BD-2 Blues Driver Review

The BD-2 delivers the creamy, slightly crunchy sound associated with great blues guitar. This popular pedal provides instant access to the kind of warm overdrive and emotive distortion usually reserved for 30-year-old tube amps.

Ease of Use:	9.5
Sound:	9
Reliability:	9.7
Impression:	9.4
Overall rating:	9.4
Users rating:	9.1
Comments:	31

Featured review by: unregistered, on august 30, 2005

Price paid: $ 126.27

Purchased from: Dawson's Music

Ease of Use: I couldn't think of an easier pedal to use. You plug it in and turn the knobs. Three knobs, level, tone and gain. Level simply turns the volume up and down. Gain is self explanitary. Tone is the real deal, using this along with the gain can create sounds from a soft fuzz to an extreme metal crunch. The manual I got with mine gives a few examples of use but I found it easier to fiddle and see what happens. // 10

Sound: I use a 60W Hughes And Kettner Blue edition amp. A 93 Les Paul Studio, A Tanglewood 335 copy, a 1956 Harmony rocket and a home made strat as my main guitars. Surprisingly this pedal works with all of my guitars! I find using the guitar settings can create a variation of sounds without having a mad 12 foot long pedal board. I can get anything from a soft Grunge to a heavy crunchy metal by using the tone. I use no other pedals as I see no need, and no distortion from the amp as this pedal does it all. The only suggestion would be to have a EQ pedal just to use as a boost for solo's (or you could use the guitar volume). // 10

Reliability & Durability: As with all Boss pedals this is built to last. This pedal is strong, but nothing you wouldn't expect from a Boss. I stomp on the pedal with all my might and it just stays solid. Definately a gigger. I use a re-chargeable battery in it and as long as I charge it up before the gig it lasts for several hours. The only thing I would suggest is being careful when changing the battery as the wires could easily be pulled out. // 8

Impression: I play anything form classical rock to modern punk/rock. And this pedal does it all. I set up the pedal once and haven't changed the settings since, using the selector swith on the guitars and messing with the guitar tones gives me enough variety but still keeping my sound. I've een playign for about 8 years but I know people who have been playing for 40 years and think this is the dogs bollocks. I have spent the last 3 or 4 years looking for a great drive and have bought around 15 distortian pedals looking for it and sold them on because they didn't cut the cheese. I believe I have definately found it with this! I would recommend this pedal to anyone looking for a great rock sound. It is probably the best pedal I have come across. The only thing that could make this better would be to put a boost into it, but I cant really see how that would be possible. // 10

overall: 9.5

Reviewed by: dondude, on july 10, 2006

Price paid: $ 80

Purchased from: Music123.com

Ease of Use: Well when you buy a Boss pedal, you are definitely not buying anything complicated. Boss are one of the simplest pedal brands to figures. Also, when you buy the pedal, it comes with a little booklet with all kinds of suggestions for setting on the pedal for different kinds of sounds and tones. // 10

Sound: With this pedal I use a Fender Frontman 25R with a Fender stratocaster and an Epiphone les paul. This pedal can make any guitar sound great. Of course if you crank it all the way up it will be very noisy. The tone is not weak at all. This can do anything from clean chord progressions, to raging British guitar riffs. I can get sound from Jimi Hendrix, Oasis, Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, and many more. I play mostly classic rock so that is the sound I get out of it. I wouldn't plan on getting any metal tones out of this thing. // 9

Reliability & Durability: This pedal is definitely reliable. The only thing is, I am still using it with a battery and I would like to have all of my pedals hooked up to a power supply. But the battery is still very reliable. I can at least a month without having to change it. // 10

Impression: I play any kind of classic rock. This is a perfect match for those styles. I have been playing for almost 3 years. I also have a Boss Phase Shifter, an Electro-Harmonix Big Muff, a DigiTech Whammy pedal, and a Vox wah. I would definitely buy one again if something happened to mine. It is a very simple pedal to use, unlike other distortions. I am happy with it and would not change anything. // 9

overall: 9.8

Reviewed by: cheeseisthebomb, on february 28, 2007

Purchased from: Local Music Store

Ease of Use: Now, to make it simple, this pedal is awesome and easy. Since there are only 3 knobs, you can easily get a really good sound out of this thing. The manual gives you some really cool examples on some sounds you can set this pedal to, but once again, there are only 3 knobs, so it's pretty easy to get a nice sound out of. The manual is still worth flipping through though. My unit has not been upgraded and I don't know what the firmware revision number is. It dosen't need editing patches. // 9

Sound: I use this thing with my Epiphone G-310 SG. This is isn't noisy all by itself, but when you add to much distorion or Overdrive you get all this crappy scaping and feedback. This pedal should deffenatly be the leader of all your other pedals, I mean literally, make your other pedals obey it. No more distion is needed. The Overdrive is sweet and cool, too. This pedal does really sound like an old Vintage to. I can get some Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page out of this thing. // 10

