When it comes to overdrive pedals, Boss is considered the best. Boss has been a market leader for over 40 years and continues to innovate and pioneer the world of Effects. Boss has released quite a few overdrive pedals and all have all been known for their reliability, ease of use and their diverse range of products.
Boss’s overdrive pedals have become a bread-and-butter choice for a lot of musicians, as musicians know exactly what they’re getting when buying their products. Boss’s consistency and popularity have meant that they’re able to create high-quality products and offer them at affordable prices.
| Features: | Boss OD-3 Overdrive Pedal | Boss SD-1 Super OverDrive Pedal |
|---|---|---|
| Price: | £95 ($110) | £61 ($70) |
| Performance: | High | High |
| Versatility: | Good | Good |
Boss OD-3 Overdrive Pedal
At first glance, Boss’s OD-3 Overdrive pedal is just one more in the company’s wide range of distortion/overdrive pedals. It’s reasonably priced, it’s got the Boss brand name, and it’s a fresh iteration of an old classic. That’s a great starting point, however, it doesn’t bring anything new to the table. After all, the Boss’s overdrive family is so large that you have to ask whether or not the OD-3 really holds its own alongside its predecessors. Bear in mind that Boss’s current line-up features classics like the Blues Driver, the Super Overdrive and, of course, the now legendary OD-1 – the first-ever overdrive pedal.
Boss’s OD-3 pedal is incredibly versatile, to the point where, if they wanted to, most guitarists could probably get away with using it as their main overdrive pedal. Not only can it be used for hard rock, prog rock, and rock’n’roll, but it can even hold its own in the softer end of metal, but where this pedal really excels is blues.
Build
As far as the quality is, it’s a Boss pedal. The enclosure and footswitch design is impeccable, with the recessed control panel being simple, yet so effective. The knobs make it easy to change its settings.
Boss’s OD-3 pedal relies on a dual-stage drive circuit with a transistor configuration that roughly mimics an op-amp setup. The pedal’s design produces asymmetric clipping with a fat yet dynamic compression that op-amps can’t match.
Performance
The OD-3 overdrive pedal is like an OD-2 but with a stronger, cleaner sound. While an OD-2 in Turbo mode has slightly more drive on tap, the OD-3 does a better job pushing your tubes to their limits. The OD-3 works well as a clean boost.
A common misconception is that quality overdrive pedals are all about maximizing gain, which isn’t the case. If that’s what you’re after, you’ll want to pick a different overdrive pedal.
The OD-3 produces a smooth, warm saturation with no excess harshness even when maxed out. It also keeps a dynamic, transparent tone as well.
Whether you play blues, hard rock, or pop, it doesn’t matter, as the OD-3 pedal offers the kind of saturation that can work in any setting, especially on lead guitars.
With a hot enough pickup and a good tube amplifier, you can achieve some mean metal tones out of it.
Compared to the Boss’s BD-2 Blues Driver, the OD-3 gives better clarity and an overall higher-quality sound. It doesn’t have that gutted low end that Tube Screamers and their copies have either.
Boss SD-1 Super OverDrive Pedal
It’s no wonder why the SD-1 has become an industry standard with high overdrive and for so little money!
If you were to search the internet for the Boss SD-1, the results you find would be users describing it as “underestimated” “My best purchase” “My go-to overdrive” and more praises. The SD-1 gives a good-sounding, warm, mid-gain overdrive pedal at an outstanding price.
Due to its unique asymmetric overdrive circuit, the SD-1 replicates the distortion of an overdriven tube amp, which is great for rock and blues. Other than the gain control, you’ll find on the SD-1 with the traditional tone and level controls. It’s built, as always, with Boss, like a tank and ready to rock!
Design
This is easily one of the best overdrive pedals you will find on the market today. It features simple controls with only a small learning curve. Meaning that you can jump straight into the action in no time.
The SD-1 overdrive pedal is a compact overdrive pedal that produces smooth, and warm, overdriven sounds. It’s fitting for pretty much all guitarists of various genres.
The SD-1 uses its very own construction, combining both natural tube amplified growl for your tunes and the classic asymmetric overdrive accuracy to produce those perfect overdriven notes without compromising on the tune. The pedal is also ideal for almost any pedal board available on the market today.
The SD-1 also features the company’s standard 5-year warranty, so you can be at ease while giving this pedal the kind of abuse it deserves.
Sound
The sound of the SD-1 overdrive pedal is reminiscent of the quality produced by previous Boss pedals. It’s a perfect unit for those looking for that extra punch and clarity for the music they play. While many would say the pedal is not suited for heavy metal music, turning the overdrive knob all the way can actually provide you with something worthwhile.
It can easily be recommended for both lead and rhythm guitarists. Its smooth overdrive produces a perfect companion for genres ranging from alternative to heavy rock, as well as blues and jazz, all thanks to its crunchy melodies found when adjusting the overdrive knob.
Conclusion
Boss OD-3 pedal is a slightly scooped, bass-heavy overdrive and its gain is very smooth, giving a huge sweep.
The SD-1 has a very prominent mid-hump but cuts some bass. The SD-1’s distortion is gritty and amp-like.