Boss DS-1 Distortion Pedal Reviews

I love this pedal for fine tuning distortion without getting to heavy. Although it creates heavy distortion well, it is better for more subtle levels.

This pedal is the best Distortion pedal you can own for 50 or 60 bucks. Everyone should have one!

Great product
Great service

I've had DS-1s for a long time. I sold it twice over when the latest and greatest hyped up pedals came out but after being let down,I bought it back again because they are my favourite. On my gear, they work best with my Marshall amps. On my JVM channel 1 orange crunch mode on edge f break up, is where it comes into its own to give a sound that the other high gain modes can't give. I've tried other distortion pedals including the other big brands and already forked out for 2 boutique ones and they were all a let down and couldn't get me that big hard rock sound I love. Used in the right way and dialled in correctly it's a must have. People who complain about it have got put into the wrong gear, and don't understand it or just don't know how to set it up.

Great pedal quick service and fast delivery

Great pedal! Adjustable to fit every style of playing! Love it!

Just an awesome pedal. And thanks to my rep, Austin for always being helpful.

Every guitar player should have this on their board no matter the genre. It's a great starting point for figuring out what kind of sound you want. It's good for giving just a bit of grit to your sound or a harder edge. I've heard of guys using in in addition to another distortion pedal to really get a nasty tone. You can't beat it for the money either.

The Boss Distortion pedal has been around a long time. It has always been a favorite of mine.

Dude. Good pedal. Watch video.

I have both these pedals and they are great. I can dial in the tone I like quickly.
Both are well worth the money.

This pedal sounds great brings back lots of old rock and roll memories of my youth and it being the sounds and tones of the 80's music back to life . Thanks for having what I was looking for . And thank you for being one of the good guys ,like me

No wonder this pedal is a classic- it sounds phenomenal! It offers a wide range of sound with extremely responsive tone and distortion controls that you can dial from overdrive to all out harsh fuzz. I'm especially impressed by the broad EQ range covered by the tone knob. I'm running this into my 0.5w Dark Gene Green tube amp, and, with preamp gain clean or dirty, the DS-1 is surprisingly harmonically rich. I think it sounds almost as good when I run it into a clean Quilter Superblock US. For context, I have many overdrive and amp-in-a-box pedals including some boutique options like the PAL800 GOLD. Based on internet sentiment, I was expecting the DS-1 to be garbage in comparison, but I find it to be just as dynamic as many of the overdrives/distortions out there. There's a reason it's ubiquitous and still sold today. At the price, it's a no brainer. Highly recommend!

I am mostly a metalhead and I am blessed to have a lot of nice amps and guitars, but growing up in the 90s I did listen to a lot of alternative/grunge so I bought this for when im in a kurt/nirvana mood. This pedal actually has more gain on tap then i was expecting. Pretty cool actually. If your just starting out and looking for something for modern day metal i would look at other pedals thought, but hey for nirvana its great.

It's the original Boss distortion pedal!!! I used this pedal when I was 15 and I'm 49 now, so it's stood the test of time. I still love it and would recommend to anybody.

This is widely considered "Non-Optional Gear". Don't let the price fool you. This seemingly innocent "beginner pedal" is the only thing that sounds like it. Make sure you have room for it to have a permanent spot on your pedalboard.

Love this pedal! It will always be on my board. Austin was a great help. I love sweet water.

I love this pedal. I use it with my tascam digital mixer. I use it on guitar and vocals it has the perfect fuzz that gives my songs a grunge feel.

Been using it since it first came out,yes I'm old!!play hard rock and metal.play through the clean channel on a 100 watt fender solid state.the trick to this pedal to those who complain it's too thin and fizzy is to boost the ds1 with either a tube screamer or a boss sd1.then you have the best distortion you need for all types rock and metal.its the only distortion pedal I've ever used and can get every tone from zeppelin and Sabbath to early Metallica,Pantera and modern day lamb of god.dont need to spend hundreds on boutique pedals when you have all you need built inside these little orange tanks.

Been using them for years. Still my favourite distortion since the 80s.

These were voiced for humbucker guitars to push the front ends of smokin hot Marshall master volume and jcm800 amps to give them plenty of gain and power for shredding.

You'll hear this pedal all over lots of classic 80s rock albums when the JCM800 100 Watt head was the amp that ruled the decade.

It was a staple on the pedalboards of most well known 80s rock bands and shredder guitarists back then known for it's hard percussive attack and heavy metal sound and it's still a great classic pedal that everyone should own.

If you know how to use the DS1 properly you'll be impressed. Consider when the pedal was created in I believe 1978. Amps were run much louder and preamp distortion was new technology. This pedal is meant to be run into a hot amp with at least some breakup. If you run it into a crystal clean amp you get the famous nasally sounding thin tone everyone complains about. If you run it into a hot amp you get full throated thick overdrive. Does it sound like a SLO 100? Nope, but it does it's own thing and is very effective.

I love the pedal. I use it for guitar and vocals. Perfect fuzziness and crunch. Makes my voice sound awesome

Love this pedal it's been around for years and is still one of my favorites.

got this for my son first time i ever used anything other then a BigMuff or a Rat..Make a long story short i gave him my Rat for it..Think im gonna buy the turbo next try that out

This is my first pedal I have owned. Many friends have this pedal and now I see why. It gives a great distortion sound. Looking forward to putting it to good use.

Great distortion stomp box, everything I need. Easy to use, I personally prefer the switch compared to the button to engage. I will be buying alot more boss products.

I bought this to play Nirvana, Should Have Been a Son on bass guitar. It sounds great. This is what Nirvanas bass player used. Love playing along with the recording.

Most people complaining about it are playing a squire bullet thro the 10watt with 6 inch speaker solid state amp that came with the kit, expecting that it will make the amp into a Marshall stack.

This pedal was made to push the front end of a 100w Marshall master volume JCM 800 in the 80s, and it did this one thing really well, turning a low gain crunch into the higher gain trademark sound that you hear on 80s stuff. I know, I was there.

