Boss FRV-1 reverb is probably my favorite boss pedal. Found it BRAND NEW at a pawn shop in box for $80 then found out after buying it how expensive it was online and hard to find. Definitely a hidden gem.
MARK HUNSTEIN Congratulations man ✌😉 Gotta be the best reverb pedal made by anyone that has the original tube sound, I want one but I'm not paying crazy £££ for one either. Enjoy 👍
@@dakotavenom7821 Billie-Joe from Green Day uses a Blues Driver, I don't reckon they're very bluesy. Not sure how it would handle metal, but it does punk and hard rock great.
I have one of the first DS-1 pedals made, serial #7700, from Dec of 1978 with the clear switch that I got at a neighbors garage sale in the early 80’s. It’s a long dash silver screw pedal. It is the BEST sounding distortion pedal I have ever heard. Seriously, find one and you will never let it go. No other boss pedal compares to it.
I have to say accoutic sim pedals do an adequate job of filling in the 10 seconds of accoustic-ish part in a rock set that would otherwise need another guitar on a stand or a very expensive piezo system, but then you need a piezo in your backup guitar too.
If it was a 2 Knob OD 1 Boss Overdrive pedal, with that early magical optical transistor, it would be worth sending off to be converted to true bypass?...LoL
KC Good taste. Yeah the Mark V doesnt need any pedals for sure and the Peavey only a good Tube screamer to tighten it up. What do you think about the newer Boss pedals ? My last 3 pedals in my signal chain are all newer Boss Pedals ( Tr2, Fender Cosm Reverb and Waza Delay) and since the signal is already buffered to compensate for the long cable run I don't notice much of a difference. At least no unpleasent one. May I ask how you like the Mark V for Clean/Blues/John Mayer/SRV like tones ?
I wrote this before watching the video, phil's demo of sd1 isn't doing justice to it IMO ✌ But there is plenty of good demo. The main plus : works on every amps with every guitare, no harsh sounds as it's very smooth and consistent 💪
Fuh Q in my opinion MXR pedals are built better, and easier to replace the switch if you wear it out..... and I think they are true bypass, but don't quote me on that.
Old video but I really enjoyed it so thank you for making it. Boss pedals are great cheaper options especially when buying used. I just bought the SD-1 again brand new for $62.99 and I think it was well worth the money I spent. I do think some boss pedals dull my tone a tad but that’s no longer an issue thanks to true bypass loop switching pedals. I have a passive one loop looper from Saturnworks that requires no power and it turns any buffered pedals into true bypass. That way I can use my favorite buffer (JHS little black buffer) up front to drive a good strong signal to the amp. I only use 4-5 pedals so one buffer at the front and everything else true bypass works best for me. Having the option to turn any boss pedal into true bypass is the best thing ever for me. If I’m just playing clean I don’t like my tone with a boss buffer in the chain. Takes away to much high end and sounds a little dull. But put it in a true bypass looper pedal and it’s buffer is out of the chain. I wish I had discovered this before I sold a lot of pedals that I felt were tone suckers when off. Especially my mxr csp026 74 reissue. I’ll have to grab another one of those soon. Also need to get another bd-2 dm-2 in the future. Sorry for the long winded comment, I’m a gear geek for sure. Thanks again Take care
I'd add the FZ-2 Hyper Fuzz. People seem to love or hate them. They have a couple fuzz settings, one of them being pretty tame, and the other is pretty over the top. Think Electric Wizard and Dopethrone. It's got a pretty solid boost setting too. They seem to be a pain to find these days, and they usually don't seem to come too cheap.
I gave a CE-2 to a stranger on a whim once. Turns out my home was burgled of all the worthwhile music gear a couple of years later, so it would have been stolen anyway. I still miss it though.
I absolutely love the CS-3 and for the same reason you do. It gives such an incredible sound that a lot of compressors can't compare to, at least in my opinion. I also use a BD-2W, DA-1, and TE-2. Boss pedals always seemed to get a lot of hate from my guitar playing friends, but they've never done me wrong.
I take the Billy Duffy approach. If you're out on the road, almost ANY music store will carry Boss Pedals, not so for boutique pedals and then the cost! The GE-7 is probably the most valuable tool on ANY board (ask Tim Pierce), next up the DD-3 and the DD3-T are must haves for me! I purchased the TC 3 Polytune tuner pedal which shows up better from a distance and has a built in buffer. The only other pedals you have that I don't are the Reverb (built into my amp and works great) and the Acoustic Simulator ( I just don't use acoustic). Boss delays (digital and analogue) are critical for me. I'm with you in the SD-1 Super Overdrive too. Such a good pedal for juicy tones that gets overlooked sometimes.
Thank you very much for this video Philip. Pedals is one of the things I have had trouble deciding on, since I am the type of guy that had the notion that I didn't want to use pedals at all. I know, I know, I'm breaking out of the "box". Trying to be open minded and widen my horizons. Thank you, kind Sir.
The Boss PS-3 is one of my desert island pedals. It can do things that I have never heard any other pedal do. I really cannot express how much I love that pedal and most guitarists don't even know it exists. The only other Boss pedals that I consider classics are the DS-1, the BD-2, and the DD-3.
My first Boss pedal was an HM2, but my first brand new one was a RV3, which I have sold later. It was contemporary of PS3... two great digital effects. Loved its fully wet reverb effect.
Never trust anyone who doesn't have at least one Boss pedal on their board. Never. CS-2>SD-1>2x BD-2s>CE-2>DD-7>TR-2>RV-6 True bypass loop switcher and a few mods and you're done. If you need fuzz, grab an MXR 108, stick a wah in front - sorted.
The BOSS EQ Was my first pedal purchase. Followed that up with the SD-1, then the Blues Driver and two analog digital delays. That basic setup gets me every sound I need currently. I also have a Line 6 Helix but it's so much quicker to just have a basic setup that I can change on the fly in seconds. For my tuner I love the TC models, easily visible in any light from a distance!
The other reason BOSS pedals are great is that you can change batteries in about 6 seconds. Other brands (Read "MXR and others) take a screwdriver and several minutes.
