Boss DS-1 Distortion

This review is for the Boss DS-1, which is probably one of the cheapest distortion pedals available at about $50.00 a throw.   It's the best selling distortion pedal of all time.   The pedal offers a mid-scooped fairly high gain distortion with a lot of sizzly high end.   Although it's not the greatest sounding pedal, it's still a good deal for the price and when the tone knob is turned down between 9:00 to 10:00, it produces a fairly decent overall sound.   It can sound pretty thin and buzzy with the tone knob turned above that, and of course the tone coming from your guitar and the tone of your amp are contributing factors in the overall sound you get. 
   One way to get a better sound out of this pedal is to place a Boss SD-1 in front of it and with the tone knobs properly adjusted and the gain on both pedals around noon, run both pedals simultaneously.   That way you have the two pedals on their own, plus the two combined, in addition to your clean tone.  
     There are many mods available online for this pedal, all sorts of variations on the basic circuit for the guitarists who aren't satisfied with the stock sounds of this pedal.   If you want to spend a little bit more than $50.00, you can also look for a vintage DS-1 made in Japan, the Japanese version supposedly being a little warmer and better sounding than the pedals from Taiwan.   In any case, whatever option you choose, this pedal is probably worth a shot if you want to add an old classic to your well-rounded pedal collection, or just need an inexpensive higher gain pedal for your rig.