It won't sound great into a clean bright voiced amp, but with a Marshall it just sings. Put it thro a clean JTM 45 or even an Origin 50 and it will work. I had the Origin and it sounded decent thro it. Good enough to gig with.

Thro a clean fender, it will sound buzzy and harsh.

It sounds just as good as it did all those years ago. It's a classic and even today, it's all you need, plus it's great that it's still very affordable for most of us.

Get it, plug into a Marshall and rock out, just like you did all those years ago.

Awesome sound made the power chords like Nirvana

This sits functionally in terms of "bite" (as well as literally) between my SD-1 and Metal Zone pedals. Not too expensive, well built and has refreshingly simple controls. It's a classic. Great packaging and service, as always from Sweetwater.

I really wish I'd gotten one of these sooner. I've had my share of distortion and fuzz pedals but I really like how I can get a bit of both with this pedal. It sounds great with the Dist knob cranked on my already fuzzy Fender Deville More-Drive Channel for a cutting lead tone. Also considering the price, you get a lot of functionality. After seeing one all beat up on Steve Vai's pedalboard, I had to check it out for myself. Glad I did, you will be too.

There's not much left to be said. If you play music that needs distorted guitar, then you should own one of these. A true classic.

Only since the late '70's have guitar players had it this good! It is astonishing to me that this badass-in-a-box is still barely $50.00 and one of the best prices for a genuine Boss guitar effect anywhere! Think about your own tone, your own history and tell me this wasn't a part of it for you at some point---even now!
Screaming solos, the crunchiest rhythm, the deepest and most imotive blues, c'mon now! We all know it and admit it to the accolades to our best musical adherents. So if the rock on the scene in the late '70's is what kept us all safe from disco, we all owe a healthy respect to Boss and the.DS-1!!

Great pedal. Had one for many years then it suddenly disappeared. Bought a new one here at Sweetwater, it was delivered in just a few days and is everything my old one was.

I love it. It's everything I've ever needed.

There are 6 pedals on my board; but this is my favorite, by far. The DS-1, plus a good reverb pedal, is enough to make the simplest tube amp sing. Maybe I will grow up later. Until then, I really like this pedal. It is why I have electric guitars. 6 stars.

This makes my 1980 Ibanez screen like its 1980 again, super clear and heavy sounding love it!

Love the boss pedals in general it sounds great and responds well i have had it for a couple months and its built to last

The pedal came in great condition because of the packaging and worked great. Great pedal for rock tones and is cheap too. Would buy again.

Just right for guys who like bluesy edgy warmer tones or jazz-fusion type without the hard rock sound. Don't get me wrong it can get nasty too, but if you want flaming screaming rock sound get another pedal.

My first pedal!!!couldn't have made a better choice easy to set up and use and great service from Sweetwater and sales tech Andy!!!

Sweetwater does it again. Great equipment at a great price, but what makes it different is the customer service! Shipped right away, calls by my rep to follow up, and candy in the box (so even my wife doesn't mind me ordering stuff).

When growl is enough! A classic and simple signal clip for sure. Distortion and Level amount has plenty of adjustment and the tone control is very active. Using on a bass will off coarse be brighter, so turning the tone down almost full gives me what I need for aggressive in your face better back up cause I'm gonna start wood shedding sound.

With my guitar. Perfect dirt added to a gain channel, drop D tuning it grinds up pavement. All around and always has been reliable.

This thing sounds rad. I'm using it for bass mostly and I never run any pedals. Thought I'd try it out and was pleasantly surprised. I run it very light here and there but it sounds killer. Also, can't beat the price... Definitely worth it and more.

Years ago I built a distortion pedal for a Craig Anderton kit based on this pedal. When that pedal died I started a search for a replacement and found that the old tried and true DS-1 had the best overall sound for my style. These Boss pedal are built like a Tank, I still have a BOSS Octave I bought in the early '80s. Dist. and Fuzz tones are totally subjective but if you're looking for a vintage sounding tone, this pedal delivers and allows you to tune your tone just the way you want it.

Turn the gain almost all the way down, the tone at about 11, and, through a tube amp, you have a good Bluesbreaker pedal. It's quite touch sensitive at those settings. Roll the guitar volume back, ease up on your picking attack, and you can play ballads with the pedal left on. You don't have to wear spandex to appreciate this pedal!

I'm an owner of an original made in japan ds-1. I bought it after hearing that some of my favorite satch songs were recorded with one. So I bought an original. I heard tons of people complaining about the sound. And I've heard terrible examples online. I was like geesh am I going to have to mod this thing.

My rig run down.
LTD Sn-1000w super strat with a Dimarzio virtual vintage 54 pro in the neck.
Carvin BelAir 212 amp.


Let's start with the overwhelming negative feedback (pun intended) people give this thing. If you are having trouble getting good tone out of this be aware of what it can't do as well as what it can.

It CAN'T give you bone crunching bomb dropping metal rhythm riff heaven.
It CAN give you a smoky harmonically rich lead on a tube amp with compression.

It appears to me that this distortion must have been designed around a dark sounding tube amp cranked as loud as it will go with some compression. In that setting this thing is an absolute killer pedal.

The absolute worse thing you could use this on is a Solid state amp with no compression. Yuck. Do you like knives being pierced into your ears cuz that is what you'll get.

If you don't have a tube amp or at least a very convincing valve amp and a compressor. Don't even buy this unless you plan on getting one.

Use these settings for maximum tone
Input Gain - Watch out that your input gain going into the pedal is not set too high. If you do the pedal will just well suck. It can't handle it. At least my vintage one can't not sure about the newer ones.

Output pedal Gain - Maxed. It's very low output so just leave this cranked to the heavens.
Distortion - My sweet spot is around 3pm Yours may very depending on your compression and amp. 3 Oclock or higher is the good zone.

Tone - Never past 12 unless part of your tone revolves around a rolled down tone knob on your guitar.
This part is the secret sauce. Use a compressor AFTER the pedal. I use a transparent sound compressor. I have compression set to a moderate amount with a medium attack.

The louder your amp is cranked the lower your compression and ratio setting needs to be on your compressor.
This is because the compressor is highly effective of squashing those ear piercing highs to a lower value. This is effectively balancing out your tone. Too much compression and your tone can't breath too little and the distortion might become to harsh. Unless that is what you want.

