How to use a Boss Blues Driver BD-2

Hi, I'm Jeff Starr, a filmmaker who also loves guitars and gear. This video is about the Boss Blues Driver and various ways you can use this pedal
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
1:15 Level control tips and tricks
4:42 Gain control
8:55 into an overdriven amp
12:01 More tidbits, practice tool and final thoughts.
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Gear I used (Amazon Affiliate Links):
Boss Blues Driver: amzn.to/2e35VSc
Amps:
Dr. Z Z-Plus: Contact www.sweetwater.com/joe_schafer for the best deals
Camera:
Canon EOS R Mirrorless Camera with RF 24-105mm F/4L IS USM Lens: amzn.to/2s3XG33
RF 35mm f1.8: amzn.to/3hnKxt5
Recording:
Neumann TLM 102 amzn.to/2XrZiPX
Shure Sm57 Microphone amzn.to/2jqaZSv
BEHRINGER Audio Interface (UMC404HD) amzn.to/2M7vouY
Recorded in LogicX.
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[@tubularbill]

I have owned provably 100’s of pedals (yeah it’s a hobby) but this is still my go to pedal beyond a basic boost. In my opinion the best overall pedal ever made. Just really does it all.

[@Zuzucchini-]

I’m so glad you’ve said that- 😭

[@brianhartline1197]

It has a great bb king thick crunch don't you think

[@terraplane0089]

@@Zuzucchini- and me too 😂

[@Hesohi]

I agree. First dirt pedal I ever had. I have never been a big amp guy. I think this pedal sounds best on small wattage amps. Cleans up with the volume knob in the guitar and w/playing dynamics. Stacks well with a Morning Glory style pedal.

[@ShaneStoneOfficial]

💯

[@ibrewalot]

Thanx for all the info...I've had one of these for years and have recently fallen out of love with it. This video made me realize perhaps I wasn't using it correctly. I appreciate the exploration of all the different ways to use it again!

[@grbguitar11]

Very Cool Demo/Review. I recently bought a BD-2 and this was very useful learning what sounds can be achieved. Thankyou. I am using the BD-2 into a DS-1 so can get super dirty sound.

[@myideas8548]

Best review I have seen for any pedal bar none. Thanks

[@agtrst]

I have been using the Boss Overdrive SD-1 a lot. Just got the BD-2. Enjoying the journey of finding out the different settings you can use with this and how different it is from the SD-1. Your video helps a lot. I also find that the settings for the pedals affects different guitars in somewhat different ways. I alternate between a Strat, Tele, and an Ibanez with HBs. Thanks for the info you shared.

[@JeffStarr]

Rock on!

[@TheNetcase]

I have so many overdrive and distortion pedals that i have swapped in and out of my board. I got the BD2 and put all the rest away. This is by far the best sounding drive pedal.

[@aldanino]

Really good explanation on how to use it, thanks

[@luisvergarafernandez5881]

This is one of the most complete reviews I’ve seen on the BOSS BD-2. Thanks.

[@JeffStarr]

Wow, that is a very kind comment. Thanks for the positive feedback. Cheers!

[@mitchellkauffman9003]

I agree. It is hard to find a review that actually educates you on how to use a pedal properly. This one does that. Thank you so much. I feel like I really understand its purpose now, and how to use it effectively. 5 stars!

[@Bourgeault]

Thanks for a very educational and useful video. I have a gazillion pedals and have just put this one back in use after ignoring it for many years…had forgotten how good this unit is.

[@JeffStarr]

Thanks for watching and for taking the time to leave such a nice comment. Rock on!

[@watchyourtoneman5061]

Love it!! This pedal can do it all

[@oksmith5171]

Good vid man. Creative perspective not seen anywhere else esp with the treble boost. cheers

[@Pete_R199er5]

I really enjoyed this review. Thank you for not putting in tons of noodling. Like you I like to find the transparent setting as a stsrt point. I agree that it is not my favourite when used as a distortion but it is great when used as a boost and set with mild overdrive.

[@snorky500]

Been thru 4 of these pedals. Love them. Learned a lot here I did not know before especially about level. I usually have my pedal set for hard distortion, but have my guitar volume down. Makes for a crisp sound and roll it up for solos. Depending on guitar of course. thanks for the info, gave me some ideas. I have a gig today too!

[@ShaneStoneOfficial]

The best part about this pedal is how responsive it is to your guitars volume knob… it’s what makes it the best pedal ever made imo

[@snorky500]

Totally agree. Many pedals i played on, the distortion gets muffled when the know rolls up.@@ShaneStoneOfficial

[@BorisBidjanSaberi11]

Going back home and trying all this little settings

[@slimwellie]

clear and very informative, cheers

[@DrPetesOffice]

So informative…thank you. Much brighter and I’m digging the unity volume!!

[@SeriouslyLarry]

I use a BD-2 as a base rhythm overdrive with the gain between 10 & 2 o'clock depending on the song. For solos I run a Tube Screamer into it with the level all the way up & gain all the way down. They work great together this way for me. LP humbuckers BTW.

