DI-01

My setup is: Squier Tele Custom II (w/P-90s) or Ibanez RG-170 -> Boss OD-2 -> DS-1 -> This! -> Big Muff -> AW-2 -> PH-2 -> DD-2 -> Randall 75GD. This pedal sounds fine as long as you leave the distortion about 7 or 8 o'clock - below that it sucks all of the sustain out of your instrument.  Same with any distortion pedal though I guess, if you want to get that to sound good you use a different pedal.  With tone from 12-4 o'clock and distortion >1 o'clock, it still sounds less harsh than a DS-1 on similar settings - this is a good thing unless you hate your eardrums. You can't get the creamy Big Muff overdrive out of this, but you can come close.  It won't do fuzz.  The tone of this unit is hard to fault as long as you don't lower the distortion too far.

Tough as a brick.  Built like a Boss pedal, I'd gig it without a backup any day.  Mine looks like it's had its fair share of bruises over the years, and still plays like a dream.  Good battery life too.  Made in Japan on an indeterminate date, late eighties I'd say.

Three knobs, level, tone (soft-hard) and distortion.  Extremely self-explanatory.  It isn't quite as versatile as a Big Muff or DS-1, but you'll still be hard pressed to get a bad sound out of it.  I'd choose this over either of the above for a first distortion pedal, and it sits in well with my current setup.

Bought it off eBay, never dealt with yamaha tech support.  I'd give them a low rating for cutting production of this pedal though.

I've been playing guitar for 7 years now; I play everything from rock to fingerstyle, punk, metal, to jazz.  This pedal suits my needs perfectly - a distortion that isn't too overpowering, but still stronger than an overdrive.  If it were stolen or lost, I'd probably try to get a tubescreamer instead - but if I could find another I'd definitely purchase. Basically, if ever you want a "plug-and-play" distortion unit, this will fit your needs adequately.  If you need a "one-size-fits-all" unit, this will fit your needs adequately.  If you can find this one on eBay or second hand, by all means take the chance to get it into your hands - it won't let you down.