These are just guidelines and depending on how bright or dark your amp is your mileage may very. But I guarantee the use of a compressor and a tube amp will make a huge difference to your sound.

I can roll back the volume knob on my pickup and the sound will clean up nicely. I can go to smoky cleanish, to overdrive to high gain harmonics all by adjusting the volume knob. Again your mileage may very.

All in all this is an awesome pedal if you use it as it was designed to be used. Not much more than I can say then that. I like a moron bought the vintage one at stupid high price for the sake of owning it but the newer model of these pedals are great too if used correctly.

Cheers.

If you are looking for that classic Nirvana sound on a dime-this is your pedal.

I just started buying pedals and this is the first one that I had bought. I am pretty cautious about my purchases and watched a lot of review/demo videos on this pedal just to be sure it was what I wanted, but saw nothing but glowing reviews.

Honestly it does everything you want and for just a fraction of the price of what other distortion pedals cost. I've been having a lot of fun playing around with this, everything from increasing tone to really give it a crisp, clean distortion all the way to just making it a super heavy, dirty distortion. Snag this pedal up! You will not be disappointed. Side note - Pair this bad boy up with a chorus pedal and it sounds even more amazing!

My order was processed quickly and with communication throughout the process. Item arrived as expected. Very pleasant experience.

This is an amazing distortion pedal for beginners

I use this pedal in conjunction with other Boss and various pedals but as a standalone it gives a rich, harmonic distortion that can be boosted with OD or enhanced with further distortion/fuzz pedals. Great value, plays well with others. I use a variety of guitars through it but have one that really makes it sing and that combination of that guitar and this pedal is magic. Most of that magic is the tone I get from my preferred setting on this beastie and it can sing or crunch with the best of them!!!

This Distortion Pedal gives me the exact sound I was looking for. It doesn't overdrive and the clarity is awesome. Thanks again....great product!!

Not much to say there's a reason it's been around for 30 years or so still one of the best pedals you can add to your board

This was the first pedal I ever purchased. I bought it because I am a huge Nirvana fan and wanted to get closer to Kurt Cobain's guitar tone from "Nevermid". This pedal does it! Fair warning though, it sounds WAY better through a clean tube amp than a solid state. Also, I recommend using it with a humbucker guitar because of the strong hiss you get with single coils. You'll thank me later.

This thing truly lives up to its reputation. I"m currently running my Les Paul through this and straight into my Marshall combo with no other effects (besides maybe the reverb setting on the amp) and it sounds absolutely fantastic. For a pedal that"s been an industry standard for decades and sells for as cheap as this, you can"t get much better.

I like it alot

Sweetwater is the best customer friendly company!!! Always a pleasure to deal with, Thanks!!

Sounds great no matter which guitar I use with it (Single Coils, Humbuckers, or EMGs). I run it straight into a Boss Katana 50 and it sounds amazing.

As the title says, I am a self professed tone snob. I have been searching for the perfect rock distortion pedal for a while now, I've been playing for 15 years and mostly play metal. My main amp is a Boogie Mark V, but I wanted something to contrast the super smooth and clean distortion of the MV. I tried out about a dozen boutique fuzz pedals, distortions, and OD's. From Friedman, to Strymon, to blackout effectors. All were great pedals, but as soon as I turned the DS1 on, it was love. It was the exact sound I had been searching for. IT was raunchy and hairy and rude with decent note articulation for those #9 chords. When you put a tube screamer in the chain it boosts it very nicely and can get a cool 80's metal sound. I wouldn't reccomend this pedal for modern metal, but its fantastic for more of a dirty rock sound without going straight for a fuzzface.

I didn't know exactly what to expect from the Boss DS-1 Pedal but I was impressed once I tried it out. I watched some online review videos and the one showed a guy using a Fender Strat, which I have. Whenever I want to see a video review of a pedal, I try to find one where someone is using a Strat. But the thing about a lot of these reviews is that they often run everything through a really good tube amplifier that will make just about anything sound good. What about the guy who only has a cheaper solid state amp? That's what I use for practice.

So I got the pedal and was surprised to find that it had a lot more sustain to it than I had anticipated. This was even at low volumes. My guitar doesn't really have a lot of sustain to it without the use of a compressor, when it is not overdriven. So I kind of hope that the distortion or overdrive pedal I am using will have some sustain to it. Well, this one did.

I have been doing a lot of research online into how certain artists get the sound that they get and I have noticed that many don't just use one distortion pedal. Sometimes they will alternate between a variety of distortion or overdrive pedals and sometimes they will combine some pedals. So I combined the DS-1 with a Tube Screamer and it sounded great. But I did notice that when you combine a Tube Screamer with a number of pedals, it sounds great. You just have to make sure you don't crank the gain on both pedals, just use a little from each or just use the Tube Screamer as a clean boost.

But even by itself the DS-1 sounds great with my Strat. And for the price, it's a great deal. Without a doubt. It's perfect for Classic Rock, which is my favorite genre. If you want something that's for deep dark, blistering Heavy Metal, this is not the pedal I'd recommend.

There is a lot of control over the tone with the tone knob, which makes it fairly easy to dial in a quality tone. When I combine it with a Tube Screamer, I like to set the tone for the Tube Screamer high on the treble side and crank the tone down low on the DS-1. I like to have pre-distortion treble boosted and have the distortion set with the tone on the low end. It gives it some bite while still having sustain. It works well when you are operating at low volumes and can't rely too much on the resonance of a cabinet like you would be able to at high volumes.

It works well for my needs and what I am looking for. But you have to know what kind of sound you are looking for and getting that sound may require some playing around. You have to experiment really. I think a lot of guitar players just want to plug into a pedal and get the sound they want. But the reality is that you will often have to tweak the sound a bit by playing around with the settings. That's what I have come to discover. And I think that's why some people have given this pedal a bad rating and maybe an unfair rap. They just expect to have that perfect sound without really experimenting with the settings. And when they don't get the sustain they want from a distortion pedal at low volumes for individual practice purposes, they crank the distortion up. Then when they do play at higher volumes at band rehearsals and gigs with the distortion cranked all the way up, it sounds unclear or downright horrible.

