Boss Waza Craft SD-1WC Super Overdrive and BD-2WC Blues Driver

Boss Waza Craft SD-1W SUPER OverDrive and BD-2W Blues Driver

By Chris Loeffler

Boss has been a standard-bearer for what professional quality stomp boxes should be since 1976 and made a name for itself with its “built like a tank” enclosures and contributions to nearly every category of effect. Most boutique builders today got their start modifying Boss pedals to their personal tastes, and many continue make their livelihood in this way. Rather than taking offense to the modification of their circuits, Boss watched what people were doing and devised the Waza Craft series to meet this new demand. 

The Boss Waza Craft series is built around a philosophy of creating a premium Boss line that honors its heritage as one of the most prolific effects manufacturers in the world and builds on the Boss legacy by adding features today’s most finicky effects connoisseurs seek. All Waza Craft pedals are built using original spec, premium parts and undergo a second round of testing in Japan to ensure they are in prime sonic form.  Joining the Waza Craft DS-1W and DM-2W are the new SD-1W SUPER OverDrive and BD-2W Blues Driver.

Whar You Need to Know

The Boss SD-1 has been a mainstay on pro boards for more than thirty years and is the go-to overdrive for slamming tube amps. Featuring controls for Drive, Gain, and Volume, the SD-1W can accomplish anything from a dirty boost to singing leads. Unlike “that other classic overdrive”, the SD-1W utilizes asymmetrical clipping to generate gain, which creates a noticeably more complex and harmonically rich overdrive. The SD-1W has a slightly reduced mid-hump compared to competitors, giving it a punchier, more expansive sound without losing the frequencies required for traditional overdrive applications.

The slight cut in bass frequencies and touch of compression in the overdrive make the SD-1W an ideal candidate for pushing an amp on the edge of breakup (or beyond) into bell-like, focused lead tones. The overdrive, which goes from “barely there” to crunchy medium gain, sounds great on its own but really comes alive when interacting with tube distortion. The Custom mode returns most of the low end and slightly extends the amount of gain available, resulting in a fuller tone that maintains the sonic signature of the classic SD-1 but with higher fidelity.

The Boss BD-2 Blues Driver has been around for more than 20 years and is something of an under-the-radar Boss gem. Similar to the SD-1W in form, controls, and type, the BD-2W is an overdrive that reveals amazing touch sensitivity in its breakup and can go from clean to heavy crunch just by increasing pick attack. The gain is more open and a little bit grittier than the SD-1W, sacrificing a bit of the creamy focus of its yellow sibling for a more raucous, wooly gain that is akin to modern amplifier distortion. There’s an almost fuzzy quality to the highest gain settings, and the lower gain settings are transparently clean.

The Custom mode adds bass and a touch more gain into the mix, giving the overdrive a livelier, fatter sound for times when slamming the amp isn’t in the cards. The best thing about the Custom mode is how faithful it stays to the original BD-2 tone- it is just different enough to satisfy those looking for a beefier overdrive without walking away from what makes the BD-2 special.

Limitations

While not necessarily a limitation,  these pedals stick true to their original purpose. While toneful and amp-like, they are meant to be a part of an ecosystem as opposed to "amps in a box".

Conclusion

Both pedals are excellent overdrive pedals, and the “Custom” mode gives each pedal even more flexibility. When it comes down to it, the SD-1W has a slight advantage for those looking for kick their amps into overdrive for smooth, liquid leads while the BD-2W exhibits more amp-like touch sensitivity and growl that is equally well suited to rhythm as it is soloing. Even better, stack them and run the SD-1W into the BD-2W and enjoy the best of both worlds!

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