Boss OD-3 anygood?

d8m

Thinking about buying one and wondered if anyone here had any experience.

Looking to use it into clean amp as a moderate drive and at times use it to boost an already dirty amp.

monquixote

I've tried one and I really liked it.

It's like a much improved BD2. 

d8m

monquixote;538231" said:

I've tried one and I really liked it.

It's like a much improved BD2. 

This sound promising.

How does it cope range wise?

I'm after a one stop shop OD pedal that can go from classic rock through to modern boost.

hugbot

I had one, sold it then bought it again.

I'd second its like a great BD2, except the BD2 can feel a little flat EQ wise, I stopped using it after I saw a video of myself soloing on it and it didnt cut like an od pedal should do for me. The OD3 has enough body in the midrange that its great for soloing AND it has a fat low end so its not honky like a tubescreamer. Its a great sound for rhythm or lead.

As a boost though I think I'd prefer a TS, the OD3 is more fun into a clean amp.

ICBM

I just tried one again recently. I don't think it sounds like the BD-2 at all, it's much more in the SD-1-type bracket of midrange boost, whereas the BD-2 is quite scooped.

I don't like it to be honest - I find it a bit middy and clangy, not as boxy as the SD-1 but without the warm fuzziness of it either. Some people seem to like that though.

Beexter

I've had the OD-3 and the BD-2 at the same time. The OD-3 is much fuller in the low end than the BD-2 - almost as if it is boosting the low frequencies but it doesn't sound muddy at all. It is capable of quite a lot of gain and I found even with the gain control set to minimum, it still added a tiny little bit of hair to notes (using a Strat with the guitar volume full up). It is very dynamic though and reacts well to guitar volume changes. It is also capable of a large volume boost as unity gain is quite low down on the volume dial.

I found the gain on the SD-1 to be a little smoother overall which is why I kept it and sold the BD-2 and OD-3. SD-1 is a lot more "middy" though - the OD-3 is more transparent to my ears but with a noticeable "oomph" in the low end.

d8m

Seems to me the sd-1 may be a better choice!

I always thought from what I had heard that it was pants though.

monquixote

d8m said:

monquixote;538231" said:

I've tried one and I really liked it.

It's like a much improved BD2. 

This sound promising.

How does it cope range wise?

I'm after a one stop shop OD pedal that can go from classic rock through to modern boost.

I think it goes from hairy to fairly chunky blues. I don't think cranked it has stupid amounts of gain, but you could get some Free or Stones out of it.

Beexter

Further to my previous post, although I kept the SD-1, it is currently off the board and my No.1 choice for what you are trying to achieve is the TREX Moller Overdrive. It is like a 2 in 1 pedal - a TS style drive (with blend control) and a separate clean boost which can operate independently of the drive side of the pedal or in tandem (the boost is post drive). Another alternative is the Hardwire CM-2 Tube Overdrive which is ridiculously good value.

hugbot

The CM2 is probably the best alternative. I have both and swap them out depending on my mood. 

Johnnyseven

I love my OD3 for mild to mid od rhythm stuff, less so with the drive past 12 o'clock - but that's not what I use it for. It has tons of volume but won't do a totally clean boost, the BD2 is better for that.

d8m

CM-2 looks pretty neat.

I'm shopping for a Bad Monkey upgrade and it looks like a Bad Monkey on Sterioids!

Dave_Mc

^ Yeah it pretty much is. Though with the higher internal voltage it doesn't sound *exactly* the same, if that makes sense (I assume that's what's doing it)- it's a bit less compressed-sounding etc. Can be dialled to be very close, but not 100%- at least if mine are anything to go by.

d8m said:

Seems to me the sd-1 may be a better choice!

I always thought from what I had heard that it was pants though.

Apart from the bypass bleed, the SD1 is awesome. Assuming you use it as a boost, anyway.

Beexter

d8m said:

CM-2 looks pretty neat.

I'm shopping for a Bad Monkey upgrade and it looks like a Bad Monkey on Sterioids!

Had a monkey, didn't like it. Have a CM2, love it.

TheCount

I have an OD3, has a weird thing going on with the lower end, almost like a ghosty type overload, you can hear it behind the note you're playing, don't really use it cos of that. Maybe mines a pup, it would be a good pedal if it wasn't for that. 

ThePrettyDamned

Love the od3. It's one of the few overdrive pedals that sounds great into a squeaky clean amp I find.

Shopping for one at the moment to replace the dyna drive, which is very good for the 25 quid I paid, but isn't quite what I'm after.

I'd agree with everything @icbm has said. It's less warm and fuzzy around the edges compared to the sd-1, but this means it's a really great, clear drive when used as a standalone overdrive.

If I had a Marshall though, sd-1 every time. And ds-1. And ds-2. And df-2. Get all of them

d8m

This thread is GASSING me up

ab2014

Got a monte allums modded od-3 that i'm not using atm in the classifieds. It gets rid of some of the bass problems people have.

Grunfeld

Boss Bass ODB-3 FS... just sayin...

Branshen

Boss OD3 FS... just sayin...

d8m

I've spent a large portion of the afternoon looking at vids and reading up and it appears the SD-1 may be for me.

I can run it as a mild OD or run it into the front of my Blackstar on the gain channel and make it scream.

The only thing that's stopping me is how divided opinion seems to be on it, that and possible bypass leak