Hi guys- so to answer some of your questions- i really like this pedal below 1 or 2 o'clock or so on the gain- that's plenty of distortion! Above that is diminishing returns I think...
I picked up a used ST-2 for $50 and man, what a steal. I use it at the more "plexi" setting and I think it sounds great. It is not the only distortion pedal on my board (3 in fact, LOL) but it is distinctly different sounding than the other two. I highly recommend this pedal!
I've been using this pedal for about a year now. I thought it sounded decent with a Vox AC15 but wasn't too thrilled with it. I had the chance to play it through a Fender Deluxe Reverb this past weekend and WOW! It had an amazing crunch to it. Having the proper amp really helps makes it sound alive
Pete, you are the ultimate Guitar Nerd! Just picked up the ST-2 last night. By far the best Boss distortion...but better than just that. Your demo is very accurate to the tones one can achieve. Thanks again, Pete for another outstanding review and demo.
Pete’s come a long way in his demo video prowess. Talk about a flashback. I never knew these pedals were out for so long. They must be good because you don’t see too many come up on the used market.
This is a great overdrive , distortion pedal..it is very warm and amp like Pete says ...A total sleeper pedal for sure that will one day become a classic for Boss !
Thanks for all the great demos Pete ... for someone as busy as yourself it's greatly appreciated that you actually sit down and put these products through their paces with various guitars .. this is such a great service for us musicians who rely on such demos before making a purchase ... and I'm kicking myself in the ass for not checking out your show with M. Etheridge in Sudbury , Canada ... I would of loved to of seen you live ! Fantastic playing ... someone who can shred with taste=AWESOME !
@swyitch hi, it's the clean channel of my signature amp- the PT100. It is basically like a Fender Twin on the clean channel. Cab is a Bogner 1-12" with a Scumback 65watt M75.
Stick has to be a tone wood stick though -- roasted maple or maybe alder. The can MUST be pre-war tin. The later aluminum cans don't resonate the same way.
Love your demos Pete. I've been playing for 30+ years and you are one awesome player my friend. Your command of the guitar just amazes me and I've seen most of the greats over the years. Great stuff and I'm a fan. Mike
I just tried this pedal tonight at Guitar Center and loved it. I would have bought it but I went to GC to get the TC Electronic Hall Of Fame Reverb. I will get the Power Stack next time. Nice video and great playing, as usual!
Been using this pedal for about a decade now. And I’ve gone up and down on it. I’ve complained and I’ve heard complaints about it being noisy. I’ve found that this is a digital pedal and when I have tried to daisy chain it with other pedals it is noisy because of the current draw. But since I’ve run it with an isolated power supply it’s no more noisy than any other overdrive. To me, this is not a modem heavy metal pedal. It will definitely get you your Van Halen, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Priest but the Metal Zone Waza or Metal Core is more for your chugging modern metal pedal. I love the gain at about 9-10. Vintage Marshall tone perfect for AC/DC, Zeppelin and KISS.
That Suhr T is amazing! I got a Warmoth custom T to get put together once I get home from College. Seeing your awesome Suhr T is not helping my Guitar Acquisition Syndrome in terms of missing my new guitar I haven't even played yet.
Dang it Pete thorn you did it again, I just bought this pedal cause you make everything sound awesome, I swear you could play a potato and make it sing!!! Uhh that’s like 20 pedals and gear I bought cause of your amazing demos!!!
Great review and Pedal. Found the sounds are spot on / good up to the 12oclock sound knob range. After 12 it becomes a little tinny and the noise/ hum kicks. Need a noise gate pedal when you push the Sound knob between 1-6 oclock, looses its warmth and becomes just another digital overdriven soul less chime.
Love this pedal. Only drawback with it is the noise factor when in high gain mode. A noise suppressor does the trick though. Other than that, one of my favorites.
@julianoacustico they are stock Suhr single coil T pickups..... if you contact the folks at suhr and say "what's in Pete Thorn's Classic T" they will be able to tell ya....
