Players as widely diverse as Al Di Meola, Warren Haynes, Jimmy Herring of Widespread Panic, Coy Bowles of Zac Brown and Jake Cinninger of Umphreys McGee have all played through an ODS for “their tone.”
The ODS Classic is the result of almost 20 years of customer feedback as well as Andy’s own journey in tone.
During our development of both the Casino amps and the ODS-II, many fresh and innovative approaches were taken to broaden the sonic pallet of tones the ODS platform could deliver. Many of these advances were applied to the ODS-Classic: The Classic (like the ODS-II) has dual gain boosts. One boost keeps the tone controls operating and has a user adjustable boost level, while the original fixed tone stack bypass boost of the ODS remains. This means two distinctive voices, but voices that when combined, widen the available gain range more than double.
The brite switch has two positions. Off in the middle, and two different operating points for a sparkly subtle shine, and a second, more aggressive high boost which brings clarity and more midrange push to the tone. The ODS-Classic has a three position EQ switch. Up gets you EQ-1, which is a more gainy and punchy rock style eq. Middle position is a gain boost which bypasses the tone controls, and down is EQ-2 a smoother, more jazzy studio style EQ. Pulling the high control gets you mid boost, while pulling the mid control provides a second mid-boost frequency shift for two distinctive voices.
The clean channel topology is a refined version of the same great single 12AX7 circuit found in the original ODS which was revamped for the Casino and ODS-II models.
The overdrive channel is the same great drive channel that made the original amps the success they became. Like the clean channel it also was refined with some new enhancements: An internal overdrive gain control and HFOD controls (which provides a subtle high end smoothing effect going into the overdrive) remain. The overdrive input control pulls for manual overdrive operation, while the overdrive output control is now a concentric control adding an overdrive tone control. This has been well received in both the Casino and ODS-II models.
A master volume, accent (adding a subtle high end boost in the power amp stage), remain. Like the Casino and ODS-II the ODS-Classic has the same great Spin Semiconductor digital reverb as designed by Keith Barr of Alesis fame. It’s got variable decay and level controls, and is interfaced via a tube mix stage, giving it warmth and smoothness plus consistent and reliable reverb unlike mechanical pans.
The rear panel is virtually unchanged from the original amp design: A universal AC power input plug, power and standby switches, 4-8-16-ohm outputs for speakers. A half power switch (in Custom-50 and 100-W models) and the great all-tube Fuchs effects loop which is series or parallel and line or pedal level. A CAT-5 Ethernet connector is provided for the footswitch.
The standard footswitch is a 5-way which provides dual gain boosts, overdrive and mid boost and reverb muting with LED indications and connects with any standard available CAT-5 or Cat-6 wire.
All amps use custom wound USA made transformers from Heyboer and Classic-Tone. All amps carry a 5 year warranty on everything except tubes or abuse. Like all Fuchs amps, the ODS-Classic combines modern high grade PC board construction with classic hand wiring to produce reliable and consistent amps that are easily serviced when required. All PC boards are high quality fiberglass boards, with 2-oz copper, silk screen and solder mask and premium parts.
919-682-5552