Guitar Pedals · owner-verdict comparison

Boss DS-1 vs Electro-Harmonix Soul Food: what real owners say

Real owners lean toward the Electro-Harmonix Soul Food: 72% of 61 owners recommend it, vs 33% of 57 for the Boss DS-1.

Verdicts aggregated from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube owner comments — affiliate reviews excluded. Sample sizes differ; judge accordingly. How we score

Boss DS-1

33%of 57 owners recommend
33% recommend · 34% neutral · 33% don't
Owners praise
  • Considered a genuine classic and a great first pedal, cheap, plentiful on the used market, and still recommended to beginners decades after release
  • Owners keep it on their board for years or decades, calling it their reliable go-to distortion they never got rid of
  • Shines when pushing an already-cranked or breaking-up amp (Marshalls, tweed Fenders, a JCM800 with a 4x12), turning a driven tone huge
Owners complain about
  • EQ is criticized as too scooped, cutting bass and sounding thin, nasal, or fizzy rather than full
  • A vocal minority just never got along with it, calling it scratchy, one-note, or a one-trick pony and switching to a Pro Co Rat or similar instead
  • Weak or harsh played alone into a clean signal; owners say it needs an overdrive boost in front or an already-driven amp to sound good
Full owner report →

Electro-Harmonix Soul Food

72%of 61 owners recommend
72% recommend · 15% neutral · 13% don't
Owners praise
  • Widely trusted as an always-on clean boost and gain stage
  • Stacks well in front of tube screamers, SD-1s, OCDs and fuzzes, adding definition instead of mud
  • Loud, with a drive range owners find musical and easy to keep subtle
Owners complain about
  • A mid-forward color, described as honk or boxiness, that fights the amp's own voice and thins single coils as the drive comes up
  • Divisive as a standalone overdrive, with several owners using it only as a boost or taking it off the board
  • Hardware gripes vary unit to unit: hiss, a loud pop on switching, and one that would not pass signal in bypass
Full owner report →

Which should you buy?

Get the Boss DS-1 if
  • ✓Players pushing a cranked or edge-of-breakup tube amp
  • ✓Guitarists stacking it to boost other pedals
  • ✓Lead players wanting an aggressive, cutting distortion
  • ✓Beginners after an affordable, iconic first pedal
Skip it if
  • People expecting great tone straight into a clean amp
  • Solid-state amp users
Get the Electro-Harmonix Soul Food if
  • ✓Players who want an always-on gain stage sitting under their main drive
  • ✓Anyone stacking overdrives or fuzzes and looking for a lead push with more definition
  • ✓Blues rock and humbucker players who want subtle grit that roars when the drive is cranked
  • ✓First klon-style pedal for someone curious about the circuit without boutique money
Skip it if
  • Players who want a boost that leaves the amp's midrange untouched
  • Single-coil strat players who need the low end intact at higher drive settings

What Boss DS-1 owners say

“It’s a classic”
— @regortex3364 on YouTube
“Best DS1 tone”
— @bigdog517 on YouTube
“The issue is the tone control.”
— @corbinsmith6777 on YouTube

What Electro-Harmonix Soul Food owners say

“This pedal really shines when you stack it with something like a tube screamer or OCD. It produces this super “chewy” (best way I can describe it) sound that I love. Great pedal”
— BackcountryAZ on Reddit
“It’s a great pedal especially for that price. Nice lead boost tone.”
— DuckDouble2690 on Reddit
“Sounds great but I could not tame the loud click it made turning on and off. Tried a bunch of recommendations but nothing worked.”
— Shirtarm on Reddit

Boss DS-1 vs Electro-Harmonix Soul Food: frequently asked questions

Is the Boss DS-1 or the Electro-Harmonix Soul Food better?

Real owners lean toward the Electro-Harmonix Soul Food: 72% of 61 owners recommend it, vs 33% of 57 for the Boss DS-1.

Who should get the Boss DS-1?

Owners point the Boss DS-1 at players pushing a cranked or edge-of-breakup tube amp, and guitarists stacking it to boost other pedals.

Who should get the Electro-Harmonix Soul Food?

Owners point the Electro-Harmonix Soul Food at players who want an always-on gain stage sitting under their main drive, and anyone stacking overdrives or fuzzes and looking for a lead push with more definition.

What do owners complain about?

The most-cited downside of the Boss DS-1 is eQ is criticized as too scooped, cutting bass and sounding thin, nasal, or fizzy rather than full. For the Electro-Harmonix Soul Food, it's a mid-forward color, described as honk or boxiness, that fights the amp's own voice and thins single coils as the drive comes up.