NPD - Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive - GuitarTalk Community

NPD - Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive

Jayhell

So I picked up a SD-1 from Gumtree yesterday for like R300 bucks. It was cheap and I am on the everlasting search for the 'right' overdrive pedal. Very simple little pedal, I thought I'd probably compare it to what I have and flog it, but...

I am impressed, I like the sound. I can't really say why yet. The best I can do is say, it has more balls than a lot of other OD's I have tried. Compared to my current favorite OD pedal, the Bad Monkey, it's a bit more beefy, the BM suddenly sounds so thin in comparison. Doing my normal DS-1 through the overdrive as a drive booster also works great, with the BM it seemed to just saturate the sound for endless tone and sustain, now it actually make this fuzzy clipping sound. I like!

Can't wait til the new year for band practice so I can see what this bad boy can do at high volume. Otherwise it will go into the home rig as it sounds so good at moderate volume. Anyone else have good experiences with the BOSS SD-1 (Super Overdrive)?

21Fretter

My little research found that the SD-1 is often recommended, simple and does the job. Some years are better than others and the Japanese builds are apparently the best

IceCreamMan

I have one ....and I like it ...cost me all of 400 rand brand new if I recall correctly. I like it a whole pile .. I know some turn up their noseat Boss products but if its good enough for alex laiho you better believe its good enough for the masses like me ?

watched an incredible documentary called "fuzz - the sound that changed the world " which is about pedals and effects essentially and some of the comments made by makers etc about pedals was interesting to say the least...... the whole industry is pretty much interesting but I digress.... see if you can get a copy of it

After years of mucking around an playing around and checking things out I now use a Boss SD for OD and DS for distortion and they both work very well for my needs. they robust, built like a tank, use 9V and cheap as chips

ryanguit

never liked the metalzone, dd3 or DS1. i find the OD better than expected. But...

i love the SD-1! its similar to the tubescreamer schematic wise, but the tone control is completely different. i modded my ts7 to have SD-1 tone. freakin love that thing. If you get a chance to try out 2 in series, you might actually get rid of the DS-1, or not. Different strokes... etc.

But yes. i think its got less mids (not in a scooped way, mind you), like its wider open. It,s got lovely nasty high frequencies and extends reasonably far down. Enjoy!

domhatch

i have a ds-1 and a bd-2. always found the ds-1 a little thin, but my bd-2 gives a warmer and more saturated tone, especially when pushed. so if your sd is a suped-up version of that, i wish you well.

dh|

Vintage-Vibe

Very similar to a TS-9 (even the same controls), but a tad brighter with more maximum gain - v good pedal for modding - a lot of players use the sd-1 instead of a ts9 these days ... ironically the Boss OVERDRIVE has more gain than the Super Overdrive ?

A lot of big 90s rock players used an SD-1 as a boost for solos on top of an already overdriven valve amp BEFORE they had their own (often overpriced) "signature" OD pedal designed (Zakk Wylde anyone?)

I recently tech'd for a 90's soul artist called Maxwell and his producer/guitarist Hod was using a stock Super Overdrive through a pair of Deluxe Reverbs ... sounded great to me!

Proves money doesn't guarantee good tone!

Arno-West

Great buy. When I first started playing pro (back in '91), I had this pedal and a Boss Chorus going through a Marshall 75 watt combo as my stage set-up. Got great tone fom it. I've always been a Boss pedal fan. I even like the Metal Zone......with the Distortion knob turned waaaaayyyy down ofcourse......

kayDUB

SD1 is great, and at a great price - congrats!

Jayhell

domhatch wrote: i have a ds-1 and a bd-2. always found the ds-1 a little thin, but my bd-2 gives a warmer and more saturated tone, especially when pushed. so if your sd is a suped-up version of that, i wish you well.

dh|

Apparently the SD-1 is actually a toned down version of the BD-2, apparently smoother as apposed to the gritty sound of the BD-2. But I wouldn't know I don't have any experience with the BD-2.

I'm actually going to keep my eye out for another one of these. It would be an interesting experiment. I might never find 'The One' but I sure found the one for now.

domhatch

Jayhell wrote: Apparently the SD-1 is actually a toned down version of the BD-2, apparently smoother as apposed to the gritty sound of the BD-2. But I wouldn't know I don't have any experience with the BD-2.

I'm actually going to keep my eye out for another one of these. It would be an interesting experiment. I might never find 'The One' but I sure found the one for now.

if you can't be with the one you love, and all that...

i like the gain at about 10o'clock, and tone set to add a little brightness. whether i use it in front of my teeny vox, or through my albion, i find that 'creaminess' people talk about with the aid of the bd-2.

interesting, i find it, that this pedal of yours a toned down version is. interesting, yes. hmmm... i might keep an eye out for one myself, especially at that price level.

good luck wi'it
dh|