Best comparison I've seen. For someone just starting, this offers clarity that might otherwise take forever to fully appreciate. You're a good teacher.
I just watched so many videos trying to compare these and this one was the best. I really like how you went 1,2,3,1 because of our short auditory memory for comparisons. I also like that you weren't comparing them on a really dirty channel or anything. This was very comprehensive!
Back in early 90s I saw Dread Zeppelin. Their guitarist used a SD1 and BD2 into a rather clean Hughes & Kettner combo amp. I was astounded how good of tones he got from that setup. It was these pedals and the various combinations. I presume he used the BD2 for a distortion tone and then added the SD1 for high gain.
I love the Blues Driver. It's got just the right amount of overdrive and balls to give me the sound I am looking for. Thanks for the comparisons. Much appreciated.
A very important factor when comparing pedals like these is your type of guitar. this is a humbucker source; this means high output, lots of midrange. A tele style or a strat style guitar would give either more sparkle or less midrange. My experience - which is personal - is 1 teles don't like fizzy gritty stuff which means the BD-2 is less good. 2 strats adore midrangy stuff, hence they like mid overdrives as the SD-1 (or even silicon fuzz faces for that reason) In short: humbuckers style guitars will make the BD-2 score better, strats works best with SD-1 and teles love OD-3. "overall average" I'ld say OD-3 is the most amp like of the three, with the BD-2 being an amp with a much smaller speaker. ;)
I know you're dead right, a similar argument could be made for amp and speaker choice too. I included some different guitars on a similar Boss distortion comparison but it can make the video quite long and not many people stay to watch the finer detail stuff, then the video gets a poor retention rate. I'll definitely include the odd extra guitar in the future though, thanks for commenting!
@@MichaelBanfieldGuitar You're dead right yourself there ;). I might think though short videos are impossible when comparing pedals. The videos of That Pedal Show are very very long, but they are popular as well. You did include bookmarks as they do as well: that really is the key, people might return to watch in several blocks. On topic again: I commented because I prefer Strats and i love midrange drives and don't really like BD-2 for example. But I noticed that is mainly because of the guitar choice. And then the wheel started rolling ... I really hope you make other videos because you know, they are good ;)
@@arcadepiano il est humainement impossible de critiquer la telecaster , la meilleure guitare de l univers !!! je ne peus plus jouer sur autre chose , une guitare incroyable , avec laquelle nous pouvons aborder tous les styles , apres il faut de tout pour faire un monde , mais chez moi , mon pedalboard ne sonne jamais mieux que lorsque je branche ma telecaster .
I think I'm leaning towards the blues driver either way, looks dope, sounds dope, and a fairly good price. My only electric right now is a squier bullet mustang with double humbuckers so I'll probably just get that blues drive, that is when i get some money.
The OD-3 sounds amazing in front of the clean amp. It's almost voiced as a preamp and was the clear winner in this scenario imo. I've been an SD-1 user for decades, but I liked the BD-2 the best for everything else.
I just picked up the Waza Craft Blues Driver and am just blown away by that pedal! It doesn't have the overemphasized mid-range hump of a tube screamer, which I love but I'm really digging the transparency of this Blues Driver and it really gives you that sound of a tube amp being driven hard! Plus getting the Waza Craft version gives you the circuitry of the original pedal plus the Custom mode which makes it sound more like a Keely version of a Bluedriver. Best of both 🌎!
I have the BD2 since two months ago. I can't stop playing with it. I play it with the Dumbloid overdrive pedal in the effects loop (as a cab sim) and put the BD2 at the front. The result is fantastic!
These three Boss pedals are real classics since ages but nobody did a good comparison vid about them until now. My personal favorite is the OD-3. Again, thanks for the great vid. Subscribed.
I have a BD-2 and I love it. But you're right, compared to the other two there it has a different sound, closer to distortion. It has a fizzy bite (in the best possible way, exact opposite of a DS-1) while the other two are smoother. I'm going to get that OD-3! Great video.
Thanks for sharing! Yeah I think the OD-3 is great, especially on a low drive setting into a clean amp. You might like the sound of the BD-2 going into the OD-3 as well...
Great comparison demo! I especially like the way you quickly toggle through all three pedals at the end of each segment so it's easy to hear the difference in tone. Much appreciated!
I'm a clean amp, pedal platform, bedroom jammer. I had the SD1 on my board and it was always a bit thin sounding because of the mid hump. I swapped it for a BD2 and I'm shocked at the difference! The BD2 has way more gain, tone variety, and sounds much fuller in my situation. It goes all the way to distortion when maxed out. Extremely happy with it. It's now my main pedal for sure. The UA-cam shootouts don't quite capture the real differences, probably a compression thing.
I love that little bit of bite out of the bd-2. I don't know if it's more presence or something about the difference in transistor and op-amp clipping, but it's always been my fave.
I also prefer the OD-3 especially for crunch tones. The SD-1 in my opinion is the very best sounding TS style pedal. It’s great for cutting through a mix in a band setting. I generally play with acoustic rhythm players and no drum kit, so I don’t need to “cut” through. TS pedals basically sound nasal and thin when soloed, or in a sparse mix. The OD-3 is my preference when playing alone or with accoustic guitars and perhaps percussion. With a full band I might add the SD-1 for solos. I rarely play with a drummer or base player, so both my SD-1 and my TS-9 are currently collecting dust. Boss uses Asymmetrical clipping which sounds more amp like to my ears. Knowing which I prefer really helped me narrow down my search.
It seems the best overall is the OD-3, but the SD-1 is so warm and creamy in a very good way and I think its frequency response helps the guitar to sit perfectly in its own range in the band mix. It would be nice to see and hear the same comparison with single coils.
Great quality review man. Keep it up. Quality audio and video, and I am glad you did the comparisons one right after the other with the same riffs, no pause in between and such.
Thank you for posting!! These pedals are very underrated for their own individual reasons. One could get a full compliment of drives by having them on their boards. I am sure they all stack well too.
Man, this really helped for me. I went out and bought an OD-3 while owning a bd-2 from before. They both sound great, and stacked also sounds great, there are som key differences, although can be set very similar.
Cool comparison. I have a Blues Driver and SD1 on my board. I use a Tele and Strat (Mostly Tele) single coils though the pickups on the Tele are voiced with a little less of that ice picky tone that they can have. I play in a cover band that doesn't just do country. With that said I had a tough time finding a good tone with the Blues Driver but finally it makes an excellent boost (gain knob set low) to my Revv G2 and my SD1. With my single coils the SD1 can really scream but it's a bit noisy so I am learning to use less gain on it trying to find that spot with enough overdrive and a little less noise. I also use my Boss GE7 EQ pedal with the mids boosted a little as a boost for some solos. We all hear things differently so I am no expert. But this was a really nice demo and I have good speakers to compare. It was a bit tough to make apples to apples since I mostly use single coils but still a very valuable demo. Thank you.l
Very concise and informative comparison. Thanks. I wanted to like the OD 3 but found myself preferring the SD-1 for everything except volume boosting an amp. I guess there is a good reason why the SD has been around so long.
I would call that fizziness and those ice pick highs off that Blues Driver reminiscent of the old JTM or early Bassman sound, and I doubt that's a coincidence. The whole point of the pedal was to give you an "old blues amp" tone, at least that's how it was marketed, and it seems to excel at it! The SD-1 really shines as a high gain driver, that mid hump gives you articulation through a muddy tube amp and helps with the tracking for the shredder guys out there with their 32nd note staccato stuff! Plus, the harmonics it puts out are so even they almost sing, a lot of people swear it helps counter amp sag and ghost notes. I can't comment on the OD-3 because I've never played one, but it sounds great! I kind of want to fool around with one now, I feel like it would be the best low gain boost of the three just from what I've seen in this and other videos.
Yeah I agree the BD-2 can sound gritty sometimes but it's a nice retro vintage grittiness that can sound great in the right context. Thanks for commenting!
Never understood the appeal of the BD-2. It sounds bright, brittle, and fizzy to me. OD-3 sounds best to my ears. I didn't hear ice pick, I heard bite! Great comparison, thanks
I know what you mean, it's not for everyone. I think it might shine a bit more when it's used with darker voiced amps and speakers where that top end is rounded off a bit already. My Deluxe Reverb has quite a pristine clear top end that maybe doesn't match up as well with it. Thanks for commenting!
I have a BD-2 and it reminds of the classic Treble Booster type pedal in that, the Treble Booster sounds like crap into a clean channel but when you use it to hit and already overdriven amp it makes your sound roar and soar.
@@MichaelBanfieldGuitar First of all, great playing by the way! Unlike the TS type circuits the BD-2 preserves a lot of the high end if you are not afraid of setting the tone knob past 10 as you also increase the level knob. That will sound most likely very harsh into a clean amp but as you discovered in your demo the natural compression of an already overdriven amp will make wonders when hit with it. The main difference between the Treble Booster and the BD-2 is the the Germanium diodes for the clipping in the TB and the BD-2 eq curves preserve more of the bass frequencies.
really like that you use small samples and switch between the pedals frequently. Most other people play for too long on each pedal and it's hard to compare the sounds.
Three great, classic pedals, with different voices for different tones. In this demo I think SD-1 sounded best as high gain boost. OD-3 and BD-2 did best as foundation overdrive and low gain boost, but between them a matter of ones own preference. Thanks for good demo!
Found your video again, clicked like this time! LOL Rewatching this with far more appreciation and respect for tone, I'm finding myself wanting all 3 pedals and wanting to play with them using my Blues Driver. It's so awesome how any combination of the two can help me sculpt my tone! I love this!!
Okay, so I just bought all three pedals....running them through a 64 fender princeton custom reissue (great amp btw). The blues driver as a mild stand alone boost pedal is no-brainer keeper. It has a very pleasing character. My settings are 12oclockish level, 10oclock tone and 9/10oclock gain. The SD1 paired with a ProCo Rat distortion is the high gain shit nirvana smoke-show. The OD3 sounds like a 4x12 marshall cabinet type tone.... Not needed for my princeton/telecaster setup. None of these Boss pedals paired that well stacked inmo... I'm returning the OD3....and keeping the other two. Thanks for making this video!
This was great! I preferred the OD-3 best at edge of breakup, and the SD-1 on with a little more gain, but only when playing melodic lines. When playing chords with more crunch, I prefer the OD-1. When we go into more overdrive territory, I really liked the BD-2. So, to me, each pedal has its own area where it fits better than the other two pedals. Obviously, It's all about personal taste in the end, but I seem to "need" all three. Good thing they're not too expensive.