Hey Phil, I know it's an old video, but, had all the Boss Overdrives, and they were my 'Distortion' for years (always prefered them to the actual Boss 'Distortions'. There was a moment were I needed more Distortion and gain, so updated it to the Metal Zone, because I can have both worlds, Ultra Distortion and Overdrive in case of need. People don't realise how flexible the MT is. Still use it today with a DD-3 (I had the DSD-1 or 2?), and, always had a Boss volume pedal (FV-50 H). The original FVs could be used as an Expression pedal for the 'Auto-Wah' (had that one two>up-down
I have my fair share of pedals I have collected over the years, and my two favorites are BOSS pedals: I hit the jackpot and found and old CE-2 Chorus pedal at a yard sale. It still had the box and the original owners manual. I got it for $40!!! I sounds amazing! My second fav is a BOSS DS-1, (also bought at a yard sale for $25!!!) that was modded by Analog.man!!! It has become my go to distortion pedal. I run it into a Fender 68 DRRI and it sounds incredible!!! BOSS FTW!!!
Good video, I'm a Boss fan. I only use minimal effects anyway, so Boss pedals on my board is more than enough.. Some of those "Boutique" pedals are so overrated.. A lot of them seem to just have nice paint jobs on the case?!
The TU-3 can also be used as a power supply. Maybe handle 2 Digitals + 2 analogues ? Nice for a small setup. Volume levels affect the effectiveness of the pedals. Set them up for bedroom levels and "mark" the knobs. Then, set them up for (loud) stage levels and mark them again. Boss pedals are bullet proof and relatively affordable. Great gigging tools.
I loved the turbo overdrive. Most sustain I ever heard in any overdrive pedal. I owned 2 of them. It was different from the other overdrive pedals. It used cascading descrete circuit stages instead of the typical op-amp circuit.
I don't love every Boss pedal, but I love a lot of them. I love that they look like Skittles, and I really love the big foot switch. I have the tuner at the beginning of my chain, and reverb or delay (depending on whether my reverb is in the FX loop) at the end of my chain, so the buffers come in handy for me
Might be boring but I would have to put the NS-2 on the list. A noise gate that lets you put your noisy pedals inside the send/return is such a life saver for so many reasons. Quieter And more responsive.
My Boss pedal experience is thus... DS-1 - Used it for years but eventually ditched it. Far too fuzzy and thin sounding. DD-3 Delay - Had it for years, still on my pedal board, love it. FRV-1 Reverb - Amazing pedal. Bought it when it came out, still on my pedal board. RC-3 Loopstation - Great pedal but I never really got into looping so sold it. PS-5 Super Shifter - Really struggled with this one. Didn't find many uses for it. SD-1 Overdrive - My favourite pedal, I use it all the time and it's so cheap. Great on it's own or boosting into distortion pedals. MT-2 Metal Zone - Don't understand the hate. Still on my pedal board and I get great stuff out of it.
I'm also a fan of Boss and like the OC-3 Octaver as it does a very decent bass line for thickening up riffs without a bass player. BTW - not sure you mentioned the pedal that "will never make the list?"
Great discussion - I agree that the used market needs to be considered when determining pedal quality. Used boss pedals are so affordable, so durable and high quality - such a good place to start - or end - when buying pedals.
I'm guessing the Metal Zone would be the pedal that would never make the list. It actually sounds pretty good if you run it through the fx loop in back of the amp rather plugging it the front of the amp. Complete different sound.
traditional metal zone pedals suck balls when run through the front of the amp, but the new waza craft metal zone fixes it. it's the one waza boss pedal that is indisputably better than the original. boss make my favorite metal pedal but it's the boss metal core ML-2. the boss heavy metal HM-2 pedal is good too.
Actually it runs good in front of the amp, but you gotta control(reduce) the brightness/precense of the amp, it adds the bees. Putting in the fx loop remove any EQ from the amp, hence it sounds better (in a poorly set amp)
I'm a beginner and after getting a few chords down pretty good I decided to purchase my first pedal. After trying a bunch at sweetwater, I loved the sd 1 the most to my beginner ears.
My ex-bandleader/co-guitarist had in his arsenal the tuner, the flanger the Metal Zone, the Octave, the acoustic simulator, the digital delay and (if I’m not mistaken) the EQ. (He overlooked the BD-2 for an Ibanez screamer for unknown reasons.). When first I saw him in 1996 (I was age 16 at the time), he had already purchased all of them and used them (at least) for the following nine years. Early in my own collaboration with him, he lent me his DS-1 Distortion pedal. I misused it (save when I kicked in my wah-wah pedal), but I got here via another video with tips about how to properly apply it. When you said “double pedal”, the CE-2 was the first model which came to mind. What I learned here was how much I really want an ME-80 (which I’ve spent nearly a year trying to talk myself into purchasing). One thing which I would love to know is whether or not the petals it duplicates could be used to simulate the Boston guitar sound and the Tom Scholz hyperspace pedal.
Boss DS1 is outstanding through a warm, midrangey Marshall style amp. Whack the gain up and ride the guitars volume control to clean up to get fantastic overdrive tones. Through sparkly clean amps then the DS1 is just fizz city. btw...GE-7 is the most under appreciated and most versatile pedal of all time.. if you know how to use it.
What was the one that will never go on your board? I don't believe you said after you mentioned there were two left the JB2 and one that will never go on.
I modded my TR-2 - Monte Allums mod. Became completely noiseless and the pedal now has a level knob so you can dial up the perceived volume drop. Great Trem is now amazing! As good or better than any boutique trem.
Jack O'Brien, it seems to me that it isn't anything like the Metal Core. Altough, I never tried a Metal Core, myself. I use the Power Stack with low gain to play some AC/DC songs. And I use it with half the gain to play some Iron Maiden stuff. I like very much the sounds I get from it.
Thanks Phil, as someone who is only now, after playing for over 50years (I know shocking), just now getting into individual pedals other than my RC-3, you gave me great insight into what I am after. I’ve been using my Podpro for years now, and I’m just looking for more flexibility, plus I’m back in a band and weight is also a factor for this old fella, lol. I always enjoy you videos, so thanks again.
The pedals sound great but because they don't offer true bypass versions and their buffers do something to my clean tone that I can't get rid of with EQ, I won't use them. I loved my Bluesdriver, but loved my clean custom amp more. Awaiting Keeley Super Phat Mod in the mail to take it's place.
