called paradise). But vs65r is not match very well with
dual overdirver then cheap 20W amp
Reliability: 10
I rely this pedal. Very hard....made of
steel. Sometimes I use this pedal in stead of hammer.
I use this pedal
with gig with my band.
Customer Support: N/A
I buied this pedal 50 thousand won
($60) used.
No repared.
Overall Rating: 9
I play old rock, blues and Thrash such as
Metallica.
This pedal is very good when playing punk.
Submitted by CHOI
WOO YOUNG at 12/01/1999 06:01
Price Paid: US $130 including the switch
Ease of Use: 10
i have the external switch ($25- gosh!). and
and u'd have to be a monkey not to be able to use the different modes, w/
or w/o the optional switch.
Sound Quality: 8
i love "lead". it's got almost as much gain
as the metal zone pedal but it retains some of the warmth of an overdrive
pedal. the "lead" gets a 10.
the "crunch" is kinda odd. it tries to do
the tube screamer transparent thing, but it can't. on lower gain settings
there's not enough sustain. on higher gain settings there's more sustain
than a tube screamer but it gets all fuzzy all of a sudden. it's not
nearly as articulate as my $30 ts-5 tube screamer.
Reliability: 10
Customer Support: N/A
Overall Rating: 9
well, i'd love to have the sd-2 for the
"lead" mode and have the tube screamer in the same rig for more dynamic
playing, but i have to lug around other pedals for compression, modulation
& delay... so i live with the "crunch" mode. would i buy it again?
depends if there's a comparable pedal w/ a better tube screamer sound- i'd
have to research that. the product gets an 8 for tone and an additional
point for the convenience of 2 modes.
Submitted by Anonymous at 10/06/1999 11:16
Price Paid: US $100 (yes I got screwed somewhat)
Ease of Use: 10
The thing about this pedal is that it's
stupefyingly easy to find a good sound with it IF you're looking for a
different overdrive sound. I liked the sound, so I got it. There's
technically 7 knobs on it: [Crunch] Level, Tone, Drive, [Lead] L,T,D, mode
selector switch.
The manual for this pedal is incredibly detailed. It
also gives 8 suggested settings and another page so you could write down
settings. Pretty cool.
Sound Quality: 9
I've used this with two amps so far, a
Peavey KB/A 100 and a Danelectro Nifty Fifty, and two guitars: A Univox
Hi-Flier and a Peavey Raptor Plus. I think I like the sound with the
Univox through the KB/A 100 the best. Feedback is unavoidable on certain
settings (i.e. high-gain Lead), but it's controllable, so it's cool. It's
never really noisy for a distortion pedal. I mean, sure there's some
noise, but it comes to be expected. I use this with a couple of pedals: a
Boss BF-2 and an Ibanez CS-5 Chorus. I can tweak it right and get a Rush
sound with the chorus, and if I tweak more, I can get Foo Fighters sounds.
I had a weird experience with this pedal. I was playing the Univox with
the Nifty Fifty. I had the Dano at full clean sound, and I kicked the
pedal. There was almost no change in the sound! It was weird, but it
doesn't do that anymore. It's always a really driving distortion.
NOT
FOR FUCKING HEAVY METAL!
Reliability: 10
I hate to use clichés, but IT'S A BOSS and it
will never DIE!
Customer Support: N/A
The Boss people probably sit around
jerking off and watching porno while people bitch in their ears about the
Power Driver....
Not Applicable
Overall Rating: 10
I used to have a Danelectro Fab Tone. God,
I loved that pedal! But it was way too much, so I got this. It fits my
style perfectly. The coolest part about this pedal would have to be the
dual distortions
Submitted by evaD
reffahS at 08/19/1999 21:11
Price Paid: US $89.99
Ease of Use: 10
There shouldn't be a problem getting a good
sound out of this thing because it only has 4 knobs, and one of them is
just for switching between lead and crunch. The manual is good, it gives
you some setttings you can use, and some other useful stuff.
Sound Quality: 9
I use an Ibanez RG270 with a cheap 15-watt
practice amp and also a Fender Ultimate Chorus(I use my 15-watt practice
amp because I leave my Fender amp over where I practice at with my band.)
Anyway, it's not as noisy as those DOD distortion pedals, it's pretty
quiet, even on high settings. The pedal sounds sounds real good, not
recommended for Metal though. If you have Reverb on your amp, this pedal
is really going to sing, but if you have a 15-watt amp, it's going to
sound alright. I use this pedal for the Carlos Santana stuff and for some
Alternative rock. I use this pedal with a BOSS DD-5 Digital Delay and it
really kicks butt with the DD-5. When I combine the DD-5 with the SD-2, my
cheap 15-watt amp sounds like a $500 amp. It makes it sound like my
Ultimate's Chorus's distortion channel. Combining these both pedals gives
it a reverb-type of effect to your non-reverbrated amp.
