New BOSS pedals!

[Pepe]

Got it for $500 in hand. My girlfriend pushed me to get it. So... I will now be selling one of them.

Wow, that's really impressive. And keep your girlfriend, for heaven's sake!

[bigtone23]

That's interesting about the op amps of the MT2 changing. It certainly makes sense, as the 90s era MT2 was 100% unusable for me. Even the lowest gain setting on those was too much gain, too much compression.

I too don't necessarily find much need for the Waza versions, as i have most of the originals and like them a lot. The TU3W will get scooped up when one pops up for a good deal. I like the black and blue motif of it. Same with a FZ1W, I don't have any BOSS Fuzz, but would like that one (and a FZ2!).

I actually like the original MT-2, but I'm a fan of massively saturated 90s tone seeing as that is when I started playing, but I also take full advantage of the parametric mid and boost the crap out of it. I don't get to play loud very often, so it ends up meshing well with my playstyle at lower volumes. With that in mind, I think the newer version and the waza probably fit most people better.

I really like the FZ-1W, although I don't care much for the the TB-2W, FZ-2, or FZ-3 even though I have them. I sometimes classify the PW-2 as a fuzz since it's the closest thing Boss has to a Big Muff. The FZ-1W has been regularly going on sale for $149 since last November.

The weirdest of the Wazas to me is the DS-1W. When I think DS-1 I usually think of the MIJ/Black Label MIT circuit, but I have owned (and modded) plenty of V2, V3, and V4. I found all 4 versions of the standard feel similarly when played regardless of the tonal differences. The DS-1W I think sounds in the realm of a DS-1, but I don't think it plays at all like a DS-1. I think it feels a lot more like a Rat in that regards.

Yeah, the DS1 is a funny one, seemingly quite polarizing.
I have a stock 86 MIJ (which will remain stock for integrity and as my "control" DS1 for comparisons. I used to have a very early MIT ('89 if I recall correctly) that was identical in tone and response to the MIJ, so I sold it.
I also have two MITs from the early 21st Century. One I picked up stock for $20 and modded with the Wampler JCM800 mod (had to try it, and it's very cool!) and the other is a Garmopat modded MIT I picked up for $40. The Garmopat DS1 seems like some sort of riff on the Keeley Seeing Eye mod, as it has a 3 mode switch and LED that breathes with the signal gain. Two of the three modes can be useful to me. I can't find any detailed info on the mod online, as it seems Garmopat had faded into history.
I see no need for a DS1W as I don't DS1 much, but when I do, the MIJ does it.

[bigtone23]

That's why I cannot really bond with my PW-2. I rarely use it, because the Big Muff sound is something that has always left me unimpressed. A friend of mine has a model from 1974 and I had the chance to use it with my gear for some weeks. No love, I'm sorry.

Oh, that could be the first DS-1 version that I could like. I have tried them all. So far orange BOSS pedals aren't appealing to me.

I like Big Muffs, but I'm fairly selective in how/when I use them. I think they do a great job of texture for certain parts of songs, but I don't really use them as a primary tone.

If you are looking for more touch sensitivity and responsiveness, the DS-1W is that compared to other versions, and it's particularly noticeable when playing in a staccato style. It uses JFETS to clip and doesn't saturate as much and has less compression. I've probably owned 75 DS-1 and I found the primary variability between the V1s is the level of compression (with the component variance due to drift/tolerance in the tone stack being #2). Long-dash tend to have far less compression than later ones.

The wildcard of orange pedals IMO are the germanium DS-2s, both MIJ and early MIT. I have had 7 and every single one of them sounded completely different. Some were entirely unusable in one of the modes for me due to being extremely harsh and ice pick while the other mode sounded great (this has happened with both standard and turbo modes). The last one I sold sounded like a Klon and a TS9 had a kid, and not even remotely like a DS-1 in either mode. Least consistent Boss pedal ever for me, sometimes they are really cool/unique, other times meh, other times very similar to a DS-1.

