Fulltone Custom Shop OCD-Ge Germanium Obsessive Compulsive Drive Pedal Reviews

USA design and craftsmanship. The tone is just awesome!

This was definitely a different flavor of an OCD compared to my 1.7. The GE had lots of clarity across the board and I thought it cleaned up better than the other OCD I have.

Very well built and I'm confident it's gonna do exactly what I need.

I got this pedal about 6 months ago and plugged it into a Fulltone IPS-18 PS. I thought it was an 'OK' overdrive, but not worthy of the hype. It was just too soft clipping, spongy and could barely make it into distortion territory. It improved if I put a boost pedal in front of it, that helped, but wasn't a magic bullet either. It seemed to me that the germanium aspect of the pedal had been over-baked in and this pedal was just too 'glassed'. Quite honestly, I was thinking that I was done with germanium. That all changed when I watched Don Carr's video demo of the pedal. In the video, he casually mentions at one point that he prefers the OCD-Ge at 9 volts and that really caught my attention. I switched it over to my isolated 9 volts PS and everything changed. I'm no expert in the differences between driving a pedal at 9 or 18 volts and I just assumed that more is better. Not true in this case, for me anyway. The OCD-Ge jumped to life at 9 volts! I was completely amazed, it's like a whole new pedal now. I'm big on distortion and fuzz and this thing now goes from overdrive to distortion to just past the verge of a fuzz breakup. The tone range matters now, whereas it really didn't do a whole lot at 18 volts and the LP/HP switch is actually useful and makes sense. Thank you Don Carr!!! You have me and my OCD-Ge learn to love each other!

I'd been looking for a while to find the right overdrive pedal for me. I tried the Fulltone Robin Trower Signature OD, and while it's a great pedal in its own right, and pairs great with my fulltone mdv-3, it's more for a certain sound and specific style of playing (just my opinion). I was looking more for a jack of all trades overdrive, and after doing some research, I was between the original OCD and this OCD-GE. After talking with my sweetwater rep, Alex Campos, I decided that this GE version was the one for me. I've been playing with it for a few weeks now, and all I can say is wow. This thing sounds amazing, and you can get all the sounds you're looking for. From a nice clean breakup/boost, all the way to pretty heavy classic rock tones, bordering on Distortion sounds. It sounds great with both my Strat and Les Paul, is very dynamic, and is super easy to dial in great tones right away. I've been preferring the LP setting so far, but the HP sounds really good as well, especially if you're needing to cut through a mix. Build quality is great as usual, and it feels like a very study piece of equipment. It is a bit pricey, but worth it in my opinion, as I don't think I'll need another overdrive any time soon. This is a winner for me and will be on my pedalboard full time going forward.

After reviewing and testing out mini overdrive pedals this one clearly is the winner I've had many of my musician friends tell me that this one of the best overdrive pedals you could get and I couldn't agree more very happy with and would highly recommend it to any musician

I had been eyeing an OCD for almost a year before I finally one as a gift. I plugged it in to my Vox ac30 and my Les Paul. It was awesome from the get go. Adds the amount of gain I need without altering that LP/Vox sound I want. Not sure how different this Ge version is, but I don't care. This is my favorite pedal.

I love this thing!! Don't have to use a distortion pedal anymore! I run it through an old VHT PITTBULL 45 combo and I into a 10 band EQ pedal then put this thing in front of a mini-Tube Screamer! Kick in the tube screamer and get a really nice clean kick butt distortion! You can play with the drive setting on both pedals and get a lot of different degrees of distortion! If I don't kick in the Tube Screamer this thing has a really really good overdrive sound! I love this thing! Thinking hard about getting another one while I still can!!

I always liked OG OCD sounds, but seemed a bit harsh to my ears. This takes the gnarly sound and warms up that tone a bit. It sounds stellar. Keeper for sure.

Really cannot say enough great things about this pedal! It inspires me always... Sounds absolutely stellar with single coils or humbuckers. Very touch responsive which is a big deal for me, the fretboard just comes alive. Also it has a really cool paint job and it plays real nice like with other pedals! Woth the price!

