Even though maybe a bit dull (in a good way) and not the most versatile OD i seem to always have the most fun with my old "Marshall Shred Master" pedal. Hmm, is it even an "overdrive"..? Actually, my "go to" for "direct" is an H&K Tubeman 1 - and I put a Mosky Silver Horse in front of it for "more" ( - no metalplayer, here -) And the other thing in the moment is a GK 2000CPL solid state preamp into a HB Thunder99 pedal-poweramp into a small stereo GK speaker cabinet. For "more" there is f.i. an EBS Multidrive, which is great, but that may vary. I might even sustain my notes by a TC Electronic "Sustain + Parametric Eq"-pedal instead... Why: That stuff just seem "to work" my way.
The Carl Martin TOD that is based on the Boss OD-2 Turbo Overdrive. It honestly purely is because I'm such a massive fan of the power trio Dizzy Mizz Lizzy. Vocalist/guitarist Tim Christensen used an OD-2 for the first two albums. They split in the late nineties, but when they got back together in 2010s, mostly because of massive popular demand in northern Europe and Japan, Carl Martin made first the Dizzy Drive as an improved, signature version of the OD-2 for Tim Christensen, and when that limited edition immediately sold out, they released the TOD. But even though I'm hugely biased (their debut album came out in 1994 and for the next five years I was regularly late for school simply because I couldn't resist listening to that debut record first thing in the morning), the TOD does sound better than the OD-2 used on those records, and I think in turn that the OD-2 circuit sounds distinct from all other overdrive pedals I've ever heard. If you want to hear it, I suggest listening to, e.g. "Glory" from the debut album which has pretty cool solo, though every single dirty guitar track on that record is a Strat through an OD-2 into a Marshall and sometimes a wah pedal. The 2016 album Forward In Reverse" is great and does fearure the TOD, but since he's now a millionaire, it features a ton of different gear so I don't know for sure when it's the TOD and when it's something else. On the latest album, 2020s "Alter Echo" he was massively into Gojira and wanted a heavy wall-of-sound thing, so he used a Revv pedal instead. Exclusively, I think. Great album. My most listened to in 2021, according to Spotify, but I'm not very fond of the guitar sound in that album. It's not often you see massive fanboys of specific contemporary (alright; they're in their 40s, but come on) bands these days, eh? 😜 Edit: I forgot: the OS-2 Turbo Overdrive/Distortion reportedly does a similar thing!
Flabby fuzz tightener: Tubescreamer (esp. Subdecay Vector 11, Drive 2) Light breakup into a clean amp: Bogner Wessex or DOD Looking Glass Front end smasher: Danelectro The Breakdown
Some posh old guy here. Combination of B.K. Butler 4 Knob tube driver on the edge of break up and a Bonamassa MXR Fet Driver for lead sound summed after the Tube Driver is my personal sound. Any amp, any modeler … these two are my holy grail sound.
If OD-3 circuit was in a boutique enclosure, people would be happy to pay $250 for it and brag about how good it is. I've been a fan of this pedal for over 15 years and I would be happy to just use SD-1 and OD-3 as my drive options. With SD-1 boosting into OD-3, you get full on Brown sound. Good video Leon!
Seriously, this is my favourite OD. I love the fact that it doesn't flavour the tone, or limit certain frequencies. Best 'transparent' OD before you hit the $$$ range. I also dig the tonal textures you get from it running at lower voltages.
Absolutely,add a ge7 at the input,oh man,it goes anywhere,a beastly match,eq's have many tricks,ultrapowerful used properly with the od3 truly smokes anything anywhere,salute
I wouldnt say its transparent, because theres a mid boost in the eq. But its much more fuller sounding than the SD1 thats for sure. A great pedal nonetheless
@@HenriRN flatter than most od's still but yeah not perfect,adds bass a bit,only flaw i see in od3,still a great,fat and articulate brilliant and vesatile od,salute
They’re all great in different applications. The OD-3 is my personal favorite. It’s the most amp-like IMO. I like its subtle compression and bouncy feel. The bump in the lower mids makes it sound really muscular, although it can sound muddy with the drive turned up. It’s one of Boss’ best IMO, and hangs with other dirt pedals costing a lot more.
I reckon the OD3 is the best of the Boss Yellow overdrive pedals. I like how it doesn't cut so much bottom end. Also not as harsh as the SD-1. It's great if you like the tone you already have and just want "more". It doesn't cause a radical tone shift like many traditional overdrives. Personal taste of course. Depends how you're gonna use it.
I love running a klone into my OD-3. Gets me that wonderful, midrangey 70’s punk tone. Think Johnny Thunders / Steve Jones type dirt. Absolutely love that combination.
Hope all is well Leon. For the past 20 or so years my go-to OD and Distortion setup has been a Boss SD-1 going into a DS-1...both modded by Robert Keeley. Never owned or needed anything else, so I've never really checked out the OD-3.That SD/DS set up I have owned will take any amp and put it over the top, and with my main amps (Budda SD 18, Yamaha T100C, Laney GH100L, Classic 30) it is absolutely amazing. I will also use it with my newer Boogie MK 5/25, and in all cases this OD/DS combo gives me everything from a low-gain OD to a completely face melting distortion when I kick in the DS-1, even on the clean channels of those amps. When used alone, the SD-1 will put the OD channels of all those amps into ultra high gain land. I will never sell either of those 2 pedals...I use a Suhr Riot as a kind of backup on a different pedal board, but is rarely needed. The SD-1 will always be my main OD pedal, but the OD-3 is pretty damn cool. Thanks as always Leon...
