Boss BD-2 Blues Driver

easy to get a great sound. probably the best overdrive pedal i've used. so good i bought 2. they're comparable to the ibanez ts9's, but with a little more mid-range and gain. i used a fender american std. strat through a fender deville410. i use one pedal for a clean boost and the other for overdrive along with the amps overdrive...sometimes together. it's also great for my marshall stack when i need a little extra mid-range at lower volumes.

Rather easy to get a good sound out of it.I put the gain all the way up, put the level at what ever volume i want at the time and adjust the tone to were its just perfect, it varies from guitar to gutiar. I dont really use the manual but its got some example settings that ive never used.

I use a cali strat as my main strat. my american strat and standard strat as backups. my amp is a fender roc pro 1000 combo. The pedal is amazingly quiet. You can acheive a very warm tubish OVERDRIVE, not distortion. I bought it cuz when i get the marshall i want, it will only have one od channel so i wanna set my amp od and use this as a booster. Just as others said, its rather similar to fender od. altho its not the best thing ive ever heard, its teh best overdrive pedal ive ever hear.

one word, boss

iunno

i play a lot of rock, alternative rock to be more precise. Some of my songs call for heavy distortion and some otehrs call for od, as for the od part, this bd2 has got that covered quite well. If it were stolen or lost, id get another one, not right away cuz im saving for other stuff but eventially i would. I like how its nice smooth and warm, it is the closest thing to a tube od compared to any other pedal. ive tried every boss od and boss distortion, this takes the cake for me, its better than the od3, od2, sd2, metal zone, ds1, blah blah blah

Dead nuts simple, 3 knobs - Volume, tone, overdrive

I use a 2000 Fender American Std Strat with DeltaTone PUs into a Peavey Classic 50, thats pretty much it. The Peavey 50 has a lead channel thats a bit 'underdevloped' out of the factory. Good tubes help, as does a good OD pedal. I tried a whole bunch side by side and settled upon the BD-2. I took it home and played with it for a while trying to overdrive it on the clean channel, and though it was OK. Then I hit upon what others have hinted at here. The best way to use the BD-2 is to set up the amp on lead, but with very mild distortion settings, and set up the BD-2 more as a signal booser (volume on 12 o'clock, tone on 10 o'clock, and overdrive at 12 oclock). Bingo! Thats when the amp really sings. Nice growling sounds that respond to pick attacks, nice even tone range, nice sustain. I'm in love. Point being, if the amp is just starting to distort, using it at these 'preamp' type settings will help wake up the 12ax7s preamp tubes to great effect. Conversely, if you use it purely as a distortion box on on a clean channel (i.e. overdirve setting at 3-4 oclock), it still works good, but to the same extent. Think of it as a poor mans Ibanez TS-808 which is often used in a similair fashion (which I had back in the 1980s and got rid of for a song <idiot).

Had it for several months, but its a Boss, so it might outlive me.

Dunno, never called

I play blues, traditional rock, and the like, and have off and on for 20+ years. I like the pronounced Strat sounds, ala SRV, Jay Hooks, etc. This helps me to that end somewhat. I've also used it with a Marshall JCM and an old Fender Bandmaster to similiar effect.

The BOSS Blues Driver is an Integrated Circuit, transistor, tube overdrive *emulator* pedal. You will not get a true tube sound from it, but it does a good approximation. Contols are Level (volume when effect is on) which seems to sound best at 12 o'clock, Tone - which really only decreases the upper-mid frequencies (read: will not boost bass response) and Gain, which has a good range from just slight break up - which is good for a straight volume boost, to semi-clean, to saturation when on full. Pedal has 2 setting, on and off - not too hard to use.
Manual is complete, with suggested settings. Pedal comes with a battery.

I ran this pedal through a number of tests. First was with a hot humbucking equipped guitar through a Fender Twin (all tube) amp. The Blues Driver can approximate the Twin's overdrive sound to about 90 per cent accuracy. This pedal was obviously designed as a "Fender sounding" overdrive.(Keep that in mind if you're after the Marshall sound - you won't get it with this pedal) With the Level at 12 o'clock, and Gain set between 9 o'clock and 11 o'clock, I achieved a semi-overdriven, Aerosmith-type sound. Turning the Gain fully up produces a saturated, long sustain sound, closer to a metal-type sound. Next was using the same set-up, but using the pedal as a volume boost only. With the Gain set almost off (7 o'clock) and using the Level between 1 and 3 o'clock, I could get a volume boost to the amp. Next I used the pedal as a "lead boost", with the Gain set about 8 o'clock and Level at 12 o'clock, I could increase both the volume and overdrive in the amp - good for solo work.
I ran those same tests through a Marshall Valvestate amp, with generally the same results. I also ran it through a fully transistor amp that didn't have a master volume (i.e. no distortion in the amp) and the pedal worked well as this amps overdrive section. It actually improved the quality of sound coming out of this amp.This pedal does react differently to different amps - giving a different sounding overall tone. My advice is to test this pedal out at the music store with an amp similar to the one you'll be playing through.
The tone control on the pedal will boost/cut the highs (no change with it set at 12 o'clock) giving you a bit of control for the overall tone.
This pedal goes have some noise, but for an overdrive, that's standard, especially when you're boosting the original signal a fair amount. Switching between on/off is noiseless.
As with most overdrive pedals, there is a type of buzzy, raspy tone sitting on top of the overdrive sound - barely there, but still audible - but overall a good sounding pedal.

BOSS pedals are built well, and built tough. I've been using them for over 20 years with no problems. Comparing the case and switch to a 20 year old OD-1 shows the same level of construction and durability.

The Roland.ca site has a customer support email service, which I've always found their replies are fast and accurate.

Overall, this pedal is the closest I've heard to true tube overdrive (without using an actual pre-amp tube). It has the open, airy sound of tubes and a full frequency range. It doesn't change the tone of your guitar when on, so there's no bass drop, or thinning out of the sound. It has a more Fender sound than Marshall, (so if you're looking for the Marshall sound, try the Guvnor Plus). The gain ranges from light break up, to clean power chording, to sustain lead, to full saturation. I compared it to an original OD-1, and my first thought was that the OD-1 had sucked out half the tone and made it thin and muddy. In comparison, the BD-2 opens up your sound. The pedal is good for styles of blues, classic rock etc. Not designed or suited for grunge, metal etc. For that, try the BOSS Metal Zone. The gain is very responsive to both picking attack, and the volume of your guitar (and consequently, pickup output). If you roll back on your guitar volume, it clean up nicely. The pedal also reacts differently to different guitars and amps, so again, when you try this out, either bring your guitar and amp to the store, or use similar equipment there. Too many times I've read reviews where the person isn't happy once they get it home - my advice, know what you're looking for and try it with your own set-up.
This pedal is good for tube sounding overdrive on its own, as a volume boost to your amp, or as a volume plus increased overdrive kick to your amp. The pedal seems to react very well to tube amps, and would work well for an amp without a master volume control. My downside to this pedal is that transistor like top end buzz that's just under the surface, and the relatively high price for a single effect (although you get what you pay for, and if you want quality..well..)
Highly recommended.

Nothing to add to what's been said. My settings tend to have gain at least 3/4 up.

Playing an Fender American Strat through a Fender Champion 30. Until I get a good tube amp, this little petal is the best contribution to my tone.
I'm very happy with the tone. I'm not into blues per se, but the hard classic rock I play has its roots in blues. I demo'd a lot of pedals, and this one sounded best to me for the tubey overdrive and the distortion sound I wanted.

No doubts about it, but I've only had it a short time. Like the other Boss pedal I own, it's built very solidly.

