All user reviews of 5/5 for the Boss DS-1 Distortion

£39 Music Shop in London

As simple as it gets....3 knobs for Tone, Level and Drive. It takes some playing with the box to get a good sound out of it - it's very 80s and on the scratchy side. I have settled on running it with the level at about 3 o'clock, the drive at about 2, and the tone at about 10 - that way I get a nice fat sound, but eliminate some of the tinny, "boxy" sound. I'm primarily using it as a lead boost as it is an excellent pedal.


Personally, I think this pedal SHINES in front of a tube amp to push it a little harder for more sustain but I wouldn't use this pedal in front of anything that doesn't already have a distorted tone.

Well, it's a Boss, so it's never failed.

This pedal does everything I need it to. It makes a 1 or 2 channel amp way more versatile. It gives me some really great lead sounds. I use it all the time, and even though I've tried very few other distortions, I can't picture myself replacing it with anything else.


This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

A few months ago, I was playing with my Zoom 505 II en I was wondering how crappy this distortion was.
Well, I bought this second hand Boss Dist for 25 € and it sounds great.

I like the warm and fat distortion sound of this pedal. It's great to turn the dist-control wide open and play some rock songs.
The sound of it is very variable, comparing to the used pickups, amp, guitar, other effects, ...

... (no dislikes)

The quality of this pedal is superiour. Great quality components in a solid metal box. When you're playing a gig you can jump on it, it won't die. Only your audience will die of the fat solid rock sound you get.

Only one thing to say about this pedal : It's the best, most warm, fattest, thickest, most solid, most variable distortion pedal you can get.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I got this unit as a present from a family member two years ago, I believe she paid around 50 bucks for it.

This is the best pound for pound, cent for cent distortion pedal ever made in the history of pedals. The tone is great and distortion goes from as little as you could possibly want to as crazy as you could possibly want.

Theres only one thing that has bothered me about this pedal for the past 2 years and that is if you turn the tone up to loud it gets overly twangy.

Basically Undamagable, could probly survive being run over.

Get this pedal.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I just got this thing today from a place called ronny's music for about $50.00, When i got home i hooked it up. I could put the guitar down. If you like playin songs that are already famous, this pedal makes the riffs sound like those in the actual song. It's great for just makin up stuff too. It even works on bass guitars too. It rawks.

EVERYTHING

NOTHING

It's pretty well put together by looks. and i stomped on it pretty hard when i was playin so i think the quality's pretty good.

Like the 1st guy said, BUY IT!!!

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Bought from: Guitar Center in Texas
Why: I had no distortion pedal
Paid: about $30 or so

This is a great effect! I love how versital it is. It is, in my opinion, the epitomy of what a distortion effect should be: small (easy to pack in gig bag), versital, and cheap enough for the average Joe to afford. This is not just a great first distortion, it could be your last, too. This pedal is used by such big names a Steve Vai. Another great feature is the battery life. I've had it for about a year and I've only had to charge the (included) 9 volt battery once. So you can pack it and play for hours and not worry about running out mid-gig!

I have found absolutly nothing wrong with this pedal. If you are the type of person who needs a disgusting amount of distortion (perhaps to hide the fact that you can't play good?) you might need something alittle more drastic, but even when I'm playing heavy drop D stuff like Pantera, this little workhorse keeps up just fine.

This little pedal is the most solid piece of musical equipment I've ever come across! It has the longest warrenty availible on a guitar pedal (5 years), so that tells you BOSS's confidance in their pedals. All single effects by BOSS are strong enough to survive a nuclear blast (should that become an issue...)

Bottom line: if you don't have a distortion pedal, definatly give this a try. Head down to your local music store and try it out. I would highly recomend this pedal to a friend (I recomend Danelectro to my enemies!)

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I bought this pedal used for about 60$. it was in very good shape but i still think i could of gotten a better bargain if i was better in haggling.

It's a nice, sturdy well built Boss quality unit. I really like the distortion. Kind of crunchy overdrive , not too tough. I have an Ibanez RG270 and the DS-1 serves it well.
If you like your distortion not too heavey but still rough then this is a great choice.
It reminds me of the faboulous guitar style of Jeff Beck.

I would be more pleased with a fatter, warmer bluesy sound but that just means i should of gotten the boss blues driver instead of this one.
Still, this is a very good pedal.

Boss construction. Need i say more?
well constructed, can handle abuse (trust me). The previous owner had the pedal for three years, preforming and home use and when i got it , it was in great shape.

Great sounding distortion. worth every penny.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

This unit was acquired through a friend who bought it at a local music store, Guitar Center, here in the midwest. The list price was $97.50 but the Christmas sale price is $39.99.

The distortion effect sounds like an overdriven tube amp (think vintage Marshall) but with total control over the amount of distortion & sustain plus the tone control circuitry helps to find the perfect balance between high & low tones.

The only thing we didn't like was the original list price of $97.50 but since it is on sale for the Holiday Season at $39.99, you can't beat the bang for the buck.

The rugged, road worthy construction can take a beating on the road & keep on working perfectly. Typical (but excellent) BOSS pedal- it's tough!

Works well with the BOSS pedal board case along with other effects manufactured by BOSS or other comparable effects companies. If you're looking for the elusive crunch tone- BUY THIS PEDAL!

