9 x Yellow Means OverDrive!

There seems to be very much 2 distinct camps of players - one that prefers the slight grittiness of the OD-1, and the other that prefers the smoother tones of the SD-1. As usual I stride both groups as I recognise the merits of each. There are some degrees of overlap here, and you can dial in similar tones if you apply yourself - while the core default textures of these pedals are quite distinct. If you really like the sound of the SD-1 you might wish to bump yourself up to and SD-1W at near 3 times the price, but with a better quality components onboard and a second Custom voicing which gives you even richer and creamier tones.

A 2-mode evolution of the standard OverDrive with a sort of Boost or Turbo switch to get more saturation - it's still a relatively subtle boost, but it does open up the character of the drive as well as increase saturation and sustain. This was one of Prince's favourite Overdrives - and if Prince likes something that's as good a recommendation as I need!

This is sort of a further evolution of the OD-2 where the 2-way Off/Turbo mode switch has been replaced by a variable Color dial which changes the Gain character - at the core you still have your 3 original - Level | Tone | Drive controls. It's one of Boss's lesser-known pedals but obviously popular enough to sustain a production run nearly 30 years straight so far. There's nothing here to dislike really apart from the vast number of superficially similar OverDrive varieties Boss has to offer - yet they all have their distinct variations - as to whether those are more or less to your liking is entirely down to your own preferences. I personally quite like this one too - but would more likely go for the OD-2 because of the Prince connection.

I've actually featured this one a few times on this site as it's a pedal I've always been intrigued by even though it has inspired different responses. It is the first pedal to feature the 3 x dual-concentric knobs, as latterly seen on the JB-2 Angry Driver - here you get to set separate Level | Tone | Drive for Crunch and Lead Modes - and you can use a Remote switch to toggle between the two - or the Mode Selector. This is why I've always felt the latched-plate design of the compact Boss enclosure has been a limiting factor - as this pedal would be perfect with dual standard footswitches!

The OD-2R is a slightly enhanced version of the 1985 Turbo OverDrive with added 'Remote' input for easier switching of the 'Turbo' mode. No doubt Boss has updated some of the internals too as components are always wont to change slightly between iterations. Tone-wise it is possibly a little more articulate, but otherwise much the same as its predecessor in most ways - and it commands similar prices on the second-hand market / Reverb.com.

In effect the latest iteration of the core 3-knob circuit with still those 3 controls intact - Level | Tone | Drive. I believe this was reintroduced for those that preferred the grittier tones of the original OD-1 - where this comes pretty close to me, but is missing something in the frequency profile as it doesn't quite sound as texturally complex as the very original pedal - but it's certainly in that ballpark versus the smoother evolution of the SD-1.

I actually have the DS-1X, but am still to decide if I truly love that. This uses the same MDP algorithm (Digital Multi-Dimensional Processing) to dynamically alter output based on varying input attack and feel. Supposed to make for a much more nuanced and articulate overdrive, with a greater transparency on individual notes - but the jury is still out somewhat on the overall results. I actually quite like the clearer articulation in the pedal which suits is well at low to medium gain, but it can introduce some slightly odd sounding artefacts at higher saturation - particularly to my ears - but that may just be me!

It was pretty inevitable that we would get a Waza Craft version of Boss's most enduringly popular Asymmetric clipping overdrive - slightly odd though that it came in the same year that the OD-1X was released (2014). The second Custom mode here gives you a fatter more saturated sound with extended range on the Tone-Shaping. The smoother profile of the SD-1 gets richer and creamier. This is still my most likely acquisition of all of these - and is a pedal very much beloved by many.