Reliability: 10
These BOSS pedals are built like what they
like....a tank. You can use it to make holes on your wall, throw it at a
brick wall, use it as a hammer, have a car run over it, and it will still
work fine! No backup is necesary!
Customer Support: N/A
Never dealt with them.
Overall Rating: 9
I play mostly classic rock and some
alternative rock. This pedal does real good match with what I play. I've
been playing for 5 years, and I own a BOSS DD-5 Digital Delay, BOSS CE-5
Chorus Ensemble, and a Dunlop Original Crybaby. If it were lost or stolen,
I'd go out and buy it again. One favorite feature that I like is the
switching between Lead and Crunch. you can have light distortion, and
switch to heavy distortion without moving any knobs in seconds.
Submitted by Anonymous at 07/22/1999 21:37
Price Paid: US $50 used
Ease of Use: 9
It's easy to get a good sound out of this
pedal. It has the three settings that we're all used to "Level," "Tone,"
and "Drive." You have two modes to play with, though, "Crunch," and the
slightly more distorted "Lead," each mode having its own controls via
clever two-tiered knobs. You can switch between modes just by stomping on
the pedal, but I have to say that YOU ARE NOT MAKING THE MOST OF THIS
PEDAL WITHOUT USING AN EXTERNAL FOOTSWITCH. The options for switching on
the pedal don't give you the convenience to go between sounds that using
an external pedal (I highly recommend the Roland FS-5L because it's easy
to step on) does.
Sound Quality: 7
I'm using a variety of guitars and amps with
this pedal. My primary guitar and amp are a Music Man Silhouette with EMGs
into a Boogie .50 Caliber.
Like most Boss pedals, this one is quiet in
operation and in bypass.
The distortion sounds are very good, but like
most Boss pedals, the sound doesn't stand out. The sustain of the
distortion is not so great, and even at the most extreme settings, it just
doesn't scream.
The "Crunch" mode is great for backing rhythyms in hard
rock/punk songs. The sound is fairly well articulated. I keep the "Lead"
mode louder and with more drive for leads. When I have an extended lead,
though, or when I really want to stand out, I use something with a little
more chutzpah, like a Real Tube or a Tech 21 XXL.
In situations where I
want to cut down on gear, this pedal is a godsend with it's two modes.
Reliability: 9
We all know how dependable Boss pedals are. I
don't recommend beating on them, though, because the knobs are only
plastic. I assume that the two-tiered knobs on this pedal are a little
more succeptable to abuse than usual.
Customer Support: N/A
I've used over 20 Boss pedals, and I've
never needed help.
Overall Rating: 7
I play as many styles of music as possible.
This pedal is very versatile. You could set up one mode to be very subtle
and the other to be very extreme.
If someone stole this pedal, I would
seek out another for a good price. I wouldn't pay over $80 for it, though,
just because there are so many pedals out there and I know I could get
something better if I looked hard enough.
Compared to tube pedals, this
thing is a eunuch. It lacks the real punch and sustain that a V-Twin or a
Real Tube has.
This pedal helps me make music by giving me two modes
of reliable, if not totally exciting, distortion.
I wish that the
"Lead" tone had more cojones.
Submitted by "Uncle" Al at
06/28/1999 12:06
Price Paid: quid 65
Ease of Use: 8
the manual is just standard boss and the pedal
is easy to understand
Sound Quality: 10
this pedal kicks the monkeys ass out the
coconut tree ,it rocks .I play a gibson les paul standard and this is the
most versatile overdrive pedal around.
Reliability: 7
I couldnt brake it if i tried but batteries
run out pretty quick.
Customer Support: N/A
pardon!!??!?!?!
Overall Rating: 8
I play lead in an indie band and its good
for both lead and rythm.Its my favourite pedal ever.ylt internet
terrorist!!!!!!!!!
Submitted by gary at 05/12/1999 14:32
Price Paid: Dkr 925,-
Ease of Use: 9
Mess around with a little and you'll find a
great sound pretty quickly. (the trick is to make sure that LEAD and
CRUNCH are about the same volume)
Sound Quality: 9
Great sound for hard-pop/rock/hard rock, but
not really for metal but rock is what i play anyway so that doesn't
matter. I used to play a BOSS Turbo Overdrive OD-2r but this is MUCH
better. Very nice lead mode (when not howling)...For me anyway (i play it
through a 1976 altered Gibson Les Paul Custom and a 1998 Gibson Les Paul
Studio)..
Reliability: 10
Would I use a backup pedal at a gig?? No..
I've never gigged with a backup anyway...