This pedal does its job! It sounds great. I have a Fender Strat and wanted something that would give me a sound closer to the Who, Zepplin, etc. I'm very happy with it.

It ain't too hard to use, just three knobs, traditional boss. but have you noticed how on some boss pedals the knobs are switched? like on my friends ds-1, my tone is where his volume is, very odd.

but yeah, no problems here, you can dial in what you want pretty quick.

i got a simple setup: bassman 70watt, 4x12 cab and my 74 tele custom. i got a great clean sound so i'm always looking for that perfect distortion. i really wanted a pedal that had sustain, crunch and power.

the bluesdriver can give you that little bit of crunch and bluesy flare, but i found that at loud volumes it just sounds weak and fabricated. i have tried all settings but i usually crank the gain and put the volume at about half and tone at half. this can give you some crunch but the sustain is lacking.

i guess i was really looking for something more like an overdrive and this is weak in that area. at the time i bought it i thought it was the best sounding distortion i played, but i still prefer it to all the other boss distortion/overdrives (mt-2, sd-1, ds-1 etc.)

the pedal is just not dynamic enough for me. at loud volumes it sounds really solid state. and i want tube sounding distortion. so maybe for some players this is the right distortion. i like something mean and raw with loads of gain/sustain. i hate mentioning bands, but kind of that weezer crunch is what i like (which is the sound of marshall, hard to acheive for fender :(

don't get me wrong, with the right settings i can get a distortion that i can work with, but its just not what i really desire and i'm not going to settle, since distortion is a large part of my sound. i want something that is so raw/distorted/gained out that you can't tell what a crappy guitar player i am. that is what i need.

i think i'm going to purchase a pro co rat turbo, or vintage rat. anybody wanna sell me one??

its been reliable but i haven't used it that much. dropped it a few times, still ticks.

n/a

i'm no fucking pro, but i've tried a lot of overdrives/distortions in my day. this pedal is not bad and i might even recommend it to some people but its just not enough power/gain for me. try it before you buy it is a good rule. still on the hunt for that elusive perfect distortion (but i think that it really comes from a marshall head). i guess what i want is a fender clean with a marshall head distortion. maybe i'll just buy a marshall head and a/b switch the two! oh, i forgot i don't have 800 dollars to spend on a new head.
so i guess i'm stuck with this bluesdriver, which hopefully i'll sell in a few days so i can see about the old pro co rats.

I like the sound that the BD-2 produces, especially when tone and gain settings are above 5. The manual is just fine, but ultimately your ear will still be the judge of whether it sounds right.

I'm not an effects collector so I am by no means an authority to compare this with anything else, but it looks like it will last longer than the Ibanez TS-7, so I went for it.

I have a very cheap and simple setup, using the BD-2 with an Ibanez GAX70 and a Crate GX15 (didn't even get the one with the reverb!). If you turn Gain and Tone to high levels it sounds like AC/DC rhythm playing, which I like. I don't want metal sounds, or even (forgive me for using the term) "grungy" ones, just loud guitar in the AC/DC, Johnny Winter, George Thorogood, Billy Gibbons mold.

Don't gig, just a closet guitar player, but judging from the way it's built, and from some research work, it should last for some time.

Never had to call them

I've been playing on and off (more of off!) for the last 8 years or so. I'm not anal about sound, and am on a tight budget, so I would probably have to seek counseling due to the depression which would be caused by its loss (but then in the end the counseling would probably cost more!).

Easy to work with, three knobs, but they don't have incredible tone-shaping power.

I used one of these last night when I was recording a track with a bandmate. My usual setup is an Ovation acoustic thru a Matchless DC30, but I only had my guitar and not my amp, and wanted to have a bit of bluesy drive on the recording. So hooked up his BD-2 pedal. I didn't use it to record after all. There was a TON of distortion available, but it sounded like a regular semi-metal-sounding Boss OD pedal, and not a great one either. From the caption in guitar magazines, I was thinking of tones like Buddy Guy and B.B. King vintage Fender overdrive tones. They were not there. It sounded, as I said, like a a heavy-metal OD at best pedal, not a warm blues tone with the dynamics of a tube-amp.

This was NOT a bluesy pedal at all. It would work great as a grunge pedal, but it also sucked every ounce of acoustic tone out of my acoustic, and made it sound like a Les Paul. That's not natural, or desirable. A pedal should enhance a guitar's tone instead of killing it.

A box is a Box, but the BD-2 gets a 10 because there a no bad sounds from it.

I play a Heritage 535 and Carvin Strat (lefties, if that matters) through a Fender HRD and Peavey Classic 30. I have an array of pedals on an SKB Pedalboard. The BD-2 is relatively quiet and transparent. The only noise comes from a hiss when the gain is cranked.

I owned a BD-2 years ago when I had a solid state amp. I then sold the pedal when I bought my first tube amp because I thought I wouldn't need it anymore (Yeah, Right!). A short time later, I went to a shop and demoed MANY stompboxes side-by-side with the BD-2, including some boutique pedals. I walked out of the store with the BD-2 because it had a nice warm growl that none of the others could touch. Most of the others were grainy and colored the tone too much. I've since owned a Marshall BB-2, Fulltone Fulldrive-2 (just sold it), and I've played numerous other pedals including the Ibanez TS9 and TS9-DX. The DX comes closest to the warm growl of the BD-2 but it's not worth the considerably higher price. Most stomboxes sound fuzzy and grainy. However, the BD-2 has a gutsy growl to it. Growl is good. Fuzz is, well, fuzzy.

Never had a problem.

Never had to deal with Boss.

I play any style the situation calls for (some not as good as others) and have been playing for 22 years. The BD-2 is not a shred pedal, but will do anything else. It has an EXCELLENT response to picking style and responds well to volume changes on the guitar. Put your Strat on the neck pickup and it can do Stevie in a heartbeat. It also does an nice Country Rock vibe when the gain is about 10:00 and playing up high on the neck (aka, Allman Bros, Marshall Tucker). Crank to gain to 2:00 and you have a great Classic Rock overdrive.

I've already owned 2 BD-2's, so yes I would replace it. It will be in my setup from here on. The only feature I wish it had would be separate treble and bass controls. I would sometimes like to shave the highs without sacrificing bass.

pretty easy to figure out. three knobs. pretty simple

great sound quality. i play a strat and a peavey amp. it sounds awsome. nice warm tube sound

really reliable

never tried

great overall. i play mostly punk, and to my suprise it sounds great for that. i play alot of NOFX, Pennywise, Lagwagon, Ten Foot Pole, and stuff like that. i play in a band, and compared to the metal zone, this is absolutly great

About as easy it gets to use a pedal. Three knobs all self explanatory
Level,Tone, and Gain. No rocket science here.....

There are a couple of ways that I am using this pedal, and I haven't decided which one I like best. I'm using this with a Marshall two channel, 50 watt combo with El34's.
Lately I have been cranking the Master volume to full and using the channel volume for the overall volume.Then I use the Blues Driver for some added gain on top of that. It makles for a great AC/DC, Thin Lizzy type sound where it is really just accentuating the natural sound of the amp. I just leave it on on the whole time.
I think this pedal works best if you get the most overdrive you can out of your amp and then use the blues driver for just a little extra gain on top. In my opinion this pedal does not work great if you are going to count on it for all your distortion sound. But I think that is not it's intention. Also the more volume the better.

Built like a brick s*#t-house.

No idea. The manual was cool though with various suggestions for different sounds, such as British, American Blues...

Overall it's great! I think it works best as a clean boost or for adding just a little bit of overdrive on top. Also, I've found the more volume your playing with , the better.
Right now I'm using this with a Marshall combo, but I am hoping to move into halfstack territory either with a Marshall Superbass or Super Lead, and then I think I am going to look into the Klon Centaur. I have heard just too many good things about this pedal.
But for now the Blues Driver is great.