I guess the last responder is asking if you really meant an OD-1 or OD-3. I can't believe for a second that you would prefer the ancient 2-knob affair over any of these. Collectible - yes John Mayer's pedalboard - no
@@MichaelBanfieldGuitar Yeah I haven't played that one so would look forward to it. I'd also be interested to hear you playing/talking about how you achieve good clean tones. Btw the MT-2w is great & not just for metal, in custom mode with the Dist low you can get close to AC/DC.
@@johngregorowski Thanks John, yeah I'll have a think about a doing a video on clean tone, thanks. I only have the stock MT-2 so that's interesting about the MT-2w.
The Blues Driver is the first guitar pedal I ever had (was a birthday gift) and is still the only OD I’ve ever needed. Perfect for a high gain boost which is what I use it for
SD1 with Monte Allums (easy to do yourself if you know how to solder) mod gives improved clarity, lower noise floor and symmetrical/asymmetrical clipping options - takes it into a whole higher plane of quality and versatility - a truly boutique-quality pedal. Never cutting mine loose...
Yeah, I've heard people say one of the main differences between the SD-1 and a classic tubescreamer is in the clipping. Sounds like the Monte Allums mod gives you the option to get the classic SD-1 sound while being able to switch to the clipping style of the tubescreamer as well. Sweet!
@@MichaelBanfieldGuitar - Can't say enough good things about the Allums mod and the pedal I now prize - it really led me to a useful understanding of overdrive, and the benefits of stacking. I presently have my SD1 in between a Keeley Fuzz Bender and a JHS Angry Driver, which itself has a banquet of options - I can go from pristine and crystalline cleans to Voice of God sonic mayhem and all steps in between and back again - I wish I had figured this out years ago. Bonus aspect of the Allums mod is the upgrade option (which I went for) to remove the IC from the board and replace it with an IC socket - which allows experimenting with different IC's. Lots of fun. All the best to you...
SD-1 Because I didn’t choose that pedal, it chose me. Mate found one in an abandoned car in a right mess. It works still and I love it. Hasn’t left my pedal board
BD2 has been my go to for a long time now as I find it so versatile. Increasing the gain anywhere up from 12 on the dial moves it from a crunch into an almost fat distortion, but still keeping its bluesy characteristics. I find it feeds off the guitar's volume dial as well, tapering off the volume reduces the fatness but still gives a good signature crunch. I never really put the tone dial above 9 though as the gains can really start sounding harsh.
Great comparison video. I like your approach. I have an SD-1 and I like it, but I like the sound of the OD-3 as a low gain boost. At higher gain I think I like the Blues Driver the best.
i used to do this an EHX English muff'n and it was the best od sound i have ever gotten out of an ampliflier. i would boost the high gain channel with it or run it in series with a hardwire distortion pedal through a valve king 4x12. it had a marshall like roar yet a really clear punchy sound to it that you could feel in your bones, its such an underrated od
Great comparison and information. For sure a helpful video mate. Continue like the quality and you'll surely start growing. Oh, and I personally prefer the OD-3 :) Very natural sounding.
I think the SD1 shines with amps that are already cranked. At least that's what I've found when using TS style pedals with blackstars and even with marshall in a box pedals. Both have tons of bass so SD1 cutting that bass and emphasizing mids is pretty good. Great vid btw, I am convinced I need a BD2 now. OD3 with probably make my sound v muddy due the low end.
That's an interesting combination, Big Muff's are normally mid scooped while the SD-1 has a mid boost. I suspect the result might be a mid focused fuzz, nice!
you did a FANTASTIC job making this . i love how you edited the images of the pedals so one can clearly discern what is on - smart ! i have a large collection of dirt boxes here . i built most of them . i have ONE boss ds-1 lol . i did a wampler mod to it just because i felt it could be improved and i really did not care for that mod . i am gonna un mod it . in the mean time i think maybe for xmass i will ask for an sd-1 . i do not own a TS type pedal here . i do have a bad monkey and i love it very much . something about the boss aestetic and it being yellow .... nd only 49 dollars ! thanks for this demo . now i know what i am in for . i have a roland jc120 and then also a jc50 or is it a 70 i forget . i have read that people really like the sd-1 with that amp so ... there ya go .
Really good video. I use the Blues Driver. Really don't want to hear amps overdriven to listen to pedals. I would prefer a clean amp so that I can hear what the pedal really does.
I have a 90s Tubescreamer TS7 with the hot rod boost switch built-in, (metal silver case one). Last time I tested it out, it sounded a lot more harsh and gritty and distorted at high gain settings than the BD-2 has since I got one a year and a half ago. They're actually very different pedals.
The 3 are great pedals , OD3 maybe the more polite, Sd1 the more vintage and wild (great caracter) , but I do love my Bd2 (there is something on it that makes me happy xD , it has a lot of headroom , i used it with almost full Level , low gain at 9-12 o clock , and chaaaa chaaann tone sometimes 2 oclock very bright it sound like and old amp ) You should also check , if you already havent ;) , the Boss OD1X ( pretty nice sounding and versatil pedal ) . Great video !
As a foundation overdrive, OD-3 sounds amazing imo, for low gain, I would choose the BD-2 and in high-gain SD-1 ftw. All are great pedals when you know how to use them, cheers!
Hermano excelente video, me sacaste de dudas!! Mañana compraré el OD3, definitivamente es un overdrive puro con mucho gain y cuerpo!! Saludos desde Cereté-Córdoba-Colombis
Thanks for a good comparison of these classic pedals. Personally I have the SD1 on my board and use it for 70s rock into a just on the edge of breakup valve amp... the pedal is very affordable and cuts through the mix.. especially when you are playing with a keyboards.