My 2 favourites are both vintage ones. I had the OD-2 "Turbo Overdrive" over 30 years ago, and I actually sold it on when I needed the cash at the time, and always regretted it! It was my first overdrive pedal, to get the overdriven tone I was looking for (I was using a cheap solid state amp), and was actually my first Boss pedal, so there is more than a little sentiment in me looking for another one! I managed to pick one up a few years back, and I think it's about 25 years old, but it gets the tones I remember. It was pretty cheap and was in very good condition, so it's a good buy. The other one is a vintage analog Boss CH-1 Chorus pedal (circa 1998). I remember a friend of mine had one over 20 years ago, and I always though it sounded fantastic, so I can't understand why I never picked one up at the time. I got one a few years back, again with almost no wear, and I absolutely love it. I do think the analog ones sound better, definitely not as metallic sounding as the digital ones. The other one I have is a DD-7 Digital Delay, which was my most expensive Boss purchase. I tend to use it in the DM-2 analog mode, but it sounds great in whatever mode I run it in. The DD-3 is great, and is a classic, but what I like about the DD-7 (apart from the analog mode) is the fact that it doesn't cut the "echo trails" off, when you disengage the pedal. I think all the previous models do that! The main thing with Boss pedals is they aren't super expensive, and they are built like a tank. It's a shame that the paint chips off so easily (I hate that!), but for the money you pay, you get good value. They aren't cheaply made, and they don't tend to be in the boutique range either (although the DD-7 stacks up pretty well). They are also quite "modable" as well, which is always useful!!
Super Chorus or Chorus Ensemble is missing. Boss is mostly known for their Boss/Roland Chorus. Even though you don´t use Chorus yourself, one has to be on the List.
The HM-2 shaped an entire subgenre. Its always worth bringong up in any discussion of great boss pedals. I know it didn't fit the criteria for this vid, but I love my DD-500.
I was actually surprised at how convincing the acoustic sim pedal sounded on the video. The no go for me would have to be the DS-1. I couldn't get a decent sound out of mine and flipped it quickly. It just sounded like a really bad imitation of distortion and was too fizzy and boxy sounding overall.
As for the TR-2, Adjust the trim pot for more output and you'll get more gain out of it. It also helps with the so called "perceived" volume drop. It's even coming to tap it and put a potentiometer in place for on the fly adjustment. In my opinion, it acts exactly like it should and needs no modding, but that's how you can fix that.
Way cool video. Boss pedals are great. But I never heard of the angry driver....now I'm totally intrigued and would like to at least try it out at my local music store if they have it :)
Boss DS-1 was my first ever back in 1984. I called it my orange stomp. There was a poop brown Boss pedal for bass that had a 3-4 knob parametric EQ, I forget the name but, I guess it is great for guitar also, and they are increasingly rare and hard to find these days. Saw an amazing acoustic player on YT years ago who swore by them, he had three hooked up to his guitar, one for each pickup. Magnetic, piezo, and condenser, sounded amazing.
Odb-3. While it's technically a bass overdrive, I use it exclusively it has a unique set of features like a 2 band eq and a blend knob. It allows you to really tweak it from a volume boost to a crunch factory
John Todd yes love my PH-3 on my live board and sounds great with and expression pedal too among all the other options for a pedal I scored $49 used PH-3 is awesome
As a bass player the CE-2 was best for me, which was great in a trio when the guitarist went into a solo. The OC-2 (Don't go lower then a low B though, or your cone will crash) Was also handy!
Good that you mentoined the JB-2. It´s an all in one distortion/overdrive pedal. You can go from very soft blues-driver sounds to hi-gained metal distortion combining the BD and JHS Mode... in extraordinary quality.
mike young I traded my OC2 for a Danelectro ChiliDog... it tracks better in my opinion.... but that was also 15+ years ago... stop have the Danelectro though.
I still have my original Boss HM-2 pedal bought circa 1982 (ish) and it still works to this day. It came with a brass plaque stating it was the 3 millionth Boss unit ever made. My other Boss pedals are NS-2, , CE-2, TR-2, DD-7 , RV-6, BF-2 and TU-12. It's safe to say I like my Boss pedals lol The next one I would like have is the RT-20
BZZZ ZBZZZ BZZZ BZZ ZBZB ZZZZZBZZZZ from dream to dream BZZZ BZZ BZZZBZZZ we have always been BZZ ZBZZ BZB ZB ZBZZZ like an ever flowing stream ZZZZZZZZZZZ
My failing eyesight and big feet find BOSS pedals easier to deal with, use as many as possible. My VOX AC-15 and 30 get along with my CS-3, Blues Driver, DD-3, and DD-6 just fine, thank you. I want a Tera-Echo.
The Boss OS-2 was my favorite drive pedal of theirs. OD and Distortion with a blend knob between. Far more versatile than the DS1 and gave you a rich sound that the MT-2 didn't have, (which was the first boss pedal I bought) Also the popularity of the DD3 never resonated with me, My first delay pedal was the DD5 and it does everything the DD3 does but has a bit more delay time if you want it.
schecter seven I've been a Boss fan since the 80s, but my favorite overdrive is an ancient Arion with the orange battery cover.... if you can find one, buy it.
I'm mainly a hard rock and metal player but the Boss Fender Reverb is my most prized pedal. I love surf music and that pedal just puts you right in that space.
About buffers... Try every pedal (bypassed) alone with good quality cables to know if you like the buffer. I don't know why but not every boss pedal share the same buffer. Some are good others are not. Doing that I found that the sd-1 really sucks my high end and makes my sound muddy. And the od-3 makes my clean really alive. The solution for me was to put the good buffer ones before the tone suckers in the signal chain. I found that the other way around, the good buffer couldn't really make better an already sucked tone.
I ended up acquiring all Three of the Boss/Fender Boutique Pedals. The FDR-1 was purchased as a Preamp for a Fender-Rhodes, I bought the '63 Reverb pedal oraginally to duplicate an Electro-Tone Organ Mate on a Hammond Organ (which it failed at), so it ended up in Guitar Pedals. I had a choice between the '59 Bassman Pedal and a Graphic Equalizer, the Bassman was cheaper and went into a Boss 3 Pedal case I use with an Accordion (along with a Compressor and a Delay) to give it a Blues Harp effect.