[@JeffStarr]

This is a great configuration! Thanks for sharing.

[@golfhound]

EXCELLENT VIDEO!!!!! Finally understand how to use it.

[@JeffStarr]

Glad it helped! This is an epic pedal that is incredibly versatile.

[@ShaneStoneOfficial]

I just bought the 50th anniversary edition BD2 and SD1… I am excited to see how they sound stacked

[@grahamt33]

Best review I have seen

[@JeffStarr]

Thank you very much! That’s really nice to read.

[@brandonbeach2141]

Thank you!! Your demonstration was way more informative for a real world guitarist. I've not tried one of these in my rig yet.

[@davidkastin4240]

Good demo on how to use the BD2. I use mine as a boost. Vol n gain at 10 n tone at 12 noon.

[@JeffStarr]

Yeah, I love it as a boost and that's how I primarily use it too. Thanks for watching!

[@googaboogaloo]

I love this pedal. Ben McLoed from all them witches uses this and I really like his tone.

[@albertplaysguitar]

Nice analysis

[@karmatilya]

I need this pedal!

[@MrDschiesus]

you got some nice sounds out of it. like it! i received mine and... well... first impression: i like my L.A. Lady better as a overdrive. but it also cost more then double. what i instantly like though was to set it in clean and use it as a soundshaper and compressor! it adds a lot o compression and enhances the sound to my liking. whether i use it as a overdrive or not - imma gonna keep it. for that price def a recommendation.

[@SteveBaerThatsMe]

This was an education. Thank you for sharing, and i enjoyed your playing too.

[@JeffStarr]

Glad you enjoyed it! Do you have other pedals you want to learn about?

[@SteveBaerThatsMe]

@@JeffStarr Too many to list. Honestly just keep doing what you are doing, lots of variety on the channel. I'm gassing a bit for a Boss AC22LX to do some livestreams of guitar and voice. I could do that with my Zoom H1 connected via OTG cable to my smartphone but no effects that way, whereas the boss has built in reverb and different simulated mic configurations for acoustics with pickups. Pretty cool piece of gear, has a looper built in too.

[@JeffStarr]

@@SteveBaerThatsMe it’s hard to beat Boss!

[@scottriddle5468]

Great tips

[@paulwatson9217]

Well this video makes the point perfectly. Not only for the BD2 but other pedals as well, it’s important to learn every pedal’s capabilities as a lot of guitarist (me included) at times just find a setting and stick with it. The BD2 is not a one tick pony it’s important to learn the full palette of its capabilities otherwise we are doing ourselves a disservice. Ask yourselves this have you ever bought a pedal sold it then gone and bought it again? Stupid I know but it’s something I’ve done and I don’t think I’m the only one.

[@JeffStarr]

I’m glad this was helpful!

[@fuzzchan]

My on again off again pedal affair was with a boss FRV-1 spring reverb. Thought I could live without it. Simply could not.

[@vanessajazp6341]

I have a Big Muff Sheepshead for Fuzz and this pedal for everything else. Tried a lot of distortion pedals over the years, but to my ears nothing beats this one.

[@JeffStarr]

Blues driver is incredibly versatile.

[@ernestturner915]

I haven't seen one of those pedals in ages.. As far as the tone I prefer just a little more gain for a grittier sound .It sounds really great...

[@JeffStarr]

Yeah, my favorite sound is a touch of gain, the tone fully bright and the level as high as tolerable.

[@derekclacton]

11:00 Lovin’ the tone! 👍

[@dr.rafaelortizzavala4426]

Kind of a fuzz tone

[@TheShaneGuy]

Really helpful.. Get wee video and great pedal :)

[@marcelodangelo915]

The BD2 is amazing with single Coil. (Nobody asked me, but… ) I use it as a soft drive, first drive in the line, and it helps to get the other drives more dirty. It is almost a crunch when the gain knob about 8 or 9 o’clock.

[@marcelodangelo915]

This pedal is hardly removed from my board since 2001!

[@JeffStarr]

Yeah, I really like it as a mild overdrive and boost.

[@marcelodangelo915]

Right now, I took it out to test this sequence: RC Booster>MXR badass modified OD>mudhoney 1 We’ll see… Maybe the RC is a better booster… but I lose the soft drive…

[@ShaneStoneOfficial]

Check out ‘ALL THEM WITCHES’ their guitarist Ben McLeod uses a blues driver with a super distortion bridge pickup and it is easily the best tone I’ve ever heard

[@brysimm404]

WOW, more "Level" with less "Gain"? Great sound - thanks for opening my eyes :D

[@JeffStarr]

Let me know how you experiment with the Blues Driver (and other gain pedals) and what your results are. I’m always curious to learn how people use their pedals.

[@DavidMiller-jo5qb]

For me this pedal is perfect..I don't like a lot of buzz on my distortion, just a little gain..perfect.