Best Boss pedal ever! I actually have a little story on that. Back in 98 when I was still a beginner, my friends and I were big on the Metal Zone. I requested a Metal Zone for Christmas. My dad was a touring rock musician in the 70's and 80's and, unbeknownst to me at the time, he used a few Boss effects in his rig, so he was very familiar with them. He did not get me a Metal Zone, but did get me a DS-2. At first, I was disappointed, but after I went away to college and was able to get online and start learning about all gear and the DS-2, I discovered how awesome it was. However, I know my dad; he's not big on distortion. He's more of a vintage overdrive type of guy. I looked back and wondered why he didn't go with the OD-3, because he is the type to hear the Metal Zone request and pick something he sees me using the rest of my life after maturing, as well as picking something he himself would use. (His guitar, btw, is the ES-335.) The OD-3 is more versatile!
This is my favorite OD! I use as a clean boost into a plexi style amp. It has been the first pedal (and many times the only OD pedal) in my signal chain for years. Great demo!
I've gone through several OD pedals over the years, including various tube screamers and a couple OCD's. Yet I always came back to the Boss OD's. No additives or preservatives with these boxes. Just a natural warm punch that works for me. The SD-1 has been on my board since the early 2000's. I recently picked up a Wampler Plexi-Drive and I was pleasantly surprised how great it gets along with the SD-1. A match made in tone Heaven.
I have an OD3 and I love its a very different animal from an SD1 . It's more scooped then an SD1 but still has nice mids . It's more kepn and clean sounding but find the drive starts to fall apart when you turn the drive up past noon but it's a great low to medium Gain pedal . It's kind of got a British sounding drive without sounding like any specific one brand. It's got a little bit of a vox vibe but a little Marshall as well .
After owning about 250 different overdrive pedals and trying outta few hundred more, from common affordable ones to expensive boutique, I can say without a doubt that the BOSS OD-3 OVERDRIVE is the best Overdrive pedal i have ever heard. It is absolutely perfect in every way.
I’m a latecomer to this glorious and iconic pedal, but it is spot on with what it does. Transparent, rich, nuanced and arguably the best value for money.
Excellent playing as always! I believe the OD-3 is the overdrive circuit in the Roland GP-8 which I played heavily in my 'trying to make it' days. I love that sound - other than the MXR+ this is the overdrive I'm most familiar with. I could be happy for the rest of my life with no overdrive pedals other than these two.
I love my sd-1 into 2203/2204 amplifiers; I wish I knew that decades ago. The od-3 is my favorite with my fender deluxe reverb and super reverb amplifiers.
Clean amp, OD3 with gain about 3 o clock and a TS up front with the gain at 0 and the level maxed out. Gives you four different gain levels at your feet and both pedals on = sonic bliss. OD3 plays really nice with other drives when you are gainstacking. Just my 2 c.
Hey Leon, a question of your opinion. In the Axe III, FA modelled the OD-1 but not the OD-3. The OD-1 is basically a midrange pedal while the OD-3 is basically a flat pedal. Do you think the GEQ could get the OD-1 to be more OD-3 in there or would it be better to run the actual pedal before the Axe instrument input?
I like ‘em! Didn’t have one until last few years. Probably skipped over what they do around the time I was falling in love with the Xotic line back in the day. My application is for subtle saturated leads. Just feels great to play. Cheers mate, legends, D
Awesome demo... The OD3 is my favorite one, sounds more natural and transparent. I don't like the mid-range boost frequencies of the SD1. I appreciate the comparison and the stacking with the BD2 and the SD1. Thanks Todd.
My favorite Boss pedals are a tie between the SD-1 and OD-3. The SD-1 is meaner, but the OD-3 is smoother. It comes down to the amp and pickups I'm using
Jaime Page recommended this pedal to me back in 2005 when I purchased a JCM800 reissue. Awesome versatile pedal and works nicely with a Spark boost! Trying it next to a BD-2 ATM but can't feel an obvious tone to acquire. Agree, the BD-2 gives a "sharper tone". Cheers Leon.
I keep coming back to my OD3 as a mid/low gain OD sound (hi gain, I just use the amp). Running a Greer Lightspeed into the OD3 is an awesome sound indeed. The OD3 has kicked many other boutique pedals off the board (Hotcake, Plumes, Southland to name just 3). If I was running into a "clean" amp (say a Vox or Fender combo), I'd have the Lightspeed into this, into a distortion pedal (like, say, Walrus Eras or Wampler pantheon) and that would be all I;d need for pretty much any tone needed. Great vid Leon - cheers
Very Cool, Thankyou. Some amazing Sounds from The OD3. I have BD2 and DS1 hoping to get an SD1 but never considered OD3 until your comprehensive Demo/Review. Cheers
That OD with the gain cranked up is a serious hard rock guitar sound winner. I’ve used it for a couple of years on a wannabe Foo Fighters band and always killed it.
Fave OD is probably the SD-1….Menatone Red Snapper a close 2nd. In front of the 2203X…..red snapper is more transparent (like another preamp tube)…..highly recommended
That would be a good pedal to stack with an SD1 in front of it maybe pushing it.. My fav is probably the Sd1.. It's just got something magical that just pushes an already driven amp into magic zone..
i've been a fan of the od-3 for a very long time. imho it addressed a lot of the issues that so many guitarists griped about the ts style pedals. i'm also a fan of the bd-2 and sd-1 for different applications / reasons, but really if the od-3 had a 3-band eq to it i could do a way with everything else.