Customer Support: N/A
dunno..
Overall Rating: 9
Great pedal, try it and buy it...
Submitted by Peter Lie at 04/21/1999 00:31
Price Paid: English Pounds #65
Ease of Use: 8
This is a fantastic overdrive pedal. This has
two channels, although unlike any other overdrive I can think of, it has
seperately adjustable parameters - via double pots (adjustable inside and
outside rings on the control knobs) - which I find extremely useful.
Changing settings is very easy, and many tonal variations are available
from the very versatile controls. As with all Boss pedals, example
settings are provided in the manual, which is helpful to make a start on
finding a good basic sound, although it isn't hard to tailor a personal
sound with a little experimentation.
Sound Quality: 8
I use this with my Gibson SG or Fender
Jaguar, through a 25watt solid-state Fender amp. The pedal can be used to
great effect for many sounds, from basic overdrive and crunchy sounds,
through to really bassy overdrive, and a rich harmonic volume boost. This
pedal sounds great on nearly all settings, although with controls set too
high on the 'lead' channel, or driving the Gibson too hard, the sound
becomes quite feedback prone. I can get a good range of sounds - from a
'Pixies'-type overdrive, right through to 'Sonic Youth'/'Velvet
Underground'-style feedback. Milder tones are available, similar to 'Afgan
Whigs'-type sound (with the single coil pick-ups).
Reliability: 9
This is a Boss. Treat it well and it will
never fail. If I jumped on this from 1000ft, I would be confident that it
would still work perfectly! I would give it 10, but I never give out 10s.
Customer Support: N/A
I dealt with them once and wasn't too
happy with their response to my enquiry, but I don't have any experience
of their upgrade/repair work.
Overall Rating: 8
I don't know what it's like in comparison
with other highly regarded pedals, such as 'Big Muffs', 'Tube Screamers',
'RATs', and other Boss/DOD/MXR pedals, etc., but I am very impressed with
this pedal, and it suits my playing perfectly, and is as good as I
expected it to be.
Submitted by Jimi at 04/11/1999 12:09
Price Paid: N/A
Ease of Use: 10
The settings are standard for such a device.
The split knobs are a good idea, but take the time to learn which is
which. The red/green LED lets you know which mode you are in... lead or
crunch. Without the LED indication, I'd be lost. When I first got the
SD-2, it took me about 5 munites to dial in my favorite sound for both
LEAD and CRUNCH mode. Then it took another minute to balance the levels
between LEAD, CRUNCH, and clean amp.
Sound Quality: 10
While some would consider this sacrilage,
I'm using this with a MESA BOOGIE MARK II. I have a GIBSON SG, IBANEZ
SABRE, and CARVIN S200 KOA. All guitars have some sort of DiMarzio
pickups, and are capable of "Satri-esque" sounds via the Boogie. My goal
with the CRUNCH mode was to obtain a good power-chord sound, which
preserves some of the twang.. like RUSH. This was easy to do. I backed off
the TONE to reduce treble, and set the drive just past 12:00. The CRUNCH
gives me just what I want. For the LEAD mode, again, I backed off the tone
to reduce the treble. The DRIVE setting provides plenty of juice, and I
have it just past 12:00. The LEAD mode is very close to the BOOGIE sound,
except that it doesn't crap out on the bass notes like the BOOGIE does. I
bought an external footswitch, and switching between LEAD and CRUNCH is
absolutely noiseless. It's cool to be chording along in CRUNCH mode, then
hit the switch for a solo. The LEAD mode is great for bridge or neck
pickups. Having DiMarzio pickups helps, so my guess is that if you have
good pickups, you will be able to get the overdrive sound you want. At
really low volume levels. The SD-2 sounds more like a stomp box. With the
amp volume turned past 1.5, the SD-2 sounds more like a hot amp. So with a
little amp volume behind it, the unit really comes to life. Too, it allows
me to play with the tone controls on the amp. One more thing... I found it
helpful to back off the gain on the amp. In other words, with the Master
Volume on 1, the Volume was no higher than 4. Again, the quiet switching
between sounds is really great.
Reliability: N/A
N/A... I just received it.
Customer Support: N/A
N/A... brand new
Overall Rating: 10
I'm actually a classical guitarist, but
love to experiment on the electric guitar. I love the sounds of VIA,
SATRIANI, DIMEOLA, SANTANA, LIFESON, PETRUCCI, WYLDE, IOMMI... if it's
shred with virtuosity, I love it. I initially wanted the Marshall
DriveMaster. The salesman said that it isn't available anymore, and
recommended the SD-2. I felt I was taking a risk to follow his advice, but
the SD-2 turned out to be fantastic. Following the advice of others on
this page, I got the AC adapter and remote switch. So if you are
interested in such a device, try it... for me, it's like having 3 amps in
one.
