Following a surge of interest spurred by a viral demonstration video, the long-discontinued DOD Bad Monkey overdrive has been resurrected in a significantly expanded form by its original creators at DOD. The Badder Monkey is far more than a simple reissue; it’s a comprehensive reimagining that retains the core green-voiced circuit of its predecessor while introducing a host of novel, and frankly eccentric, features for unprecedented tonal exploration.
At its heart are three distinct overdrive circuits:
- the original Bad circuit,
- a new Behaved path, and
- a more aggressive Badder voice.
The defining innovation is a 360-degree Barrel control, which functions as a seamless blend knob, allowing any two of the three circuits to be combined. This provides a vast continuum of hybrid gain textures beyond the scope of the original. Further modulation is offered by a three-way toggle switch, which can invert the phase of the original circuit or activate Troop mode, engaging all three circuits simultaneously for maximum complexity.
In a fitting tribute to DOD’s irreverent design heritage under the late Jason Lamb, traditional control labels are replaced with playful knobs named Bananas, Curiosity, and Mood.
A practical innovation is the inclusion of a reversible “StagePlate” on the pedal’s base, offering users a choice between a rubber skid pad for floor use and a hook-and-loop surface for pedalboard mounting.
The DOD Badder Monkey transcends its cult-status origins, evolving from a sought-after bargain-bin oddity into a versatile and creatively unorthodox gain staging tool. It offers everything from subtle breakup to chaotic, multi-voiced saturation, packaged with the quirky charm that defines the brand’s legacy.
