Boss fans?

[Gstevens]

So I currently have a PH-3, CH-1, and a DD-3, am thinking about adding a RV-5, DS-1, and a CS-3 to the mix. I have read alot about people modding their Boss pedals, is there any merit to doing this? So far I have been very pleased with Boss, I used to have some digitech stuff but it never really got my heart going. So is the old saying true..if it's not broke don't fix it?

 

[t0aj15]

I have read alot about people modding their Boss pedals, is there any merit to doing this? So far I have been very pleased with Boss, so is the old saying true..if it's not broke don't fix it?

I have seven of Boss' compact pedals, two (DS-1, CS-3) which just collect dust now. Of the five still in use (CH-1, BF-2, TR-2, DD-5, NS-2) the only one that's modded is the TR-2 (Keeley modded). The Boss pedals IMO are good for the price, but lets face it they are not 'top of the line' by any stretch of the imagination. Because of that there is room for improvment in many of (but not all) of Boss' pedals. In the TR-2 the improvment was VERY evident and well worth the money. Without the Keeley mods that one would also be on the shelf collecting dust. You really have to take it on a pedal by pedal basis. Will the expected improvement be worth the extra money? Only you can answer that, but the best answer I can give you is, sometimes yes, sometimes no.

 

[cellardweller]

Just curious; Waddaya think of the DD20 delay pedal (behemoth sized delay pedal...that is :lol: )

 

[lerxst88]

So I currently have a PH-3, CH-1, and a DD-3, am thinking about adding a RV-5, DS-1, and a CS-3 to the mix. I have read alot about people modding their Boss pedals, is there any merit to doing this? So far I have been very pleased with Boss, I used to have some digitech stuff but it never really got my heart going. So is the old saying true..if it's not broke don't fix it?

Modding pedals is alot of fun and the results are great because the pedal sounds the way you wanted it to sound when you bought it. I modded a DS-1 and before it sounded weak and buzzy and quiet. After the mods It sounded louder and very tubelike. The pedal just sounded really really nice.

I have the PH-3 as well but I havent found any mods for it. The CH-1, DD-3, DS-1 and CS-3 all have mods available for them. If youre good with a soldering iron then I bet you could pull off the mods. If not and youre in the chicagoland area then I'd be happy to help!

 

[Gstevens]

I actually used to do micro/min repair on circuit cards, so I am not afraid of a soldering iron! Where do you find/get the replacement parts? The repair I used to do was with test sets and schematics, no modifying. So do you need to understand the circuit operation, or just replace specific parts from what others have done?

 

[bobby wasabi]

Boss BD-2 is one of my favorite pedals. Never felt a need to mod it. I owned a Feedbacker distortion years back but I didn't like the harshness of the distortion. I assume it was similar in sound to a DS-1.

 

[Jak0lantern01]

Boss products seem like a 'beginners' option to me. I have a bunch of Boss pedals that are gradually being phased out for higher quality/better sounding replacements. Not that Boss makes a bad product in general, but I've been leaning away from all the unnecessary bells and whistles that their pedals seem to offer for pedals that are simpler, more to the point, and maintain the quality of my tone better. Just switched out my Boss digital delay this weekend for an MXR Carbon Copy, what a difference. I had it dialed-in in a minute, and it sounds great. For some reason, I just couldn't get the sound out of the Boss that i was looking for, even with the extra options it offers. I would suggest you be a smarter shopper than a lot of people out there, including myself, and do a little research before investing a lot of money in something you may realize down the road that it's just not cutting it. My $0.02.

 

[bobby wasabi]

^ +1 on the MXR Carbon Copy - great delay. I've used digital delays before and the MXR blows them away.

 

[derekjason]

+2 carbon copy peepees on boss dd series. i own both so im permitted to say this? :mrgreen: while were on the subject, the isp decimator makes ns-2 seem like a cavemans pedal, and korg pitchblack is waaaaaay more accurate than tu-2. make that $0.04

 

[lerxst88]

I actually used to do micro/min repair on circuit cards, so I am not afraid of a soldering iron! Where do you find/get the replacement parts? The repair I used to do was with test sets and schematics, no modifying. So do you need to understand the circuit operation, or just replace specific parts from what others have done?