Today I received a Fulltone OCD v1.7. Great Pedal and Proberly my favourite overdrive. From Boss The SD-1 Because it was my first pedal back in the 80s. Sounds great with a Fender Vibro Champ. If you can consider the blues driver in the Boss Angry Driver as an overdrive, it is great too. Maxon Tubescreamer is 4rd place. from the pedals I own.
It’s a great pedal. I use it with my dsl 40, gain channel on amp with gain set to 4 then use the pedal as a boost with level and tone all the way up and gain on pedal at 10.30 o clock
Great stuff! Thanks! Also Michael Banfield has a couple of interesting videos around the Boss OD-3. I love the OD-3 too, but have to find out the favourable environment. As it kinda keeps the bass, it flubs out, where you rather want to tighten the lows. I like it best as a low gain boost into a clean amp: very edgy for rhythm stuff - think early "The Who" or "Rolling Stones".
@@LeonTodd clean amp + OD3 with lowish gain then kick in the SD1 to push the gain and remove the bottom end flub. What do you think? Seems like you did this at the end and it worked well.
hit it right on the head.. The boss BD2 is pretty neutral (if you keep the tone pot around 10 o'clock).. ,, it has less low mids than the od3. The strenght of the bd2 is its pick sensitivity.. very dynamic and many like the low to mid gain settings on the bd2 (gain below noon).. The OD3 pushes more low mids and has a amp like distortion so works wonderfull on a clean amp.. An amp in. box type pedal ,, perfect on a clean amp like a roland jazz chorus.. I have the boss SD1 and it really does not work for me on a totally clean amp with loads of headroom. It has no bass or airy highs),, But in a live setting with a cranked amp it is glorious.. One guy on youtube demonstrates a boss SD1 on a les paul with a dirty sounding marshall amp... That was tone heaven.. Similar to a tube screamer,, it works best boosting a slightly dirty amp.. Both Don Felder and Joe Walsh apparently used a boss SD1 on the Hell freezes over tour.. But they were playing on a large stage and could probably play there tubes amps loud and proud.. Felder had a fender bassman 59 4x10 with those ineffecient jensen P10Rs and Walsh a fender blues deluxe reissue or a peavey head throguh a 2x10 DrZ cab.
Was looking at boss pedals today and was reminded of your video on the OD3 Ever heard of the dyna drive dn2 , looks like another boss overdrive pedal ?
I use my OD3 as a boost and it will never leave my board. I play a Way Huge STO as my low gain drive and they stack amazingly well. My amp is also a Budda V20 Superdrive. just sounds killer :) great video too. love watching demos on this underrated pedal :D
I had the od3 and the sd1 to boost the jcm800. I prefer the sd1 to boost a crunch sound and the od3 to create a big overdive on a clean sound. But my favorite pedal is the Keeley sd1 five star germanium which is even better than the normal sd1 for boosting my jcm800. The bypass is respectful of the sound, with the small switch i switch either to LED mod or to Germanium mod. In germanium it 's a little thicker and in LED a little more defined and clear as well as more level than the original SD1. The Tone is also more usable, less Medium than a Tube screamer and less compressed too. The perfect pedal that has never left my pedalboard even though I mainly use it for boost.
I was surprised as I thought it would be thick and perhaps even a bit muddy but it has bit of chime. I have the SD-1 and I find it good but not impressive. It is a good boost but I do not use it that way. With 58 pedals divided in 3 loops and changing between them between verse ,chorus, mid 8 etc. I have to run at unity gain. I never push my Plexi past light, light crunch. I have about 20 MIAB pedals, many pricey. They are my main go to. I mention it because I just discovered the Australian Colortone Parasite OD. It is easily in the top 5 best MIAB on the planet. It even has switch that you can put in the Marshall 4x12 resonant thump. At $215.00 USD it is not cheap but I have others that have cost me a third more.
@@McAdamstry th-cam.com/video/ffL03zMrOzg/w-d-xo.html there many videos about it that one, setting it’s depend on your amp to so you have to experiment to find the sweet spot
I own all three of those Boss pedals. I like the OD-3, but the BD-2 and the SD-1 work better for my needs. I especially like stacking the Sd-1 and BD-2.
I was about to buy the od3. But im seeing everybody tending to the BD2. I have a fender amp and play strats with a SD1. For more versatile board, would you recommend the OD or the BD?
I love the sound of the OD-3 over bass-cutting overdrive pedals, but I do find it odd that they made it so it is overdriven even with the gain at zero.
Somehow, reminiscent of ocd 🤔. Bet an sd-1 stacking in front of od-3 in the most 'usual suspect' way would work great to tube amp's fx return as a standalone pre gain stage.
I have an SD-1. This one sounds pretty similar to me tbh. I don't actually like the sound of these by itself that much, I tend to either play super clean or with loads of gain and not really into the sort of 70s rock sound. However, running it into my Rat with drive all the way down and level all the way up (the classic 80s way) it gives the whole signal loads of balls.
Puzzles me why always two things have to change...if you demo a pedal than point out the difference without switching pu's and adjusting tone control. Just set the pedals where they shine and after doing so do the switcheroo. Short: make your point and explain.
Wouldn't say underrated but overlooked due to the overpriced pedal builders who have all stolen the circuits from EHX and Boss and re-packed them and raised prices. With that said, I love my BD-2 and going to buy the OD-3 to see if I am missing something with my VOX AC15 and Marshall Origins amps
imo this is the best Boss drive pedal for country. It doesn’t do a lot of different things but that’s not to say it’s not versatile since those things it does work for so many tunes.