So, I see the OD3 is very good as foundation and low boost, while the SD-1 is excellent for high boost. I will need to get me the OD-3 :-). Very instructive video. Thanks.
Thanks Miguel! Yes that more or less sums up what I found. The Blues Driver is good too but you have to like it's flavour I think. As always, disclaimer: your own personal results may vary!
A great comparison thank you but it’s good to keep in mind each of these pedals have very different circuits so comparing identical settings doesn’t always make for a fair or accurate comparison. Each pedal has its own applications e.g. to boost an amp, or always on, driving other pedals, etc. etc. still I did enjoy your video very much and found it useful.
Nice comparison! I came in expecting to leave a Blues Driver fan, left on Team OD-3. None of them are bad pedals, of course, just my subjective personal taste.
This is the first video where you can distinctly hear the difference in the drives! Great work!!!
Cool, thanks! More Boss pedal comparisons on the way.
You seriously do very thorough and in-depth demos and they don't take an hour because you don't over explain everything. Awesome man! Great playing.
I like the way you switch thru each one with short riffs
uwu
Best comparison I've seen. For someone just starting, this offers clarity that might otherwise take forever to fully appreciate. You're a good teacher.
Glad it was helpful and thank you for the kind comments!
I just watched so many videos trying to compare these and this one was the best. I really like how you went 1,2,3,1 because of our short auditory memory for comparisons. I also like that you weren't comparing them on a really dirty channel or anything. This was very comprehensive!
Gear Comparisons videos are so underrated.
Great work sir!!
I use the SD-1 and BD-2 as a combined tone and they sound mint together!
Back in early 90s I saw Dread Zeppelin. Their guitarist used a SD1 and BD2 into a rather clean Hughes & Kettner combo amp. I was astounded how good of tones he got from that setup. It was these pedals and the various combinations. I presume he used the BD2 for a distortion tone and then added the SD1 for high gain.
Same here, BD2 paired with SD1
I love the Blues Driver. It's got just the right amount of overdrive and balls to give me the sound I am looking for. Thanks for the comparisons. Much appreciated.
A very important factor when comparing pedals like these is your type of guitar. this is a humbucker source; this means high output, lots of midrange. A tele style or a strat style guitar would give either more sparkle or less midrange. My experience - which is personal - is
1 teles don't like fizzy gritty stuff which means the BD-2 is less good.
2 strats adore midrangy stuff, hence they like mid overdrives as the SD-1 (or even silicon fuzz faces for that reason)
In short: humbuckers style guitars will make the BD-2 score better, strats works best with SD-1 and teles love OD-3.
"overall average" I'ld say OD-3 is the most amp like of the three, with the BD-2 being an amp with a much smaller speaker. ;)
I know you're dead right, a similar argument could be made for amp and speaker choice too. I included some different guitars on a similar Boss distortion comparison but it can make the video quite long and not many people stay to watch the finer detail stuff, then the video gets a poor retention rate. I'll definitely include the odd extra guitar in the future though, thanks for commenting!
@@MichaelBanfieldGuitar You're dead right yourself there ;). I might think though short videos are impossible when comparing pedals. The videos of That Pedal Show are very very long, but they are popular as well. You did include bookmarks as they do as well: that really is the key, people might return to watch in several blocks.
On topic again: I commented because I prefer Strats and i love midrange drives and don't really like BD-2 for example. But I noticed that is mainly because of the guitar choice. And then the wheel started rolling ... I really hope you make other videos because you know, they are good ;)
@@arcadepiano il est humainement impossible de critiquer la telecaster , la meilleure guitare de l univers !!! je ne peus plus jouer sur autre chose , une guitare incroyable , avec laquelle nous pouvons aborder tous les styles , apres il faut de tout pour faire un monde , mais chez moi , mon pedalboard ne sonne jamais mieux que lorsque je branche ma telecaster .
I think I'm leaning towards the blues driver either way, looks dope, sounds dope, and a fairly good price. My only electric right now is a squier bullet mustang with double humbuckers so I'll probably just get that blues drive, that is when i get some money.
@@buttscarlton1830 totaly yes
The OD-3 sounds amazing in front of the clean amp. It's almost voiced as a preamp and was the clear winner in this scenario imo. I've been an SD-1 user for decades, but I liked the BD-2 the best for everything else.
Yep the OD-3 is pretty much an amp preamp in a pedal. I love it. I still don’t know have one funny enough.
OD-3 sounds good o on bass too💪
I just picked up the Waza Craft Blues Driver and am just blown away by that pedal! It doesn't have the overemphasized mid-range hump of a tube screamer, which I love but I'm really digging the transparency of this Blues Driver and it really gives you that sound of a tube amp being driven hard! Plus getting the Waza Craft version gives you the circuitry of the original pedal plus the Custom mode which makes it sound more like a Keely version of a Bluedriver. Best of both 🌎!
The SD1 really nails that rock n roll sound of the 70's and 80's.
Can i get good jimmy page tone using sd1?
@@A9_Chord Not really, better off with a marshall style amp pedal
@@A9_Chord Late answer but yes you can, because Jimmy Page uses a Boss SD1 !!!!!!!
