Might get a cool, early BF2!

[bigtone23]

The BF-2 is one of the few early BOSS pedals that I really like very much.

It's pretty legendary!
This will be my third I have had.
I had a black label/black screw I bought new in 83, which I sold around 1991.
Picked up the current 89 green label several years ago.

Never had a HF2, though. Want to check one out. In the Waza dream thread, a BF2W would be cool with the HF2 mode.

[bigtone23]

I landed it!
Just gotta wait a month to pick it up-police hold.
The velcro is annoying. It's really stuck to the label. Will have to do some delicate surgery when it comes home.

An alternative to risking the bottom label would be to keep an eye out for something on the cheap with a “use a coin” bottom label to swap and sell with a velcro bottom, something like an NF-1.

Good idea! I kinda want an NF1 to convert to a SG1, anyway!

[chromandre]

Never had a HF2, though. Want to check one out. In the Waza dream thread, a BF2W would be cool with the HF2 mode.

I have no real idea if they are planning this but for what its worth, I see posts that coolaudio does have a dual 512stage BBD, so that would be entirely possible to make a BF-2w with an HF-2 mode sw. I have a beatup BF-2 with a socket for the 2 chips (MN3204, MN3207) they are both great pedals , you can imagine the BF-2 is more chorus like and the HF-2 is more phase like. I think I prefer HF-2 for airplane noise flanging it’s kinda subtle in ways but somehow it does what I think of a classic swoosh, but I I also love the BF-2 I might even prefer BF-2 over an actual chorus, it can be rotary like and plus it has mind bending sounds with resonance, sitar sim even. Great pedals there’s probably a good reason the BF-2 has so many iterations

[bigtone23]

I landed it!
Just gotta wait a month to pick it up-police hold.
The velcro is annoying. It's really stuck to the label. Will have to do some delicate surgery when it comes home.

An alternative to risking the bottom label would be to keep an eye out for something on the cheap with a “use a coin” bottom label to swap and sell with a velcro bottom, something like an NF-1.

Got lucky and was able to remove the velcro!
Just required steeply bending the velcro back on it's self as I peeled it from the bottom of the pedal/label, keeping the label flat and holding it down to the rubber pad as I peeled. The label did come off and is a little bit haggard from the process, but glued back on and looks just like the general condition of the pedal, as it's not anywhere near collector's grade.
It's funny, I was more concerned about getting the velcro off than plugging it in! I'm going to plug it in now. Gonna plug it in with a 1979 EH Hot Tubes with full understanding that the Hot Tubes will be returned in a day or two. I just wanted to hear that circuit, as I understand it's sort of unique.

[Pepe]

Congratulations! I know that feeling. I really hate velcro on the label. One or two of my labels needed glue as well.

[bigtone23]

Fired it up and compared it to it's younger brother, the green label 11-89 MIJ.
Tonally, they are close enough to write off as general circuit tolerance.
Visually, there are many differences. The 80 is lighter purple, the enclosure does have some different specs (the footpad part is a tough thinner, the battery compartment has 2 access holes, different components, different circuit boards, etc...) What's interesting is that the 80 has a round recess on the inside of the footpad where it contacts the switch, where the 89 has a protrusion. Despite having several late 70s/early 80s Boss with this same recess, I have never noticed it before. Also, the later revision where BOSS made the battery compartment fully sealed up is a good move. I imagine this removed the possibly of a leaky battery ruining the circuit board.
Some comparison pics for fun and reference... Early MIJ 80 on the left, late MIJ 89 on the right.


Here it is on the 80s board with it's other silver screw family.