What I learned is that ordering pedals new from the smallest local store is maybe the best way to spend the most money on pedals. ☺️ Worth doing to support the store, as long as one can afford it.
Nice video, and useful public service for all those that can't chase a board of pricey boutique pedals. A few faves are in this video, namely the SD-1 Super OD, the Fender 63 Reverb, and the tremolo.
I bought a used 12inch Crate amp at a pawn shop and inside it was a Boss BD2. It was my favorite pedal for years and I got it for essentially free! Unfortunately I lost it when Rita hit after Katrina.
You're a brave gtarist by committing to this subject... love your choices... you provide a very balanced view of what Boss achieves and fails at... regardless of boutique stuff I own, Boss will always feature on My boards also... my choices would be different albeit a little cross-over but I say "damn well done"... and isn't that the wonderful power of Boss reliability??? we can All find our own sound due to the Boss plethora of reliable tone.
I use the gt-3 multi effects unit, as well as the super rare DC-2. The floor unit is soooo amazing. It's like I have all the gnarliest boss pedals and then some. The amp modeling is alright but the speaker simulation and everything about the gt-3 is incredible. Extremely extremely powerful. Love the ancient cosm technology.
SD-1 and DD-3. I use the SD-1 like you, to drive the amp harder, so I use it last and a DD-3 before that with the level low at about 9 o'clock. The DD-3 is not too pristine like other digital delays and it's almost analog sounding without being too muddy like analog delays.
1. Metal zone
2. Metal zone
3. Metal zone
4. Metal zone
5. Metal zone
6. Metal zone
7. Metal zone
8. Metal zone
9. Metal zone
10. Metal zone
Arf Arf metal zoan for your toan
Metal Core is better 😏
Jeremiah Daniel unless you are talking about Converge you are dead wrong
@@becketthor bruh jane doe slaps
@@JeremiahDaniel1995 Metal Zone all the way
I also like the boss NO-3
boss nothingizer
does absolutely nothing but you need it anyway
Oh yes, I have a different pedal from that same series... the EH-2 enhancer.
Hahaha!
The best part is that it features true no-bypass.
I got theSpectrum Pedal. It does even less
Yesss! The NO-3 is a must have along with the BOSS SH-1t Tone Sucker on any pedalboard!
Boss FRV-1 reverb is probably my favorite boss pedal. Found it BRAND NEW at a pawn shop in box for $80 then found out after buying it how expensive it was online and hard to find. Definitely a hidden gem.
The DS1 is on just about every song you ever heard from the 70's , 80's and 90's, so I was dismayed that you chuckled on it's inclusion.
I literally just watched this after buying a used fender 63 reverb pedal at guitar center for sixty bucks. I feel like I hit the jackpot
MARK HUNSTEIN Congratulations man ✌😉 Gotta be the best reverb pedal made by anyone that has the original tube sound, I want one but I'm not paying crazy £££ for one either. Enjoy 👍
Definitely a sleeper pedal when it came out, but they're getting pricey. Congrats on the awesome buy!
U did, I ve seen them go for 100+ in some places
Congrats! I payed $200 for a new one.
Boss nailed that one.
The BD-2 is my only "always on" Pedal. And it is the best colour of any Boss pedal.
Favorite distortion/drive ever. The blues driver is so warm and deep, even when you want to play metal it sounds better
@@dakotavenom7821 Billie-Joe from Green Day uses a Blues Driver, I don't reckon they're very bluesy. Not sure how it would handle metal, but it does punk and hard rock great.
I have one of the first DS-1 pedals made, serial #7700, from Dec of 1978 with the clear switch that I got at a neighbors garage sale in the early 80’s. It’s a long dash silver screw pedal. It is the BEST sounding distortion pedal I have ever heard. Seriously, find one and you will never let it go. No other boss pedal compares to it.
That is awsome!
I just wanted to say I love your channel. It's no nonsense, it's no ads, it's just straight knowledge and help for musicians. Thank you man.
As a metal head raised in the 80-90s the Boss Adaptive Distortion change my life.
For me it was the Digitech Metal Master on its own, or a Boss DS1 mixed with Marshall overdrive.
I bought my 1st BOSS Pedal. Looper RC-1. The lights really help control the webbs in my head, sharpening my timing, Yay. 🤝🏼👍🏼
I have to say accoutic sim pedals do an adequate job of filling in the 10 seconds of accoustic-ish part in a rock set that would otherwise need another guitar on a stand or a very expensive piezo system, but then you need a piezo in your backup guitar too.
SD1 super overdrive !
Never fail
If it was a 2 Knob OD 1 Boss Overdrive pedal, with that early magical optical transistor, it would be worth sending off to be converted to true bypass?...LoL
KC I find their buffered bypass totally sufficient.
KC Good taste. Yeah the Mark V doesnt need any pedals for sure and the Peavey only a good Tube screamer to tighten it up. What do you think about the newer Boss pedals ? My last 3 pedals in my signal chain are all newer Boss Pedals ( Tr2, Fender Cosm Reverb and Waza Delay) and since the signal is already buffered to compensate for the long cable run I don't notice much of a difference. At least no unpleasent one.
May I ask how you like the Mark V for Clean/Blues/John Mayer/SRV like tones ?
OD1!
I wrote this before watching the video, phil's demo of sd1 isn't doing justice to it IMO ✌
But there is plenty of good demo. The main plus : works on every amps with every guitare, no harsh sounds as it's very smooth and consistent 💪
Boss GE-7 is the most underrated pedal of ALL TIME.
The Berhinger clone isn't half bad either.... kinda noisy, but 1/2 The price.
Any thoughts on the MXR 10-band EQ?
Fuh Q it was good enough for Dimebag.... Jussayin.
DaddyO's Ink oh I didn’t know that. I have an MXR 10 band and I absolutely love it, just wondered how it compares to the Boss EQ.
Fuh Q in my opinion MXR pedals are built better, and easier to replace the switch if you wear it out..... and I think they are true bypass, but don't quote me on that.