Reliability & Durability: I can certainly depend on this thing, no questions. It is made perfectly, so you can step on it without fear of breaking it. This is a pedal I'd take to a gig without another distortion or Overdrive pedal. I would take a wah pedal, and a Digital Delay pedal though (the wah and the digital dely should also be Boss). // 10

Impression: Well I play classic rock and blues, and this pedal goes great. I've been playing for 5 years and this is the only pedal I own at the moment. I used to own a DigiTech Hot Head Distortion Pedal, in which sucked! I have no compalints about this product at all. If it were stolen I'd buy a new one. I love the creamy distortion, and the classic Overdrive. I really like the fact that this pedal is so versital. You can get everything from a Clean Crunch, to Sabbath type metal out of the BD-2. I leave it with the "Level" at 4, "Tone" at 6, and "Drive" at 7 but don't be scared to experiment and get your own sound. This thing is really the Boss. // 10

overall: 8.3

Reviewed by: darkarbiter7, on february 19, 2008

Ease of Use: Like the SD1, it's a bit hard to get a good sound out of it. It does have more usable tones than the SD1. So in theory, it is easy enough to get a good sound out of it. And it's an Overdrive, so it's naturally easy. I played this pedal stock in a store. Just for future reference, I used a nice strat through a Fender HRD at the shop on the clean channel. I set all the EQ at linear to show the Blues Driver's natural EQ properties. I give this an 8, because of it's simplicity, but inability to have a lot of easy good tones. You have to fine tune it to get the tones you want. // 8

Sound: As I said before, I used it with a strat and Fender HRD. We'll start with the general tonality of it. I was expecting some smooth, thick Overdrive tones. I was kind of disappointed when I plugged in, and it gave me kind of tinny and thin tones. When I switched over to an LP, it helped, but I still didn't hear what I wanted. Even with the tone knob all the way down, it still has that shrillness. But that being said, it's a great clean boost. It really fattens up one's tone then. And it can get pretty clean, clean enough not to really see any dirt added. I would imagine that this pedal would really come alive with mods, but stock, I believed it to be "meh". As for noise, it has a little bit of hiss, but it's tolerable. I was expecting some SRV or just general blues tones, but I was disappointed. This gets a 7 in my book. Mainly because I was so disappointed by the overdrive. It is really more like a SD1 but with a little mid spike. But as I said, some mods could really liven it up. But, if it wasn't a good clean boost, it would have gotten a 5 in sound. If you're expecting smooth blues tones, you probably won't get it in this pedal unless you plan on modding. // 7

Reliability & Durability: It's a Boss pedal, thus it is a tank. I would probably gig without a backup, but I wouldn't use the blues driver as a main pedal. I'd leave that up to my tubescreamer to provide me with all the boosting and Overdrive power I want. It probably has a warranty and such, but I'm not 100% sure since I only played it at a store. But, my SD1 had a warranty. A pretty nice one too. So, there you go for reliability. I rate this a 10, because it's a tank and Boss has always been pretty good with support. // 10

Impression: Overall, I wouldn't pay the retail price for this pedal. I would definetely buy it used, but not new. It just doesn't have the blues tonality IMO. For around the same price, you can get a modded TS7 online, which I did, and I am eternally happy with it. I've been playing for a year, but I've progressed fast in my skills, and I've developed a decent ear for tone. Well, since I didn't buy it, I don't have buyers remorse. If I were to have bought it, and it would have gotten stolen, I'd probably buy something else. Anyways, this a major love/hate pedal. a lot of people seem to love it, but being the tone freak I am, I don't really like it. One can get a couple good tones, but not enough to make it "versatile". Anyways, overall an 8. Because although the sound didn't floor me, it's a tank, and it's moddable. If you do the mods yourself, it's worth it just to buy this pedal to mod it. It probably wouldn't cost much. // 8

overall: 9.3

Reviewed by: hippieboy444, on october 16, 2006

Purchased from: Willis Music

Ease of Use: Dude, if you like blues, I recomend it. It is great since it delivers sounds from soft blues to heavy metal! And it's not muddy. Just turn up the tone and get a nice sharp distrtion. The manual gives you somewhat of where to go, but it sounds better if you just mess around yourself, since there are only 3 knobs. // 9

Sound: I am currenly using a '70s Strat with a Crate 15 watt, and just keep mine set on tone 10, gain 6, and boost 4. It sounds great! And it gets loud! The effect is strong as jesus, and is great for sounding like Jimmy Page or Gilmour. This is a very good effect and will always sound like your the best out there. // 9

Reliability & Durability: You can depend on this pedal. I love it. It is reliable, since it always sounds the same. I would use this without backup anytime! This beats the Ibanez TubeScreamer black and blue, man. I once stepped on it like a beast, and it didn't even get hurt! It is a beast! Just unplug it after you play it, or the battery will keep runin' forever! Other than that, it is great! // 9

