The Boss OD-2 TURBO OverDrive is an analog overdrive pedal first released in 1985 as the successor to the OD-1. Its defining feature is the Turbo switch: in standard mode it produces what Boss describes as a mild, well-defined overdrive, and switching on Turbo mode activates an independent drive circuit with higher gain and increased presence, which Boss describes as ideal for playing lead12. The original pedal was made from 1985 to 19953.
What the Turbo mode does
The pedal carries four controls: Level, Tone, Drive and Turbo On/Off5. The two modes are not two settings of one circuit. Aion FX, which has studied the original hardware, notes that the non-Turbo mode is a completely separate drive circuit within the pedal, and generally speaking unremarkable compared to the Turbo mode2. In practice that makes the OD-2 a two-circuit pedal in one box: a mild, well-defined overdrive with a sweeter character than the OD-1 in standard mode, and a higher-gain, more present voice when Turbo is switched in1.
Circuit and history
The original OD-2 uses the 2SK117-GR JFET, a low-cutoff type similar to the J201, which is no longer made in through-hole format2. Aion FX also points out that the OD-2 is one of only three fully discrete circuits ever made by Boss, with no op-amps, alongside the FZ-3 Fuzz and the DS-2 Turbo Distortion2. That makes it unusual in the Boss catalog, where most compact pedals of the era were built around op-amp stages.
The timeline runs like this:
- 1985: OD-2 released as successor to the OD-12
- 1994: replaced by the OD-2R, which adds Remote switch compatibility5
- 1997: OD-3 succeeds the line2
- 1999: OD-2R discontinued5
The OD-2 and OD-2R are long out of production. The OD-2R was discontinued in 19995, and the OD-2 itself was officially succeeded by the OD-3 in 19972.
OD-2 versus OD-2R
The OD-2R Turbo Over Drive, released in 1994, is the Remote switch-compatible version of the OD-25. Guitar World's history of Boss's analog overdrives describes the four-knob OD-2 as having been superseded by the Remote switch-compatible OD-2R in 1994, with the OD-2R then discontinued in 19995. For a player, the practical difference is that the OD-2R can be controlled from a remote footswitch, while the original OD-2 cannot.
The OD-2 as a PX-1 Model Pass
Boss publishes an English owner's manual for the OD-2 TURBO OverDrive as a PDF download4, and it confirms the pedal's power requirement: 9V DC, center negative4. That specification is worth noting for any player running an OD-2 on a pedalboard today, since the center negative polarity and 9V supply are the standard conventions most modern power supplies and daisy-chain setups are built around.
The same owner's manual serves as the reference for the OD-2's operating details4, including that 9V DC, center negative power requirement4, and it remains available from Boss for players picking up the pedal secondhand without its printed documentation.
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Questions
What does the Turbo switch on the Boss OD-2 do?
Switching on Turbo mode activates an independent drive circuit inside the pedal with higher gain and increased presence, which Boss describes as ideal for playing lead. The standard mode produces a mild, well-defined overdrive, so the pedal effectively holds two separate drive circuits, one behind the Turbo switch.
How is the OD-2 different from the OD-1?
The OD-2 was released in 1985 as the successor to the OD-1. Boss describes its standard mode as a mild, well-defined overdrive with a sweeter character than the OD-1, and the Turbo mode adds a second, independent higher-gain circuit that the OD-1 does not have.
What is the difference between the OD-2 and the OD-2R?
The OD-2R replaced the OD-2 in 1994 and added compatibility with a Remote switch, according to Guitar World. The OD-2R was then discontinued in 1999, and the line was succeeded by the OD-3 in 1997.
Is the Boss OD-2 analog?
Yes. RockBoard's PedalPedia lists the OD-2 Turbo Overdrive as an analog circuit, running on 9V DC center-negative power and drawing 10mA.
Is the OD-2 available as a Model Pass for the Boss PX-1?
Yes. Boss released the OD-2 TURBO OverDrive as a Model Pass for the PX-1 Plugout FX on 29 September 2026, in a batch that also added the DM-2 Delay and DC-2 Dimension C. Model Passes are purchased through the Boss Effects Loader App, with demo versions available to audition.
How much current does the Boss OD-2 draw?
RockBoard's PedalPedia lists the OD-2 Turbo Overdrive at a current draw of 10mA, powered by 9V DC center negative.
Sources (5)
- BOSS - PX-1 | Plugout FX, BOSS (www.boss.info)
- Aurum Amp Overdrive / BOSS® OD-2 Overdrive, Aion FX, 2021-11-23
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2026-05-21
- OD-2 Turbo Overdrive by BOSS, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- Boss overdrive pedals: the evolution of its essential stompboxes, Guitar World, 2021-09-28