One of my top choices is the Jeff Waters signature pedal, that was made by SolidGoldFX. It is great at maintaining articulation at higher gain levels. Thanks for the demo!
tried it once a few years ago, even did some low-end enhancing mod on it, but didn't work for me too well in a tightening/boosting an already cooking modern tube amp.
I don't know where else to ask this request. You really fine the tones well. Chris Poland. Return to Metalopolis. It is SO tight. Bound. There is just something about it that allows the leads to be open. It is unique for sure. I lost my contact with Chris 6 years ago, so do me a solid.
I was kicking myself in the teeth when i saw a demo where the reviewer turned his amp gain up then down and turned the OD-3 on and it sounded exactly the same. I had just sold my beloved Orange OR50 because i could not find a boost or overdrive that took it over the edge of break up. My OD808 sounded too compressed no matter how i set the midrange. My Rat was fantastic but it does it's own thing. I liked it at lower settings then boosting it with the Maxon od. That combo was awesome but I sold the amp thinking i needed the money to travel overseas. Someday I'll have a boss OD-3 and another OR50 .damnit I loved that amp with my Weber Axiom Fane clone speaker .I also plan to get a Marshall Vintage Modern because of you. That is the best Marshall I've ever heard and it would be badass sitting next to the Orange. Fuck yea British amps.
In my opinion the od-3 has too much bass and on a Fender type amplifier it could be a problem. The Sd-1waza, on the other hand, is nice, it sounds much better than the stock sd-1 model. I think in this video the winner with eyes closed is the BD-2 Waza Craft japan . He truly has it all and more. In custom mode then he is really another beast! If I had to have only one of the three pedals you compared in this video on your pedalboard, it would undoubtedly be the BD-2 Waza Craft Japan. (You should make a video comparing the od-3 to the boss bd-2 waza in custom mode: in my opinion the bd-2w would defeat the od-3 in its own turf.)
What's your favourite OD and why?
Even though maybe a bit dull (in a good way) and not the most versatile OD i seem to always have the most fun with my old "Marshall Shred Master" pedal. Hmm, is it even an "overdrive"..?
Actually, my "go to" for "direct" is an H&K Tubeman 1 - and I put a Mosky Silver Horse in front of it for "more" ( - no metalplayer, here -) And the other thing in the moment is a GK 2000CPL solid state preamp into a HB Thunder99 pedal-poweramp into a small stereo GK speaker cabinet.
For "more" there is f.i. an EBS Multidrive, which is great, but that may vary. I might even sustain my notes by a TC Electronic "Sustain + Parametric Eq"-pedal instead...
Why: That stuff just seem "to work" my way.
The Carl Martin TOD that is based on the Boss OD-2 Turbo Overdrive. It honestly purely is because I'm such a massive fan of the power trio Dizzy Mizz Lizzy. Vocalist/guitarist Tim Christensen used an OD-2 for the first two albums. They split in the late nineties, but when they got back together in 2010s, mostly because of massive popular demand in northern Europe and Japan, Carl Martin made first the Dizzy Drive as an improved, signature version of the OD-2 for Tim Christensen, and when that limited edition immediately sold out, they released the TOD.
But even though I'm hugely biased (their debut album came out in 1994 and for the next five years I was regularly late for school simply because I couldn't resist listening to that debut record first thing in the morning), the TOD does sound better than the OD-2 used on those records, and I think in turn that the OD-2 circuit sounds distinct from all other overdrive pedals I've ever heard. If you want to hear it, I suggest listening to, e.g. "Glory" from the debut album which has pretty cool solo, though every single dirty guitar track on that record is a Strat through an OD-2 into a Marshall and sometimes a wah pedal.
The 2016 album Forward In Reverse" is great and does fearure the TOD, but since he's now a millionaire, it features a ton of different gear so I don't know for sure when it's the TOD and when it's something else. On the latest album, 2020s "Alter Echo" he was massively into Gojira and wanted a heavy wall-of-sound thing, so he used a Revv pedal instead. Exclusively, I think. Great album. My most listened to in 2021, according to Spotify, but I'm not very fond of the guitar sound in that album.
It's not often you see massive fanboys of specific contemporary (alright; they're in their 40s, but come on) bands these days, eh? 😜
Edit:
I forgot: the OS-2 Turbo Overdrive/Distortion reportedly does a similar thing!
SD-1 into MXR Dist+ then Plexi style amp (Cornell Plexi 7) set at low volume, with delay and bit of reverb.
Flabby fuzz tightener: Tubescreamer (esp. Subdecay Vector 11, Drive 2)
Light breakup into a clean amp:
Bogner Wessex or DOD Looking Glass
Front end smasher: Danelectro The Breakdown
Some posh old guy here. Combination of B.K. Butler 4 Knob tube driver on the edge of break up and a Bonamassa MXR Fet Driver for lead sound summed after the Tube Driver is my personal sound. Any amp, any modeler … these two are my holy grail sound.
If OD-3 circuit was in a boutique enclosure, people would be happy to pay $250 for it and brag about how good it is. I've been a fan of this pedal for over 15 years and I would be happy to just use SD-1 and OD-3 as my drive options. With SD-1 boosting into OD-3, you get full on Brown sound. Good video Leon!
I'm actually waiting for the Waza craft version of the OD-3.
