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Boss Effect Pedal Guide: Distortion
What does a distortion do to my sound?
Do you want your sound to sound rougher or explore high-gain tones? Or just push your amp harder to saturate your guitar sound? Then a distortion pedal or a combination of several distortions is the right choice for you. The range of distortion pedals is large, however. In this guide we'll explain the different types of distortion and the sounds they produce.
What types of distortion are there?
Distortion includes the effect types Boost, Overdrive, Distortion and Fuzz, each of which has its own characteristic sound and properties. Opposite them stands the compressor, which really isn't a distortion but is used to add the finishing touch and a bit of character to a clean signal before it enters the effect chain. Below we introduce all effect types to you in detail.
To give you a quick overview of the most important Boss distortions, Olli grabbed all the pedals he could carry and tested them extensively. You can hear the result in the video.
Compressor
Compressors were originally used in studio technology. They process the dynamics of the guitar signal: quiet notes are made louder and loud notes quieter, so that in a solo all notes are heard at a similar level. Many guitarists shy away from using a compressor because it takes a lot of experimentation to find the right setting for you and your sound. Once set correctly, however, it can become an important tool. A compressor barely distorts the signal, but can still give it its own stamp.
Boost
Boosters are, similar to compressors, not actually distortions, but an important means of shaping a distorted sound. When a boost pedal is placed before other distortions, it raises the guitar signal and drives your amp's preamp earlier into saturation. The result is a more distorted sound. When the booster is used after the distortions, the signal becomes louder, which is great for bringing out solos.
Overdrive
Of the actual distortion types, overdrive produces the least amount of grit. The name says it: it emulates the sound of an overdriven tube amp. An overdrive can, if the gain control isn't turned up too far, be used as a booster to push the amp further.
Distortion
The sound of a distortion pedal is significantly more saturated than that of an overdrive. It compresses the guitar signal strongly and delivers chunky distorted sounds with an extra helping of sustain. Such a high amount of distortion brings a certain noise floor with it, which can be well controlled with a good noise gate like the Boss NS-2 or NS-1X that suppresses the noise especially in the pauses between songs or guitar parts.
Fuzz
Fuzz offers the strongest distortion and the coarsest sound of all pedals, so it's especially popular in hard rock. However, it's worth noting that there are many different fuzz sounds and they are suitable for a wide variety of other genres as well. For example, Keith Richards and Jimi Hendrix are famous fuzz fans. With fuzz, using an additional noise gate is also recommended to avoid background hiss.
Combination options
Some Boss effects combine several distortion types in one enclosure. For example, the Boss OS-2 offers both overdrive and distortion sounds. It's also possible to chain multiple distortions and combine their sounds. It's recommended to arrange the pedals from lowest to highest amount of distortion.
Know-how
With us you don't just get what you need – we'll also show you how it works! To the guides.
Key Boss Distortion Pedals
Here we present the most well-known and popular boosters, compressors and distortion pedals from Boss. Click the product image to go to the product detail page with more pictures and all the info about each pedal.
Boss BD-2
Effect type: Overdrive
The Blues Driver is perfect for creating a bluesy, natural vintage tube-amp sound. From mild, warm overdrive to a powerful, earthy breakup with plenty of level. Expressive power. The BD-2 is a bit more aggressive than the OD-3 and can also be used for typical rock sounds.
For fans of John Mayer, Green Day, Rage Against the Machine, Prince, Royal Blood, The Cure
Boss CP-1X
Effect type: Compressor
The intelligent internal processor analyses the incoming guitar signal in real time across multiple dimensions for advanced dynamic control. Unlike many conventional compressors, the CP-1X prevents tonal colouring and muddiness in this way.
For fans of Michael Jackson, Alice Cooper
Boss CS-3
Effect type: Compressor
Especially loud notes are reduced while very quiet notes are raised: this gives you an even, fat guitar sound that can additionally be shaped with the attack control. With the built-in sustain function you can make your tone ring out for an extremely long time.
For fans of U2, Oasis, blink-182, Blur, Journey, Red Hot Chili Peppers
Boss DS-1X
Effect type: Distortion
The DS-1X represents the new generation of the popular Boss DS-1 – for guitarists who value the legendary Boss sound that has shaped guitar tone for 35 years. The DS-1X incorporates BOSS's latest technology and stands for both sonic innovation and proven, rugged design.