I love the regular OCD. Nothing wrong with it. A/B compared the regular one with this. This one has smoother distortion at lower gain. Has a nice bright tone at higher gain and tone settings that isn't harsh. Could not replicate my (own subjective) optimized settings for the Ge version in the regular one. The tone is simply better. I also never preferred Ge drives previously, so I am not just hyping the "magical, mystical" vintage Ge diodes. Get it while it is still being made. I pulled the trigger and am glad I did.

I've had a 2nd generation OCD on my pedalboard for a long time and it is a great pedal. I recently purchased a vintage silverface Princeton Reverb to keep at the office and have tried different overdrives (Keeley modified Blues Driver, Lovepedal, etc.) to find a good match for the amp with my '80's Japanese Strat. The OCD-Ge is IT! Very smooth overall and, as a bonus, the tone control on the pedal is the perfect way to tame that brittle bridge pickup that has no tone control of it's own.

Great pedal!

Germanium is the best. I have silicon based transistor pedals and they sound great. They cut through the mix like a sharp knife. However, the warm and fuzzy feeling from a germanium pedal just can't be beat. The OCD-Ge is a masterpiece. My playing used to be all about everything at 11. What's all this stuff about cleaning up with the volume rolled off? Well now I know and it's beautiful. This OCD-Ge pedal does it all with a response and feel from the guitar that puts your playing at the next level. It pushes a dirty JCM800 stack into sonic bliss. Don't forget the tone control on your guitar because this is your aural smorgasbord with the pedal engaged. The OCD-Ge is not cheap and you can get five pedals from a low cost country for the same money. But if the house was burning down I think I'd grab my '91 Flying V and the OCD-Ge on the way out. Don't be put off by the price, it's worth every penny. Buy one from Sweetwater and you won't regret it. Awesome pedal.

This is my second OCD-Ge pedal, for a second pedal board on a second amplifier. I'm using it on a Vox AC30 and a JMV205C and it sounds great on both. Smooth tones and as advertised, great dynamic range, increased sustain, and a more highly focused single-note tone.

As an owner of the much-beloved v1.4 of the O.C.D., which already had the Geranium architecture, I wasn't sure if I "needed" this Custom Shop upgrade, but after my excellent experience upgrading the MDV a few years ago, I thought I might as well. Sure enough, the sound is much smoother, more articulate and more dynamic, and has a wider range of settings as it doesn't kick in quite so soon on either position of the main switch (LP vs. HP). I find that this edition works better with single-coil guitars (Jag, JM, Tele, STrat, etc.) than the original edition did.

I own several fuzzes, most of them with silicon chips but lately, I've been filling out my Germanium collection. I also own the original white OCD (silicon). This Ge version sounds a bit less fuzzy. It's still got the jagged edges of the OCD but feels more "natural". If you want something very edgy and radical, I would use the original OCD. If you want warm and grindy, go for this one. Explaining distortion always leads to esoteric wording. Hope that helps.

I typically prefer a good tube amp's overdrive channel to pedals. I like something gritty and alive. When I power this pedal with 18v... it scratches the itch just right. It's never leaving my board. If it dies, I'll buy another.

I haven't compared them back to back, but I had an OCD on my board for about a year... and I think I like this one better.

I have been playing since age 12 in the Southern U.S. which is known for southern rock and blues.

This pedal fits the bill with very good sustain and bite while keeping the instruments tonal qualities intact.

In an ever changing world full of suspect quality goods, fulltone has maintained its focus, manufacturing superior quality pedals that can only do up in value as time passes. This is the 4th pedal I have purchased from fulltone and hardily recommend this to any guitarist looking for the perfect tone.

I directly compared the OCD Ge to a recent V2 I already had on my board. It has the same internal "enhanced bypass" switch. I find the OCD Ge to be a bit clearer and smoother in gain structure, with a slightly more open top end. I find the standard more aggressive, but this may be a good thing for you. The difference is noticeable when A/Bing the two, but not drastic. Fulltone's description describes it accurately. "Intense definition, a more tubelike feel, wider dynamic range, increased sustain, and a more highly focused single-note tone."

