Maxon SD-9 Sonic Distortion

• Reissue of classic Distortion from the 80’s
• Great sustain and volume clean-up
• Wide operation range covers mid-gain Overdrive through Fuzz
• Versatile Tone control can provide bright top and tight, punchy lows
• Scott Henderson’s favorite Distortion!
• True Bypass Switching

Since its original release in the early 80’s the Sonic Distortion has gained a huge cult following among tone connoisseurs, including the likes of guitar legends Scott Henderson and Mike Landau.

Maxon’s current-production reissue captures all the magic of the original with the added benefit of true bypass switching.

The SD-9 provides a smooth distortion that covers a wide range of Gain levels from mild overdrive through pseudo-fuzz.  Regardless of the Gain setting, the SD-9 remains articulate and responsive to note dynamics, providing excellent sustain without crossing over into super-compressed Metal territory.

The SD-9’s Tone knob has plenty of top end on tap, yet notes still retain a round, full-bodied tonality with the low end presence usually associated with amp distortion.  The pedal’s midrange response is smooth and even – present without seeming spiked.

Since its humble origins to its current place in the pedalboards of the stars, the Maxon Sonic Distortion has proven itself to be a timeless classic that has only improved with age.

"The Maxon SD-9 is the best distortion pedal EVER made, period. It has the clarity and punch you get from a pedal, while retaining the low bass you get with amp distortion. The SD-9 is one of the rare pedals which sound equally great on both the neck and bridge pickups, whether they're humbucking or single coil. It's been a very important part of my tone for many years." - Scott Henderson

TECH TALK:

Input signal goes through a simple High-Pass filter into a transistor that’s set up as an emitter/follower (high input impedance – low output impedance).  After this it’s into an Op Amp stage designed to give a gain range of 67 to 567and a Low-Pass Filter with a corner frequency of approximately 1540 Hz.

From here it’s on to a set of opposing-direction diodes to ground and a tone control that is reminiscent of the Boss DS-1 (kind of a Big Muff dual High and Low cut - ending up with a mid scoop that has a high frequency limiting resistor with corner frequencies of 867Hz and 234Hz respectively).

The SD-9’s dual diodes to ground give a crunchier, chewier distortion than the popular 808-style “diodes in feedback loop” configuration.  Likewise, the SD-9’s mid scoop is practically the antithesis of the 808’s infamous mid hump.

After the tone control section it’s through to a volume control and into another E/F transistor to provide a low impedance output and then on to the true bypass switch.

The SD-9 features Mechanical True Bypass switching via a Fujisoku 4PDT switch - Input is switched to ground when bypassed.

Input Impedance: 500K Ohms

Input Jack: 1/4 inch standard phone jack

Output Impedance: 10K Ohms

Output Jack: 1/4 inch standard phone jack

Output: 1

Equivalent Input Noise: -114 dB or less (input shorted IHF-A weighted)

Maximum Output Level: 0 dBm

Maximum Gain: +42 dB (at 2.0 KHz)

Controls: Distortion, Tone, Level

Switch: Normal/Effect (true bypass configuration)

Power Supply: 9V Manganese dry cell battery (6F22) or special AC adaptor

Power Voltage: DC9 V (Battery) / DC10 V (AC-adaptor)

Current Consumption: 6 mA (9 V) / 7 mA (10 V)

AC Adaptor: AC210N (option) Input: AC120V Output: DC9V/200 mA Center - / Sleeve +)

Dimensions (whole): 74 mm (W) x 124 mm (D) x 54 mm (H)

Weight: 580 g