I have the BD2 since two months ago. I can't stop playing with it. I play it with the Dumbloid overdrive pedal in the effects loop (as a cab sim) and put the BD2 at the front. The result is fantastic!
That's what they said when i was growing up...stop playing with it or you'll go blind lol!
@@xsamittbruh! 😅
A+! 9 minutes 2 seconds and not an unneeded word. Review videos should be as concise and to the point a this one. Excellent.
Thank you. Glad you found it useful!
Very good comparison my friend. Down to the point. Enough talking, same riffs on all pedals. Top content.
Much appreciated!
Thanks for the video. I got a Boss OD-3 after watching this and have been loving the pedal already!
Great to hear, good choice!
These three Boss pedals are real classics since ages but nobody did a good comparison vid about them until now. My personal favorite is the OD-3. Again, thanks for the great vid. Subscribed.
Very kind! Thank you!
Super excellent: I have been watching tens of videos on ODs and several of them on Boss pedals. Your video is the one that informed me the most.
Wow, thank you!
SD-1 Is for Marshall and other good high gain rock amps. OD-3 sounds good on your clean amp
Running the Sd1 through a 100 watt Marshall with Master Gain. Sounds amazing...and 50 bucks. What a great bargain.
I have a BD-2 and I love it. But you're right, compared to the other two there it has a different sound, closer to distortion. It has a fizzy bite (in the best possible way, exact opposite of a DS-1) while the other two are smoother. I'm going to get that OD-3! Great video.
Thanks for sharing! Yeah I think the OD-3 is great, especially on a low drive setting into a clean amp. You might like the sound of the BD-2 going into the OD-3 as well...
The correct answer is: buy all three! :D
Of course I did!!! 😂😂😂
Great comparison demo! I especially like the way you quickly toggle through all three pedals at the end of each segment so it's easy to hear the difference in tone. Much appreciated!
I'm a clean amp, pedal platform, bedroom jammer. I had the SD1 on my board and it was always a bit thin sounding because of the mid hump. I swapped it for a BD2 and I'm shocked at the difference! The BD2 has way more gain, tone variety, and sounds much fuller in my situation. It goes all the way to distortion when maxed out. Extremely happy with it. It's now my main pedal for sure. The UA-cam shootouts don't quite capture the real differences, probably a compression thing.
I love that little bit of bite out of the bd-2. I don't know if it's more presence or something about the difference in transistor and op-amp clipping, but it's always been my fave.
One of the best vids for understanding the differences of these pedals on YT. OD3 is my fave, but all three are great. Sub’d
Really a well done and well filmed video.
I also prefer the OD-3 especially for crunch tones. The SD-1 in my opinion is the very best sounding TS style pedal. It’s great for cutting through a mix in a band setting.
I generally play with acoustic rhythm players and no drum kit, so I don’t need to “cut” through. TS pedals basically sound nasal and thin when soloed, or in a sparse mix. The OD-3 is my preference when playing alone or with accoustic guitars and perhaps percussion. With a full band I might add the SD-1 for solos. I rarely play with a drummer or base player, so both my SD-1 and my TS-9 are currently collecting dust.
Boss uses Asymmetrical clipping which sounds more amp like to my ears. Knowing which I prefer really helped me narrow down my search.
now that's how you compare pedals!
Been struggling forever about trying the OD-3 vs. my old SD-1, and this vid was a HUGE help! New subscriber! Thanks!
I bought a mint Od-3 for $60 and I'm very happy. It's built like a tank and sounds great
It seems the best overall is the OD-3, but the SD-1 is so warm and creamy in a very good way and I think its frequency response helps the guitar to sit perfectly in its own range in the band mix. It would be nice to see and hear the same comparison with single coils.
This is a 100% correct. Once you know what tone you need to cut through a band mix, you recognize that tone anywhere. And that’s the SD1!
An OD3 and a DS1 is all I need
Great vid - rare to hear such a clear comparisons with excellent analysis afterwards. Got yourself a sub.
Welcome aboard!
Seriously, that was the best comparison I've seen on UA-cam. Thank you very much for contributing to my purchasing decision.
Great quality review man. Keep it up. Quality audio and video, and I am glad you did the comparisons one right after the other with the same riffs, no pause in between and such.
Much appreciated!
Great video. I had never noticed the “crackle/hiss” of the BD-2 before watching this. Now I can’t NOT hear it. Super helpful video!
Thank you for posting!! These pedals are very underrated for their own individual reasons. One could get a full compliment of drives by having them on their boards. I am sure they all stack well too.
I have both the SD1 and BD on my board. Choosing either is a win win, love them both. I have the BD set lower gain and the SD to where it rips.
Very nice!
The Sd-1 sounds awesome with Gain and tone on full!
Man, this really helped for me. I went out and bought an OD-3 while owning a bd-2 from before.
They both sound great, and stacked also sounds great, there are som key differences, although can be set very similar.
Blues driver all day long!
Can you buy it for me pliz????
@@giovannigianfriddo7786 I will, just send me you info....just kidding, haha.
@@giovannigianfriddo7786 ĺĺ
Change the sd1 op amp to JRC 4558D, and the sound will be close to the sharpness of od3.
