6 Classic Overdrive Pedals And How They Sound - Comparison (no talking)
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- Опубліковано 7 лют 2025
- *Buy now:
Ibanez TS808
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Nobels ODR-1
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Boss BD-2
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Fulltone OCD
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Hermida Zendrive
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Article: bit.ly/6-classi...
Here is an audio comparison of 6 classic Overdrive Pedals with many sounds and settings: Boss OD-1, Ibanez TS808, Nobels ODR-1, Boss BD-2, Fulltone OCD, Hermida Zendrive.
Soundfiles/Video: Thomas Dill
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This is the greatest pedal demo have ever seen! Rest-of-the-guitar-world take notice: this is the new benchmark by which all other pedal demos should now be judged!
Yep!
after years of expierience, i would actually prefer a DI sound with no amp or microphone for test purposes. still great vid tho!
I second.
I don't think so, sorry!
All amp demos, too; this is the way.
I honestly had no clue the OD-1 was such a beast. It consistently sounded the best to my ears/preferences. Also - dude - THIS IS HOW ALL GEAR DEMOS SHOULD BE DONE! I don't mind having some editorial/commentary, especially at the end, but most gear reviews are like 99% talking, 1% playing, and they don't min/max the settings on the pedals like you did. Seriously, bravo. You have a new subscriber.
The only thing I think you missed out on on this video was: what happens when the amp is already dirty, and you use the overdrive to push it past crunch into wild territory. That is what the tubescreamer is really meant for; not going in to a clean amp. Anyway, regardless, great video. Super helpful.
Same!
It's the best overdrive pedal I've ever owned and I've owned dozens upon dozens through the years. Last year I cut my pedal collection down from 75 down to just 15. Then,I went with a very minimal board of just 5 pedals. When it came to overdrives, the OD1 just kept winning against everything I put it against. In fact, of the 5 pedals I ended up using for my gig board, 4 of them were Boss pedals from the 80s lol. OD1, CS2, FZ2, and a DM3. Boss really is the king when it comes to stompboxes.
Edit: I actually think the FZ2 was from the 90s.
Problem is that people are asking £175 to £717 used for the OD-1 (€207 - €840, USD235 - USD953)... jokers 🤑.
@@SaxJockey Fuggedaboutit!
Maybe it's related to the fact that on percentages - the more people talk and the less they play in the video, the more visited they are. A video like this is more informative, but most people look to UA-cam for entertainment, not information.
I, on the other hand, can't find a single video about distortions that explains their effect in a completely clean, i.e. transistor combo.
The Blues Driver is my favorite, keeps always the dynamics even at full distortion amazing
I like it with my gibson sg into a clean blues jr amp with tone at noon and gain around noon or 1oclock
Yup. Crank the gain, play softly and it will sound clean and hi-fi. Hit it hard and your pubes will drop off your balls. Phenomenal pedal, I've tried a few modded versions but stock is perfect!
That's a really useful demo. I think there is no point in trying to determine a winner; that would be like an artist saying blue paint is better than red paint. Any of those pedals could sound good in the right context.
Different shades of blue I'd say. Distortion, Phaser, Flanger etc etc would be different colours.
Otherwise well said
Metalzone?
i wish every video was like this , straight to the point. no jokes , no useless conversations , just testing.
Happy owner of the Boss Blues Driver!!!
I really liked the tones better than the rest!
@@CyclesAreSingularities “JHS Pedals” talks about the circuit in the Blues driver, and all 5 general types of overdrive, if you’re interested in that. It’s a transistor based overdrive, I’m not sure what that means as the technical stuff is a little over my head.
Freaking amazing demo. You nailed these sounds. I have the ocd, bd2, and Nobels and this is truly a great demo of how they compare.
Well done, one of the best overdrive comparisons on UA-cam. No talking, even comparison, quality sound, and clear pedal visuals on each demo.
I own a Blues Driver, and it's my favorite overdrive that I own, but I LOVE those ODR and OCD tones also
That Zendrive low gain tone was AMAZING
Boss still just gets it done - I continue to keep my BD-2 on the pedalboard! great demo - thank you!!
