Neon Torque Mod | OCD-NTM-P1

A Tribute...

…to one of my absolute favorite pedals. Over the years, the Fulltone® OCD® has become a true cult classic – somewhere alongside the Klon, Tube Screamer and RAT. And while those classics have been defending their spots forever, the OCD® has always been right there behind them.

Luckily, everyone has their own podium... and on mine, the OCD® definitely has a place at the top.

The Versions

By now, numerous versions of the OCD® exist. Exciting for collectors – but often rather confusing for everyone else. Your bandmate's OCD® sounds amazing, yet the one you just picked up second-hand suddenly has a completely different character.

According to Fulltone®, the OCD® was essentially always the same pedal – just with minor adjustments along the way. And that's true. Still, there are definitely audible differences between the versions.

The best-known versions are probably the v1.4, v1.7 and today's v2.0 and v2.0.1. The v1.4 was the last version to feature asymmetric clipping with a germanium diode. The v1.7 eventually became the final version of the original series and is probably the one you'll come across most often today.

Another important point: Versions 1.1 through 1.7 were built entirely by hand using through-hole construction. Every single component was placed manually. On my pedals, even every individual pin is still soldered by hand.

With the v2.0, everything changed. Along with the addition of an integrated buffer, Fulltone® switched for the first time to a hybrid construction combining classic through-hole components with modern SMD technology.

While the v2.0 still featured some through-hole components, the v2.0.1 circuit board is manufactured entirely by machine.

Does a pedal sound worse just because it was built by a robot? Probably not. The more interesting question is: Do you sit better or worse on an IKEA® chair than on a handcrafted chair made by a master carpenter? Craftsmanship deserves appreciation – and it shouldn't come as a surprise that this is reflected in the price.

The Transparent Overdrive

Joshua Heath Scott – or simply Josh from JHS Pedals – describes the OCD® as a “transparent hard-clipping overdrive.” And I absolutely agree with him.

In this context, transparent means that the signal isn't subjected to any major frequency boosts or cuts. No mid hump, no drastic low cuts and no aggressive high-frequency filtering – at least if we imagine the whole thing as a graphic EQ.

A Tube Screamer or Klon deliberately adds a mid boost. The OCD®, on the other hand, doesn't. Of course, you can shape the sound with the Tone control, but technically all it does is roll off the highs. Depending on the setting, the curve becomes more pronounced and eventually starts pulling down the upper mids as well. Basically, your guitar's tone knob does the same thing. And your amp already has enough EQ controls anyway.

Fun fact: In his early days, Josh actually sold modified OCD® pedals. I’m lucky enough to have one of them in my collection.

Anyway, that “transparent” sound of the OCD® completely hooked me from the very first moment. Before that, I mainly knew overdrive pedals with names like “Classic Metal” or “Super Metal” – and they were anything but transparent, if you know what I mean.

If you want to dive deeper into the differences between soft, hard and other types of clipping, I highly recommend the JHS Pedals video “Understand The Types Of Overdrive Pedals On The Market.”

Mod Features

NEON

NEON Mode features symmetrical MOSFET clipping, as found in versions v1.7 through v2.0.1. But that's not all: more highs, more output and everything perfectly tuned for the 80s. Made for power Strats, hot humbuckers and heavy mahogany axes.

Make your sound glow, dig those hair-metal leggings out of the basement and crank up your amp.

It's time to rock again.

HYPER

HYPER Mode takes things one step further. The clipping gets an additional germanium diode, the upper mids cut through even more aggressively, and the internal op-amp is officially turned up to 11.

Perfect for massive lead riffs and exactly that solo you've always wanted to rip out.

If you're ready for highlights in your hair and maximum 80s excess, activate HYPER Mode.

Softswitch

I replaced the classic “clunky” 3PDT with a modern soft-touch switch. This not only gives the pedal a more refined and contemporary feel, but also makes it a better fit for the way music is made today.

Modern technology has led to more and more small bedroom and laptop recording setups at home. And that's exactly where a soft-touch pedal sitting on your desk is simply much more comfortable and elegant to operate with your fingers.

That's at least one of the reasons why I now use soft-touch switches exclusively.

Product information "Neon Torque Mod"

Technical Specifications


Length	115mm
Width	50mm (96mm incl. jacks)
Height	36mm (55mm incl. footswitch)
Weight	480g
Voltage	9V DC (center-negative) (up to 18V max.)
Current Draw	60mA (9V)
Power Supply Included	No
Battery Compartment	No

RoHS Compliant
CE (EU) Compliant
Made in USA - Modded in Germany

Price Includes a Used OCD®