Submitted by RoadKill at 02/17/1999
08:52
Price Paid: gift
Ease of Use: 10
Its surprisingly really easy to use. Although
there are 9 knobs in total, getting a sound out of it is simple. The
manual suggests some knob settings, but i haven't tried them.
Sound Quality: 9
I use an Epiphone Riviera with a '57 Classic
bridge PU. The amp is a little crappy SS 15w, but I can get a satisfactory
sound using the pedal. On Lead Mode, the sound is classic overdrive. You
can get a nice slight fuzz or full (almost metal) drive. On Crunch Mode,
the sound is very brittle and i suppose its good for some. Crunch doesn't
work well with transistor amps IMO. It sounds great through a tube amp on
a Les Paul though.
Reliability: 10
I would definitely depend on this pedal. It's
a boss - need i say more?
Customer Support: N/A
I've never had to deal with the
company, so i can't say.
Overall Rating: 10
This pedal works for all styles of music
that need a bit of edge. It's really versatile, and makes even a crappy
amp sound pretty good.
now the only thing i need is a Vox AC-30...
Submitted by Sam at 02/08/1999 20:34
Price Paid: nlg 135 used
Ease of Use: 10
As long as you don't forget which knob is for
which channel it's easy enough for any of you. No need for a manual, use
your ears.
Sound Quality: 9
If you are looking for a pedal that can go
from light distortion to a great fat overdriven sound, this is the one for
you. I use it with an Ibanez RG505 and mostly with my little Park combo. I
have used it with bigger Marshall amps and it sounds great with all of
them. Just keep your amp sound clean, other wise it will make avery weird
distorted sound which isn't usefull at all. The pedal is not noisier than
others, and quiet enough for me.
Reliability: 10
Reliable enough to buy used and save some
money. It won't let you down.
Overall Rating: 9
I love my yellow pedal, it sounds better
than any of the distortions my friends use. I think it's a great choice if
you play rock or alternative. If you want to play metal buy something
else, but it will go far enough for your Soundgarden-Monster Magnet-Alice
in Chains sound. The two channels are great. I use the crunch for a just
over the edge light distortion, and the lead for my heavy chords and
solos. Get an adapter to save a lot of money on batteries. If you are
looking for this type of pedal just try it, you'll love it. It isn't
cheap, so like I said buy it used.
Submitted by Anonymous at 12/02/1998 07:15
Price Paid: US $57 used
Ease of Use: 10
very easy to work with.just play around with
the buttons till you get your favorite sound. two kinds of overdrives.
Sound Quality: 8
i'm using it with a standard strat and a
practice amp.it already sounds pretty good with the practice amp wait till
i try it with a big good amp.the effects sounds pretty good.
Reliability: 10
i'm sure you can play it on a gig. this is
instructable.just replace batteries before you go play in a gig
Overall Rating: 9
i play grunge,alternative etc. this is a
decent pedal but it needs more sustain.the crunch mode is quiet blues
sustain and the lead mode is much more for solos or rhytym guitar.i like
it that it has two different overdrives that's cool.hate nothing about
it.i think it's better if you have the remote switch so you can chose
between the modes.
Submitted by CRAM at 11/15/1998 15:31
Price Paid: US $120
Ease of Use: 7
2 volumes, 2 tones, 2 drives can be a little
overwhelming. this isn't something you can tweak live. the manual is okay
but take some time with it before hittin' the road.
Sound Quality: 9
fender squier and epi lp special into a
carvin sx-200. the first channel is pretty dynamic. you can set it almost
clean with a soft touch and really lean into it for more grit (fender).
the second channel has a great amp overdrive sound, complete with sustain
and harmonics (marshall).
Reliability: 9
it'd be a 10 if it didn't eat batteries, but
it'll never fall apart.
Overall Rating: 8
it's a little pricey but it's worth it. i
like the idea of having two different overdrive voicings for each amp
channel. both of my amp channels are clean and basically for eq, while the
pedal supplies all the dirt. all in all, including the clean amp settings,
i have six different (and very usable) footswitchable sounds. a great
pedal for live performances.
Submitted by Joe
Garcia at 10/29/1998 14:29
Price Paid: N/A
Ease of Use: 9
Easy to use, the only trick is getting the
bypass/dirty/lead output levels even... but that's true of any dirt pedal.
Sound Quality: 8
This is my pedal of choice for live use. The
dirty setting sits nicely behind the vocals, the lead setting cuts right
through anything and is tremendously beefy. Both settings sound warm and
thick, but never harsh or oversaturated (tone of guitar shines through).
Plenty of sustain with gain settings at 12:00.
