Boss DS-1 love...

T

toneseeker74

New member
So after years of avoidance I picked up a Boss DS-1, black label made in Taiwan. I gotta say that I like it quite a lot. Not quite love it, but really like it. I run the tone control around 10 o'clock, distortion 7 o'clock to 12 o'clock, and volume to taste depending how much volume boost I want. As long as I keep tone low and distortion reigned in it does not thin out as much as many reviews indicate. I like how it chops/tightens the bass just enough for clarity. For now it's staying like it is.:opcorn:
 
Re: Boss DS-1 love...

How are you using it? Into what amp/channel, etc?

I agree there is a lot of hate for it. But I think most just don't know what to do with it. At least these days....
 
Re: Boss DS-1 love...

yeah that's pretty much how I liked to use a stock taiwanese ds-1 when I had a deluxe reverb reissue.
the OR15 has enough gain so I almost never use the ds-1. still, stock ds-1 is cool with the right amp I think. I'd like to try one with a twin reverb.
 
Re: Boss DS-1 love...

My point exactly fuse. That is a box originally intended to be run into a low gain distorted amp. When you do that - it sounds fantastic. Used to do that when running a single gain stage on my old (70's) Peavey Classic.

But if you dime the dirt and play it into a clean channel - or worse, a solid state....:earl:

I think a ton of people do that then bag on it. Too bad.
 
Re: Boss DS-1 love...

I have a ds1 with the (sem) mod and its major rad vaginal flaps goodness.

I don't use it much but when i do i love it. I think last time i ran it next to my maxon 0d9 pro plus through my peavey jsx/5150cab.Is that normal? haha
 
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Boss DS-1 love...

I like the old DS-1 better than the newer ones. By newer I mean around the mid 90's to present. The problem with them is the first gain stage (after the buffer stage) has too much gain. The signal is already clipped, and not pleasantly. So when dialing in the distortion, it's distorting an already clipped signal.

There is a fix for this that Jack Orman has shared. It's called the Fat Mod and entails adjusting that first gain stage so it does not clip. I've done it a few times and it does make a difference.

http://www.muzique.com/news/fat-mod-for-the-boss-ds-1/

And as mentioned, the DS-1 works best in front of an already dirty amp. It doesn't have to be a lot. Just some breakup and not clean.
 
Re: Boss DS-1 love...

Aceman said:
How are you using it? Into what amp/channel, etc?

I agree there is a lot of hate for it. But I think most just don't know what to do with it. At least these days....
Click to expand...

I run it straight into a Gibson GA-8 Discoverer or a Traynor YBA-1 + 4x12 with Celestion G12-65's. Guitars are Strat with Fender 57/62 pups or SG with Seth Lovers. I set the DS-1 with tone pretty low, distortion low to medium, and volume to taste.
 
Re: Boss DS-1 love...

toneseeker74 said:
I run it straight into a Gibson GA-8 Discoverer or a Traynor YBA-1 + 4x12 with Celestion G12-65's. Guitars are Strat with Fender 57/62 pups or SG with Seth Lovers. I set the DS-1 with tone pretty low, distortion low to medium, and volume to taste.
Click to expand...

I can imagine very cool sound through the Gibson.

This is exactly what this thing is for.
 
Re: Boss DS-1 love...

Gary Moore> 61 fiesta red strat>boss ds1>other boss pedals> marshall 1959 or 1992= Corridors of Power= SUPER KILLER TONE.

I prefer an old stock MIJ over most "mods" I have played. I have a MXR BA78 (modded ds1) and it has its moments, but I would much rather have an old silver screw.
 
Re: Boss DS-1 love...

toneseeker74 said:
I run the tone control around 10 o'clock, distortion 7 o'clock to 12 o'clock, and volume to taste depending how much volume boost I want.
Click to expand...

+1



That's pretty much how I like it! I used to use one all the time with my 335 into a Traynor amp. Really sings for lead playing like this . . .
 
Re: Boss DS-1 love...

Clipping d4 or d5 out of the circuit will cut a lot of the distortion and give a massive volume boost. I run mine like that.
 
Re: Boss DS-1 love...

Had a few old 80's ones....always where nice with some old Marshalls and such....and a few combo's.
Never like dthe newer ones much...they turned up the dirt on those....harsh in a ugly way!
 
Re: Boss DS-1 love...

I just swapped d5 for a white LED I pulled out of a coleman headlamp just now and I couldnt put the guitar down for over an hour. I was running it into my Rev Jr set just slightly dirty. It was tight and cleaned up nice. I think more gain than stock too...or at least I was able to turn the gain up almost all the way before it went to crap like a stock DS1. I was just about to trade the DS1 towards a Kramer tomorrow too and now it stays.
 
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