This pedal will work great for Classic Rock but you just have to know how to use it. You might have to just experiment with the settings.

Great value, well made, fast delivery, good candy sent in package, what else can I say! I'm in love!

What can I say about a classic? I forgot how good these sound. I picked one up to give myself a little more versatility without always having to adjust settings between songs (we play everything from country to Disturbed). I went with the classic because, well, it's a classic and it sounds great! For $... you won't get a better distortion.

I'm running a Tele with 2 humbuckess through a Fender Supersonic 22. I have a Tube Screamer and DS-1 in front, with the Spark Mini after the DS-1. I run chorus, flange, and delay through the effects loop. The Screamer and DS-1 give me just about everything I need on the clean side. I only use the dirt channel for my heavier stuff.

All pedals are Boss, unless otherwise noted. Here's my setup order (for those who care):
Compressor, Dunlop wah, Whammy, Tube Screamer, DS-1, TC Spark Mini - all out in front of the amp.

Tuner (moot point, but it's there), flange, chorus, delay - through the effects loop.

May not be everybody's cup of tea, but it works for what I do.

Works as advertised. Sounds great. Boss pedals always last for years. I have had a Boss overdrive and chorus pedal since the 80's, still working fine. This distortion pedal has the sound I've been looking for.

This pedal gets a bad rap; I don't know why. Lots of usable sonic real estate with this one. Everything from a throaty, blues OD (Tone 9 o'clock, Distortion 7 o'clock, Level 1 o'clock), searing Gilmour tones (Tone 9 o'clock, Distortion 2 o'clock, Level 1 o'clock) to a smooth fuzz (Tone 7 o'clock, Distortion 3 o'clock, Level 5 o'clock). Love it. Fantastic tone, quality box, cheap price.

Great sounding old school distortion. If your looking for modern metal sound do not get this pedal and leave bad review. It does what it is meant to do. should be used with tube amp. modeling amps will sound bad, but can be used to boost leads.

Works great. So glad we found you.

Ok ive read the reviews and i must say everyone wants to copy sombody else not me im out to create my own signature sound this pedal is perfect for that.

I love this thing!

I just got this in the mail this morning, ever since then i have been trying it out...I AM TOTALLY BLOWN AWAY AND RECOMMEND THIS PEDAL TO ANYONE! YOU MUST BUY IT! YOU'LL NEVER FIND A DISTORTION PEDAL THIS GOOD! 10 STARS! :D And thank you sweetwater for your excellent
customer service your sales engineers help a lot!!!

This pedal will give that crunchy heavy sound you’ve been looking for. It’s also very versatile being able to produce tones for just a little bit of break up al lithe way to heavy grungy sounding tones. It also sounds amazing on lead parts.

I purchased this item for my son for Christmas. He absolutely loves it!!! Quote - "this is awsome!" Also, great service! And the candy in the box was a nice little surprise!!!

Running a Gretsch 7680 Super Axe through this into a 1958 tweed Bassman. Built-in phaser in the Gretsch is ON, built-in compressor is OFF. Amazing sound. As good as I could have wanted and better than expected. Not used to saying that!

I have this pedal with the JCM mod, wow!!! what a killer pedal, sounds great thru my Blackstar club 40 and Gibson Les Paul Studio Pro.

This pedal does everything I want it to do for great distortion sound---levels, & tone---without all the.
"fancy" features that some other distortion pedals have. Paid a very reasonable price for this pedal, too!

Been using boss ds1 since high school. Finally got around to replacing my 30 year old pedal, sounds just as good as my old one.

Love this pedal, vintage distortion from the 70s/80s/90s. I don't know why it is so cheap, I mean $49? Are you kidding me? It's a no brainer. This pedal is a must have for any rocker out there. It's a staple in my lineup. BOSS generally makes pretty good pedals I must say. I put my tone, level & distortion all at 12 o clock (or halfway) & I just rock. I play a lot of punk stuff, Kurt Cobain went as far to say that he thought the DS-1 was largely responsible for his tone. I think he's right, I nail Nirvana songs with this pedal.

I love this thing! Amazing range, very tweak able, I'm just learning some of the tones and sounds I can get out of it, but the sky's the limit. Great pedal!

If Rock Music was a salad, then Distortion would be the most important ingredient. With the Boss Distortion pedal, you decide how much Distortion to add or remove from your sound (salad).

This is my 2nd one. Just love the sound of this pedal.

Well worth the money. It is truly a great pedal. I am glad t o have it on my board.

I'm new to pedals and wow is this one great. It gives me the distortion I want when I'm playing. Great price too and amazing customer service. I would definitely recommend this to whoever needs a good distortion pedal for the price.

This is my first distortion pedal. I really don't use it anymore just because I'm getting into more sophisticated and intricate sorts of pedals ie. Wampler, etc., but for starting out dude this pedal rocks. I layer it on fuzz and boost and compressor and man it screams. Great tone control too. Lots of those highs or keep it bassy. In any event, grab one of these if you're more of a novice perhaps.

This pedal is by far one of the great classics from Boss. Its a must have for a nice addition to the board setup. And its a pedal that can take anything you want to throw @ it... For the price you can't beat it, I am glad I have it. Sweetwater has your back for all your musical needs.

If you want one pedal to replace your Fuzz, Overdrive and Distortion pedals get this DS-1 and do the Fromel Supreme modification. Granted the mod costs 20 bucks and takes several hours soldering in new components but when you are done you have a very sweet pedal that can do smooth Fuzz, good overdrive and very controllable dirty distortion.
Blew me away, could sound almost as good as my Keeley Fuzz Head and my Fulltone Full-Drive 2. What a bargain!

This is my first pedal, and I really enjoy the sound of this pedal and how easy it is to set it up.