The only reason I rate
it an 8 is because it doesn't seem to record all that well. I use a Boss
Blues Driver and Ibanez TS-9 for recording instead. The Dual overdrive is
much more useful onstage, however.
Reliability: 10
So far, so good. I've played about 2-dozen
gigs with it.
Overall Rating: 8
I had to buy external footswitch for it
(thus the "8" rating). I bought the Signalflex version verus the Boss
version. They appear to be identical and even made in the same factory,
but the Signalflex was like $15 cheaper. Word to the wise: make sure to
get the "latching" type!!!
I would think this pedal would appeal to
anyone who plays in a more technically-oriented rock or pop or country or
fusion band, a cover band, or any other application where a tight, focused
sound and precise control over various settings is required. If you want
mounds of flatulance, get a Big Muff. If you want a refined tone, get
this.
Submitted by Brett at 07/28/1998
11:19
Price Paid: US $85
Ease of Use: 10
it's a distortion pedal, c'mon. and to switch
w/ the controller, just set it to crunch.
Sound Quality: 7
the crunch mode is VERY underpowered, which
is why it sounds so good. u can get clean sustain, a brittle sounding
crunch, or make your strat sound like it has f-holes. a previous review
said the lead mode sounds just like any metal box. even though there's
enough gain to make a Metal Zone user look twice, it's an overdriven,
natural sound. it sounds much, much more natural, even when set at 11,
than the Metal zone or Grunge pedals. the only knock is that neither mode
is really dynamic. it's very versatile, but it can't pull off a
TubeScreamer
Reliability: 10
This pedal will live longer than i will
Customer Support: N/A
they probably don't speak english
(judging from the manual) but these pedals are so reliable, they don't
have to.
Overall Rating: 6
i bought the external controller so that i
could switch modes. that cost $25. so including the pedal it all cost
$105. that much money for a pedal that sounds like a "seven" deserves only
a six overall rating. don't get me wrong, i'm pretty happy (not thrilled)
w/ this pedal. it's just the fact that Roland/Boss makes their customers
buy accessories for basic functions.
Submitted by Anonymous at 06/21/1998 00:02
Price Paid: US $39 used used
Ease of Use: 10
Very easy controls-once you get your best
setting, crank the volume to 11
Sound Quality: 10
I use this on my Peavy Predator and Blazer
158 (like the Rage w/ reverb) and it gives some great distortion. I can
get some Foo Fighters dist to some Nirvana....on the Crunch dist, if i set
my pickup on the center and tremelo humbucker w/ both tones on zero, I get
a Dire Straits and Smoke on the Water type bassy dist.!! Very good pedal
Reliability: 10
Its a BOSS, enough said
Customer Support: 10
What could go wrong...it's a little
yellow tank
Overall Rating: 10
I play most new alternative, Foo Fighters,
etc. Also does a fairly good NOFX distorion...I would buy this if I lost
it...but thats impossible...IT"S A BANNANA!!! Don't consider DODs, if you
stomp those things, they crack. If your looking for a good, basic,
versatile dist. pedal. Go get it! If anyone wants to share tone settings,
drop me an e-mail
Submitted by Austin
at 04/22/1998 04:41
Price Paid: US $85
Ease of Use: 9
It's very easy to get to the sound you are
looking because you have only 2 knobs(tone and Drive) apart from the Level
knob... The only thing I can recommend is to use a boss footswitch witn
check led...so you can realize which mode are you using
Sound Quality: 9
I use an Epiphone Les Paul SE and a Peavy
Rage 158(at home) and a Marshall JCM 900(when I play with the band) I is
too noisy when it is set in lead mode... You can get a "Stone" sound with
crunch mode and a very cool alternative distorion in lead mode...another
pro is that it works very well with Crybaby... I can get an Alice in
chains - grunge sound with it
Reliability: 10
it's the most reliable pedal i used...but it
eats batteries...i am used to change batteries each two weeks
Overall Rating: 10
It's the essential pedal for any guitar
player...doesn't care which style you play...it will be useful I would buy
it again and again...
Submitted by Martin Sarano at 03/31/1998 20:10
Price Paid: US $80
Ease of Use: 10
The Boss Dual Overdrive is really easy to
use. It has level, gain, and tone knobs for both crunch and lead channels.
It is the best if you get the optional footswitch so you can change
between channels and turn the effect on and off. There is a manual, but it
is just the specs on the pedal. You shouldn't need it anyway
Sound Quality: 7
I have the SD-2 second in line on by board.
The order is: Dunlop Wah, Boss SD-2, DOD FX-69 Grunge, and a Digitech
RP-6. The pedal is very noisy if you put it anywhere but first or second.