Hahah "I was rocking.. TOO hard" I don't know how you can get such an amazing tone no matter what you plug into. Your tone is always so juicy. I've spent so many hours trying to capture the sound of my FTR but i just can't do it. So i'm thinking the key is two different mics on the cab like you. I just love the juicy tones
The Power Stack pedal really makes humbucking pickups come alive with gobs of tone! It's balls-out heavy with a nice midrange punch -- doesn't scoop the mids like so many tone-sucking distortion pedals. I think I might upgrade from my Boss DS-1 to this monster tone machine!
I got one of these pedals a while back and I think it's the one to get if you are on a tight budget but need a good-sounding distortion pedal. This is very impressive since I'm not much of a fan of most of Boss's distortion boxes. This actually sounds great, though!
the more i hear this pedal..the more i like it. Looking for that good dist box thats flexible. metal zone is good.. but one sided tone wise. this pedal can shred.. but also sounds fabulous with strats in a bluesy rig.... 2 more weeks and I will have it... cannot wait..
@sinasl1 Wow. This is what it says on his website: Gear I will only endorse/promote gear that I actually use! Its a good thing Peter Thorn has integrity. With his Midas touch, I think he could sell anything. I don't think this guy could sound bad if he tried ! I watched others demo the same gear and not sound as well. I just watched him also demo TC NOVA system and it sounded great. These manufactures would do well asking him to recommend presets and amp combinations. Excellent player.
Still recommend this pedal today? Im getting kind of tired of having to adjust gsin on my amp and hoping to use this as a "2nd channel". Plus i love the sound of plexis and jcm800s
The pedal's too noisy and I bought the NS-2 to get rid of the noise. Pete's right it is more like an amp channel than a dist pedal, If you turn the sound knob above 12 o'clock you also have to decrease the level or the distortion will become unpleasant. My only complaint is that at some point specially if the bass knob is above 1 o'clock, it makes you strings sound a bit muddy, I also have the Maxon OD808 and I never get that muddy effect even if I turn the bass all the way up.
good demo. didn't sound too bad for a boss pedal. they seem to cut bass on most of there pedals. this one sounded pretty good. You still recording with the royer r121?
I wish Deep Purple hired Pete after Ritchie left the band, not because they have similar style but because Pete's music inelegance. I think he would quickly pick up the essence of Ritchie's style and phrasing.. Such a great player with an understated personality.
have you got the new Evertune bridge on a guitar? should be something for you as a pro guitarist? btw im not selling it, just think its great for professionalism.
This is a great pedal, but when you crank the distortion closer to the Ultra mode, there is this weird wah twang (somewhere in the 300~500Hz range) that has a tendency to cause massive feedback if you crank the volume. If you're buying this pedal because you want it for the distortion, I would look elsewhere (AMT Legend Amps series), otherwise it's great as a "British Tubescreamer".
+Gordon Tubbs thats wha sound you heard is what i call a modded marshall JCM800 4 gain stager behavior. it has that curly, stingy zingy, acid, kitten purring harmonic sounds. and thats very nice of a pedal. good job boss. this is the first time i ever heard one like this from a pedal.
Hi Pete, Do you use a Kemper Amp? I did a few videos one on the ST2 Power Stack and not sure how to incorperate it as before the Kemper or off the straight guitar outputs.. I know the hiss is bad and use a noise gate. Please advise.John Mills thejmillsband is my channel and I recently put my videos back for public view as I recently retired. Thank You
I usually hate boss distortion. But you make it sound great. I'm sure it's a little better than the stuff I have experienced but you are really great so I'm going to assume it's just you that sounds awesome and not this thing.
Hi guys- so to answer some of your questions- i really like this pedal below 1 or 2 o'clock or so on the gain- that's plenty of distortion! Above that is diminishing returns I think...
This is a great demo of maybe the best pedal Boss ever made. Classic over-driven valve amp in a stomp box.
The Tele with the Power Stack set on "Plexi" sounded like old-school Deep Purple. Arguably the best distortion pedal Boss put out since the DS-1.