It's simply the best OD which Boss ever made. I have the BD-2, the SD-1, and had an OD-1 for a while. The OD-3 has the most pleasing tone of them all.
Seriously, this is my favourite OD. I love the fact that it doesn't flavour the tone, or limit certain frequencies. Best 'transparent' OD before you hit the $$$ range. I also dig the tonal textures you get from it running at lower voltages.
Yeah it's awesome, hard to beat for the money.
Absolutely,add a ge7 at the input,oh man,it goes anywhere,a beastly match,eq's have many tricks,ultrapowerful used properly with the od3 truly smokes anything anywhere,salute
I wouldnt say its transparent, because theres a mid boost in the eq. But its much more fuller sounding than the SD1 thats for sure. A great pedal nonetheless
it does flavor and it does cut/limit freqencies. not as a tubescreamer, but it still does. look at the frequency curves of this pedal
@@HenriRN flatter than most od's still but yeah not perfect,adds bass a bit,only flaw i see in od3,still a great,fat and articulate brilliant and vesatile od,salute
They’re all great in different applications.
The OD-3 is my personal favorite. It’s the most amp-like IMO. I like its subtle compression and bouncy feel. The bump in the lower mids makes it sound really muscular, although it can sound muddy with the drive turned up.
It’s one of Boss’ best IMO, and hangs with other dirt pedals costing a lot more.
I reckon the OD3 is the best of the Boss Yellow overdrive pedals. I like how it doesn't cut so much bottom end. Also not as harsh as the SD-1. It's great if you like the tone you already have and just want "more". It doesn't cause a radical tone shift like many traditional overdrives. Personal taste of course. Depends how you're gonna use it.
It's the Klon of the BOSS lineup basically :p
I love running a klone into my OD-3. Gets me that wonderful, midrangey 70’s punk tone. Think Johnny Thunders / Steve Jones type dirt. Absolutely love that combination.
Hope all is well Leon. For the past 20 or so years my go-to OD and Distortion setup has been a Boss SD-1 going into a DS-1...both modded by Robert Keeley. Never owned or needed anything else, so I've never really checked out the OD-3.That SD/DS set up I have owned will take any amp and put it over the top, and with my main amps (Budda SD 18, Yamaha T100C, Laney GH100L, Classic 30) it is absolutely amazing. I will also use it with my newer Boogie MK 5/25, and in all cases this OD/DS combo gives me everything from a low-gain OD to a completely face melting distortion when I kick in the DS-1, even on the clean channels of those amps. When used alone, the SD-1 will put the OD channels of all those amps into ultra high gain land. I will never sell either of those 2 pedals...I use a Suhr Riot as a kind of backup on a different pedal board, but is rarely needed. The SD-1 will always be my main OD pedal, but the OD-3 is pretty damn cool. Thanks as always Leon...
Best Boss pedal ever! I actually have a little story on that. Back in 98 when I was still a beginner, my friends and I were big on the Metal Zone. I requested a Metal Zone for Christmas. My dad was a touring rock musician in the 70's and 80's and, unbeknownst to me at the time, he used a few Boss effects in his rig, so he was very familiar with them. He did not get me a Metal Zone, but did get me a DS-2. At first, I was disappointed, but after I went away to college and was able to get online and start learning about all gear and the DS-2, I discovered how awesome it was. However, I know my dad; he's not big on distortion. He's more of a vintage overdrive type of guy. I looked back and wondered why he didn't go with the OD-3, because he is the type to hear the Metal Zone request and pick something he sees me using the rest of my life after maturing, as well as picking something he himself would use. (His guitar, btw, is the ES-335.) The OD-3 is more versatile!
This is my favorite OD! I use as a clean boost into a plexi style amp. It has been the first pedal (and many times the only OD pedal) in my signal chain for years.
Great demo!
Love the OD-3! It's my favourite Boss OD. Been on my board for about 8 years. Never seems to get the attention it deserves.
Probably the best Boss OD comparison I’ve seen so far. I have the OD-3 already and love it!!
I've gone through several OD pedals over the years, including various tube screamers and a couple OCD's. Yet I always
came back to the Boss OD's. No additives or preservatives with these boxes. Just a natural warm punch that works for me. The SD-1 has been on my board since the early 2000's. I recently picked up a Wampler Plexi-Drive and I was pleasantly surprised how great it gets along with the SD-1. A match made in tone Heaven.
Yeah man, the OD3 is great. Very touch responsive, like you demonstrated as well 👏🏻
Thanks for confirming that this OD pedal behaves like an amp does. That's what I want, a natural OD. Awesome!
I have an OD3 and I love its a very different animal from an SD1 . It's more scooped then an SD1 but still has nice mids . It's more kepn and clean sounding but find the drive starts to fall apart when you turn the drive up past noon but it's a great low to medium Gain pedal . It's kind of got a British sounding drive without sounding like any specific one brand. It's got a little bit of a vox vibe but a little Marshall as well .
After owning about 250 different overdrive pedals and trying outta few hundred more, from common affordable ones to expensive boutique, I can say without a doubt that the BOSS OD-3 OVERDRIVE is the best Overdrive pedal i have ever heard. It is absolutely perfect in every way.
I’m a latecomer to this glorious and iconic pedal, but it is spot on with what it does. Transparent, rich, nuanced and arguably the best value for money.
Excellent playing as always! I believe the OD-3 is the overdrive circuit in the Roland GP-8 which I played heavily in my 'trying to make it' days. I love that sound - other than the MXR+ this is the overdrive I'm most familiar with. I could be happy for the rest of my life with no overdrive pedals other than these two.
