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The main difference in a Tube Screamer and the Boss SD-1 is the type of clipping. SD-1 utilizes asymmetrical clipping, and a Tube Screamer uses symmetrical clipping. They both have a mid-hump as for as the EQ curve. You can use them both as boosts into other pedals or amps. As straight up overdrives, the Tube Screamer often sounds like a layer of dirty and a layer of clean, where as with the SD-1, you get the single layer of dirty because of the circuit's clipping type. Either are great. Some prefer one over the other. I have both the TS and the Boss. Either work great with many configurations, and in some cases you might prefer one to the other with a particular setup. I have more than one tube amp, and I have a variety of pedals that I use on this one or that one.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
The SD-1 has got to be one of the most underrated ODs on the market (second only to the Digitech Bad Monkey perhaps). At $35-$40 it is an absolute steal. Stock, the pedal dose suffer a few drawbacks (the reason for only giving it 4 stars). #1 is sounds a bit muffled, you know the olf cliche of a "blanket over the speaker"? That somewhat accurately describeds this pedal in stock form. As I understand it, if you are proficient with a soldering iron (which fortunately I am) this is pretty easily fixed by removing a capacitor which is the offending component in the tone circuit. #2 the bypass circuit allows a bit of bleed over from the gain circuit into your clean tone. I also understand that this varies a bit from pedal to pedal but it was precievable in mine. This too can be fixed with a relatively easy addition of a few readily avaliable components. After doing a little research online and talking with my new favorite pedal modder, Mike from Modest Mike's Mods, I opted to have my SD-1 modded. Mike performed a mod developed by a friend of his that is essentially a mod of a mod. He performed his version of the Keeley 5 Star GE mod. The Keeley mod changes a number of components to improve the tone of the circuit, reduce noise and improve the bypass as well as adding a switch to select a Germanium Diode clipping stage. Additionaly, Mike installs a second switch that improves the bass response of the circuit (think BD-2 Phat mod). The added bass is subtle but noticable. With these mods, my humble little $35 pedal gives my modded TS9 and my Fulldrive 2 Mosfet a run for their money. I have a lot of dirt pedals and this is definately one of my favorites. Give it a go. If you like it, great. For the money it is a steal. If you like it but want it to be a little better, call up Modest Mike. He will make it sing, and when it is all said and done, you will have a great pedal that is far less expensive then some of the "gold standards" out there. Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with Modest Mike's Mods. I am just a guy that had him mod a few pedals and I think he does awesome work. He is my first choice in mod services now. I reconmmed him to anyone that wants to unlock the full potential of their stock pedals.Read full review
I've played just about every type of OD/Distortion circuit out there. For the money, and even regardless of price, the Boss SD-1 is still the pedal to own if you want to play lead guitar with some sustain and overdrive. As far as I know, they haven't changed the circuit in 35 years. And for about 50 clams, it's the OD to have if you're going to have one on your board. I've been playing strats for 45 years. I used to be a "purist", guitar-cable-amp. Now, this is my go-to pedal after many years of trying to coax and tweak a smooth overdrive tone out of the various tube amps I've owned and played. Want to just play and enjoy your tone? Buy a Boss SD-1 and stomp on it!
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Refurbished
It’s a standard; it’s been around forever, like the DS-1. And it’s been around forever because it works. It sounds great and does its job well. You can buy all the boutique pedals in the world but they are almost all based on pedals that have been manufactured for years and this is one of them. Works fantastic as a boost, drop the drive down put the level up and wow, by its self it’s a classic distortion, run in front of your favorite distortion or drive channel in your amp for that extra edge, sustain and sensitivity while soloing. It’s just an all around reliable pedal that does exactly what it is designed to do, well. Can’t go wrong with an SD-1, it’s a classic. And remember it’s an overdrive, not a distortion. It will distort your signal; however it was designed to send your distortion into overdrive. And for those that cannot get a sound out that they are looking for, A: you don’t know what you’re looking for B: you don’t know how to use your amp, or your amp sucks tone (not the pedal) C: you thought it was something that it is not, like a distortion pedal.Read full review
I've been playing electric guitar for around seven years and am kind of a tone snob. I use this pedal to boost a fuzz pedal and it works great; it helps to fill in some of the mids on my fender amp. The od tones aren't too shabby either. This pedal is also cheap (about 1/2 the price of a tube screamer which is essentially the same pedal), and can't really be beat if you're on a budget.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
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