Appreciating the DS-1 (Un-Modded)

[ehdwuld]

Re: Appreciating the DS-1 (Un-Modded)

The distortion channels on both my Carvin and Laney amps are diode clipping variety
Both sound a lot like the Ds-1
I also have a DS-1

I like it

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Appreciating the DS-1 (Un-Modded)

When you have sold +10 mill pedals.....do you care much about any small niggles??
The DS-1 of today is not the same as the DS-1 of old times.
I think it had at least 3-4 revisions.
Maybe it will get the Waza treatment?
As it does not take much tinkering to make it sound good again

[Silence Kid]

Re: Appreciating the DS-1 (Un-Modded)

It's funny to me that the DS-1 is still even made, or that there haven't been significant alterations. They're cheap enough that they're basically a case with free knobs at the prices you can grab them for, and so few leave them stock if they buy them at all. You'd think Boss would be more aware of their poor reputation, even if as mentioned, they CAN work for things.

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Appreciating the DS-1 (Un-Modded)


A few of my old ones...before I actually sold the lot....I am down to a bare minimum now....
I got sick of all that crap everywhere
Haha but yes they sounded pretty good too, them old Boss things

[NecroPolo]

Re: Appreciating the DS-1 (Un-Modded)

As far as I can remember it was my fav BOSS drive pedal back in time. I got it used around the early '90s and it was already battered but sounded pretty good to the ears that I had around the time, it was a much better fit to me than ODs SDs and the like.

[Gainstage]

Re: Appreciating the DS-1 (Un-Modded)

Even Gary doesn't make that thing sound good either.
Do you guys ever pee a little when you play through a really great pedal? Or have you ever been experienced...

[JeffB]

Re: Appreciating the DS-1 (Un-Modded)

Gary Moore circa 79-84.

Strats. Jr.s. ds-1 and Marshalls. For me, his best years

[aleclee]

Re: Appreciating the DS-1 (Un-Modded)

My DS-1 sounds fine into a clean amp, but that's only if I precede it with a good wah-wah. The wah controls and shapes the "fizz" and fartyness.

My sounds great into a clean amp stacked with a Menatone Workingman's Blue.

[hydro]

Re: Appreciating the DS-1 (Un-Modded)

I used a DS-1 for ages as my main distortion box. in those days, I didn't really think much about tone or gear, playing as loud as I could through begged/borrowed rigs.

When I finally got my own amp with a dirt channel, I didn't need it any more - and my bass player suggested taking it to the shooting range. He really hated it. Buzzy, killed low end, etc. But it got the job done for me for years...

Today I have another cheap orange dirt box at the end of my chain - the MXR Distortion III. I've never heard a dirt pedal that was more "me" than this one. When you find the sound you love, you stick with it.

[devastone]

Re: Appreciating the DS-1 (Un-Modded)

Have had an old early 80's for years...sold most of my 80's collection to an old friend...
That DS-1 from back then sounds different from the newer ones for starters, and with a good amp and all that, they do sound good.
They are just tools.

Yep, the early ones are very different from the current ones, starting with a different type of chip (I know you already know this Nils). The old ones with the TA7136 chip are much warmer and smoother sounding than the new ones (I actually was able to do a side by side years ago with a friend's old DS). That said, they can all be made to sound good and have been used by a list of who's who of 80s/90s guitarists, and yes, as has been said, they work best to boost an already crunchy amp.

[Chickenwings]

Re: Appreciating the DS-1 (Un-Modded)

Les Paul-Ds1-jcm800
Killer sound in anyone's language

[Gainstage]

Re: Appreciating the DS-1 (Un-Modded)

Or.....you could just get a much better pedal and have a nice door stop.

[skyydogg01]

Re: Appreciating the DS-1 (Un-Modded)

If you are willing to lift/clip out diodes D4 and D5 you will lose lots of the fizz. Makes the pedal sound much much better. I also power my DS-1 (black label Taiwan version if it happens to matter) with 18 volts. Has worked without a single problem for the past year, and sounds superior to 9-volt and 12-volt power supplies.

Try replacing D4 and D5 with red LEDs. It makes the pedal so much better than stock. The mod increases volume and smooths out the distortion a little but not as much as clipping out the diodes.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Appreciating the DS-1 (Un-Modded)

Have had an old early 80's for years...sold most of my 80's collection to an old friend...
That DS-1 from back then sounds different from the newer ones for starters, and with a good amp and all that, they do sound good.
They are just tools.

[toneseeker74]

Re: Appreciating the DS-1 (Un-Modded)

If you are willing to lift/clip out diodes D4 and D5 you will lose lots of the fizz. Makes the pedal sound much much better. I also power my DS-1 (black label Taiwan version if it happens to matter) with 18 volts. Has worked without a single problem for the past year, and sounds superior to 9-volt and 12-volt power supplies.