Sort of adds more of a stain than dirt. I like it.
hahaha i love that way of saying it!
My favourite Boss overdrive! I had a buddy recommend it to me recently, and blew me away. It's very smooth, beats out some boutique drives out there.
I've been very impressed so far.
Very much like a Klon...in that it's a "make everything better" pedal. Exactly what I love!
SD-1 and OD3 are the best Overdrive pedals in my opinion. Over a TS9. Throw them in front of a JCM 800 and it’s awesome. Great video!
I love my sd-1 into 2203/2204 amplifiers; I wish I knew that decades ago. The od-3 is my favorite with my fender deluxe reverb and super reverb amplifiers.
Love the BD-2, SD-1 comparisons @ the end.
Hey man, great work you did
Hey, thanks!
I really like the OD3 as a low gain drive into a clean amp. I never really liked the SD1 or OD2 for this, because of it's low end roll off.
Clean amp, OD3 with gain about 3 o clock and a TS up front with the gain at 0 and the level maxed out. Gives you four different gain levels at your feet and both pedals on = sonic bliss. OD3 plays really nice with other drives when you are gainstacking. Just my 2 c.
Hey Leon, a question of your opinion. In the Axe III, FA modelled the OD-1 but not the OD-3. The OD-1 is basically a midrange pedal while the OD-3 is basically a flat pedal. Do you think the GEQ could get the OD-1 to be more OD-3 in there or would it be better to run the actual pedal before the Axe instrument input?
Try one of the "amp in a box" style drives instead - Heartpedal 11, Box'o'crunch, Compulsion Distortion or Suhr Riot
I like ‘em! Didn’t have one until last few years. Probably skipped over what they do around the time I was falling in love with the Xotic line back in the day. My application is for subtle saturated leads. Just feels great to play. Cheers mate, legends, D
My favourite OD pedal together with the Blues Driver, very good video, greetings from Spain ;)
Thank you very much!
Awesome demo...
The OD3 is my favorite one, sounds more natural and transparent.
I don't like the mid-range boost frequencies of the SD1.
I appreciate the comparison and the stacking with the BD2 and the SD1.
Thanks Todd.
Love this pedal for the low gain sounds, hoping for a Waza version that covers OD1 OD2 and OD3.
Oh!
I use it for Jazz, drive and tone down....
OD 1 and 2 are very different.
@@kimmolingonheimo so transparent,thick,zero fizz,fat sustain,brilliant top end
My favorite Boss pedals are a tie between the SD-1 and OD-3. The SD-1 is meaner, but the OD-3 is smoother. It comes down to the amp and pickups I'm using
Jaime Page recommended this pedal to me back in 2005 when I purchased a JCM800 reissue. Awesome versatile pedal and works nicely with a Spark boost! Trying it next to a BD-2 ATM but can't feel an obvious tone to acquire. Agree, the BD-2 gives a "sharper tone". Cheers Leon.
Jaime steered me to a few great gear choices as well back in that era~
I keep coming back to my OD3 as a mid/low gain OD sound (hi gain, I just use the amp). Running a Greer Lightspeed into the OD3 is an awesome sound indeed. The OD3 has kicked many other boutique pedals off the board (Hotcake, Plumes, Southland to name just 3). If I was running into a "clean" amp (say a Vox or Fender combo), I'd have the Lightspeed into this, into a distortion pedal (like, say, Walrus Eras or Wampler pantheon) and that would be all I;d need for pretty much any tone needed. Great vid Leon - cheers
It really punches above it's weight hey!
Very Cool, Thankyou. Some amazing Sounds from The OD3. I have BD2 and DS1 hoping to get an SD1 but never considered OD3 until your comprehensive Demo/Review. Cheers
Glad I could help!
Dude, you're such a monster player, wow!
Much appreciated!
That OD with the gain cranked up is a serious hard rock guitar sound winner. I’ve used it for a couple of years on a wannabe Foo Fighters band and always killed it.
Fave OD is probably the SD-1….Menatone Red Snapper a close 2nd. In front of the 2203X…..red snapper is more transparent (like another preamp tube)…..highly recommended
Another great video as always. Think I'm gonna have to grab an OD-3 now. And bonus points for the Bounty Hunter riff 🤘
Good choice!
It really does capture that 68-72 Marshall tone
I think the word you might of been looking for is wide freq response, not so scooped as the SD1 which is my fav
Once again folks, you cannot spell "TODD" without "OD"! Sounds like the koala's nuts baby.
Sssssh Leon! This is supposed to be a secret!
:p
Seems to sound good with the guitar volume rolled back
OD3 its my favorite, it sounds awesome always
That would be a good pedal to stack with an SD1 in front of it maybe pushing it..
My fav is probably the Sd1.. It's just got something magical that just pushes an already driven amp into magic zone..
A Tube Screamer or some kind of EQ pedal would pair up great with this.
I have the 1997 one crafted in Taiwan and I love it!!
If you love the sound of a cranked Marshall...you need an OD-3
been using BD2 all along, may consider the OD3. BD2 makes my volume knob dynamic.
i've been a fan of the od-3 for a very long time. imho it addressed a lot of the issues that so many guitarists griped about the ts style pedals.
i'm also a fan of the bd-2 and sd-1 for different applications / reasons, but really if the od-3 had a 3-band eq to it i could do a way with everything else.
