Is the Boss DS1 a TOTALLY Underrated Drive Pedal? Shocking Tones!
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The Boss DS1 is a classic distortion pedal - and I think I personally always had an idea for how it sounded, which when I recently picked one up I found some tones in it that I liked....Cut to the Boss DS1Waza - which is actually again I think a stand out drive, and with the Custom setting gives access to some really singing mid pushed tones....I feel like almost everyone could find a use for one of these?
Please leave a comment if you find this type of pedal demo/review useful, so that I know to keep making them!
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This was my first guitar effect and I was not happy with harsh tone until I realized it works best when amp is already little overdriven.
It also helps if you have the skill to modify the filter/eq of the pedal. It’s generally not worth what most of these “boutique” cost, but it’s nice if you can do it or afford it.
Big fan of the boss pedals. Over the last couple of years I seen to have got quite a collection (many have appeared in John's videos). The best part is that if you're careful and patient you can buy them secondhand for peanuts
Definitely underrated. I’ve been playing Boss, including the DS-1, the CH-1 and the DD-3 which I still use for almost 30 years and they went with me everywhere I went during rehearsals, gigs & tours.. Recently bought the DS-1 Waza which I was waiting for for years after the release of the Waza series and it’s very good. The DS-1W definitely didn’t replace my old DS-1, I use them separately for different purposes…
Just watched @RhettShull do a DS1 video yesterday😂. Enjoyed this one also.
I'm announcing my tone course shortly
I think we all have a tone in our head which sounds right to us, and we push pedals or modellers to achieve that tone. This sounds great. Boss pedals are decent value, and despite the huge surge in so-called 'boutique' overdrive pedals, we all have a simple ideal overdrive sound we all like, and its achievable without huge expense. Its like fishing - A lot of gear is designed to catch the angler rather than the fish.
Well said👊🏻 Exactly my thoughts as well😉
0:00 Weedly weedly bit
1:35 Boss kindly sent me a DS-1
4:05 Focusing on the pedal (faff/context)
4:35 Demoin' begins
5:02 Demoin' 2 (lower dist)
5:50 Level changin'
6:35 Tone shaperin'
7:33 Guitar volume knob responserin'
7:45 Back to dist twisterin'
7:55 Gain at 8 baby
9:23 Ooh lah lah! custom switch switcherin'
10:42 Butt-shakin' panty-tossin' rock riffin'
10:54 Conclusion: Boss pedalz r gud; Prince name-dropped
12:44 So yeah...
13:34 Why not buy two?
14:14 What do YOU think?
Your playing is always so smooth, with just enough tasty licks paired with some really nice space. Love it
The Waza version of the SD1/DS1/MT2 are really phenomenal pedals.
I just bought one recently, and having high end modelers, but damn it's cool, really great high saturation tones.
The Boss DS1 was my first pedal and as soon as I got a slightly better amp I started running it through the fx loop of my Fender Roc Pro and had the drive on 0 and used the output to control gain and tone to taste! Thought it sounded pretty good with my Les Paul until I could upgrade
The C mode reminded me of many Marshall-in-a-pedals I’ve heard. The mid boost is very much a Marshall sound to me.
I like my ds-1. It sounds good, and like the way it looks, and I also like that it has such a long history. Like a rat, big muff, memory man, etc., it’s a classic.
This guys smooth lines blow me away.
DS1 was the only pedal my dad had for the last 20 years until I got him a blues driver this year 😂 he was so excited to stack them omg
I got an 80's DS1 awhile back, pretty fun little pedal.
My favorite setting 13.50.And with single coil pickups you can't go wrong with the DS-1w.With high output himbuckers the DS-1 sounds pretty bad.And this is by far the best demo of the DS-1.Good job and playing!
It is the single most essential and versatile pedal ever made. I bought one when they were released in 1981!)
I have a Keeley DS-1. I find whether I am playing through my Suhr Badger 18, or recording with my Iridium, the DS-1 works fantastic as a boost drive to get beefy modern dirt tones which the Badger and Iridium's Plexi sim cannot achieve alone. I am glad the DS-1 is finally coming back in to the conversation of a usable pedal because it has been overlooked for decades and has received unwarranted hate from those that do not know its capabilities.
