ShortScale.org

Got this BD-2 for $29 at the local pawn shop. Looks brand new. Good find. Nice as a boost with another overdrive or overdriven amp or as a crunch pedal.


Pawnshop find with Ashley yesterday. Looks new and only $30! by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

I remember these well, they were one of Boss's flagship pedals back in the day but people would buy them to use with solid-state amps and go "wtf this thing sucks", bit like people do with tubescreamers.

New ones go for NINTEY FUUUHHHCKIN BUCKS. That's ridiculous. I didn't even know they still made them.

Had one a long time ago and used it A LOT.

I had one of those at one point (it belongs to someone else on these boards now). I'm not sure how similar the circuits are, but it sounds fairly similar to the OD-3 I use now. Overall though I find the OD-3 to be smoother and with more sustain. The main problem I had with the BD is the splatty decay, but at low gain settings you lose the crackle and fizz, and it gives a nice volume kick with a bit of grit around the edges to liven up your sound.

They're not the best OD around, but they're pretty useful and worth picking up if you find them at this sort of price. Nice find!

Concretebadger wrote:The main problem I had with the BD is the splatty decay

+1

I HATE That.

good pedal otherwise.

I really like the BD2. I think it sounds good with both solid state and valve amps.

Mike wrote:

Concretebadger wrote:The main problem I had with the BD is the splatty decay

+1

I HATE That.

good pedal otherwise.

The Marshall Jackhammer is much the same; great tones on the low/mid side, but higher gains result in crappy decay and palm muting. Both one of those pedals that benefit from stacking with another.

Great deal on a decent drive pedal, no matter how you slice it.



On a related note: I rarely toot the Moollon horn, but the Saggitarius Overdrive + Boost inherited a lot of the BD-2's picking dynamics and general drive tone. Fortunately Mr. Park was able to do away with the crumbly decay, added a more useful tone knob, and gave the thing an extra gain channel (same gain structure as primary) plus a post-gain clean boost. When maxing the gain on both sides and playing a strat or tele through decent mid-gain amp you can easily get those screaming Rory Gallagher lead tones.