If it is placed first or second, it is quiet. The lead channel is noisy if
you are not careful with the settings. The crunch channel is very nice. It
sounds like an overdriven Bassman...Very nice.
Reliability: 10
It is a Boss, what else needs to be said? It
is a tank. I would definately gig without backup.
Customer Support: N/A
Never dealt with them. I have never had
a problem
Overall Rating: 9
I play jazz, classic rock, alternative,
metal...just about anything. The pedal is good for classic rock and
alternative. I would never use it for metal. I have been playing for 4
years and haven't found a better sounding overdrive pedal.
Submitted by Brandt Person at 03/05/1998 07:40
Price Paid: French Francs 600
Ease of Use: 10
It took me 5 minutes to understand how it
works! Very simple to understand. You can get the sound you want if you
know what means "level" "Gain" and "Tone".
Sound Quality: 9
I use it with my Strat and it sound greaaat!
The crunch and the lead channel are quite different. More sustain with
Lead and more distorted for the crunch. I really love its sound! I can
make the sound of the the squealin distortion Jonny Greenwood makes in
Paranoid Android (It's Radiohead if you don't know what I'm talking
about). Its very powerfull and loud if want to, I use it in an old fender
champ and it rocks! But I'm gonna buy a new amp just to hear how this
thing can blow your head. Very good for blues at low gain and excellent
for everything else. But it's a little bit noisy when you're not playin,
but the Boss NS-2 will "supress" that noise. It's too bad that you
couldn't use the three channels together, at least you had more bucks.....
Reliability: 10
"Its built like a tank!!" Like they say. It's
made of metal so stomp it babe!!!
Customer Support: N/A
Never dealt with them but there is a 5
year warranty.
Overall Rating: 9
I can't live without! Jonny Greenwood has
the SD-1, I bought this one cos I'm better than him (hehehe very funny). I
would buy it again, and again and again if I'm rich and I'll give it to
everybody who loves music! I've been playin' for 1 year and it's the
greatest sound I've ever heard. Better than the other Boss DS-2. If you
have money, buy it! You'll love it and you wouldn't use your other dist. I
give it 9 cos of the foot pedal thing You need to use the three channels,
nobody's perfect!
Submitted by Fatboy at 03/03/1998 05:00
Price Paid: US $80 new
Ease of Use: 8
I found this unit simple to use. I could
understand however if somone got confused with dialing in their tone. But
once you've got it figured out, hold on!!! Because it is a dual channel
pedal, I recommend getting a remote (FS-5L) for it. Otherwise, you will
have to switch between crunch and lead by tweaking the knobs with your
fingers while your "supposed" to be playing. But if you don't use your
clean channel, the remote isn't necessary.
Sound Quality: 10
The sound quality is excellent, especially
if you play some kick-ass rock n' roll (ie. Jeff Healey). You can get a
very bluesy tone at low gain, and a monster when the gain is up, and
that's on the crunch "channel". Once you tap into the lead, take your
sound one step further. It's smokin'!!!!
Reliability: 10
It's hard to gig without a backup, but to be
honest, BOSS makes their stuff so damn tough that I don't think I would
need to have a backup.
Customer Support: N/A
I've never had to deal with the
company.
Overall Rating: 9
I play a lot of blues/rock/funk kinda stuff
and this pedal gets me to where I need to be. Although I have a BD-2, a
Chandler Tube Driver and a couple modified TS-9s, I use this pedal the
most. The tone is perfect for what I do. But if you want to pick this
pedal up, save up a little more cash for the remote (FS-5L). It really
comes in handy, and that's the only reason why I give the value a 9
Submitted by KENN at 12/18/1997 22:37
Price Paid: CDN 75 used
Ease of Use: 10
Very simple to get a good sound out of it.
Plug it in, select which mode (crunch or lead), set your level, tone, and
drive to preferred settings. Bought it used, so no manual, but it's easy
enough to figure out. The dual functions knobs took a few minutes of
getting used to, though - at first I though the lead was on top and
tweaked the crunch instead.
Sound Quality: 8
I'm using the SD-2 with two different Strats
(one American Std. stock, the other a highly modified Washburn) into other
effects (usually: Guitar>Dialtone Juicer>Prescription Electronics
Overdriver>Boss SD-2>DOD Stereo Chorus>Twin Reverb). Not noisy at
all when first in the effects chain, but it definetly will amplify any
noise from effects before it. High drive settings, predictablly, are
noisy, but what do you expect? The crunch channel is a typical
overdrive/tubescreamer/etc. type vibe, not too much gain overall, super
clear with the drive on zero, mix in some drive and tweak the highs with
the tone for a good distortion sound. I usually keep the tone at 10
o'clock and the drive at 6 or 7 o'clock (almost at zero) and use it with
the bridge pickup for a balanced blues sound. Kick in position 4 with the
tone maxed for piercing, biting leads. The lead channel is higher gain,
very mid/bass filled - the tone control has to be maxed for a slight
treble boost, straight up, it makes the bridge pickup dark. I find the
lead channel is better for crunchy, dark sounding rhythm than for lead
(although it the lead sound, with pickup combinations involving the neck
pickup and high drive settings, sounds good - like a fixed position wah.)
