How much gain does the Boss BD-2 / BD-2w have

timmysoft

im comparing against the waza SD-1w

enough for 80s rock or should I be thinking about a Keeley DS-1?

siraxeman

its a bluesy overdrive - so I'd say definitely not unless you cascaded it with something or gave it a massive kick in the front with a booster to drive it much harder. I'd say look elsewhere...but there are plenty demos on youtube...if you've ever heard of it ? Lol

siraxeman

...there's a Digiech Blues pedal for sale in the classifieds - £20 posted - worth having as its a cheap pedal that sounds very similar to the Boss wun. Stick another OD like an SD-1 or a TS type and the 2 together will do a great 80's rawk toanz.

d8m

siraxeman said:

...there's a Digiech Blues pedal for sale in the classifieds - £20 posted - worth having as its a cheap pedal that sounds very similar to the Boss wun. Stick another OD like an SD-1 or a TS type and the 2 together will do a great 80's rawk toanz.

Wiz.

Screaming blues is a great pedal, the separate EQ makes it more usable than the BD-2 IMO. Helps to dial out the hi gain fizz aswell.

 Owned both and couldn't really hear a difference between them, specially given the price difference.

Johnnyseven

My BD2 has loads of gain, plenty for rock and metal. I've used it to play covers of White Wedding, The Power of Love and Breaking the Law (boosted with a TS808) so it can handle some 80's rock.

BahHumbug

Yeah, the BD2 strikes me as being pretty versatile.  Good for transparent lowish gain tone, but also will provide surprising amounts of drive for heavier stuff.

professorben

I have an SD-1w and I'd say the BD-2w has more gain, less mids so it perhaps it doesn't stand out in a mix quite as well. Depending on the guitar and amp etc.

professorben

@timmysoft I can't imagine a better combination than the SD-1w punishing the front end of the BD-2w 

monquixote

The Blues Driver has got quite a bit of gain, but it's not the pedal I would choose for 80's rock.

hugbot

Quite a bit. Enough for 80's rock rhythm definitely, probably not enough for leads.

Cabicular

As above
although goose it with any overdrive pedal and it goes pretty gain and sounds very rich
its a surprisingly rocky sounding drive pedal considering its name

timmysoft

hugbot said:

Quite a bit. Enough for 80's rock rhythm definitely, probably not enough for leads.

I don't do leads! 

Cabicular

Throw your guitar in the bin and hand back your hero card!
what so you mean you don't do solos!!! That's like those weird people that don't eat pudding

timmysoft

Cabicular said:

Throw your guitar in the bin and hand back your hero card!
what so you mean you don't do solos!!! That's like those weird people that don't eat pudding

It's not that I don't want to, I'm just very shit at leads, always been the rhythm guitarist and that's what I've always enjoyed!

Cabicular

You sound like my dream band mate

ThePrettyDamned

I like it well enough, but the boss od-3 has less ice pick on top so consider that. Amazing pedal. 

Another is the da-2. Yeah, it's digital... But ignore that and you've got a great rock pedal. The ds-1x is very good, too. 

But I reckon if you've got an sd-1, you should demo it alongside the od-3, bd-2 and ds-1 (stock or modded). Sd-1 into ds-1 is a bit of a classic combination and has 80s written all over it. 

Cabicular

Angry Charlie or even better sweet tea is a shoe in but more expensive
my current top of the pops for doing the old theme from top of the pops is the Marvel FX Rambler 3
its incredibly Marshall esque

siraxeman

If you want summit cheap that does 80s rawk toanz get a moorer cruncher....basically the same pedal the angry Charlie was cloned from for less than the cost of a BD-2. or even a RAT or moorers BLACK SECRET RAT clone.

monquixote

siraxeman said:

If you want summit cheap that does 80s rawk toanz get a moorer cruncher....basically the same pedal the angry Charlie was cloned from for less than the cost of a BD-2. or even a RAT or moorers BLACK SECRET RAT clone.

The Angry Charlie is clone of the Crunchbox which would be a Mooer Cruncher.

The Black Secret is a RAT (which would be very good for 80's tones)

Cabicular

Everyone says that but I've owned a crunch box and I can categorically say they don't sound the same
also I've not had a Mooer pedal with a noise floor I can live with. Combination of tight space and cheaper components. They sound alright at low volumes but hells teeth ... At gig volumes they are a real struggle

siraxeman

I can't say I've ever noticed this higher 'noise floor' I've got the Dark Secret and the Cruncher - and well, my current main pedal is the Wampler Pinnacle - it edges it just slightly (for me) over the Cruncher - but it really is a close race..but the price difference is MASSIVE between the two...noise ????? What is this? And from a dirt pedal ?