I grew up listening to 60's and 70's rock, and THIS is the sound. I've got a Boss ME-50 multi-effects unit that has a DS-1 setting, but this totally blows it away in sound quality and tone because it's the real deal. Highly adjustable and you can get great sounds of it all over the dials. I absolutely love this pedal and it far surpasses anything else I've ever played. I even use it on the dirty channel on my Marshall DSL and it just enhances that already-great sounding channel and adds harmonics and a whole different dynamic.

This distortion pedal does the job and does it well. I'm really an "effects processor" kind of guy. I have an old Peavey Tube/Fex and Eleven Rack. I love them, but you always have a bit of delay (latency) when switching between effects or features. This creates a challenge when you're the only guitarist in a band and you have to be able to switch between a clean tone and a distorted one instantly. I've purchased "boutique" pedals before and been very disappointed in them in the long run. Many of them sound great at low volumes but fizzle out at high volumes. I'm driving a 4x12 cabinet with a Mesa Boogie 50/50, as many of you know, the louder you get, the better the sound gets. You really have to drive those tubes to get that rich, creamy full body sound a tube amp provides. I'm using a Fender Stratocaster and really like to use the neck and center pick up. I've struggled to find a good distortion pedal that will give me the right amount of gain while maintaining the rich full tone the neck and center pickup provide. The DS-1 really delivers! Sadly I've spent over 100.00 in the past for pedals that go flat when I need them to deliver. So even at 49.00 I was skeptical of the DS-1. After having used it, am surprised to say it's the best value to performance item I have ever purchased. Everyone should own this pedal.

I bought one of these used, but wanted to throw my review up here since I usually do business with Sweetwater. I am running this through a POD HD500 with an HSS strat and none of the distortion pedals on the POD were giving me exactly what I was looking for, so this is a nice addition. If I pull the distortion all the way back and set the tone about halfway it cleans up nicely and gives me a sound much like you;d get from Frusciante's tone. If I switch over to the neck pickup and set my guitar volume down a few notches, and pull the tone down on the guitar, it gives me a nice bluesy characteristic. I was using compression pedals to boost my cleans and add that bite, but this pedal doesn't need it. I also tested some Nirvana riffs and it distorted quite well without sounding shrill or too sharp - it sounded like Nirvana. This pedal is very versatile and will work well in a large variety of settings, whether you are playing funk, blues, grunge or anything in between. I wouldn't recommend this pedal for thrash metal.

Just got this today, and it is just plain awsome. I play through an AC15 and needed a distortion pedal since the amp doesn't have a distortion channel. I play pop punk like blink 182, and the pedal helps get that modern sounding distortion. You can also get many versatile sounds.

A classic pedal! 49 dollars! Enough said!!

I have had this pedal in the 80's, it sounder great then and it sounds great today. I have distortion pedals in the price range of $50- $200. Take away the price tag this is my do too pedal. It has great over tones. You will be able to get the sound you are looking for. You just can't beat A classic.

My favourite distortion pedal. I own quite a few, this and a tube amp is :-)

I'm happy with the product, the service has been excellent.
I liked the extra that they put on every order.

Estoy contento con el producto, el servicio ha sido excelente.
Me ha gustado el plus que le ponen a cada orden.

They called and varified my order mailed it immediately and it was exactly what I ordered, along with a few sweets. Totally happy and will do business again

I will start by saying that I've been playing guitar professionally for many years and guitar for 26 years.
I've tried all sorts of boutique boxes and then some (I used to own a music store so that helped) and having just bought me a DS-1 I am totally blown away by it. This, and the SD-1 are the two BEST pedals for drive I've ever played, period. I would never even think about modding them becasue I think it would ruin their beautiful tone. If you are a good guitar player, and your rig is good. You will sound brilliant using these two boxes. THANK YOU BOSS! I also found that it doubles as a suistainer, too, which is very cool. The knobs seem to work differently than in any other pedal I've used before. You will see what I mean if you turn the volume to 0 and check it against any other Boss pedal.

Fast delivery and the best customer service i've ever seen

For a pricee like this you will never get a better pedal! This is the best distortion pedal made in my opinion. I use this pedal everyday and for almost every song. I play punk rock and you can really get that Blink-182 style punk sound from this pedal.

I bought one of these 10 years ago, I was 15 and wanted a distortion pedal, best $40 I ever spent. All the other pedals near this price range were cheap plastic junk, but my DS-1 is still going strong to this day (a bit chipped up from abuse, and drawn on with permanant marker for my settings, but works fine!). Great for all the punk and rock bands I've been in. Since then, I've bought 8 more BOSS pedals, and have an SD-1 on the way. Love it!

Wow! You really can't get a better pedal for the price. This will probably always be the best pedal $50 and under. It is great for a good ac/dc and zeppelin classic rock tone, along with the classic Nirvana sound. It can even get into a bit of a Metallica tone if the drive is turned up all the the way and mids are scooped. Great overall guitar pedal.

This pedal offers an amazing range of distortion, depending on your style. It's not your hardcore metal distortion, but it'll provide a nice rock distortion that will knock your socks off. If you are new to guitar, this pedal can give you a head start.

I'm a pro-musician and I do mod lots of pedals. The Boss DS1 has a good tone of its own as stock. But modding it will unlock its full potential. I always mod all my DS1 pedal. It has three gain options namely the Hi-gain, the crunch distortion and the FAT OD that sounds like Boss discontinued od pedal SD2. All three gain tones sound smooth that I can set the tone knob at 2-3 o'clock. It also blends well with my other Boss pedals like CH1 and DD3.

BTW, I always buy at Sweetwater. With Free shipping, get your Boss DS1 as in right now! Sweetwater has the best deal.

I really wanht to brag on the sweetwater service. As soon as I ordered, they sent me an e-mail congratulating me on my purchase, they called my house less than 5 minutes after I ordered. I had never experienced anything like sweetwater's service. oh yeah, and here's a plus - FREE SHIPPING!

I love this pedal - Over the years Boss has slightly changed this pedal - This is the 3rd Opamp used in the DS1. I like the current production DS1s the best. They have a sharp upper midrange with a very clear, open dynamic tone. Not as much mids as a SD1 or DS1 - still very full. I use this through the clean ch of a Marshall JCM900 with 6L6 Groove Tubes reissue GE Power Tubes and reissue Mullard GT12AX7M along with a Mahogany custom hamer that has JS Fred Pickups. I set the tone on the DS1 and 55% - the Gain at 65% and the volume at 50% - You have to really dig into your strings - the tone is very dynamic and Satriani Like. The DS1 also mixes well with effects - I use a CH1 or a CE5 Chorus and a DD3 Delay. This is my favourite pedal - From classic rock to metal it really delivers

I've owned this pedal for slightly over two years. Still sounds exactly like new. Plus, it has Boss quality. I stomp hard and it has maybe 3 very small paint chips. My friend also has this pedal, and loves the sound. I personally think this is the best distortion pedal in any price range.

I bought this pedal a long long time ago probably in 1984. When I heard this pedal for the first time it simply astonished me to the highest degree due to its so smooth, screaming and unbelieveable sustaining sound. I use it at various settings and it gives you a perfect sound whether it is hard rock or soft distortion situation it handles all of them so well. It is evident from this fact that its now more than 20 years has passed & I have never replaced it with another one simply because it is so versatile and simple to use. As now I am no more a teenager so I now mostly sets its Drive at 3 & Tone at 10 O'clock and it produces mellow and soft distortion for chords and solo work as well. I also have Boss Heavy Metal and Ibanez Sonic distortion pedals but I love this pedal a lot and I always feel comfortable with it because its sound variety & quality is simply the best. The current draw of this particular pedal is very nominal so no worries if you are using battery it would last quite long. As far as durablilty is concerned believe me I have no words to describe it as it never caused me any trouble for the last two decades. I recommend everyone to check out this pedal and I hope it won't disappoint you. Thanks & regards.

I've owned my DS-1 for about 10 years, and I have to say it's the most versatile distortion pedal I've ever used, on-stage or in the studio.

When used with an amp's clean channel, it has the most useful range of gain of any pedal I've ever used... from tasty subtle crunch, to sweet singing gain. With the 'Dist' control on max, and the 'Tone' at 9 o'clock, I can only describe the sound as a candy-sweet tone that's not over-saturated. For my tastes, it's a great tone for rhythm or leads.

When used in front of an amp's dirty channel, I use it mainly as a subtle gain boost. With all controls set below 12 o'clock, it compresses the signal just a bit, and adds a nice touch of sustain for solos.

I've used the cheapest and the most expensive distortion pedals/pre-amps over the years (tube and solid state), and this one has remained my go-to for a long time. In my opinion, it's very versatile, and works best in front of an awesome tube amp. I've never tried to achieve the modern metal sound with this pedal, so I can't comment on whether or not it's useful in that application. However, if you're looking for a way to expand your amp's tonal range, give this pedal a serious look.

I have been using the BOSS DS-1 Distortion pedal for as long as I can remember!! It is a very well built and reliable pedal. It can be clean or down right dirty whenever the music calls for it.
It is very easy to use and is of the highest quality! This is only the second DS-1 I have ever had to buy in a 20 year period and trust me my first one got a real work-out on the road.
This pedal is a "Must Have" for anyone looking for a High Quality Distortion stomp box for an unbelievable price!!
Thank-You to Boss and Sweetwater..

I had this pedal when I was younger and lost it in a fire. I bought it again because of the nostalgia. It still doesn't disappoint. With the vast array of distortion pedal options available today, I wouldn't exactly consider this a distortion pedal, but rather a boost pedal. It makes any other distortion pedal's tone better sound far more pro when stacked. Place the DS 1 first. It makes any amp moduler amp sound more like a tube. Tip: the gain and tone knobs are very sensitive and you hardly ever need to turn them above noon unless you're really wanting thin sounding treble. I keep my tone knob at noon and the gain at 10:00 and my solos soar.

I haven't experimented much, but I've found the DS-1 is really nice as a light distortion (tone at noon, distortion down, level at 1 o'clock) and has helped provide some great new sounds for my songs. Really great for only around $!

If you haven't heard the glory of humbuckers into a DS1 into a dirty Marshall, you need to do it now. It's the sound you've heard on hundreds or thousands of records. If you played any hard rock or metal, you must try this. There's a reason over 1.5 million have sold.

The DS-1 is a good pedal when you know its quirks. It requires some basic rules to be used properly. Rule 1: Never turn the Tone control past 11 o'clock. I personally like it at between 9 and 10 o'clock. Turned up much more than that and your tone becomes a rusty razor blade that will encourage your bandmates to find a replacement for you the moment you leave rehearsal. Rule 2: The level control is used to match the input of your guitar signal. It is not a MORE knob. Rule 3: Understand that this pedal shines brightest when you do your homework and mod it.

Modding your DS-1: I personally recommend replacing the clipping diodes with L.E.D.'s and replacing the caps with silver mica caps. Experiment with different values and find what works for you. The quality of the tone is directly proportional to the quality of parts you use. Use your meter to measure values before soldering them in. You might be surprised at how far off written values are to actual values. Keep notes, have fun. If you stumble onto a magic combo, you will have a DS-1 that is truly special and musical. I own 3-4 of these, all modified. I never use this pedal in its stock configuration. However, I have used this pedal on every recording using high gain. Try turning the gain all the way down and using it as a lead boost for solos into your already heavily overdriven amp. It'll make you smile.

Alt rock, indie rock, and alt metal are my main genres and this pedal can do them all with pretty much no problem. The only reason it's not five stars is that it can have some trouble with sheer heaviness, but its still the DS-1 for crying out loud. If you don't already have it, get one. If you need a reliable, affordable dirt pedal that sounds great then get one.

High quality basic distortion pedal. Nothing fancy but sounds great! Doesn't seem to have changed much over the years.

Every guitar player should have one. I switched out my RAT for this and I'm really happy with it. This is the distortion I've been looking for, for a long time. I dismissed it for years because of the price. I thought there's no way a pedal that cheap could be good. I was so wrong. Get this. You won't be disappointed. Stack it with an SD-1 and you can get huge melt your face metal!!!