OCDs are already known for their dynamic nature, especially at 18v, and the Ge improves on it. It really shines with the gain below noon in my opinion. One of the best ways to run any OCD is with the gain almost all the way down and setting the volume to boost the signal. This provides a very natural breakup.

I like the Ge so much that it replaced my standard V2 and I now have two of them on my board for two separate gain levels. Stacking them is amazing as well!

This is not a marketing scheme by Fulltone to sell more pedals. They really took the time to improve an already legendary drive. Don't miss out.

Great pedal. Awesomely transparent and plays great with both single coils and humbuckers. Unlike a tube screamer that compresses all of your tone in the mids, this pedal allows the full range to come through with a wonderful spectrum of gains. It's a keeper.

Wow! This is one of those pedals that when you plug it in, you just love hearing it so much that you play guitar for four hours straight.

This thing can be whatever kind of overdrive you want. You want sensitivity and articulation and your true guitar sound coming through? Yeah it's got that. You want to dime the controls and just kick on something crazy? It'll do that. You want to leave it on all the time and control your tone with your guitar's volume? It'll totally do that, and better than some amps!

It just. sounds. perfect. It's one of those pedals you want to leave on all the time with minimal settings cause your guitar just sounds straight up better with it on.

I finally found the sound that I'm seeeking the whole lifetime.. I really love the sound. It's perfect to my ear.

Having used the pedal for a while, I can confidently say that I don't believe there is a bad sound in this guy. It enhances the tone of my guitar rather than drowning it ... I like this pedal !!!

This is the real germ pedal. It is soooooooo sweet sounding. If i put my mxr Super Badass Variac Fuzz in front of it , look out ! All kinds of dirt possibilties. I have been using my TC Electronics Hall of Fame 2 and Doubler pedals after the Germ pedal. The with and depth make it sound like a wall of dimed Marshalls at bedroom volumes through my Blackstar practice amps. The pedal is worth its weight in gold peeps.

Sustain for days. In fact I find myself turning down the overdrive because the pedal just makes the guitar sing. It is expensive but in this case, worth the dollars. It booted every other overdrive to the pedal bag in one session. I haven’t even had to move the tone knob from the 12 o’clock position. Just monkeyed around with the drive and volume. Sounds really good to my ear with the volume about 1 or 2 o’clock and the gain between 9 and 11 o’clock. Tried the hp/lp switch and it does add some high mids in there. Both modes sounds good though. I wouldn’t call either transparent. But it’s definitely something I leave on all the time regardless. So I guess you could say I prefer it. Try it, you won’t be disappointed.

This is sold as an overdrive but with the dual-Germanium hard-clipping you can dial in fuzz/distortion comparable to any Muff-style fuzz. This version is based on the regular OCD version 1.4 (introduced the Ge diode) and this version adds yet another Ge diode to the version 1.4 OCD. A quick internet search will reveal that the OCD is appropriately named.

This is not a transparent OD. It has some grit to it and you (and everyone around you) will know when its engaged. Has an internal trim-pot slider-switch to toggle between "Enhanced Bypass" or "True Bypass". From what I gather, the Enhanced Bypass is a new feature from Mike Fuller that attempts to incorporate the best qualities of both true-bypass and buffering.

Love the color and the metal enclosure is blast-proof. Shout out to Alex Rodriguez, SW sales engineer, for helping me find the right one!

Amazing pedal. Very responsive to your playing, great tone. The three control knobs offer an expansive variety of subtle tones. Best overdrive pedal I've ever had.

Look, you know this pedal, or you should by now. Clean boost to muscular distortion and loud -- very loud. The Ge version adds a slightly spongier feel at some settings than its ordinary counterparts. There's a reason Fulltone has sold about 10 million of these pedals. They are magic in front of a Fender tube amp and they get the job done with either humbuckers or single-coils. If you're reading this, just buy it.

This limited-edition OCD definitely has intense definition between settings, tube-like feel, wider range of frequency than many other OD/Dist pedals I've used over the years. Very good and focused single-note tone that doesn't break up or lose clarity during sustain. Get one...it's a real keeper in your pedal chain!

I was a lucky recipient of one of the second hand-signed batch, and although I was not sure how it would compare to my ~2006 era OCD (which I like, but can be aggressive at higher settings) I wound up being really surprised in a good way. When I first got the pedal I plugged in my Lindy Fralin-blues equipped Strat into a Fender Deluxe (Alessandro hand-wired overhaul). It sounded good, but I was not blown away. I was primarily on the neck pickup as I often use for first-pass on a Strat. I then recalled that most of my all-Germanium gear is used with my Gibson-Marshall type gear so I gave my SG a try. For whatever reason I first tried out the bridge pickup. Oh. My. Gosh. Something about the hotter-output, higher-treble pickups interaction with this pedal (plus the Germanium overtones which definitely add some occasional octave-up type sounds) was really special. There is a clarity and openness to the sound that just has "that feel".

I did some tests comparing this pedal to other pedals I have like my older OCD, a Lovepedal Eternity, the Duellist, a Plimsoul, TS-808 etc. While they all sound good in their own way, this pedal has a feel to how it plays (along with a very organic, increased sustain) that simply takes the prize for me right now.

I feel like Germanium has a slightly softer drive and bite than some of my other drives. That is not a bad thing at all, but it could be part of the reason why my hotter and treble-heavy pickups really make this thing shine. It will change how I use the pedal a little bit (at least compared to many of my other drives). I definitely want to go back and spend some more time checking this out in more detail with my Strat.

For audiophiles, I hear that one of the main improvements to this pedal is a much widened clipping threshold from running the Ge in series with the mosfets (along with not driving the opamp to its breaking point like the older OCDs). Sadly that might mean my 2006 OCD sounds good from what could be called bad-behavior with a way overdriven opamp. Anyhow, that's just for the nerds out there. For everyone else, it just sounds and plays great.

Received mine from the first batch released July 4 from Fulltone. I"ve owned a classic OCD about 10 yrs. and I"ve always loved the tone and versatility. To my ears the OCD Ge is quite different in character from previous versions. I"m finding it to be exactly as Mike Fuller described it. "Great definition, more tube-like feel, a bit wider dynamic range, more sustain, and a more focused single-note tone." Also, the harmonics and "octave up" overtones are delicious and the increase in sustain is quite significant. I"ve played it with filtertrons, humbuckers, and a tele with Lollar Vintage T single coils through a Princeton Reverb. Honestly sounds amazing! I"m very glad I snagged one of these while I had the chance. Used it at rehearsal and loved it! Most definitely a keeper for me!

I've had a few versions of the OCD in the past. They're long gone, so I can't say how they compare with this version, but I'm loving the OCD-Ge. It's got the same issue as other versions, it gets a little bass-heavy when the drive is turned up past half way. Putting an EQ pedal, or a TS, or a Rat (anything that cuts bass) in front of it solves that. I'm currently using a Catalinbread Naga Viper (treble booster) and it's an amazing combination. Very dynamic, amp-like sound and feel. Cleans up really well too. I love the way this thing breaks up. Single notes and chords just bloom with glorious distortion. The controls have huge range and the HP/LP switch really makes it easy to dial in the pedal for any rig. I actually bought a second OCD-Ge so I can have one for low gain and one for high gain. I highly recommend giving it a try.

Geranium pedal outdoes the OCD, you get a lot of value for the price. Built well, hand wired with vintage new components, tone to die for. Haven't rid on humbucker guitars, but it slays on single coil. I cannot see a better pedal on the market, doesn't mask your tone, but thickens it and sustain is great.

