PedalPCB Maximum Drive (Maxon OD-01)

[OD is Glorious]

Build Rating

5.00 star(s)

Edit 2/22/26: After putting this pedal through its paces I see that it is basically a dirt pedal. No transparent OD and you get severe dirt when you toggle north and dirt south. I would call this a distortion pedal with a switch that toggles into fuzz territory,

I loved the build. Using ¼ watt resistors makes populating the board much more pleasing. I spent more time to get the board looking clean and made sure to enjoy the journey. Usually I am rushing to a destination but I have been learning by following posts here and learn by studying the clean work of the members. If you build one of these, you’re gonna need a few obscure parts like a D100K potentiometer and 1S1588 diodes. .

I have gotten used to having a toggle switch on a pedal after getting into Wampler pedals. It is nice to have a switch, maybe two… but more than that? Too much. So this one has just one switch and I made it a short shaft Taiway. The S1588 diodes seem to give this a very fuzz-like, very compressed/sustained distortion when you toggle north. and toggling south you get a more open and airy overdrive.

Right now the pedal works great, it just feels very underpowered to me– without being an expert I suspect I may have a bad 5534D which I purchased from Amazon (when I started making pedals I ordered many parts there) – Today I only tried one Amazon 5534 that you see here. I ordered some NE5534P ICs from Stompbox today: Google told me they were the ones to replace the NSJ. For the rest of the pedal, I was sure to take my time and test all components. The pedal worked on the auditorium platform immediately. I am probably going to wait on the final boxing until I get a proper NJM5534D unless someone sees another reason why the pedal may be underpowered. @MichaelW completed one and said in his build report that it operated like a gain pedal. Fingers crossed that all I need is a proper 5534 and please let me know if youn see anything wrong here. I do love the tone and voicing of this circuit; even though it sounds a bit brutish and transistory.

Components

Green powder coated enclosure from Tayda

PedalPCB board and top jack face plate

1S1588s were sourced from an Ebay seller and they are great. Recommended by @MichaelW https://www.ebay.com/itm/115820218036

Mural on the pedal top was done with Adobe Photoshop. The design was printed on a clear thermal ink label on a brother QL-1110NWB

Resistors are ¼ watt

Mini on/on Taiway switch deom LVS

 

[dcfvgb]

Looks great, very clean, grats!

 

[OD is Glorious]

Here is what the internet said about chips. After seeing my image above, does it looks suspect?

 

[Guardians of the analog]

@MichaelW

 

[Guardians of the analog]

Look what happens when you use the right size components, it starts to look like a real pedal

 

[OD is Glorious]

Well, the correct chips arrived from Stompbox, NE5534P. No change, pedal works great just very underpowered. I think I will add a PedalPCB footswitch booster unless anyone sees something In did wrong in the build. @MichaelW had different results as far as power or volume

 

[MichaelW]

Well, the correct chips arrived from Stompbox, NE5534P. No change, pedal works great just very underpowered. I think I will add a PedalPCB footswitch booster unless anyone sees something In did wrong in the build. @MichaelW had different results as far as power or volume

There’s something wrong with your build. This pedal has PLENTY of output in both toggle positions. It might be something as simple as a wrong resistor or cap.

Before putting a boost in it, I’d recommend tracking down the root problem.

 

[Robert]

R13 should be 470R, you have 470K installed.




By the way, we have genuine 1S1588's in the shop if you don't want to make separate parts orders.

1S1588 Silicon Switching Diode - PedalPCB.com

Silicon Diode

www.pedalpcb.com

 

[OD is Glorious]

R13 should be 470R, you have 470K installed.

View attachment 111921


By the way, we have genuine 1S1588's in the shop if you don't want to make separate parts orders.

1S1588 Silicon Switching Diode - PedalPCB.com

Silicon Diode

www.pedalpcb.com

Oh man! Gracias.

 

[OD is Glorious]

@Robert just swapped out that resistor and this pedal screams. Really a fantastic pedal and I am so glad you were able to identify that problem for me. I hope you’ll have time to look at my troubleshooting thread about my six band equalizer. Sometimes when I am looking at something for so long I can’t see what’s wrong with It.

Edit: After my boneheaded incorrect resistor change out this pedal is as @MichaelW said. Quite a loud pedal. Wonderful pedal.

 

[OD is Glorious]

Well, I boxed it today. Sensational pedal. If you flip that switch north, you are in for some compressed sustaining type distortion. Click it down and you have somewhat of a tube screamer. All in all I really like the build and I like the pedal. Thanks to Robert for finding a bad resistor that was holding this pedal back. It is very well powered.

Edit. After playing with this for a little bit, I would classify this as strictly a dirt pedal. I can’t seem to get it transparent at all. It’s either heavy dirt or lighter dirt but it’s all dirt/distortion.