Well thats just like your opinion man
Cool comparison. I have a Blues Driver and SD1 on my board. I use a Tele and Strat (Mostly Tele) single coils though the pickups on the Tele are voiced with a little less of that ice picky tone that they can have. I play in a cover band that doesn't just do country. With that said I had a tough time finding a good tone with the Blues Driver but finally it makes an excellent boost (gain knob set low) to my Revv G2 and my SD1. With my single coils the SD1 can really scream but it's a bit noisy so I am learning to use less gain on it trying to find that spot with enough overdrive and a little less noise. I also use my Boss GE7 EQ pedal with the mids boosted a little as a boost for some solos. We all hear things differently so I am no expert. But this was a really nice demo and I have good speakers to compare. It was a bit tough to make apples to apples since I mostly use single coils but still a very valuable demo. Thank you.l
Yours may be the best comment I have ever read on a UA-cam video. Much respect!
I have an OD3.. use it all the time. Love it.
Very concise and informative comparison. Thanks. I wanted to like the OD 3 but found myself preferring the SD-1 for everything except volume boosting an amp. I guess there is a good reason why the SD has been around so long.
Yeah the SD-1 sure is a timeless classic. Thanks for commenting!
A very good presentation. I'm in the market for a 'first' pedal, and this video helped me greatly. Thank you!
I'm going with the BOSS 0D-3.
Great choice if you ask me, especially into a clean amp. Hope it works for you, welcome to the wonderful world of pedals!
you running a tube amp ??
Great comparison thanks. As a pop-punk / indie fan, the SD-1 is my favourite on its own, and I like the BD-2 as a boost.
Had all of these, sold the SD-1 and BD-2 still have the OD-3, it sounds great with a clean amp, the SD-1 and BD-2 probably work best pushing an amp
I would call that fizziness and those ice pick highs off that Blues Driver reminiscent of the old JTM or early Bassman sound, and I doubt that's a coincidence. The whole point of the pedal was to give you an "old blues amp" tone, at least that's how it was marketed, and it seems to excel at it! The SD-1 really shines as a high gain driver, that mid hump gives you articulation through a muddy tube amp and helps with the tracking for the shredder guys out there with their 32nd note staccato stuff! Plus, the harmonics it puts out are so even they almost sing, a lot of people swear it helps counter amp sag and ghost notes. I can't comment on the OD-3 because I've never played one, but it sounds great! I kind of want to fool around with one now, I feel like it would be the best low gain boost of the three just from what I've seen in this and other videos.
Yeah I agree the BD-2 can sound gritty sometimes but it's a nice retro vintage grittiness that can sound great in the right context. Thanks for commenting!
@@MichaelBanfieldGuitar the BD-2 basically turns into a fuzz when you crank the gain!
Best comparison video I've seen in UA-cam! Great insights as well. You nailed it! Subd!
Hey thanks, welcome aboard!
Never understood the appeal of the BD-2. It sounds bright, brittle, and fizzy to me. OD-3 sounds best to my ears. I didn't hear ice pick, I heard bite! Great comparison, thanks
I know what you mean, it's not for everyone. I think it might shine a bit more when it's used with darker voiced amps and speakers where that top end is rounded off a bit already. My Deluxe Reverb has quite a pristine clear top end that maybe doesn't match up as well with it. Thanks for commenting!
I have a BD-2 and it reminds of the classic Treble Booster type pedal in that, the Treble Booster sounds like crap into a clean channel but when you use it to hit and already overdriven amp it makes your sound roar and soar.
I've never thought of it like a treble booster but that makes a lot of sense and sounds like a great way to use the BD-2. Thanks for sharing!
@@MichaelBanfieldGuitar First of all, great playing by the way! Unlike the TS type circuits the BD-2 preserves a lot of the high end if you are not afraid of setting the tone knob past 10 as you also increase the level knob. That will sound most likely very harsh into a clean amp but as you discovered in your demo the natural compression of an already overdriven amp will make wonders when hit with it. The main difference between the Treble Booster and the BD-2 is the the Germanium diodes for the clipping in the TB and the BD-2 eq curves preserve more of the bass frequencies.
Thank you for this video. Neat and concise narration. OD-3 on the clean channel sounded best to my ear.
really like that you use small samples and switch between the pedals frequently. Most other people play for too long on each pedal and it's hard to compare the sounds.
Great comparison. love the midrange of the SD1
Three great, classic pedals, with different voices for different tones. In this demo I think SD-1 sounded best as high gain boost. OD-3 and BD-2 did best as foundation overdrive and low gain boost, but between them a matter of ones own preference. Thanks for good demo!
Great comment! I think that's a pretty fair summary.
Good observation. The SD-1 paired with a JCM800 Marshall back in the 80s was one of the classic setups.
Found your video again, clicked like this time! LOL
Rewatching this with far more appreciation and respect for tone, I'm finding myself wanting all 3 pedals and wanting to play with them using my Blues Driver. It's so awesome how any combination of the two can help me sculpt my tone! I love this!!
Welcome back! Yeah they all have there uses, and when you get into combinations then the fun really starts!
Okay, so I just bought all three pedals....running them through a 64 fender princeton custom reissue (great amp btw). The blues driver as a mild stand alone boost pedal is no-brainer keeper. It has a very pleasing character. My settings are 12oclockish level, 10oclock tone and 9/10oclock gain. The SD1 paired with a ProCo Rat distortion is the high gain shit nirvana smoke-show. The OD3 sounds like a 4x12 marshall cabinet type tone.... Not needed for my princeton/telecaster setup. None of these Boss pedals paired that well stacked inmo... I'm returning the OD3....and keeping the other two. Thanks for making this video!
