Can I go wrong with a DS-1?

[Sykes]

I mean, they're only 40 bucks new.
They've been around along time, so I'm sure several opinions have been formed.

They're cheap, but if they suck, I'm out. Tell me. Do the mods help much more on this pedal to make it a keeper?

Also any other suggestions, under 200, would be appreciated.


Thanks

The operative word here is "THICK".

 

[TheArchitect]

Re: Can I go wrong with a DS-1?

I've bought and sold 3 of them. If you want them for a lead boost on a dirty channel, they can work. If you want them for your primary distortion, well Satch made them work great for years but I never could. Personally I would pass.

Under 2 bills I would look at the Marshall Guv'nor.

 

[martinsixstringcustoms]

Re: Can I go wrong with a DS-1?

I mean, they're only 40 bucks new.
They've been around along time, so I'm sure several opinions have been formed.

They're cheap, but if they suck, I'm out. Tell me. Do the mods help much more on this pedal to make it a keeper?

Also any other suggestions, under 200, would be appreciated.


Thanks

The operative word here is "THICK".

If you get one, I'd recommend John's mod. I have one for sale (sorry, shameless plug ), and it's definitely better than stock after John does his magic. I just don't have use for it since he modded a TS9 for me which works out better with my Orange Rocker 30.

 

[Curly]

Re: Can I go wrong with a DS-1?

the DS-1 plus John's mod is definitely worth the $$, and there is no comparison between the stock pedal, and the pedal with his mod
the fact that it looks like just a regular Boss pedal makes it a sleeper

 

[green_insomniac]

Re: Can I go wrong with a DS-1?

I second the modded TS9, but you might also want to look into the Maxon 808. It's modeled after the Ibanez TS 808 I believe and I've heard nothing but good things about them.

 

[James Rock]

Re: Can I go wrong with a DS-1?

I found the DS-1 very harsh and i liked the GuvNor better even if it is a bit muddy

 

[big_black]

Re: Can I go wrong with a DS-1?

If you really want one, buy it used. Stock, they are not worth $40 IMO. I prefer to plug straight into an amp, clean channels are too muddy for my taste with even one pedal in front. I use the DS-1 with my Crate amp as it only has one channel....I deal with it at home.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Can I go wrong with a DS-1?

The DS-1 not only DOES NOT SUCK...it's my favorite tone conditioner for getting a great rock tone (especially at lower volumes) that I've ever used. Keep the distortion set very low (my buddy AJ keep it almost at zero!) and experiment with the level and tone settings until you can turn the volume down on your guitar and get a sparkling cleanish tone for rythym and then crank the volume on the guitar up to full for killer rock soloing tone. Lew

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Can I go wrong with a DS-1?

The DS-1 not only DOES NOT SUCK...it's my favorite tone conditioner for getting a great rock tone (especially at lower volumes) that I've ever used. Keep the distortion set very low (my buddy AJ keep it almost at zero!) and experiment with the level and tone settings until you can turn the volume down on your guitar and get a sparkling cleanish tone for rythym and then crank the volume on the guitar up to full for killer rock soloing tone. Lew

Lew has the early MIJ DS1 and they don't suck! The Taiwanese versions are brighter and harsher though....Basically the newer ones could benefit from the mods...PM me if you're interested?

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Can I go wrong with a DS-1?

Lew has the early MIJ DS1 and they don't suck! The Taiwanese versions are brighter and harsher though....Basically the newer ones could benefit from the mods...PM me if you're interested?

Yeah I do...but I don't think the Taiwanese one sucks either. I do like my MIJ DS-1 a little better, but really they sound very similar. John does great mods on the DS-1 though...take him up on that offer. You'll be glad you did!

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Can I go wrong with a DS-1?

Yeah I do...but I don't think the Taiwanese one sucks either. I do like my MIJ DS-1 a little better, but really they sound very similar. John does great mods on the DS-1 though...take him up on that offer. You'll be glad you did!

To me Lew,the MIJ version is a bit warmer and clearer,plus it has a different circuit....The chips are different also...

Appreciate the plug! :dance:

 

[strangegrey]

Re: Can I go wrong with a DS-1?

They're good for a quasi clean boost of some amps...meaning, keep the gain all the way down, same for the tone, and pump up the level. Other than that, I find the DS-1 as a stand alone distortion pedal to be very harsh and unfriendly...

granted you see all these big name guitarists, Vai and Satch use these things...and to this day, it boggles my mind how and why. Robert Keeley is probably the reason why this pedal still sells. It's supposed to sound great modded...I don't know if I would consider the DS-1 worth the trouble to try to desolder those resistors and caps, however...

Personally, I find the BD-2 Blues Driver and the SD-1 Super Overdrive to be the two best dirt pedals of the Boss family. The BD-2 is transparent as all getout...and, in conjunction with some amp dirt, can get really heavy...so dont let the 'Blues' moniker fool ya. The SD-1, well...two words....Zakk Wylde....having said that however, the SD-1 can be very warm and butter too...

As far as pedals go, I've found tonal nirvana with a barber LTD. It's got just enough dirt to drive a semi-dirty amp balls out.....it's fairly transparent....and you don't need to spend/waste time/money modding the pedal...it's boutique, but it's cheap. 100 bucks will get you in the door with the LTD and it's one of the best OD pedals I've tried....and I've tried the fulltones, the Banzais, the klons, etc...

