Not For Sale
Model Description:
The DOD FX53 Classic Tube was manufactured in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA between late 1989 and 1996 when DOD ceased production. The FX53 Classic Tube was the spiritual sibling to the DOD FX52 Classic Fuzz, at least with the word ‘classic’ in common. The FX53 was possibly intended as a competitor to the successful Ibanez TS‑808 Tube Screamer Pro and maybe even DOD’s own FX50 Overdrive Plus. Like some other DOD overdrive/distortion pedals, the FX53 can push beyond its overdrive origins into distortion territory with the integral ‘Boost’ function when the ‘Drive’ control is close to or maxed out. DOD at the time stated that the FX53 “duplicates the warm, smooth distortion and long, singing sustain and harmonics of the early 1960s amp stacks”. It has also been likened to the sound of overdriven low‑medium gain small vintage tube amps like the Fender Princeton, targeted at blues/classic rock. That ambition pretty much covers the whole range of cooking valve amps. DOD achieved this all through a solid state circuit – no vacuum tubes (valves) anywhere in sight – despite the model name. A solid state distortion effect into a solid state amp can sound overly dark… apparently. The stars of the DOD boost/overdrive/distortion catalogue tend to be the workhorse FX50 Overdrive Plus and the full‑on FX55‑B Super/Supra Distortion. The FX53 has been broadly categorised into the DOD ‘red’ colour series of stomp boxes. The DOD FX53 Classic Tube is relatively ubiquitous on the vintage effect market, so clean examples are relatively good value for those wanting to get a foothold into the panoply of vintage effect stomp boxes.
Pedal Description:
Let’s get things out of the way from the outset, the metallic red FX53 Classic Tube is no substitute for genuine valve amp dynamics, although it made a pretty good stab at it during the 1980s. It does, however, make a good partner for a valve amp. Its circuit has higher gain than the mid frequency‑focused FX50‑B and lower gain and therefore less all‑out distortion than the FX52 Classic Fuzz, carving out its own niche in the process. This particular example, dating from 1991, is in wonderful pristine, near mint, condition, complete with its (scuffed) box and original instruction manual/warranty. Sound wise, it can provide a wide range of dirty, gritty tones and there are some fine harmonics to be explored and exploited. At low gain levels, it can provide a strong always‑on tone‑shaping tool in front of other pedals or an appropriate amp. Mid-gain provides a warm and tactile almost natural sounding breakup. When pushed into the ‘boost’ region, it trips over into powerful classic rock saturated distortion, falling just short of all‑out fuzz. It doesn’t really succeed at in‑your‑face heavy metal or extreme metal’s bright aggressive tones but there are other DOD pedals better suited to that. Used in the right circumstances, it is a nicely credible overdrive/distortion effect, doing quite a lot without falling foul of harsh, sibilant distortion like some of its more well‑known competitors. Conversely, it doesn’t really excel in any one area enough to make it an indispensable archetype. Then again, given its ready availability and reasonable price some four decades after it was introduced, that cost‑benefit proposition can be regarded as one of the FX53’s strengths. Pretty good overall and worth an audition, especially if you don’t want to follow the mainstream crowd.
Features:
- Made by DOD in Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.A. in 1991
- The ‘Volume’ knob controls the output volume
- The ‘Tone’ knob controls the amount of treble or bass
- The ‘Drive’ knob controls the amount of distortion (and boost when pushed) added to the signal
- The treadle‑style footswitch controls whether the effect is on or off
- Standard ¼” input and output mono jack sockets
- LED status indicator to show when the effect is in use
- 9V DC power supply input or 9V battery
- Dimensions: 5” x 3” x 2” – 127mm x 76mm x 51mm (L x W x D)
- Weight: 1.2 Lbs – 550g
- Original box and documentation
Detail Gallery:
