BOSS

Boss. If I was to try and say something about Boss that has not already been said,

I would be stuck for words or telling lies. What can one say about the legendary

effects that amateurs and pros love the most? Every guitarist, has a Boss pedal

they love, and I know what it is to love them too, as I have been
using them for almost 30 years now. 

Before I go any further, I would like to start with some of the quirkier Boss pedals that I like,
instead of blasting on about the very popular models that everyone has.

DIGITAL METALIZER MZ-2

A hybrid of analog and digital cutting edge distortion 1987 style!

The mid to late 80s was a funny old time for music. The synth dominated pop music along with sequencing and click clack production. Rock was processed just like food and sterility was creeping in. So what did guitar gods need? I'll tell you. Digital Processing! From rack mount units to amps the sound was getting 'synth-like' treatment. Step in then, the Boss Digital Metalizer, the distortion that offered 3 modes of 'Doubling' and 2 modes of 'Chorusing' in glorious stereo! The effects are fixed of course, well what do you expect? This pedal is heavy on a 9V battery so power supply is recommended.

The idea was simple: Take an analog distortion circuit and integrate it with digital effects.
Is it any good? Hell yes, the distortion is warm, harmonically rich and it is great fun to mess around with. The Doubling mode gives a great Brian May style effect and the Chorus gives you that Def Leppard stereo chorus rhythm guitar crunch, what more could you want! The downside is that even rolled back to minimum the Drive is still distorted, even though it's slight it's a bit of a bummer as I'd like to hear the pedal's effects clean! Anyway that's a minor quibble and with looks and sounds this good, we're on a Highway to Hell, and no serious pedal collector in their right mind would pass on this seriously cool weapon of mass distortion!

I love the name, the metallic black paintwork and the red text. 

This pedal looks like it was made in hell!

The demonic controls!

Yes, a stereo Boss distortion!

A double deck board sandwich

Where Mr. Analog meets Mr. Digital

VISIT IT ON YOU TUBE!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klzUZHnVj-M

DIMENSION C DC-2

A chorus that sounds like it's made in heaven!

This is one of the oddest pedals in the Boss catalog looks wise but sound wise one of the best. It is also very sought after by collectors and it's no wonder as it sounds fantastic. In stereo it gives a 3D type effect hence the 'Dimension' in the title and the 'C' which stands for chorus. Now, what do the buttons do? Well as you may have gathered it has four preset modes each of which gets a stronger as the number gets higher. Simple as that. You cannot adjust the sounds but just ask anyone who owns one if that is a negative and they will tell you it matters not as the sounds is so good. The unit was produced from 1985 to 1989 and is analog in it's nature, offering lush, warm and very rounded tones and designed to be used with two amps or a mixer where it really shines. I have every Boss Chorus pedal from the CE-2 to the CE-5 and let me tell you mode 2 on this pedal just makes me weep it sounds so beautiful. These are now expensive on the used market and getting one under €200 is a bit of a challenge, a mint example with box can cost you €350 plus! Is it worth the money? I would have to say yes, once you hear it for real you may get hooked! One another note you are advised to be gentle with the buttons and avoid pressing more than one at once!

The strange looking Boss effect or the 80s in box!

 Take your pick!

VISIT IT ON YOU TUBE!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BX60zGVeu9k&list=UU5s0pTM1NTM7ngNdtc6L4Cw

BOSS DC-3 DIGITAL DIMENSION

(also known as Digital Space - D)

Produced from 1988 - 1993, this fully digital hybrid chorus achieves a spacious stereo sound with less of the modulation of an ordinary chorus effect. It is a true stereo unit that modulates both signals like the DC-2 before it but it is very different to that effect. Again, it's best when run through two amps or a mixer. Long discontinued they are now sought after by the more discerning guitar players who appreciate the concept and Boss ingenuity. Soundwise, it's pretty subtle and you have to crank the level well past 12 O'Clock to hear it's effect. The effect is slightly metallic and pristine making it a pretty unique unit all the same. When it was discontinued in 1990 it was rebadged Digital Space-D and only sold in Japan.

CE-3 Chorus

This was the first Boss effect I ever bought, kinda! I did buy a used CE-3 in October 1989 but I managed to deface it in 1994 with a can of spray paint! This was it's replacement that I got from a friend! I like this in stereo when recording. I had it on my board for the best part of 20 years but I don't use it now.

