6 Classic Overdrive Pedals And How They Sound - Comparison (no talking)

*Buy now:
Ibanez TS808
www.thomann.de/gb/ibanez_ts80...
Nobels ODR-1
www.thomann.de/gb/nobels_odr_...
Boss BD-2
www.thomann.de/gb/boss_bd2_bl...
Fulltone OCD
www.thomann.de/gb/fulltone_oc...
Hermida Zendrive
www.thomann.de/gb/lovepedal_h...
Article: bit.ly/6-classic-overdrive-ped...
Here is an audio comparison of 6 classic Overdrive Pedals with many sounds and settings: Boss OD-1, Ibanez TS808, Nobels ODR-1, Boss BD-2, Fulltone OCD, Hermida Zendrive.
Soundfiles/Video: Thomas Dill
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[@GuitarBonedo]

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[@lueysixty-six7300]

This is the greatest pedal demo have ever seen! Rest-of-the-guitar-world take notice: this is the new benchmark by which all other pedal demos should now be judged!

[@saintjabroni]

Yep!

[@johannalvarsson9299]

after years of expierience, i would actually prefer a DI sound with no amp or microphone for test purposes. still great vid tho!

[@thomaslthomas1506]

I second.

[@the-np4mr]

I don't think so, sorry!

[@Da_Publick]

All amp demos, too; this is the way.

[@deanlikesknives2354]

I honestly had no clue the OD-1 was such a beast. It consistently sounded the best to my ears/preferences. Also - dude - THIS IS HOW ALL GEAR DEMOS SHOULD BE DONE! I don't mind having some editorial/commentary, especially at the end, but most gear reviews are like 99% talking, 1% playing, and they don't min/max the settings on the pedals like you did. Seriously, bravo. You have a new subscriber. The only thing I think you missed out on on this video was: what happens when the amp is already dirty, and you use the overdrive to push it past crunch into wild territory. That is what the tubescreamer is really meant for; not going in to a clean amp. Anyway, regardless, great video. Super helpful.

[@dfuzzybuzzy]

Same!

[@LeviBulger]

It's the best overdrive pedal I've ever owned and I've owned dozens upon dozens through the years. Last year I cut my pedal collection down from 75 down to just 15. Then,I went with a very minimal board of just 5 pedals. When it came to overdrives, the OD1 just kept winning against everything I put it against. In fact, of the 5 pedals I ended up using for my gig board, 4 of them were Boss pedals from the 80s lol. OD1, CS2, FZ2, and a DM3. Boss really is the king when it comes to stompboxes. Edit: I actually think the FZ2 was from the 90s.

[@SaxJockey]

Problem is that people are asking £175 to £717 used for the OD-1 (€207 - €840, USD235 - USD953)... jokers 🤑.

[@glendoggett9670]

@@SaxJockey Fuggedaboutit!

[@radek1cihak]

Maybe it's related to the fact that on percentages - the more people talk and the less they play in the video, the more visited they are. A video like this is more informative, but most people look to KZbin for entertainment, not information. I, on the other hand, can't find a single video about distortions that explains their effect in a completely clean, i.e. transistor combo.

[@riccardodttr]

Happy owner of the Boss Blues Driver!!!

[@JoseFigarella]

I really liked the tones better than the rest!

[@martianmurray]

@@CyclesAreSingularities “JHS Pedals” talks about the circuit in the Blues driver, and all 5 general types of overdrive, if you’re interested in that. It’s a transistor based overdrive, I’m not sure what that means as the technical stuff is a little over my head.

[@robertbrown2728]

That's a really useful demo. I think there is no point in trying to determine a winner; that would be like an artist saying blue paint is better than red paint. Any of those pedals could sound good in the right context.

[@joegarrison5911]

Different shades of blue I'd say. Distortion, Phaser, Flanger etc etc would be different colours. Otherwise well said

[@Ssso155]

Metalzone?

[@vaanrodriguez]

The Blues Driver is my favorite, keeps always the dynamics even at full distortion amazing

[@djc5897]

I like it with my gibson sg into a clean blues jr amp with tone at noon and gain around noon or 1oclock

[@diegoleiva7242]

Yup. Crank the gain, play softly and it will sound clean and hi-fi. Hit it hard and your pubes will drop off your balls. Phenomenal pedal, I've tried a few modded versions but stock is perfect!

[@oletrenner]

I can't tell you how helpful these comparisons are. Great stuff, thanks so much!

[@adammichaelchannel]

Well done, one of the best overdrive comparisons on KZbin. No talking, even comparison, quality sound, and clear pedal visuals on each demo.

[@loutielli]

EXCELLENT demo of these iconic pedals. Great work!

