Boss OD-3 vs OD-1x Comparison and Review | Analog vs Digital

This is a comparison and review of the Boss OD-3 and the Boss OD-1x. Let me know in the comments which is your favourite. This is just my own opinion and personal experience with using both of these pedals. Hopefully it might help you decide which one is best for you.

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Boss OD-3 - https://amzn.to/3vyYoQX
Boss OD-1X - https://amzn.to/3nDX0K8

Timecodes:
00:00 - Intro
00:18 - Power Chord Riffs
00:46 - Blues Rock Riffs
01:39 - Low Gain Sounds
02:49 - Mid Gain Sounds
03:51 - High Gain Sounds
04:48 - Tone Controls
06:24 - Into an Overdriven Amp
07:43 - Summary

I really like the deep lows and bright clear highs on the OD-1x for things like hard rock and grunge style power chord riffs. But you want a more 60’s/70’s overdrive sound, I think the OD-3 fits that a little better without having the high end distorted bite to the sound all the time that the OD-1x can have.

When set with the drive all the way down I like to think of the cleaner slightly scooped sound of the OD-1x a bit like a clean fender amp sound and the dirtier more mid focused sound of the OD-3 a little more toward a vintage british amp sound like an old marshall. I'm already playing through a clean Fender Deluxe Reverb amp but the OD-1x seems to emphasise that character.

With the drive higher up, I hear the OD-1x as having a bright but compressed top end while the OD-3 has a high end resonance at a lower frequency which makes it sound 'throatier' and with less compression, more dynamic as well.

With the drive all the way up the OD-1x has more drive and with slightly mid scooped EQ, it lends itself to styles with higher gain where you might want to use palm muted chords or pinch harmonics where the OD-3 leans more toward a vintage blues tone.

Both pedals work fine into an already driven amp but because of the fairly wide frequency response both pedals have, depending on your setup, I find low notes can sometimes sound muddy and high notes can sometimes sound harsh. It all depends on your setup but generally I often prefer a more mid focused pedal like the SD-1 or a tubescreamer for going into a dirty amp because it seems to focus the sound and help you stand out in the mix a bit more easily

If you want a more classic vintage overdrive sound then I would recommend the OD-3. But if you’re after something a little bit more modern, that sounds deeper and has extra top end bite then you might prefer the OD-1x.