DOD Overdrive Preamp/250 anyone?

[monty john]

ANYONE TRY ONE OF THESE??????

Picked one up at a yard sale -- its from the 80's minty....$20....went home the switch was TERRIBLY dodgy and noisy jacks, prob why the guy only wanted $20....took out the switch, applied contact cleaner in the weep hole several times, rolled up sandpaper cleaned up the jacks. Plugged it in and GREAT pedal- NO ISSUES AT ALL!!!!!.....checked ebay the prices are ridiculous....there is one for $169 and another for $199 that aren't even half as nice as the one I scored for $20.....Can't get over how nice the tone is, one of the best scores in my life, from sublte clean boost to well RAWK.......Set both knobs at noon and don't want to turn the darned thing off its that good....Really dig the vibe of this pedal....now lets see, where is that Yngwie lick...?????

[firesgt911]

I love mine too! Early 80's yellow model. I got it in a rediculous trade, that I've told the story of too many times to want to share it again, but I came up big time. Anyways, the switch in mine sucks too. I've cleaned it, but to no avail. I will replace it when I get a chance. Anyways, it has a perminant place on my board. Like you said, "sublte clean boost to well RAWK" describes it to a T! Congratulations on the sweet deal!

[gilmourjunkie]

yes, excellent pedal. I use it for a solo boost or rhythm stuff. Sounds wicked good going into the Twin. I wish it had a LED though... a lot of times I don't even know its on. I'll be thinking "man my amp sounds great" only to learn it was on the whole time.

[monty john]

YUP the early 80's yellow one is the one i scored friggin love the damned thing.....the no led is weird especially with a drummer--- just leave it on!!!

[monty john]

Here is some shots, can anyone explain the chip, does not say 741 on the chip so what gives?

[kungpow!]

Nice score! I built a clone, to so-called "grey spec;" its nice, doesn't add so much treble as some other boosters do, I tend to use it behind another OD pedal for more grunt.

Chip says TL081, garden-variety op amp. Hmm, I don't know the full history on these, I had always read they came with the 741, at least the old ones. Maybe its a reissue, and not a true 80's one. Handy with the iron? Why not put in a socket, and then swap in different chips, find what works for you? 741 are old, and supposed to be noisy, but they're often thought to have mojo.

[monty john]

Here is the Gearmandude explaining ...I guess they changed the IC chip in the first version Yellow I didn't know that....I know I like this pedal though....

YouTube - Vintage DOD 250 Preamp Overdrive pedal shootout Gray vs Yellow w Strat & Dr Z amp

YouTube - Vintage DOD 250 Preamp Overdrive pedal shootout Gray vs Yellow w Strat & Dr Z amp

And for $20 .... oh well it works great love it...

[monty john]

Well after googling my arse off the re-issue has the 4558 chip which is different than mine and gearmandude's....weird.....its almost like they just used whatever they could find in the good ole days......

[siore]

Originally Posted by monty john

Well after googling my arse off the re-issue has the 4558 chip which is different than mine and gearmandude's....weird.....its almost like they just used whatever they could find in the good ole days......

Truth be told, a lot of newer chips can be had that will do the function of a 741 just as well (and maybe better). Someone mentioned installing a socket. Good call if you wanna experiment with different IC's.

[monty john]

Hey thanks but not really wanting to mod cause I really dig this cheapo pedalo--- it sounds fantastic and I am never crazy bout pedals ever...LOL just trying to make sure IT IS an 80's in case I want to flip it and make my $20 back....LOL

[Mike's_LP]

I had one in the mid-80's. Got it at a yard sale, I think, but I quickly traded it for a Boss Heavy Metal.

[mokume]

DOD changed op amps as the 741 was getting expensive and harder to get in large quantities in the 80's. They also re-released a four pack of pedals the OD, phaser, compressor and chorus in the 90's. The 250 of the 90's sounds completely different much bassier and wrong. However, the Yngwie 308YJM was made to Yngwie's favorite gray 250 specs and is the one Yngwie uses on stage instead of the vintage one. They are inexpensive, sounds great and much quietier than the 70's & 80's versions.

$20 is a great deal you got there Monty.

[thenutzrutz]

I just borrowed one of these of a m8 it was beaten up in a box so i am going to try it out today, HOPE IT WORKS!!
it has TL081cp on the chip is that a 70s or 80s version?
he said he had it for MANY MOONS lol

[monty john]

DUnno must be a 80's same chip as mine and I friggin love the thing.....the 90's has the large knobs and 4558 chip.......based on my findings on the 80's 250, I have found them to have 4-5 different chips, so long as NO LARGE KNOBS no 4558 CHIP your in business......hope you like it as much as I do mine, it sits perfects with my marshall les paul setup.....

[thenutzrutz]

Well it gives a good boost due to the volume but the gain isnt working so i need to find out whats up with that
any idears what to check

[rybass]

Originally Posted by thenutzrutz

Well it gives a good boost due to the volume but the gain isnt working so i need to find out whats up with that
any idears what to check

Did it ever work properly? I know there is a mod to turn these into a cleanish boost and render the gain null. I can't find it online at the moment but I beleive it entails clipping a diode or two from the circuit.

Hmm. The gain pot could've fitzed out. But I would think that would kill the output too unless the pot was locked or the wiper came loose inside the pot. There would be not volume boost if the IC is fried...

Maybe crack it open and do a thourough visuale check to make sure no components, pot lugs, or wires are grounding to the metal box and nothing is clipped or missing. If it passes that I would replace the gain pot.