The unsung hero is the Boss OD-1. Not as warm as the others, but you can just imagine it in a 70s rock mix. To a certain extent, the same is true with the 808. The newer ones may sound warmer, but they also seem like they're for 90s - present mixes where stuff doesn't necessarily stand out as much.
This is a fantastic overdrive demo and really helped me decide what pedal is best for me. I'm most likely going with the Blues Driver. Thank you!
Most helpful way of doing a pedal demo that I have ever seen. Very straightforward with nothing unnecessary and no time to lose interest. Great job! 👏
I have Boss OD-1 and Fulltone OCD. The OCD is superb, way better than OD-1. Listening to both in real life is a completely different experience! This video was excellent!
I did think the OCD stood out here as really alive, full bodied, more punch and dynamics.
Now that's a nicely done video with no words yet so much information! I've had all those pedals at one time or another except for the Nobels. I'm partial to the Blues Driver, which I still have and was reminded what a great meat-and-potatoes drive pedal the OD-1 is (which I no longer have). Never been a big Tube Screamer fan but it has its uses. OCD was great as always.
Jeeeesus, that Blues Driver has no business being as heavy as it is!
Probably the best gear comparison videos on UA-cam
Great demo! I’m sure all of these would sound good in a band context for certain styles of music. Hard to judge with no music. I’m also sure each pedal has a different “feel”, so they make you play a certain way.
That OCD is amazing.
Zen Drive into a BJFE Honey Bee is incredible - two very different OD's and together they make an amazing distortion
Excellent comparison - no time wasted with unnecessary talk & jokes!
What a great video. Also try the Plumes by Earthquaker Devices. That pedal made me get rid of my OCD and Tube Screamer pedals. Very versatile and sweet sounding.
All great. I love the blues driver. Also another classic that sounds great as an overdrive......MXR Distortion +
Yeah I would have loved to hear that one in here
Although the Ibanez Tube screamer , and Fulltone OCD are great; I play the 1st generation Zen Drive and love it 💕
Superb comparison! Surprising how good the OD-1 sounds!
Wow, an exceptionally thorough demo: I didn't know my pedals had this much range, as I typically play them full-out attack. Great work man.
Super démo , OD1 sur mon pédalboard depuis le début 1978 . Elle y restera toujours .
This is an excellent pedal demo, I wish more were this straightforward. I appreciate that your playing more rhythm rock with lead parts, so many pedal testers out there are just doing blues leads in the demos, which doesn't help when you play rock rhythm mostly. Great job.
For something called "Blues Driver" it is going into some mighty hard rock or even metal terretories damn. I underestimated that thing... I wonder what SD1 into BD2 would sound.
The Zen sounds amazing here.
Man I love the Blues driver I gotta get it soon
Wow, Boss OD-1 is great! (Brilliant demo thanks!)
Thanks for the video! I watched this eyes closed and OD-1 and BD2 were clearly winners for me. Now I know what my first overdrive will be.
how do you know they won if your eyes were closed??
Great no no-nonsense comparison video, many thanks.
Excellent, straight to the point. My hunch is that amp choice is key here.
Yeah, I think EQ signatures can mesh or clash.
That OD1 and the OCD tie on pure dirt for me - open, spiky, and let the character of the guitar shine through. The Zen sounds unreal as a boost though.
Oh, wow... i need both ODs from Boss.
The Blues Driver as an always on pedal, and the OD1 to push the front.
Long ago I saw a band, Dread Zeppelin, in a bar in Texas. The guitarist had a BD-2 and a SD-1 and he used them in combination. He had a Hughes & Kettner combo amp set clean. The sound he got was impressive. To me, the goal with pedals is not to copy the tones, but instead just get a good sound and then play songs the way you *wish* they would have been played. Audiences will not give you credit for copying exactly anyhow, but surprisingly they will give you credit for playing songs they know in your own creative way.
