GFX64 Extreme


The GFX64 Extreme pictured with original box (personal collection)

DOD GFX64 Extreme Stereo Chorus

The GFX64 "Extreme" Stereo Chorus is the China-built, rebranded cousin of the classic FX64 Ice Box, featuring the same cold, glassy chorus recipe, but repackaged as part of DOD's short-lived Extreme / GFX series in the 1990s. Out of the three Extreme pedals released, the GFX64 is the most popular.



Quick Specs

   •  Effect type: Analog stereo chorus (LFO-controlled)

   •  Series: GFX "Extreme" series (GFX64, GFX70, GFX75)

   •  Based on: FX64 Ice Box Stereo Chorus

   •  Era: 1990s (late FX-series period. Exact release year not documented, generally listed simply as "1990s")

   •  Country of manufacture: China (all GFX series pedals)

   •  Circuit: Analog BBD chorus derived from the FX64's MN3007-based design

   •  Controls: Level, Speed, Depth, Hi EQ

   •  I/O: Mono input, dual outputs (stereo), 9V battery or 9V DC adapter



Origins and Production History

The GFX64 belongs to the DOD "Extreme" GFX series, a small family of pedals that took proven FX-series circuits and repackaged them with new graphics and model numbers for the 1990s market.

The Extreme line mirrored several late-era FX pedals:

   •  GFX25 Extreme Envelope Filter (FX25B)

   •  GFX55 Extreme Supra Distortion (FX55C)

   •  GFX64 Extreme Stereo Chorus (FX64)

   •  GFX70 Extreme Distortion (FX70P)

   •  GFX75 Extreme Stereo Flanger (FX75C)

In other words, the GFX64 is essentially the Ice Box circuit in new clothes: same basic control layout, same blue finish, but with the bold "extreme" logo across the front and GFX64 badging instead of FX64.

Reverb, eBay, Diablo Guitars and other sellers consistently date the GFX64 to the 1990s, while Effects Freak tags the original FX64 Ice Box as "pre-1998", implying that the Extreme / GFX rebrand arrived toward the mid-to-late 1990s as DOD shifted more production overseas.

The Extreme series itself appears to have been short-lived. Modern listings routinely describe GFX64 units as "rare" and note that they turn up far less often than the USA-built FX64.



Curcuit and Design

While DOD never promoted the technical details of the GFX64, its lineage is clear:

   •  The FX64 Ice Box is documented as an analog chorus built around an MN3007 bucket-brigade delay (BBD) and its associated MN3101 clock driver.

   •  Reverb's circuit notes for the FX64 describe a "classic MN3007-style analog BBD architecture", the same topology that defined many 80s/90s analog chorus pedals.

   •  The GFX64 shares the same control set, enclosure format, and "Stereo Chorus 64" labelling, indicating that it's based directly on that analog FX64 design, with no additional controls or modes added.

Most sources therefore treat the GFX64 as a Chinese-built reissue/variant of the Ice Box, not a new digital design. Some units are described or sold under both the DOD and DigiTech names, reflecting the DOD/DigiTech branding shuffle under Harman in that era.



Controls and Features

The control layout mirrors the FX64 Ice Box exactly:

   •  Level: Sets the overall output level and, effectively, how prominently the chorus sits against the dry signal. Helpful for matching bypass volume or pushing the front of an amp a bit.

   •  Speed: Controls the LFO rate, from slow, glacial swirls to faster, tremolo-like modulation.

   •  Depth: Sets the modulation depth, shifting from gentle doubling to deep, seasick chorus.

   •  Hi EQ: A tone control on the wet side of the circuit. DOD's original FX64 copy says this lets you either:

          •  emphasize bright, "chilling" highs for icy, hi-fi chorus, or

          •  roll off top end for a warmer, subtler thickening.



I/O and Power

   •  Mono input

   •  Two outputs for true stereo operation. You can send Left/Right to two amps or different channels on a mixer.

   •  Runs on a 9V battery or 9V DC supply, just like the FX64.



What It Does - Sound and Use

Because it's built on the FX64 platform, the GFX64 lives in that bright, "ice-cold" 80s/90s chorus territory:

   •  Subtle doubling: With Level around noon, Depth low, and Speed slow, it behaves like a mild thickener, almost like a studio double-track, great for clean rhythm parts and arpeggios.

   •  Classic 80s shimmer: Moderate Depth, moderate Speed, and a boosted Hi EQ gives you the wide, glassy stereo wash associated with pop and new-wave records. Sellers and users often call out how well it nails that specific era of chorus.

   •  Deep "Extreme" modulation: Pushing Depth and Speed higher gets into more seasick, vibrato-adjacent territory. This is where the "Extreme" branding makes sense. It can go from tasteful to over-the-top swirl pretty quickly.

   •  Stereo imaging: With two amps or a stereo rig, the pedal's dual-output design widens the field dramatically, giving moving, animated chorus that sits around the guitar rather than just on top of it.

Because it's an analog BBD chorus, it keeps a slightly rounded top end and a bit of vintage character, even when the Hi EQ is boosted. Compared to some later digital choruses, it tends to feel more organic and "liquid" rather than clinical.



Place in the DOD Lineup

Within the broader DOD chorus family, the GFX64 sits as:

   •  A descendant of the FX65 Stereo Chorus (earlier analog chorus, also MN3007-based)

   •  A cosmetic / manufacturing evolution of the FX64 Ice Box (same control layout and general voicing, USA-made vs. China-made)

   •  A sibling to other "Extreme" line pedals like the GFX55 Supra Distortion and GFX75 Stereo Flanger.

Because the Extreme series didn't last long and was overshadowed by both earlier USA FX pedals and later DigiTech units, the GFX64 never got the same recognition as the Ice Box. Modern owners, however, often comment on how surprisingly solid and great-sounding it is for a relatively obscure rebrand.



Collectability and Notes for Buyers

   •  Rarity: The GFX64 tends to appear less frequently on the used market than the FX64. Listings often flag it as "rare" or "hard to find."

   •  Value range: Effects Freak's recent market search shows a low/average/high of about $80 for a boxed example in 2024 (single data point), while Reverb and eBay sales commonly land in the $80 to $150 USD range depending on condition and packaging.

   •  Build: Users frequently note the hefty enclosure and robust feel, even on the Chinese-made GFX units.

   •  Common issues: As with many DOD boxes of the era:

          •  Battery doors and knobs are easy to lose or crack.

          •  LEDs sometimes fail while the audio path continues to work, so a "no light but good sound" example is not unusual.



Summary

The DOD GFX64 Extreme Stereo Chorus is best understood as the Extreme-branded, China-built version of the FX64 Ice Box: an analog MN3007 chorus with stereo outs, bright and icy voicing, and enough range to go from subtle doubling to full, swirling wash.

For players, it's a solid sleeper chorus that does the 80s/90s stereo thing extremely well. For collectors and DOD historians, it marks the tail-end of the classic FX chorus lineage, the point where DOD began migrating familiar circuits into new enclosures, new factories, and, eventually, a different brand era altogether.

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