The coolest Boss pedals

[Gearjoneser]

With the trend of boutique pedals over the last 20 years, it seems like the original "pedal company" Boss has had to keep innovating to stay relevant.

In my opinion, they went in the direction of cutting edge sounds, while the boutique world chased all the highest quality versions of classic circuits.

Because of that, I think everyone's attention got diverted away from some great innovative Boss creations.

I'll bring up my favorites...
The Boss PS-6 Harmonizer (the harmonies and pitch bending are as good as thousand dollar rack units), and the MO-2 Multi Overtone (like a Jamaican steel drum and odd organ tones).

The DD-500, one of the best delays from the company that specializes in delay....the DD-7 is better than most boutiques, and we haven't even discussed the newest multi effects units they make.

Let's hear about your favorite newer Boss pedals.....not the old classics everyone knows.

 

[B2D]

Re: The coolest Boss pedals

I just got a DD500 and it is fantastic. I had a DD20 before that and it was good but the DD500 is much better - better sound, more controllability, cleaner, and clearer. I had a Strymon Timeline at one point and it was just TOO much - you got lost editing that thing even though it did sound great. The DD500 gives me everything I really needed from the Strymon but cuts out all the stuff I don't use. It's awesome.

Let's see - some of my other faves.

OD1
BD2
DS-1, especially the Keeley Ultra Mod version. It was the thing to beat when it came out. I actually used that as my dirty channel for a few years.
CE-2 - THE chorus pedal.
DC2 Dimension C - i had one and sold it. I should not have.
DM2 - great little analog delay. Ray Gun time!
PH1 - my favorite phaser
SG1 slow gear - great unique effect, especially when combined with ambient effects.
GE7 - always very useful.
TU2 - my main tuner until the Pitchblack came around.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: The coolest Boss pedals

+1 for the DC-2. I fried mine. Now, I have the CE-20.

I like some of the BOSS/Fender collaborations - the FRV-1 Reverb and, to a lesser extent, the FDR-1 Deluxe Reverb. The former has the all-important Dwell control. The latter, I only really use for its tap tempo modulation.

 

[B2D]

Re: The coolest Boss pedals

+1 for the DC-2. I fried mine. Now, I have the CE-20.

Yeah the CE-20 gets REAL close. The Dimension D setting on the Line 6 MM4 does too, but I like the boss better.

I don't like the real estate requirement, but I can't seem to get away from the CE-20 for the stuff it does.

 

[B2D]

Re: The coolest Boss pedals

I think boo-teek pedals are fraud. They are based on make-belief claims and exorbitant prices. Boss is the real deal.

I trust my ears and my fingers. Some boutique stuff really does deliver the goods. Some do not. Some offer diminishing returns for the price. Effects sound a certain way but to seal the deal they have to feel and react a certain way when they're played as well. And some of them are better simply because of how much they DON'T affect the sound when they're off.

That being said, it's interesting how many boutique pedals are based on Boss stuff that was done right the first time. Boss seems to understand this with their Waza Craft pedals - I hope they come out with more of those.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: The coolest Boss pedals

In some instances, the point of the boutique pedal builders was to exploit certain components that were no longer commonly in use. Some times, integrated circuitry fails to match the performance of the old-fashioned, discrete parts.

 

[Rich_S]

Re: The coolest Boss pedals

I've been thinking about bumping my CE-2 in favor of a PS-6. The "Detune" mode is a better chorus than chorus, plus it does other wacky stuff.

I like my FRV-1 for adding drippy reverb to my reverb-less Champ clone. "Close enough" for me....

I'd really like to get an ME-80 just to fool around with all the new effects Boss has come up with the last few years. A GT-100 would be overkill for me, but Johnny Marr's recent live album, "Adrenalin Baby" is basically all GT-100 and his tones are brilliant.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: The coolest Boss pedals

I agree the best Boss pedals now are the ones that are trying to blaze new paths, not retread the paths of yesterday. The SL-20 slicer is a very cool effect. I recently learned that the polyphonic octave craze (POG, etc.) was actually started by Boss with the OC-3! Also things like the BF-3's momentary Flanging and the PH-3's barber pole phasing are pretty unique, sure to find their way into other Flangers and Phasers. (Catalinbread and Chase Bliss come to mind)

In some instances, the point of the boutique pedal builders was to exploit certain components that were no longer commonly in use. Some times, integrated circuitry fails to match the performance of the old-fashioned, discrete parts.

I'd argue that was completely the point of the originals. Fuzz Face and Uni-Vibes long out of production. Boss and MXR pedals changing components over the years as supplies dried up and cheaper options were available. Wahs drifting to the lowest common denominator for both reasons, EHX being EHX before their late 90's resurgence. Even now, a lot of the boutique world is taking a mass produced circuit that may or may not be discontinued (thinking of the Marshall Blues Breaker and Guv'nor) and tweaking component types and values to really optimize the tone.