I picked up a used ST-2 for $50 and man, what a steal. I use it at the more "plexi" setting and I think it sounds great. It is not the only distortion pedal on my board (3 in fact, LOL) but it is distinctly different sounding than the other two. I highly recommend this pedal!
Yes, but other then the DS-1 you can go straight into a clean amp, while the DS-1 only works with an already crunchy amp!
I've been using this pedal for about a year now. I thought it sounded decent with a Vox AC15 but wasn't too thrilled with it. I had the chance to play it through a Fender Deluxe Reverb this past weekend and WOW! It had an amazing crunch to it. Having the proper amp really helps makes it sound alive
I have been super busy the last 12 years, finally got to watch this demo 👍
Pete, you are the ultimate Guitar Nerd! Just picked up the ST-2 last night. By far the best Boss distortion...but better than just that. Your demo is very accurate to the tones one can achieve. Thanks again, Pete for another outstanding review and demo.
I just bought this and got it today 4/15/2019 due to watching your video. This pedal rocks!
Pete’s come a long way in his demo video prowess. Talk about a flashback. I never knew these pedals were out for so long. They must be good because you don’t see too many come up on the used market.
This is a great overdrive , distortion pedal..it is very warm and amp like Pete says ...A total sleeper pedal for sure that will one day become a classic for Boss !
@jemesp Album is almost done! 8 tunes done, I gotta track 2 more, mix and put er out...
Thanks for all the great demos Pete ... for someone as busy as yourself it's greatly appreciated that you actually sit down and put these products through their paces with various guitars .. this is such a great service for us musicians who rely on such demos before making a purchase ... and I'm kicking myself in the ass for not checking out your show with M. Etheridge in Sudbury , Canada ... I would of loved to of seen you live ! Fantastic playing ... someone who can shred with taste=AWESOME !
@swyitch hi, it's the clean channel of my signature amp- the PT100. It is basically like a Fender Twin on the clean channel. Cab is a Bogner 1-12" with a Scumback 65watt M75.
You really do make the best demos, dude. I always look for yours first.
This guy could hit a tin can with a stick, and then I would want to buy the tin can and a stick...
BAHAHAAAAA!!
amen
Stick has to be a tone wood stick though -- roasted maple or maybe alder. The can MUST be pre-war tin. The later aluminum cans don't resonate the same way.
Song #2 has some seriously killer tones. Awesome demo.
Wow!!!
Pete when you do review you do it 200% :)
It's always pleasure to hear how you get the most and the best of the any gear.
Thank you!
Love your demos Pete. I've been playing for 30+ years and you are one awesome player my friend. Your command of the guitar just amazes me and I've seen most of the greats over the years. Great stuff and I'm a fan.
Mike
@GuillermoSmyser yes the T has a special very full and clear sound, it's a great guitar!
i love this pedal i use it with my vox ac15 with the crunch at around 7 its fantastic with both telecaster and les paul
I just tried this pedal tonight at Guitar Center and loved it. I would have bought it but I went to GC to get the TC Electronic Hall Of Fame Reverb. I will get the Power Stack next time. Nice video and great playing, as usual!
Been using this pedal for about a decade now. And I’ve gone up and down on it. I’ve complained and I’ve heard complaints about it being noisy. I’ve found that this is a digital pedal and when I have tried to daisy chain it with other pedals it is noisy because of the current draw. But since I’ve run it with an isolated power supply it’s no more noisy than any other overdrive.
To me, this is not a modem heavy metal pedal. It will definitely get you your Van Halen, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Priest but the Metal Zone Waza or Metal Core is more for your chugging modern metal pedal.
I love the gain at about 9-10. Vintage Marshall tone perfect for AC/DC, Zeppelin and KISS.
This guy makes everything sound fantastic! Great demos.
That Suhr T is amazing! I got a Warmoth custom T to get put together once I get home from College. Seeing your awesome Suhr T is not helping my Guitar Acquisition Syndrome in terms of missing my new guitar I haven't even played yet.
Pete can make any pedal, amp, guitar sound amazing! Great job Mr. Thorn.
