NPD: Boss SD-1

[Stillhouse]

I had been wanting a new overdrive pedal, I sold some old computer parts on CL last week and today I saw GC having a sale on the SD-1 so I swooped in and got one. So far it's suiting my taste better then the HM-3 distortion I have. May do the C6 mod on it, but I'm happy for now.

 

[Beerdog80]

SD-1's will always be my favorite off the shelf OD pedal.

Not to mention there are a million ways to mod it to easily cover the realms other pedals that cost $100's more. Makes them the ultimate sleeper pedal.

 

[HOT-BRIT]

great value for money

 

[Batman]

Very Nice!

Agree 100% with Beerdog. . .awesome sleeper pedal.

I've owned two; a current edition model that I clipped C6 on and also modded for the 2x gain mod. I moved it along to fund the purchase of a 1983 MIJ SD-1. Its stock and will stay that way. . .its awesome as is!

 

[Beerdog80]

Very Nice!

Agree 100% with Beerdog. . .awesome sleeper pedal.

I've owned two; a current edition model that I clipped C6 on and also modded for the 2x gain mod. I moved it along to fund the purchase of a 1983 MIJ SD-1. Its stock and will stay that way. . .its awesome as is!

I actually did a little experiment for a sociology class I was in a few years ago with an SD-1 and a housing that looked similar to a Klon. Let them both sit out where they could easily get pinched and of course the "Klon" disappeared immediately. Did this several times and each time, the fake Klon vanished while the SD-1 never moved. I'm sure the thief was pretty pissed to get home and find nothing but old Jacks and pots that didn't work with some knobs on an empty case with a note saying, well, I won't say what it said because I had some other stuff inside that probably made them shit their pants.

Then, I the modded SD-1 guts into my real Klon housing and went to several guitar shops and a few small gigs and people who had heard Klon were all "ohhs and ahhhs" over how great my tone was and how the Klon really accentuates the tone of my guitar etc etc.

Funny how appearances of certain items make you a tone god.

all the while, it was just a modified SD-1. Probably had $40 bucks in it total since I bought it used.

 

[StormJH1]

First, congrats! Second, I also received a SD-1 for Xmas, so I'll join in on the fun!

I have literally over a dozen dirtboxes - and I've sold/flipped others. For some reason, I never viewed the SD-1 as a must-own, must-try the way that every guitarist has tried (and often hated) the DS-1 Distortion. Part of that stems from the fact that I had an OS-2 Overdrive/Distortion, and the OD ranges on that pedal are thin and weird sounding. I probably assumed that all BOSS overdrives were like that.

All of my other "tube" overdrive pedals were of the TS-9 Tubescreamer family (TS-9 Reissue, Bad Monkey, Joyo Vintage OD, etc.). But while the similarities are obvious with the SD-1, I was surprised how transparent it is compared to my TS-9! Maybe it was just my perspective, but I felt like more of my Les Paul's inherent tone shined through with the SD-1 than a Tubescreamer. The TS-9 is great, and I'm a huge SRV fan, but when you turn on that pedal, it becomes your sound. The mids are humped up, the highs are smoothed over, and you lose some bass.

The SD-1 has some bass loss, but less, in my opinion. Haven't tried stacking with it yet, but I can imagine how it could excel at that. Actually, it's a pretty sweet sounding classic rock OD played just by itself. Great pedal, it's an instant favorite.

 

[Stillhouse]

I agree on the transparency, every little nuance comes through nicely. I'm loving this pedal.

 

[snaredrum]

I actually did a little experiment for a sociology class I was in a few years ago with an SD-1 and a housing that looked similar to a Klon. Let them both sit out where they could easily get pinched and of course the "Klon" disappeared immediately. Did this several times and each time, the fake Klon vanished while the SD-1 never moved. I'm sure the thief was pretty pissed to get home and find nothing but old Jacks and pots that didn't work with some knobs on an empty case with a note saying, well, I won't say what it said because I had some other stuff inside that probably made them shit their pants.

Then, I the modded SD-1 guts into my real Klon housing and went to several guitar shops and a few small gigs and people who had heard Klon were all "ohhs and ahhhs" over how great my tone was and how the Klon really accentuates the tone of my guitar etc etc.

Funny how appearances of certain items make you a tone god.

all the while, it was just a modified SD-1. Probably had $40 bucks in it total since I bought it used.

you just broke The Klon Code. when do we make the movie? i want to be the hot french girl that you drag round with you like in the films.

 

[gibsonguitar1988]

Hnpd!

 

[slapshot]

i took one of my pedals just back to bare metal & I'd tell people it was something different every time

Very Nice!

Agree 100% with Beerdog. . .awesome sleeper pedal.

I've owned two; a current edition model that I clipped C6 on and also modded for the 2x gain mod. I moved it along to fund the purchase of a 1983 MIJ SD-1. Its stock and will stay that way. . .its awesome as is!

being that I lived under a rock for many years & had no idea nor cared that all my boss pedals were MIJ (yes some even had the pants wettingly exciting silver screw!) what is the difference with a new one modded compared tot he stock mij one?
as in being their cheap as chips would it be something to have on the board for an array of sounds & bear in mind I acknowledge your SD tone ear
or is it a case of the 'mods' people do to new boss pedals just make them sound like their old ones?

 

[Batman]

I found the modern one to be slightly fizzy and harsh until I clipped the C6 Cap. Even after the mod, they don't sound the same; similar but not the same.

The MIJ one is warmer and has a very hard to quantify "better tone". It just sounds better than the newer ones.

Sorry I can't describe the sound difference better. . .

 

[Mr Insane]

A SD-1 and a BD-2 Blues driver would fight all the time for a space on my board. Eventually both lost out to a Bad Monkey. Sold the BD-2 to a friend, still have the SD-1.

 

[StormJH1]

A SD-1 and a BD-2 Blues driver would fight all the time for a space on my board. Eventually both lost out to a Bad Monkey. Sold the BD-2 to a friend, still have the SD-1.

I owned the BD-2 previously, and despite thinking I would love it, it started sounding "harsh" to me, even with humbuckers, so I sold it. Now that I have the SD-1, I wonder how they compare. In a lot of ways, the cheaper SD-1 does pretty much what I though the Blues Driver would do!

 

[Stillhouse]

Anyone know a link to a diagram for doing a C6 DPDT mod? My electrical skills aren't advanced enough to figure it out on my own, but I can handle a soldering iron.

 

[Batman]

The CB is labled so you won't have any trouble finding the cap. You don't need a soldering iron unless you plan on re-installing the cap at some point. All you need is a small set of side cutters to clip the cap legs.

http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/pedals/175873-ts9-sd-1-mods.html#post3368257

This post has a couple of shots of the CB and you can clearly see where the C6 cap was before it was removed.

 

[Stillhouse]

Gee willikers, if only I had used the search function!

 

[Batman]

The search function here isn't that great. . .

No sweat on looking that one up for you. . .

 

[Leendrix]

Congratulations! Welcome to what will probably be the last Overdrive you buy. HNPD!

 

[jmiller475]

Love the SD1 especially after the C6 mod.

 

[StormJH1]

Love the SD1 especially after the C6 mod.

Can someone give the Cliff Notes version of what the C6 mod does, and why it's worth doing it?

Sounds simple enough to do, but I don't want to compromise what it is already a very good pedal.