DS-1 Distortion

I bought the DS-1 brand new for my 21st birthday in 1990 and it was my one and only distortion for a long time. This pedal has been around the world as I took it with me

travelling in 1997.

HM-2 Heavy Metal

A friend of mine had a HM-2 in the late 80s and even though I'm not the jealous kind I was jealous of this. The black paint and the deep bass tone and growl had me by the klackers!

I bought my own used in December 1991.

CS-3 Compression Sustainer

I was listening to an Adrian Belew album in early 1992 and then I read he used comp on his guitar. I just had to get a taste of the action and in April 1992 I bought the CS-3 and it was on my board always on from then until mid 2016 when I replaced it with a CS-2 and then last year I replaced that with a CS-1 which is the one for me!

DD-3 Digital Delay 

In November 1993 I bought this from a chef that worked in my town. I still have it and it was on my board until 2011 when I replaced it with a DM-3 which suited the country stuff I was getting into. The DD-3 is a classic and amazing for it's time in the mid 80s.

NS-2 Noise Suppressor

I bought this in late 1993 so I could 'complete' my pedal board chain as it uses a send/return and also can power multiple units. It's been on my board almost 25 years turned on making it my longest serving Boss pedal!

BF-2 Flanger

I bought this used at Christmas 1993 as a mate had one and I loved it. It's a beast and lots of fun. It's a pity flangers are out of vogue nowadays.

PH-2 Super Phaser

I bought this baby new in July 1994 and I can say I got a lot of mileage out of it. It's a great pedal with a distinctive sound and 2 modes for piles of phasing fun. 

DS-2 Turbo Distortion

I bought this not long after the phaser and it replaced the DS-1 on my board. I was in a band at this stage and about to buy a Marshall JCM 900 head and cab. This blasted me into orbit with that big amp!

PS-2 Digital Pitch Shifter/Delay

I bought this used from a private seller in December 1994. Well, it's of its time and pretty outdated now but what the hell, I had so much fun with it with my voice sounding like a complete weirdo!

TR-2 Tremolo

I was living in Melbourne when I saw the TR-2, the FZ-2 and the OD-3 in a shop poster celebrating the 20th Anniversary of Boss Pedals in 1997. I bought one the following year, and yes I love it even though it has the volume drop. A very cool and unique pedal.

PSM-5 Power Supply & Master Switch

I found this used in a guitar shop in late 1998 and jumped on it. It's very handy on a spare pedal board for powering units when gigging or recording. This was the last Boss effect I bought in the 90s and it would be almost a decade before I bought another. I fathered a child and Boss was put on the back burner!

BD-2 Blues Driver

The first Boss pedal I bought in over a decade in November 1998 and had I some catching up to do! I remember it coming out in 1995 and I thought it was a funny colour for a Boss OD which were almost always yellow.

SD-1 Super Over Drive

The story behind this one goes like this, I was put on a 3 day week at work for a few weeks and we were given a welfare card. I got €50 for mine and I went to a music shop and asked them what new Boss pedal could I get for that amount? The SD-1 was €49 and I had €1 left over

for food! ;)

CH-1 Super Chorus

I bought this from a friend in late 2008. It's a pretty cool unit and lots of fun. The clarity is great and the warp mode and reverse are really cool.

PH-3 Phase Shifter

This one was pulled from a pawn shop in early 2009 and it being a digital model with stacks of modes at first sound nice but there's something tiring about it. It's now consigned to the shelf.

OS-2 Over Drive/Distortion

This one was also pulled from a pawn shop and most likely an impulse buy. It's a funny one indeed with it's dual circuit. You can get a good Bryan Adams rock sound out of it!

PW-2 Power Driver

I bought this in late 2009 in a guitar shop, the shop that Rory Gallagher bought his Fender Strat from in Cork city. It was mint in the box even though it was used. The PW-2 was a flop but at least it looks awesome!

CH-1 Super Chorus

I bought this in late 2009 in a pawn shop. Again more an impulse buy as I've never really used it. By now I was collecting Boss pedals and anytime I came across one I bought it.

MT-2 Metal Zone

I bought this in late 2009 from a private seller. Why? Oh why? I don't even like it. I even have the box. It's a paperweight now.