I also prefer BD-2 to the OD-3.
BD-2 gets my vote! Thanks for the comparison.
Loved all the riffs your playing, as I watched through I had to stop and learn each one
This was great! I preferred the OD-3 best at edge of breakup, and the SD-1 on with a little more gain, but only when playing melodic lines. When playing chords with more crunch, I prefer the OD-1. When we go into more overdrive territory, I really liked the BD-2. So, to me, each pedal has its own area where it fits better than the other two pedals. Obviously, It's all about personal taste in the end, but I seem to "need" all three. Good thing they're not too expensive.
What's the OD-1? 😕
I guess the last responder is asking if you really meant an OD-1 or OD-3. I can't believe for a second that you would prefer the ancient 2-knob affair over any of these.
Collectible - yes
John Mayer's pedalboard - no
I feel the same, get all 3!
@@davidgerlach631 I meant to say OD-3 where I wrote OD-1 🤦
@@ZacBarnesMusic My problem is that I've found the best overdrive for me, so I don't need any others. T-Rex Møller! It's amazing!
Thx for the review, Mr. Banfield. Quite useful. Greetings from Banfield, Argentina!
Just got the Blues Driver Waza.. What a tremendous pedal.. It sounds fabulous with all my guits, Les Paul, Strat and Tele.
Loving the Boss comparisons, excellent content. Thank you.
My pleasure! More to come. Let me know it you have any video suggestions for Boss pedals, I was thinking of maybe doing something on the OS-2 next...
@@MichaelBanfieldGuitar Yeah I haven't played that one so would look forward to it. I'd also be interested to hear you playing/talking about how you achieve good clean tones. Btw the MT-2w is great & not just for metal, in custom mode with the Dist low you can get close to AC/DC.
@@johngregorowski Thanks John, yeah I'll have a think about a doing a video on clean tone, thanks. I only have the stock MT-2 so that's interesting about the MT-2w.
The Blues Driver is the first guitar pedal I ever had (was a birthday gift) and is still the only OD I’ve ever needed. Perfect for a high gain boost which is what I use it for
Good video- I prefer the Blues Driver because of the more extreme breakup that gives it the fizzy, sputtering character
BD2 for me. Will still pick up the SD1 for the variety..🤟🇦🇺
All pedals are great but I'm a die hard fan of OD3
Great video! I’m definitely down with the BluesDriver. It’s more the tone I’m after with what I’m trying to do.
SD1 with Monte Allums (easy to do yourself if you know how to solder) mod gives improved clarity, lower noise floor and symmetrical/asymmetrical clipping options - takes it into a whole higher plane of quality and versatility - a truly boutique-quality pedal. Never cutting mine loose...
Yeah, I've heard people say one of the main differences between the SD-1 and a classic tubescreamer is in the clipping. Sounds like the Monte Allums mod gives you the option to get the classic SD-1 sound while being able to switch to the clipping style of the tubescreamer as well. Sweet!
@@MichaelBanfieldGuitar - Can't say enough good things about the Allums mod and the pedal I now prize - it really led me to a useful understanding of overdrive, and the benefits of stacking. I presently have my SD1 in between a Keeley Fuzz Bender and a JHS Angry Driver, which itself has a banquet of options - I can go from pristine and crystalline cleans to Voice of God sonic mayhem and all steps in between and back again - I wish I had figured this out years ago. Bonus aspect of the Allums mod is the upgrade option (which I went for) to remove the IC from the board and replace it with an IC socket - which allows experimenting with different IC's. Lots of fun. All the best to you...
SD-1
Because I didn’t choose that pedal, it chose me. Mate found one in an abandoned car in a right mess.
It works still and I love it. Hasn’t left my pedal board
your skills for play the guitar while you swicth between pedals are awesome
BD2 has been my go to for a long time now as I find it so versatile. Increasing the gain anywhere up from 12 on the dial moves it from a crunch into an almost fat distortion, but still keeping its bluesy characteristics.
I find it feeds off the guitar's volume dial as well, tapering off the volume reduces the fatness but still gives a good signature crunch.
I never really put the tone dial above 9 though as the gains can really start sounding harsh.
I actually got a Boss BD-2 from my friends dad, and I really do love it. I play a lot of Metal/Rock songs so this fit perfectly
Great comparison video. I like your approach. I have an SD-1 and I like it, but I like the sound of the OD-3 as a low gain boost. At higher gain I think I like the Blues Driver the best.
I chose the BD-2. Sounds the best to my ear.
That’s what matters! 👍
Great comparison. Makes me glad I have the SD-1. I'm looking at a transparent overdrive to run into the SD-1.
i used to do this an EHX English muff'n and it was the best od sound i have ever gotten out of an ampliflier. i would boost the high gain channel with it or run it in series with a hardwire distortion pedal through a valve king 4x12. it had a marshall like roar yet a really clear punchy sound to it that you could feel in your bones, its such an underrated od
yout technique for video making is awesome, clean and nailing it. i'm commenting just so your videos move up
Hi, Thank you for this video! I have finally picked which one I want. I'm a beginner!! Going for the BD2 Baby!! I'm excited, lol.
Excellent choice!
Nice comparison! OD-3 is my favorite but I think I'm going to buy'em all, haha
Good choice!
The Blues Driver has the most character to my ears.
Great comparison and information. For sure a helpful video mate. Continue like the quality and you'll surely start growing.
Oh, and I personally prefer the OD-3 :) Very natural sounding.