Impression: I mostly use this for blues, and it mainly gets me the whole nine yards. Nothing I needed to know before buying. I didn't even try it. And I love it. I didn't compare, but recently I tried a TubeScreamer. The Blues Driver wins. If it had fuzz, mabey everything would get tens, but not everythings perfect. I've only been playing it for about a year, and I absoulutly love it! If it was stolen, I would go buy another without thinking. Buy one! You won't regret it! // 10

overall: 10

Reviewed by: ufossuck, on june 23, 2006

Ease of Use: Like most Boss products, the BD-2 is a very simple effect. It didn't come with a manual as I stole it from my brother, which is unfortunate because Boss usually includes diagrams for recommended settings. However I have a manual for a Boss DS-1 Distortion, which I can use the the recommended settings for on the BD-2 (the tone and level dials are in reversed position). Of course, it's easy enough to get great tones from that I really don't need a manual. // 10

Sound: I play mine through a M.R.W. archtop, which is rather satisfactory and a $30 M.R.W. amp, which is not. The pedal itself simulates the sound of a tube amp, meaning you can play it through a crappy solid state (mine for example)and still get an excellent tone. I've never used it with a tube amp though. Though it's called "Blues Driver," its not only useful for blues. It may have been designed for dirty blues, but I can also get great tones for classic rock out of it. Since nearly all artists used distortion and tube amps in the '60s, '70s and '80s it work for just about any artist. I play a lotta Lou Reed and Jeff Beck stuff, if it means anything to you. // 10

Reliability & Durability: I don't know how old mine is. My cousin gave it to my brother when he started playing about to years ago and I don't no when she bought. Nontheless, it work perfectly. With a metal casing it was built to last. If I was so lucky to be payed to play, I'd definatley use it. I may have my DS-1 nearby for hard rock and metal songs I may play, (there wouldn't be many) but the BD-2 would be my main distortion pedal. // 10

Impression: As I mostly play dirty blues and rock which the BD-2 for designed for and it was designed well. I got the pedal (by which I mean stole from my brother) maybe half a year ago when I started playing blues. I just today bought a Boss CS-3 Compression Sustainer and CH-1 Super Chorus, the CS-3 is a great addition to the BD-2, giving it a popping sound. I've haven't quite got the CH-1 to impress me yet, but I'm not saying it's a bad pedal. If it were lost or stolen (by my brother maybe) I'd cry and eventually replace it. Compared to my DigiTech "Screamin' Blues" distortion/overdrive pedal, I'd say the BD-2 is the better of the two. The DigiTech pedal creats great tones and also simulates a great tube amp sound through my crappy solid state, but it doesn't allow for much experimentation. It is equipped with EQ and gain dials while the BD-2 has a tone and gain dial. I have EQ on my amp, so there's not much I can do with the DigiTech pedal, which I don't care as I like to experiment with tones. The BD-2 allows for experimentation as it includes a tone knob which, in conjunction with the gain know, can produce a wide variety of tones. // 10

overall: 9.8

Reviewed by: dan1bad, on december 01, 2008

Price paid: $ 89.99

Purchased from: guitar center

Ease of Use: Well like most Boss pedals it's really easy use, it has the 3 basic knobs: tone, gain. and level (volume). It didn't take me long at all to figure out how to use it, and it also came with the manual that gave some basic settings of sounds you can get out of it so it was pretty easy for me to get the hang of it. // 10

Sound: The sound is incredible. I first tried this pedal out with a Fender American Telecaster and I was amazed at the wide variety of sounds I could get from it. You can get a nice clean Overdrive that sounds much like jimi hendrix style (hey joe, wind cries mary). To some hard dirty distortion that sounds like a more tom morello (Rage Against The Machine) distortion. // 9

Reliability & Durability: Well I would definetly rely on this pedal it's made of tough metal and can take some falls. I would play without a backup without even second guessing. // 10

Impression: I play a lot of hendrix and AC DC and other classic rock and this pedal is perfect for either. It really captures that tone that hendrix had and I use it with an original cry baby wah and it sounds just like the record when I play voodoo chile. I have been playing for about 3 1\2 years: I use this with a Fender deluxe lonestar strat and a Crate 20g amp and it goes together nicely. Really I just wish I had a bit of a better amp because this one is ok but not that good. If the pedal got stolen I would try to get another one. I really love that it gets the sound I really aim for so perfectly, it's a perfect pedal for me. Well I was either gonna get this or the Ibanez ts9 turbo and I have to say the bd-2 was better. It was a lot more versatile then the ts9, but if you are looking for a specific sound that the ts9 has you might be better off with that of course. // 10

overall: 8.3

Reviewed by: ~Shred Hero~, on september 28, 2009

Price paid: $ 50

Purchased from: Music Go Round

Ease of Use: The Boss BD-2 Blues Driver is the typical 3-knob Boss pedal. The first knob is the Level Knob (controls the volume), the middle knob is Tone (Counter-clockwise for more bass, clockwise for more treble), and the last knob is Gain (no suprise here, controls how much gain). It also has the usual AC jack, Switch, and battery compartment. // 9

