(brand unknown) no. 15451 Dirt Box

Lucy-Guitar (Ibanez collector)

I only know two existing specimen of the Maxon made “The Dirt Box”. It is somewhat like the missing link between the Maxon/Ibanez OD850 and OD-855 and the TS-808, wearing the same green coat as the Tube Screamer (though painted glossy and not matt). Inside it has exactly the same circuit “MP-D0701” as in the script logo OD-855. According to the fact that it is completely unbranded but wearing a (phantasy) number “No.154451”.

It's interesting that all components are from late 1976 so it was assembled way earlier than the oldest Ibanez OD-855 (script logo) that I have seen – those all have been from late 1977 and early 1978. So possibly they tested sales expectations with an unbranded and low numbered production before going into larger scales.

It was probably a product (example/prototype?) for OEM customers like SLM (Saint Louis Music Supply, Inc) or PMS.

The funny thing is that is has a spelling error: “Amplifer” instead of “Amplifier”, while the only other specimen I know reads correctly “Amplifier”.

Within a few months after Lucy-Guitar's comment a few more Dirt Boxes appeared on eBay.