OK, an effect pedal can only be so hard to use -- turn a few knobs, plug in a few cords, stomp on switch, etc. That having been said, this pedal has a *mean* fucking distortion that will rip your head off if you turn it up too high. Ditto on the attack circuit -- turn that thing up more than 1/4 rotation and you're in for some serious sprongle on your sound. But we are men of science. We deal with things like this, because within the restricted ranges described above this thing sounds amazing!

As far as I can tell, this pedal came out in June of 1977 -- a magical time when the Japanese were still allowed to write technical manuals. If you're able to obtain a copy of the DB-5 manual I highly suggest it. It's hillarious. Upon reading it you'll expect a haiku to bust out at any minute chastising us for not replacing "all of 6 batteries" at once. This would bring shame to our families.

Another thing taking a little bit away form the score here is this pedal's complete absence of an indicator light! I mean, it's pretty obvious when it's on and when it isn't, but if you've got this thing buried in a chain of effects and find yourself dancing to shut several off at once you'll appreciate the problem. If you get one of these you'll either want to replace the switch or mod it with an LED or two.

OK, I play a Fender Jaguar and Yamaha Pacifica electric 12-string that go through a shitload of effects but eventually comes out of a Roland JC-120. As you might expect, my signal has a lot of noise. How much of that is attributable to the DB-5 is anybody's guess.

I've currently got this pedal towards the end of my chain (it comes after an Electro Harmonix Graphic Fuzz and a Tube Works Real Tube Overdrive Pedal, among other things) so my signal has already got plenty of crunch and fuzz on it by the time it arrives at the DB-5. I use the Boss Driver to kick things up just a bit more. In actuality, I don't use the distortion channel on the DB-5 at all, but the EQ+Attack circuit is incredible. It adds a ton of clarity and bite to the signal. It sounds exactly the way I want it to sound. You know those wall-of-sound songs by My Bloody Valentine or Bowery Electric or Swervedriver or something where you're listening and thinking to yourself that there's no way anything else could possible fit into the wash of guitars? And then you know how about 3 seconds later another guitar comes in that somehow seems to cut through everything else? That's the kind of thins this pedal can do for you.

This thing looks like a tank -- it's olive drab, has a density on par with the broken heart of a neutron star, and runs on either 6 AA batteries (yep, 6 AA batteries!) or an AC adapter. I would not only use this in a gig without backup, I would also use it to bash in the skulls of a horde of undead Nazis AND THEN use it on a gig without backup. This thing is so insanely massive that I would occasionally find my other pedals in orbit around it before I velcro'ed them all to a slab of plywood. This thing influences the tides.

Some guy at a local vintage gear shop put an indicator light in it for me. I've never dealt with Roland / Boss. I'm sure they're nice people.

I play emo / spacerock sort of stuff (www.thejealoustype.com if you're really interested.) I've been playing for about 10 years now and I besides the gear mentioned above I own a LOT of other pedals. If I lost this pedal I would definately try to find another one, but since I'm pretty sure I'm the first person reviewing this 20+ year old pedal I don't think there are many more around.

I love the way this pedal sounds. I love the way this pedal LOOKS. I hate the absence of an indicator light, but that's easily remidied. I didn't really do any comparing before I bought this thing because I'm a sucker for a sexy old pedal and I probably would have bought it even if it sounded like ass. Which, luckily, it decidedly does not.

3 knobs Easy

This makes for a very good "clean" boost to get distortion out of a
channel that's almost ready to distort.
The distortion on its own is very nise and tube like but there seems
to be a bass "cut" It's as if Boss is saying you can't get much bass
out of a small vintage tube amp so you're not gonna get it here either!
That may sound crazy but why the hell would they cut the bass? I have
used this to warm up a clean sound and then hit a DS-1
(which must come first) for a more serious crunch.

Boss is Boss

Yeah, sure, hey Mr. Japanese man why don't you make a pedal that....................Like they care.

Nice for clean boost. Nice overdrive but lacks bass.
I'm using a 145 watt clean tube head into four twelves.

easy to operate. the manual sucked though

great sound. nice warm tone, and good distortion. sounds good with an american strat and peavey amp.

i would depend on it 100%

i play punk and other stuff. hardcore. i love it. i would definietly buy anouther pedal. i love the tone.

With the BD-2 you can dial in a wide variety of tones from edgy crunch to a slight overdrive. The control is quite easy with 3 controls: one for level, one for tone, and one for gain. I didn't get a manual for this effect cuz I got it used off of ebay. But it takes no genius to figure out how to use this thing.

I am running this along with a vintage Thomas Organ Wah Pedal and a Danelectro Cool Cat Chorus all through my Epi Les Paul. I have a two year old Crate GX-65 that I play through and when you pop on the Blues Driver you almost can't tell that the Crate is a solid state. The BD-2 gives your tone that bluesy tube tone you can usually only get out of a valvestate. When I dial a certain configuration in, the BD-2 nearly rivals the sweetness of an old TS-9 giving my guitar a Santana tone. When I lower the gain way down, i get a good blues tone as would be expected from the name of the pedal. I have a LP so I can't get a Stevie Ray tone. But once I played through my friends Strat and it sounded damn near close.

Never had a problem with the BD-2 and I got it used. I don't think I'd ever need a back-up.

Never had to deal with them

I play mainly bluesy-hard rock and this pedal is money. If you got the money to get a TS-9 or an overpriced TS-808 for your overdrive go right the hell ahead. I'll stick to my BD-2. I've only been playing now for a little over a year and a half but this pedal has been the most important one I have for my tone. My amp can't give me a sound as sweet as my Blues Driver. If it were stolen, I'd hop right back on ebay and buy me another one.

3 knobs... U don't even need to train the monkey to use it!
Manual dosen't say much, but does it need to???

1962 Key Silvertone (2 humbuckers) -> Crybaby -> BD-2 -> Peavy Blaser

the only noise is from the CB. I can dial in a good blues sound and get a nice hard rock too. If I want metal, all I have to do is to use the lead channel on the amp WITH the pedal, without the pedal, it sounded like Zoom distortion (CRAPPY)

METAL!!!

no idea, but I got a 5 year warrenty... that should be a good sign

Nice thing... If it were stolen, I'd beat the guy with the stomp box... it's metal and it's got a warrenty... : )

Nice pedal! Twealing it brings out some great tones.Who needs a manual? Only three knobs!

Playing a Gibson SG at the moment but my Strat is on the way! Sounds great through my Carvin BeLair 2x12! Noisy when gain turned all the way up but I don't do that anyway! Play mostly classic rock and blues and it gets some really nice tones! Can hardly wait for the Strat!

Built like a rock!

?

Blues and rock and roll and it works great! Been playing for 30 years or so and if it were stolen or lost I would go find another. I also have a Digitech rp-7 and the rp can't get the blues sounds that the BD can. Simply put, I love it.

Very easy to use. 3 Knobs: Level,Tone & Gain. Any guitar player can figure out how to use these knobs.

My setup: 1981 Sunburst Gibson Les Paul Standard( Main Axe )thru a Boss CS-3 Compression Sustainer>>Vox V847 Wah-Wah reissue w/ true bypass Switch Mods>>Boss OD-3 Overdrive or Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive>>Ibanez TS-9 Tube Screamer(AnalogMan Mods/808)>>Boss MT-2 Metal Zone>>Boss BD-2 Blues Driver>>EH Big Muff Pi USA reissue w/True Bypass Switching Mods(Fulltone 3PDT)>>Boss GE-7 Equalizer>>MXR Phase 90 reissue>>Morley Sapphire Flanger>>Boss DD-5 Digital Delay>>Vintage EH Small Clone 4600 Chorus>>Boss CH-1 Super Chorus>>Morley ABY Switch Box>>Amp A: Vox AC30 Top Boost reissue.Amp B: Marshall JCM2000 DSL100 Half Stack. I also use a Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier Solo Head Half Stack. I got great amps but i don't know why i have all these pedals! I'm just a GearHead!! I LOVE PEDALS!!!!
It's fairly quiet even on high Gain settings and the overall sound of this pedal is Great, At least on my Setup. I also play a Fender American Standard Strat and the Blues Driver really shines on this guitar. SRV,Hendrix,RHCP(John Fruciante),Clapton Etc. Nailed!!! Very nice pedal. It's very much like Amp Distortion,it cleans up when you back off your guitar's volume a little and responds to your picking technique. I just love it.

Boss Pedals? Oh yeah, i would surely gig with it without backup. I've been using Boss Pedals all through out my Guitar playing career(15 Yrs). Non of 'em failed me.

Never dealt with Roland before. Never needed it.

I Play Metal,Hard Rock,Blues and Jazz.This pedal works great specially with Hard Rock and Blues. I've been playing for 15 YRS. now and have been Pro for 8 YRS. My band plays Originals as well as Covers from Cream to Rage Against The Machine. My other guitars are '72 Gibson Flying V,'98 Ibanez RG320DX Custom, 1960 Gibson Gold Top Les Paul reissue and a Martin D-18 acoustic Guitar. If it were stolen, i would definitely buy it again. I just love this pedal. It's awesome, totally kicked ass! It's true! just like that one other guy that reviewed the BD-2 saying: It's a TWEED amp in a box!! I agree man! Boss/Roland makes excellent products. One of the best! Considering they are commercial products in mass production as oppose to Hand built/Hand Wired Pedals. They are very consistent.Boss has been in the pedal business for more then 20 Yrs. They started the whole chorus thing in '76 (CE-1)and i've been a Boss fan since '80. I have quiet a collection of Old Vintage Boss Pedals. Just for collection. I don't bring them to gigs anymore. Too precious. Here's a few in my collection: Boss/Roland CE-1, 3 Boss OD-1 Overdrive, Boss SG-1 Slow Gear,Boss PH-1 Phaser,Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive, Boss DS-1 Distortion,Boss DM-1 Delay. Overall, The BD-2 Blues Driver is a great value fot the price range. You actually get more than what you paid for. I would recommend it to guitar players that are into Hard Rock and Blues. It works well with Humbuckers and Single Coil Pickups.

This thing is as easy as it gets, just gain level and tone. That will do..

This pedal sounds great. Try it with a strat and a Roland JC-120, you'll be surprised! When put before a slightly overdriven amp, it really nails the SRV sound!! It doesn't sound that good on any amp however. I use with a Marshall BluesbrakerII in front of it (solo boost) and a Roger Mayer Voodoo-1 after it (even more boost/gain) Turn up the amp and we're ready to rock!!

I haven't had any trouble with any Boss pedal.

N/A

I play blues, soul and funk and this one works for me. I use it in my floor board together with other effects (wah/phaser/tremolo). It really does what it's supposed to do: add a gain/drive boost.

This pedal is very easy to get great tones. When I first bought it, I was disappointed because it sounded exactly like the distortion in my amp. After some playing with it though, I could get a huge array of great tones from it.

I'm using a Fender 60's Strat and American Tele into a Morley Bad Horsie into a Boss PH-2 Phaser into a boss MT-2 Metal Zone into a Boss BD-2 into a Fender Stage 100 amp. It is noisy as any overdrive can be, but it doesn't get in the way of your sound. This pedal is extremely midrangey which I love. I can get anything from SRV to Buddy Guy to Pearl Jam. In my opinion this is better than a TS-9 tubescreamer. The only real complaint i have is that it can get very muddy with humbuckers, or 2 pickups used in unision, which is why it gets an 8.

This thing seems to be solid. I would definitely gig without a backup.

I play anything from metal to rock to blues and anything in between. For the heavier stuff, it doesnt work (which is why i got the Metal Zone) but for stuff like the who, pearl jam, some gnr, pink floyd, and all the blues guys, it blows the roof off of any other pedal I have heard. If it were stolen or lost I would definitely buy another. I compared this to the other Boss Overdrives and the Ibanez Tubescreamer. I wish that it didnt sound muddy with multiple pickups and humbuckers but that is the only thing I dislike. Overall, a great pedal.

Three knobs...

I much prefer my TS-808...

You get a great tone out of the box without adjusting the settings. Even with the settings at 12 o'clock, this thing enhances your sound. Neat little manual to offer tips on achieving Crunch, British Blues, and others.

I play a 1999 Fender American Standard Telecaster through the Boss BD-2 into Fender Blues, Jr. amp. I've had this pedal for one year, and it was a great investment. The Blues, Jr. produces great tones in its own right, but the Blues Driver took everything to the next level. Amazing overdrive tones; I can get a nice classic rock crunch with the gain, level and tone knobs at 3 o'clock using my bridge pickup, or an incredibly warm British blues tone with less gain and more lead with the neck pickup. I love its versatility; the Blues Driver allows me to keep things simple while getting many different tones with minimal tweaking. You can also use this thing solely as a lead boost. You cannot achieve the high gain, scooped-mid sound of an overdriven Marshall stack; given the pedal's name, that shouldn't be a surprise. Nevertheless, the crunch of the overdrive will not disappoint most users. It sounds very authentic. I bet it would radically change (for the better) the sound of a decent solid state amp. I am saving my "10" rating for that mystical perfect pedal that (as you know) does not exist.

It is built well. Quality components. I would recommend the PSA-120 a/c adaptor for peace of mind.

N/A

This pedal is perfect for me. I enjoy playing traditional blues, blues-driven rock, and some 80s college rock stuff. Clapton, Hopkins, Stones, Who, Ronson-era Bowie, Replacements, Clash, etc. I've been playing for several years, and I also own a Fender A/E and a Peavey 112 E-coustic amp. Since buying the Blues Driver, I rarely pick up the acoustic any more. I compared it to the Ibanez TS-9 Tube Screamer, but this one fit my style better and seemed more versatile to me. If you're looking for a great overdrive, tube amp sound (but not hair band metal or seven-string rap-rock distortion), then you must check out the Blues Driver.

This pedal is very easy to get the sound that one might want as it can change from jazzy to bluesy by simply adjusting the three knobs.
Manual was of little use as one can find the sound they want by just turning the knobs until the "right" sound is found with any guitar.

I use the blues driver with a Fender classic Twin, also with an Ultimate Chorus by Fender. It really shines on a little Crate GFX65 that doesn't have much volume to stand out of the crowd. With the BD-2 turned on it sounds much like a tube amp with alot of volume. You run it into a four cab and you can make some music.

It's a Boss and seems indestuctable. I have used pedals by other companies such as the new little pedals that Danelecto have made and the knobs are easy to break on a stage with much moving around. I would use this pedal anywhere at any time as long as I had the a/c adaptor hooked up.

Never dealt with the company as the pedal has not given me any problems.

Usually play blues,country, or Christian country. Have been playing for over 35 years. I use a Fender telecaster, a Gretsch 6120, an accoustic electic, and a custom made arch-top. This little pedal does much more than many other more expensive pedals that I have tried. I would not even consider comparing any Zoom produsts to it. The only thing better is rack mounted effects. I still like the BD-2, just because I like the estra volume and fullness that I can get through it. I can get more bass or more treble just by adjusting the knobs. It will really scream, much more than the tube-screamer.

3 knobs, you tell me....

Alone it is O.K. in my opinion if you try to use it for a big heavy overdrive, put an SD-1 Super Overdrive in front of it and get ready to get your head blown off. I use mine in this configuration going into a Peavey Classic 100 head on a 4x12 cab, on the clean channel with the clean pre-amp at about 10. It is still very clean even at that setting. I use the SD-1 for my rhytmn sound kind of a vintage crunch, I step on the BD-2 to get a HUGE Lead Boost. I think both pedals are fine on their own but together they crank....

never had any problems, I gig without a backup...

never had problems, don't know........

AS I said before us it with the SD-1, and it will blow the doors down.
I set the SD-1 as follows: Level 1-2 o'clock, Tone 10-11 o'clock, Drive 3 o'clock. BD-2 as follows: Level 10-2 o'clock depending on the amount of boost wanted(volume wise, for lead boost) or amount of gain wanted(to get that Huge Heavy Overdrive) If using the BD-2 as a GAIN boost turn on the SD-1 and Then the BD-2 and set it's level so that it is the same volume as when the SD-1 is on by itself. finally Tone set to about 9-10 o'clock so not to get too much hi-end.. They should sell these two pedals as a package... GET THEM... Read my review on the SD-1...

Pumpkin easy! Nice & simple! Just Level - Tone - Gain

Okay -- here's the deal. I have two very nice tube amps, a Marshall 100 watt head with EL34's and a 1974 40 watt Fender Vibrolux Reverb. I have good tube overdrive when I play certain gigs or for recording. But I play regularly in a church band and the line-out from my Vox Pathfinder (15 watt transistor amp that serves as my stage monitor) goes to the mixing board and onto the PA system's Crown amp and EV speakers. As I'm restricted to this set up, which doesn't allow me to use my loud tube amps, I've been searching for an overdrive box that would sound good for both my Les Paul and Strat (yes, I do play both)

Three years ago, I tried out the BD-2 in the music store beause it sounded the best out of the lot. During the past three years, I sold the BD-2 to buy a Fulltone, went on to a MXR Distortion+, Dan Electro Daddy O, etc..., etc...

Guess what? Three years and many overdrives later, I've come full circle and bought the BD-2 again! Just last night! I took my Les Paul and Vox Pathfinder with me to Guitar Center and tried out for an hour all of the overdrive pedals. It came down to the TS9 or BD-2.

Like I said, I needed something that would work with both a Les Paul and Strat. The TS9 is great for Strats, but with the LP, it couldn't give a good crunch to chunky rhythm chords - it sounded too soft and mushy and did not articulate individual notes from chords. But the BD-2 was able to provide good crunch AND lead tones from the LP -- it's got to be the most versatile overdrive on the current market!

Boss constuction is great, but regardless of what pedal I'm using, I never gig with a backup, if an effect fails, I just compensate with my playing as I only use effects to enhance -- not to cover or hide.

Never dealt.

The BD-2 can easily be tweaked to work with any guitar/amp combination AND it has the largest palate of overdrive sounds and ranges. It can give you overdrive, blues lead tone, clean boost, distortion, etc...

The tone and gain have a nice, even taper that's equally distributed throughout the travel of the knob. (Unlike the TS9 whose tone knob only effected brightness in the 75%-100% range)

I'm convinced that effect pedal manufacturers use Strats in their test lab when they're developing new pedals. How the effect sounds and reacts is based on the Strat as it is the world's most cloned electric guitar model. Unfortunately, for us LP players, it leaves us with slim pickin's. But the BD-2 is the best overdrive box that I've found to work with humbuckers. (For the record, this must be the only Boss overdrive box to use asymetrical clipping, because absolutely all of their other overdrives produce a poppy sounding type of fizz (sorry, hard to describe in words) when used with humbuckers. The BD-2 really stands out as something special in the Boss line.

No, it's not perfect, but it's the best I've found to work with both humbuckers and single coils and it is SOoooo flexable and adaptive and offers many different shades of overdrive. I've been playing on tube amps for more years than I care to mention, and, sorry, nothing sounds like an overdriven tube amp except for an overdriven tube amp. But for me, the BD-2 comes closest.

P.S.: I saw Phil Keaggy in concert last year, and he played only acoustic guitars this particular night. On some of the really rocking songs, he had this great overdrive that made his acoustic sound like and electric. After the show, they let some of us come up on stage at look at his equipment. Besides the Lexicon looping rack units, he had, on the floor, a Boss BD-2 and old Boss Chorus-1. So, all you acoustic players out there who want to rock out sometimes, the BD-2 will work for you as well! I told you it was flexible! God bless!

It was very easy to use. I just pluged it in and started jammin'.I am very picky when it comes to tone (especially distortion), no matter how I set it the sound was great.It did anything I wanted to do punk,alternitive,metal,rock(especially) blues.

I don't use any other effects.My setup is fender frontman 15g amp and a squier double fat strat.There was no noise when I put the effect on. It always sounded great.I can get the sounds of all my favorite Artists,Like Nirvana,Eric Clapton,Stevie Ray Vaughn,Black Sabbath,Jimi Hendrix , Red Hot Chili Peppers and Offspring

This pedal goes Throught all of stompin and bangin.
This pedal doesn't need a backup

never had to deal with them

I play a mix of what I like. Punk,grunge,heavy metal,hard rock Alternitve rock,blues and classic rock.It did the job.I've been playing for 3 years I own a Fender frontman 15g amp and a Squier double fat strat. This pedal is great I buy it again if got stolen or lost. It's sound and look. When I write music it helps the sound contributes and helps on works and doesn't

Three nobs. Tone control seems to do it. Very easy to use.

I'm playing a Fender Strat thru a Peavey 60 watt 1-12. It gave me the warm blues tones I was looking for. I used the amp clean for rythum duty and just hit the petal for blues lead. Very easy and very effective.

I worked 3 to 5 times a week for over a year and it never let me down.

As lead guitar for the Barracuda Blues Band out of St Croix for two years, I found the blues driver offered the sound I was looking for at an affordable price along with the reliability necessary for our work schedule.

This unit has three knobs. And a stomp switch, of course. The knobs control Level, Tone, and Gain. Getting a good sound of it is very easy.

I have a Fender Stratocaster going through BD-2 to Crybaby to my amp.
The pedal makes some noise, but very very little afterall. Less than my Crybaby... It makes a good distortion, very bluesy and warm. The tone knob is very useful, and it needs to be used in order to get a good sound. Responds very well to picking nyances and guitar volume settings. Of course, you can't get super heavy distortions, but this pedal is not for that. Good for mild, crunchy funk distortions too!

Well, people are stating that Boss makes superb quality pedals. I agree with that. The casing is made of very sturdy metal, and the switch is under a pedal, increasing reliability even further.
I haven't used it long enough to give a good statement about this.

I'm very happy with this pedal, not a bad buy. Creates the light, bluesy crunch i was looking for. Certainly better than my amp distortion. Also, it is truly compact. By the way, my unit's color is a bit lighter than on this sites picture.

Damn easy but you can get a good over drive or dist out of it.
Great tube amp clean tone.

I nail tube amp tone from this thing, IT'S A TWEED TUBE AMP IN A BOX.
But with my amp I cant get good overdrive it sounds muddy, my amp is crap shit.
With the gain on 1-2, and tone just mess around for a second and put volume on 4-5, and WALLA INSTANT TUBE TONE W/ OUT TUBE AMP.

......good stuff

Great tube tone, but I cant get good o/d with my amp, it's 15 watt korean amp, vantage.

