Superman's Gear Choices: Boss DS-1 and Ibanez TS-9

[Lewguitar]

Steve Vai:

“I use two distortion pedals: an Ibanez Tube Screamer and a Boss DS-1. The DS-1 puts out the fattest sound of any distortion pedal I’ve heard—and I use it about 70 percent of the time onstage—but it doesn’t track very well when I play fast, so I switch to the Tube Screamer."

These would be two of my faves too...especially the DS-1.

It's inexpensive and functions as much as a tone conditioner as a distortion pedal.

Try setting both controls at about 10 O Clock and play with the settings until you can set your guitar's volume control at 5 or 6 and get a nice clean tone and then go to a great overdriven tone when you turn your guitar up to 10.

Lew

 

[Surgeon]

Re: Superman's Gear Choices: Boss DS-1 and Ibanez TS-9

Yeah, I remember that you said that you just leave the DS1 on almost all the time don't you? I sure love the one that I got modded by sir John Spina himself. I'm not saying that the stock one doesn't do a good job but John's mods sure made it into an even better pedal.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Superman's Gear Choices: Boss DS-1 and Ibanez TS-9

Yeah, I remember that you said that you just leave the DS1 on almost all the time don't you? I sure love the one that I got modded by sir John Spina himself. I'm not saying that the stock one doesn't do a good job but John's mods sure made it into an even better pedal.

Yeah that's how I use it when I use it.

Vai leaves his on "70% of the time".

I think that's the way to use the DS-1.

If a guy is just stomping it on for solos and stomping it "off" when he's done soloing, he's missing out on 90% of the DS-1 usefulness because it gets a great "rock clean" tone once you get the hang of it.

I liked the modded DS-1 John sent me, BTW. But mine is an original MIJ DS-1 and not modded. Vai's are modded though.

 

[jmh151]

Re: Superman's Gear Choices: Boss DS-1 and Ibanez TS-9

Vai uses Keeley modded TS-9's and DS-1's. Spina mods are probably very similar, if not the same, but I think there's a big difference, based upon youtube videos I've seen, between those stock pedals and modded ones

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Superman's Gear Choices: Boss DS-1 and Ibanez TS-9

Vai uses Keeley modded TS-9's and DS-1's. Spina mods are probably very similar, if not the same, but I think there's a big difference, based upon youtube videos I've seen, between those stock pedals and modded ones

I don't think there is. Not a really big diff anyway. I've owned and played a few modded DS-1's including a Keeley modded DS-1. Wasn't hugely differant from my stock one. Yeah it was differant...a little more bass and a little more overdriven...but not like twice as hot or anything.

The way Vai uses a DS-1 is similar to the way I use it and it's a very different approach to the stomp it on for solos/stomp it off for rythym thing.

Once you get it figured out it's amazing what the DS-1 can do for your rock sound...both solos and rythym.

 

[liono9]

Re: Superman's Gear Choices: Boss DS-1 and Ibanez TS-9

Hey Lew on your reccomendations/observations i also nabbed a MIJ DS 1 on e bay ,waiting for delivery.I'll try the above mentioned settings ,hopefully i'll like it

 

[ErikH]

Re: Superman's Gear Choices: Boss DS-1 and Ibanez TS-9

I actually unmodded my DS-1 for a while. When you played it Lew, it was real hot from those LED clippers. Now it has 1 stock diode and one 1N4001 diode. I've done a few other changes too but nothing like it was a few years ago. It's better now, and more midrange.

I set it to both tone and dist at 10 o'clock and the level at noon. It does clean up well rolling the guitar vol back to 6. I like it with the dist at 1-2 o'clock too. It sounds like a cranked up Marshall with the dist up full. That added midrange sure helped. I'm going to be cutting some clips this week during my practice time so I'll share them then for you to hear.

The Keeley modded DS-1's don't clean up as well as a stock one does but they do still clean up fairly well. Better than many other OD's and distortions on the market.