Glad you found it helpful. Yeah I really liked the OD-3 too.
The OD-3 has been quite the sleeper in the drive world.. It's a great sound. Great video btw. Well done!
Thank you! Totally agree with you on the OD-3
Nice. Surprised how much I enjoyed the od-3 in your demo as I've not liked it in other demos. Great, thorough demo.
I love the OD-3 into a clean amp, thanks for commenting!
BD-2 is meant to be more a small slightly fuzzy tweed amp or the like, but it can sound really big too and is actually a great choice for Shoegaze.
I think the SD1 shines with amps that are already cranked. At least that's what I've found when using TS style pedals with blackstars and even with marshall in a box pedals. Both have tons of bass so SD1 cutting that bass and emphasizing mids is pretty good. Great vid btw, I am convinced I need a BD2 now. OD3 with probably make my sound v muddy due the low end.
Bought the sd-1 a few months back and love it for stacking the big muff. Great video! Definitely will sub :)
That's an interesting combination, Big Muff's are normally mid scooped while the SD-1 has a mid boost. I suspect the result might be a mid focused fuzz, nice!
@@MichaelBanfieldGuitar I run an SD-1 before the BigMuff, awesome tones!
I've got the same set up! An sd-1 before a big muff.
in the mix.. boss od3
you did a FANTASTIC job making this . i love how you edited the images of the pedals so one can clearly discern what is on - smart ! i have a large collection of dirt boxes here . i built most of them . i have ONE boss ds-1 lol . i did a wampler mod to it just because i felt it could be improved and i really did not care for that mod . i am gonna un mod it . in the mean time i think maybe for xmass i will ask for an sd-1 . i do not own a TS type pedal here . i do have a bad monkey and i love it very much . something about the boss aestetic and it being yellow .... nd only 49 dollars ! thanks for this demo . now i know what i am in for . i have a roland jc120 and then also a jc50 or is it a 70 i forget . i have read that people really like the sd-1 with that amp so ... there ya go .
Thank you! Glad it helped. Yeah, if you’re after a tube screamer type pedal by Boss then the SD-1 is the way to go, good choice. Thanks for commenting
Really good video. I use the Blues Driver. Really don't want to hear amps overdriven to listen to pedals. I would prefer a clean amp so that I can hear what the pedal really does.
Blues Driver is the only pedal I use. I tried every tube screamer imaginable thinking they had to be better than the BD but to my ear they never were
Yeah the tubescreamer sound is quite different to the BD-2. Glad to hear the blues driver is working out for you!
I have a 90s Tubescreamer TS7 with the hot rod boost switch built-in, (metal silver case one). Last time I tested it out, it sounded a lot more harsh and gritty and distorted
at high gain settings than the BD-2 has since I got one a year and a half ago. They're actually very different pedals.
I’ve seen a lot of demos and yours are at the top! I subscribed and rung the bell. 👍🏼
The 3 are great pedals , OD3 maybe the more polite, Sd1 the more vintage and wild (great caracter) , but I do love my Bd2 (there is something on it that makes me happy xD , it has a lot of headroom , i used it with almost full Level , low gain at 9-12 o clock , and chaaaa chaaann tone sometimes 2 oclock very bright it sound like and old amp ) You should also check , if you already havent ;) , the Boss OD1X ( pretty nice sounding and versatil pedal ) . Great video !
Yeah the BD-2 has a distinct charm to it! I might have to do a round up of Boss digital drive pedals like the OD1X, DS-1X, ST-2 at some point too!
I got a Japanese BD-2 used and very cheap, I'm in love with it!
"High gain example" with the knobs set at noon 🤣
Gotta love how many different types of players are out there!
Blues driver reminds me of speaker break up. Super overdrive sounds best or most familiar. Great video, thank you!
Great content. I liked all three pedals in different situations. So hard to choose one!
As a foundation overdrive, OD-3 sounds amazing imo, for low gain, I would choose the BD-2 and in high-gain SD-1 ftw. All are great pedals when you know how to use them, cheers!
Hermano excelente video, me sacaste de dudas!! Mañana compraré el OD3, definitivamente es un overdrive puro con mucho gain y cuerpo!! Saludos desde Cereté-Córdoba-Colombis
Colombia!!
¡Gracias!
Thanks for a good comparison of these classic pedals. Personally I have the SD1 on my board and use it for 70s rock into a just on the edge of breakup valve amp... the pedal is very affordable and cuts through the mix.. especially when you are playing with a keyboards.
So, I see the OD3 is very good as foundation and low boost, while the SD-1 is excellent for high boost. I will need to get me the OD-3 :-). Very instructive video. Thanks.
Thanks Miguel! Yes that more or less sums up what I found. The Blues Driver is good too but you have to like it's flavour I think. As always, disclaimer: your own personal results may vary!
A great comparison thank you but it’s good to keep in mind each of these pedals have very different circuits so comparing identical settings doesn’t always make for a fair or accurate comparison. Each pedal has its own applications e.g. to boost an amp, or always on, driving other pedals, etc. etc. still I did enjoy your video very much and found it useful.
simple great presentation, not too much theory about 300 different guitar pedals, thiw is the real thing !!
Nice comparison! I came in expecting to leave a Blues Driver fan, left on Team OD-3. None of them are bad pedals, of course, just my subjective personal taste.
I have and like the OD3 i like how it lets the clean tone shine through quite a bit.