Never got the love for the Tube Screamer. Had one once and if it wasn't for the LED you wouldn't know it was on. Blues Driver is awesome.
Great comparison, and also into a clean amp. Understandably there is a lot of chat about what pedal, what channel, what amp, what pedal into a clean amp, what pedal into a dirty amp, what guitar., what pickups etc etc, This says it all. No muss, no fuss. BOOM. Nice one
Not only was this well done, but I really enjoyed your favorite
settings. I just got into the groove of each, and really thought this
was a nice touch. Btw, I was surprised that they didn't all clean up
that well. The OCD, for all it's saturation, does.
That was excellent. Thank you. At home I turn on the BD-2 and the OCD together.
To me too THE top combination, well said!
OD-1 is a great pedal I have 1979 one its crazy for giving off harmonics and beautiful feedback.. Zendrive is killer too.
the Nobels is amazing because it has a very chunky low-end without taking any clarity from the top. Also, when played softly/low volume - it really shines as a great boost (tone shape)
And they recently released a version 2 that has an internal bass cut switch!
and the spectrum knob is a great tone shaper
Interesting take! To me it was really choked sounding.
Thank you very much! Kind regards from the Nobels team - www.Nobels.com
Boss all the way!! So good that I feel stupid never having one, I do order one right now. Thanks
The OCD and tube screamer have been on my board for years! Really dig the boss Od1 and ode-1!
For me the tube screamer, the blues driver and the OCD are the best !!!
After watching this video, it's obvious to me, that even with overdrive pedals, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. We all hear something different, and we're all right.
Loved the OD1 and TS808. The range on them is amazing, though neither cleans up as well as the BD it appears.
THIS is a REAL demo. THANKS! Excellent job!
Bass player here ,nobels first!!!This was the best test ive ever seen!!!
OD-1, BD-2, and the Nobels slayed the Tubescreamer. The OCD sounds good too.
Great video.. Not surprising that the two favorite settings of the Boss BD2 had the gain below noon,, The pedal simple lacks mids for any kind of high gain sounds.. Also the pedal have excess treble so always keep the tone pot below 11 oclock,, To my ears the treble is neutral around 9.30 on the dial... And the BD2 is not the best booster into another gain pedal due to this fact.. The SD1or OD1 or a tubescreamer works really well for this.. The difference between the OD1 and the TS9 /808 is that the asymmetrical clipping of the boss pedal gives more Sizzle.. The 808 is more polite.
@dansk bjorn I agree with you 💯. Just bought a BD-2, and concluded the same. Settings similar to those at 9:26 work best for me (for a mild OD), exactly as you say tone 9.5. I started on a very clean setting with a tone of 11, but gradually (using a variety of guitars LP, Strat, Tele) ended up with 9.5 as the most pleasing...bearing in mind I was aiming for a mild OD on a clean amp. It seems to be a very 'shouty' pedal, not very even across the strings...but I have probably been spoilt by the smoothness of an OCD. All this depends on individual set ups and expectations (guitar, pick ups, clean or driven amp, amp VOLUME, room acoustics...and individual hearing/preferences). Amp VOLUME is in capitals because some uploads demonstrate a pedal going into an amp on breakup, which sometimes may mean the amp is some distance away or in an isolation cabinet...not exactly a home setup 🙄.
P.S. I don't like the high gain settings; somewhat too fizzy.
I can't tell you how helpful these comparisons are. Great stuff, thanks so much!
Amazing comparison! The way it should be done, thanks for posting this!
Love my BD-2. Love my OCD. I will stack them at times to add a more "sandy" tone complimenting BD's gravel. Thanks for the excellent video !
EXCELLENT demo of these iconic pedals. Great work!
This man is a gear video god. ❤️❤️❤️ I think all the other video makers do want to be helpful; they just don’t know how. Thank you again, sir.
No talking= good. 💪💪💪
That Nobels with the gain cranked IS the sound I've been lookin for years!
Fascinating comparison. Obviously they're different categories, but I really liked the OD-1 and the TS808! Old school baby.
