MXR Classic Overdrive, GT-OD, ZW-44

[Electric]

After doing a little research before buying a new overdrive pedal recently, I discovered that these three pedals are all identical (aside from the casing). There is a small switch on the circuit board that determines whether the pedal is a GT-OD or a ZW-44. The Classic Overdrive was a limited edition sold at Guitar World for $30 last year.

I found a Classic Overdrive on Ebay and won it for $30. Awesome deal considering the GT-OD and ZW-44 are both around $100 new. I prefer the sound with the switch in the GT-OD mode, works great for a mildly overdriven sound on the clean channel and is fantastic as a boost in front of an already distorted channel.

Here's a pic of the inside of the board:

[markD]

cool!! wonder if my classic distortion has that switch...

[warlok]

You can't see the switch but if you pull the back cover, you can see the 3 lugs soldered on that side. My ZW-44 has it and I'm modding with an external switch pretty soon. If I remember right, I heard that the Classic OD became the GT-OD after the limited run. Like the exact same thing. I also have heard that it's not all ZWs and GTs that have this. No definite determination on when the changes happened.

[ralph]

cool!! wonder if my classic distortion has that switch...

Should do, as it uses the same board as the GT-OD/ZW-44

The switch is a sym/asym switch, the difference betweem the GT-OD & ZW-44 is that the GT-OD uses symmetrical clipping and the ZW-44 uses asymmetrical clipping

The GT-OD Mxr's version of a tube screamer, whereas the ZW-44 is based on a boss SD-1.

So by adding an external switch as Warlok stated above you can essentially switch between MXR's versions of a TS-808 & an SD-1

[Electric]

Actually the classic distortion uses the same board as the MXR Distortion+ if I'm not mistaken, which doesn't have the same board as the ZW-44, GT-OD, and Classic Overdrive.

[warlok]

Ok.. Well... I just took apart my ZW-44 and there is no switch.. I could swear I looked earlier and it was there but I was wrong. I have a Classic OD on the way with the switch in it and I'll sell the ZW. Still putting external switch on the Classic OD.

And yeah, don't get the Distortions and the Overdrives confused. The switch is on the OD pedals like Electric said. And only some for that matter.

[ralph]

Actually the classic distortion uses the same board as the MXR Distortion+ if I'm not mistaken, which doesn't have the same board as the ZW-44, GT-OD, and Classic Overdrive.

Yeah my bad, didnt read Mark's post correctly

Classic Overdrive (green) - Same board as GT-OD/ZW-44, some have the switch, some don't
Classic distortion (black) - Same board as Distrotion III, no switch on these, however to me it really is an OD pedal

Warlock, does you ZW-44 pedal have anything in the top left hand corner? (where the switch is in the photo above)

[warlok]

No. There's nothing there. Can't get a pic to upload right now for some reason. But there's nothing in that corner on my ZW-44.