OD-1

First of all this is by far NOT the most versatile of OD boxes! From low to medium gain the only sound available is RAAAAARGHHH! So why have I given it 10? Well I bought this lil' puppy about 10 years ago for 20 quid in Cash Converters (i.e. pawn shop) for ¿¿20 just because it was cheap and I thought being Boss it would probably be okay. I never really intended it for guitar use at the time, being quite happy with my MFX board. I bought it to crunch up synths and drum loops and really for a bit of vintage cache around my home studio. So I used it a few times and then it languished at the bottom of my big cable box for a few years. Then one day I ended up with a 1970's Fender Bassman head, which I had bought because it was cheap and I had heard that bass amps were good for jazz guitar. I hooked it up to the speaker in an old combo and realised that it didn't have any drive whatsoever. But I remembered the old battered yellow stompy at the bottom of the cable box. I dusted it off and found a battery for it, plugged it in and strummed a few off my Jap Squier strat. Woah! What have I unleashed?! Instant raucus Brit indie sounds like early Blur, searing Led Zep lead tone, SRV scream! Later on I bought an OD-3 thinking it would be similar but more reliable but it had lost the rich creamy smoothness of the earlier incarnation and it was far too tame to really shock or impress.

Well I don't want to score this one too harshly given its very battered state when it arrived in my posession. Its a little bit like a dog from the RSPCA who has been abused by its previous owner - its never going to be a show dog but after a little TLC and a few good baths it starts to become a faithful companion. I was using it in Thailand when I was gigging regularly there (i.e. every night) and when I first started using it it was fine. Then for some reason it developed a strange fade in when it was engaged. Strumming away on clean, round the second chorus and building up to a ripping lead break only to be met with silence! After a minute or so the sound would slowly return, but alas too late... After a few repeat performances of this, and a new jack socket (which solved the problem temporarily) I was forced to buy an OD-3. This did a fine job for rhythm but just didn't slice through a mix like the OD-1 when it came time to wail. After a bit more tinkering I managed to coax a bit more life out of her and married ODs 1 and 3 together for some really earth shattering tones. These days the pedal board has come apart and the OD-3 is at the bottom of the cable box. OD-1 is still rocking and bluesing with the best of them. But I would have to think twice or three times about taking her to a gig.

Two knobs - how hard can it be? The drive control is niceley graduated and the level control is just right - i.e. not too loud to match the level with the gain (like the OD-3!) but with plenty of room to crank up the gain to your amp if needs be.

I've played this with a variety of amps over the years - 70s Bassman (heavy), JC120 (overrated, apart from the mad vibrato), Roland Cube 30 (amazing for the price, size and weight), Blues DeVille (mmm, classic), Vox Valvetronix (only used the 'Boutique Clean' sound which is amazing). And my guitars have been a Washburn WI64DL, Jap Fender Strat, Jap Squier Strat, Jedson 175 copy. The OD1 has worked amazingly with everything except the Jedson, which is just too fat to take any kind of drive at all! If I ever see another in a pawn shop I would buy it without a moments thought. I want as many as I can get hold of. I might even be buried with it. NB. mine is not even one of the original ones, I think its a second generation, much maligned for its chronic mid hump. The mid hump is why I like it though. It might sound stupid the first time you try it in isolation but kick it in when you need to be heard over a band and it sits perfectly in the mix.