I own a 1.7 OCD and love it. I recently purchased a Barber Gain Changer SR and I'm on Cloud-9. You did a great job with this comparison. I thought the Blues Driver sounded fantastic here. (less fizzy with more individual-string-definition) Very informative. oNe LovE from NYC
I liked the OCD. That shit was raw.
Pretty much any drive pedal is going to sound good with that rig!
I like the OD-1 but they are getting kinda pricey on the used market. I have an OD-3 which is supposed to be like the OD-1 with a tone control.
What a gift! Guitar Bonedo thank you. Like someone else said, the new gold standard for gear videos, if you just want help, not to explore the presenters personality and noodling style. Platinum standard. Thank you so much!
Incredible Demo man you are awesome! Simple nice comparison and very helpful tips for all the pedals!
That ODR-1 has me sold.
Boss od1 by far the best 👍. Excellent video
Interestingly, you could have added a Rat into the mix. Even though it's considered a distortion pedal, it makes a great sounding overdrive up to 11:00 on its gain knob (and a decent fuzz cranked all the way).
When you played the LP through the OD-1 I almost cried.. Gary Moore. I started singing during the Blues Driver-Tele, one more time to kill the pain.
Great demo... and to my ears there was a very surprising winner
Very interesting that the pedals that sound great on fully distorted chords don’t always sound great on single note lines and viceversa. Great demo video.
Best OD video ever. Finally a real test.
I have the ts9 but I wanna buy the blues driver and The fulltone ocd...Love how they sound
Fantastic. Well planned and done, as usual.
The best demo of all time. Deserves an oscar. In fact, I am standing and applauding right now. Thank you, no talk no bulls**t, so like and subscribe pleeeease begging.
Nice comparison, thanks. It's just that the channel may be called clean, but at 00:2:00 you can hear that it's not really clean. Drive is already pumping under the floor there. But I would be interested in how it works in a really clean way.
Particulary similar... 😉
I prefer cooking tubes with an attenuator
GREAT job! Actual clean tone to start, and a great comparison! The Nobels is my favorite so far, because it's got that AMAZING bass response! Listen on decent speakers and you'll see! The DigiTech Bad Monkey has the same vibe, a TS vibe, but with BASS!
The OD-1 is ruling! You can't make a bad sound with it. I don't get the Nobels at all, or why Nashville guys like it. I tried it and the demo here confirmed my impression. It's so woofy! A Blackface Fender (popular in Nashville) already has loads of bass, why would you want more...
Good playing and a good video. 👍🏻 I liked that zen pedal which is that i don't have ofcourse
Absolutely brilliant demos!
great comparisons of the OD pedals. also a good comparison of different types of guitars.
OD 1 amazing and killer sound.
ODR-1 has that deep heavy sound
the best guitar pedal comparison is the one who makes us wanna buy all of them...like this
Great demo but the thing is the results will be completely different with a different amp. I've used a vintage super reverb for years and I've owned all those pedals. TS808 tube screamer was the winner and the OCD was awful. Opposite to what I heard here. It's the relationship between the EQ curve of the pedal and amp outputs that makes or breaks.
So true, also depends if you run the pedal in front of the tone stack or behind thru the effects loop.
Honestly your comment makes very little sense. We all don't want the same sound to begin with so talking about winners in general terms is a bit redundant. It's also great to use a loud and clean amp set relatively flat when comparing pedal characteristics. Off course your tone will vary based on everything from string selection to cables to other pedals to how heavy you pick and how you treat your volume knob, thats not the point of the video. I'm personally finding this video to be better that 95% of similar videos because of the amp selection and consistency of playing.
Agreed! That's why I have at least 3 dirt pedals on my board in case my main one doesn't agree with whatever amp I'm going to be using since I don't carry my own
@@pothos89 you're missing the point, the one you think sounds best thru the sovtek might be the same one you think sounds like shit thru a twin reverb.
Results will vary significantly from amp to amp simply because the circuit is being filtered thru different paths.
