The Boss SD-1-4A Super Overdrive is a limited edition version of the SD-1 Super Overdrive made to mark the pedal's 40th anniversary. Boss announced it in May 2021, noting that the SD-1-4A "celebrates 40 years of continuous production" of the circuit, which first appeared in 1981 and has been made ever since123. It is an overdrive pedal, the effect the SD-1 has always been: Pedal of the Day called the SD-1 "a longtime charter member of the Overdrive Club" that "has helped define this genre"4.
What makes the SD-1-4A different from a regular SD-1
Under the paint, it is the same pedal. The anniversary treatment is entirely visual and collectible. Boss's press release described the commemorative SD-1-4A as having "a black body with yellow lettering, gold-capped knobs, and a vintage silver thumbscrew" for the battery compartment2. It also ships in packaging of its own: the pedal "comes in a box with a special 40th Anniversary logo"7.
| Feature | SD-1-4A | Standard SD-1 |
|---|---|---|
| Finish | Black body | Yellow |
| Lettering | Yellow | Standard |
| Knobs | Gold-capped | Standard |
| Battery thumbscrew | Vintage silver | Standard |
| Packaging | Commemorative box with 40th anniversary logo | Standard box |
| Availability | 2021 only | Ongoing |
Sources agree on the look: gearnews.com described "yellow lettering and gold-capped knobs" on the black enclosure1, and MusicRadar later noted the same commemorative emblem treatment across Boss's anniversary pedals172.
The SD-1-4A is a different pedal from the later 50th anniversary SD-1 editions Boss announced in 2023, when "the DS-1 Distortion, SD-1 Super Overdrive and BD-2 Blues Driver are all getting new 50th anniversary editions"891. The SD-1-4A is specifically the 40th anniversary version from 2021.
Release, price and availability
Boss announced the SD-1-4A alongside an anniversary MT-2 Metal Zone in May 2021. MusicPlayers.com reported that "the BOSS SD-1 Super Overdrive and MT-2 Metal Zone will be available in June 2021 for $59.99 and $112.99"2, and gearnews.com listed the same "USD 59.99" figure for the SD-1-4A1. Guitar.com rounded the price to $60 in its coverage5.
Availability was deliberately short. Delicious Audio reported the pedal "will be available throughout 2021 only"6, and Boss's own release said each anniversary pedal "will be available throughout 2021 only"2. Guitar.com described both as "limited-run versions of each pedal in special black finishes"5. In practice that means the SD-1-4A is out of production, and players hunting one are looking at the used market; the standard SD-1 Super Overdrive and the SD-1W Super Overdrive Waza Craft remain the current ways to get the circuit new.
The SD-1 family
The SD-1-4A sits in a long line of SD-1 variants and related Boss overdrives. If you are comparing anniversary and special editions, or looking at what else the circuit family offers:
- Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive: the standard production pedal
- Boss SD-1W Super Overdrive Waza Craft: the Waza Craft version
- Boss SD-1-4A: a limited edition available throughout 2021 only, released in June 2021 at $59.99 USD275
- Boss BD-2 Blues Driver and Boss JB-2 Angry Driver: related Boss drive pedals
- Boss OD-1 and Boss OD-3 OverDrive: Boss's other overdrive lines
For a wider view of the category, see the Overdrive Pedals page, or the Boss SD-1 vs Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer comparison for how the standard SD-1 stacks up against its most often named rival.
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Questions
Is the Boss SD-1-4A different from a regular SD-1?
Electrically it is the SD-1 Super Overdrive circuit; the differences are cosmetic and collectible. The SD-1-4A has a black body with yellow lettering, gold-capped knobs, a vintage silver thumbscrew for the battery compartment, and it ships in a commemorative box printed with the 40th anniversary logo. The standard SD-1 keeps its familiar yellow finish.
Is the SD-1-4A still available?
No. Boss announced the SD-1-4A in May 2021 as a limited edition, and it was available throughout 2021 only. New units are no longer in production, so players looking for one today are generally into the secondhand market, while the standard SD-1 Super Overdrive remains in the lineup.
How much did the Boss SD-1-4A cost?
The launch price was $59.99 in the United States, announced in May 2021 and shipping in June 2021. Guitar.com rounded the figure to $60 in its coverage. That put it in line with the standard SD-1's price bracket at the time.
When was the Boss SD-1-4A released?
Boss announced the SD-1-4A in May 2021, and the pedal became available in June 2021. It marked 40 years of continuous production of the SD-1 Super Overdrive, which first appeared in 1981.
Sources (9)
- Boss commemorates two milestones with all black Anniversary MT2 and SD1 pedals, gearnews.com, 2021-05-20
- BOSS Releases Anniversary SD-1 Super Overdrive and MT-2 Metal Zone Pedals, MusicPlayers.com, 2021-05-20
- TONEHOME, TONEHOME
- Boss MT-2-3A Metal Zone & SD-1-4A SUPER OverDrive Anniversary Editions, Pedal of the Day, 2021-07-20
- Boss preps anniversary edition SD-1 Super Overdrive and MT-2 Metal Zone, Guitar.com, 2021-05-20
- BOSS MT-2 And SD-1 Anniversary Editions, Delicious Audio, 2021-05-20
- Boss Reissues MT-2 Metal Zone & SD-1 Super OverDrive, www.premierguitar.com, 2021-05-20
- “Beloved by generations of players in every musical genre”: Boss' sparkling 50th Anniversary series celebrates its place atop the pedal pile, Guitar World, 2023-11-16
- Boss celebrates its 50th anniversary with luxurious limited-edition versions of three of its classic pedals, Guitar.com, 2023-11-16