This Boss BD-2 -- or Blues Driver -- is extremely easy to use... three knobs for volume, gain, and tone.

This pedal is Boss' answer to the ever-popular Ibanez TS-9 "Tube Screamer," which was made legendary by Stevie Ray Vaughn. Although these two pedals are similar in controls and voicing, the Blues Driver is better, IMO. So, my review in this area will be pretty much a comparison between the Tube Screamer and the Blues Driver. First off, the Blues Driver is more versatile gain-wise... not only can you get the classic SRV strat-fat clipping that's so loved by every white blues player on the planet, but you can get much thicker richer, ballsier gain as well. (Although, you will never get that Godsmack/Korn gain -- I suggest another Boss product, the Metal Zone, for that need...) What you can get is a a very warm, thick, rich gain that can sound very modern with some compression aka the Foo Fighters, Radiohead, Oasis, and some of the other modern alt. bands out there. This pedal is also well suited for indy/lo-fi rock aka Centromatic, Versus, or a band like Son Volt. On the other hand, the Tube Screamer does not produce a thick gain like the Blues Driver, not even the TS-9 reissue which has a "turbo" setting. It pretty much does one thing very well - give you classic rock/blues rock gain. The Blues Driver does this, too, and a whole lot more... so I would argue the Blues Driver is the better pedal... and cheaper, too. One other thing re: sound of these things: it really depends on your amp and guitar, although I've yet to find a combination where I did not get usable sound. I play mostly humbucker guitars (an LP Classic, a 70s SG, and a 335 copy...), but it seems to work nicely for Teles and Strats, too... especially if you're going for a SRV thang... But there are nuances that must be considered in different combinations and at different volumes. For instance, I noticed that I got a lot more gain when using it at low volumes on my Fender practice amp than with my 70s master-volume Marshall half stack dimed. (I particularly like it in this situation because it gives me a good amount of low end... some pedals rob you of low-end chunk, and I hate that...) On blackface Fenders, it sounds almost Hendrixy - very trebly and responsive to each note, but also noisy. It does work well with other pedals - I particularly like it paired with a Dunlop Crybaby wah - very trippy, good amount of controlable natural feedback, even at high volumes. (Some pedals just go completely microphonic at high volumes...)

Never had a problem with the two that I've owned. Just give it a new battery every so often. :-)

Never had to deal with them... If a problem arose, I'd either fix it myself or take it to a local tech... or buy a new one...

I play original, psych/indy rock in a band that gigs in small venues like rock clubs and bars. This is my only distortion stomp box in my current line-up, which also consists of a Les Paul Classic with Duncan 59s, going into a Cry Baby Wah and an Ibanez Digital Delay into a Mesa Boogie Maverick. The Mav is footswitchable, so I do have another overdrive option, but I intentionally make the amp's dirty channel very punchy compared to the smooth, mellowness of the Blues Driver -- that way, I have some distortion variety on stage.

I've owned two of these babies... my first one got stolen when I was playing a gig in college. So for a few years I used a ProCo Rat, a Metal Zone, a DOD Milkbox, and some other odd ball pedals - never really gettng what I had with the Blues Driver. Then I shelled out $150 for a puke green TS-9 reissue, only to take it back a week and two gigs later (just not enough balls on those things, IMO...)

In summary, I highly recommend - and I'm a picky bastard - this thing to anyone wanting a really versatile distortion pedal. But I'd stay away from it if you're into high gain metal - go get a Metal Zone.

Very easy to get good sound out of. Despite its name (Blues Driver) you can use it to simply gain more volume, get a crunch sound, medium distortion, and damn near that good ol SRV blues guitar sound. It's a very versatile little box. 3 knobs, can't get too much easier than that. --Its hard to get BAD sound by turning any of them.It has a control for Level, Tone, and Gain, and the manual comes with several settings to start you out. Play with it for awhile, and you can get some neat sounds.

I'm using this with a Yamaha Pacifica 412, and a Peavy Express 112 Amp. The BD-2 is a good way to get around that "hiss" sound when you turn your amp/guitar volume up too loud, and still retain volume.

I can depend on it, as long as its got a fresh battery.. takes awhile to run out. NOTE: Like most pedals, even though the red light might be off doesn't mean its not sucking some power. I've had some batteries go bad this way, just make sure its unplugged from both the in and out cables.

No problems.

I play rock, blues... even a little classical, its great all around. I'm not big on effects pedals, I usually like to keep them at a minimum. The only two I've ever needed have been the BD-2 and my Crybaby Wah, I can get virtually any sound out of these, with the turn of a few knobs. I love how it boosts the sound just enough so that you can play clean if you want to, but if you pick the string(s) a little harder, you can get a slight distortion sound.. its really great.

3 knobs, and a pedal. step on it. The only trouble i had was finding a nice bluesy sound.

I use this setup:
Epiphone SG->BOSS Octave->BOSS Blues Driver->DOD Chorous->DOD GS30 Multi-effects-> a 25 watt fender. Well, I don't think mine is very bluesy. In fact its a light OD when the gain is set low, a crunchy mordern OD when set at the middle, and a noisey, crunchy, raunch when dialed all the way. I'm not saying its bad, its very nice, but I really wanted an Incubus type of overdrive that i can run into an MXR i ordered for a massive gain assault.

Well im not gonna put a stupid BOSS cliche down, so just look at the score.

again, no cliche.

I'm gonna keep it so i can have a cruchy distortion, but its npot what i expected.

Just three knobs, LEvel, Tone, and Gain. You can't go wrong. The users manual is very helpful. It even has a few blank pages so you can record your favorite settings.

This is perhaps the best overdrive pedal I have used from BOSS. My current setup is a Standard Strat--->Boss BD2--->Boss CH1--->Peavey Bandit. The pedal delivers awewsome overdrive with no noise. The tones generated have a nice crunch, with plenty of sustain, controllable feedback, and a nice bottom end. Hats off to BOSS.

It's a BOSS pedal. Need I say more.

Never had to deal with any customer support.

I like to play classic rock (i.e. Skynrd, .38 Special, AC/DC, etc.) current pop/rock (i.e. Melissa Etheridge), and other rock (i.e. Pat Benetar, Joan Jett, etc.). This pedal delivers all the tones I need. I have played MXR and DOD, but I always come back to BOSS. While some consider BOSS a little pricey, I think the price/easy of use/sound ratios are the best in the business. Other reviews of other BOSS pedals slam them. My advise, don't buy it until you try it. And when trying it, use your guitar and amp setup at the store so you know what it will sound like. If you don't, you have no right to criticize. Remember, your sound is your sound and not someone elses. Don't copy, just create!!!

3 Bottons. Duh!

I always use my 60s Gibson Skylark on 10 and have this pedal's volume on 10 and gain all the way down or sometimes on about 2 or 3. The sound is incredible!!

It's Boss! Give me a break!!!

Never dealt with 'em!

It's is a great pedal for the blues or light rock. I love this pedal. I can dial in Albert Collins, Freddie King, SRV, whatever you want. If it were stolen I would find the guy who stole it and beat his brains in!!!!!!!

This pedal is very easy to use and isn't very complicated. It has three knobs: Tone, level, and Gain. The only thing thats anoys me about it is that the tone and level knobs are backwards from the DS-1. Thats the only thing wrong with it.

The sound on this peadal is supreme. It sounds much better than the TS-9 (Tube Screamer). It sounds like its got more gain and beef to it. I love it.

I've never had a problem with it. It's very reliable and very energy eficiant. I'm not saying don't have a back up but you'll like it.

Never had a problem.

If you like classic rock, blues, or any kind of music requiring a real beafy fat distortion with a crunch this is the pedal to use. It's got tone that'll knock you on your feet. Buy it and love it just don't use it with a Marshall.