OC-3 Super Octave

I bought this in late 2009 in a guitar shop and It's hardly been used. Oops! An impulse buy! It's not bad but I should have chose mose wisely. Well at least I didn't buy an FZ-5!

TU-2 Chromatic Tuner

I treated myself to this late December 2009 and it's a great pedal and always on my board.

CE-2 Chorus

This was also pulled from a pawn shop in June 2010 for €45!!! Yes and it is made in Japan 1993. They must have not checked the internet that day as it would be easily €100 back then!

ARION

ARION

In 1985 I was 16 and I didn't play guitar but after I saw Queen on Live Aid 
it was a different story. I just had to have an electric guitar! Now, I hadn't a 
clue where to start, but I started sawing  away on the family Yamaha acoustic and 
as they say, my fingers bled. All through '86 and '87 I practiced hard on that guitar

until I bought a cheap Rockson Strat copy, a solid state Jennings amp and my first stomp box, the Arion SOD 1 Over Drive. I plugged it in, crancked it up and blasted

the riff from 'Tie Your Mother Down' out into the void. I was hooked and even though 
I liked clean guitar, I loved it more when distorted!

ARION SOD-1 OVER DRIVE

This was the first ever pedal I bought on that fateful day in '87. It was second hand, cheap, had a nice warm sound and was made in Japan. It even boasted stereo outputs and a 'direct' or 'soft' mode. It was my main distortion until I bought a Boss DS-1 in 1990 and I also sold the SOD-1 to a relative that year. Shame on me! I had forgotten all about it until early 2010 when I saw it in a photo. I phoned my relative and asked him did he know what became of it. He said he was unsure but would search his attic. Unbelievably he phoned me back and said he found it and I could take it away. I jumped in the car and sped out to his house
and brought it on back home! 

Today Arion pedals are sought after by collectors who appreciate their high 
quality sound. The one thing that I always wasn't to fond of is that fact that they 
are made of plastic. Plastic equals cheap in the stomp box world, especially 
when the likes of Boss, DOD, MXR, Ibanez were metal. Metal seems to suggest toughness I'm afraid, but in saying that you could get a metal casing and 
re-house an Arion if wished.     

Arion SOD-1 My First Love and Made In Japan

The original knobs were pretty poor and I replaced 

them with these which are from an old Hi-Fi amplifier!

Stereo Outputs

Sitting on the fence with the Rockson 1988

My gear in early 1990

Laney Linebacker Amp, Wem Cab,

Boss CE-3, Arion SOD-1, Frontline Flanger,

Boss DS-1, Rockson guitar and dodgy jumper!

Arion SOD-1 on You Tube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QLB2AE1I7U

ARION SDI-1 DISTORTION

The SDI-1 is a nosier big brother to the SOD-1. As I have matured

I find I am more into overdrive than hard ass distortion. I'm not saying

I'm not into Metal anymore but distortion is distortion even at low

settings on the dial. When you crank this pedal in 'Direct' mode you will 

notice the bottom end rolls away. The distortion is clean, clear but always 

warm. There are two modes here again 'Direct' and 'Soft' and I definitely 

prefer the latter. It is more bluesy in tone and great on the bottom strings 

of a Les Paul type axe. The stereo mode is great fun with a pair 

of headphones while mucking about with Garage Band. 

The amount that I paid for this pedal was laughable 

so it's rock n roll for peanuts!

It may be made of plastic but it rocks!

The knobs!

Arion SDI-1 on You Tube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhPeTESHWBE

ARION SMM-1 METAL MASTER

I bought this pedal only because the seller offered it to

me for the price of a twelve inch pizza with two extra toppings!

I was buying another pedal and he more or less threw it in as he

couldn't sell it. It's not one I'd be drawn too myself but it really

sounds great when you blast some heavy riffs through it. It has 

a loud, boomy sound and there is an almost stuttering

vibrato when it is driven to hard. It is made in Japan, 

stereo, warm, so what the hell, I'm keeping it! 

The menacing Metal Master!

The four control knobs! The bass is boomy!

Arion SMM-1 on You Tube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zP_gsATCXvo&feature=c4-overview&list=UU5s0pTM1NTM7ngNdtc6L4Cw

DOD

DOD pedals were made in the U.S.A. for most of their production runs. They were always in competition with the legendary Boss pedals and while some of them were pipped at the post, DOD did come up with some great and innovative pedals. Today the internet is full of used DOD FX for sale and it's very easy to grab a bargain, but just you wait, in ten years, like everything else that's vintage and analog their value will rise especially the  more obscure and quirky ones. The construction is pretty solid overall but the knobs are poor, the plastic switch itself could be better while the battery lid is flimsy and easy to lose.
Get 'em while they're hot!

All the DOD pedals here I do not own, but I do own the ones which have a YouTube demo link after them. The others are show to illustrate the development of each. 

DOD FX50-B OVERDRIVE PLUS

Overdrive and distortion must surely be the most sought after effects and no guitarist into rock can resist a good blast off a dirt box! Introducing the FX50-B. This pedal was produced from 1986 to 1997 and is a fine overdrive. The original 1986 version did not have the boost which was added in 1988 and continued until the production ended in 1997. These are pretty cheap used and are better than most of  the lower end overdrives on the market today.

It's in the trees! The FX50-B 1997 version

Set the controls for the heart of the sun...

Side profile

A used DOD rarely comes with the battery 

cover but who cares, a sweet box will do!

The sound from the FX50-B is warm and clear. I found it really great driving the clean channel of a JCM TSL602 tube amp. The boost gives extra boot and this is great for solos

especially with a neck humbucker.

The 'transition' 1988 version

The original 1986 version

OVERDRIVE PREAMP

The daddy of the FX50-B from 1984

and now a sought after pedal.

OVERDRIVE PREAMP / 250

Where it all began in 1979.

The classic classic!

Hear the FX50-B now!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b43ciSWKihg&feature=c4-overview&list=UU5s0pTM1NTM7ngNdtc6L4Cw

DOD FX65 CHORUS

A chorus pedal must surely be the most popular of the modulating effects. If you see a player with one pedal on the floor, it's usually a chorus. There are millions of them out there and they come in all  shapes and sizes. No guitar track in the 80s was without one! The FX65 was produced from 1985 to 1997 and while the 1985 and 1988 versions look similar there is in fact a a circuit  revision. This analog chorus uses a
MN3007 BBD chip.

The DOD FX65 is a superb Chorus that does not sound bland or unexciting in anyway. No matter what settings you dial in, this little fellow delivers a rich, clear sound. I picked this up  for only €15.00 believe it or not. A bargain or what?

The Chorus pedal's on the grass! The 1988 version.

Stereo outputs

The controls.

The 1990 version

The FX60 

This was produced from 1982 until 1993 in many guises

and is in fact a fine analog pedal for anyone on a budget.

The 1982 FX 60

1989 version

Hear the FX65 now!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UU4b0_uhrI&feature=c4-overview&list=UU5s0pTM1NTM7ngNdtc6L4Cw

DOD 225 MASTER SWITCH

At a glance one would be forgiven for thinking that this is a pedal that does nothing. That is kind of true unless you explain what it is for, and use it appropriately. A Master Switch can be  used for a) sending a single instrument to two amps, b) two instruments to one amp, and c) turning on/off an effects chain. The DOD 225 unlike the  Boss PSM-5 did not supply to other FX units but even today this can be used as an A/B box so it is a handy useless box to have around!

Produced from 1988 - 1991

Diagram Print

Alternate diagram print. Study it hard!

SEE THE 225 IN ACTION NOW!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQM9d4UTJBk&feature=c4-overview&list=UU5s0pTM1NTM7ngNdtc6L4Cw

DOD FX35 OCTOPLUS

Octave divides have always been a part of the sound of Rock guitar but in the mid 80s when Paul Young's bassist Pino Palladino played his fretless through a Boss OC-2 creating a whole new sonic palet underneath scalding hot virtuosity and chops, every bass player must have been in awe of that sound as it is pretty addictive. The DOD only goes down one suboctave (the OC-2 went down two) but has tone control to adjust to the players taste. This effect is for playing single notes chords will warble, and tracking can be a pain if you don't use a compressor before it.

Octoplussy! Produced from 1986 - 1994

The dashboard!

The 1986 version.

HEAR IT NOW WITH GUITAR!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfTBUm2VNEs

HEAR IT NOW WITH BASS!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=on3L7s4PwX8

DOD FX55-B SUPRA DISTORTION

The FX55-B was produced from 1986 - 1998 replacing the FX55. It's circuitry is similar to the FX50-B Overdrive Plus but has a greater distortion effect. The distortion is not particularly strong when the settings are all at 12 O'Clock, but when you hit the 'Boost'

things get hot, with lots of feedback on tap. The sound is warm but when you turn the tone up to high it gets a bit nasal and not too far away from the Boss XT-2 Xtortion. This sound is one I really like and I roll back the guitar tone for a honky,  super smooth moulten tone that could melt the walls! 

The 1995 version

The helm!

1987 Version

The FX55. A beauty!

SEE THE FX55-B IN ACTION NOW!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpz2vp7P9W4&feature=c4-overview&list=UU5s0pTM1NTM7ngNdtc6L4Cw

DOD FX70 STEREO FLANGER

The FX70 was introduced in 1982 and is a mild flanger in comparison

to it's contemporaries at the time. There is only two controls but it does offer stereo output but with a smaller jack plug strangely! I love pedals with just two controls as you have less to deal with and you can tweak magic from them by meddling around with all they offer. This has a kind of mid 70s sound to it and I like that. Think of Peter Frampton, The Eagles and Wings. It's a cool machine indeed!

SEE THE FX70 IN ACTION NOW!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVtBbZMT11Y

DOD FX56-B SUPER AMERICAN METAL 

This was the successor to the American Metal and it adds 2 band EQ which makes all the difference. This pedal has got the  high gain balls for metal and chunk. They can be picked up used very cheaply and they are a lot of fun, more fun than the sterile Boss MT-2 in my mind. It really fattens out a Strat with three single coil pickups and gives it enough grind to start a flour mill. The presence can help to take the muddiness out of a neck humbucker however when turned to far it can irritate and squeal. Overall this is a hard-ass distortion with warmth, big bass and the DOD toughness that won't let you down.

SEE THE FX5B-B IN ACTION NOW!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qx0GhcSWlc

FX-17 WAH / VOLUME

The FX 17 is a three function pedal that is built like a tank from steel.
It is a Wah, a Volume and a Voltage Controller. I was never a Wah person myself 
and I found this particular Wah a bit weedy. I mainly used it for the Volume Pedal.

The heavily armored FX17 

One button switching

Voltage Controller

The trimpots for the Wah sweep can be adjusted with 

a Jewellers screwdriver through this tiny holes.

I have never touched these!

The switch on the right is for bypassing the Wah

SEE IT IN ACTION NOW!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-i5gxkBbyQ

FOOD FOR THOUGHT!

This MFS 220 foot switch could be used to make a pedal

if you use the casing and paint over the text!

YJM308 PREAMP OVERDRIVE

I'm not into Malmsteem, I've never listened to his music, but I use this pedal as a clean boost

for clean lead when playng live. It just gives my signal the boost it needs for solos. The sound is pretty thin, so don't expect wall-melting grind. One no no is the lack of an indicator light for On/Off. I leave it plugged in accidently and the battery drains, so I now use a power supply and because it's DOD I can't use the Boss adapter daisychain. I have to use a separate adapter as the socket is different. You can mod these for a fatter, fuller tone and I may do that down the track.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28rL9Gt2x30

FX10 BI-FET PREAMP

This is a gem. Full stop. Bi-Fet stands for Bipolar Field Effect Transistor. What is it? I don't know but what I do know is this pedal was made to enhance piezo pickup instruments with it's 27db output but most guitarists use it as a clean boost and that it does very well adding sparkle and clarity to a clean Tele or Strat. It can also drive an overloaded amp into outer space with nuances and tones to burn. The Tone is flat at 12 O'Clock, counterclockwise gives more bass while clockwise adds more treble. This is a sought after secret weapon for players now and I don't know how I lived without it!

FX20-B

Why did I buy this? Did I need another phaser? Not really but I don't own a stereo phaser so what the hell. It's mild, gives some nice tremolo effects and it's made in USA! But in saying that I recorded a sample into my PC in stereo and it sounded superb. While it may not be one for the board it's certainly one for messing around with on a rainy day!

FX80-B

The 80s Compressor is a nice unit with plenty of squeeze!