No go on a Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive

[JustABluesGuy]

Rough and tuff for sure, like MXR. I’ve owned a few over the years, just wondering if others have noticed this or am I just unlucky? - confused in Vinland

I don’t have any personal experience with the Blues Driver specifically, but I have heard that it can sound a bit fizzy/crunchy on the top end at higher gain settings.

I always wanted to like the TS-9 but never got along with it. I've had two different versions in the past but sold them. I decided I'd try another relative of the Tubescreamer so I ordered a Boss SD-1. I realize they're not the same, symmetrical vs asymmetrical clipping, etc but they both are supposed to tighten up the bottom and enhance the mids.
Well..... it was a big fat nothing burger for me. It's going back. The only sound I found remotely decent was with the drive at absolute minimum, level past noon and tone around 10-11. Even then it was a little noisy but it had that "Texas Flood" tone. To be honest, I got past my SRV stage a long time ago.
Why do we, as guitar players, keep trying new overdrives? It's either a fool's errand or chasing our tails.

Mid boosts are useful in a band setting with a mid shy amplifier. In other settings they aren’t all that great. Playing solo, or in a duo setting, they aren’t needed or very useful.

 

[Maguchi]

Boss is the boss!

 

[darkwaters]

Sa

Where did you have the BD in the chain?

Right at the start.

 

[JustABluesGuy]

Boss is the boss!

View attachment 1104011

Tried and true!

 

[JustABluesGuy]

Why replace when they all sound the same?

They don’t all sound ‘exactly’ the same, but the TS based, mid heavy type pedals are pretty similar.

I feel bad for those folks who have bought dozens of different versions of the TS, never realizing that a mid boost wasn’t really what they wanted, or needed.

No judgment here, as I spent SEVERAL years figuring it out myself. I just hope I can help others avoid my mistakes. There are a TON of TS clones, but if you aren’t in a band…

What sounds good at home, isn’t what sounds good “in the mix” and what sound good at home often gets “lost in the mix” when competing with the drums and bass.

SRV used mid scooped amps at high volume and the TS works great “in that context” but not in others. I have a TS-9 and an SD-1 but neither is on my board because I don’t play mid scooped amps, and I haven’t played with a drummer OR bass player recently.

I do keep my SD-1 and my TS9 around “just in case” I need them. I’ve thought about letting the TS go, as I prefer the SD-1, but I might as well keep them both since different amps respond differently to pedals.

I’m just glad I didn’t buy every different variant of the circuit before realizing it isn’t always “the best” for every situation.

 

[SixStringSlinger]

Boss is the boss!

View attachment 1104011

Damn, you're the Boss boss.

 

[39martind18]

I own mostly Boss, and have had no issues with any other than a cat damaging one. It’s only cosmetic damage from the corrosive nature of cat piss.

Was the kitty in question offering commentary on someone's playing?

 

[middy]

Was the kitty in question offering commentary on someone's playing?

Kitty don't need a reason. Kitty just do.

 

[schenkadere]

I like the SD-1 but prefer a clean boost with bass and treble controls to shape the tone more to my liking than the cut/boost of the TS or SD-1. I use the Donner Boost killer, but a TC Spark or something similar works great.

 

[JustABluesGuy]

Kitty don't need a reason. Kitty just do.

Cats. They know exactly how you feel!

They don’t give a damn, but they know!

 

[wildschwein]

It’s all very amp and application dependent. TS and other mid hump type pedals aren’t much use in the bedroom but next to a drummer in a band mix with a high headroom amp they absolutely come alive for lead boosts.

 

[omahaaudio]

There’s no best tone. And no worst tone.

You've never heard me play.

 

[omahaaudio]

Kitty don't need a reason. Kitty just do.

As Marshall Dillon always used to say.

 

[burntfrijoles]

There’s no best tone. And no worst tone. I love drives and dirt pedals but truth is only a few boxes are on my board and I’m mostly playing clean to edge. I just like to experiment off practice. If you’re chasing a pedal that will make you sound great you’ll never find it. But if, like me, you’re happy with your gig tone and just want to see what else is out there, nothing wrong with pedal GAS. Just don’t expect to sound better, only different.

I agree with “no best tone”. There are different tones. Since I added an Ironman Mini attenuator to my PRRI, I’ve been using my dirt pedals less because I can drive the amp harder.
There is absolutely nothing that will make me “sound great”.

 

[Kungpow!]

Take out C6... that really helps

 

[JamilEcrire]

Kitty don't need a reason. Kitty just do.

My cat bro hates guitars. Any time I pick one up in my office he starts swiping at the headstock.

I just assume it's my lack of skillfully playing the instrument, but he gets to suffer!

 

[Whatizitman]

SD-1 is cheap, so everyone should own one at some point, regardless if it does what you want it to or not.

I've been down the "boost" rabbit hole long enough. SD-1 is a low/mid gain drive, and is best used as such, IMO. And by that I mean using it for it's own clipping and tone shaping. It's not transparent at all, and has a huge low cut. It rarely sounds good at low amp volumes. Particularly on non-Fenders. It makes every amp sound "brownish", IMO. And that's often a good thing. Especially for leads.

Rats are also fairly cheap. At first I hated the Rat. But I spent a little time with it to learn what it does, and now it's my main OD and dirt pedal. A Rat to me sounds Marshally, but not brown. I traded away my SD-1.

I got an EQ for a "clean" boost for certain frequencies. The EQ works. But using as a boost is noisy, and adds no compression. That works for some, but not for me.

A Rat is about the closest to an always on as I've ever used. But I also don't need too much variety. I'm good with a classic blues/rock crunch for all guitar types. I typically set my master volume amps for a low to mid crunch, and then add the Rat for some presence and/or extra dirt. Does just what I want.

 

[MichaelD83]

Let it grow a little. I usually hate new overdrive pedals at first. I got one for like $10 years ago and has become one of my favorites. Had a TS9 but I preferred this. Really smooth! I used for Tom petty and southern rock songs. Cleans up nice w the volume.

Unless it’s going to a cooked amp, Yes it’s a low gainer and can sound thin into a clean amp. But that sound actually grew on me and I came to love it. It’s very pedal bright to me - I like tone and gain @ 10A & level to taste.

I splurged and sent to analog man for the silver mod w clipping diode switch. 1/2 mod TS808 and 1/2 waza crack! This one is so so good !!

I hate when people tell me this but it may just not be for you or agree w your rig. Despite the threads of praise all over the various blogs I just couldn’t seem to bond w the boss od3. Even sent it to analog man for his mod and still couldn’t get it.

 

[Sixstring3370]

I have Fulltone GT and a OCD, Boss DS 1. I can live with all of them. Gave up chasing dirt pedals.

 

[Supertwang]

I've bought several dirt pedals and never liked any of them until I bought a Maxon ROD881. But I still almost always plug directly into the amp. If I have a good speaker choice installed into my amp I don't need any dirt pedals. Case in point,...My 22w Deluxe Reverb RI with a Weber 12A125 30 watt alnico speaker is glorious for both clean and dirty but there isnt much clean headroom. If I remove the 30 watt Weber and install a 50 watt Weber 12a150 then I have a lot of clean headroom but not much organic dirt comes thru.