The BOSS SD-2 Dual Overdrive is an analog overdrive pedal built around two channels, Crunch and Lead, each with its own set of Level, Tone and Drive controls. Guitar World's Rod Brakes described it as sporting "dual channels (Crunch and Lead) along with stacked Level, Tone and Drive knobs"1. It is no longer in production: Guitar Pedal X lists it as discontinued, with a price of around £100 equivalent when new2.
Controls
The pedal carries two channels, and each channel gets its own trio of knobs stacked on the face of the pedal. The MODE switch sets how the two channels are selected124.
| Control | Function |
|---|---|
| CRUNCH: Level, Tone, Drive | Output level, tone and drive amount for the Crunch channel2 |
| LEAD: Level, Tone, Drive | Output level, tone and drive amount for the Lead channel2 |
| MODE | Crunch (Remote Switching) or Crunch/Lead (Alternating)2 |
Remote switching
The MODE control's Crunch (Remote Switching) setting is the pedal's distinguishing feature. JHS Pedals, writing about the circuit in the context of the Boss JB-2 Angry Driver, noted that "it has this interesting remote that changes between two different drives"4. In practice, that gives a player footswitch access to both the Crunch and Lead channels rather than alternating between them with the pedal's own switch.
The Lead channel and the Rat comparison
The SD-2 sits in the same territory as compact Rat-style distortion pedals, and it has appeared in press roundups of that type of pedal. What is documented about the pedal itself is narrower: Boss lists it as discontinued, and Guitar Pedal X gives its price when new as around £100 equivalent12.
"the Lead Channel of the SD-2 is the closest Boss ever got to a Rat-style tone / texture voicing"
For players curious about that side of the SD-2's character, the comparison places its Lead channel among distortion pedals with a Rat-style texture, while the pedal as a whole sits in Boss's overdrive line alongside pedals like the Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive and Boss BD-2 Blues Driver23.
Power
The SD-2 runs on 9V DC, center negative, and draws 21mA, per the RockBoard PedalPedia listing3. That is a light load for a pedalboard power supply, and the pedal's specifications are documented in Boss's English manual for the unit3.
Videos
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Questions
Is the BOSS SD-2 discontinued?
Yes. Guitar Pedal X lists the Boss SD-2 Dual OverDrive as discontinued, noting it sold for around £100 equivalent when new. Because it is no longer made, players looking for one today are generally shopping the used market rather than new retail stock.
How much current does the BOSS SD-2 draw?
The BOSS SD-2 Dual Overdrive draws 21mA, according to the RockBoard PedalPedia product page for the pedal. That is a modest draw by modern standards, so a standard 9V DC supply with enough spare current handles it comfortably.
What power supply does the BOSS SD-2 need?
The SD-2 runs on 9V DC, center negative, per the RockBoard PedalPedia listing. It is an analog circuit drawing 21mA, so a typical pedalboard supply works, but use a center-negative supply as with most Boss pedals.
What does the remote switching on the SD-2 do?
The SD-2's MODE control offers Crunch (Remote Switching) or Crunch/Lead (Alternating). JHS Pedals described it as having 'this interesting remote that changes between two different drives', letting the player move between the Crunch and Lead channels remotely.
Which sounds like a Rat, the Crunch or the Lead channel of the SD-2?
The Lead channel. Writing in Guitar Pedal X's roundup of Rat-style compact pedals, Stefan Karlsson called the Lead Channel of the SD-2 'the closest Boss ever got to a Rat-style tone / texture voicing'.
Sources (4)
- Boss overdrive pedals: the evolution of its essential stompboxes, Guitar World, 2021-09-28
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-08-30
- SD-2 Dual Overdrive by BOSS, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- THE JB-2 / ANGRY DRIVER, JHS Pedals