I agree John! Recently got the Blues driver again ( owned one years ago ) and i think it's highly under-rated.
Lol. Now everyone's gonna grab their DS1's from their drawer. Sold mine. Never looked back. Couldn't get an inspiring tone from it and yes, I've tried various settings in both a clean, edge of break-up, and gained-up amp...
Then bought a RAT, which does exactly what I want for various contexts. Sounds great both in clean and overdriven amps.
Not hating on Boss though. I have their SD-1, BD-2, TU-3, and GE-7 which I really love. I borrowed a DS-2 from a friend and liked it much more (in the turbo setting).
LOVE your profile picture ha!
@@johnnathancordy haha thanks! Your tones with the DS1w were amazing btw.
Everytime I see one of your videos, I want to grab my stomp and create new tones and write more songs.
Thank you so much and keep up the inspiring work!
I had the normal DS-1, not the WaZa craft, but never succeeded in getting a, for my taste decent tone out of it. I ha-ted-it. Changed it for the MXR Super Badass Distortion. I love the tones coming out of that. You seem to get along fine with the WaZa DS-1. sounds good.
Yeah the super badass is so good, and my goto distortion. Very versatile and for me, way better than the DS1.
I dont know why people think Boss pedals are average. Boss, MXR and EHX were the only choices for guitarists for years, and each of them are great. Too many modern guitarists are so enamored by boutique pedals. Guess what, those boutique pedals are usually a modded Boss circuit. And if you still don’t believe how great Boss can be, just look at Prince, Steve Vai and Joe Satrianis pedal boards
Bruv... KILLER TONES. May have to grab one of those for the collection...
As for me... I was never a fan of BOSS pedals in the past (mostly due to the coloration of the buffers in older pedals) but I have changed my tune with more recent innovations from them (and switching to active pickups which doesn’t seem to be affected by the buffers as much being lowZ).
I definitely dig the old SD1 and the OD3... but BOSS delay pedals are the real gems. There’s just something about them that I don’t find in other delays.
As an aside... I had the OD200 for a while, which essentially had all the BOSS drives in it, and while it didn’t find a place on my board because I have other drives I like more, it was an absolute banger of a pedal. Really flexible and sounded great.
My favorite Boss pedal of all time is the DD5 but a close second is the DD200 (which I absolutely adore) and I plan to grab a DD8 one of these days to have around too...😏
I picked up a dd5 secondhand earlier this year, and I 1000% understand man. I love the natural color it brings to the tone
@@dragonX71 I can’t get rid of mine!!! I love the thing
I love the DS-1, such a great pedal.
I saw josh Scott post a video a few months back where he talked about the beginnings of boutique and how guys like mike fuller coined the phrase true bypass. To be frank I bought into the marketing that the buffering of boss pedals ruined my tone. I’ve been contemplating picking up the od-3, bd-2, and ds-1 for a few months now. This just confirmed to me my pre-existing prejudice towards boss. Well done Video.
One of the guys who has been quite honest about this stuff as far as I can tell is Analogman Mike - if you read on his website and stuff he talks about some of the SD1 "bleed" issues frankly and says he couldn't hear it haha
@@johnnathancordy that’s interesting I’m gonna check into that, we have a guy here in Canada selling 80s and 90s boss pedals on the cheap so I think I’m gonna pull the trigger today.
There is some truth to it as some old 80’s MIJ Boss pedals do colour the bypass sound. But it wasn’t all of them, mostly just the delays and modulation effects. But this was all phased out.
Nothing wrong with True Bypass, just no one should be running a fully TB board. But people are easily influenced and the reinstatement of the high end will only serve to fulfil confirmation bias that buffered bypass is bad, pretty effective marketing actually!