VERY easy. Three knobs, then step on it.

Ok, this is gonna sound weird. I bought this to fatten up the tone of my Strat, played through a couple of nice tube amps. It was disappointing. I put it away, thinking it was money wasted. But I also dabble in bass, and one day I just got the urge to plug it into my 100 watt bass amp's effects loop. Let me tell ya, THERE'S where the tone was hiding! It's great for a nice volume boost, with just a touch of fuzz added. Now I'm a happy guy again.

Like all Boss gear that I've seen it's very tough.

No experience dealing with Roland directly.

For guitar - 5

For bass - 10

Three knobs and a foot switch....

I bought her to use as a boost going into my modified Reissue TS-9. What I was looking for has been answered; it adds a nice push to the Ibanez and even sounds good running before my Reissue Big Muff. It also sounds good by its self for rhythm chords and such.

So far so good....

n

Three knobs. Two Jacks. One pedal. It doesn't get any simpler. The manual is clear, gives some good settings.

I love it. I've got a standard strat, and a small peavey amp. It adds some noise, but nothing disruptive. Gives crunchy tones very easily, and if you set it right, you can get some smooth tones as well. Not very warm but it's good for a very wide range of musical styles, unless you're into really metally, obnoxiously-distorted sounds. a little muddy on low settings

Remarkably dependable. If you want to break it buy a jackhammer. I'd use it without backup IF i'd checked the batteries, or had an AC for it. (It goes through nine volt batteries like babies go through diapers!)

N/A

I'm into bluesy, alternative stuff, and this pedal is excellent for that. I haven't been playing that long, a few years, but this is the best overdrive I've come across. I love the tone, although it could be a bit warmer. For the price, an excellent piece of gear.

Any questions about the use of this pedal can be forwarded into the vast reaches of space. Completely idiot-proof.

Excellent sound. A bit muddy on the low end, but has enough heart-stopping tone to make up for it. I expected it to be pretty one-dimensional, but it covers a large expanse of sounds and styles. Sounds best (as does everything) cranked through the roof. Cleans up nicely when you roll off the guitar's volume. An excellent all around pedal.

It's a BOSS. To break this you would have to chuck it out of an airplane window.

Never needed it.

This pedal surprised me with its versatility, but I also play mostly blues and most forms of rock. My gear is as follows: Fender American Standard Strat, BOSS HR-2 Harmonist, BD-2, Uni-Vibe, and a 535 Crybaby Wah into a Fender Deluxe 112 Plus. This is a wonderful pedal for almost anything, except for punk and metal, but I can wrench that out of my amp if I need to. I've been playing for ten years, and this is my favorite overdrive thus far.

One day, I went on a hunt around town for a second distortion pedal that would do three things. 1) Have a nice overdrive that wasn't overpowering, 2) Provide added gain when placed infront of my Ibanez Tubeking, enough to noticable affect the tone, and 3) Sound good! In the second Store, I had already gone through 5 or 6 pedals including the Ibanez TS-9 reisue, the Danelectro Daddy-O, and the Boss DS-1. I was getting ready to leave, and asked to try the BD-2. (Did I mention that i had lugged both by guitar ('94 Strat) and my Tubeking to the store, and was playing through the same model amp that I had so I would know what the actual sound would be?) One of the things that struck me was how esay it was to use. Only three knobs: Volume, Tone, Gain. A child could use it. I purchased one a month later used, over the internet. Manual was understandable with some very usefull suggested presets.

I like this pedal a lot!! I play a lot in church, so I don't have as much need for a Over-the-top tube distortion. This pedal is perfect for what I need. With the Vol almost all the way up, and the gain almost all the was down, it is the best booster I have EVER heard. It makes me sound like Vaughn (Yeah Right!!) With the Vol at 9-10 o'clock, tone at 11, and gain at 1-2, it is a great overdrive, by itself, and adds needed gain with the Tubeking. With the same setup, but the gain at max, this could almost replace my Tubeking, but... It lacks in two areas, so I took off two points. 1) It is the slightest bit too muddy, and 2) It doesn't pick up the Harmonics as good as the Tubeking.

I rank this a ten, unless you don't have a AC adapter. It has never given me any problems except that I leave it plugged in sometimes, and it drains the batteries.

Never had to deal with them.

I have been playing for almost four years, but since I can't be great as solo's yet, haveing great tone is the most important this for me. I am a tone freak!!!!!!! I tell you right now, that I have good tone. I play a modded strat to a Vox wah, to the BD-2, to the Tubeking, to the Boss TR-2 Tremelo, to a volume pedal, all ran into my Fender Blues Junior. You can't tell me that that won't get good tone (Even if at low volumes.) This pedal is my main pedal. I was going to replace both distortions with a Mesa V-Twin, but changed my mind and decided to keep the Blues Driver if I do, because I love it too much!!!

Let's think...three knobs...input...output...switch. Not too tough. Easy to get a great sound out of it. I picked it up...plugged it in, played a blues riff...laughed at how good it sounded with everything set to the middle without any tweaking.

I run an stock Epiphone Les Paul Custom (white is nice) through an older Peavey Tube amp that just rips and has the nicest clean I've heard. This pedal gives me all the blues od/dist that anyone who plays blues could want. Bottom Line. Only thing is...I wish it could be a little more powerful on the high end...sometimes solos are a little weak. Other than that...perfect.

Gigging for a year...hasn't failed me once. The only damage after a 150 pound main speaker dropped on it was a little scratch in the finish.

N/A

I play blues and pretty much everything else that isn't extreme thrash or modern crap rock. It works well for all of the sounds I need besides hard rock and metal. Stick it in front of my Metal Zone and push the volume and I get all the Randy Rhoads I'll ever need.

Bought it on the way to a gig. Dialed in the preferred tone, done.

I run this pedal through both a tube and a solid state amp. Primarily and a volume boost for leads with the tone knob at 10 o'clock, gain at 4 and the volume at 10. I does the job without altering the tone of the amps and works seamlessly.

I've gigged with it for two and a half years hot glued to a piece of plywood no problemo. I was told that if you run pedals in front of your amp , as apposed to an effects loop, it helps prolong the life of your tubes. Maybe I should thing about changing em soon.

Never dealt with em so I can't say.

I play 50's,rockabilly,Surf, Blues, all with this pedal.Been playing electrics for 10 yrs.and the thing I like best about this pedal is I don't have to worry about it.

Very easy to use, basic manual (but works). Not the sound I'm looking for, but gives a good distinctive bluesy crunch.

IF ANYONE KNOWS WHAT PEDAL CAN GET ME A METALLICA SOUND PLEASE E-MAIL ME!!

Unless this pedal is used loudly, it bites. I am searching for a metallica sound but stumbled on this pedal cheaply. Good crunch, distinctive noise.

Very good, BOSS rules.

None needed.

I am searching for a metallica sound, for this obviously it sucks, but I got it cheaply and it is pretty cool.

a little harder than it looks to get the right sound.But preaty easy to figure out.

Good sounding pedal if you turn the Level up all the way it becomes fuzzy.I use this pedal sometimes as a feedbacker by hooking it up with my other distortion pedals.I love distortiuon.Noisy-quiet.

I dont depend on it.I could do without it but its addictive to use.
It never failed me.

no problems

Its a good pedal to own for a distortion lover.

Very easy to control. Has a volume knob, a tone knob, and a distortion level knob. Manual is simple but effective.

After reading the positive reviews in this location I was disappointed to find that the BD-2 which I purchased DOES filter tone quite noticably and adds hiss. I have a '58 strat with original setup (i.e. it hums), a recent Les Paul studio, and play them through a Fender Hotrod Deluxe with Sovtek tubes. The BD-2 deadens the warm liquid tone of the amp, and also filters the bass frequencies. The distortion from this unit is crunchy and grainy, unless turned up very high, but the Fender amp does this sound better with its overdrive channel and without the filtering effect or the noise. The distortion of the BD-2 comes reasonably close to approximating the real tube distortion of the fender, and might be satisfactory for use with a solid-state amp.
The volume feature is useful in that it can add enormous boost to your volume, if desired. Unfortunately the tone filtering occurs even with distortion turned right down.

I'm not in a position to have an opinion on this.

No experience with this either.

I'm a professional cellist who loves to play electric guitar to 'bust loose' from the painstakingly precise and controlled world of classical music, so my concept of 'tone' comes from a different place. I like the sounds of Hendrix, Dimeola, Joni Mitchell, Billy Gibbons, Collin James, Clapton, swing, jazz, and play a lot of blues as well. I haven't gigged with electric guitar since the mid 70s (I traded my Marshall 100w lead head for cello lessons), but may again. I wanted an overdrive that would give me the kind of sizzle that Al DiMeola gets on his "Tour De Force - Live" album, without tampering with the luscious sound of my Fender amp. The BD-2 affects the tone too much for my taste. I plan to try the Boss OD-3, which is purported to have a more transparent sound and less filtering of the bass frequencies. Finally, the BD-2 makes the already irritating hum of my old strat much worse. People covet these old strats (bought my bashed up strat in '71 for a pittance), but they have definite drawbacks for practical use. This effect would be an asset to anyone using the kind of sold-state amps that I'm used to, but I can't recommend it to users of good tube amps.

Very easy to use. Just, level, tone and gain.

I am using a Fender Stratocaseter 54 reissue and a Fender RocPro 700. The sound is fantastic for blues. However for heavy sounds it doesn't work so well. It isn't made for that. You can get a big tonal range using the pedal at the same time you are using the gain of the amp.

Very important to me. I can't play without it.

For blues this is a very good pedal. I think is the best. I have been playing for seven years and I really like it. If you wanna play blues, go to a musicstore and buy.

It's three knobs - level (aka volume/crunch), gain and tone (aka treble). Couldn't be much easier. Don't have the manual since I bought it used. Matter of fact, I just sold it again.
I think it's !overrated!

When I first got the BD and had dialed in, I thought it was... great. With some more time (some days) I realized there was something 'wrong', i.e. I wasn't really getting the tones I like. Intensive Testing revealed that this unit actually cools down my tone. Don't get me wrong, this thing does quite a good job, you get nice crunch & gain and even some bluesy touch out of it, but IT DOES NOT ADD WARMTH TO YOUR SOUND, ON THE CONTRARY! (sorry for shouting). If you are - like me - into vintage/warm/southern tone, then this one is a no-go.
The folks from H+K did a marvellous job getting warm tones into my current solid state amp (H+K Edition), and I won't let that be killed by a simple effect unit. Besides, this thing is not comparable to a real gain channel, some people called it gain channel simulator, but that is totally unreal. Compared with the preamp of my amp, it simply gets toasted. Get real!
However, if you do not need that special warmth I'm talking about - yes, it does a good job for the dough.

Built like it should be.

Im into Alternative w/ Funk&Blues roots. If an FX-unit sucks warmth from my tone, that's not tolerable. No way.
I checked the BD with the H+K Edition and my 1979 Ibanez Studio 100 ( 2* V2 Humbucker). Obviously I wouldn't buy it again, I guess I'll try some real valve overdrive.
The BD is especially useful if you have an amp which is already slightly crunching, so that you can mix the BD's crunch & gain with the amp's crunch. The BD is a good unit for the price, but it's definitely not high quality, and it especially doesn't deliver the tones I want. Too bad.

I Don't think you could make it sound bad.

I am using the Blues Driver in front of a Digitech RP-7. I am a full-time professional musician and play MANY styles of music including swing, ska, rockabilly, jazz, rock, club date, fusion, and studio work andhave found this pedal to be the first distortion pedal to sound far superior to any amp distortion I have heard. I am playing it through a Fender Hot Rod Deville 4x10 primarily although it is also used with a Matchless or Polytone Mini-Brute. This pedal does not significantly change your clean tone but simply adds a GREAT overdrive to your sound (assuming everything is at 12:00) and can be tailored just enough to be helpful yet not confusing. This thing sounds great with any of my guitars including a Carvin T60(with humbuckers, Standard Strat(with EMG SA's), Custom Built Franken-Tele(with EMG 60neck-85bridge), Gibson 347, and even with my L-5 for a great Brian Setzer tone. In all situations it is my only overdrive and my overdrive effect on my RP-7 is used strictly as a clean volume boost. By the way, it is REALLY quiet!!!

I have used it exclusively for the last year (aproximately 320 gigs) and it seems to be ultra durable. I dont even think it has a paint chip yet. and one battery seems to last about 3 gigs (12 hours of use)

Don't know.

Works well in all styles as previously stated. Gives everything from a warm touch sensitive drive needed for Blues and Rockabilly as well as a great over the top DISTORTION I use in a hard rock band. I have taught guitar professionaly for the last 16 years and as a result have spent alot of time in music stores (trying crap out when I get stood up for a lesson) and heve never heard any overdrive for any price that was more perfect than this. If you want something to completely change your tone buy a Boogie pedal or a Metal Zone but if you just want to get the tone out of your existing setup you always wished you could BUY THIS PEDAL.

Really easy to use, just 3 knobs, Level, Tone and Gain. Really great pedal, its very versatile. The manual is great, it illustrates a few settings such as American Blues, British Blues, Crunch, Distortion etc.. and gives you a few blank spots to write in your own settings.

Im using a Yamaha Pacifica 412, and a Peavy Express 112s. I usually put my guitar on the middle pickup for the best sound. The pedal really boosts the volume, so I recommend a 12 inch speaker in your amp, or two 10 inch ones if you're going to play really really loud. I usually turn my amp down to 4, and my guitar volume to 2, and thats plenty loud for practice. The nice thing about the pedal is that the sound differs depending on your style, if you want to sound clean, then pick softly, and its clean, pick harder, it gives it a more blues sound.. and if you want to play chords, theres even a chord setting in the manual that sounds excellent.

Very dependable, I use mine all the time and its still going on the original battery. Ive even left it on a night or two. I can safely say that I'd use it for a gig without a backup..Its really sturdy, but I might want a spare battery in my pocket.

Never had to, but the manual provides lots of places to send it if it ever does break.

Its a Blues Driver, but don't let the name fool you, its more like a vintage tube amp emulator. I play a lot of blues, all kinds of blues, and so far Its been great for that. The nice thing is, when I wanna play something BESIDES blues, I still use it. It can create a wide variety of sounds, from crunch to hard distortion. I strongly reccomend this pedal to those of you that are just starting an effects collection, because it does so much, and its definitely worth your money, unlike those death metal distortion pedals, that give you nothing but feedback if you turn the gain over 1.

3 knobs level, tone and gain. Gain is the overdrive and tone gives you how sharp the sound will be. Level is what makes the sound bluesy.

I use it with a Vantage guitar and a Vantage amp, cheap stuff but sounds nice. Comes close to many blues musicians like B B king but gotta add another pedal, just can't figure out what. Wah Wah would sound good on it.
Just too good to be true.

I'll depend on it as a single pedal on a gig. No backup? that's ok, just have a new batt inside.

never.

I play blues, and that's why I bought a blues driver! I would always buy another one of these if it were lost... it's the blues player's buddy :)I love it's blue paint job, and anyways, it'a great pedal to be with.