BD-2 Blues Driver

Name: BD-2 Blues Driver
Brand: Boss
Availability: OnlineOnly

Overdrive

The amp-in-a-box that won over John Mayer and Prince - creamy breakup since 1995.

Debuting in 1995, the BD-2 was designed by Boss engineer Yoshi Ikegami to capture the feel of a cranked tube amp breaking up. It quickly became one of their most popular overdrives, rivaling the SD-1 and Tube Screamer for pedalboard real estate.

Unlike most overdrives that use op-amp clipping, the BD-2 employs a discrete FET-based gain stage. This gives it an unusually dynamic, touch-sensitive response: play softly and it cleans up, dig in and it crunches. The gain range stretches from barely-there grit to surprisingly aggressive drive, covering more territory than most single-knob designs.

Level, Tone, and Gain keep things simple. The Tone knob is particularly effective, sweeping from warm and round to bright and cutting without ever getting harsh. At 13mA it sips power.

John Mayer leaned on the BD-2 during his Trio era for raw blues crunch. Prince kept one on his board for everything from clean sparkle to pushed leads. It's one of those pedals that just works with almost any amp.

Used By

John Mayer — Uses Boss BD-2 Blues Driver as part of his multi-overdrive pedalboard setup

Prince — Used Boss BD-2 Blues Driver on pedalboard around 2012 alongside DS-2 Turbo Distortion

Demo Videos

Specifications

Power9V DC

Current Draw13mA

Polaritycenter-negative

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Boss

BD-2 Blues Driver

Overdrive

The amp-in-a-box that won over John Mayer and Prince - creamy breakup since 1995.

Level, Tone, and Gain keep things simple. The Tone knob is particularly effective, sweeping from warm and round to bright and cutting without ever getting harsh. At 13mA it sips power.