MXR "Custom Badass" Stomps - Confusion & Clarity

[LLL]

There's a lot of misinformation out there (go figure) regarding two of the MXR "Custom Badass" stomps.


The pedal modding/cloning community has determined that the:

- MXR Custom Badass Modified O.D.

Is a somewhat modded Zakk Wylde OD (ZW-44)...
... which, in turn, is a modded BOSS SD-1

and the:

- MXR Custom Badass '78 Distortion

Is a modded BOSS DS-1 (the DS-1 came out in 1978) a la Keely "Seeing-eye" mod

[ErikH]

That is correct. And the green (or cream) MXR Classic Overdrive has a "ZW mode" switch inside. It's great overdrive. Wish I would've kept that one.

[Hsb]

Ive had both the Green/White MXR classic and the Custom Badass 78 Distortion and I couldnt get either to sound good, kind of a mix of muddy and brittle at the same time. I know those are polar opposites but no matter how the pedals and amp were set, they just sounded like poo. I no longer own either one.

[devastone]

The 78 is more modified "new" DS-1, the original was a totally different circuit with a single opamp which is OOP. It can still be found and the BYOC orange distortion is a clone of the original DS-1 with some tweaks.

[eclecticsynergy]

DS-1 circuit is very good at goosing a tube amp that's breaking up already. That's what it was designed for.
Not made for a modern pedal-platform setup. Never been able to get a great sound from mine with a clean amp.

[jeremy]

there is no clarity with your terrible font color choices

[devastone]

Works better with the dark background apparently.

[LLL]

there is no clarity with your terrible font color choices

Hah!

The colors were picked because that is the actual color of the pedal; respectively.

[jeremy]

ha! its pretty washed out on the white background but that makes it ok, even if i cant see it

[Aceman]

The 78 is more modified "new" DS-1, the original was a totally different circuit with a single opamp which is OOP. It can still be found and the BYOC orange distortion is a clone of the original DS-1 with some tweaks.

But is it not a "modded new DS-1" to sound like an original '78, plus a Keeley Seeing Eye Mode? Circuit be damned...does it sound good?

You get an 'original' DS-1 and a Keeley modded version.

[devastone]

The Keeley mod is different. Not saying it doesn't sound good, just that the DS-1 has been 2 different pedals, the old ones sounded great, the new ones can sound great, but different. We put an old MIJ next to a Keeley modded one back in the day, both were good, but different. The MIJ ones were much warmer. From what I've heard the 78 doesn't sound like the old ones, not sure if you can get there from here. Again, not saying it sounds bad, but if you get a chance to try one of the originals it's worth trying, not sure it's worth what they sell for these days, nor am I really sure what they sell for these days, but they nailed it with the first ones.

And yeah, may have to try to find a MSR 78 sometime to play around with, the clips do sound good.

[Aceman]

The MIJ ones were much warmer.

See - I think that is just an example of pot variation.

[devastone]

See - I think that is just an example of pot variation.

Nah, I don't smoke pot, it's the chip. From what I can find, the 78 does look to be a single opamp circuit, so it is probably more similar to the original with a different chip and Keeley type mods, but hard to find good info on it, nobody wants to figure out SMT circuits.

I don't know why you have trouble believing that the original design sounds different, Rats with LM308 chips sound different than the OP07 chips, it's subtle, but there. The DS-1 versions are very different circuits, not sure why you would expect them to sound the same, but this has gone way OT, my bad.

[Aceman]

Nah, I don't smoke pot, it's the chip. From what I can find, the 78 does look to be a single opamp circuit, so it is probably more similar to the original with a different chip and Keeley type mods, but hard to find good info on it, nobody wants to figure out SMT circuits.

I don't know why you have trouble believing that the original design sounds different, Rats with LM308 chips sound different than the OP07 chips, it's subtle, but there. The DS-1 versions are very different circuits, not sure why you would expect them to sound the same, but this has gone way OT, my bad.

I have trouble with people saying they hear things with their eyes and their brains, instead of their ears. Example:

Gibson Chambering and short Tenons. Until somebody actually X-rayed them there was absolutely no discussion of any merit that there was anything different. Meaning...the EARS couldn't tell. After that eyes and brains got involved and everything was stupid. I have heard and own a LOT of distortion pedals and overdrives. I am very familiar with the "Alleged" differences. But I was also around in 78-87. I didn't hear a damned thing about "OMG - they changed the DS1!!!!! You need to go find an original one."

So the DS-1 thing, to me, is just another Internet myth, until someone REALLY shows me that it is reliably different or that someone who doesn't have 4 legs and tail can tell the difference. One DS-1 vs a 78 DS-1 does not a reliable difference make. I can find two TS-9's that sound different, an 808 and TS-9 where one sounds bright and dark, or Vice-Versa.

Go get me 3-5 78 DS-1's, and 3-5 new DS-1's. Play them in a blind test, in random orders, on the same settings, 5 different times. If you can can tell me the 78's form the New ones better than 50%....fine. Until then....An interesting and often repeated internet legend, that may or may not be true. But just because the chips or construction is different, doesn't mean they actually sound any different.

Rat is a great example: Really smart Engineers, and really good guitar players, and people with really good ears all get in a room and say "Hey - let's build a NEW Rat pedal. The new one won't sound as good as the old one - but people will buy it anyway!!!" Or they get in a room and do what I said. Then they go "Sounds just like the older one. Different chip didn't make a damn bit of difference when no one knew the chip being used. The Engineer said that would be the case...." It costs a $1.57 to try 7 different chips to pick a new one that sounds the same. But sure, they went with one that sounded different enough to make guitar players want the original instead, because, you know, it isn't about sales....I have had a bunch of Rat's on my board the past few years. I could set any of them up so that you would walk in the door and say "That Rat sounds awesome!" Could have been a 1981 Original, Could have been a Solo, a Rat 2, or my Mooer.

But since no one is going to really put the effort in to put the BS to rest - you believe what you want. I will remain skeptical until I am shown differently. Maybe Santa Claus will bring you a real 78 DS-1 for Christmas...

[devastone]

Nevermind, totally different circuits from the actual service manuals,I have the electronics degree and have tried them, but since you have a PhD who am I to argue.