Old video but I really enjoyed it so thank you for making it. Boss pedals are great cheaper options especially when buying used. I just bought the SD-1 again brand new for $62.99 and I think it was well worth the money I spent. I do think some boss pedals dull my tone a tad but that’s no longer an issue thanks to true bypass loop switching pedals. I have a passive one loop looper from Saturnworks that requires no power and it turns any buffered pedals into true bypass. That way I can use my favorite buffer (JHS little black buffer) up front to drive a good strong signal to the amp. I only use 4-5 pedals so one buffer at the front and everything else true bypass works best for me. Having the option to turn any boss pedal into true bypass is the best thing ever for me. If I’m just playing clean I don’t like my tone with a boss buffer in the chain. Takes away to much high end and sounds a little dull. But put it in a true bypass looper pedal and it’s buffer is out of the chain. I wish I had discovered this before I sold a lot of pedals that I felt were tone suckers when off. Especially my mxr csp026 74 reissue. I’ll have to grab another one of those soon.
Also need to get another bd-2 dm-2 in the future.
Sorry for the long winded comment, I’m a gear geek for sure.
Thanks again
Take care
I'd add the FZ-2 Hyper Fuzz. People seem to love or hate them. They have a couple fuzz settings, one of them being pretty tame, and the other is pretty over the top. Think Electric Wizard and Dopethrone. It's got a pretty solid boost setting too. They seem to be a pain to find these days, and they usually don't seem to come too cheap.
I gave a CE-2 to a stranger on a whim once. Turns out my home was burgled of all the worthwhile music gear a couple of years later, so it would have been stolen anyway. I still miss it though.
I absolutely love the CS-3 and for the same reason you do. It gives such an incredible sound that a lot of compressors can't compare to, at least in my opinion. I also use a BD-2W, DA-1, and TE-2. Boss pedals always seemed to get a lot of hate from my guitar playing friends, but they've never done me wrong.
Guitar playing friends are usually total gobsh¡tes in my experience. Ignore all the dogma.
Phillip- I LOVE the OD-1. It is such a great pedal and I am not sure why Boss doesn't make it anymore. It is a true hidden gem!
I like that you can still get Boss pedals that sound good without spending a fortune and they are known to be well built and sturdy.
The only brand that never failed on me. They're freakin tanks!
After the nuclear war, it'll be cockroaches, Keith Richards, and Boss pedals.
I take the Billy Duffy approach. If you're out on the road, almost ANY music store will carry Boss Pedals, not so for boutique pedals and then the cost! The GE-7 is probably the most valuable tool on ANY board (ask Tim Pierce), next up the DD-3 and the DD3-T are must haves for me! I purchased the TC 3 Polytune tuner pedal which shows up better from a distance and has a built in buffer. The only other pedals you have that I don't are the Reverb (built into my amp and works great) and the Acoustic Simulator ( I just don't use acoustic). Boss delays (digital and analogue) are critical for me. I'm with you in the SD-1 Super Overdrive too. Such a good pedal for juicy tones that gets overlooked sometimes.
Thank you very much for this video Philip. Pedals is one of the things I have had trouble deciding on, since I am the type of guy that had the notion that I didn't want to use pedals at all. I know, I know, I'm breaking out of the "box". Trying to be open minded and widen my horizons. Thank you, kind Sir.
The Boss PS-3 is one of my desert island pedals. It can do things that I have never heard any other pedal do. I really cannot express how much I love that pedal and most guitarists don't even know it exists. The only other Boss pedals that I consider classics are the DS-1, the BD-2, and the DD-3.
My first Boss pedal was an HM2, but my first brand new one was a RV3, which I have sold later. It was contemporary of PS3... two great digital effects. Loved its fully wet reverb effect.
Never trust anyone who doesn't have at least one Boss pedal on their board.
Never.
CS-2>SD-1>2x BD-2s>CE-2>DD-7>TR-2>RV-6
True bypass loop switcher and a few mods and you're done. If you need fuzz, grab an MXR 108, stick a wah in front - sorted.
Does metal zone count
@@jasonkim6710 yes it does. If you know how to use it and have it on the FX loop instead of the input.
I have zero boss pedals... and no real reason to buy another pedal.
The BOSS EQ Was my first pedal purchase. Followed that up with the SD-1, then the Blues Driver and two analog digital delays. That basic setup gets me every sound I need currently. I also have a Line 6 Helix but it's so much quicker to just have a basic setup that I can change on the fly in seconds. For my tuner I love the TC models, easily visible in any light from a distance!
The other reason BOSS pedals are great is that you can change batteries in about 6 seconds. Other brands (Read "MXR and others) take a screwdriver and several minutes.
I could never go back to batteries, especially with a pedal board!
Batteries???
Hey Phil, I know it's an old video, but, had all the Boss Overdrives, and they were my 'Distortion' for years (always prefered them to the actual Boss 'Distortions'. There was a moment were I needed more Distortion and gain, so updated it to the Metal Zone, because I can have both worlds, Ultra Distortion and Overdrive in case of need. People don't realise how flexible the MT is. Still use it today with a DD-3 (I had the DSD-1 or 2?), and, always had a Boss volume pedal (FV-50 H). The original FVs could be used as an Expression pedal for the 'Auto-Wah' (had that one two>up-down
Who else thinks Phil is a better guitar player than he gives himself credit for?!
Andrew DiMartino agreed! He was pulling some pretty tasty licks there in the beginning.
Andrew DiMartino yup. All round good egg.
Good ones usually have that attitude.
@@freepadz6241 Yeah, that head is pretty round.
I for one think the guy sucks terribly..I personally don't care even the slightest bit about what pedals he uses and how he uses them either !
I have my fair share of pedals I have collected over the years, and my two favorites are BOSS pedals: I hit the jackpot and found and old CE-2 Chorus pedal at a yard sale. It still had the box and the original owners manual. I got it for $40!!! I sounds amazing! My second fav is a BOSS DS-1, (also bought at a yard sale for $25!!!) that was modded by Analog.man!!! It has become my go to distortion pedal. I run it into a Fender 68 DRRI and it sounds incredible!!! BOSS FTW!!!
Good video, I'm a Boss fan. I only use minimal effects anyway, so Boss pedals on my board is more than enough.. Some of those "Boutique" pedals are so overrated.. A lot of them seem to just have nice paint jobs on the case?!
The TU-3 can also be used as a power supply. Maybe handle 2 Digitals + 2 analogues ? Nice for a small setup. Volume levels affect the effectiveness of the pedals. Set them up for bedroom levels and "mark" the knobs. Then, set them up for (loud) stage levels and mark them again. Boss pedals are bullet proof and relatively affordable. Great gigging tools.
You said there was one that almost made the list and one that would never make the list....well what pedal will never make the list?
I bet it is the xt-2
Definitely the Metal Zone!
I was wondering that as well...probably one of those, "...Why again did I walk into the kitchen...?"
everyone is saying metalzone
the hm2 is probably worse sounding
@@juno980 The hm2 does one thing but it does it like no other
I loved the turbo overdrive. Most sustain I ever heard in any overdrive pedal. I owned 2 of them. It was different from the other overdrive pedals. It used cascading descrete circuit stages instead of the typical op-amp circuit.
My brother just picked up a Keeley modded Blues Driver for $20 at a pawn shop. He’s feeling pretty lucky ducky right now.
Heck ya he is! good find.
So he pretty much robbed a pawn shop.
🤣
seems like the acoustic pedal does exactly what it's supposed to do. I think it sounds good enough to add some interest and depth of tone to a gig.
I’m a gear minimalist so I bought a Katana Artist and called it a day.
Supperconductor aw that's no fun tho lol
RhythmGrizz hahaha true. I haven’t always been this way but trust me I don’t need another hobby becoming a rabbit hole
Why not have both? ;) pedals and the amp
I don't love every Boss pedal, but I love a lot of them. I love that they look like Skittles, and I really love the big foot switch. I have the tuner at the beginning of my chain, and reverb or delay (depending on whether my reverb is in the FX loop) at the end of my chain, so the buffers come in handy for me
What about the "honorable mention" for the one that will never make the list (i.e. Metal Zone :-) )?
Might be boring but I would have to put the NS-2 on the list.
A noise gate that lets you put your noisy pedals inside the send/return is such a life saver for so many reasons.
Quieter And more responsive.
12:12 is a tone I could use for the rest of my life.
The Blues Driver is extremely versatile for sculpting your overall sound, timbre, in many nice and tonally legit and useful ways.
10-4 on that! Likes single coils and buckers alike, it loves the VOX AC amps....
Boss also makes cool amps - that have built in pedals!
I have one off Phil's recommendation - the 50 watt. Other than not having an FX loop I love it!
Yes
Roland amps all the way, best clean tones ever. Any roland cube will do the job, it's just a steal.
frmadeira agreed. May not have as many effects or features but fuck those little cubes are gnarly.
Yep, I'd rather get a quality amp than built in effects. BOSS can't compete with amps like Marshall, Fender, Orange, VOX, Roland, EVH, etc.
My Boss pedal experience is thus...
DS-1 - Used it for years but eventually ditched it. Far too fuzzy and thin sounding.
DD-3 Delay - Had it for years, still on my pedal board, love it.
FRV-1 Reverb - Amazing pedal. Bought it when it came out, still on my pedal board.
RC-3 Loopstation - Great pedal but I never really got into looping so sold it.
PS-5 Super Shifter - Really struggled with this one. Didn't find many uses for it.
SD-1 Overdrive - My favourite pedal, I use it all the time and it's so cheap. Great on it's own or boosting into distortion pedals.
MT-2 Metal Zone - Don't understand the hate. Still on my pedal board and I get great stuff out of it.
I'm also a fan of Boss and like the OC-3 Octaver as it does a very decent bass line for thickening up riffs without a bass player. BTW - not sure you mentioned the pedal that "will never make the list?"
Great discussion - I agree that the used market needs to be considered when determining pedal quality. Used boss pedals are so affordable, so durable and high quality - such a good place to start - or end - when buying pedals.
I'm guessing the Metal Zone would be the pedal that would never make the list. It actually sounds pretty good if you run it through the fx loop in back of the amp rather plugging it the front of the amp. Complete different sound.
Oh really? I saw it in a video but can you confirm it?
traditional metal zone pedals suck balls when run through the front of the amp, but the new waza craft metal zone fixes it. it's the one waza boss pedal that is indisputably better than the original. boss make my favorite metal pedal but it's the boss metal core ML-2. the boss heavy metal HM-2 pedal is good too.
Actually it runs good in front of the amp, but you gotta control(reduce) the brightness/precense of the amp, it adds the bees.
Putting in the fx loop remove any EQ from the amp, hence it sounds better (in a poorly set amp)
I'm a beginner and after getting a few chords down pretty good I decided to purchase my first pedal. After trying a bunch at sweetwater, I loved the sd 1 the most to my beginner ears.
The Dimension C. Love that one
My ex-bandleader/co-guitarist had in his arsenal the tuner, the flanger the Metal Zone, the Octave, the acoustic simulator, the digital delay and (if I’m not mistaken) the EQ. (He overlooked the BD-2 for an Ibanez screamer for unknown reasons.). When first I saw him in 1996 (I was age 16 at the time), he had already purchased all of them and used them (at least) for the following nine years.
Early in my own collaboration with him, he lent me his DS-1 Distortion pedal. I misused it (save when I kicked in my wah-wah pedal), but I got here via another video with tips about how to properly apply it.
When you said “double pedal”, the CE-2 was the first model which came to mind.
What I learned here was how much I really want an ME-80 (which I’ve spent nearly a year trying to talk myself into purchasing). One thing which I would love to know is whether or not the petals it duplicates could be used to simulate the Boston guitar sound and the Tom Scholz hyperspace pedal.
I really wish Boss would re-release the HM-2 and do a Waza Craft version. Who can I market this to?!
RequiemDead YES!! I wish I didn’t have to pay $300 to do an accurate Entombed cover
Imperium You don't. There are clones for much, much less. Even boss ones sell for less than that.
I paid $220 for my Dunwich modded hm-2 clone and it nails the sounds. Would just be cool if I had an original or a reissue.
I have an original HM-2 to sell 🙂
Holy shit- me too. I picked mine up for only $50 a few years ago. Who am I kidding? I want to sound like Entombed every now and then.
Boss DS1 is outstanding through a warm, midrangey Marshall style amp. Whack the gain up and ride the guitars volume control to clean up to get fantastic overdrive tones.
Through sparkly clean amps then the DS1 is just fizz city.
btw...GE-7 is the most under appreciated and most versatile pedal of all time.. if you know how to use it.