[monty john]

DRAT yeah when I got mine the switch was DOdgy ....had to take it out and clean it put it back in..wonder if the pot needs cleaned out or just a dud.....i was xcited for ya.....drat....

[ynot]

I got the DOD YJM 308 on a whim not too long ago without really expecting much...it's a $30 pedal.I wanted something to push my plexi a little & figured if nothing else it'd be a good cheap pedal to mod.Here's a link I found on how to convert it to "grey" specs: ultimateguitar.com.
I decided to leave it stock though after it arrived,it just sounds too good to mess with.I may get another to mod though seeing they're so cheap.

[monty john]

Ok I am bummed, my DOD 250 doesn't wanna play with my wah!!! I have a Crybaby, if I put the DOD250 in back of wah white noise, in front of wah white noise remove wah no noise.....WTF????? Is it the switch again??? If I only use the DOD 250 no noise insert wah noise, no DOD no noise so it is the pedal...what gives.....WHITE NOISE .....

[thenutzrutz]

i will get it open tomorrow and have a good look see whats going on with it
be good to get the DOD 250 working as i hear LOTS of good things about it

[Steve Mavronis]

Originally Posted by monty john

Here is some shots, can anyone explain the chip, does not say 741 on the chip so what gives?

I'm been researching the 250 for a while now and built me a nice gray spec clone from the 1979-1980 era. I'm building a parts spreadsheet of all the 250 versions from gray to yellow to reissue and YJM308.

Can you look at the pot date codes on your yellow model? There will be a 7-digit number starting with 137 in an XXXYYZZ format, where XXX is the manufacturer code (137 means CTS) followed by a 2-digte year and then a 2-digit week of the year the pots where produced. That is usually a good guide to date your DOD 250 Overdrive. Please let me know what the two pot date codes say. Depending on the week in the year it was made, the pedal could have been made eitehr that same year or the following year. Using your PCB photo I can then record what year that op amp chip was used in my spreadsheet.

Thanks,

[lexluthier]

The 250 was my first pedal, I used it through a SF Princeton back when I was a youngin'. I still have it kicking around somewhere.

[Mantis]

great pedal!!! i don't use mine as much but it's very cool, it reminds me of this:

[Mike's_LP]

Originally Posted by monty john

Ok I am bummed, my DOD 250 doesn't wanna play with my wah!!! I have a Crybaby, if I put the DOD250 in back of wah white noise, in front of wah white noise remove wah no noise.....WTF????? Is it the switch again??? If I only use the DOD 250 no noise insert wah noise, no DOD no noise so it is the pedal...what gives.....WHITE NOISE .....

My 250 worked fine with my CryBaby & DynaComp. All I had was um, line noise? Maybe some further cleaning is in order, I hope you don't have to replace any components, but I think you'll still come out way ahead.

Yeah, I had one years ago, but I traded it for a Boss Heavy Metal. Live & learn...

[Steve Mavronis]

Hopefully Monty John posts some more info (like the pot date codes) or anyone else who has a Gray/Yellow 70's/80's DOD 250 Overdrive. I already have plenty of information on the later Yellow 250 re-issue and YJM308. I'm trying to get nice clear representative pics of each circuit board for every year in order to historically document the part value changes along the way. I was thinking about putting up a detailed webpage about classic vintage stompboxes so something like this would help.

[Steve Mavronis]

Here's a screenshot from comparision spreadsheet I'm making in Excel. can anyone add to the missing data? Thanks in advance.

[AlvisX]

Originally Posted by monty john

ANYONE TRY ONE OF THESE??????

Picked one up at a yard sale -- its from the 80's minty....$20....went home the switch was TERRIBLY dodgy and noisy jacks, prob why the guy only wanted $20....took out the switch, applied contact cleaner in the weep hole several times, rolled up sandpaper cleaned up the jacks. Plugged it in and GREAT pedal- NO ISSUES AT ALL!!!!!.....checked ebay the prices are ridiculous....there is one fuf input caor $169 and another for $199 that aren't even half as nice as the one I scored for $20.....Can't get over how nice the tone is, one of the best scores in my life, from sublte clean boost to well RAWK.......Set both knobs at noon and don't want to turn the darned thing off its that good....Really dig the vibe of this pedal....now lets see, where is that Yngwie lick...?????

Full Circle....and yeah ,yours is an old yella,I can tell by lookin at it

I bought my 1st one (the beat up yellow one in the pic) for 20 bones ,new at Guitar Center in Hollywood ,1981 with my HS grad money
What I do know is that some OLD yellow boxes had .01 input cap some had .001.My 2 old yella boxes sound totally different

[Steve Mavronis]

Here is a 30 second sample clip from the new "Magic: A Tribute To Ronnie James Dio" album that has Dean Cascione's instrumental interpretation of Never More played with my 250 clone just to get a feel what it sounds like on a professional studio recording. Dean is also using my pedal to record his new album coming out soon called Neoclassical Fire.

http://anon.amazon-de.speedera.net/a.../J/C/01.07.mp3

[AlvisX]

I also nabbed a couple of these back in the day.I'd say they were more on par with the MXR though . I haven't really looked at the differences tween the 250 and the MXR. All I know is that the 250 was cheaper in '81 and sounded better

[Steve Mavronis]

The MXR Distortion+ is very similar circuit-wise except for some part value differences for a heavier sounding distortion pedal - think Crazy Train.