Many times the argument is "My guitar heroes only used off the shelf pedals, why do I need anything different?" And of course my response to that is "The off the shelf pedals from years ago that share the model number with today's pedals are not the same when you dig inside. Also, you know Roger Mayer, Pete Cornish and Bob Bradshaw were modifying pedals for the stars for years... "

 

[Mincer]

Re: The coolest Boss pedals

I loved the GigaDelay (DD-20), but haven't tried their new super delay. I also liked the mid-80s Super Feedbacker and Distortion, that would produce artificial 'feedback' when pressed and held. It was weird at first, but as you use it more, it became indistinguishable from the real thing. I always liked their reverb pedals, as well as their multi-fx for lots of good sounds at a great price.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: The coolest Boss pedals

Oh yeah, the Reverbs were WAY ahead of the curve, especially for modulated and super long reverbs.

 

[skyydogg01]

Re: The coolest Boss pedals

BF-2!! Nothing I've tried has even come close. Ibanez CF-7, DOD FX75C, EH Stereo Electric Mistress ... Nothing!!

In fact, I'm at the point in my life where I only want Boss pedals. I've got a TU-2, SD-1, DS-1, BF-2, I want an RV-6 and a chorus (probably CH-1). The only thing I don't trust them with is metal distortion. The Metal Zone is effing terrible (for me anyway).

 

[DinoTrousers]

Re: The coolest Boss pedals

The Terra Echo is intense! I don't own one, but used one several times, and it's on my wish list. Their new switching system is fantastic. And a shout-out to my favorite, the TR-2 Tremolo. Fantastic bit of kit.

 

[ThisDyingSoul76]

Re: The coolest Boss pedals

They created the first acoustic simulator. There are others now, but they don't do everything the Boss pedal does.

 

[Little Pigbacon]

Re: The coolest Boss pedals

I think the FRV-1 and the FBM-1 are both really good.

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: The coolest Boss pedals

the new dm-2w analog delay is superb. It is not just a reissue, it is a really nice upgrade with extra functionality.
I love my old cs-2. Stacks up sounding sweeter, clearer and richer and quieter than the slew of boutique ross/mxr clones out there.

 

[Scott_F]

Re: The coolest Boss pedals

what, no TU-2? haha

 

[Aceman]

Re: The coolest Boss pedals

DD-3 - Because it is the only Delay you need unless you are an analog geek or the Edge.
SD-1 - The OTHER Overdrive if you don't want a Screamer
RV-3 - Ultimate in Delay, Reverb or Delay plus reverb!!!!
CS-2 - Fantastic analog compressor. Serious tone pedal.
Power Stack - GREAT raging Marshall pedal

Other Boss Bad@$$ery, of which these are kinda rare, but super cool awesome boxes.

High Band Flanger
Pan/Tremolo
Dimension C
Slow Gear

 

[JeffB]

Re: The coolest Boss pedals

The only newer pedal from them that interests me is the space echo sim. I dont think I have owned a boss pedal in the last 12 or 13 years (edit- forgot.I bought a ds1 that I reolaced quickly with the hh mentioned below). Their new versions of old pedals (ds1, sd1, ce5, etc ) sound mediocre at best (comparitively) and I have no need for the "innovative" and/or complex multi pedal digital stuff they are geared towards now. The last two DS1 "clones" (digitech hothead,mxr ba78) I owned were far better sounding DS1s than Boss themselves produce today.

LOVE the enclosures and switches though.

 

[TimmyPage]

Re: The coolest Boss pedals

The Boss OC-3 is really impressive, I've seen it on a few acoustic boards and recently Reverb.com had a feature on Gilad Hekselman where he showed off some of the sounds. [LINK] I can't really think of any other pedal that does what it does with the 'polyphonic octave' which keeps your upper string sounds pure but adds bass and depth to your lower strings.

The Boss BD-2 is an absolute classic. Every time I see it on someone's board these days I know I'm in for a treat, it's just such a versatile, fat rich sounding overdrive pedal. It can get really high gain too, and with a touch of a boost or high gain pickups you can get a cool fuzz-tinged sound out of it as well. The newer Waza version is brilliant, the tone pot has been adjusted to be much more musical (so the pedal as a whole is less fizzy and trebly, you can run the treble at 1pm and not slice your ears off).

The DM-2 gives me GAS like nothing else. I didn't even know I wanted it until the Waza version came out, but I've been listening to demos of the w and the original for weeks now and just falling in love. The waza craft version will be mine within a few weeks.

I love the Boss Enclosures as a whole. They're instantly recognisable and the switches feel amazing. I like how their enclosures have a cool uniformity and minimalism, while still allowing you to instantly recognise the model by colour alone. Even though I don't use batteries in any of my pedals, there's something really satisfying about how the battery compartment is accessed with the thumb pin at the front.

Not my collection, but I like the pic.

 

[Aceman]

Re: The coolest Boss pedals

OK - here is a closet classic;

Boss Digital Metalizer