Dang it Pete thorn you did it again, I just bought this pedal cause you make everything sound awesome, I swear you could play a potato and make it sing!!! Uhh that’s like 20 pedals and gear I bought cause of your amazing demos!!!
Great review and Pedal. Found the sounds are spot on / good up to the 12oclock sound knob range.
After 12 it becomes a little tinny and the noise/ hum kicks. Need a noise gate pedal when you push the Sound knob between 1-6 oclock, looses its warmth and becomes just another digital overdriven soul less chime.
Great demo, as usual, Pete. Thanks for putting the time in.
I have this pedal,since I got it it's almost the only one I use. I love this beautiful warm pedal
Thanks for posting Pete! Really enjoy all your videos!
Loving these demos and your playing Pete! Let me second the request for an instrumental (or any) album. Keep it going!
That last riff was especially cool. Like the chromatic walk up and down and when the guitars double up.
Love this pedal. Only drawback with it is the noise factor when in high gain mode. A noise suppressor does the trick though. Other than that, one of my favorites.
By far the best demo of the Boss ST-2.Sounds wicked.Almost to good to be true.
@julianoacustico they are stock Suhr single coil T pickups..... if you contact the folks at suhr and say "what's in Pete Thorn's Classic T" they will be able to tell ya....
Hahah "I was rocking.. TOO hard"
I don't know how you can get such an amazing tone no matter what you plug into. Your tone is always so juicy. I've spent so many hours trying to capture the sound of my FTR but i just can't do it. So i'm thinking the key is two different mics on the cab like you.
I just love the juicy tones
The Power Stack pedal really makes humbucking pickups come alive with gobs of tone! It's balls-out heavy with a nice midrange punch -- doesn't scoop the mids like so many tone-sucking distortion pedals. I think I might upgrade from my Boss DS-1 to this monster tone machine!
This pedal is more dynamic I ever played/ owned!
From thick to almost clean just by digging in or gently picking!!
Amazing demo man! I just picked up this pedal and I love it! Your video really helped me make the decision to grab one :) Thanks! great playing too!
I got one of these pedals a while back and I think it's the one to get if you are on a tight budget but need a good-sounding distortion pedal. This is very impressive since I'm not much of a fan of most of Boss's distortion boxes. This actually sounds great, though!
sounds amazing Pete... the first song reminds me of Blues Saraceno Hairpick one of my fav instrumental cds
the more i hear this pedal..the more i like it. Looking for that good dist box thats flexible. metal zone is good.. but one sided tone wise. this pedal can shred.. but also sounds fabulous with strats in a bluesy rig.... 2 more weeks and I will have it... cannot wait..
His demo is the best.
Great video! I might have to look in to one of these I love the sound of the old plexys
i learn so much more with your videos! great as always
That last tune was awesome, nicely done!
This pedal is still legit. Plugged into interface with modern power amp sim and cab IRs. It’s a beast.
3:53 AHH the drums are so sick sounding!
Damn man, you've come a hell of a long way
Pete Thorn reminds me of MacGyver
Nigel tufnel
this is actually macgyver and he crafted the pedal 2 minutes before filming this video, out of a paper clip and a used condom.
McGruber
i keep coming back to this review.. this review makes me want to buy the pedal, but i already have a nice lead channel on my amp...
After this superb review I am going to buy this toy tomorrow, but hey!, you could play through an AM radio as an amp and sound good!
nicely done sir :] the second tune you played is gonna be in my head forever :]
@spicecrop thanks dude!
The "clean" tone at the start is my definition of dirt. LOL.
Topest quality as usual Mr T.
Excellent demo!
It's a pretty good pedal I use it with my DSL15h as its not so good for crunchy tones but this pedal remadys they problem for me.
This pedal will never be removed from my board...ever. 🎸🔊🎶🤘🏻
Same here.
So my board too!!
Just got this todsy, sounds awesome.!!
God this pedal is incredible
great demo and another sale , thanx to pete
Again, awesome demo! I find the ST-2 adds a LOT of hissssss, even in the low plexi gain setting.
Pete it truly is a Great Pedal
holy crap your tone is quite awesome!
