Guitar Pedals · owner-verdict comparison

Boss DS-1 vs Walrus Audio Slo: what real owners say

Real owners lean toward the Walrus Audio Slo: 88% of 307 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 →

Walrus Audio Slo

88%of 307 owners recommend
88% recommend · 8% neutral · 4% don't
Owners praise
  • Lush, dreamy ambient reverb tones
  • Infinite sustain/latch footswitch for drones and pads
  • Favorite Dream mode beloved by owners
Owners complain about
  • Learning curve to dial in the sounds
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 Walrus Audio Slo if
  • ✓Ambient and shoegaze players wanting lush, dreamy reverb
  • ✓Players who want infinite sustain and latching drones
  • ✓Guitarists wanting deep ambience in little board space
  • ✓Synth users layering pads and textures
Skip it if
  • Players wanting standard spring, hall, or plate reverb
  • Thrash and metal players with no live use for ambience

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 Walrus Audio Slo owners say

“Yes this is the looking out the car window being sad sound I needed”
— @coolrecorderguy4206 on YouTube
“Oh god my wallet”
— @UncoolOcean on YouTube
“Walrus audio slo, I love the art but it's just another shitty Fv-1 reverb with uninteresting algorithms.”
— tails_the_gay_fox on Reddit

Boss DS-1 vs Walrus Audio Slo: frequently asked questions

Is the Boss DS-1 or the Walrus Audio Slo better?

Real owners lean toward the Walrus Audio Slo: 88% of 307 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 Walrus Audio Slo?

Owners point the Walrus Audio Slo at ambient and shoegaze players wanting lush, dreamy reverb, and players who want infinite sustain and latching drones.

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 Walrus Audio Slo, it's learning curve to dial in the sounds.