Such a good pedal… always has been. Lots of pros use it. Yea, evidently Boss is starting to send these around to the big TH-cam channels for reviews, congrats👍🏽
I think the big channels have had them for about a month ha
@@johnnathancordy - I saw that.. ha
So true. Said it before, but the BD-2W is my favourite pedal with a Strat. I'd never considered a DS1 and mostly didn't think it's really a pedal that would do the tones I like playing with, but your tone at 13:22 up to 13:33 is suberb.
"Better pedal this this", "better pedal then that", and I love the old "great for the money". If the pedal or amp sound good and works for you, thats all that matters.
Well said, bud👊🏻
I'll have my Waza tomorrow! Can't wait
anyone who struggles with this distrortion:
you should get a decent amp with decent 12" speaker like jensen or celestion (every speaker sounds different)
you dont need tube amplifiers to make it sound right
use zero overdrive on pedal, max volume, tone on 10 hour and full gain at your amplifier
u might need noise gate
this solo is better now
I have so many drives but gig with the MXR custom badass 78 Distortion, aka boss ds1 with the keeley-type mod. The digitech hot head is great too with bass and treble controls instead of a tone knob. It really does alleviate the criticisms most people have of the ds1. Also, idk about anyone else, but I really like this circuit for low to medium gain... nice hot bridge pick up can make the distortion oh o sweet!
That does sound incredible! I'm one of those players that thinks Boss is meh, but every Boss pedal I've tried has been great, and my main squeeze is the OD-2, so at this point I'm not sure if I'm of sound mind (Ta-dumm-dish!)
That’s wazzap. Kind of wish I had kept mine now.
I guess the cool think about Boss pedals is - it's almost never going to be difficult to find one again?
Been using DS-1's since they first appeared...great solo boost
Their is a major reason why Roland/Boss sell so many pedals, & that is because they're just so simple & do the jobs you want them too do!!!
I myself like countless other guitarists have well over 100 Boss DS 1's in my stash of pedals!!!!!
I am a session musician so I cover millions of different styles & most of my work is live in the real world of the stage!!! My setup is simple (Marshall MK2 Superlead heads x 2 (I run a wet/dry setup which I have for over 40 years!!) which are all old (no reissues!) & they're the perfect pedal platform (well for myself!!! If somebody prefers any other brand then I won't tell you you're wrong because if it's perfect for you then it's perfect!!!) & as I have ALWAYS set my Marshall's so they're clipping (hit the guitar hard then is barks in a sexy way!!) & the Boss DS1 makes it sing!!!!!
In my opinion the Boss DS1 needs too be used with an already overdriven valve amplifire (MK2 Marshall 50 watt heads are my fave's, but 100 watters are cool too!!!) but if you want a stand alone distortion pedal into a super clean amplifire, then something like the INCREDABLE JHS Angry Charlie or Carl Martin Plexi Drive high gain & the many other pedals like that will be better for that!!!!
I also use 2X Boss DD2's for my delay's (1x slow 1x fast) & the Boss TU2 is perfect for on stage tuning!!!!!
The Boss DS1 should get more love, but out of all the people who have given them so much hate I wonder how many have ever used one!!?
Gary Moore R.I.P. , Steve Vai & Joe Satriani etc....Have all used them & they make them sing!!!!!
Ibanez, Boss, MXR, EHX were the originators of mass-produced guitar pedals. It's hard to beat them for value and usability. Most modern boutique pedals are merely spin-offs of the originals. Honestly, I don't need a Panda Bear eating a snickers bar on my pedals. I love by BD-2, but really would like to the Waza Craft version. Thanks for the clip, it was great !!
Good hell. This sounds incredible
You left out the MXR pedals that were there from jump. The distortion + especially.
I believe the Distortion+ might have even been the thing that Dod would go on to uhhh modify for the OD250 right?
Many legends use the DS1 - hard to hate on if you dial it in properly
such as?
To many to mention ... but how about vai , satch, kurt & etc
@@Stringprodigymy mom.
Joe Satriani use it, there must be something good about it.
Guys like that can also make anything sound good.
Now that I'm not buying another guitar for at least 12 months (and I tell myself other jokes too) the desire to purchase pedals and cheap 80s/90s solid state (non-modelling) amps has increased.
Thankfully my Zoom G3n has a DS-1 simulation. Fingers 🤞 it will abate the desire to buy more pedals!
The problem (not really a problem per se, but the reality of it) with the DS1 is that in order to sound good it has to be hitting a good sounding, slightly overdriven tube amp. That'll offset most of the fizziness and crackling on te decay of the note. But even in this scenario, you have to set drive and volume on the pedal very carefully, otherwise it creates a very ugly overcompression effect.
It’s the immediacy of the attack and sustain which has kept it on my board.
I just spent $200 on my Wambler Tumnus, and I absolutely love it, but my $50 SD-1 is going nowhere. I went through 3 expensive OD/Dist samplings just to realize that I could probably just fill my board with old school Boss pedals and be more than happy!
People think boss is crap Because it doesn’t cost a fortune😂absolutely no other reason. You can build your entire pedalboard with Boss unless you want something specific like a TS for example.
I love your f*ckin tones JC!! 😍🤩🙌🏻🤤 Thanks for your excellent work!
How the he** did you know I was looking at the DS-1w just yesterday and added it to my thomann wishlist ? =P Also I wish you compared it to the "deezone"s on the helix
To me that sounds way better than they used to. I've got an oooold ds1 (it's nearly 40 years old now lol) and it's nasty.
Honestly all overdrive is kind of sound the same to me. Especially if you use a EQ in conjunction to get what you're looking for
nice playing man
Have you tried the Boss Katana MK2 Artist amp?
something 'smooshie' about the ds1 i've never really liked... but i do like the low gain tones you were getting around 10:25
Got that HIM vibe...love it!
Hey...DS1 is great, but only if used with a good amp/cabs IMO. I actually tried one as so many great guitar players, including Satriani & Vai used it. But I sadly returned mines as I had a crappy amp and lived in an apartment. I now use POD and HX Stomp, and really dont use pedals, but the DS1 is fun for sure, and definitely one of the most versatile pedals out there.
PS: I am not sure if I am missed, but mind sharing your setup? Are you using Cabs/Amps from HX or actual Tube amps?
Any distortion pedals, set it as your taste.. It will sounds good.. Cheers..
Why all the DS 1 plugs all of a sudden?? Is Boss running some kind of promotion?
Boss pedals have always kicked ass
The Boss DS-1 Waza may be different, but I once had a regular DS-1 and couldn't stand the fizzy nature of the distortion. Yes, maybe I didn't know how to dial it in just right (e.g., tone knob below 10 o'clock), but there are other Boss drive pedals that sound a lot better to me without having to do a lot of tweaking, for example, I have an SD-2 Dual Overdrive and I've always really liked the sound of the Lead channel on that pedal. For me, thumbs down on the SD-1. I'm not an anti-Boss snob; still have and use a DD-3 all the time.
The thing with the standard boss pedal is that they're cheap enough to keep a few of the different 'flavours' around for that time you have a different guitar/amp/genre and bingo - that pedal that never worked before is suddenly just right. With the amps I've got at the moment tube screamer type pedals don't really work, but I keep one around in case I get a more fender voiced amp. The DS1 works quite well with what I've got but I'm well aware they don't work with every amp type
It's not"may be different".In the custom mode it's a totally different pedal then the standard DS-1 which can be very fizzy if you use high output pickups(Sounds best with single coils)and have the tone control dial at noon which is a no no.
@@peteyoung7665 I confess I’ve never had the opportunity to try the Waza version. If I do get to try one, I’ll check out the custom mode and keep an open mind. Still, I really like the lead channel on the Boss SD-2!
Please pair this with line 6 pocket pod or zoom ms 50g
It speaks volumes that someone like Steve Vai swears by Boss pedals. Part of his reasoning is that he can find them anywhere in the world, so if something goes wrong and he has to throw a rig together in a hurry, he can go to virtually any guitar store and get his core sound back up and running with a handful of boss stompboxes.
My first pedal was a DS-1 and it served me well for ages, it just doesn't do some of the things that I want from a drive/distortion.
We as guitar players get so hung up on drive pedals without (I think) truly understanding how they interact with the rest of our gear. Mainly the amp EQ and speakers. I've been as bad as anyone and worse than many in this regard. I have bought a TON of pedals that sounded great in demos, that sound like absolute garbage in the context of my gear. The DS-1 is one of the ones that didn't make it to my pedalboard. It just doesn't work for me. It sounds too harsh using the EQ settings that work best with my other pedals. Sure, I can get a great sound if I EQ my amp to fit the DS-1, but then the rest of my pedals aren't working at their best. The Proco Rat sounds considerably better. Bluesbreaker type pedals sounds best. I've got both styles of those pedals on my board. I gave the DS-1 away to a young guitar player, and through his equipment, it's actually quite nice.
Is there a drive pedal you used before on the helix or stomp that just doesn’t work well running before it?
good timing mate. watched a video yesterday comparing it as a better one agaisnt the TS
Rhett Shull is a cool dude, but you absolutely cannot claim a DS-1 is better or worse than a TS. COMPLETELY different pedals hah.
@@MitchellSpille actually was another guy and yes I did watch a bit the one from Rhett. Interesting to compare these pedals tho. Cheers!
@@FasterCrypto who did the TS vs DS1 video?
@@gavinw5469 no Shadow literally said he was watching someone else compare the two
@@johncordy4189 that's why I shouldn't comment in the morning lol.
I've had a hard time getting a good sound out of either of the helix ds-1's
Stay analog! I love my old school boss pedals.
Boss are ❤
Underrated? Millions sold says otherwise.
They’re taken for granted because they’re so cheap and plentiful.
Right 😂
Literally the highest selling pedal of all time
Muito bom vídeo!
Heres a challange for you: find a drive /Fuzz pedal you sound bad on ( or better:cant sound amazing on). Your videos make me invest in practising, not in gear.
Fuzz I could quite easily do - I don't find it easy to find Fuzz without significant mid boosts!
Cool DS1 vid 😉
Well Steve Vai used one for many years so they can't be all bad.
1:26 🤌
I think that's the worst pedal Boss has ever made, i hated it imo it sounds like shit. not trying to be mean just being honest. iv'e been playing guitar since i was 8 years old and i'm 67 know. with that said, John you're a great guitar player.
Just goes to show you that even with shitty gear, a great player can make it sound good (contextually even if not your cup). Every gear demo John or Pete thorn do for example, sounds good in spite of the gear. Cheers
Nothing special here- typical drive pedal IMO. IT's fine though- Boss makes some good stuff. I have and really enjoy their Katana 100 amp. It provides access to their entire tone library online. Again, it's all good but it's no Fractal. FM9 is all anyone needs to know about. It's the ultimate modeler.
The DS-1 has an annoying midrange honk I don't care for, never bonded with that pedal. Love my SD-1 tho.
The"problem"with the standard DS-1 is that there is no midrange.Boss have now fixed that problem on the wasa craft version.The custom mode gives you a lot more midrange which is very important.If you want to be heard that is.
Underrated? It's one of the most commonly used distortion pedals on the market. Emulated and copied a bunch of times,
Certainly not underrated. For me the greatest irony is how much better than a klon it is and you can (if you are lucky) pick one up for not much more than a tenner.
Tons of DS1 “revisits” on TH-cam lately.
its currently #2 in most talked about pedals on reddit so, no not underrated at all.
I think that's a very interesting list! Thanks for the heads up!!
the chinese rat 2 sounds better by far
Prince is not a better guitar player than you. Get outta here
Not underrated. If it was a world contest for the worst dirt pedal, DS1 would win.
But bad is good in my books ..
The DS-1 wasa craft?Everyone keep saying"the DS-1".This is not the standard DS-1.The DS-1W is a completly different pedal then the standard DS-1.
i disagree that Prince is a better guitarist than you
I didn't hear anything special, and think those tones should be easily accessible on most Modelers. 🤷
You're are a so much better guitarist than Prince. It's not even close