Boss OD-1 Overdrive
Home Guitar effect / recording manufacturers Boss    OD-1 Overdrive	78% Overall Features 4 Sounds 8 Reliability 10 Overall 9 Taken from 1 review

Submitted by: Zak Q on 02 March 2005

PricePaid: £39 GBP (New) Purchased From: Vroom Music in Watford Model Year: 1985 Features / Ease of Use: [4] Most guitarists think the OD-1 is just a basic overdrive pedal. I think it's THE BEST overdrive pedal! I've tried loads of pedals since, but keep coming back to it. It has a strong metal case, like all the Boss stuff, and it has rotary Level, Drive and Tone controls. You've got the option for a psu but to be honest, it will last ages on a 9v battery. There isn't a great variation in overdrive tone, but the tone that you do get sounds just like a cranked up tube amp. It gives a great bluesey tone without being coarse. It's probably got a manual but in 20 years I've never looked at it! Sound: [8] I use a Fender strat into a variety of amps, but usually of the 2x12 clean variety. The pedal is quite with no background noise but it can be a bit noisy if you use anything other than the Boss psu. I like to think that I get a reasonable late 70's Clapton tone (y'know, when he was into Musicman amps and the like) which is what I'm into. Reliability & Durability: [10] It's a Boss pedal so I don't think you can break it! It has never let me down (apart from being a bit noisy when you use a cheap psu). I've tried loads of other 'drive pedals, but I keep coming back to my OD-1 Overall Rating: [9] Like I say, it's got a limited tone, but one great tone is better than 20 cr*p ones! I paid £39 for it 20 years ago. I've tried the updated Boss OD series, DS and HM series, DOD, Marshall, ElectroHarmonix, Zoom - do I need to go on? If it died on me tomorrow, I'd go find another.

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