Today I received a Fulltone OCD v1.7. Great Pedal and Proberly my favourite overdrive. From Boss The SD-1 Because it was my first pedal back in the 80s. Sounds great with a Fender Vibro Champ. If you can consider the blues driver in the Boss Angry Driver as an overdrive, it is great too. Maxon Tubescreamer is 4rd place. from the pedals I own.
I like it better on the low gain as well. I'm betting it would be a great drive for stacking with another OD pedal. Maybe a Tubescreamer TS808 or TS9.
It’s a great pedal. I use it with my dsl 40, gain channel on amp with gain set to 4 then use the pedal as a boost with level and tone all the way up and gain on pedal at 10.30 o clock
Great stuff! Thanks! Also Michael Banfield has a couple of interesting videos around the Boss OD-3.
I love the OD-3 too, but have to find out the favourable environment. As it kinda keeps the bass, it flubs out, where you rather want to tighten the lows. I like it best as a low gain boost into a clean amp: very edgy for rhythm stuff - think early "The Who" or "Rolling Stones".
Yeah it's got that 60's light crunch thing down
@@LeonTodd clean amp + OD3 with lowish gain then kick in the SD1 to push the gain and remove the bottom end flub. What do you think? Seems like you did this at the end and it worked well.
I picked up his idea of using it in front of an amp to take the edge of the DS1w
@@eoinjennings519 do you mean DS1w into the OD3?
@@CrazyCalabrese78 Yes takes a bit of the fizz out of it into a clean amp
hit it right on the head..
The boss BD2 is pretty neutral (if you keep the tone pot around 10 o'clock).. ,, it has less low mids than the od3.
The strenght of the bd2 is its pick sensitivity.. very dynamic and many like the low to mid gain settings on the bd2 (gain below noon)..
The OD3 pushes more low mids and has a amp like distortion so works wonderfull on a clean amp.. An amp in. box type pedal ,, perfect on a clean amp like a roland jazz chorus..
I have the boss SD1 and it really does not work for me on a totally clean amp with loads of headroom. It has no bass or airy highs),, But in a live setting with a cranked amp it is glorious.. One guy on youtube demonstrates a boss SD1 on a les paul with a dirty sounding marshall amp... That was tone heaven.. Similar to a tube screamer,, it works best boosting a slightly dirty amp..
Both Don Felder and Joe Walsh apparently used a boss SD1 on the Hell freezes over tour.. But they were playing on a large stage and could probably play there tubes amps loud and proud.. Felder had a fender bassman 59 4x10 with those ineffecient jensen P10Rs and Walsh a fender blues deluxe reissue or a peavey head throguh a 2x10 DrZ cab.
Was looking at boss pedals today and was reminded of your video on the OD3
Ever heard of the dyna drive dn2 , looks like another boss overdrive pedal ?
That's another "forgotten" BOSS drive!
I use my OD3 as a boost and it will never leave my board. I play a Way Huge STO as my low gain drive and they stack amazingly well. My amp is also a Budda V20 Superdrive. just sounds killer :) great video too. love watching demos on this underrated pedal :D
Leon. How would you compare this to the OD-1?
Is this the pedal that was "tubescreamer before tubescreamer" or am I mixing the products?
That's the OD-1
I had the od3 and the sd1 to boost the jcm800. I prefer the sd1 to boost a crunch sound and the od3 to create a big overdive on a clean sound. But my favorite pedal is the Keeley sd1 five star germanium which is even better than the normal sd1 for boosting my jcm800. The bypass is respectful of the sound, with the small switch i switch either to LED mod or to Germanium mod. In germanium it 's a little thicker and in LED a little more defined and clear as well as more level than the original SD1. The Tone is also more usable, less Medium than a Tube screamer and less compressed too. The perfect pedal that has never left my pedalboard even though I mainly use it for boost.
Sooo many! thanks for the video!!
I was surprised as I thought it would be thick and perhaps even a bit muddy but it has bit of chime. I have the SD-1 and I find it good but not impressive. It is a good boost but I do not use it that way. With 58 pedals divided in 3 loops and changing between them between verse ,chorus, mid 8 etc. I have to run at unity gain. I never push my Plexi past light, light crunch. I have about 20 MIAB pedals, many pricey. They are my main go to.
I mention it because I just discovered the Australian Colortone Parasite OD. It is easily in the top 5 best MIAB on the planet. It even has switch that you can put in the Marshall 4x12 resonant thump. At $215.00 USD it is not cheap but I have others that have cost me a third more.
The most underrated BOSS drive for sure!
Tried one of these through a Vox ac10 with a Jazzmaster and it sounded amazing. I own one OD-3 and think it’s great for the low to mid gain range.
This is a great video, I'm only familiar with the Old SD-1 MIJ and SD-1 Waza.
I had gotten one earlier this year and wish it didn’t take me that long to discover it
This od3 with ds1 you get a real full distortion 🎉😊
Hey mate, what’s the dial settings at on those pedals? I have my OD3 after my DS2 but can’t seem to find that sweet spot.
@@McAdamstry th-cam.com/video/ffL03zMrOzg/w-d-xo.html there many videos about it that one, setting it’s depend on your amp to so you have to experiment to find the sweet spot
@@McAdamstry or what can really help to it’s a EQ pedal like the GE-7 I use one with my ds2 and it’s make a big difference
@@bobydaraiche5171 yep. I have one. I use it subtly. Thanks mate.
I own all three of those Boss pedals. I like the OD-3, but the BD-2 and the SD-1 work better for my needs. I especially like stacking the Sd-1 and BD-2.