[@homeworldmusic]

Wow, an exceptionally thorough demo: I didn't know my pedals had this much range, as I typically play them full-out attack. Great work man.

[@seanzinger]

Freaking amazing demo. You nailed these sounds. I have the ocd, bd2, and Nobels and this is truly a great demo of how they compare.

[@matteocampostrini2770]

Amazing comparison! The way it should be done, thanks for posting this!

[@greggesslein5383]

This is a fantastic overdrive demo and really helped me decide what pedal is best for me. I'm most likely going with the Blues Driver. Thank you!

[@JasonCorea]

Superb comparison! Surprising how good the OD-1 sounds!

[@sim0n17]

Boss still just gets it done - I continue to keep my BD-2 on the pedalboard! great demo - thank you!!

[@EgeCagan95]

i wish every video was like this , straight to the point. no jokes , no useless conversations , just testing.

[@frankfrank7921]

Now that's a nicely done video with no words yet so much information! I've had all those pedals at one time or another except for the Nobels. I'm partial to the Blues Driver, which I still have and was reminded what a great meat-and-potatoes drive pedal the OD-1 is (which I no longer have). Never been a big Tube Screamer fan but it has its uses. OCD was great as always.

[@coveredinspiders]

This is an excellent pedal demo, I wish more were this straightforward. I appreciate that your playing more rhythm rock with lead parts, so many pedal testers out there are just doing blues leads in the demos, which doesn't help when you play rock rhythm mostly. Great job.

[@themetalhammer9406]

Incredible Demo man you are awesome! Simple nice comparison and very helpful tips for all the pedals!

[@chillidogkev]

Probably the best gear comparison videos on KZbin

[@SidBonkers51]

Great no no-nonsense comparison video, many thanks.

[@CrazedFandango]

Absolutely brilliant demos!

[@user-pd1oc2zs9q]

This man is a gear video god. ❤️❤️❤️ I think all the other video makers do want to be helpful; they just don’t know how. Thank you again, sir.

[@64fiestared]

Great demo... and to my ears there was a very surprising winner

[@jtilly5240]

Fantastic. Well planned and done, as usual.

[@emossg]

Thanks for the video! I watched this eyes closed and OD-1 and BD2 were clearly winners for me. Now I know what my first overdrive will be.

[@oscarpalaciosbustamante4029]

THIS is a REAL demo. THANKS! Excellent job!

[@LANDRmusic]

Some great advice. Cheers!

[@michaeldelsignore3472]

Best OD video ever. Finally a real test.

[@tedheshio]

Awesome, thorough comparison video. Thanks!

[@jkf9167]

The unsung hero is the Boss OD-1. Not as warm as the others, but you can just imagine it in a 70s rock mix. To a certain extent, the same is true with the 808. The newer ones may sound warmer, but they also seem like they're for 90s - present mixes where stuff doesn't necessarily stand out as much.

[@javporin]

the Nobels is amazing because it has a very chunky low-end without taking any clarity from the top. Also, when played softly/low volume - it really shines as a great boost (tone shape)

[@barnshart9662]

And they recently released a version 2 that has an internal bass cut switch!

[@bryanxenob5566]

and the spectrum knob is a great tone shaper

[@Art-zs6sl]

Interesting take! To me it was really choked sounding.

[@nobelsofficial5766]

Thank you very much! Kind regards from the Nobels team - www.Nobels.com

[@rockeye]

Great demo! I’m sure all of these would sound good in a band context for certain styles of music. Hard to judge with no music. I’m also sure each pedal has a different “feel”, so they make you play a certain way.

[@bpdarragh]

Great comparison, and also into a clean amp. Understandably there is a lot of chat about what pedal, what channel, what amp, what pedal into a clean amp, what pedal into a dirty amp, what guitar., what pickups etc etc, This says it all. No muss, no fuss. BOOM. Nice one

[@erskinepatton3247]

What a great video. Also try the Plumes by Earthquaker Devices. That pedal made me get rid of my OCD and Tube Screamer pedals. Very versatile and sweet sounding.

[@michael_caz_nyc]

I own a 1.7 OCD and love it. I recently purchased a Barber Gain Changer SR and I'm on Cloud-9. You did a great job with this comparison. I thought the Blues Driver sounded fantastic here. (less fizzy with more individual-string-definition) Very informative. oNe LovE from NYC

[@thepiperofsimms9974]

That was excellent. Thank you. At home I turn on the BD-2 and the OCD together.

[@georgefromgreece4119]

To me too THE top combination, well said!

[@jspic4907]

That Zendrive low gain tone was AMAZING

[@MrJingres]

Excellent, straight to the point. My hunch is that amp choice is key here.