The tube screamer for me sounds the best out of my twin., but not so great out of my bassman. So i use a boss blues driver in front.
Long story short. Yes It was a good comparison for that particular amp.
@@smokepeddler Yeah, the guitar and pickup combo is a huge factor, too. I find just general-purpose, live situation, Tubescreamers or Klons are two of the best for cutting through a mix regardless of the rest of your gear.
I do play the blues driver and I think it's the best OD!
Wow your OD-1 sounded great!
Wow, blues driver sounds awesome
Great video. Personally I found the bottom octave on the OCD and Nobles problematic. These would cause all sorts of issues in a full band setup. The 808 sounds tightest and with a decent amount of bite. Didn’t like the ZenDrive at all. Thankfully there’s lots of choice for everyone out there 😉
What do you mean exactly? They're too bassy? I only have the OCD out of those two and it's by far the darkest distortion/overdrive/fuzz type pedal I've ever played. I can't really use humbuckers with it, it's so dark. Though in this video it sounds a lot brighter than it does in real life, I mean he even had the tone knob at a level less than max!
I've wanted to get a nobels ODR-1 for a while now, since apparently everyone and their mother in the music industry has one, they're the "secret weapon" for every band and guitarist. Mainly for country and blues, but still. Now you've got me thinking, it you can hear the same thing in both, maybe in real life the ODR-1 will also sound way too bassy
But the thing of them being used by every recording session guitarist is that they're meant to be so good specifically for sitting in the mix well. I've got to try and find a shop that sells them so I can try one. But I've never seen on in my country, in my country we're not big country and blues fans, except for me.
The Zendrive I didn't mind but I think I'd hate how it looks so much that even if I loved the sound I probably wouldn't buy it. It looks so cheap. Get a better font, jesus. I mean even the look of the OCD doesn't bother me despite it bothering everybody else.
@@duffman18 Yes too bassy, though not necessarily dark. I play in a band with another guitarist, keys and a bass player. To get some separation of the sound, you all need to know what frequency space you're occupying. In a studio, it's easy for the engineer to roll off the bass or sculpt the sound so having a full range drive can be a good thing. Live, you can roll the bass of your amp but then your cleans might sound thin. If you play in a three piece, then the full range sound can really fill things out and be a positive contribution to your sound. So it's not that these drives are bad (on the contrary in fact) but just that they wouldn't suit *my* application of them.
I have a similar problem with fuzz pedals which also often have tons of bass. I've recently added a TC Spark to my board which has a bass and treble control but actually the pedal has a "mid" setting which tightens up the bottom end brilliantly which means I've been experimenting with some pedals that haven't been on my board for a while.
I think Nobles has a cheaper mini version of their pedal now which might be worth a try. Also the site Reverb is great for second hand pedals (and eBay of course) and I've bought pedals and then sold them on for pretty much what I paid. Not sure if it's available in your country but might be worth a look
@@neilwalshuk all which you say Neil is spot on and very well structured!
The Beauty about the OCD is that it cleans up better than all of these with a rollback of the Volume.
I know it could be a lot of work, but it would be really cool if you could show how each of them stacks up against each other. For people like me who need to direct the investment, we often can't have the pedals on hand to test and see what sounds best to our taste. Anyway, this was an excellent review.
god i love my bd-2. i have 3 on my board. but i need a tube screamer or od1 for that compression and mid range for srv kind. all i do is gilmour :))
Is that the tone you get out of a bd? Or 2? Or 3 stacked?
@@lueysixty-six7300 i don't stack them. well, maybe once in a few song but mostly i use them with compressor. one is clean boost, one is medium gain and the last one is around 4 o'clock to sort of replicate a rat/fuzz thing.
that od-1 souding like a true champ
now i want all of them
Fantastic video, thank you for doing this.
I would have put a Blues Breaker or Klon in there over a Zen Drive, but other than that it’s a great list. I also feel like the Hotcake should be considered a classic as well, but maybe that’s just me.
That odr-1 sounds great
Thank you very much! Kind regards from the Nobels team - www.Nobels.com