In the simpler pedals (like a wah or mxr distortion +) you will get familiarized with how the pedal actually does its job and you will eventually learn to recognize circuit elements (like clipping diodes, tone circuits) but the most important thing is to know where to put what and how.

Monte Allums ( http://www.monteallums.com/pedal_mods.html#bossds1 ) is a great site to start you off in modding. they give you parts and instructions and you end up with a keeley mod that you did yourself! I personally have never used a mod kit because if youre more patient and willing to search, you can find parts and instructions online. Monte Allums is just a great place if you want someone to get parts and instructions together for you. Look around on that site they have a BUNCH of Boss mod kits

If youre looking to just buy parts and search for schematics on your own check out:

pedalpartsplus.com
smallbearelec.com
beavisaudio.com
generalguitargadgets.com
schematicheaven.com

 

[MF]

I've been a Boss user for a long time. They are solid pedals and completely reliable (i should know, i abuse the hell out of them! :twisted: ). However, i too am in the process of replacing some of them for higher quality pedals. They get the job done and i will likely keep the ones i replace as a backup but they're lacking in a few areas that have been bugging me somewhat lately.

I've owned all of the following, and only got rid of the NS-2.

-Boss DS-1 Distortion
-Boss DF-2 Super Distortion & Feedbacker
-Boss DD-3 Digital Delay (w/ Monte Allums mod)
-Boss CE-5 Chorus Ensemble
-Boss PH-3 Phase Shifter
-Boss BF-2 Flanger
-Boss NS-2 (i was never happy with it so i sold it)

I messed up the DS-1 doing the Monte Allums mod so i think it's toast. I'm going to buy another and try it again now that i have a better idea of what i'm doing (had never used a desoldering braid before and i think i pulled one of the traces off the board). I plan on getting a Carbon Copy at some point but i will probably still keep using the DD-3 just for some delay variety. The mod isn't terribly effective though, i find it just shortens the delay fade, giving it a bit of an analog feel. I run it in stock mode 90% of the time. The Phase Shifter and the Chorus i'm happy with and don't plan on replacing any time soon. The Flanger though i find to be pretty noisy and i will be replacing it soon with a kit i'm building from BYOC. It's supposed to be an incredible pedal. Lastly is the Super Distortion Feedbacker, which is basically just a DS-1 in the tone dept. It's a neat little vintage pedal they don't make any more so i'm going to hold on to it. They usually do pretty well on eBay should i ever decide to part with it.

 

[Turumbar82]

I've had a Indyguitarist modified SD-1, a Japanese DS-1, a Indyguitarist modified DS-1 , Metalzone, BF-2, DD-3, a Keeley DD-3

The Japanese DS-1 was nice. It sounded just as good as the Indyguitarist one I thought. The Metalzone was fine for bedroom level riffing but the soloing sounding kind of sucked. Really nasally. The Indyguitarist SD-1 was really good sounding by itself and as a boost but there was some bleed through when it was off which I found out was a common problem with these pedals. The BF-2 was so so. It had a volume boost when I turned it on and I didn't like that but it's better than a drop I guess. I always like the DD-3 and the Keeley DD-3 was even better.

My take on stock boss pedals. Decent pedals but they really shine when modified I think and they are worth modding

 

[dani]

i started with boss and still using them. let's face it. there wasn't much of an option 20 years ago. these are what is currently on my board.

boss dc-2 dimension c/dc-3 digital space d - lush spatial chorus effect. less modulation than a normal chorus. i use the dc-2 with lower gain application since its much warmer and the dc-3 for rock/metal.

boss pq-4 parametric eq - where else can you get a parametric eq on a pedal back in the 80s? essential tone control on my board?

boss ns-2 noise suppressor - an absolute must for my rock/metal applications.