[@de1vos]

Yeah, I think EQ signatures can mesh or clash.

[@adammichaelchannel]

great comparisons of the OD pedals. also a good comparison of different types of guitars.

[@christianbouchard7136]

Boss all the way!! So good that I feel stupid never having one, I do order one right now. Thanks

[@geoffnightingale9290]

OD-1 is a great pedal I have 1979 one its crazy for giving off harmonics and beautiful feedback.. Zendrive is killer too.

[@piperofsimms]

Love my BD-2. Love my OCD. I will stack them at times to add a more "sandy" tone complimenting BD's gravel. Thanks for the excellent video !

[@SteveBjorck]

Zen Drive into a BJFE Honey Bee is incredible - two very different OD's and together they make an amazing distortion

[@Tyetheberious]

The Zen sounds amazing here.

[@damienlott]

Wow, Boss OD-1 is great! (Brilliant demo thanks!)

[@ck2music712]

GREAT job! Actual clean tone to start, and a great comparison! The Nobels is my favorite so far, because it's got that AMAZING bass response! Listen on decent speakers and you'll see! The DigiTech Bad Monkey has the same vibe, a TS vibe, but with BASS!

[@Stryngz21]

Although the Ibanez Tube screamer , and Fulltone OCD are great; I play the 1st generation Zen Drive and love it 💕

[@sdom4471]

Super démo , OD1 sur mon pédalboard depuis le début 1978 . Elle y restera toujours .

[@zeljkomihalic55]

kudos for this. Remarkable work. Thank you.

[@mcampbell5158]

Fantastic video, thank you for doing this.

[@craiger2399]

Not only was this well done, but I really enjoyed your favorite settings. I just got into the groove of each, and really thought this was a nice touch. Btw, I was surprised that they didn't all clean up that well. The OCD, for all it's saturation, does.

[@leswadley6792]

The OCD and tube screamer have been on my board for years! Really dig the boss Od1 and ode-1!

[@djmartinez5054]

Fascinating comparison. Obviously they're different categories, but I really liked the OD-1 and the TS808! Old school baby.

[@aalperuzun]

Good playing and a good video. 👍🏻 I liked that zen pedal which is that i don't have ofcourse

[@bernardofernandes2226]

I have Boss OD-1 and Fulltone OCD. The OCD is superb, way better than OD-1. Listening to both in real life is a completely different experience! This video was excellent!

[@Xyrium]

Just really great work here, very intelligent methodology.

[@brownie4032]

Man I love the Blues driver I gotta get it soon

[@kaiserwilhelmii1827]

Amazing comparison! Thanks :)

[@gabewilliams7462]

That OCD is amazing.

[@jonny1251]

All great. I love the blues driver. Also another classic that sounds great as an overdrive......MXR Distortion +

[@Fadebackstudios]

Yeah I would have loved to hear that one in here

[@ChanokchaiChauychoo]

Best comparison pedal ever!

[@KneedleKnees]

I own a Blues Driver, and it's my favorite overdrive that I own, but I LOVE those ODR and OCD tones also

[@fishingnorfolk]

Boss od1 by far the best 👍. Excellent video

[@Art-zs6sl]

Wow your OD-1 sounded great!

[@WheezyLiam]

Jeeeesus, that Blues Driver has no business being as heavy as it is!

[@daggercatz7297]

For something called "Blues Driver" it is going into some mighty hard rock or even metal terretories damn. I underestimated that thing... I wonder what SD1 into BD2 would sound.

[@spotthepirate]

That OD1 and the OCD tie on pure dirt for me - open, spiky, and let the character of the guitar shine through. The Zen sounds unreal as a boost though.

[@azdh85224]

Nice demo. OCD is my fav.

[@acdcargentina2009]

No talking= good. 💪💪💪

[@paulitik7]

OD-1, BD-2, and the Nobels slayed the Tubescreamer. The OCD sounds good too.

[@thesurfjunkies]

Very interesting that the pedals that sound great on fully distorted chords don’t always sound great on single note lines and viceversa. Great demo video.

[@ChrisPartykaMusic]

The slight break-up Zendrive sound was pretty nice imo

[@konstantinoschatzistamatak277]

Bass player here ,nobels first!!!This was the best test ive ever seen!!!

[@user-pd1oc2zs9q]

What a gift! Guitar Bonedo thank you. Like someone else said, the new gold standard for gear videos, if you just want help, not to explore the presenters personality and noodling style. Platinum standard. Thank you so much!

[@MusicUnLtd.]

Excellent comparison - no time wasted with unnecessary talk & jokes!

[@JimmyWatfordGuitar]

This channel is awesome

[@Xyrium]

Loved the OD1 and TS808. The range on them is amazing, though neither cleans up as well as the BD it appears.

[@00Resev]

Oh, wow... i need both ODs from Boss. The Blues Driver as an always on pedal, and the OD1 to push the front.

[@mobydick3895]

Long ago I saw a band, Dread Zeppelin, in a bar in Texas. The guitarist had a BD-2 and a SD-1 and he used them in combination. He had a Hughes & Kettner combo amp set clean. The sound he got was impressive. To me, the goal with pedals is not to copy the tones, but instead just get a good sound and then play songs the way you *wish* they would have been played. Audiences will not give you credit for copying exactly anyhow, but surprisingly they will give you credit for playing songs they know in your own creative way.

[@yigit_okyay]

Very helpfull video. Thanks

[@ck2music712]

That Nobels with the gain cranked IS the sound I've been lookin for years!

[@danstringer7610]

Great video!

[@changeofmindofficial3158]

I do play the blues driver and I think it's the best OD!

[@nicovx]

“Natural Overdrive”. Nice video!

[@Shadow962775]

That ODR-1 has me sold.

[@ianbugayong8620]

now i want all of them

[@EternityRecordsUSA]

Great video. Thank you

[@davibelo]

HEY MAN. NICE VIDEO!

[@franckleger3281]

for me boss od1 is the best .

[@kikomarty4337]

Yeah, the Od-1s are amazing, such a great grinding tone. Very cool.

[@BITESIZEJONES]

You'd have to own one and play with it for about a year and then you'd realize why a tone control was added.

[@kenfernsler6507]

I think the od1 sounded the best but I use a bluesdriver and hes not really useing it the way I do. Works best with the tone all most all the way off. It can get a bit ice picky other wise. Thought the tube screamer was the 2nd best.

[@ricardorochadias]

To me Tube Screamer is way better. But I use it not the way he is using. I think the "trick" knob in TS is the level knob. But OD1 and Blues Driver are amazing.

[@dronespace]

Awesome video

[@crisscn3590]

For me the tube screamer, the blues driver and the OCD are the best !!!

[@MrAnders1976]

Great video.. Not surprising that the two favorite settings of the Boss BD2 had the gain below noon,, The pedal simple lacks mids for any kind of high gain sounds.. Also the pedal have excess treble so always keep the tone pot below 11 oclock,, To my ears the treble is neutral around 9.30 on the dial... And the BD2 is not the best booster into another gain pedal due to this fact.. The SD1or OD1 or a tubescreamer works really well for this.. The difference between the OD1 and the TS9 /808 is that the asymmetrical clipping of the boss pedal gives more Sizzle.. The 808 is more polite.

[@SaxJockey]

@dansk bjorn I agree with you 💯. Just bought a BD-2, and concluded the same. Settings similar to those at 9:26 work best for me (for a mild OD), exactly as you say tone 9.5. I started on a very clean setting with a tone of 11, but gradually (using a variety of guitars LP, Strat, Tele) ended up with 9.5 as the most pleasing...bearing in mind I was aiming for a mild OD on a clean amp. It seems to be a very 'shouty' pedal, not very even across the strings...but I have probably been spoilt by the smoothness of an OCD. All this depends on individual set ups and expectations (guitar, pick ups, clean or driven amp, amp VOLUME, room acoustics...and individual hearing/preferences). Amp VOLUME is in capitals because some uploads demonstrate a pedal going into an amp on breakup, which sometimes may mean the amp is some distance away or in an isolation cabinet...not exactly a home setup 🙄. P.S. I don't like the high gain settings; somewhat too fizzy.

[@mattgilbert7347]

Pretty much any drive pedal is going to sound good with that rig! I like the OD-1 but they are getting kinda pricey on the used market. I have an OD-3 which is supposed to be like the OD-1 with a tone control.

[@Cestariarts]

Wow, blues driver sounds awesome

[@chrismantambunan9834]

OD 1 amazing and killer sound.

[@Cerusicus26]

I have the ts9 but I wanna buy the blues driver and The fulltone ocd...Love how they sound

[@darwinsaye]

Interestingly, you could have added a Rat into the mix. Even though it's considered a distortion pedal, it makes a great sounding overdrive up to 11:00 on its gain knob (and a decent fuzz cranked all the way).

[@TheNorthernChris]

Great demo. I like how this was done. I felt in this set up the OD-1, TS808, & OCD stood out as sounding great. There would likely be different results with different factors such as different amp, guitar, player. I think most pedals will shine in the right situation.

[@jaylocke4216]

Great job.. thanks.

[@Knoize1]

wow.. good quality review.