The Boss DS-2 Turbo Distortion is a Boss distortion pedal, currently around $85.48. Close alternatives include the MXR M104 Distortion+ and the Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer. It pairs well with the Fender 'Black Panel' Twin Reverb (1963-1967) and the Friedman Dirty Shirley.
Boss DS-2 Turbo Distortion
Boss · pedal
The Boss DS-2 Turbo Distortion is a two-mode distortion pedal providing two distinct high-gain characters via a Turbo switch. Turbo I delivers a warmer, mellower distortion with a flat frequency response and smooth saturation. Turbo II engages a biting, midrange-boosted distortion character ideal for lead playing that cuts through a band mix. Covers the range from classic rock chords through 1980s-era distortion to heavier lead tones. Associated with the tones of Nirvana, RHCP, and Wolfmother. A significant evolution beyond the standard DS-1 in terms of voicing flexibility and gain depth.
- distortion
- warm
- lead
- saturation
- smooth
- rhythm
- grunge
- biting
Price updated Aug 27, 2026
Genres the Boss DS-2 Turbo Distortion is commonly used in
- Classic Rock
- Punk
- Alternative Rock
- Grunge
- Metal
- Hard Rock
Amps that pair well with the Boss DS-2 Turbo Distortion
Fender 'Black Panel' Twin Reverb (1963-1967)
Fender
43% match“I use this on the clean channel with a Vox guitar with a boss ds-2 for higher gain”
Friedman Dirty Shirley
Friedman
33% matchInto the Dirty Shirley's vintage, British crunch, the DS-2's warm, smooth lead saturation has a genuinely raw amp voice to push into.
Blackstar St. James 100
Blackstar
30% matchThe St. James' clean headroom gives the DS-2's biting midrange distortion room to be smooth instead of harsh at gig volume.
Blackstar St. James 50 6L6 Head
Blackstar
22% matchStack Boss DS-2 Turbo Distortion on top and a scooped tone tightens toward mid-forward
Pignose 7-100
amplifier
21% matchFeed a crunchy signal into Boss DS-2 Turbo Distortion and it comes out closer to mid-forward
Supro 1642RT Titan
Supro
20% matchWhat Boss DS-2 Turbo Distortion brings here leans toward warm — that's worth building a pairing around
Soldano Astro-20 Combo
Soldano
20% matchBoss DS-2 Turbo Distortion pushes a crunchy tone toward mid-forward
Soldano Astro-20 Open Back Half Stack 3-Channel 20W
Soldano
19% matchStack Boss DS-2 Turbo Distortion on top and a crunchy tone tightens toward mid-forward
See all 9 amps that pair with the Boss DS-2 Turbo Distortion →
Pedals that stack with the Boss DS-2 Turbo Distortion
Greer Black Mountain
Greer
30% matchBoth lean stoner and doom — stack the Black Mountain's warm fuzz-leaning gain with the DS-2's biting distortion for a heavier rhythm tone.
Fjord Fuzz Odin
Fjord Fuzz
30% matchStack the Odin's weighty doom fuzz after the DS-2's biting distortion for a thicker, heavier wall of gain.
Electro-Harmonix Nano Big Muff Pi
Electro-Harmonix
28% matchStack Boss DS-2 Turbo Distortion on top and a scooped tone tightens toward mid-forward
MXR Phase 90
MXR
26% matchRun the Phase 90's classic sweep after the DS-2's warm lead saturation and the modulation has real body to color.
Death By Audio Fuzz War
Death By Audio
24% matchBoss DS-2 Turbo Distortion takes that scooped character and pushes it toward mid-forward
Mooer Micro Preamp 014 Taxidea Taxus
Mooer
20% matchStack Boss DS-2 Turbo Distortion on top and a crunchy tone tightens toward mid-forward
Crazy Tube Circuits Golden Ratio
Crazy Tube Circuits
18% matchEven out your attack with the Golden Ratio's optical compression before the DS-2's biting, midrange-heavy distortion piles on.
Dawner Prince Boonar
Dawner Prince
14% matchKeep the Boonar's rich, tube-toned echo at the tail end, trailing the DS-2's biting distortion rather than fighting it for space. — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
See all 9 pedals that pair with the Boss DS-2 Turbo Distortion →
Cheaper alternatives
Boss SD-1 Super OverDrive
Boss
72% similarityShared character: classic_tones, staple, noise
Boss DS-1 Distortion
Boss
72% similarityShared character: pedalboard, ds_1, kurt_cobain
Boss DS-1 Distortion (Japan, 1980s)
pedal
70% similarityShared character: kurt_cobain, hard_rock, lead
Behringer UM300 Heavy Metal Distortion
Behringer
95% similaritysimilar tone character
Boutique & premium upgrades
Maxon OD808
Maxon
72% similarityShared character: pedalboard, pedal, warm
JHS PackRat 9-Way Rodent Distortion
JHS Pedals
71% similarityShared character: three_modes, wide_range, pedal
Univox Super-Fuzz
Univox
70% similarityShared character: noise, each_note, hard_rock
Death By Audio Octave Clang
Death By Audio
70% similarityShared character: lead_playing, hard_rock, wide_range
Abasi Pathos Distortion
Abasi
70% similarityShared character: standout, users, smooth
Boss DS-1W Waza Craft Distortion
Boss
69% similarityShared character: kurt_cobain, ds_1, hard_rock
Similar charactersee all similar tone character →
MXR M104 Distortion+
MXR
72% similarityShared character: ds_1, classic_tones, pedal
Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer
Ibanez
71% similarityShared character: noise, pedal, warm
ProCo RAT 2
Proco
71% similarityShared character: staple, noise, lead_playing
Ibanez TS9DX Turbo Tube Screamer
Ibanez
71% similarityShared character: staple, pedal, users
Boss HM-2 Heavy Metal
Boss
70% similarityShared character: metal, noise, durable_construction
MXR Super Badass Distortion
MXR
96% similaritysimilar tone character
See all alternatives to the Boss DS-2 Turbo Distortion (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Boss DS-2 Turbo Distortion?+
The closest matches in character are the MXR M104 Distortion+, the Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer, the ProCo RAT 2. Budget picks: Boss SD-1 Super OverDrive, Boss DS-1 Distortion, Boss DS-1 Distortion (Japan, 1980s). Boutique upgrades: Maxon OD808, JHS PackRat 9-Way Rodent Distortion, Univox Super-Fuzz.
What pairs well with the Boss DS-2 Turbo Distortion?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Fender 'Black Panel' Twin Reverb (1963-1967), Friedman Dirty Shirley, Blackstar St. James 100 — “I use this on the clean channel with a Vox guitar with a boss ds-2 for higher gain”.
How much does the Boss DS-2 Turbo Distortion cost?+
Around $85.48 (live listing price, updated Aug 27, 2026).