I'm the same with Muffs. They are just not my primary thing. I have a 74 V2, 78 V4 and 84 V6. They cover pretty much the three main Muff tones. The V2 was the only one that I would plug in and use for the whole playing session, it's less scooped and smoother in the top end. But... that was in the 90s.

That's interesting about the DS2. I need to play my MIJ DS2 and see how relatively ice pick or smooth it is. I haven't paid much attention to it, as I scooped it up as a bargain for the collection, not as a player. Give it a comparison to my MIJ DS1, as it's a good, standard DS1.

[zentropa]

I'm the same with Muffs. They are just not my primary thing. I have a 74 V2, 78 V4 and 84 V6. They cover pretty much the three main Muff tones. The V2 was the only one that I would plug in and use for the whole playing session, it's less scooped and smoother in the top end. But... that was in the 90s.

That's interesting about the DS2. I need to play my MIJ DS2 and see how relatively ice pick or smooth it is. I haven't paid much attention to it, as I scooped it up as a bargain for the collection, not as a player. Give it a comparison to my MIJ DS1, as it's a good, standard DS1.

The V2 Big Muffs are my favorite circuit from what I have played/owned, and probably the only Big Muff circuit I would ever use a lot. I think the V1 is the only one I haven't spent a lot of time with. My tone is still very 90s
I currently only deal in clones due to size/cost/durability. Stomp Under Foot is my favorite company for those, although I have found a few other brands that are good, too.

Hopefully your DS-2 ends up being cool.

[bigtone23]

I'm the same with Muffs. They are just not my primary thing. I have a 74 V2, 78 V4 and 84 V6. They cover pretty much the three main Muff tones. The V2 was the only one that I would plug in and use for the whole playing session, it's less scooped and smoother in the top end. But... that was in the 90s.

That's interesting about the DS2. I need to play my MIJ DS2 and see how relatively ice pick or smooth it is. I haven't paid much attention to it, as I scooped it up as a bargain for the collection, not as a player. Give it a comparison to my MIJ DS1, as it's a good, standard DS1.

The V2 Big Muffs are my favorite circuit from what I have played/owned, and probably the only Big Muff circuit I would ever use a lot. I think the V1 is the only one I haven't spent a lot of time with. My tone is still very 90s
I currently only deal in clones due to size/cost/durability. Stomp Under Foot is my favorite company for those, although I have found a few other brands that are good, too.

Hopefully your DS-2 ends up being cool.

Yep, the V2 is killer. Not so fuzzy, just a nice, slightly hairy and raw distortion. It was amazing through my 72 OR120 head and 73 Orange 4x12" with Mesa MC90s. I sold that head in the 90s and miss it terribly.
I do remember my DS2 sounding OK, much like the DS1, both of which are not my cup of tea anymore. Those were more my 80s era Distortions (well, actually the DF2 was my #1).

[zentropa]

Continuing my July X-mas bonus spending spree...

Got a good deal on this one since the previous owner had "customized" it. Sort of silly, because in the lot of stuff that had been dropped off at the shop to be consigned as part of an estate liquidation I recognized. The person had obviously purchased 4-5 BCB-3 cases (the cases weren't there but the daisy chains and patch cables were and I recognized them from being mid to late 90s ones), but they felt the absolute need to run a 4th pedal apparently. Their solution was to drill out part of the cases to run cable ties through to mount them to a piece of wood. Cuz ya know, running 2 BCB-3 cases would have been so difficult.

I probably would have been irritated by this, but they gave it to me for half of what I was expecting to pay. It is the MN3005 chip

DM-2.jpg (91.49 KiB) Viewed 3694 times

DM-2 Customized.jpg (48.09 KiB) Viewed 3694 times

[zentropa]

Last of my big purchases for a while. This arrived today:

VB-2.jpg (90.17 KiB) Viewed 3649 times

[BearBoy]

Blimey, you have been on a spree

Picked up some crackers there.

[Pepe]

A few years ago I had an original VB-2 that I was able to buy for a ridiculously low price. I had to give it away due to financial reasons (my wife was unemployed at that time). I really miss it. Do you think that the VB-2W comes very close to the sound of the VB-2?

[laurie]

Nice additions to the collection.