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

One day I was in my bedroom playing my guitar and having a great time. Then I noticed something that completely shocked me: My amp came with the crappiest distortion ever!!! After crying for a few hours, I decided that something needed to be done. I went down to Mars Music and bought myself a BOSS DS-1 distortion pedal for about $40 (money well spent).

This distortion pedal provides the cleanest and tonest (is that even a word?) distortion ever (even on the worst of amps). I tried every distortion pedal there and needless to say the BOSS pedal had the nicest sound. It also was one of the cheapest in price(compared to the $60 - $150 ones. There are many different tones you can make with it and it comes in a pretty orange color that makes you tingle of joy every itme you look at it.

I hate the way it makes my guitar sound so perfect and clean.

It has a very convinient size and feels nice when you press it with your shoe. It is easy to operate (with only three knobs to turn) and has a very strong look and feel.

Go buy it. (duh)

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

This is a distortion pedals.
Three rglage: Volume, tone, gain
Food in 9v
If we know we are not dpays Boss

UTILIZATION

Three knob turned so super easy argler. and I think manual is dispensable

SOUND QUALITY

I was looking for a draw sheet for pedals that is punk rock, APRS have to try a bunch, I stayed on the pedals.
For mtal or blues is not worth it, but for punk rock or even a blink of sum41 it does carrment

OVERALL OPINION

I try and have lots of pedals like mtal-muff, a ML2, OS2, a fabtone ... I sold them all except the DS1.
Since I bought a Blackstar DistX is not the same budget, but I keep my ds1

Analog distortion pedals with three knobs of rglages: Tone, Level, Distortion.
Pedals used by Kurt Cobain (Nirvana), Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, ...

UTILIZATION

Trs easy to use, there is a very easy SON, a joy, the day o I j'tais party testing and a compression pedals (see anything then. ) and I glimpse the pedals, and immediately the grain carrying forward for me fantastic.

SOUND QUALITY

CASC was a wide range of distos trs, but be careful not to push the knob of the Ring del noon as it becomes trs port on the treble. The grain of the pedals is magical, too good, this file chills. CASC was a fat distortion or fuzz type when the knobs are back and your amp is left with a powerful and affirm.
The pedals are not quite suited for neo-metal (eg Korn ...) unless we make rglages subtle but it is not his creed.

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for a year and I do spend more, it is really gniale, ACCS was up with the nuances of pedals, unlike some of distortion pedals that tend Hide the game, and indeed that the entire panel dlivre you sound. Report quality unbeatable price, hard to find in OCCAZ because it is too good. I do not regret my choice is the distortion pedals for you.

Distortion effects trs Varis (like nirvana, metallica, ...)

UTILIZATION

One branch is lighted, and go! not easy
The DS-1 comes with a panel of eight configurations (hard rock, punk, fusion, ...) but if was not for you yet, you can easily reach the sound dsirbr /> The manual in English I was not used, it's so simple ...

SOUND QUALITY

Trsralistes effects.
I utiliseavec tlcaster a Fender Custom 72 'and I'm really not
I found myself quite grasping the disto: Tone: max
Disto-max
-Level: 1 / 4
Too bad we can not push a little on the overdrive.

OVERALL OPINION

This is my Premire pedals and I'm really not!

Boss!
Tone Volume Disto>> 3 buttons!

is the pedal base if you want ...

UTILIZATION

We shoot a few buttons in every way we look, we find, we play, we like ...

SOUND QUALITY

Let's say the sound is not ke super clean, but what to c if you want to play grunge or punk ...
not bad for the metal but the ideal c in.

OVERALL OPINION

I've had 3 hours and I am crazy! and I love the color orange!

I tried klk digitech because it was one they advised me in the store ... c't super complicated stuff with lots of different sounds etc etc ... I had everything they c't a pedal that allows me to go from clean to distortion! They have not been done for me to try a Boss! Either in the same shop I meet an acquaintance, we talk a little, I told him I want a ke pedal and he said his boss sells k'il DS-1 ... I'll try and hop home buy!

€ 40 on occasion, good deal! I think I'll keep this pedal a long time!

It's a mega distortion analog sound, the batteries last 90 hours in theory, the boss what a pedal foolproof.

UTILIZATION

Then, three knobs, Tone volume, distortion, there's no simpler.
Sounds are fairly easy to obtain, but it can also succeed in making sound degueux in some configurations.

SOUND QUALITY

Indeed super efficient and varied it can go almost to the fuzz overdrive. Excelente sounds if you take a little time to find the settings that are suitable according to the scratches, the amp and your ears. I use it mainly with a godin lg. to avoid scratching, however, with a kind of imitation Start, because the morning breath and screaming distortion.
try to couple it with the distortion of the amp, you can find sounds great. I put 9 for people who find the sound too loud.

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for a few months, especially in repeated, because you can take it anywhere and it is unbreakable. Plus: Varita sounds incredible, with only three settings, the least: ca pe get pretty loud to see very ugly with bad settings, but you still want it. Report quality unbeatable price. I remake this choice without hesitation. Advised anyone looking disto solid, cheap, versatile. Try anyway: a tendency to grow in the treble, but with a proper adjustment of tone, it goes.