Boss Effects Anyone?

[zeroeffect]

I am really glad this topic has been so fruitful. Since starting the thread, I have been using all of the Boss pedals I own (but not currently using) and listening very carefully. Here are some updated opinions:

DS-1: This pedal is killer! I don't care what anyone says. I think I'm going to put it back on my board as a second distortion. A must for $39...
CS-3: ehh... just okay, and very noisy when sustain or level are past noon. Not keeping it. Okay for beginners, but once you use/hear a good comp, this just doesn't cut it.
CH-1: Very nice actually. Great for subtle chorus on a clean sound.
NS-2: Hate it! Still going buh-bye.
BF-3: Not bad, but not great either. Would be better if you could adjust level.
DD-6: I really like Boss delays, especially for the price. You can do better...but it will cost you. Definitely a keeper.
GE-7: Does what it's supposed to do...but really noisy at high levels (is there an eq that isn't?). The GE-7 has a permanent spot on my board.
TU-2: Great for me. Tunes as good as any, and easy to see and use at gigs.
LS-2: One extremely useful pedal. I have 2. Can use as a boost, a 2 channel mixer, and other stuff.
RC-2 (with FS5U): I love this pedal! Great for practicing. I use it live too.

So maybe I was being a bit hasty to say they suck. Some of them do, some of them don't. Some are awesome. I guess that would be true of any one manufacturer. Of course these are just my opinions.

 

[Setzer]

I have to say in general I like Boss pedals.

The build quality and reliability is not in question at all and in all the years that I have gigged with any of them I have never had a single problem ever.Not much good having great stuff that you cant rely on.

I had a go at modding a GE7 because the eq was a good sounding unit but just too **** noisy,now after the mod it is so quiet I cant believe it and the whole sound of the unit is transfomed so that pedal is a keeper.

I have a DD2 which is a fantastic delay,very analogue sounding and far better sounding than anything that came after the DD3 so that pedal is a keeper too.

I have a TU2 tuner which people say suck tone big time but personally I dont really notice it that much that it bothers me so theres another keeper.

Yeah I do like Boss stuff but like anything some is great and some isnt so great,you cant win em all.

 

[MF]

Alright i may as well give a quick review of all my Boss pedals:

DS-1 - first pedal i ever bought and a workhorse throughout most of my life. It finally got retired a year or two ago for a DF-2. I have abused this pedal mercilessly and it has never once failed me. As long as i live i will have a DS-1 in my possesion, even if i don't have a current use for it.

DF-2 - basically a DS-1 with infinite sustain

DD-3 - much like the DS-1 i've owned this for a very long time and i can't imagine playing without. Never once failed me.

CE-5 - a serviceable chorus. I don't normally have a use for a really wet chorus so this is usually used to add a subtle texture to my cleans. It works well for me and i have no plans on replacing it.

PH-3 - same as the chorus. I don't use this a lot but it works well enough for me in the few places i do. I A/B'd it with the MXR phase 90 and this was a clear winner due to it's tweakability.

NS-2 - pretty much useless. The only Boss pedal i regret buying. When it's turned up enough to make a difference it clips notes big time.


Like other people have said, they are built like frigging tanks. They are virtually indestructable and i've found that when it comes to the most common effects they are very adequate. If playing guitar live was my living, i would have a Boss pedal as a backup for every essential non-Boss pedal in my rig.

 

[Ibanez]

I currently using two Boss pedal modded with Monte Album :

The main disavantage of those pedal is that each of them add more and more noise (in front of the amp, not in the loop). With the Monte Album mod, this is less apparent but still present.

CS3 : First pedal in chain. I found the effect subtle, but it adds some clarity on either clean/dirty channel. I can also switch to a single coil pickup on the clean channel w/out loosing much volume -> the pedal give you more headroom.

GE7 : Second in chain. Very powerful tool. I cut/boost frequencies in order to get a lead sound from the rectifier. I boost the overall signal before the pre-amp. For me it is a keeper.

