Guitar Pedals · owner-verdict comparison

Boss DS-1 vs MXR Carbon Copy: what real owners say

Real owners lean toward the MXR Carbon Copy: 71% of 31 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 →

MXR Carbon Copy

71%of 31 owners recommend

71% recommend · 13% neutral · 16% don't

Owners praise

Warm, natural-sounding analog delay tone that owners rank among the best analog delays available
Long-term reliability and loyalty, owners keep it for a decade or more, tour heavily with it, and keep returning to it after trying other delays
Underwhelming compared to alternatives for a minority of owners, some felt it didn't outperform other delays (like the analog settings on an FB/FB4) and ended up returning or replacing it

Owners complain about

Underwhelming compared to alternatives for a minority of owners, some felt it didn't outperform other delays (like the analog settings on an FB/FB4) and ended up returning or replacing it

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 MXR Carbon Copy if

✓Players wanting warm, natural analog delay
✓Guitarists after slapback and short echo settings
✓Ambient players needing swells that preserve the dry signal
✓Beginners who want simple, hands-on controls

Skip it if

Players needing versatility beyond one analog sound
Those wanting very long delay times

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 MXR Carbon Copy owners say

“Easily my favourite delay pedal!”
— @thejosebatista on YouTube

“Love the CarbonCopy.”
— @northof50now on YouTube

“j'ai acheté cet effet c'est loin d'être ça !”
— @francoisb4830 on YouTube

Boss DS-1 vs MXR Carbon Copy: frequently asked questions

Is the Boss DS-1 or the MXR Carbon Copy better?

Real owners lean toward the MXR Carbon Copy: 71% of 31 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 MXR Carbon Copy?

Owners point the MXR Carbon Copy at players wanting warm, natural analog delay, and guitarists after slapback and short echo settings.

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 MXR Carbon Copy, it's underwhelming compared to alternatives for a minority of owners, some felt it didn't outperform other delays (like the analog settings on an FB/FB4) and ended up returning or replacing it.