What was the one that will never go on your board? I don't believe you said after you mentioned there were two left the JB2 and one that will never go on.
I'm guessing MT-2 - but yeah, he totally missed it.
Okay, thanks. I thought maybe I'd lost it for a second
Brian York Left me wondering, too!
I think it's the Metal Zone.
Ok, glad I am not the only one...
I modded my TR-2 - Monte Allums mod. Became completely noiseless and the pedal now has a level knob so you can dial up the perceived volume drop. Great Trem is now amazing! As good or better than any boutique trem.
I like the Boss Power Stack ST-2. It's on my top 10 Boss Pedals list for sure. Have you ever tried this one, Phill?
Tadeu Caldararo is that one similar to the metalcore?
Jack O'Brien, it seems to me that it isn't anything like the Metal Core. Altough, I never tried a Metal Core, myself.
I use the Power Stack with low gain to play some AC/DC songs. And I use it with half the gain to play some Iron Maiden stuff. I like very much the sounds I get from it.
Tadeu Caldararo ah okay thank you, I didn’t know if the metalcore replaced the powerstack when it was discontinued
Jack O'Brien, I don't know either. Sorry.
I use a power stack too
in combination with a ge-7 eq sounds killer
Thanks Phil, as someone who is only now, after playing for over 50years (I know shocking), just now getting into individual pedals other than my RC-3, you gave me great insight into what I am after. I’ve been using my Podpro for years now, and I’m just looking for more flexibility, plus I’m back in a band and weight is also a factor for this old fella, lol.
I always enjoy you videos, so thanks again.
The pedals sound great but because they don't offer true bypass versions and their buffers do something to my clean tone that I can't get rid of with EQ, I won't use them. I loved my Bluesdriver, but loved my clean custom amp more. Awaiting Keeley Super Phat Mod in the mail to take it's place.
My 2 favourites are both vintage ones.
I had the OD-2 "Turbo Overdrive" over 30 years ago, and I actually sold it on when I needed the cash at the time, and always regretted it!
It was my first overdrive pedal, to get the overdriven tone I was looking for (I was using a cheap solid state amp), and was actually my first Boss pedal, so there is more than a little sentiment in me looking for another one!
I managed to pick one up a few years back, and I think it's about 25 years old, but it gets the tones I remember. It was pretty cheap and was in very good condition, so it's a good buy.
The other one is a vintage analog Boss CH-1 Chorus pedal (circa 1998). I remember a friend of mine had one over 20 years ago, and I always though it sounded fantastic, so I can't understand why I never picked one up at the time. I got one a few years back, again with almost no wear, and I absolutely love it. I do think the analog ones sound better, definitely not as metallic sounding as the digital ones.
The other one I have is a DD-7 Digital Delay, which was my most expensive Boss purchase. I tend to use it in the DM-2 analog mode, but it sounds great in whatever mode I run it in. The DD-3 is great, and is a classic, but what I like about the DD-7 (apart from the analog mode) is the fact that it doesn't cut the "echo trails" off, when you disengage the pedal. I think all the previous models do that!
The main thing with Boss pedals is they aren't super expensive, and they are built like a tank. It's a shame that the paint chips off so easily (I hate that!), but for the money you pay, you get good value.
They aren't cheaply made, and they don't tend to be in the boutique range either (although the DD-7 stacks up pretty well). They are also quite "modable" as well, which is always useful!!
Super Chorus or Chorus Ensemble is missing. Boss is mostly known for their Boss/Roland Chorus. Even though you don´t use Chorus yourself, one has to be on the List.
Not when the title says "My 10 favorite Boss Pedals and how I use them"
Plasmafuse Still have my Roland Cube Chorus amp from the '80. Their analog chorus is the best!
Somehow true but he asks also for my/our Opinion/s, which Pedals are not in the List and should be in :) 19:37
The CH-1 has been with me from "the beginning".
The ce2 is the one for me.
God bless Phil, one of the most genuine youtubers hands down
The RE-20 is my favorite delay from boss
That is a sick pedal, I used to have one. Unfortunately it got "lost" somehow during my divorce.
I want another one, but I need an amp and stuff more.
The HM-2 shaped an entire subgenre. Its always worth bringong up in any discussion of great boss pedals.
I know it didn't fit the criteria for this vid, but I love my DD-500.
I was actually surprised at how convincing the acoustic sim pedal sounded on the video. The no go for me would have to be the DS-1. I couldn't get a decent sound out of mine and flipped it quickly. It just sounded like a really bad imitation of distortion and was too fizzy and boxy sounding overall.
john m let's not be snobs
As for the TR-2,
Adjust the trim pot for more output and you'll get more gain out of it. It also helps with the so called "perceived" volume drop. It's even coming to tap it and put a potentiometer in place for on the fly adjustment.
In my opinion, it acts exactly like it should and needs no modding, but that's how you can fix that.
Way cool video. Boss pedals are great.
But I never heard of the angry driver....now I'm totally intrigued and would like to at least try it out at my local music store if they have it :)
Boss DS-1 was my first ever back in 1984. I called it my orange stomp. There was a poop brown Boss pedal for bass that had a 3-4 knob parametric EQ, I forget the name but, I guess it is great for guitar also, and they are increasingly rare and hard to find these days. Saw an amazing acoustic player on YT years ago who swore by them, he had three hooked up to his guitar, one for each pickup. Magnetic, piezo, and condenser, sounded amazing.
I found a boss blues driver for $25 and of course I bought it
It would have been stupid not to.
Even if you don't want it, you could at least flip it for a few bucks.
Odb-3. While it's technically a bass overdrive, I use it exclusively it has a unique set of features like a 2 band eq and a blend knob. It allows you to really tweak it from a volume boost to a crunch factory
Phase shifter was really underrated.
John Todd yes love my PH-3 on my live board and sounds great with and expression pedal too among all the other options for a pedal I scored $49 used PH-3 is awesome
Tried a boat load of 'boutique' phasers, and in the end, bought a PH3, saved a ton of cash, and still have the capabilities/sounds I need.
As a bass player the CE-2 was best for me, which was great in a trio when the guitarist went into a solo. The OC-2 (Don't go lower then a low B though, or your cone will crash) Was also handy!
Boss gets it done. And most players can afford one.
