MXR
CUSTOM BADASS
MODIFIED O.D.
BY CHARLES SAUFLEY
Like many aspects of guitar-gear engi- neering, the pursuit of perfect overdrive stirs religious fervor and consumes
intellectual assets typically allotted to
papal edicts and nanophysics. But whether
you consider the to and fro over overdrive
nuance a righteous quest or a hopeless
maze of obsession, there has never been
a time when there were more paths to
tone enlightenment.
With the introduction of the Custom
Badass Modified O.D., MXR seems determined to stuff every conceivable shade of
overdrive in a single pedal. And they damn
near succeed. It’s a pedal that can walk
the line between subtle boost and refined
aggression, depending on your approach
and amplifier of choice. But it won’t excessively color your guitar’s voice, and it lets
you tailor the pedal to your rig in very specific and minute ways.
to hear audio clips of the pedal at
premierguitar.com/mar2012
CLICKHere…
100 Hz cut/boost knob
Low/mid-boost
switch
True-bypass switching
Golden Glow
For those of us who’ve had Dyna Comps
and Distortion+ pedals that haven’t crapped
out after 20 years of regular use, any MXR
pedal tends to inspire confidence. And the
Modified O.D., which looks especially
deluxe in its brushed-metal enclosure, feels
as sturdy as its forebears—even if the four
small knobs and miniature bump button
look a little less robust than the big rubber
knobs that once graced MXR stomps.
Three of the knobs on the true-bypass
Custom Badass Modified O.D.—tone,
output, and gain—are practically de
rigueur for any overdrive and need little
explanation. However, the fourth, a 100
Hz boost/cut control, is a big part of
what makes the Badass different. Another
critical differentiator is the bump switch,
which boosts low and mid frequencies
together and can significantly transform
this pedal’s voice.
Versed in Many Languages
Players look to overdrive for different
reasons. Some like it to work nearly like
a clean boost—adding barely perceptible
dirt to a boosted signal. Metal players
often use overdrives to kick an already raging amp into high gear without sacrificing
harmonic richness and clarity the way you
might with a distortion or fuzz pedal.
But while the Custom Badass Modified
O.D. seems ever so slightly geared toward
the latter camp and heavy rockin’ players
in general, it’s quite comfortable lingering in cleaner, more cultivated settings.
Setting the level to about one o’clock
and the other controls at noon gives the
combination of Fender single-coils and
6L6s or 6V6s a little more brawn and
attitude—perfect for giving lean tones
a little Heartbreakers/Big Star-style sass
and swagger. It’s a great sound for electric
12-strings, too. And it can give harmonics
a little more sustain, bloom, and presence.
The 100 Hz knob has remarkable shaping power through the whole range of gain
levels. And it’s especially effective in roots-rock settings. Here, cranking it clockwise
lends both buoyancy and weight to chord
arpeggios that can transform a tune into
something much meatier and lend bottom-end heft to a mix. A counterclockwise
twist gives leads a cutting and nasty, laser-guided quality, and can take the muck
out of the mix if you have a ham-fisted