[@the.source0]

beautiful and useful review, thanks!. are you using a noise supressor or something?

[@JeffStarr]

Thanks! No noise suppressor is used.

[@user-gg5ti6lq5m]

Usually, I keep mine as an always on pedal. I don't have a master volume on my amp so depending on how loud I need my amp determines how dirty my amp gets. So, I'll vary the gain on the pedal, 11 o'clock max if my amp is pretty clean and then all the way down if my amp's volume is pretty loud and overdriven. This pedal also cuts a little bass in my setup which works well with my amp and in the mix. Don't be afraid of a pedal that cuts bass. In a mix it sounds better to cut bass if you have a bassist.

[@JeffStarr]

Agree! It’s almost always better to cut bass before you turn your amp up louder.

[@HUGzJayGon]

helpful

[@themusketeer9458]

I wonder, if i have it turned off, and turn the level all the way up, it does still affect the sound, not volume wisez but it gets more buzzy and sort of distorted. Is this normal?

[@wawztzta8296]

actually great vid. seen soo much bullshit on YT but you really get into the important stuff

[@hennydarmse]

Love te Blues Driver as a slightly-over-the-edge-of-breakup-drive into a RAT or Russian Big Muff.

[@IAgreeLetsGoBrandon]

I use my blues driver to give my Russian big muff more clarity. Its awesome for that.

[@subjectt.change6599]

The level of the tone knob also affects the overalls gain of the pedal. Max tone = max gain.

[@rik-mc]

Thanks for a good rundown on the pedal. I do wish I would hear less guitar strings and more guitar amp. The string noise really masked the top end and character of the amp/pedal. Thank you

[@Fonkemman]

Thanks! I didn't think the tone knob can be used like a booster (with added brightness). Does that work with other od pedals too?

[@JeffStarr]

Each pedal will be slightly different and it will depend on the circuit used for the tone control. Some pedals will only cut treble.

[@jensk4140]

This pedal has all the gain you need!

[@Hammerman48]

I own one….great pedal.

[@jw_au]

You might just use the blues driver to cut some volume said no one ever! Nota bad video thanks for putting it together :)

[@mitchellkauffman9003]

In this video, does your Z-Amp pedal come before or after the blues driver?

[@JeffStarr]

The Dr. Z pedal comes after the blues driver. The Z pedal is actually a boost trigger for the amp. It turns on an EQ bypass and as a result pushes a harder signal in to the preamp. The “pedal” is actually just a box with a button and a light in it. All the circuitry happens in the amp.

[@mrcards169]

Can u help please does turning the gain up also make the volume go up . Thanks for any help

[@JeffStarr]

Yes, turning the gain up makes your guitar louder but you can then reduce the volume knob to adjust how loud the pedal is overall.

[@mrcards169]

@@JeffStarr great thanks

[@3rdStoreyChemist]

@@mrcards169 All distortion/fuzz/overdrive are essentially preamps*, so when you add gain you are amplifying the signal as that is actually what gain refers - the amount of amplification applied to the signal - so yes it will get louder as you apply gain. What you are doing with all these pedals is amplifying the signal beyond what they can handle, aka 'headroom' and as a result they clip the signal as the headroom has been exceeded. *For example, a pedal often described as a 'preamp' like the Boss MT2 is no more a preamp than a Fuzz Face or a Tubescreamer.

[@Ailin53]

What power adapter do you recommend to use on the Pedal?

[@mkastelovic]

Hi, use the original Roland PSA-230. I had previously the cheap chinese one, that one was really noisy, you could hear the transformer. Original PSU from Roland has also the coil on the line, you will not have that noise.

[@ShaneStoneOfficial]

7:25 is thee tone!

[@Mr.ABartley]

Not Bad.

[@JeffStarr]

😉

[@benmorris118]

How to use a blues driver - plug it in, turn it on, dine. They can't sound bad

[@piedaterre8843]

keep tone and gain under 11:00 and you will be fine

[@reverendmark3887]

Turn off the reverb

[@56davidwright]

Unfortunate choice of Z as it turns out 😐

[@JeffStarr]

Huh? Not sure I understand this comment. Thanks for watching though. :)

[@RafaelCC20]

What a dumb comment. Makes no sense what you are saying.

[@guitarman11000]

Really? That amp has slammin' tone.

[@babyblue4824]

Maybe but the amp sounds terrible here

[@davidfragale5156]

The best way to use a Blues Driver is to put it right next to a tube screamer, in the trash. Both have a horrid midrange bump, while killing the bottom end.

[@allanramusiewicz996]

Try it with HUMBUCKERS 🎶♥️🎶‼️‼️‼️

[@DroghedaKillykeen]

Please stop talking

[@JeffStarr]

But I love the sound of my voice so much.

[@BrenQ99]

??? The Blues Driver is compared to the Tube Screamer…. by whom, exactly? You are grossly misinformed. Perhaps you meant the Boss Sd-1? ????