Ideal for blues and crunchy rock sounds (or for that extra punch when soloing), the Nobels ODR-1 has been the first choice and secret weapon for many players and top studio guitarists for nearly 30 years. In fact, this top selling pedal has developed its own almost cult following since it was first designed and engineered in the eighties.

When the original circuit was developed, there seemed to be countless overdrives on the market that had what many people describe as a ‘nasal’ tone, but Nobels worked hard on creating a very ‘open’ sounding pedal that works with you and your amplifier. The result was the ODR-1, German engineering at its finest with stacks of resistors and capacitors forming very precise filters and signal shaping, giving you a pedal that responds to your dynamics and adds texture to your tone in a very natural, musical way – all while allowing the character of your guitar to be fully retained.

Step forward to 2020 with the latest model ODR-1BC.

With numerous requests from the pedal community and professional players worldwide, Nobels have added the option of an internal Bass Cut switch under the battery cover to help tame your low end if needed. In standard mode though, you still get the full frequency response of the original that is perfect for warming up single coils etc. In addition, the internal power circuitry has been increased to allow for 9-18 V capability to provide extra headroom, if your playing styles and tone goals require it. These new features haven’t altered the fundamental tone and vibe, but have increased the versatility of the pedal massively for modern rigs.

With the drive control, the distortion can be easily adjusted from almost clean to maximum drive. The circuit also works very well with your guitar’s volume control, so by backing off the volume you can clean up your tone. The tonal range is controlled by the Spectrum control tone pot with mid-click and fluorescent pointers on the Glow-in-the-Dark knobs. Turn the knob clockwise and it increases the bass and treble at the same time, while turning it counter clockwise has the opposite effect. The midrange stays untouched in either direction, to ensure a transparent yet warm tone wherever the Spectrum knob is placed.