SMT Boss Pedals?

[Chistopher]

Anybody know the details on Boss's transition to SMT? I bought a CS-3 to mod for bass purposes, but neglected to check if they are through hole or not. I've heard their Malasia factory is the only one that's transitioned, and this one is made in Taiwan, but I don't know for certain if that info is still up to date.

 

[misterwhizzy]

We could all speculate, or you could unscrew the baseplate and see for yourself.

 

[dave74]

Got the serial#?

https://www.stompboxzone.com/decoder/

 

[Chistopher]

I just canceled the order and bought one that was MIJ. Should he here by the middle of next week.

 

[Aceman]

Use the boss pedal serial. number date app thing and check. Buy used.

 

[dave74]

Anybody know the details on Boss's transition to SMT? I bought a CS-3 to mod for bass purposes, but neglected to check if they are through hole or not. I've heard their Malasia factory is the only one that's transitioned, and this one is made in Taiwan, but I don't know for certain if that info is still up to date.

I think some of the first models began to transition in 2017 and more models have continued to do so every year since.

 

[NegativeEase]

Yeah, only way to be sure unless it has black screw and says MIJ is open it up.

BTW I don't know which mod you want to do, but certain mods like true bypass, you can still mod an SMT version -it just has to be a mod on the way in or out of the PCB from the jacks.

 

[dave74]

Yeah, only way to be sure unless it has black screw and says MIJ is open it up.

BTW I don't know which mod you want to do, but certain mods like true bypass, you can still mod an SMT version -it just has to be a mod on the way in or out of the PCB from the jacks.

Now that is good to know. If a few of my Boss pedals were true-bypass they would be much more likely to make the board.
I wonder if true-bypass modding on Boss pedals will always need the hole drilled on top with an mxr-style switch. (?)

 

[Chistopher]

I'm converting it to a bass compressor.

 

[ErikH]

Now that is good to know. If a few of my Boss pedals were true-bypass they would be much more likely to make the board.
I wonder if true-bypass modding on Boss pedals will always need the hole drilled on top with an mxr-style switch. (?)

Yes, a different type of switch needs to be used because Boss uses a flip/flop circuit utilizing transistors to determine if the circuit is open or closed based on the plunger switch. It's a pretty darn good bypass method if you ask me. Silent and the buffer is not the worst in the world. I've certainly had experience with much much worse bypass circuits. True Bypass isn't the end-all solution. It can be very bad for the signal having nothing but TB pedals. Not saying you do.

 

[devastone]

Yes, a different type of switch needs to be used because Boss uses a flip/flop circuit utilizing transistors to determine if the circuit is open or closed based on the plunger switch. It's a pretty darn good bypass method if you ask me. Silent and the buffer is not the worst in the world. I've certainly had experience with much much worse bypass circuits. True Bypass isn't the end-all solution. It can be very bad for the signal having nothing but TB pedals. Not saying you do.

Stop it! You're making too much sense, next thing you know you'll be saying DC resistance is not a measurement of output.

 

[Chistopher]

Stop it! You're making too much sense, next thing you know you'll be saying DC resistance is not a measurement of output.

That explains why the humbucker I pulled out of a buddies guitar he got at a yard sale had a DCR of infinite and yet couldn't produce a signal

 

[devastone]

By DCR = output logic, it should have blown up anything you plugged it in to with an infinitely hot signal!

 

[dave74]

Yes, a different type of switch needs to be used because Boss uses a flip/flop circuit utilizing transistors to determine if the circuit is open or closed based on the plunger switch. It's a pretty darn good bypass method if you ask me. Silent and the buffer is not the worst in the world. I've certainly had experience with much much worse bypass circuits. True Bypass isn't the end-all solution. It can be very bad for the signal having nothing but TB pedals. Not saying you do.

I like Boss switches too, which is why I probably would not have one modded to TB if it requires changing the switch type. I also like Boss buffers BUT if you have too many together they kill your volume and more importantly they will start killing the dynamics, softening the highs, compressing, and reducing the lows.

I tried for myself awhile back by using the LS-2's patches. I used all the same series cabling on both patches. Patch A was just a 6 foot cable and patch B was a row of Boss pedals (all analog) connected by 6 inch jumpers and then a 2 foot cable back around to the patch return,,,,,,so both patches had about the same amount of the same model cable (Roland black series).

I started with 4 Boss pedals in the patch B (plus the LS-2 has the buffers also, so I was actually running 5). All were off except of course the LS-2 itself.
Compared to the patch A it was a ridiculous amount of loss across the spectrum. I had to turn-up the patch B's level to about 3:00 just to match patch A at noon.

Then I started pulling pedals out of the patch B one at a time to see how it changed. When I got down to the LS-2, PH-2, and SD-1 in patch B it was OK again, not much loss.
From now on I'm only going to use the Boss pedals in selective positions on my board and stick with TB for everything else.

Not related to Boss, but I also had always assumed that since my amps mostly have tube-buffered loops that I did not need any buffering in those loops.
Man was I wrong. Just by switching my HOF2 reverb to buffered bypass it made a big difference in equalizing the level/tone between loop-off and loop-on.(last in line before the long cable back to the amp)

 

[Mincer]

I remember modding a CS-3 before, which involved swapping a few components. I didn't bother with the switch as it was an 'always on' pedal.