For fans of Green Day, Steve Vai, Thin Lizzy, Alice Cooper
Boss DS-2
Effect type: Distortion
The Boss DS-2 covers a wider range of tones than the Boss DS-1 with its two sound modes: from gritty riff rock through earthy rock tones to singing leads and solos, everything is possible. The Turbo mode can also be activated via an additional switch on the remote jack.
For fans of Nirvana, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Muse, Pearl Jam, Prince
Boss FZ-1w
Effect type: Fuzz
Numerous pedal legends from the '60s were analysed in detail to create the FZ-1W. Combined with Waza craftsmanship, the fully analogue pedal delivers the inspiring sound, the original playing feel and the unique vibe of those fuzz classics in a reliable, modern design.
For fans of Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Smashing Pumpkins, The Gaslight Anthem
Boss HM-2w
Effect type: Distortion
After three decades the legendary stompbox is reissued in a special Waza Craft edition. The Boss HM-2W delivers the authentic analogue tone of the original, expanded with numerous modern features and details for an even better performance.
For fans of Pink Floyd, Eric Clapton, Johnny Marr
Boss JB-2
Effect type: Overdrive
The JB-2 Angry Driver features the classic Boss compact design and combines the sound of the legendary Boss BD-2 Blues Driver with the renowned JHS Angry Charlie pedal. The JB-2 Angry Driver has three dual knobs for independent control of Drive, Tone and Level for each overdrive type.
For fans of Andy Timmons
Boss ML-2
Effect type: Distortion
This is the most aggressive distortion Boss has ever made - for the hardcore of the metal crowd! Extreme distortion with extra-biting attack for the heaviest riff work. When brutal distorted tones are required, the ML-2 Metal Core is the right weapon: death metal, industrial, grindcore, extreme metal, etc.
For fans of Six Feet Under, Babymetal
Boss MT-2
Effect type: Distortion
With its thick, saturated sound the MT-2 is perfect for metal styles as well as heavy rhythms and singing solos in other genres. Thanks to exceptionally broad tone-shaping options and extremely smooth sustain, the MT-2 enriches any musical style with a variety of powerful distortion sounds.
For fans of Megadeth, Korn, Periphery, Biffy Clyro
Boss OD-1X
Effect type: Overdrive
The OD-1X represents the new generation of the Boss overdrive - for guitarists who value the legendary BOSS sound that has shaped guitar tone for 35 years. The OD-1X incorporates BOSS's latest technology and stands for both sonic innovation and proven, rugged design.
For fans of Alice Cooper, Steve Vai
Boss OD-3
Effect type: Overdrive
The Boss OD-3 impresses with a rich, warm and fat overdrive sound and enormous dynamics. Thanks to the new two-stage overdrive circuit the sound is more voluminous and fuller than ever – the deluxe overdrive for the finest blues and blues-rock sounds from Boss.
For fans of Radiohead, Eagles, Oasis
Boss OS-2
Effect type: Overdrive and Distortion
This pedal smoothly covers the whole spectrum between smooth overdrive tones and relentlessly hard distortion sounds. As such, the OS-2 is probably the most versatile distortion pedal in the Boss range and is suitable for all types of blues and rock.
For fans of Bryan Adams, Johnny Marr, Eagles
Boss SD-1
Effect type: Overdrive
The SD-1 is a real workhorse and forms the gain centre on countless pedalboards across a wide range of musical genres. Based on the revolutionary clipping circuit of the OD-1 overdrive, the SD-1 delivers thick, smooth and musical overdrive sounds.
For fans of Red Hot Chili Peppers, The White Stripes, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Queens of the Stone Age
Boss ST-2
Effect type: Overdrive
The ST-2 Power Stack delivers the sound of vintage Marshall heads, including 4x12 speaker cabinets from the 1960s and 1970s, in a single pedal. You just need to put the ST-2 Power Stack in front of any clean amp to achieve that classic raw, powerful and punchy sound at any volume.
For fans of AC/DC, Megadeth, Tash Sultana, Pete Thorn
Still haven't found the right sound?
If the effects we've shown you here don't yet deliver the right sound for you, or you'd like to explore more, here's an overview of all Boss distortion pedals:
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