All user reviews for the Boss DS-1 Distortion

The Boss DS-1 Distortion is a simple guitar pedal that's basically the cheapest way to get some quality distortion. It's an analog pedal that has 1/4" jacks for input and output and requires power from a 9 volt battery or power supply. It isn't going to be rackable since it's a stomp box.

UTILIZATION

You really don't need to have any experience with distortion pedals in order to manipulate the Boss DS-1 Distortion. It's going to be a lot of beginner's first pedal at this price, so I'm sure Boss has kept this in mind and kept it simple for this reason. It's also got a pretty standard make up, as you'll find that a lot distortion and overdrive pedals share the same controls of gain, level, and tone as you'll find here. You definitely don't need the manual for use with the DS-1.

SOUND QUALITY

The Boss DS-1 Distortion is a pretty solid pedal for what it can do, but it's certainly not the most versatile distortion out there. For me, it's great for thick and heavy rhythm guitar parts or for piercing leads, as there's not much room for in between sounds in my opinion. It can of does what it does and you leave it at that. It's definitely more of a traditional distortion than anything else, as it's hard to get it to sound good while being subtle.

OVERALL OPINION

The Boss DS-1 Distortion is probably the best way for beginners to get involved with using distortion. The super cheap price will attract players of all kinds however, as it's definitely the cheapest quality distortion pedal out there. It's not going to give you a plethora of sounds, but is great at what it does. It's not the best distortion out there, but it's definitely not the worst and is at least worth a shot at this incredibly cheap price. This is going to be the pedal to get most players into using Boss gear, as it seems like almost everyone has one when they start playing. I'd definitely recommend picking one up if you're distortion-less and are looking for a cheap one.

This is a pretty bare bones distortion pedal, but don't let that fool you. Sometimes simple is the key. This is the best sounding distortion pedal I've ever played. I tend to prefer amp distortion straight from a Marshall or a Fender, but this might change my mind. I started using it in my band when my other guitarist let me start using his, and now I have my own that I love. There's a tone adjustor, and distortion adjustor, and a level knob. That's really all you need in one of these pedals. It can use the Boss adaptors, and it's easy to daisy chain it.

UTILIZATION

The setup is almost TOO simple. There's nothing confusing about it. Three knobs, that's it. Tone, Level, and Distortion. There's not much else to say about it. If you can't figure it out, you must not know how to plug it in.

SOUND QUALITY

The sound is better than almost any pedal I've played. Most distortion pedals really emphasize the high end, and while this pedal is capable of that, it sounds way more natural. It really rocks certain amp types, namely a Fender Deluxe, so it's perfect for that. It sounds particularly good with compression (in fact I wouldn't recommend buying it without a good delay... try Boss again, they make good ones.) I use my '67 Strat reissue with it and it sounds fantastic. I like to sound more like a classic rocker like Neil Young or Hendrix, and it does a decent job of recreating that sound. I wouldn't recommend it for metal or hardcore players because it doesn't have the roaring low end those styles tend to need, but it probably wouldn't sound too bad with the right gear for that music. It doesn't feed back too much, which is a problem with most bright-sounding single-coil pickup guitars. It can get pretty bright so make sure you don't crank the tone knob too much!

OVERALL OPINION

This is hands down the best distortion pedal I've played. I won't say it's the best out there, because I'm new to the world of pedal distortion, but there's really not much way you can go wrong if you are looking for a great way to rock out. Again, for soloing, it's great with compression so strongly consider buying a compressor or sustainer if you don't already have one. I don't really have any problems with it at all, and it definitely beats most other pedals I've tried. It's worth every penny, and I'd buy one again if I needed to.

The boss ds-1 is a widely-known, cheap, and reliable distortion pedal. It's a typical analog pedal with tone control, distortion saturation, and level control. Of course, it's a pretty simple pedal. It's typically a beginners pedal, but it has a lot of life to it.

UTILIZATION

The ds-1 is most widely recognized as a grunge pedal, it's nothing too complicated for anyone to use. It only has 1 input and 1 output. It does have the option for an a/c adapter, but a 9-volt lasts quite a while.

SOUND QUALITY

The pedal does well to offer a good range of sound for having such limited variable controls. I have used it with several guitars, primarily a fat strat. The most use mine sees is with my bassist. He loves it. He has a MusicMan which he plays through a trace elliot and he just loves to distort his bass and get that dirty, grungy sound.

OVERALL OPINION

I've had this pedal for about 8 years. I have recommended it to several people, and wouldnt mind having a spare myself. I cant say that it is a quiet pedal, it comes with some noise and you can achieve feedback when you want. It's a fun pedal for anyone wanting some simple distortion with an easy interface. The Boss name is undeniably reliable. If you dont have a gain channel on your amp, it is sufficient and nice to have around. It's value compared to it's price is about right, with boss, you get what you pay for, and they have products for everyone. The ds-1 is right for beginners but good enough for anyone. Im glad I bought it years ago.

The DS-1 is a distortion stomp box. You've probably heard it before. The pedal is cheap, so many people end up picking one up for some easy distortion.

Theres 3 knobs for tone, level, and distortion. Boss provides a battery for it, but you can also plug in a standard 9V adapter.

UTILIZATION

The simple setup makes it easy to use. With only three knobs, there's not a whole lot to fuss around with, but there is still enough room to vary the sound a bit. The controls all respond how you would expect them to.

The pain with this pedal is, if you're using a battery, like many pedals you must unplug the input or the battery will drain.

SOUND QUALITY

I like this pedal quite a bit. It's got a crunchy, "fizzy" distortion that I enjoy. The tone knob will take some adjusting to find the sound you want. It seems to start off a bit muddy on the low side and gets a bit too bright on the high side. But I like to vary the fullness of the sound and the tone works well for that.

The distortion will provide some nice crunch even on its lowest setting, and add the "fizz" as you turn it up. Level works well to help dial in the sound.

It's probably not for everyone, but it's perfect for a basic distortion. It also seems to work well with fuzz boxes and other pedals.

OVERALL OPINION

Okay, the DS-1 sells new for $40. At that price, you can pretty much afford to hate it. For a basic distortion pedal, I think there is very good sound here which makes it an incredible deal. I've heard more expensive pedals that I didn't like so much. Anyone who is looking for a distortion should give this one a shot. I bought this pedal just to try it. It was much better than what I was expecting.

And like most Boss pedals, it's very sturdy, so it'll probably last a lifetime.

The Boss DS-1 is a distortion pedal, with adjustable tone, level and distortion. It is an analog pedal and has a 1/4'' input and output. It is not a rackable unit.

UTILIZATION

Like most of the Boss pedals, you can pretty much just plug this thing in and let it rip. All you have to do is plug in your guitar in the input and the amp to the output. I had no need to look at the manual as I just adjusted my tone by ear with the 3 knobs and had no troubles setting it up.

SOUND QUALITY

This produces a great heavy distortion sound. Its really thick and great for sustaining a power chord. The distortion can range from just a light overdrive to all out heavy metal. However, I am unable to get a real tube sounding overdrive with this. I have only used it with guitar, and it sounds great with my amp that has no built-in distortion.

OVERALL OPINION

I've had this pedal for about 5 years, it was my first pedal. I like this pedal for the specific heavier distortion in produces. I use it mostly for rhythm guitar but doesn't sound bad for lead. I also have a BK Butler overdrive pedal to satisfy that sort of overdriven sound. However, the reason this pedal is so popular is the price. Since it is so cheap, even the most beginner level guitar players should have it in their set up. While there are certainly a slew of better distortion pedals out there with more versatility, for the price this pedal cannot be beat.