The Boss BD-2 Blues Driver is a modern classic pedal that enhances and sculpts your tone based on your playing style. It has been a mainstay on many pedalboards and is favored by artists such as Prince, Paul Weller, and Tom Morello. The BD-2 is known for its dynamic response and versatility, allowing it to range from a touch-sensitive transparent boost to a fuzzed out bluesy drive at high gain. It adapts to your playing and can suit a variety of genres.
The Boss BD-2 Blues Driver was released in 1995 and is a relative latecomer to the Boss overdrive family. It is an evolution of the OD-2 circuit and has a clever design that sets it apart from other overdrives. One design feature is the “fixed tone stack” network, which boosts the mids and bass while limiting the treble, giving the Blues Driver its distinctive character and tone. It also has a boost stage with an op-amp that provides transparency and dynamic response. The BD-2 has a flat to slightly scooped mid-range and sounds similar to silverface amp breakup but can get fuzzier at higher gain settings.
The BD-2 and the OD-3 are different enough to warrant owning both. The OD-3 has a decent amount of bass and a fairly flat midrange, and can be smooth or crunchy depending on the settings. The BD-2, on the other hand, offers classic “blues” guitar tones with tube amp simulation and warm distortion and overdrive. It responds to nuance and volume changes, making it ideal for gigging musicians. The pedal has a basic three-knob layout that is easy to use and can be powered by either an AC adaptor or a 9V battery.
Specifications:
– Nominal Input Level: -20 dBu
– Input Impedance: 1 M ohms
– Nominal Output Level: -20 dBu
– Output Impedance: 1 k ohms
– Equivalent Input Noise Level: -118 dBu (IHF-A Typ.)
– Connectors: INPUT Jack OUTPUT Jack AC Adaptor Jack (DC 9 V)
– Power Supply: DC 9 V: Dry Battery 9 V type (6F22/9 V) AC Adaptor 9 mA (DC 9 V)
– 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 (incl. battery): 0.4 kg 0 lbs. 15 oz.
