Description

A timeless classic. The Boss DS-1 Distortion Pedal is still going strong 40 years after being introduced, and with good reason. Delivering dirty distortion with more than a hit of grit, all with a stunningly bright tone and it becomes rapidly apparent why Kurt Cobain trusted this pedal to deliver the huge, fuzzy tones that were necessary.

Sporting Boss’ iconic three-knob layout, this bright orange beast has been a mainstay on countless pedalboards since its introduction in 1978, and the fact the design has yet to be improved upon more than 40 years later shows its reputation is well-earned. If you need a pedal to take your sound up several gears, there’s nothing better than the DS-1.

Mid scoop

The distinctive distorted tones of the Boss DS-1 Distortion Pedal are defined by a few clever design features. With its pioneering two stage circuit, the unique tone control offers sculpted EQ to a prominent mid-scoop, in stark contrast to most other overdrive pedals. This is a big factor in the DS-1’s unique sound signature. The DS-1 achieves this by using a passive Big Muff Pi style tone control, which also attenuates treble or bass, depending on which way you turn the tone knob. This control consists of a simple fixed low-pass filter and a high-pass filter with a pot to mix the two signals, these two filters have cut-offs that create the mid-scoop at around 500Hz.

Indulge in excess

Another of the DS-1’s tonal secrets is the transistor boosting stage of the circuit amplifying the incoming signal 56 times! This drives the signal from the early stages and gives the characteristic hot sound the DS-1 is known for. This heavily driven, high gain sound combines well with the symmetrical clipping design which generates additional harmonic content giving you a richer sound. Symmetrical clipping produces even-order harmonics which are more sonically pleasing than odd-order.

Boss double down on this powerful design by connecting the diodes to the AC ground in the clipping stage, this makes the signal clip even harder adding to the aggressive character of this timeless pedal. All this with the robust build quality you expect from Boss pedals. Get the distorted sound that guitarists everywhere since 1978 have been raving about: maximum distortion settings ideal!

Features

• Classic BOSS Distortion tones for guitar and keyboard
• Reproduces dynamics of playing, from soft to hard
• Distortion, Level and Tone control to tailor overall sound as desired

Specifications

• Nominal Input Level: -20 dBu
• Input Impedance: 470 ohms
• Nominal Output Level: -20 dBu
• Output Impedance: 1 k ohms
• Equivalent Input Noise Level: -122 dBu (IHF-A, Typ.)
• Connectors: INPUT Jack, OUTPUT Jack, AC Adaptor Jack (9 V DC)
• Power Supply: 9 V DC: Dry Battery 9 V type, AC Adaptor
• Current Draw: 10 mA (9 V DC)
• Accessories: Dry Battery 9 V type (6F22/9 V)
• Dimensions: (W) 73 mm, 2-7/8 inches (D) 129 mm, 5-1/8 inches (H) 59 mm, 2-3/8 inches
• Weight: 0.4 kg, 0 lbs. 15 oz.