Boss OD-3

So easy to use...only 3 knobs.

I must say that this Boss overdrive is quite good,very good indeed.
IMHO this is what Boss has the best to offer among their so-so line
of overdrive and distortion pedals.The OD-3 provides a good,strong
crunchy sound that's great for classic or heavy rock.For those styles
of music the OD-3 shines and is truly inspiring.This has been my main
OD workhorse for the last 3 years and i enjoyed it since day one. Much better than Tubescreamer for All-out Ac-Dc riffings.
However,i would only recommend it if you find one dirt cheap.
Mine has now been replaced by that Barber Direct Drive SS which for
about 50 bucks more is vastly superior.But overall the Boss Od-3 is
a damn good overdrive that suffers only if compared to some new offerings.If Boss could come up with a more useful tone control...
and a lower price tag.By the way,have you seen the new line of Behringer compact pedals?That's what i call TOTAL RIP-OFF.

I would not go as far as "built like a tank" but Boss pedals
are strong and hassle-free.No doubts about that.

Roland is a big corporation.Although i never spoke or dealt with them
if i had to,i think it would be waste of my time.

If you play heavy blues,classic rock or hard rock it's a good match.
Don't buy it at full retail price tho,find a used one.
I give it a solid 7 overall-good sounds,reliable,nice yellow colour.
Clearly the best sounding Boss pedal(i tried'em all).
But to me,too expensive like all Boss products.

Simple easy to use. Three Knobs, one for Level, tone, Drive. Its very easy to get a great sound out of the OD-3, works well with my strat clone. My first and only Boss pedal.

Virtually no noise from this pedal. I run it through my strat clone -> Mod Cry Baby Wah -> OD-3 -> Practice Amp. What i like the most about this pedal is that it retains the lower end even if you turn the tone knob all the way up. Its fairly good with batteries. I have found that using the adaptor gives it a slightly different sound (one may want to test, to hear the difference). Cheap Carbon batteries seems to make the Overdrive slightly smoother, if that is something your after. Overall its a great pedal, perfect for Blues or classic Rock. You might be able to get some killer heavy metal type sounds if you run it through a high gain marshall aka. Zakk Wylde.

Now i haven't bought any Boss pedals in the past. But i know they have a good reputation for being quite reliable. However I dont know if was my bad luck but the within the first few weeks i noticed that the connectors went bad and the LED no longer lite up when i plug the jack in. At first i thought it was the batteries, but it wasn't and i was very soon dissapointed to find that my sound had been somewhat altered. A simple thing like that does however make me question the reliablility. Though it does have a warantee so i am not too worried.

I am going to the music store I bought it from, see if i can either get it replaced or repaired. Hopefully all will go well and there wont be any problems. I have never dealt with Boss directly.

I play mostly blues music. I absolutly love this pedal. In my opinion of the best Overdrives out there. Though i have only been playing for aprox 3 years I do know what sounds good, and to my ears this sounds sweet. If lost of stolen i would most likely buy a new one. The only thing that bugs me is the jacks went bad, affected both the sound and thoughts about Boss Relability. Boss makes great pedals there is no doubt about that, i might have just been unlucky :P

Just the normal 3 knobs thang!!

It seems to me that, Boss have done it right this time!
I have been using Tube Screamers, standard and modded, and TS based overdrives like Fulltone, old and new, Maxon, Roger Mayer, etc, for years, and the OD-3 is much better in my opinion.
I use this for SRV based Texas Blues, and I think I've discovered something important here;
I use a '64 Blackface Vibroverb, (15" JBL), and a Mesa Blue Angel with a Weber Michigan 15", both amps running together always.
When I'd use a Tube Screamer it would get thin and fizzy, and chop the bass, I am after all using only 2 small amps!
SRV on the other hand, used 6 or so amps live, sometimes more, and in the studio, even up to 32!!
With all that brutal power, he didn't moan about losing any bottom end, in fact he probably wanted it that way....
With the OD-3 however, I can go from my normal crunchy/clean bypassed tone, to creamy overdrive/boost, without losing any part of my EQ. The sound just gets bigger and fatter, just like when SRV would stomp on his TS.
I tried this pedal once with high output single coils (Schecter/Anderson tappable pu's), and it sounded too muddy.
But now with normal vintage type single coils, made by Harry Haussell here in Germany, it sounds just perfect! In fact, almost Marshally, in a way.
Anyway it gives me much more of Stevie Ray's tone with my set-up, than any other overdrive I've ever used.
My other od's were: TS-9 '83 mod. with Analogman TS-9/808 mod, TS-9 with Analogman's Silver/KWS mods, Fulltone 2, old and new types, Roger Mayer Voodoo 1. The OD-3 is better sounding than all of these other pedals, and at less than a hundred bucks, it's pretty reasonably priced too!
Boss's famous transparent ACTIVE BYPASS does wonders for problems with long cables too! True bypass pedals, only make your cable/chain longer than necessary, and also suck tone too! You have to have an active buffer in there somewhere....

BOSS QUALITY. I don't care about "Made in USA", or "carbon comp" this or "boutique" that, anymore. It's mostly just hype anyway.
Look carefully at the feet of most pro players, and you're more than likely to find some Boss, or other quality mass produced pedals sitting there......
I always use cheap carbon batteries, they make most od's sound smoother, less harsh. And if you take care they'll last for ages.

Not necessary.

I'd get this again if stolen, I can get it anywhere :-)
This sounds better, than all the expensive boutique and modded od pedals I have ever tried.
Save your money and try this, you may be glad you did...
Here's a thought... How come you don't see anyone offering mods for this pedal on the net? Answer: 'cause it's fine just the way it is.
I'm selling all my other od's now.
Also, a rating of average 9, at 88 reviews, is pretty good for a Boss od, don't ya think?
Most reviewers here are unanimous: They got it right at last!!

same as all other overdrives, duhh.

i use a marshall 900 50 w head on stage and i also love yngwie malmsteen,
i have his signature o/d aswell as his guitar and pickups, so i am comparing my new o/d to his.
the difference being, i dont lose any bottom end (good for outdoor shows)
allthough the compression in the od-3 lacks that stratty wild malmsteen vibrato, apart from that they are both very similar (arent all overdrives though?)

you better believe it baby!

heres some advice....
go to a music store,
buy it
if it breaks take it back......

ive been playing for about 20 years now, i play shred guitar, the best way to use this o/d is to run your amps gain at around halfway hot, do the same with the od-3 and you will find how it was meant to be played!
it really helps me get a smooth desireable tone and is warmer than the dod yjm 308 o/d, i do like the tone feature on it too,
its only as noisy as any other o/d pedal,
a final word on this unit, dont go out and buy distortion pedals, they kill your sound totally, get this and you wont be dissapointed, its better than the sd-1.
great for shredders, i play in a cover act and it doesnt let me down.

Standard set-up : Volume, tone and gain knob. Basic stuff...

Oh Yeah! In my opinion this is one of the best mass produced overdrive pedals currently on the market! I've tried a lot of overdrive pedals over the last few years and nothing has come close to the instant gratification I got from this. The first thing you notice is the fact that you don't lose bottom end like a lot of other pedals and the fine balance of transparency to colour, not too transparent, just right. The od-3 is also very versatile so you can go from a slight crunch to rockin' your pants off, and it's also got a lot of headroom in the volume department as well. Forget your ts-9's, kealey mod's, ts808's and all that other overhyped stuff.

Most guitar pedals made in metal cases will last you a life time unless you treat them mean. I've still got my original Od-1 and Ce-2 from about 1981, both work perfectly. In my 20 plus years of playing I have never had a pedal break down on me so yes I do and will keep gigging without back up's.

I've been playing for 22 years I've tried ts-9's, hotcakes, sd-1's, ts808's, fulltone's with dissapointing result's. The Boss OD-3 along with Pro co's RAT, Nobels ODR-1 and my trusty Boss OD-1 are my fave's. I play in an original indy guitar pop band and also play in cover band's to make money. If your after an overdrive pedal try the OD-3, you won't be dissapointed.

Very easy to use, once you get the amount of drive you want, you can then adjust the with the tone control to get that "sweet spot".

I use either an American delux Tele or a 1985 PRS and run through a Peavey Blues Classic. This unit is not noisy and seems to do nothing to my tone or input when it is off. This pedal is good for rich creamy overdrive/distortion with very little buzzyness. I wish the sustain at lower volumes was better but this may be unrealistic. I think that the David Gilmore sound is obtainable with this as are those SRV squalky blues tones (if your using a Strat or PRS). It can get some good rock distortion tones with single coils or humbuckers. My favorite artists range from Hendrix, Clapton 1967-1971, Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, My Bloody Valentine, The Verve, Smiths, The Vines, Strokes, Bowies first two guitarists (Ronson and whats his name) and so forth

I have only had it for 4 months.

Never have had to deal with Boss

My music is original psychodelic folk rock. Been playing for over 35 years (jeez). I would definitly buy this pedal again. I've used preamp distortion and an old Digitech pds pedal, and an old rat (1970's) in the past but I like this so far the best. I've tried reissue TS-9 and it seemed just a tad bit subtle for me. I would like to compare a DS-1 to this pedal.

knobs and simplicity, two big reasons why I bought it.

I play a MIM fender telecaster.
I like to run a CS-3 infront of it to sharpen the attack,
and a GE-7 after to fine tune the tone.
really lets my hear my own fingers (where real tone is).
I love it!!!! makes my blues driver sound thin and weak!!!
lets not even talk about the sd-1. It's sad to know that I haven't bought it sooner.

It sounds really good going into the rest of my effects. I don't think I could ask for a better overdrive than this.

Boss makes the most dependable, mainstream pedals on the market.

very helpfull with my GT-5.

I'll play anything. rock, funk, blues, hardcore, electronica, alternative, ambient, shoegaze/dreampop, you name it I can feel it. This pedal can do it all. If you like true tone... buy this.
I might even try to two OD-3's for a metal sound or a solo boost.

I gave it a 9 because I won't sing me to sleep at night.

It's a pretty simple layout, 3 knobs, like a tubescreamer or a dozen other overdrives. The manual is fine, but one wouldn't need it. I've heard the Boss OD-1 and OD-2, this is a completely different unit. Much better in my opinion. The tone knob is the key to dial in your own sound preferences.

I currently use this with an American Strat with red, silver, and blue Lace Sensors and a Tech 21 Trademark 60. However, it works well with my Les Paul, Am. Tele, Marshall JCM 800 combo and Nomad 45 combo. It really does the tight crunch sound well. The great thing about this pedal is that is has the right low end (bass) sound; (Tight and crunchy). It can be smooth with the tone turned lower, or bright and tight with the tone turned up. The main reason I'm doing this review is that I want to let tonemeisters know about a good sounding overdrive at a reasonable price. I don't care for any of Boss's other pedals (especially the distortion/overdrives), however I think their delay pedals are good. I use the DD-6.

So far I've had no problems. I don't need a backup as I could turn the amp's volume knob down for a reasonable crunch sound.

Never dealt with the company other than buy their products. The pedals seem very reliable. I bought mine on Ebay.

I play rock and blues. The OD-3 is excellent for those tones. It's not a super high gain distortion pedal, but it does have more gain and much better low end than, for example, a TS9 (I have one and have A/B'd them). I've been playing for 25 years. This is one of the best, reasonably priced overdrive pedals I've had and heard. I would definitely buy another one if this one were lost. The thing I like the best about it is that it has a decent low end. The bottom isn't sucked out like many of the old overdrives did. I don't hate anything about it. The battery life is good also. I compared it to a TS9, a Fulldrive II, a Zoom Power Drive (PD-1), and a Boss OD-2. The FD2 and The PD-1 are also great ODs, but The OD-3 is not as pricey as a FD2 and is still being made, unlike the Zoom PD-1.

this thing is so simple to use. three nobs. volume, tone and gain

ok. i used to use a rat and sd1 . both amazing pedals. ive got and epiphone les paul with seymour duncans on. my amp is a valvestate 150. not the best amp but it does the job. anyway so i try the od3...OH MY LORDY!! This thing is the best thing i have ever used! with the gain on full it gets really rocking but at the same time it remains nice and clear and creamy. i also have a ts9 and the od3 sounds so much better. with the gain rolled all the way off it gives a lovely mellow crisp sound. i also use the sd1 to boost it, this sends it into meltdown! i love this thing. the rat is now gone from my board. well done boss!

its a boss?!

im into big soundscapes. i love delay and reverb so i use loads of it. i love feedback. with this pedal with all of the delays and reverbs my sound never gets muddy. every note is crystal clear. the tone really reacts to the way you play. and the feedback this thing gives off is lovely. overall a very warm sounding, creamy yellow little box of pure joy. i give it a ten overall because i have finally found the overdrive ive always been looking for. thank you boss.

Very easy to use. Standard Boss stompbox with 3 knobs (Level, Drive and Tone).

Very easy to get a good sound, provided you've bought the pedal for the right purpose (see below).

This pedal produces the best warm overdrive sound that Ive ever heard. Its rounded, responds to my playing and can produce everything from a nice broken clean sound to a thick overdrive. That may sound a little limited but it thats what its for and it does it very well.

I purchased this pedal to give me "that sound" between the 2 channels on my valve combo i.e. clean and saturated valve distortion. I play a lot of tunes where this sound is required (U2, counting crows etc.)The OD3 does this perfectly. Whilst its basic tone is different to that of my amp distortition, because the OD3's tone is so round/full it compliments it.

Boss claim that this unit does sound like a valve amp. I disagree. Whilst it is the best OD Ive heard, its not quite as warms as true valves.

Previously, Ive used a Rat, Turbo Rat, Guvnor, various DOD pedals and a DS1. The OD3 beats them all. Whilst all the others produced a high-gain sound, they were all too harsh and toneless.

A lot a reviewers claim that this should strictly be used to overdrive valve amps. I dont think so. It drives my valve amp well but can also be used as a stand alone overdirve pedal.

Havent had it long but it is Boss. My previous boss fx have lasted me a lifetime.

see above

A great pedal that does 1 trick, but EXTREMELY well. It produces a good, warm OD. Its doesnt go to extremes so beware to anyone who wants saturated sounds.

If you want a pedal to ruffle your current sound - this is it.