Great tunes and tone from BOSS
great review, awesome tone .
wow, wasn't expecting that at all, it sounds killer.
God damn thats a beast of a pedal! Trust Boss to put this thing together for a third of the price of a boutique equivalent!
@johnosstreeter no have not seen it
This man knows his stuff !!!
Excellent review !!!
Hey Pete.
Love your playing bro!!!!!
Excellent
Sounds fantastic! What amp are you using with the Les Paul? Fender Bassman?
@raresore no the rythym's completely different but the chords are similar
Great sound.
Hey Pete you have some Killer Vids Dude! I subbed & will keep my eyes out for some more of your Vids Dude...Take It Easy...\m/
Fantástico Pete Thorn
Outstanding!
Well done Sir, I'll stay tuned...
You are a tone monster, Pete!
This man is great !!!
@sinasl1 Wow.
This is what it says on his website: Gear I will only endorse/promote gear that I actually use!
Its a good thing Peter Thorn has integrity. With his Midas touch, I think he could sell anything.
I don't think this guy could sound bad if he tried !
I watched others demo the same gear and not sound as well.
I just watched him also demo TC NOVA system and it sounded great.
These manufactures would do well asking him to recommend presets and amp combinations.
Excellent player.
Doug Aldrich,guitarist for White Snake,he Shure kicks ass,So do you Pete!
Still recommend this pedal today? Im getting kind of tired of having to adjust gsin on my amp and hoping to use this as a "2nd channel". Plus i love the sound of plexis and jcm800s
Cool songs! Thats a great sounding pedal,and not over priced, only $ 99.00
terrific sound!!!!!!!!!!!!
The pedal's too noisy and I bought the NS-2 to get rid of the noise. Pete's right it is more like an amp channel than a dist pedal, If you turn the sound knob above 12 o'clock you also have to decrease the level or the distortion will become unpleasant. My only complaint is that at some point specially if the bass knob is above 1 o'clock, it makes you strings sound a bit muddy, I also have the Maxon OD808 and I never get that muddy effect even if I turn the bass all the way up.
good demo. didn't sound too bad for a boss pedal. they seem to cut bass on most of there pedals. this one sounded pretty good. You still recording with the royer r121?
great job,Thorn
boss ST2 is quite awesome
That's one bad ass pedal.
i want this
I wish Deep Purple hired Pete after Ritchie left the band, not because they have similar style but because Pete's music inelegance. I think he would quickly pick up the essence of Ritchie's style and phrasing.. Such a great player with an understated personality.
Love the crunchy Strat/Tele sound on the last song! Do you know if this pedal works with a Fender Super Champ XD?
Please!!!!! whats pickups on the Tele???? thanks man, amazing!!!!
He was agreeing with you. He's saying that Pete would convince him to buy anything.
have you got the new Evertune bridge on a guitar? should be something for you as a pro guitarist? btw im not selling it, just think its great for professionalism.
This is a great pedal, but when you crank the distortion closer to the Ultra mode, there is this weird wah twang (somewhere in the 300~500Hz range) that has a tendency to cause massive feedback if you crank the volume. If you're buying this pedal because you want it for the distortion, I would look elsewhere (AMT Legend Amps series), otherwise it's great as a "British Tubescreamer".
+Gordon Tubbs thats wha sound you heard is what i call a modded marshall JCM800 4 gain stager behavior. it has that curly, stingy zingy, acid, kitten purring harmonic sounds. and thats very nice of a pedal. good job boss. this is the first time i ever heard one like this from a pedal.
Hi Pete, Do you use a Kemper Amp? I did a few videos one on the ST2 Power Stack and not sure how to incorperate it as before the Kemper or off the straight guitar outputs.. I know the hiss is bad and use a noise gate. Please advise.John Mills thejmillsband is my channel and I recently put my videos back for public view as I recently retired. Thank You
st2 sunare this beautiful sound so very good and a fusion
I usually hate boss distortion. But you make it sound great. I'm sure it's a little better than the stuff I have experienced but you are really great so I'm going to assume it's just you that sounds awesome and not this thing.