You've heard it in your favorite 80's rock and you can find it when you plug it in. Uncomplicated in its tone adjustment; gain can reach less desirable mixes but you don't have to go there just because it can.
It doesn't make sense to compare this to boutique pedals that cost 4x DS-1's price, because that's not what you buy it for.

I was impressed by the build (same as all Boss pedals) and packaging (dressy) for a pedal this inexpensive as well.

Tonight when I got it, I decided to put it on a table so I could have better access to the knobs while playing/trying out settings. In the end I liked to put the distortion on the absolute lowest setting believe it or not. It reminds me of a sound I used to get out of an old Tandy mixer - where I would put the mic level to ten, and the output very low (homemade distortion circa 1985). I played an SG through through the DS-1 and found the tone control to be very sensitive in a good way. While playing the bridge pickup, I could reach down and decrease the tone a tiny bit - and vice versa for the neck pickups.
I believe there is no "perfect" pedal. I think they are parts of a puzzle to help you get some good sound. Sweetwater is a good company and the pedal came in approx. 3 days. PS - the pedal comes with a 9 volt battery.

Classic pedal - delivers exactly what I expected.

Just received mine in the mail. Only played it for 10 minutes, but it does nearly everything I need it to do. Gives me all the gain I need.

Sounds good in combination with another reverb pedal I have.

In my many years of guitar playing, I've always viewed this box with suspicion. But, I ordered one and I really love it. On its own, it's quite biting (in a way that I don't really like). But, plugging it into a drive channel really gives a nice singing tone.

A great sounding pedal for a low price

... which is a boost for a tube amp. Plug this thing into a solid state amp and it'll sound like sandpaper rubbed over your private parts, which might be the sound you're looking for. But put it in front of a decent tube amp and you'll see why it's still around after 30+ years.

Much maligned, and even more celebrated, the Boss DS-1 has been around for over 30 years now. It's been used by guitarists like Cobain and Satriani, and you can have one all for your own at $50 or less. Oh, and BOSS pedals are also some of the most durable on the planet, so it will still work 30 years from now.

If this pedal cost more, my gripes would be more severe. It has low output (you need to turn the Level up pretty far to match your clean tone). It can sound a bit thin and harsh on the high end. And the tone control doesn't really allow you to fix any of those problems.

But for most non-professionals, it will absolutely get the job done. Probably the most recognizable guitar pedal and a virtual must-own, even if you don't always love it.

This pedal is so pure. Its circuit has remained virtually unchanged since 1978, when it was designed to emulate the cranked-stack distortion sounds of that era--think all those great albums by the Ramones, 'Pistols, early Judas Priest, etc.--the cutting edge of the time. In front of a good tube amp, you get exceptional dynamics and huge warmth and sizzle. Personally, I plug it into the clean channel of my BDRI, turn the "level" knob all the way up to drive the preamp, turn the "gain" knob to saturate to taste, and keep the "tone" knob either at 10- or 2 o'clock. No, it won't make my Fender sound like a Marshall. It's just good-old-fashioned diode-clipping goodness, and does what it does best when it interacts with your guitar and amp to help you create your signature sound (hey, Kurt Cobain couldn't go wrong!). I might mod it later on with germanium diodes, but it is fine the way it is, too.

Classic sound, perfect addition to my pedal board. Fits right in with the vintage pedals I have.

It has great highs on lows, but lacks on the middle sounds. Its great for that hard rock feeling and for those who enjoy softer sounds. Alone the pedal sounds good and with an overdrive playing the sound will blow you away.

I do vocals and guitar
in a 3 piece band this pedal is my main stomp box
(GREAT FOR NIRVANA) easy to use and tons of settings with tone knob.

I bought the Boss DS-1 Distortion pedal to try to
make my Stratocaster sound like Hendrix. It does the job pretty well with the knobs at a centered position, but turning the distortion knob past the middle position, begins to approach a level of distortion that ends up so extreme, that it almost stops sounding like a guitar.

The Boss DS -1 distortion pedal is a well built pedal. It sounds really good with a few adjustment's on your amplifier and placing it in the right place on your pedalboard.

Simple pedal to set up and use. Great sound! Bought as a gift for my Grandson, and he loves it!

Pretty good range of tone, good for chugging, fun and really not all that confusing to use! this thing gets its fair share of flak for being incredibly binary but it's a great distortion pedal for if you want a simple, easy to use pedal :)

Solid pedal at a reasonable price.

For the price of this pedal, it sounds good it can compete with the more expensive guitar pedals.A big shout out to T J Jackson getting this pedal to me.

Now, I like to write some pretty long reviews but there is little to say that hasn't been said before. It's a DS-1. you don't need a Waza or an X behind it to make this little thing any better. I recently took it off my board because I love the overdriven tone of the Behringer Tube Monster, but that is hard to say it is worse. Honestly, this little box is a real joy and I can't think of much that could improve upon it. It does what it does! Unfortunately, it does what it does well, and doesn't do much more. This thing rocks a distortion, not an overdrive. If you want a sleeper pedal for thrash and heavy metal, it does great, but to tighten up your low end or sound like a marshall about with an almost blown speaker, then get a Bonsai or a Tube Monster. If your gear snobbery keeps you from having something like a DS-1 on their board, you can always get a Waza or a RAT.

There's a reason this one has been around since 1978. It will do everything from a light fuzz to heavy distortion. Adds god midrange punch to my setup. Bang for the buck this is probably as good as it gets.

To be honest while trying to get the sound I wanted i was using my Boss Katana. I hadn't used all that the Katana had to offer. I set the amp up with reverb and delay and struck gold. I also have a Morly wah/ distortion tied in. And again its working great without the ds1 connected. I also bought a Bugera amp and I have yet to try the ds1 with it. But its coming. The ds1 is the best stomp box out there I just haven't found the right combination for it yet. More testing needed.

This is our first Pedal and it works great! Definitely need to buy a power cord for it. Battery life isn"t long enough.... Need to change batteries every other day. Eventually will purchase a board and power bar for more pedal options.

