Here for sale we have a vintage BOSS OD-1 OverDrive pedal, made in Japan in 1981. The BOSS OD-1 was originally released in 1977 and was one of the very first 'Compact' pedals using the form factor we all recognise today. The BOSS OD-1 was in fact the very first pedal to be named & marketed as an 'Overdrive', and unlike other similar pedals of the era, actually interacted with the amplifier to push tubes into saturation & producing the 'soft-clipping' that became industry standard for overdrive pedals that came later. The BOSS OD-1 received several minor updates during its production, mainly focussed on the Op-Amp chip which was updated several time before the pedal was discontinued in 1985, and replaced by the OD-2 Turbo OverDrive.
The serial number of this pedal (190500) indicates that it was produced in April 1981, and contains the highly desirable 'Glossy' JRC4558D chip. The chip carries the date code '1478'. Whilst later Japan Radio Company (JRC) moved to a YYWW format, earlier chips such as this one used a YBBB format, where the first digit indicates the year of production (1981) & 478 is a batch code from the production cycle. The glossy appearance of the chip also indicates it's manufacture in the early '80s, as BOSS moved to modern matte-finish polymers later in the decade. Widely regarded as the best sounding Op-Amp OD chip, the JRC4558D chip is also found in early examples of the Ibanez TS808 & TS9 pedals and is known to produce a smooth warm top-end roll off & thick midrange push.
Other indicating factors that date this pedal to 1981 include the short dash in 'OD-1'. Earlier examples would have a noticeably longer dash, with the transition to the shorter dash starting in '81. Additionally, the presence of a black thumb screw that seals the battery compartment, rather than the earlier 'silver screw' found on earlier examples. In a similar vein, the rubber grommet that the thumb screw enters is black on this example- also indicating that this pedal must have been produced in '81 or later after boss moved away from the white or clear grommets used in earlier examples.
An exciting chance to own a genuinely important & groundbreaking piece of guitar pedal technology, with the most desirable chip that the OD-1 ever shipped with, in fully original condition.
Please be aware that for international buyers import fees are not included in our postage and packaging cost, this only covers the cost of the guitar being sent to you. Import fees will be charged by Customs upon the guitar's arrival in the recipient country. Due to Brexit, this also applies to EU buyers. We advise checking the total import cost with Customs as this is not information we are able to accurately provide.