Sound: As deceitful as the name can be, this pedal isn't just for blues. With a low gain, you can get a very crisp clean sound good for cleans and softer blues. At mid level gain you start to get more crunch for classic rock or even some SRV. And at full gain it's more of a fuzz pedal. I personally keep the tone knob past 12 o'clock to add more highs and give me a brighter sound. B.B. King, SRV, even AC/DC and more; this pedal has you covered. However, like stated above, at high gain it becomes more of a fuzz pedal, I haven't played many fuzz pedals so I can't give you a solid answer on whether this is good or bad, but to my ears it's definately useable. There was some tone sucking invovled, whether it be because it's a pre-owned pedal or "just because", I do not know (using a new battery). // 7

Reliability & Durability: Like most Boss pedals, its constructed with a metal casing for a "Drop it and don't worry about it" sense of security. Like all other compact Boss pedals, if you run this on a battery, the effect will dull out when the battery is low: Good for knowing when it needs changing, bad for gigging. However, like every other compact Boss pedal it has an 9v AC jack which clears that problem right up. // 9

Impression: I play everything, but mostly classic genres such as blues, classic rock, classic metal, ect. This pedal will cover anything from cleans, to AC/DC and anything in between or near it. Compared to a TS-808 this was the second best thing. However, I felt the tubescreamer sounded to "middy" which is one of the reasons I went with the Blues Driver (more highs, for a brighter sound). Overall though, I think you should definately try this pedal out because it most likely deserves a spot in your rig. // 8

overall: 9.3

Reviewed by: TW909, on january 21, 2009

Purchased from: Redlands guitar shop

Ease of Use: The BD-2 has only 3 knobs(level, tone and Drive) so it can't get easier to use. It has a standard 1/4 in. input/output(no stereo) and can be run off 9volt battery or DCplug.
I didn't get a manual since I bought it used for $20!! you can't beat that price for Boss quality effects. Blues Driver fits into anyones rig and can be used stand alone or run into another distortion box(like I do) for more saturated tones. // 10

Sound: I have the BD-2 in my chain after my CS-2 compressor, before my MT-2 metal zone and Electro Harmonix Holy Grail and lastly a BBE Sonic Stomp before hitting my Crate 2x12 combo. I kick on the BD-2 for increase sustain and harmonics and to fill out the treble of my MT-2. The BD-2 works great in this fasion but doesn't provide enough balls to stand alone in my opinion. It does add dimension but is to gritty and weak sounding for my ears as a stand alone. // 8

Reliability & Durability: Boss quality and dependability. I bought it used(and it looks well used)and everything about the pedal is great except the limited gain. Definitely use to Drive your amp distortion or another box cause the sound is dry on it's own. Has a secure place in my rig as a volume boost or to control some of the feedback(yeah, the output of my amp gets lowered when I step on itbecause that is the way I use it with the level low on the BD-2 / compressor and high on the MT-2. very reliable pedal. // 10

Impression: Yeah I play metal. Yeah it's a Blues driver. Yeah I like the tone shaping it provides and also the creamy sustain it can add to my MT-2. I've been playing 10 years and have tried p-edals from Danelectro to line -6 and DigiTech. The blues driver is among the best, to my ear, at helping push your tone past those low sustain thresholds without adding too much gain. Try using it like me as a boost not a stand alone distortion box and it will provide years of service. // 9

overall: 9.8

Reviewed by: xvasmx, on september 08, 2008

Price paid: $ 79.89

Purchased from: R&J Music World

Ease of Use: My Boss BD-2 it stock,so no mods no upgrades.Its fairly easy to use with only 3 knobs(Tone,Drive,Level).It can be a little hard getting the sonund you want but with a little messing around,you can get what your looking for.A manual came with it,but its fairly straight forward not much of use but still pretty helpful.Since the manual contains some suggested settings you can use as a guide. // 10

Sound: I am currently using a Squier Fat Strat with it going to a Vox AD15VT and a Roland Cube 15.It can be pretty noisy when you raise the gain far beyond after 3/4 but I was expecting that so it's ok. Don't mistake this pedal for only blues, You can get anywhere from a light distortion here to distortion perfect for hard rock. So you get a variety of distortion ranging from a Beatles type dist(Revolution, Helter Skelter)to Eric Clapton(Bad Love, Layla etc.)to Led Zeppelin(Whole Lotta love, Communication Breakdown etc.)to Guns N Roses(Knocking on Heaven's Door, My Michelle etc.)
Through my Vox AD15VT it sounds beautiful, I got wonderful sound perfect for the artists/bands I mentioned above and more. On the otherhnad through my Cube 15 I found that it become a little complicated to get what I was looking for. This pedal I believe is perfect as a booster too. I had tried it with my Vox already slighty distorted and I got very close to sounds that I was looking for.Other than the problem with my Cube 15 setup this deserves a 9 // 9