Lead channel is LOUD. I keep the crunch channel maxed with the drive low,
but with the lead channel, level is somewhere around 12 o'clock all the
time, with a low drive setting. This channel is noisier than the crunch
channel, however. The effect of both channels, overall, is strong, and
with amp tweaking, sounds good. It keeps the bottom end better than a TS-5
Tubescreamer - not much better, but better.
Reliability: 10
To use the old cliche, it's built like a
tank. Only the 3rd BOSS effect I've ever owned, but I've never had a
problem before. I don't like the switch though, it's a little too stiff
for my tastes. The dual function knobs are probably flimsier than standard
ones, but I don't intend to drive over the unit anytime soon.
Customer Support: N/A
Never dealt with the company. Bought it
used from a reputable shop, which gives their own six month warranty on
store owned items, so I'm not worried.
Overall Rating: 8
The SD-2 is sort of a poor man's Fulldrive
2 - while it's not nearly as a good for clean boost, the overdrive is good
in the crunch channel, and with the option of the lead, it doubles the
sonic possibiilties for the price of a regular overdrive. Since I use it
to goose the Twin with some level and harmonics, and not for gain, it
serves it purpose beautifully. One thing I dislike about it is the
"optional" FS-5 footswitch - with it, you can switch between the three
different modes (bypass, crunch, and lead) instead of selecting any
combination of the two.
Submitted by davechun at 12/06/1997 07:20
Price Paid: BEF 4500
Ease of Use: 9
Well, you have 2 channels and they both have 3
knobs so just use your ears to find the sound you like. You can use 4
different modes: always on and switching from crunch to lead, switching
the pedal on/off and the lead mode, same thing with the crunch and you can
connect the optional FS-5 switch so you can switch with it from crunch to
lead and use the pedal for on/off (I'm using it this way).
Sound Quality: 9
Well I'm using it with other effects
(Cry-Baby -> SD-2 -> Chorus pedal -> amp). I'm using it with a
peavey classic amp and both with a telecaster and a stratocaster. So I'm
having 5 main sounds (clean, amp distortion, crunch, lead, crunch and amp
distortion) so I can get almost all the necessary sounds. I think there's
only 1 pedal that is even better, it's the Mesa V-Twin. Stratocaster
delivers everything from sparkle clean to SRV-tones to heavy rock and the
tele delivers more classic sounds. Very useful pedal
Reliability: 10
Hey, it's BOSS. My mother ones drove over it
(with her car) but hey plug it in step on it, great tone.
Customer Support: N/A
Never had to deal with them
Overall Rating: 9
Well, I'm playing at home mostly rock and
alternative (Buffalo Tom, Pearl Jam, Pumpkins) and in my band all sorts of
covers and I 'm almost always able to dial in the desired sound. I'm using
a Boss Turbo Overdrive as back up but never used it as back up. If you
have the money get a V-Twin, if not you definetly have to try this one.
Submitted by Fransens Yoeri at 11/01/1997 06:28
Price Paid: Francs (138$) 690
Ease of Use: 10
Very easy to use. There is a manual with it,
but you understand the pedal with one regard on it.
Sound Quality: 10
VERY QUIET PRODUCT WITH A VERY PRECISE
DISTORTION.
Reliability: 10
I use it in all the gigs i make and it sounds
marvelously good.
Customer Support: N/A
I don't know.
Overall Rating: 10
I would buy it again to have 2 in advance
of problem; but with BOSS, we can't have any problem.
Submitted by J79 at 07/31/1997 02:13
Price Paid: US $35.00 used
Ease of Use: 9
Pretty easy to get a desired sound. You can
easily change tone and gain levels to vary your sound. Self-explanatory
controls.
Sound Quality: 9
It sounds absolutely great. With two types
of overdrive, (Crunch and Lead), you can go from mellow Crunch to
full-blown Lead with a stomp of your foot. I play Oasis, Bush, and The
Cure and it sounds great for them all.
Reliability: 10
It's a typical Boss pedal, made out of almost
indestructable metal. I bought it used and the person I bought it from
bought it used and it still looks and sounds like brand new.
Customer Support: N/A
Never had to have any.
Overall Rating: 9
I would buy it again in a heartbeat. With
great tone and raunchy distortion, it makes one heck of a pedal.