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Can I go wrong with a DS-1?

granted you see all these big name guitarists, Vai and Satch use these things...and to this day, it boggles my mind how and why. Robert Keeley is probably the reason why this pedal still sells. It's supposed to sound great modded...I don't know if I would consider the DS-1 worth the trouble to try to desolder those resistors and caps, however...

That's why guys like myself mod the pedals....To get rid of the harshness,fix the tone control taper,add better components,tweak values of components for an overall better sounding pedal,different chip,and all for a $40 pedal new before the mods....I've done probably 100 or more DS1s! I can't stand the MIT versions stock,but the modded versions are like a brand new and different pedal...

 

[Sykes]

Re: Can I go wrong with a DS-1?

Will the mod work as the sole distortion, thru a sorta clean channel?
Is it that able?
I'm not just boosting a dirty channel.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Can I go wrong with a DS-1?

Will the mod work as the sole distortion, thru a sorta clean channel?
Is it that able?
I'm not just boosting a dirty channel.

There are tons of reviews on the subject and I've modded a whole bunch for forum members! Do a search....

The modded DS1 has been described as a JCM 800 on steriods with lots of added harmonics,more gain,more lows....It's not modded to be a clean boost,it's modded to rock with higher gain and overall ballsier tone..

Through a clean amp setting...

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Can I go wrong with a DS-1?

There was an interview with Steve Vai in Vintage Guitar a few years back and he was asked about the diff bewteen the older MIJ and newer MIT DS-1.

He said he could gig with either and get his tone and that although he prefered the MIJ version he didn't think there was a huge diff between the two.

I feel the same way. John's right though...there is a little diff in tone between the MIJ and MIT version.

 

[guymanperson]

Re: Can I go wrong with a DS-1?

menatone red snapper

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Can I go wrong with a DS-1?

The magic of the DS-1 is not as a Mega-Overdrive heavy metal distortion unit that you stomp on and off! When Vai and Satriani (and me!) use one, they tend to leave it on all the time and not turn it off. Like I said, you turn the distortion down and the level and tone to about 1/2 way...experiment. What that lets me do is use the volume control of my Strat or Tele to go from clean, bright rock rythym tones to overdriven Les Paul-ish tones just by manipulating the volume control of the guitar.

It is FABULOUS PEDAL just as is...mods tend to be designed around making it produce more distortion that can be stomped on and off, and to me that's kind of missing the point of what the DS-1 is all about.

I have tried one of John's modded DS-1 pedals and the distorted or overdriven tone was great and the low end had more heft...but the clean tones when the volume control of the guitar was turned down to half were compromised a bit.

I also had a Keeley Seeing I modded DS-1 for a while...same thing. More distortion but the ability to use it as a Tone Conditioner and go from clean to overdrive with the guitar's volume control was compromised.

IMO, including a DS-1 in your effects chain and set as I described will make most other distortion or overdrive effects sound better...even a Big Muff sounds "better" and more useable and versatile run through a DS-1.

Lew

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Can I go wrong with a DS-1?

The magic of the DS-1 is not as a Mega-Overdrive heavy metal distortion unit that you stomp on and off! When Vai and Satriani (and me!) use one, they tend to leave it on all the time and not turn it off. Like I said, you turn the distortion down and the level and tone to about 1/2 way...experiment. What that lets me do is use the volume control of my Strat or Tele to go from clean, bright rock rythym tones to overdriven Les Paul-ish tones just by manipulating the volume control of the guitar.

It is FABULOUS PEDAL just as is...mods tend to be designed around making it produce more distortion that can be stomped on and off, and to me that's kind of missing the point of what the DS-1 is all about.

I have tried one of John's modded DS-1 pedals and the distorted or overdriven tone was great and the low end had more heft...but the clean tones when the volume control of the guitar was turned down to half were compromised a bit.

I also had a Keeley Seeing I modded DS-1 for a while...same thing. More distortion but the ability to use it as a Tone Conditioner and go from clean to overdrive with the guitar's volume control was compromised.

IMO, including a DS-1 in your effects chain and set as I described will make most other distortion or overdrive effects sound better...even a Big Muff sounds "better" and more useable and versatile run through a DS-1.

Lew

Exactly....My DS1 mods aren't for guys that want to use the DS1 as a boost and there are other pedals that work equally as well as the DS1,in fact the SD1 is a nice boost,as is the Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive and several other overdrive pedals..The Keeley SEM was horrible and I tryed his pedal...Still was too shrill and he uses LEDs in that mod which I found actually made the pedal even harsher sounding...He also used mica caps which I think make the pedal harsher...I Like ceramic caps where he used mica...

I always let people know about what the mods change before they send me their DS1,simply because the mods aren't for the guys using the DS1 like you do Lew.....Steve Vai I'm pretty sure has hooked up with Keeley and has had at least 1 of his DS1s modded by him...Not sure about Satch,but if Vai did,you can almost bet Joe has a modded DS1 also!

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Can I go wrong with a DS-1?

Thanks John! Well...that about covers this subject I think!:laugh2: