Pedals are here to stay, and if so, then why don’t to make use of them? Pedals are very important for guitars today, as good as the sound produced by a guitar is, it can be better.
There is a clear difference in sound and quality of the music of a guitar without a pedal and one with a pedal.
In this article, we will compare the boss OD-1 and Boss SD-1 pedals, and we will see which is better.
Boss OD1
The OD1 pedal overdrive was made in the year 1977, and that is more than 45 years ago. This pedal was very popular in Los Angeles in the 1980s, and it was used by many guitarists.
Boss OD1 pedal is one of the first products that the famous Boss pedal brand introduced and for many guitarists, you know that the brand is a big deal.
As one of the products that brought the brand into the limelight, you know it is definitely not ordinary gear.
OD1 uses an asymmetrical clipping which gives some thick overdrive with an edge. The pedal was made with a QUAD OP amplifier chip and this chip has 14 pins.
At that time and era, it was a very big deal. The OD1 pedal truly brought the pedal industry into the limelight.
OD1 has warm, vintage, tube-like overdrive tones and the pedal was commonly known to have been built of a Quad op amplifier chip with a simple two-knob interface.
Why You Should Buy?
- Quality: As I have said before, it is one of the oldest pedals you will see out there and a major factor In the production of pedals is to improve the sound of a guitar. Boss OD1 model does this effectively.
Boss SD1
Just like Boss OD1, Boss SD1 is also a model of the boss brand, and like the former, it was introduced in the 1900s.
It was introduced in 1981, and it has made its appearance for more than 40 years.
Till today, many are still using and praising the Boss OD1 model pedal because it continues to do the work it was designed to do even after so many years of its introduction and with the improvement of technology, it has not become irrelevant.
As I have said before, the SD1 model is one of the oldest brands of pedals along with Boss OD1.
The latter produces a slight distortion sound when it is been used by the guitarist with a tube amplifier which will help the guitarist with a better sound and will bring out your sound and playing style.
A Pedal is like a helper that helps your guitar bring out better sounds. SD1 does very well, and it features an asymmetric circuit that helps in sound production.
Why You Should Buy?
- Quality: The quality of any pedal is the first factor you must consider before buying any pedal. Quality is measured by the sound and tone the pedal produces. If the sound produced Is not good or it fluctuates regularly, it means it is not up to standard. If the pedal responds well according to your directives. One thing that can be attributed to the SD1 model is that it is quality. It gives you a good sound without fluctuating for a good number of times.
- Durable: when we talk about it being durable it means that it can be used for months, or years without any real damage to it or a fall in the quality of the sound produced. And it must be said that most Boss brand products are durable.
Boss OD1 VS SD1: Differences between the OD1 and the SD1 model

The first difference between the two models of pedals is that one was introduced before the other.
The OD1 model was introduced before the SD1 model, OD1 was introduced in 1977 while SD1 was introduced in 1981. A difference of 4 years between the two pedals.
Another difference between the models is the quality of sounds. Both pedals are perfect pedals that will help the guitarist improve the quality of their sounds. However, the SD1 has better quality than the OD1.
Boss SD-1 VS OD-1: Our Pick
If I was to choose between the two models I would straightway go for the SD1, rather than the OD1.
This is not because of any vast quality difference but based on preference. I hope this helps your purchasing decision.
Here are other related blog posts that you can check out: