# BOSS pedals . are they watching the parade go bye or what !!!!



## copperhead (May 24, 2006)

I'm referring to overdrives & distortion boxes........... back in the 80's & the early 90's all we ever used was boss effects .great quality in construction i never had a problem but back then we never had much to choose from boss,Yamaha,arion something like that , but lately with all the modding & boutique builders you think they would improve some of there old stuff or come out with new stuff ..... they build it & someone else swaps some of there cheap parts & improves it what the hell !!!!!


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

I think for the majority of guitarists, especially newer players, BOSS still has a huge market. And honestly, there's nothing wrong with their products. The SD-1 is still a fantastic overdrive pedal at a great price. Personally, it took a long time for me to convince myself to drop $200 on a pedal. Used BOSS pedals let me see what I did and didn't like and then I could find boutique versions of them if I liked.


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## mrmatt1972 (Apr 3, 2008)

Interesting question. There is certainly a lot more competition in the pedal market than ever before. I think Boss has responded though, with some excellent products. GT-10, ME-70 multi-effects, the DD-7 is pretty great, so is the RE-20 Roland Tape echo pedal.


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## prodigal_son (Apr 23, 2009)

Boss is still a great product. They are affordable and thier products are very reliable. BOSS's tones are also quite good. Hype almost completely drives the boutique pedal world. It preys on people who are in denial and think that tone is more singificant than talent. Mind you, there are better options at times but I guarantee that BOSS still owns a significant chunk of the market regardless of what is available. They always will. 

You can have great tone and yet be a poor player. You can be a great player and still sound good with cheaper gear too.


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## bagpipe (Sep 19, 2006)

I'm always amazed when I see pics of the pedalboards of "big name" players. Almost always filled with Boss pedals. Maybe they are Boss pedals that have been modified - I don't know. It only seems to be on forums such as these that so much time is spent focusing on the latest and greatest pedals, guitars amps etc. I guess the big name guy are too busy touring, recording etc to spend much time focusing on these things.


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## mrmatt1972 (Apr 3, 2008)

bagpipe said:


> I'm always amazed when I see pics of the pedalboards of "big name" players. Almost always filled with Boss pedals. Maybe they are Boss pedals that have been modified - I don't know. It only seems to be on forums such as these that so much time is spent focusing on the latest and greatest pedals, guitars amps etc. I guess the big name guy are too busy touring, recording etc to spend much time focusing on these things.


 I don't know if it's true that touring musicians are exempt from the boutique stuff. Quite a few have Klons and other uber-gear that many of us aspire to have. But I do agree that there is almost always Boss on pro pedal boards. I can see that as a very smart choice because replacement is easy.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

At just about any show, you will probably see at least 1 TU-2 and DD-3/DD-6 - that says something, I think.

I was all about BOSS when I started playing, that and digitech were the only pedal brands I really knew of - then line 6 came along and things got interesting.


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## screamingdaisy (Oct 14, 2008)

I think more pros are getting on the boutique bandwagon. Some were late to the game, probably because their rig already worked just fine for them, but I'm starting to see more boutique stuff popping up in their rigs.

That said, it can be easy to loose perspective of reality by hanging out in internet forums full of gear heads. The average dude is still using a mixture of Boss, MXR and EHX pedals.... and if he has some money to drop then _maybe_ you might see a TS-9 or a Fulldrive. Then again, if he has some money you're also likely to see a Boss or DigiTech multi effect....


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

The BOSS footprint is functional and convenient, battery access is easy, powering them is easy, they're built like artillery, and best of all they sound good. It amazes me that their double pedals haven't made a bigger splash in the market, as they offer a lot of tones, even their multi-effects units are respectable. My favourites over the years have been chorus, distortion, and EQ pedals, and I still use a Super Chorus CH-1 in my board (currently the only BOSS there). 

Breaking out of the generic needs supplier and being a boutique wants supplier means going from mass market to small market, unless they manage to lead the market with a hip new sound...good luck with that.

I was in an L&M yesterday, and there were lots of them new and used.

Peace, Mooh.


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## The Grin (May 5, 2009)

I have no brand loyalty, its all about the sound i like. Boss is good quality but I just never cared for their distortions, same with digitech but I do own the CH-1 and want the FRV-1. As for the multi-effect pedals, the only one I have ever liked (to be fair, i haven't tried many) was the Zoom 606. I think it was a Boss ME-30 my old guitarist had and every time he hit the switch pedal, his tone would be diced asunder. I KNOW with time you can set them up so they dont do that but not all guitarists do. This is why i prefer the pedal board, hit it once and its on or off. Simple....


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## The Grin (May 5, 2009)

Nope i was wrong. It wasnt the Boss ME-20 it was the Digitech Rp300a.


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## Guest (Jun 7, 2010)

bagpipe said:


> I'm always amazed when I see pics of the pedalboards of "big name" players. Almost always filled with Boss pedals. Maybe they are Boss pedals that have been modified - I don't know. It only seems to be on forums such as these that so much time is spent focusing on the latest and greatest pedals, guitars amps etc. I guess the big name guy are too busy touring, recording etc to spend much time focusing on these things.


Dave Navarro posted his board from a Jane's Addiction tracking session last week: all Boss. I see that pretty frequently.


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## vasthorizon (Aug 10, 2008)

I have a Boss DS-1 and DM-2.

I got the DS-1 for $15 and just clipped a couple of diodes and it sounds like a pedal worth 10 times more.

The DM-2, for me, is the best analog delay pedal without going tape.

I'm keeping both of them.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

I have 6 pedals--5 of them are Boss, the one that isn't was a gift.
I mostly use 4 of them--3 of those Boss.
(The two I rarely use are the BF-1 Flanger-the older style big pedal & a PH-1--doesn't fit what I play now, but it did when I got it. Maybe I should put them up for sale or trade and get something I will use more often.)

This wasn't intentional, that I only buy Boss pedals--but I have tried out various brands--and for the money I had to spend, and what I wanted--Boss did the job.

I also have a Rockman half rack---but I didn't include it in the ratio above--as it's not a pedal.


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## Alien8 (Jan 8, 2009)

BOSS products set the standard for all others to achieve. If you want a specific sound, and it's reliably repeatable, buy BOSS. They are also very hardy for use on the road, and do the trick. Plus, their just BOSS pedals, and everyone has em, so no one wants to steal them? ...and who cares if you loose one - except for the money issue.

I've always found BOSS to be sterile, and harsh - taking some of the life out of my tone. If you want organic detailed sound, go "boutique", but buyer beware - listen first. For me it's about dynamics...

Boutique pedals are definitely susceptible to hype, but some you just can't beat, and you can hear the difference they offer to their 'BOSS' counterparts. The difference is always heard in the studio... live it doesn't always matter - even a TS808 through a Marshall can sound like farting in the wrong room with a bad sound guy.

And I do fully agree, the player is where the tone starts, not the gear. Buy gear that supports your tone - BOSS or not. Whatever works to express what you do WORKS.


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## discomalaria (Feb 17, 2010)

I personally use a lot of boss products, as do most of the people I jam with. Some reasons being that they are adequately priced, deliver decent performance and are ubiquitous and easily replaced when on the road.

But the real factor I think is the reliability of the brand. The few boss products I use have outlasted practically everything else I've ever owned. They are well built products.

I've always felt that the Boss products were great for gigging and touring, while the boutique products tend to show their strength (and flexibility) in the studio.


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## allthumbs56 (Jul 24, 2006)

I have a CE-2, DD-3, SD-1, DS-1, OD-3, and a TU-2 right now. These are all very good pedals - even unmodded. They come and go on my board in varying mixes with other stuff but none of them are ever going anywhere. 

Other pedals I'd never be without? H20, Route 66, FD-II, TonePress, Rat - everything else will come and go.


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## gearalley (Oct 23, 2009)

iaresee said:


> Dave Navarro posted his board from a Jane's Addiction tracking session last week: all Boss. I see that pretty frequently.


Dave Navarro has been a Boss poster boy for many years. He probably really does like them, but he's an endorsee. I'm sure there is something extra in it for him.

Like all other pieces of gear, stompboxes had to evolve, Boss hasn't done much about it. I appreciate their contribution to the pedal world, but you won't see anything but a DD-6 or DD-7 on my board and only at a very cheap, very used price. There is more to explore sonically, and it's a shame that they are missing out on that.


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

The Grin said:


> I have no brand loyalty, its all about the sound i like. Boss is good quality but I just never cared for their distortions, same with digitech but I do own the CH-1 and want the FRV-1. As for the multi-effect pedals, the only one I have ever liked (to be fair, i haven't tried many) was the Zoom 606. I think it was a Boss ME-30 my old guitarist had and every time he hit the switch pedal, his tone would be diced asunder. I KNOW with time you can set them up so they dont do that but not all guitarists do. This is why i prefer the pedal board, hit it once and its on or off. Simple....


I feel teh same way when the other guitarist in my band turns on hit Boss ME-70 (or something like that) through his solid state (eep!) Marshall. Where are the earplugs?!?!?!?


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## k tone (Oct 7, 2008)

I think Boss is missing a huge market by not re-issuing some of it's classic pedals from years past. The CE-1, CE-2, HM-2, DM-2, and PhaseFive (Roland) come to mind. I currently have a DS-1 and a DD-3 on my board. The new DD-3 just replaced my old MIJ DD-3 after over 20 years. My old DD-3 still works, but only when it is warm out. The DS-1 replaced my vintagey HM-2 that still works as well but I don't want to mess it up. I tried a Rat2 and while I found that the distortion sounded good at lower volumes I thought it sounded poor when I cranked up the amp. It made a decent boost but I do not need that so I sold it and bought a new DS-1.


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## allthumbs56 (Jul 24, 2006)

k tone said:


> I think Boss is missing a huge market by not re-issuing some of it's classic pedals from years past. The CE-1, CE-2, HM-2, DM-2, and PhaseFive (Roland) come to mind. I currently have a DS-1 and a DD-3 on my board. The new DD-3 just replaced my old MIJ DD-3 after over 20 years. My old DD-3 still works, but only when it is warm out. The DS-1 replaced my vintagey HM-2 that still works as well but I don't want to mess it up. I tried a Rat2 and while I found that the distortion sounded good at lower volumes I thought it sounded poor when I cranked up the amp. It made a decent boost but I do not need that so I sold it and bought a new DS-1.


That's a great idea - certainly Ibanez and Maxon have managed to benefit from this formula just as Fender has done in the amp department and most guitar manufacturers too. I'd love to see a reissued DM-2.


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## copperhead (May 24, 2006)

allthumbs56 said:


> That's a great idea - certainly Ibanez and Maxon have managed to benefit from this formula just as Fender has done in the amp department and most guitar manufacturers too. I'd love to see a reissued DM-2.


i agree you think they would take notice to the keeley,monte allums mods comming out & reissue a few (its pretty much replacing a few caps )


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## ONFLOOR AUDIO (Jul 22, 2010)

With a few simple changes inside alot of the analog O/D & Dist. pedals the BOSS stuff can hang with a ton of the boutique 
units costing 3 times as much ....fact !! been there done that ! 

Boss has sold more than 10 million units world wide over the years , for a reason !


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## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

Those Boss pedals set a standard 30+ years ago. Before that, pedals came in all sorts of shapes and sizes (mostly bigger because of the tech of the time). Boss created a standard pedal size that has been copied ever since. I also think they sound pretty good and are extremely well-made and reliable.

I just don't like the fact that they aren't true bypass. The 'silent switching' thing was a big deal way back then, but I think most people now will happily put up with a some 'click' if it means no tone suck. There's no doubt in my mind that six Boss pedals strung together and in bypass will affect your tone.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

A number of the "classic" discontinued Boss pedals have shown up in the Behringer catalogue. They currently make clones of the: Dimension C, Slow Gear, VB-2, Distortion Feedbacker (DF-2), and most likely a bunch of others.

The chassis they implemented solved a number of enduring problems in pedals that have never really gone away:

- the need to have a big target to aim your foot at, while having a small pedal footprint
- the need to have your knobs out of the way so your feet wouldn't bugger up the settings or break the controls
- a standardized convenient location for applying power
- a noiseless switch with status indicator
As for sounds, they DO tend to stick with what the market wants, rather than aim for the counter-intuitive. On the other hand, the market IS pretty conservative (one of the many reasons why the Slicer and Wave Processor have shown up in marked-down bins). You will also note that no matter how many ice cream companies may come and go, they ALL offer a vanilla and a chocolate, because people like it.

There are some very good reasons why Boss is not folding any time soon. I just wish we had more insight into their development process.


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## Levi79 (Dec 15, 2010)

Boss is now popular enough that they don't have to be good to make alot of money.


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## torndownunit (May 14, 2006)

Boss just makes good pedals that work. They don't need to come up with a 50 word name filled with sexual innuendo or food terms. An SD-1 is an SD-1 and it's as good a pedal now as it ever was. I respect their approach personally. 

I think SOME of the boutique pedals are over-rated, and the prices are out of control. The majority of them aren't for the average player.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

In many cases, the prices of those units/mods are because somebody decided it was going to be their entire revenue stream, and had to charge those kinds of prices to make it financially viable to pay rent, health insurance, car insurance, taxes, alimony, whatever. I doubt that anyone is going to quit their day job if they charged minimum wage to mod a DS-1 or Tube Screamer, and the shipping cost more than the labour they charged.


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## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

I don't think they are just watching the "parade go by". Roland still makes new pedals and continues to make almost the same pedals that they were adn are still popular, DS1, DD3, CH1, etc. Maybe the price of manufacturing the discontinued pedals is keeping them from producing those pedals.

I actually still have all of my Boss pedals. Before I got a Pedaltrain mini, my grab and go pedalboard is an old Boss BCB-6 with a DD-3, CH-1, SD-1, DF-2, CS-3 with the PSM-5. I used that board for over 10 years until the boutique pedal craze started.

On my present board, I continue to use the DC-3 Digital Dimension.


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## Ti-Ron (Mar 21, 2007)

mhammer said:


> The chassis they implemented solved a number of enduring problems in pedals that have never really gone away:
> 
> - the need to have a big target to aim your foot at, while having a small pedal footprint
> - the need to have your knobs out of the way so your feet wouldn't bugger up the settings or break the controls
> ...


That is so true and that is why I love Boss Pedal! The box it self is awsome, they need to put more time and sweat inside the box!


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## screamingdaisy (Oct 14, 2008)

I think the other thing to factor in is that Boss has a worldwide market.

During the last economic boom Boutique seems to have hit North America really hard. I'm not sure what it's been like elsewhere, although in some of the places I've travelled a low end Fender sits on a pedestal like a Custom Shop guitar would over here.... and they have Boss pedals on hand.


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## The Grin (May 5, 2009)

I forgot what was all covered but I went to a bass clinic with Victor Wooten and he said that if you forget its there, then it must be good equipment. Pedals are a bit different but in the end, some people dont really care that much about their tone and just want to rip some nickel. In that case, boss has everything one would need.


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