If you're like me, you have owned your fair share of Boss pedals. Here are 5 that I like and 1 that I don't. Please note, these aren't the only Boss pedals I like, I just happen to have these ones at the moment. Also, let me know in the comments what Boss pedals you love. I am playing all of these pedals through my Fender 68 Custom Deluxe Reverb.
Boss DS-1 Distortion
This is truly a classic distortion pedal. It produces a distortion sound with a hard edge and is known to have a very low noise level compared to other distortion pedals. Many people swear that the older Japan made pedals sounds better than the newer ones made in Taiwan. The DS-1 has over the years been used by a lot of great guitar players. Steve Vai and Joe Satriani are just two of the players who has voiced their praise over this pedal. The DS-1 is also a favorite among modifiers. Keeley, Analogman and Stinkfoot all provide their own versions of this icon among distortion makers.
Version differences
The design of the DS-1 has changed little throughout its lifetime but the opamp the circuit is based around has changed several times. From 1978, the DS-1 was using the Toshiba TA7136AP opamp. This remained unchanged for about 16 years but in 1994 it was replaced by the Rohm BA728N. In 2000 the opamp was again changed. This time the Mitsubishi M5223AL was used. The last change came 2006 when the New Japan Radio NJM2904L opamp was introduced.
bossarea-boss-ds-1-distortion-2The DS-1 went through a few cosmetic changes in the early years of production. The first version had a clear switch, silver thumb screw and the D in DS-1 placed directly underneath the t in Distortion. This is usually referred to as the long dash version. The clear switch disappeared around serial number 8700, the silver thumb screw at serial number 0500 while the D in DS-1 ended up under the i in Distortion around serial number 14xx00 (short dash version). Since early 1982 the only changes has been to the bottom label. It changed when the production moved from Japan to Taiwan i 1988 and a silver label was introduced when the circuit was modified to accept the PSA adapter 1994.
Labels:
Black – Made In Japan
Black – Made In Taiwan
Silver – Made In Taiwan
Boss PH-2 SUPER Phaser
The PH-2 adds an effect similar to that of a rotary speaker. With a phase shift circuit that provides twelve stages of adjustment for smooth, professional-sounding phasing. Two modes give you completely different tonal characteristics: one for a standard effect, and the other for a deep, rich phased effect ideal for a funky guitar sound.
With Rate you adjust the rate tempo of the phase oscillation or frequency sweep. Depth controls the amount of phase effected signal that is mixed with the direct signal. This can be seen as the width of the sweep. Resonance (Res) controls the amount of phased signal to be resent back in with the dry signal to be re-phased. This is the feedback level. Mode selects between phaser mode 1 or 2. Choose Mode I for a more mellow, broad phase effect. Switch it into Mode 2 for a more in-your-face phase attack.
Labels
Black – Made In Japan
Silver – Made In Taiwan
The PH-2 was sold from September 1984 to March 2001.
Boss DM-2 Delay
This analog delay pedal is able to produce delay times ranging from 30 to 330 Milliseconds. It’s got three dials with adjustments for Repeat Rate, Intensity, and Echo. This effect draws a lot of current so not all power supplies are able to power up this pedal. The vintage analog DM-2 is a very popular effect and prices are usually very high for a beat up but working pedal.
Version differences
There are at least 3 different versions of the DM-2. The first version was using the MN3005 BBD. This was soon changed to the low current version of the same circuit called MN3205. It is worth noting that the MN3005 has a SN ratio of 75 dB while the MN3205 is a little more noisy with its 67dB. The MN3205 only produces 0.8% distortion compared to 1% for the MN3005.
The DM-2 can be approximately dated by reading the number on the compander IC NE570N. It should have a 4 digit number giving you the year and month of production in the form YYMM. Note that this is the production date of the integrated chip and not of the pedal but it’s unlikely that the chips were stored for very long before used.
Labels
Black – Made In Japan
Green – Made In Japan
The DM-2 was sold from June 1981 to February 1984.
