp and a volume pedal gave me everything from crunch to a sing-songy fuzz/violin/sax type sound. Mine was an old enough pedal that it did not have the "fizziness" issue others complain of. I'm guessing those were newer pedals with the AC adapter jack, etc. Mine was 9-volt only baby.. between that and a bunch of other pedals I could spend half of my gig pay on batteries if I wasn't careful LOL.

[@marcweber8509]

I have the VFE Distortion 3 which has both DOD250 and Dist+ circuits. It sounds great through my dirty AC30 and I recently put it into the Neural Dsp Tone King. Of course it's a little different but I got equally good sounds out of it.

[@johnrogers2826]

Fantastic!

[@Supergrunged]

I think the real question here, is when do we get the Wampler version of the OD250? Double stacked like the Pelican Noise Works? Would be cool to see and hear your take on the circuit, if you were to build one!

[@wampler_pedals]

If we get enough people asking about it I’d love to do it!