Five Long-Running BOSS Compact Pedals Compared

BOSS compact pedals are the small, stompbox-sized units that have sat at the front of pedalboards for decades, and two of the longest-running circuits in the line are the DS-1 Distortion and the BD-2 Blues Driver. Both are drive pedals, but they sit in different categories: the DS-1 is a distortion pedal, while the BD-2 is an overdrive pedal aimed at bluesier, lower-gain territory.

BOSS describes the DS-1 as the top-selling BOSS compact pedal ever, an original, unchanged design that delivers a hard-edged attack and smooth sustain¹. The BD-2, by contrast, is most often discussed alongside the Ibanez Tube Screamer, another long-running overdrive, and the two are frequently compared as the classic choices in that category². Around both pedals BOSS has built Waza Craft special editions, the DS-1W and BD-2W, which revisit the original circuits with added features.

The pedals side by side

The two core pedals and their Waza Craft counterparts break down like this:

What differs between them

The biggest difference is the category each pedal sits in. The DS-1 is a distortion pedal: BOSS's own description centers on a hard-edged attack and smooth sustain from a circuit that has never changed since its introduction¹. The BD-2 is an overdrive, and Guitar World frames it as one half of a classic pairing with the Tube Screamer, noting that both pedals also run off a 9V battery or pedalboard power supply².

Controls and power

Power is one area where the facts are clear and consistent across the standard pedals:

• The DS-1 runs from a 9V battery or a 9V DC power adapter³.
• The BD-2 runs off a 9V battery or a pedalboard power supply².

That means neither pedal demands a special supply: the DS-1 runs from a 9V battery or a 9V DC power adapter, and the BD-2 also runs off a 9V battery or pedalboard power supply. For players weighing batteries against power supplies more broadly, the trade-offs are covered in Pedal Power Supplies Compared: Alternatives to 9V Batteries³².

What reviewers said

The DS-1W drew a sharply divided response from published reviewers. Some writers placed it among their favorite new pedals of its release year⁴. But GuitarPlayer's Alex Lynham reached a much more critical verdict:

Alex Lynham, GuitarPlayer⁶

The quote as published cuts off mid-sentence, but the direction is clear: in that reviewer's judgement the DS-1W did not justify its price against both other BOSS pedals and competitors. That sits against the maker's own positioning of the Waza Craft series as the ultimate BOSS tone experience⁴, and it is a useful reminder that the special edition and the original are different products with different receptions.

For the standard DS-1, the maker's claim is the notable one: BOSS calls it the top-selling BOSS compact pedal ever, with an original, unchanged design¹. For the BD-2, the recurring press framing is the comparison with the Tube Screamer, which is where most discussion of the pedal's character has taken place².

Who each suits

• The DS-1 suits players who want the original circuit as it has always been built, since BOSS describes the design as original and unchanged¹.
• The BD-2 suits players choosing between the classic overdrive options, as it stands as the main BOSS alternative to the Tube Screamer in that comparison².
• The DS-1W suits players drawn to a "boutiquified" take on the DS-1, in guitar.com's phrasing, though one reviewer found it outclassed at its price⁶⁷.
• The BD-2W suits players who want a revamped classic design within the Waza Craft range, as Guitar World describes it⁸.

Players comparing drive categories more widely can find the distinctions between overdrive, distortion and fuzz laid out in Overdrive, Distortion and Fuzz Pedals Compared, and boutique reworkings of classic circuits are collected in Classic Pedals and Their Boutique Counterparts Compared.

Questions