Reliability & Durability: 100% Sure I can depend on this thing.Its Boss what do you expect it's made of metal.If I drop it I wont worry abotu the pedal at all. I would definately gig without backup, even though I don't realy bring backup pedals. This thing is definately reliable it's built to last years and years. Its casing is hard to dent or scratch as long as you don't whip it at a wall or something. // 10

Impression: I play Blues, Blues Rock, Hard Rock, Classic Rock a lot of Led Zeppelin, Beatles, some B.B. King, Eric Clapton, GNR, Some Queen, Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd.This pedal is perfect for those styles. I find that with my Vox AD15VT it sounds wonderful and lovely. I don't regret buying it because I simply love the sound I can get with it. If it was stolen I'd definately buy another one. It's not that versatile but it can bend through the styles I play which makes it great. I compared this to the DigiTech Screamin' Blues and the Boss OD-3, and I found that I prefered this one. I found the sound of this to suit my style a lot more. // 10

overall: 9.5

Reviewed by: stlcardinals, on january 20, 2009

Price paid: $ 90

Purchased from: Guitar Center

Ease of Use: Great all around pedal! 3 standard knobs, Level, Gain, Tone. All at 12 o'clock it sounds great, good Overdrive sound. Useful as just a plain old boost for solos, also. Worked well as boost and for coloring as an Overdrive on both the Clean and OD1 channels of my Marshall JCM 2000 - DSL 401 combo. Manual has a few sample settings, Boss's usual. Overall, solid pedal, simple to use! True bypass would be nice, but still an amazing pedal. // 9

Sound: I use an American Strat (Plus I believe, with 22 frets and a nut with metal bearings, with noiseless DiMarzio Virtual Vintage Area 58's in the neck and middle, and Area 61 in the bridge) through a Marshall JCM 2000 - DSL 401. Setup is as follows - Guitar, EH LPB-1 Linear Power Boost, Boss BD-2 Blues Driver, Boss BF-3 Flange, Boss DD-20 Giga Delay, Marshall.

Sometimes, obviously, it can get noisy with too much gain, like with Tone and Level past 3 o'clock. It can get harsh, too many mids sometimes, but otherwise it is an exceptional Overdrive! The Overdrive can Overdrive a clean channel well enough, or you can layer it over an existing Overdrive also. I've gotten some bare-bones AC/DC out of it, and it's possible to get some rough fuzz at the higher gain settings. Gets some Lincoln Brewster type tones from his Live All to You album. Plays blues, jazz, rock, classic rock, worship, and a few other styles really well. Not for metalheads or the like. Watch out, putting too much tone causes it to get too thin, I always back it off to around 10 o'clock, maybe 12 o'clock max. // 9

Reliability & Durability: It's Boss, it'll last 20 years. Please, buy a daisy chain or an individual power supply, I've heard too many guys complain of the batteries dying on ANY pedal, not sure why you would waste the batteries when a daisy chain w/5 9V outputs in $30. Would definitively gig w/out a backup! Boss is always reliable! The simple sample settings included are usually overlooked, but they can really help you form your tone easily. // 10

Impression: I play in several worship teams at church and also in a Christian Rock band, and this fits in perfectly. Between those bands, I play both lead and rhythm interchangeably, separately, and both at once, and this pedal hasn't failed me yet! 4 years I've been playing I think, and I wish I had this a few years earlier! I would definitively consider buying at least 1 if this was stolen, I think it would be interesting to layer 2 BD-2s together. I love everything about it, most people had out 10's and 9's frequently on reviews like this, but this is not your average pedal! I would say that if your looking for a light/medium bluesy Overdrive, this and the MI Audio Blues Pro Overdrive are the top 2 within their price range and functionality range. // 10

Reviewed by: unregistered, on july 02, 2007

Price paid: $ 49.99

Purchased from: Music Go Round

Ease of Use: It's just a pedal (a dang good one at that) with no bells and whistles, it just does it's job. I bought it used so there was no manual included with it. It works great, it's small and battery powered, so transporting it is not a burdon. I have owned a couple of multi-effects processing boards and those are a pain to move around. // 10

Sound: The BD-2 pedal was designed for only one thing and that was to replicate the great and unquie sound of a well aged tube amp. This is one of the must have pedals. It's puts out the niced warm, soft, and scratchy blues distortion to way overdriven sound for that great classic rock tone. The pedal is completely noiseless and you can't tell when it has been turned on or off because there is no nasty pigs or static. // 10

Reliability & Durability: I have played with it a lot and I have no complaints. It has a metal body and pedal, and there is a light to warn you when the 9V battery is low. I think it is bomb proof (not water proof though). Just about everyone uses theese so that is one point prooved that these are well built pedals. Not those Danelectro peice of junks. // 10

Impression: This is a great pedal. It may sound a little funny in the shop but once you tweek the gain and the tone just right, it sound like a dream. If I lost it, I would get a new one. There is nothing like the sound of a tube amp. This is my most favorite effect yet. I highly recommend it to everyone. Trust em, you won't be let down. // 10

overall: 9

Reviewed by: Bossman123, on may 09, 2007

Price paid: $ 144.9

Purchased from: local music store

Ease of Use: As with all Boss analogue pedals, it couldn't be easier to use. It's got the usual three knobs that you find on most Boss pedals. On this particular pedal they are: Gain, Level and Tone. It's easy to get the sound you want out of it with a bit of time and tweaking. It comes with a manual but you don't really need it for such a simple pedal (although it does give you some nice settings to try out). The battery compartment couldn't be easier to access with it's small thumbscrew on the end of the pedal. It has to get a 10 for ease of use because it couldn't possibly be simpler! // 10

Sound: I'm using an MIA Strat through the blues driver and various other pedals into a Vox AC30CC2. The tones you can get from this pedal are simply beautiful, I tested it head to head with a TS9 and a Zakk Wylde Overdrive and neither compared in my opinion. It is quite versatile and can range from a light bluesy Overdrive to almost metal territory. It has a beautiful smooth Overdrive when set the right way but you can also get a lovely crunch and some grittier distortion out of it when combined with the AC30 cranked. The only place I find it lacking is when used as a booster, it's not quite as transparent as I would like, but I have an SD-1 which does that quite nicely anyway. It seems to have a god buffer and does not suck tone. It is relatively noise free unless you have the gain and level turned up a lot. // 8

Reliability & Durability: It's Boss, so yes you can depend on it, it's not going to let you down and can withstand the pressures of gigging. I've not had it long but you can tell that it's not going to break any time soon. I use it with a Roland daisy chain but even with the daisy chain I reccomend using a battery aswell in a gig situation in case your daisy chain gets disconnected somehow. // 9

Impression: I play a lot of styles from soft rock to metal and everything in between. I generally use this pedal for my creamier tones but it can do metal when it wants to. I've been playing for close to 5 years now and I've had plenty of OD and distortion pedals ands this is certainly my favourite for creamy bluesy tones. If it was stolen I'd probably buy it again except this time I'd get it in America because we get ripped off on Boss products here in Ireland. When I bought it, I compared it to a Zakk Wylde Overdrive, a TS9, a Proco Rat and a DigiTech Bad Monkey. This was by far my favourite. // 9

overall: 9

Reviewed by: Pillsburry, on july 31, 2008

Price paid: $ 79.99

Purchased from: Musicians Freind

Ease of Use: This pedal did come with a helpful menu which offered some very helpful hints and clues on how to get a good sound out of the pedal. Without the manual, it is a bit difficult to establish a good sound for your overall tone. I more or less think that this is a pretty good pedal when it comes to ease of use, but if you loose the manual, you may find it a little more difficult than I explained. // 8

Sound: This pedal is good for getting a true overdriven tube sound out of. As I had said before, this pedal is a bit difficult to establish an overall sound with, which is why I like to turn down the gain knob and turn up the volume knob to get a booster pedal for solos. The Boss BD-2 is one of the best single Overdrive pedals out there when it comes to taking an already driven amp a bit further. As far as the sound goes, it sounds authentic and real. While I wouldn’t recommend it to players Who are craving a metal sound, I would defiantly recommend it to somebody Who wants to play around with something like The Allman Brothers, Albert King, and Eric Clapton. It fits the traditional blues style, but boasting a hard rock sound is pushing it. This pedal gets noisy when you bring the gain knob past the 3 quarter mark (keep in mind, I am using a single coil guitar with this thing). // 9

Reliability & Durability: It's a Boss. Boss has been known to make extremly reliable, well made pedals. I have giged with this pedal, and I had no problems with this pedal once in the 2 years of owning it. This is not a battery eater, and I am happy for that. No backup needed, period. // 10

Impression: The Boss BD-2 is great if you are looking for an early '60s blues sound. It is also recommended to people looking for a pedal for a solo boost. However, if you play hard rock or any heavy metal, this is a pedal to stay away from. Only recommended to blues players, but that is saying a lot. Comparing this pedal with others, I would say that this is the second best pedal of its type. If you have the money, I would recommend getting the Ibanez Tube Screamer. While The Boss BD-2 isn't as good, it is still second best. // 9

overall: 9.5

Reviewed by: masterp666, on june 30, 2008

Price paid: $ 55

Purchased from: GC

Ease of Use: This pedal is easy as hell to use. I tried it out at the effects podium that Guitar center has, where it was connected to some crappy amp and I wasn't too sure. But after all I had heard about it I thought I'd give it a whirl. so I came home and plugged it into my Marshall solid state and it is fantastic. you have to play around with the knobs a bit, as everyone says. I didn't even bother looking at the given presets, cos those are really never useful. // 10