Good that you mentoined the JB-2. It´s an all in one distortion/overdrive pedal. You can go from very soft blues-driver sounds to hi-gained metal distortion combining the BD and JHS Mode... in extraordinary quality.
Boss metal zone is the one you left out
Didn't think I liked PRS guitars until I saw the one you're holding. Love the finish...so much nicer than the quilted look
Super octave. Must have.
mike young I traded my OC2 for a Danelectro ChiliDog... it tracks better in my opinion.... but that was also 15+ years ago... stop have the Danelectro though.
I still have my original Boss HM-2 pedal bought circa 1982 (ish) and it still works to this day. It came with a brass plaque stating it was the 3 millionth Boss unit ever made. My other Boss pedals are NS-2, , CE-2, TR-2, DD-7 , RV-6, BF-2 and TU-12. It's safe to say I like my Boss pedals lol The next one I would like have is the RT-20
My favorite BOSS pedal is the HM-2
BZZZ ZBZZZ BZZZ BZZ ZBZB ZZZZZBZZZZ from dream to dream BZZZ BZZ BZZZBZZZ we have always been BZZ ZBZZ BZB ZB ZBZZZ like an ever flowing stream ZZZZZZZZZZZ
GoddessIn Triptych DISMEMBER!!
hm3 was bettet
My failing eyesight and big feet find BOSS pedals easier to deal with, use as many as possible. My VOX AC-15 and 30 get along with my CS-3, Blues Driver, DD-3, and DD-6 just fine, thank you. I want a Tera-Echo.
I like the DS-1 because I play a lot of Nirvana songs!
Same here
Yall should get a ds2 its basicly a DS-1 with a lil extra thingy, kurt upgraded to the ds2 in later stages
The Boss OS-2 was my favorite drive pedal of theirs. OD and Distortion with a blend knob between. Far more versatile than the DS1 and gave you a rich sound that the MT-2 didn't have, (which was the first boss pedal I bought)
Also the popularity of the DD3 never resonated with me, My first delay pedal was the DD5 and it does everything the DD3 does but has a bit more delay time if you want it.
I do like Boss Pedals.
schecter seven I've been a Boss fan since the 80s, but my favorite overdrive is an ancient Arion with the orange battery cover.... if you can find one, buy it.
DaddyO's Ink, Thanks I will look for one, you never can tell what will come up browsing for used pedals.
My pedal board: CS-3, MIJ DM-2 "silver screw, 3005 chip", MIJ OD-1 "silver screw, JRC chip", MIJ DS-1 "long dash, silver screw", BD-2w, XT-2, ML-2. MT-2w, detour off the board to a Metal Muff, MIJ CE-3, MIJ PH-2r, '63 Fender Reverb. In that order.
Thank you for sharing this.
I'm mainly a hard rock and metal player but the Boss Fender Reverb is my most prized pedal. I love surf music and that pedal just puts you right in that space.
No metal zone?? 😁
About buffers... Try every pedal (bypassed) alone with good quality cables to know if you like the buffer. I don't know why but not every boss pedal share the same buffer. Some are good others are not. Doing that I found that the sd-1 really sucks my high end and makes my sound muddy. And the od-3 makes my clean really alive. The solution for me was to put the good buffer ones before the tone suckers in the signal chain. I found that the other way around, the good buffer couldn't really make better an already sucked tone.
Heavy metal 2!!!!!
*Death metal growls
jim cricket Swedish death metal
Finnish Death Metal
I used to have a massive collection of pedals, especially Boss. My favorites were mostly the Boss pedals, even more than boutique pedals.
No NS-2?
Love it. Saves me Nerves! ;)
It's fine. ISP Decimator II sort of stole its thunder.
I love the FX loop on the NS-2. Made it a winner imo.
Yep, same here!
I have never played a gig without the DS-1. I just works for me. From a boost to a real nice low gain overdrive sound.
I ended up acquiring all Three of the Boss/Fender Boutique Pedals. The FDR-1 was purchased as a Preamp for a Fender-Rhodes, I bought the '63 Reverb pedal oraginally to duplicate an Electro-Tone Organ Mate on a Hammond Organ (which it failed at), so it ended up in Guitar Pedals. I had a choice between the '59 Bassman Pedal and a Graphic Equalizer, the Bassman was cheaper and went into a Boss 3 Pedal case I use with an Accordion (along with a Compressor and a Delay) to give it a Blues Harp effect.
I just want to say your guitars have the best intonation I have ever heard
What I learned is that ordering pedals new from the smallest local store is maybe the best way to spend the most money on pedals. ☺️ Worth doing to support the store, as long as one can afford it.
The Boss OD-20 Distortion Drive Zone...it'll get you there and further. I LOVE IT.
Nice video, and useful public service for all those that can't chase a board of pricey boutique pedals. A few faves are in this video, namely the SD-1 Super OD, the Fender 63 Reverb, and the tremolo.
I bought a used 12inch Crate amp at a pawn shop and inside it was a Boss BD2. It was my favorite pedal for years and I got it for essentially free! Unfortunately I lost it when Rita hit after Katrina.
Recently I bought an SD-1 and I LOVE IT. It is the first pedal I have bought and it sounds amazing.
You're a brave gtarist by committing to this subject... love your choices... you provide a very balanced view of what Boss achieves and fails at... regardless of boutique stuff I own, Boss will always feature on My boards also... my choices would be different albeit a little cross-over but I say "damn well done"... and isn't that the wonderful power of Boss reliability??? we can All find our own sound due to the Boss plethora of reliable tone.
I use the gt-3 multi effects unit, as well as the super rare DC-2. The floor unit is soooo amazing. It's like I have all the gnarliest boss pedals and then some. The amp modeling is alright but the speaker simulation and everything about the gt-3 is incredible. Extremely extremely powerful. Love the ancient cosm technology.
Yeah the overdrive is killer I use a modded OS-2 which is a bit different but allows for higher gain. Best pedal I’ve ever used
SD-1 and DD-3. I use the SD-1 like you, to drive the amp harder, so I use it last and a DD-3 before that with the level low at about 9 o'clock. The DD-3 is not too pristine like other digital delays and it's almost analog sounding without being too muddy like analog delays.
I agree with ya Phil...personally I won’t use a tremolo pedal that lacks a make-up gain control of some sort.