 

[Rich_S]

Re: Superman's Gear Choices: Boss DS-1 and Ibanez TS-9

I was so happy the day I realized I could hear what Vai was talking about, with the DS-1 not tracking fast playing. For me, it's just a flubby low end, since I'll never be able to play fast enough for it to become a tracking issue. But at least I can comprehend what he said. LOL

 

[ErikH]

Re: Superman's Gear Choices: Boss DS-1 and Ibanez TS-9

There's a simple way to get rid of the flubbyness. You can descrease R7 or decrease C3. Decreasing R7 will lower the gain as well as tighten it up. Lowering C3 leaves the gain as-is while removing some of the bass before that first gain stage. Changing it to .033uf is a good starting point.

 

[Rich_S]

Re: Superman's Gear Choices: Boss DS-1 and Ibanez TS-9

Or just turn off the DS-1 and turn on the SD-1. That's why they're next to each other on the pedalboard.:biglaugh:

 

[MikeS]

Re: Superman's Gear Choices: Boss DS-1 and Ibanez TS-9

Wow, Lew's really gone Steve Vai crazy.

Huh, Lew's one of the last people on the board I would have expected to see become such a big fan of Steve Vai.

 

[ErikH]

Re: Superman's Gear Choices: Boss DS-1 and Ibanez TS-9

Yeah, Rich, that too...LOL. I have my OD-1 in front of the DS-1. Really, it's a SD-1 modded to OD-1 specs.

It's nothing new to me that Lew's a Vai fan. I've known that. What's shocking to me is that he wants a JEM...LOL. That's not something I ever expected to see.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Superman's Gear Choices: Boss DS-1 and Ibanez TS-9

Yeah, Rich, that too...LOL. I have my OD-1 in front of the DS-1. Really, it's a SD-1 modded to OD-1 specs.

It's nothing new to me that Lew's a Vai fan. I've known that. What's shocking to me is that he wants a JEM...LOL. That's not something I ever expected to see.

:lmao: I've always thought Steve Vai was the best of all the 80's rock virtuosos...he and EVH.

I don't know that I'm going to get a JEM...I might. I've made an offer on one...we'll see if the seller goes for it or not.

I was blown away by Vai's playing and musicality on the last G3 tour with Satriani and Malmsteen. I thought he was several steps ahead of either of them: better tone, better phrasing, more creative...less posturing and more music.

Thought the same thing when I saw G3 with Eric Johnson.

I got that DVD of G3 in Denver and Vai just steals the show. Not just with speed and chops: it's the music itself.

But as for the JEM, there's a better chance I'll buy a new acoustic guitar to compliment my Collings Rosewood and Adirondack OM. I love the way it records but I miss the sound the mahogany Taylor I borrowed for a few sessions sounded.

It belongs to the bassplayer we were playing with but "were" means I don't have access to it anymore.

So I'm looking very seriously at a Collings Dreadnaught with an Adierondack top and Honduras Mahogany body.

I sold all of my acoustics that I didn't love and kept my Taylor, Collings and Nationals.

 

[ubertwerp]

Re: Superman's Gear Choices: Boss DS-1 and Ibanez TS-9

How do you guys think the Bad Monkey stacks up vs the tubescreamer and the ds-1?

I think it sounds good ,but never played a ds-1...

 

[jerryjg]

Re: Superman's Gear Choices: Boss DS-1 and Ibanez TS-9

I have an analogman modded DS-1 and also a TS-808.
The 808 is perfect with a marrsshall( Duh) but i heavent put the DS-1 through its paces yet.

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: Superman's Gear Choices: Boss DS-1 and Ibanez TS-9

A stock DS-1 is like sex.

A modded DS-1 is like sex with a nympho redhead.

They're both great, and I would be happy with either one, but given a choice ...

 

[Pete Galati]

Re: Superman's Gear Choices: Boss DS-1 and Ibanez TS-9

How do you guys think the Bad Monkey stacks up vs the tubescreamer and the ds-1?

I think it sounds good ,but never played a ds-1...

I have a Bad Monkey. To me, it's a nice EQ'd booster type pedal. Works well with master volume amps. I don't like it for non-master amps.

I like the DS-1 a whole lot more. It has a nice distortion, and it's a simple circuit that doesn't cloud up your tone.

I can't stand the sound of the Tubescreamer. To me, it sounds like PeeWee Herman through a bullhorn.