Sound: At the moment I'm playing a Gibson Les Paul Studio through a MGseries50DFX Marshall solid state amp.The only time I get noise from it is if the gain is turned all the way up, but if you're buying this pedal just to turn the gain all the way up, you're buying the wrong pedal. I kept the tone halfway so I can adjust it from my guitar, which I personally prefer, and have a semi low level and just over half gain and I get this biting edgy blues sound that growls or purrs as I please. It's very very awesome, because it responds to the strength of your picking. if you Pick softly it merely purrs at you, and when you attack the strings harder, you think a particularly musical tiger has just entered your room. I haven't been trying to emulate anyone since I got this, but I can tell already that it will be useful for a plethora of artists from the 60s and 70s. It works a treat with delay and reverb, not so much chorus and distortion. But that touch of reverb and delay makes all the difference. // 9

Reliability & Durability: It is solid. I would use this to shield me from a nuclear bomb, confident that no damage would come to it. well clearly not that far, but if I dropped it or something my first reaction would be have I damaged the floor rather than have I damaged the pedal. very durable. I would use it on a gig without backup anytime. I don't know why you would have back up pedals for a gig to be fair, but there you are. // 10

Impression: I play blues, 60s/70s/80s/90s rock, all kinds of metal, classical; basically most genres. this is perfect for those 60s blues and 70s classic rock. this is especially true for beck and john mayall clapton. I've been trying to get some of the clapton sound from the bluesbreakers album, and this pedal makes it possible. I've been playing for 5 years, but I don't own that much really. I'm pretty much a purist, preferring to get what tones I could from my amp and guitar. but then I heard my friend play this and I was like 'that's what's missing!' fantastic. So as of now, I own this pedal and Original Crybaby. and of course the two complement each other to infinity. If it were stolen I would definitely buy it again. I love the fact that it does exactly what it says on the box. it drives you to blues. and not just that, it drives you to blues heaven. it's fantastic. don't go trying to play metal on this, but why would you? that would just be silly. I compared this to the tubescreamer, and liked this one much more. the only thing I wish is that it didn't sound as silly as it does with gain all the way up. but then again, I'm not using it that high, so I guess it doesn't matter. The point was to get something to help my LP sound even better, and I think I accomplished that with this pedal. buy one today! // 9

overall: 10

Reviewed by: Will B-R, on august 01, 2005

Ease of Use: // 10

Sound: Works great for as a booster for solos and it's pretty much noiseless. I use it mainly with a StringRay Lead 65 Carlsbro and it sounds pretty damn cool. You get two really distinctive tones from this, smooth full Overdrive and crunch sharp Overdrive. The smooth it more for the older blues stuff while the crunchy Overdrive sounds amazing with a bit of White Stripes. But also if you're in need of some distortion just turn gain to the max and you're rocking. Try it out and check out the audio demos on the Boss site, I found them to be fairly accurate. // 10

Reliability & Durability: // 10

Impression: Sounds amazing, looks great, built like a tank. I'd replace it in a split second if it was lost. All it needs is an octave pedal built in although that's not blues but who cares it would rock. // 10

Reviewed by: unregistered, on june 23, 2005

Price paid: $ 118.5

Ease of Use: I was surprised there is no review for this pedal, even though it's fairly popular. As for ease of use, it is fairly simple to controll since there are only 3 knobs - level, tone and gain (where gain is the one that makes the most notable difference in amount of distortion). I've never touched the manual, don't think you will need to either. // 10

Sound: I had a chance to test it out and compare to other pedals at the store using 30W Fender and Fender Fat Strat (homebucking). No notable (or considerable) noise which would interfere with your music playing at all. The sound is very rich, and was better than OD-2 and DS-2; by better I mean it has fuller tone, thicker, crunchier and delivered that old-school sound (though for real old-school jam I would need Les Paul). I was looking for, at the same time it could deliver just as much distortion as DS-2 and more than OD-2. // 10

Reliability & Durability: 5 year warranty, standard to Boss, its all metal (means strong), the only backup I would use is battaries during gig since adaptors are extra wires and that's no good. // 10

Impression: This pedal delivers one of the best distortion effects specific to ost of '70s rock and roll bands, however it is missing an option to crank it up to that dirty rough Grunge fuzz DS-2 has. However, OD-2 will not do the trick for anything before '90s, while all the OD models just don't sound interesting, you can basicly get that effect on your amp, or even better. If it was stolen I would definetly reach for baseball bat and get it back. All of that aside, two drawbacks to mention are lack of "turbo" option to switch couple years ahead and it being made in Taiwan like most of Boss pedals nowdays (they were manufactured in Japan earlier and produced better sound), but then you get what you pay for, and this pedal is fairly priced. // 8

Comments

[sheratonplyr369]

I love my BD-2! It may take awhile, but I can get great distortion out of it. Definately buy this if you're looking for a good all around distortion

[blicero]

Decent basic pedal. BUT, mod it and it becomes much more.