Submitted by Ryan Chidester at 06/16/1997 12:26
Price Paid: US $89
Ease of Use: 10
Straight forward
Sound Quality: 8
It's as quiet as an analog overdrive can be.
It would be nice if the "Crunch" mode had a little more gain but it has a
sweetness about it. I use it to drive an Ibazez TS-5 and a Peavey amp. The
"Lead" mode enough gain to be able to two-hand tap with and almost sounds
like a distortion pedal, not an overdrive but with the drive lowered, it
saturates the signal and makes it sound very natural.
Reliability: N/A
NA
Customer Support: N/A
NA
Overall Rating: 8
I'd buy it again. The only two squibbles i
have is that I'd wish the crunch would have some more gain and I don't
like the fact that you have to buy a controler pedal to turn the pedal off
in dual mode. However, it's very conventient to be able to have two good
sounding overdrives in one pedal instead of having to lug two around.
Submitted by Anonymous at 05/06/1997 13:04
Price Paid: US $89
Ease of Use: 10
Very easy to use. Two independant knobs for
level, tone, and gain plus a switch to toggle between both modes or
between off and either mode.
Sound Quality: 10
I had a TS-5 that I didn't really care for.
I compared the SD-2 to the Boss OS-2 and the SD-2 was more versatile. The
"crunch" sound is very nice, just slight distortion and very bassy. The
"lead" sound is more typical of high gain distortion pedals.
Reliability: 10
Built like all the Boss products. I don't gig
so I can't say how reliable it would be playing out. It does like
batteries (eats 'em for breakfast) so get an AC adapter.
Customer Support: N/A
Don't know yet.
Overall Rating: 8
I really like the two completely different
sounds. With an extra footswitch you can switch between both modes and
off. I'd buy it again.
Submitted by Lee MacMillan at 12/24/1996 17:44
Price Paid: Philippine Peso 2995
Ease of Use: 9
Very durable effect. It's knobs (most notably
the tone knob) provides a wide range of sounds and the crunch mode can
actually be used to produce a sound typical of a chorus given the right
tone and reverb (in the amp) settings.
Sound Quality: 10
For an overdrive this pedal is very
flexible. There is a weak hum but I think this is being caused by the
pick-up rather than the effect. Remember, this is an overdrive pedal so
don't expect much distortion. TIP: If you use a strat get a Dunlop Wah and
use it with the neck pickup to produce a l lead sound similar to the lead
part of Alive by Pearl Jam.
Reliability: 10
BOSS
Customer Support: N/A
Boss
Overall Rating: 10
Definitely good for lead player in a rock
format. Metal player should look for another pedal.
Submitted by Brian at 11/21/1996 06:49
Price Paid: US $95
Ease of Use: 8
Sound Quality: 10
I got the sound I expected.
Reliability: 8
Overall Rating: N/A
Sounds like Silverchair.
Submitted by Carlo Sogono at 09/14/1996 18:18
Price Paid: ISRAEL 330NIS
Ease of Use: 9
Very easy for use.The crunch/lead mode knob
allows you to switch between those two kinds of overdrive,but it's to bad
you got to have an external switch in order to shut them both down.
Sound Quality: 8
Does a little bit of humming,but not to
much.The tone mode does nothing with the tone!The overdrive isn't so
strong,anyway,it's not even close to distortion.
Reliability: 5
Strong as hell.
Overall Rating: 6
A great pedal for lead.The crunch mode is
bad,I never use it.If you want to buy a strong overdrive,buy something
else.
Submitted by Omer Goldberg at 04/06/1996 17:26
Price Paid: $100 CDN
Ease of Use: 9
Nice, simple, two-level knobs for tone
adjustment. Doesn't need much tweaking at all to get a rich overdrive
tone.
Sound Quality: 9
Nice effect, overall. The lead sound is
especially good - clean enough to scream, but crunchy enough for lighter
chunk rhythm. Wish the cruch sound had more gain, though.
Reliability: 10
It's a Boss. Enough said.
Overall Rating: N/A
Overall, I think that this is a terrific
buy if you're looking for this type of sound...
Submitted by Anonymous at 11/27/1995 15:44
Price Paid: US $83.00
Ease of Use: 10
Very straightforward, like a 2 channel amp.
Sound Quality: 10
The lead mode produces very tight, fat,
warm hi-gain distortion. Crunch mode produces a gritty medium gain
distortion.
Reliability: 10
Solid as a rock. Never fails. As with all
Boss pedals, it sucks batteries, so get a power supply.
Overall Rating: N/A
Very versatile, but wish the crunch
channel had more gain. Overall a great pedal in terms of versatility,
reliability and sound quality.
Submitted by Pat Kim at 08/27/1995 19:21
