One for the trivia/minutae experts

[SamXTherapy]

Many Boss pedals have black controls with metal caps, from way back in the earliest days of the compact series.

Why are some inconsistent in the colour of the metal bit? For example, I have seen BD-2s with silver and gold coloured caps, likewise TR-2s. Never seen DM-2s with anything other than silver, though, not even the reissue DM-2w.

Does it signify anything at all, and if it's just due to stock shortages/changes, how come it's on only a select few pedals, one of which is very popular, BD-2 and the other, which I suspect isn't a big seller, TR-2?

[SamXTherapy]

Oh, and while we're at it, why did they change the BF-2 controls from the nice chunky things with a red marker to those horrible things with the white tops? I mean, they must have still been able to get 'em, since the VB-2 uses the same controls and they even have 'em on the Waza version.

[Pepe]

I think that they simply reactivated the production of the black and red VB-2 knobs for the VB-2W. The knobs have also been used in some of the BOSS synthesizers and mixing consoles back in the '80s, so they were already available as a solution when they needed smaller knobs for the first four-knobbed compact pedals (BF-2, VB-2 plus the CE-3). Then a few years later all the other new BOSS pedals were equipped with the black knobs with the coloured top and the synth/mixer product lines changed. The production of the black and red knobs solely for the BF-2 hadn't been cost-efficient, I'm sure. The same happened to the DM-3/CE-2B knobs. Those were also used in the Dr. Pad drum units at that time. When the Dr. Pad units disappeared the knobs of the CE-2B also changed to the black/white model.

Regarding your first question I think that some users lost a gold coloured knob and replaced them with a standard knob.

[SamXTherapy]

Ah, could be. Except... the Boss website shows the BD-2 with silver caps, yet mine has gold. It's not the Waza version, either, just a plain old BD-2.

[verivorax]

So I have an idea on this matter..

I've found on a number of my older pedals a thin plastic film on the silver insert. In many cases, this has yellowed with age/smoke/UV and makes the insert appear more golden or bronze than silver. I do not know when this practice was halted, but I do know that I struggle internally between removing them when I know they're there to make the pedal appear newer, or leaving them in place - a sliver of truly ephemeral material incongruously remaining on a 40 year old pedal.

Now my question is are the modern golden inserts recalling the look of an aged knob, or trying to up the bling on the pedal? Is it a factor of knob supply or maybe country of origin?

[SamXTherapy]

The plastic skin - transit wrap - is still on new Boss pedals. I've found it on all the ones I bought over the past couple of years:

DM-2w, BD-2, CE-2w, TR-2, DS-1

Probably the most obvious answer is the correct one: Boss got a load of control knobs from their supplier and some of 'em had gold inserts.

[sclitheroe]

Probably the most obvious answer is the correct one: Boss got a load of control knobs from their supplier and some of 'em had gold inserts.

I think it's more deliberate than that - the OD-3 was a gold insert pedal, along with the BD-2.

I don't remember if my TR-2 is gold, I'd have to go look again, but i think you're right!

[SamXTherapy]

Just for the sake of clarity, I'll rephrase the original post:

I have seen brand new, untouched BD-2s on sale with both silver and gold caps on the controls. As stated, even the Boss website shows the plain ol' BD-2 with silver caps. AFAIK, the TR-2 has always had gold caps. So, that eliminates the idea some people replaced theirs as an explanation.

There are a million and one inconsistencies in their pedals; how about the reshaped lower case "e", for example?