The Maxon D&S II Reissue is a Maxon overdrive pedal. Close alternatives include the Maxon DS Distortion Reissue and the Mooer MDS4. It pairs well with the PRS Archon Classic 50 2-Channel Head and the Quilter Tone Block 202 200W Head.
Maxon D&S II Reissue
Maxon · pedal
The Maxon DS-II Reissue is a reissue of Maxon's vintage DS-II distortion pedal, one of the classic Japanese distortion circuits from the late 1970s and early 1980s. Maxon is the Japanese manufacturer that originally produced the Ibanez Tube Screamer circuit, and their own original designs reflect Japanese construction quality and careful circuit engineering. The DS-II reissue makes this vintage circuit available to contemporary players.
What stands out
“Maxon's Japanese construction quality and circuit knowledge make their reissues compelling for players who want vintage Japanese distortion character with modern build reliability”
— from the community notes
“Maxon is the Japanese manufacturer that originally produced the Ibanez Tube Screamer circuit, and their own original designs reflect Japanese construction quality and careful circuit engineering”
— from the listing
“The Maxon DS-II Reissue is a reissue of Maxon's vintage DS-II distortion pedal, one of the classic Japanese distortion circuits from the late 1970s and early 1980s”
— from the listing
“The DS-II reissue makes this vintage circuit available to contemporary players”
— from the listing
“A reissue of a classic Maxon vintage distortion circuit from the Japanese brand's original design era”
— from the community notes
Trade-offs
“The DS-II circuit has its own distinct character separate from the TS platform”
— from the community notes
“s japanese manufacturing precision ensures consistent performance”
— from the reviews
- distortion
- vintage
- reissue
- vintage circuit
- japanese brand
- japanese manufacturer
- consistent performance
Genres the Maxon D&S II Reissue is commonly used in
- Alternative Rock
- Metal
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Hard Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Punk
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Amps that pair well with the Maxon D&S II Reissue
PRS Archon Classic 50 2-Channel Head
PRS
11% matchWhat PRS Archon Classic 50 2-Channel Head brings here leans toward high gain — that's worth building a pairing around
Comes later in the signal chain
Quilter Tone Block 202 200W Head
Quilter
11% matchQuilter Tone Block 202 200W Head leans toward dynamic, and that's a real, usable character to pair with
Comes later in the signal chain
Orange Little Bass Thing
Orange
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Orange Little Bass Thing goes after Maxon D&S II Reissue in the chain
Friedman Small Box 50W EL34 Amp Head
Friedman
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Friedman Small Box 50W EL34 Amp Head goes after Maxon D&S II Reissue in the chain
Revv Generator 120 MkIII 4-Channel 120W Head
Revv
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Put Revv Generator 120 MkIII 4-Channel 120W Head after Maxon D&S II Reissue
Orange AD200B 200W Bass Head
Orange
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Put Orange AD200B 200W Bass Head after Maxon D&S II Reissue
Ampeg Rocket Watts
Ampeg
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Put Ampeg Rocket Watts after Maxon D&S II Reissue
Port City Pearl Head
Port City
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Port City Pearl Head goes after Maxon D&S II Reissue in the chain
Pedals that stack with the Maxon D&S II Reissue
Suhr Rufus Reloaded
Suhr
7% matchWhat Suhr Rufus Reloaded brings here leans toward fuzzy — that's worth building a pairing around
Comes later in the signal chain
ThorpyFX The Dane
ThorpyFX
7% matchWhat ThorpyFX The Dane brings here leans toward fuzzy — that's worth building a pairing around
Caroline Guitar Company Somersault
Caroline Guitar Company
6% matchKeep Caroline Guitar Company Somersault after Maxon D&S II Reissue in the signal chain, clear of Maxon D&S II Reissue's own gain stage
Comes later in the signal chain
Ashdown Studio Compressor
Ashdown
6% matchAshdown Studio Compressor leans toward compressed, and that's a real, usable character to pair with
Comes earlier in the signal chain
Walrus Audio Bellwether Stereo Analog Delay
Walrus Audio
4% matchRun Walrus Audio Bellwether Stereo Analog Delay after Maxon D&S II Reissue in the signal chain, clear of Maxon D&S II Reissue's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Comes later in the signal chain
Benson Amps Delay
Benson Amps
4% matchKeep Benson Amps Delay after Maxon D&S II Reissue in the signal chain, clear of Maxon D&S II Reissue's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Comes later in the signal chain
Matthews Effects The Pocket Drive Overdrive Boost
Matthews Effects
tonal matchMatthews Effects The Pocket Drive Overdrive Boost sits in the same chain slot as Maxon D&S II Reissue
NuX Masamune Booster & Kompressor
Nux
tonal matchComes earlier in the signal chain
Put NuX Masamune Booster & Kompressor in front of Maxon D&S II Reissue
Alternativessee all similar tone character →
Maxon DS Distortion Reissue
Maxon
71% similarityShared character: modern players, reissue, distortion
Mooer MDS4
Mooer
55% similarityShared character: distortion
Tone City Model E Distortion TC-T35
Tone City
55% similarityShared character: distortion
T-Rex Tonebug Distortion
T Rex
54% similarityShared character: distortion
Vox Bullet Distortion Switch
Vox
54% similarityShared character: distortion
Walrus Audio Eras
Walrus Audio
54% similarityShared character: distortion
Tone City Model S Distortion
Tone City
53% similarityShared character: distortion
Third Man Store Third Man Hardware x Gamechanger Audio Plasma Coil
Third Man Store
52% similarityShared character: distortion
Ross "Distorsion"
Ross
52% similarityShared character: 1960s, distortion, vintage charm
Roland Core Distortion
Roland
51% similarityShared character: distortion
TC Electronic Vintage Dual Distortion
TC Electronic
51% similarityShared character: distortion, vintage charm
Vox TG1-V8DS V8 Distortion
Vox
50% similarityShared character: distortion
See all alternatives to the Maxon D&S II Reissue (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Maxon D&S II Reissue?+
The closest matches in character are the Maxon DS Distortion Reissue, the Mooer MDS4, the Tone City Model E Distortion TC-T35.
What pairs well with the Maxon D&S II Reissue?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: PRS Archon Classic 50 2-Channel Head, Quilter Tone Block 202 200W Head, Orange Little Bass Thing — What PRS Archon Classic 50 2-Channel Head brings here leans toward high gain — that's worth building a pairing around.