OVERDRIVE- BOSS DS-1 ....it still hangs on after 30 years

BOSS DS-1 DISTORTION

This was a break through pedal when it came out in 1978. 

The first pedal with serious amp like tone. Everyone else was
still only offering their Fuzz boxes.

So many players used them that we often have made the mistake of
judging a Marshall sound with this pedal included in that sound.
But we did not know that when we heard those records.
For example listen to the PAL 800 JCM 800 box. It sounds nothing like
any other JCM800...because the vast majority of other makers added a DS-1 into the sound! Do not get me wrong ...those pedals can sound amazing. But
it is good to have the real deal like the PAL800.

Surprisingly the DS-1 still  sounds impressive. At $50.00 USD

what can you get that is better????

After 30 plus years there are a hundreds of used ones, Some as cheap
as $20.00 USD.

The new Ltd. Ed.
30th anniversary model.

The Boss DS-1 started life as a near Metal type box. So ...it is fascinating to find a Timmy with the rep as a 'the' transparent pedal being based off of a the same 4558 opamp chip.

I confess I quite like the Boss when used as a medium gain pedal.
Just keep the gain at around 9 o'clock and you get a nicely voiced really contemporary  medium gain OD.