BOSS Od-3 Overdrive Pedal

Product Information

The Boss SD-1 Overdrive is an overdrive pedal, not a distortion pedal. Some experts say it is an excellent overdrive but pretty underrated, unlike the Ibanez’s Tubescreamer series. The Boss OD-3, short for overdrive 3, is an overdrive known for its almost characteristic natural sound with an endless sustain. It is built keeping in mind the traditional Boss overdrives, so it has most of the classic features.

The discrete opamp circuit (Q2-Q4 and associated parts) has bandwidth up into the hundreds of KHz. That's fine if you're building a radio, not so good with a guitar pedal. I added C17 to roll-off the highs above the audio range. I reduced R11, below, to 1K so I could dial-in lower gains.The color and nuance do not disrupt the sound but add a subtle touch of elegance and rich harmonics.

Knowing what machinal devices work best for your guitar, including an amplifier, tuner, and overdrive, is essential. You cannot play a pleasant tune until your guitar, and all its components are in full sync. The latest in a line of great overdrive pedals, the Boss OD3 will make your guitar sing in bigger and better fashion than ever before. Simple to useand easy to get that great, crisp, bluesy distortion rich in harmonics and dynamics. The OD-3 has a great, balanced tone that's neither too bass nor treble heavy. Perfect for gettingvalve-like drivesounds straight out the'50s and '60s. Renowned Boss build quality I first had the newest one made in Malaysia which features SMD components and it's pcb only occupies less than a third of the inside of the pedal. That's OK for me, SMD have much tighter tolerances which results in better consistency and reduced values drift, many boutique manufacters have gone this route. You will also notice that the range and level of focus of the Boss SD-1 Overdrive significantly contribute to the sound quality as it balances it out.It was initially planned to be the successor of BD-2 Blues Driver unveiled in 1995, but some clipping changes and refinements formed its own unique path instead of being a mere replacement.

One other comment re: the difference between the OD-3 & the BD-2. I consider the BD-2 to be more of a clean boost because it only sounds good (to me) when it's running clean. The OD-3 is definitely an overdive in my book because it sounds good running dirty. One downside of the Boss SD-1 Overdrive is that you may experience some signal loss in the upper frequencies, but that is expected with a pedal without a true bypass. However, there are no harsh artifacts or gouging of various frequencies. Delivering such a bold overdrive sound, the Boss OD-3 Overdrive pedal adds real presence for all playing styles. Other than subbing a different JFET for Q5, I left the 3rd stage alone. I used 47nF for C5 because it's close enough to 56nF and it's not part of a filter.

The mods here turn this into more of lead style gain machine really. I like the Gain up quite high - and then I can punch in an even more saturated Boost on top of that! If you don’t set the two gain circuits diligently it can almost sound as if there is no change when you apply the boost - it typically works best with the 2 Boost controls maxed - and then your default level is set to your preferred starting settings. The Boss OD-3 is a good option since you only need to connect it to the guitar’s input connection and connect the output connection to the amplifier’s input for it to start working.

It brings increased dynamics to the table that sound bigger and smoother than any Boss overdrive pedal used before. As described by Analogman, the pedal wizard, the asymmetrical clipping gives out a pure, richer sound. Dual-Stage Overdrive Circuit offers a level of sustain and compression unmatched by any overdrive pedal The Boss OD-3 features a dual-stage overdrive circuit that offers a great level of sustainability which remains unmatched by almost all other overdrive panels. Carbon-zinc battery (9 V, 6F22) Options (sold separately) AC adaptor: PSA series Size and Weight Width 73 mmThe original pedal has two input buffers to support the buffered bypass soft switching. One is enough with true-bypass, so I ditched one of the buffers and configured the remaining one to have the correct freq response and input impedance. If you rather use the Boss OD-3 conservatively and use your guitar’s volume controls instead for a brighter, cleaner tone, this overdrive will work well. Before getting into the details, it is essential to know what a guitar overdrive is. It is a machinal device that adds grit to the signal sent to the guitar, bringing about a sound similar to an amplifier at the breakup of an edge. This is why it works better with full-voiced cords than purely high frequencies. Most open chords are not played with overdrives since the overtones and higher notes have a considerably low energy concentration.