BOSS DS-1 Distortion Guitar Effect Pedal

The DS-1 is BOSS's best-selling compact pedal of all time, and it's original, unaltered design continues to inspire players to create great music all across the globe. The classic DS-1 tone is the distinct sound behind many of rock's biggest icons, and is ready to fuel your own signature tone today.

• Legendary distortion used by guitarists everywhere since 1978
• Classic tones for all types of music
• Hard-edged attack remains clear even at maximum distortion settings, ideal for heavy rhythms and cutting solos
• Works great as a booster at low distortion settings
• Unique tone control offers a wide range of sound shaping
• Doesn’t mask the unique sound characteristics of different guitars, pickups, and styles
• Turning down the guitar’s volume cleans up the tone without introducing muddiness

Genre-Defining Distortion

Before the DS-1, many distortion pedals resulted in a harsh buzz and muddy lows at higher gain settings. In 1978, BOSS engineers developed a new, unique distortion circuit that produced tight, sharp-edged gain with rich overtones while retaining the fundamental character of different guitars and playing styles, and that became the beloved DS-1. During the '70s and 80's, hard rock, metal and punk flourished, and the DS-1's sound was a critical influence on those genres. A trend which has stood the test of time for generations, as players all over the globe continue to chase the iconic DS-1 sound.

Gain from Mild to Heavy

An impressive range of sounds can be pulled from the DS-1's humble three-knob control interface. It's groundbreaking two-stage circuit utilizes both transistor and op-amp gain stages. This approach is key to the DS-1's signature low end richness, beloved by guitarists in the heavy music world. The distortion control offers a incredibly wide range, from a slight boost for pushing amps and pedals to all-out distortion for monstrous rock riffs.

Powerful Tone Shaping

Unlike conventional tone controls that only cut treble, the DS-1's tone circuitry features an innovative design that provides a far wider range. Turning the knob clockwise boosts treble and cuts bass. Turning it counter-clockwise does the opposite. Go from tight, piercing rhythm tones to smooth, thick lead voicings. The tone control is especially effective at maintaining low-end articulation while using the DS-1 as a boost before vintage-style amps, which often sound muddy when pushed by other distortion stompboxes.

• Controls
  • Pedal switch
  • TONE knob
  • LEVEL knob
  • DIST knob
• Connectors
  • INPUT jack: 1/4-inch phone type
  • OUTPUT jack: 1/4-inch phone type
  • DC IN jack
• Power Supply
  • 9V DC battery
  • AC adaptor (9V DC, center negative)
• Current Draw: 10mA
• Dimensions
  • 129mm (D) x 73mm (W) x 59mm (H)
  • 360g