Buy two. Modify one, leave the other stock. The DS-1 and the MojoMojo are two good intro to dirt/drive/distortion pedal choices, offering solid rock tone on the cheap. My modified DS-1 is a prize pedal, I understand a whole lot more about building my individual guitar/amp sound after doing the mods. It may be an old dinosaur but it stil rocks a million for the dough---Boss DS-1. After all these years, still the best intro pedal.

I think the Boss DS1 does what it is supposed to do. I am not an experienced guitar player so my review is only as good as my own abilities. I believe an experienced player would be happy with this product.

Very satisfied with the DS-1.

works fine

I primarily use this pedal with an EPI Les Paul and a Marshall JCM900 quarter stack (2x12 celestions) for classic rock type distortion. Turning down the tone control gets me a really sweet fusion sound (a.k.a. Alan Holdsworth) with substantial sustain. Good all round distortion and for the price more satisfying than a lot of boutique pedals

This pedal is just about everything a beginner needs in an overdrive pedal. It can go from a mild overdrive to fuzz with the twist of a knob. My only complaint is that if you turn up the distortion high, there is a lot of hissing, but if you have a filter pedal that shouldn't be a problem. Great value and a great pedal!

For 40 bucks, the Boss DS-1 is the best Distortion value on the market!

The Boss DS-1 has been found on the pedal boards of George Lynch, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Eric Johnson, and Curt Cobain, among others. It produces everything from subtle clipping to extreme distortion. It has a fairly tight bass response with a sharp treble attack and what sounds to be a mid-boost in about the 800 khz range. With the DS-1’s tone and drive knobs rolled back and your guitar set to the neck pickup, you can get a singing, sustaining sound reminiscent of Eric Johnson’s instrumental version of “Cliff’s of Dover'. Turn up the DS-1's gain and treble and switch to the a bridge HB Pickup and you are in 80's Metal Territory!

Because of it’s low price, the DS-1 is the ideal distortion pedal to use for experimentation in do it yourself modifications (DYI). There are plenty of DS-1 DYI circuits readily available on the net and, even if you totally screw it up, you’re only out $40!

A bit rough for me, but I had to use it to see. Garcia used one,and he never sounded too rough.

Bought this pedal for awesome price, which is hard to beat. Plugged the pedal and distortion was good but didn't really stand out. I haven't gone well with Boss products, to me they don't sound that great. Sent this back to Sweetwater in exchange for a chorus pedal. I will stick to my Fulltone OCD pedal instead. 3/5 stars.

I bought this to modify, specifically the "diode clip" mod, which actually makes it nice sounding (no "fizz") and loud enough (increased output). Unfortunately, when I opened it, the circuitry was inaccessible... looks like sometime in the last few years, Boss started manufacturing these differently, making home modification impossible. In stock form, this pedal is OK... not many usable sounds and not enough output, but serviceable.

So, I have one of these, but I didn't order it from Sweetwater. I would not recommend this pedal.
I like the general tone of it, but there is always a strong hiss when it's switched on. Also its is supper fizzy at high distortion levels. Like a bad fuzz pedal. I bought it for Nirvana's guitar tone, but maybe I should've gotten the DS-2.

I like it its a start to building my own sound I will be getting a few more boss pedals effects until I am satisfied with a certain tones punch long caring kind of sound. Thank you sweet water.

When I got it I expected a Grunge type pedal. Nope! There are very few usable positions on this thing but I do use it in a band. I wanted a gross loud fuzz that sounded like no other. If you turn the Tone to 2 O'clock and the distortion all the way up you can achieve this. So I do use it but, if I wanted a distortion I wouldn't go for this. I suggest a boss metal zone. OK I'm kidding this sounds better than that LOL. I also tried modding this but the pedal no longer has the classic board with all the capacitors and everything. Now its just a small cube and so i'm stuck with this. All pedals seem to be like this now and I am sad because I love modding pedals. :'( Oh well what can I do. \m/

Don't take the 3 star rating as bad. This is a great pedal to start out with. I only rate it as three because once you start comparing it to some boutique and higher end pedals, it doesn't do the job. But if you're just starting out, barely joined a band and need to switch between clean and distortion, or if you're a parent looking to buy your budding guitarist a distortion pedal, this is a great pedal. I'm grateful to have played on this pedal for a number of years.

Should have spent a few extra bucks and gotten the OS2, but this is a good pedal for the money. It's been around for 30 years and works like it's supposed to.

Not a very good pedal out of the box. But if you take out the clipping diodes (d4,d5) sounds sooo much better it'd get 5 stars all day if it came stock like that.

Stock, this pedal sounds like a chainsaw. I get amazed at all the reviews here. Sorry to disapoint but I just think this thing sounds very harsh. However, replacing the stock components with better ones makes this pedal shine. I like the durability of Boss but unless it's modded it nothing more than an expensive paper weight.

Modify it and you have winner.

I don't see any reviews complaining about the loud hiss. I do, however, read on other reviews, outside of Sweetwater, how loud this pedal is, even with low gain settings. You definitely get what you pay for. I will probably throw mine away and try the RAT.

Battery died in a few days w limited use. Very disappointing.

I purchased this pedal to do one song in my studio. Normally my music is acoustic guitar based. The problem with this pedal is you either have total distortion or over distortion. In other words, you cannot "ease into the effect". It's either fully distorted or fully distorted plus some distortion. Perhaps mine is defective, who knows. I just think this pedal exemplifies the old saying "You get what you pay for"

great price, built rock solid too. BOSS products are top notch, in my humble opinion. PERFECT for that 80's metal guitar tone, ala Dokken, Ozzy, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, etc... it can also do blues with the gain turned down. It really DOES let your guitar's natural tone shine thru, unlike alot of other pedals - no muddiness here. I've used it with both my Strat and my Les Paul, and with some tweaking of the tone control, it works great with either one. It won't give enough gain for Death Metal, but there are other pedals for that... \m/^_^\m/ It goes best with a cranked tube amp, but if your gonna use it with a solid state amp, run it thru the CLEAN channel, bypassing the solid state's distortion altogether.

Useful little thing. Holds like a tank, sounds like a modern-rocker's favourite distortion pedal for much less the cost. Great little thing, especially for those getting their first distortion pedal. Easiest thing to use in the universe.