I received this pedal from Sweetwater yesterday and finally have an overdrive that sounds as good, if not better, than my first run OCD version 1.1 I gave to a good friend a few years ago. I bought that pedal from a boutique "high end" music store locally way back before any of the big online retailers sold Fulltone pedals. After realizing how much I missed it and subsequently plowing through a ton of other overdrives, I proceeded to purchase a version 1.7 and a version 2, but, those pedals just didn't sound as good as that first one. This new OCD-Ge nails it. I'm 63 years old and have been playing non stop since 1968. I'm very "old school" when it comes to my gear and tone preferences. I still own and occasionally use my Boss OD-1 I bought new in 1980 when I need that vintage tube screamer sound for a part, usually when recording, and still play my old Les Paul's & Strat's through either my '65DRRI, Marshall's or my Mesa 5/50 Express that I also purchased from Sweetwater a few years ago. I have been a Sweetwater customer for years and have never had anything but completely positive experiences with them, they are the kings of customer service when it comes to musical equipment bar none. If you are fond of the tube screamer type clones & tones, I can understand why some reviewers of this pedal claim it is "dark" sounding. With tone being completely subjective, I personally don't find it dark sounding, but rather not as "shrill" sounding with super compressed upper midrange as most of the competitors overdrive pedals. I have owned or used most of them at one time or another and I would characterize the OCD-Ge as having a warmer, "beefier" sound with more low-mid's that compliment both humbucker and single coil loaded guitars. This pedal costs a little more than some, but, it delivers in a big way. It's the only overdrive pedal currently in my signal chain and is extremely likely to stay that way. Kudos to Fulltone and also Sweetwater for their super fast shipping.

I have owned three different versions of the standard OCD with 1.4 being my favorite, however this version works for me better than any of the standards. Seems to be a little softer on the clipping. If you turn it up too high on the drive it will start to sound fuzz like so if you like running pedals high like that you may opt for something tighter on the low end. I have had it on my board for a few weeks nwt and have gigged it quite often. I have it right after a Wampler Tumnus and the the two pedals stack very well together. Most of the time I am playing through a dsl20HR but it works with my Vox AC15 too. Have not tried it with my other amps yet. I think this pedal is a keeper. It may not be perfect but it sounds really good when dialed in right.

A lot like a regular OCD, but "different". I have a 1.7 that I've been using live for a couple of years. I swapped it out for this Ge model for a gig and was quite pleased with the subtle tonal difference. It reacts just like my 1.7, but colors the sound slightly differently. I guess the mids are "smoother", slightly less midrange "attack". Like the 1.7, it works great with all the guitars I used, humbucker and single coil.

Quality build, of course. I don't have enough pedals on my board to warrant playing with the true/enhanced bypass switch. Maybe later.

4.5 out of 5 because a) nothing gets a 5 and b) it hasn't made me a big Rock Star just yet. I'm still working on that. lol.

Excellent od that retains a lot of character from your guitar and amp. Haven't AB'd this yet, but I've lived with OCD V1.4 since it came out and the OCD Ge doesnt seem to get QUITE as clean as my other OCD, which is the only disappointment so far. If I back the guitar volume off just a touch, it does. Chewier and hairier, Fulltone's description on their sight is pretty good and seems slightly overbearing, but once you hear it, it's not overhyped. Maybe just a bit overpriced. People that keep the gain/drive knob above noon for a real "effect" should be pleasantly surprised by the power.

Very full tube like saturated tone. Like my original ocd but this one sounds like it goes to "11." It's got just a bit more fullness and grit, As usual the team at Sweetwater is the best.

The differences between this and the original OCD are just too slight to be of value to me. There seems to be a bit more gain on tap, as it goes to almost full bore distortion, but that isn't the application I was looking for. Great pedal but the original OCD earned its place on my board so this one has to go back. Alan Moon was helpful as always of course!

I wanted to LOVE this pedal, truly. I have had an OCD since whenever they came out and it's never left my board. I also have a PlimSoul, Fulldrive and Fat Boost 2. So I love Mike Fuller's OD pedals - just not this one.

Now, if darker is what your after, this may be your nirvana.

Low quality, poor sounding pedal. Would never buy another Fulltone piece of junk.