Good choice!
I was about to buy the od3. But im seeing everybody tending to the BD2. I have a fender amp and play strats with a SD1. For more versatile board, would you recommend the OD or the BD?
This pedal also great for boosting amps especially marshalls
I love the sound of the OD-3 over bass-cutting overdrive pedals, but I do find it odd that they made it so it is overdriven even with the gain at zero.
Somehow, reminiscent of ocd 🤔. Bet an sd-1 stacking in front of od-3 in the most 'usual suspect' way would work great to tube amp's fx return as a standalone pre gain stage.
Michael Banfield has been talking about it for years.... Wampler and JHS have been talking about it.... A lot of people have been talking about this.
I've an idea this could be a great pedal for a Strat, with the thicker bass
My two favourite are klon ( clone obviously), and suhr shiba drive reloaded for solos... Ts808 or sd1 (or their derivations) for rhythm.
i ve never been dissapointed with any of gear you like or recommend..
I have an SD-1. This one sounds pretty similar to me tbh. I don't actually like the sound of these by itself that much, I tend to either play super clean or with loads of gain and not really into the sort of 70s rock sound. However, running it into my Rat with drive all the way down and level all the way up (the classic 80s way) it gives the whole signal loads of balls.
Puzzles me why always two things have to change...if you demo a pedal than point out the difference without switching pu's and adjusting tone control. Just set the pedals where they shine and after doing so do the switcheroo. Short: make your point and explain.
Boss drives are so underrated.
They just work hey
Wouldn't say underrated but overlooked due to the overpriced pedal builders who have all stolen the circuits from EHX and Boss and re-packed them and raised prices. With that said, I love my BD-2 and going to buy the OD-3 to see if I am missing something with my VOX AC15 and Marshall Origins amps
How about a video on Leon's top five instructional books 😊
imo this is the best Boss drive pedal for country. It doesn’t do a lot of different things but that’s not to say it’s not versatile since those things it does work for so many tunes.
Time to bust out my Tele
The OD3 is the evolution of the BD2 according to Boss themselves. They took the BD2 and refined it.
One of my top choices is the Jeff Waters signature pedal, that was made by SolidGoldFX. It is great at maintaining articulation at higher gain levels. Thanks for the demo!
Jeff is such a great player!
For a sec I seriously thought you were trying to play the super overdrive like we never heard you play one before lol.
🤣
I remember this pedal, but never tried one. Ironically, I'd have probably liked this pedal (and it's lack of low-end cut) more than the SD-1!
Literally everyone owns, has owned or tried one of these. That’s why they call it the yellow morning slipper.
Grest vid. I prefer the OD-3 for sure.
tried it once a few years ago, even did some low-end enhancing mod on it, but didn't work for me too well in a tightening/boosting an already cooking modern tube amp.
I don't know where else to ask this request. You really fine the tones well. Chris Poland.
Return to Metalopolis. It is SO tight. Bound. There is just something about it that allows the leads to be open.
It is unique for sure. I lost my contact with Chris 6 years ago, so do me a solid.
I still have my sd-1,od-1 and ds-1 all purchased in1989 from memory 😊
Made my gorilla 1×12 combo sound..... better 😌🤣
Very nice! Go the Gorilla :p
7:06 Is that riff an actual song? I made a joke song yearssss ago and that's the EXACT riff. I don't know if I stole it subconsciously or not... Lol
Hahaha not that I'm aware, it's a generic rock'n'roll noodle for me
Sounds like you're playing Molly Hatchet "Bounty Hunter"
Correct!
I was kicking myself in the teeth when i saw a demo where the reviewer turned his amp gain up then down and turned the OD-3 on and it sounded exactly the same. I had just sold my beloved Orange OR50 because i could not find a boost or overdrive that took it over the edge of break up. My OD808 sounded too compressed no matter how i set the midrange. My Rat was fantastic but it does it's own thing. I liked it at lower settings then boosting it with the Maxon od. That combo was awesome but I sold the amp thinking i needed the money to travel overseas. Someday I'll have a boss OD-3 and another OR50 .damnit I loved that amp with my Weber Axiom Fane clone speaker .I also plan to get a Marshall Vintage Modern because of you. That is the best Marshall I've ever heard and it would be badass sitting next to the Orange. Fuck yea British amps.
The best clean sound I've ever gotten was an OD-3 into an 18w Marshall. 🤷
ACDC all the way! They have that semi clean jangle top end shimmer.
In my opinion the od-3 has too much bass and on a Fender type amplifier it could be a problem. The Sd-1waza, on the other hand, is nice, it sounds much better than the stock sd-1 model. I think in this video the winner with eyes closed is the BD-2 Waza Craft japan . He truly has it all and more. In custom mode then he is really another beast! If I had to have only one of the three pedals you compared in this video on your pedalboard, it would undoubtedly be the BD-2 Waza Craft Japan.
(You should make a video comparing the od-3 to the boss bd-2 waza in custom mode: in my opinion the bd-2w would defeat the od-3 in its own turf.)
In the room did this pedal roll off the bottom end like the SD1. Hate that about the SD1.
Do you notice any difference between the Waza Craft pedals vs. their Chinese made counterparts?
I really like the custom modes. The standard modes sound like the regular pedals
Hey Legend love your channel. When you going to sell me Your Hamer Artist? It was a dream for 30 years. Keep rocking
I've got a 91 "Sunburst" (aka Studio) in pretty good nick for sale if you're interested?