 

[soundchaser59]

I have a BD-2, GE-7, CS-3, and an MXR 10 band eq, all are modded. In stock form, the MXR walks all over the GE7. But after modding, the GE7 is awesome, quiet, super tight and responsive. Super easy mod.

The CS3 now is quiet as a mouse, and has great full tone compared to off the shelf. Super easy mod. The BD2 is now a keeper also, where before the mod I could not wait to sell it. It is superb sounding now, and the mod was relatively easy, but it still is not as versatile as the Sparkle Drive or a modded Tube Screamer. Still, its a major improvement over the stock BD2, and I will keep it and use it.

My personal opinion is the Voodoo Lab Analog Chorus is the best sounding chorus effect I've had. But I sold it when I became a victim of the defective stomp switch problem they had. They claim to have found a new supplier of stomp switches, and they do replace the switches for free for 5 years, and will replace it any time anywhere for the original owner. At least that's what they told me off the record. I'd love to have a new one, but I'm ok with my Boss chorus. I dont use it much, and I never have it very wet, so it works ok for me. There are no mods available that I can find for the CE-5.

I also wanted to say I've never had any problems with my NS2. It works better than any other gate I've ever had. I can let a note ring out and fade away, and the NS2 follows it all the way down with no problem and no issues. I'm really glad I have it, but if you have a lot of noise issues in your chain it will probably not function as well for you. Mine works great after I modded my other pedals and got rid of all the stock noise.

I really really like the sound of EHX stuff, but I too have had reliability issues wth them. They do repair and return for a reasonable price in a quick time frame. I think the best compressor I've ever used on my guitar is the high voltage EHX Black Finger. It is a different sound than the modded CS3, but nothing else seems to be able to get that sound! It runs on a true 300 volts, two tubes, no starved plate stuff here, and it is great for beefy rhythm guitar sounds. I'd love to have the EHX tube preamp or tube EQ, but that's down the raod a ways yet......

 

[SBG200]

The BD2 is now a keeper also, where before the mod I could not wait to sell it. It is superb sounding now, and the mod was relatively easy, but it still is not as versatile as the Sparkle Drive or a modded Tube Screamer. Still, its a major improvement over the stock BD2, and I will keep it and use it.

Which BD-2 mod did you do? I'm thinking of doing the Monte Allums H2O mainly b/c the sound clip on his site sounds **** good. I know lots of people like Analog Mike or Keeley too, but I've never heard one.

 

[camsna]

Monte is a GREAT guy with good mods! I've never heard his BD-2, though.

I've got the Keeley BD-2. It will never leave my board. It's incredible. Stevie in a box!

 

[jab]

never cared for their distortion/compression type pedals, but the delays/tuner are more than serviceable. Best thing about Boss is the nice big rubber pedal and durability. Boss pedals have swallowed many a Beam & Coke and keep on working.

At the end of time, all that will remain are cockroaches, Keith Richards, and Boss pedals.

 

[Setzer]

In response to the Voodoo Lab pedal switch crap out I had that happen to me with my sparkle drive.

I emailed Voodoo and they offered to replace the switch or send me a new one from a new supplier that they are using,none of the new switches have broken since they introduced them.

I had them send me the switch which got to me super fast and is working properly now so props to Voodoo Labs,just thought some good customer service deserved a bit of praise.

 

[Rocky]

I have a Keeley modded DS-1, a CE2 (which is great) and have used the boss pedal tuners in the past.

All were great.

 

[ShamefulAddiction]

As far as BOSS goes, I have an SD-1 and a DD-6.

SD-1:
ALL PROS:
-Can be a great boost for soloing or adding that "3rd channel" to two channel amps.
-When used in clean with the gain up, does a good job of pushing the tubes and getting nice and gritty. Give me my Strat with Texas Specials and SRV here we come.
-Tone selector has a nice wide range.. I keep mine about 10:30 to keep it from getting too piercing.

DD-6:
PROS:
-Can repeat FOREVER
-Great Looping option
-Through my experience, when you put it in front of the amp and run it through a distorted channel, almost mimics anologue taper.
-Reverse delay is a strange animal to get used to, but pull it off and it can nicely compliment anything.
-Can be used to ping-pong delay through stereo setup

CONS:
-Extra long setting allows for DOUBLE delay times (who the hell would need that??)
-I have yet to find a use for the WARP function.
-Eats batteries for breakfast, lunch, and a three course dinner.

 

[MF]

I have a Keeley modded DS-1, a CE2 (which is great) and have used the boss pedal tuners in the past.

All were great.

How is the modded DS-1? i'm thinking of buying the parts and modding it myself (the Ultra/all seeing eye mod) and was wondering how much of an improvement it makes.

 

[Rocky]

The difference is night and day.


With the mods the DS1 sounds like a cranked amp and has a lot of balls to its tone.

The Keeley DS1 is well worth the hype.

 

[TemporarilyStairs]

I have nothing more than passing experience with most Boss pedals. I picked up an SD-1 a while back on a whim though, and ****, I absolutely love it. Switch to the clean channel of my Quad, slap the SD-1 on with the output high, drive fairly low, and tone rolled back a bit, add a bit of delay and verb, and people start to instantly weep.

It doesn't seem, at least stock, to be the most versatile box in the world, and it definitely can get a bit noisy and out of control (if I don't roll back the tone control a decent amount, the thing sounds like an icepick through your eardrums), but I frickin' love it. I'm probably going to have to get a Keeley or Allums modded one one of these days. I kinda want to pick up a DS-1 as well, despite the fact that it's almost complete extraneous in my rig heh.

 

[Gstevens]

Hey all, new to the board here. I am not a giging muscian since my job prevents me from getting into a steady band. So I end up just playing with a drummer here and a bass player there. I currently have a CH-1, DD-3, PH-3, and a TU-15 ran from the tuner output of my Roadster. I love all of these pedals, for the price and build quality they are great for me. Personally I belive that any pedal has to be dialed in just right to get the sound you want. Just like when I got my Mesa it took me a long time to figure out how to dial in sounds I liked, but once I got it set it was like magic. Same with my pedals, I spent week playing with each individual pedal listening to each adjustment knob and how it affected the sound. Now I have it all set up and everyone I play with loves my "sound".......let the bashing begin!!!

 

[DeFrag]

Bossarea Forum
http://www.bossarea.com/forum/

It is the best available for Boss information & community.

 

[Turumbar82]

In all I have had these boss pedals:

Japanese DS-1
Indyguitarist mod SD-1
Metalzone
BF-2 Flanger
DD-3 Delay
Keeley Mod DD-3 Delay.


I have always liked the dd-3's. I think they are a good delay pedal and I think alot of other do to because the dd-3 has been around for a long time and they are still making it even though there are dd-5,6,and 7's.

The Japanese DS-1 was great and I sold it because I wanted the mod'd SD-1. The SD-1 was nice.

The metalzone was good for me at the time but I would never buy another one.

I didn't like the Flanger. It turns out, i just don't like flange that much at all.


They are definitely sturdy and fit well on a pedal board.

I don't think they are the best pedals in the world but they are definitely worth having.

 

[soundchaser59]

Which BD-2 mod did you do? I'm thinking of doing the Monte Allums H2O mainly b/c the sound clip on his site sounds **** good. I know lots of people like Analog Mike or Keeley too, but I've never heard one.

I did the monte Allums mod, just because I could save a lot of $$$$$ and reap a lot of gratification by doing it myself. It was well worth the effort and the $30 bucks. He's very knowledgeable and nice. Without the mods, I would not have kept the CS3, GE7 or the BD2. I actually had a BD2 before and sold it due to noise and below average sound quality. I bought a used one off the bay after I heard about Allums mods, and I am glad now.