BOSS Od-3 Overdrive Pedal

Product Information

After 40 years of live playing and studio experience, in the final analysis, my pedalboards OD/DIST fx requirements have boiled down to the AnalogMan King of Tone followed by two OD-3's, one set to Drive=0 for boost and the other Drive set between 10 and 3 depending upon the venue and amp system I'm using. I will occasionally add to that for special OD/DIST fx, but KOT/OD-3 is a constant in my rig.

With the active TREBLE control, I didn't need the passive TONE control any more, so that got tossed overboard.

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. The 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.

The saturation may drop as you move up the hearing frequencies but will then stay uniform in most cases. 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. There seem to be several ’Twin Drive Mods’ editions of these across OD-3, SD-1, DS-1 and MT-2 varieties - I know Soul Power Instruments make similar mods - while I’m not sure who modded my pedal. I bought it second hand from an American - who acquired it via Japanese marketplace jp.mercari.com - where most of those modded Boss pedals seem to have come from some sort of Yahoo Auction. So my own OD-3 Twin Drive Mods pedal started its journey in Taiwan where it was originally made, it was bought, and then bought again and modded in Japan, sold most likely to another Japanese buyer first on Yahoo Auctions, then sold on via jp.mercari.com - where I then acquired it on Reverb.com from its American owner! So my particular pedal has been on something of a world tour already! 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. 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.You may get the largest amount of saturation at the lower and bottom halves’ mid. This is a standard level for the overdrive pedals, so it is nothing new. This level is needed to generate the traditional crunch associated with drives. Dual-Stage Overdrive Circuit offers a level of sustain and compression unmatched by any overdrive pedal

Here's a peek at how it's wired right now. I renumbered all of the ref des. Some of my mods are about using fewer parts to accomplish the same thing. I also used different transistors throughout because I don't have any 2SK184s or 2SC1048s. For the born again tone junkie, this might get you out of some of the many online support groups in your chase for a dynamic, natural sounding overdrive that has more transparency than it does color. The tone achievable with the three simple knobs, sans diode switches or vintage/modern modes is fantastic and rivals many of the independent offerings we have all spent hard earned money on for that Holy Grail end all pedal, only to still be left asking…"did I get a lemon?" 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 overdrive amp will enhance your amplifier’s delivery or mimic a particular sound, whereas distortion will lead to an entirely altered sound unpleasant to the ears. Using the TONE knob you add that extra edge you might need to cut through any mix. Legendary Boss Pedal Build Quality

Customer Reviews

They decided it could be used with some amps and other instruments and be the next big thing. Boss OD- The Features and Specifications This is the MOST UNDERRATED BOSS PEDAL! And this is coming from a tube amp snob! I have two of these cause I have two pedalboards all loaded with Boss pedals. The OD-3 is my main overdrive/distortion sound both for rhythm and leads sometimes I push the input stage with Boss SD-1 for serious solos.