[TNfootballfan62]

^^^I agree with him. Stock, it was nice through my solid state amp, but took away from my tube amps tone a bit. Modded, though, it becomes great.

[dimebag7]

how do you mod it?

[steamin']

duno bout metal mate, but yea its name pretty much tells you what its good for

[HmTownHero1007]

its a goodpedal, but with another overdrive (example Boss OD-1) to function as a solo boost, it just totally kills.

[purplehazeman67]

i like this pedal cuz it has a blues distorition in that the harder you hit the strings the harder the sound gets. i have to say i own this pedal and its not a bad buy.

[rastaman_Marley]

i love my BD-2 as i can get closer to that hendrix i always dream of, but does anyone hear a difference in sound when you play with the pedal off compared to when you play without the pedal at all?

[CorkHunter]

tried one today, this is compulsory if u wanna play blues

[darkiii]

bought one a couple a days ago, and im im love with it
has a great sound, that you can change puting more distortion, making it hard, or more soft with less distortion and less tone. but still, whatever configurations you put, he mantains that caracteristic sound... really nice

[cheeseisthebomb]

This thing is the best blues pedal around.

[pawnluv]

my only complaint is how it handles palm muting, kinda muffled

[delaqua]

i own this & used on lots of guitars(even my acoustic) & it works & sounds good for being a digitally driven pedal...the only problem is that the pots dont make too much of a distinctive difference when you adjust your settings...one of the great pedals by BOSS to try is their new Fender '59 BASSMAN w/COSM powered digital modeling..

[kop4]

dont let the "blues driver" name confuse u, I can easily play harder rock on it, like ratm.

The effect owns!!

[jamescc]

cheeseisthebomb said that you should get a delay as well...i just bought a DD3 and i can get some good blues tones from that and im looking for something like this to make it perfect....does anybody play through both and if so does it sound good??

[A Poe]

How does this compare with the Tube screamers fellas?

[cheeseisthebomb]

A Poe wrote:

How does this compare with the Tube screamers fellas?

The Tube Screamers are a little bit better. This pedal is the next best thing.

[oxJDxo]

Robertkeeley.com has it modded

[lefthandman9876]

this pedal is dissapointing, im gonna get a vox over the top boost and sell my bd2

[tom_martin_123]

i think the digitech screaming blues id better...

[bossboy]

i dont think sum ppl know how 2 use these aye
just beacause its a blues driver dont mean it will make u play blues good. they are fantastic pedals

[bossboy]

dont***

[T.Rextacy]

i wonder how this would sound with my ts9 and tube amp?

[TrippyLantern]

Interesting effect, couple this with a tube screaming (I use TS9). put one effect on low gain and tone, and the other on high.

[MasterExploder0]

Which pedal would be better for getting a classic rock or even a good hard rock sound? TS9 or this?

[Hey_Bulldog]

My BD-2 is possibly my favorite of my Boss pedals because of its wide range. You can use it as a booster of both clean and distortion or it has a wide range of overdrive and can be made to sound anything like the Beatles' distortion to Jimi's

[Serjem]

isnt this the 2nd time in like a month for this review to see the light of the 1st page...

however seems like a good pedal. might buy it since boss overdrive and distortion are a bit harsh for the blues.

[alex g 38]

I love the dirty, crunchy sound this pedal gives. It's great for so many different types of music: Blues (obviously), classic rock, Punk, and grunge. I always use this pedal when I'm playing any grunge like mudhoney or nirvana, or hard rock like GNR and wolfmother. Such a great pedal.

[travs2448]

Will this give me that slight hard rock crunch. My fender tube amp's clean channel is "Fender Clean" those who dont know what fender clean is its the cleanest of the clean. i like it, i also have a pre amp channel which is to heavy. so will this pedel give me the edge i want if i use it with my clean channel?

[Mr. Tomnus]

hey, does anyone know how this would handle stuff like velvet revolver? i play in a band where the sound is almost exactly halfway between zakk wylde's pride and glory, VR, and hendrix. would this be the pedal for me? or should i look into something like the super overdrive or other distortion pedals?

[guitarNbass]

here's the deal with this pedal. It sounds like shit, unless you are turned up a decent amount. that's how it is on a tube amp atleast. on my ac30, I was getting some pretty eric johnson esque tones with it cranked with the tone at about 10 o'clock. It's a good pedal, but only when your turned up. it has a great volume boost. I'd still rather have the modded version of this pedal or a tubescreamer anyday. but the modded version of this pedal with the fat switch is SO win.