if there is one thing i don't like about boss is that LARGE footswitch, easy to foot on while you jump like punk kids do, but i just don't like it, not look classic... 😂
@@junoomarsedaever had two boss pedals too close next to each other & switched both with your new rocks by accident? Still, they're mega easy to turn off again so it works both ways! 🙂
When the bombs land and civilization is destroyed, three things will survive the fallout. 1. Cockroaches 2. Keith Richards 3. Boss pedals I will add I used to be Trevor Bolders bass technician in Uriah Heep for years, and he only used Boss pedals. They were like Captain Scarlet - Indestructible
exactly, and honestly one pedal from a different brand won't make all the difference in the world. You can still get an incredible tone with a good amp, playing well, with a decent guitar (and sometimes that's not even necessary lmao).
Boss does an enormous crazy amount of research with their pedals with crazy amounts of testing. I used to think Boss pedals were nothing special but after a few years I’ve concluded that they really sound perfect in song mixes. They really have dialed in the accurate frequencies in their pedals especially when paired with good amps.
Everytime a youtube blogger tries to find reasons for using Boss stuff I wonder... Its a JAPAN company with more than 50 years of development and innovation experience in guitar world. There are no more loopers like boss, sy series like boss, no one makes slicer etc etc. still they are the top, you can find their production in every store across the world. Why no one pays attention to this and still thinks that boss is rubbish? The issue is that we too much believe "boutique" manufacturers who instead of inventing new pedals simply clone over and over blues breakers / tube screamers / muffs etc. There are 0 issues with boss. There are a lot of issues with guitarist minds and boutique marketing strategies that easily manipulate guitarist minds
The older pedals a have pretty intrusive buffers. It also seems to be worse on some pedals than others, maybe also aging pedals get worse. I think they have improved their buffer designs over the years. That’s really the only issue I’ve had though.
The real issue is called classism. People with money want to differentiate themselves from people without money by flexing their belongings. Check out the Andertons blind test videos where they showcase that often times low priced gear sounds just as good (if not better) as higher priced gear. Everyone wants to buy into the belief that buying a $450 distortion pedal will somehow make you a god.
2004, kitting out a band for a world tour and both guitarists and the bass player had 90% boss pedals. Boss/Roland were happy to do excellent prices so we picked up three of each so always had back ups. Thing is, those backups are to the best of my knowledge still in their boxes. Great pedals. You only need something different for maybe reverb/delay and modulation if you have specific needs :)
1) well designed 2) reliable 3) ideal format 4) accessible everywhere 5) 50 years of existence 6) universal external 9v power supply format 7) it does what it says on it 8) little speculation
I think another big reason why Boss is so common is that, for a lot of these guys, particularly the older ones, is that most of these boutique pedal brands weren't around when they were building the core part of their sound. Boss was, Ibanez/Maxon was, DOD was. They know how to work 'em to get what they're after.
Asolutely. I started playing in78 and am a professional musician since 86. 95% of my colleagues play Strats and Les Pauls into Marshall, Voxes and Fenders through BOSS or Ibanez pedals or maybe a Fulldrive. They don't care about pedals, they care about somehow making a living by playing music.
You can easily step on two at a time. Like a boost and delay for a solo. Another cool thing is you can flip the bottom plate over and add Velcro to stick on your board. That way if you ever want to sell the pedal just flip the plate back over and you have clean rubber bottom without Velcro residue.
I once liberated a Boss DS1 from the waterlogged boot of a car in a scrapyard. The pedal plare was missing but half of each of the side screws were still in the housing, it was seriously battered, looking like the previous user had been playing cricket with it for years and out of the cricket season had simply been using it for air rifle target practice. I had that thing for years and it worked perfectly.
As a full time gigging musician who isn't famous at all myself, here's my reasons I use them. 1. Big button is easy to hit 2. Colors are easy to see on stage. 3. Cost efficient 4. They do sound good 5. Durable
I have had the CS-2 compressor on my board since they came out 40 years ago. I own three of them and have never had an issue. They sound great and get the job done without any drama. I have also owned numerous DD3s, DS-1, CS-3s, Blues Driver, pedal reverbs, and now the Boss IR-2 and have never had any issues with any of those pedals either. The only pedals that I have had issues with were several of my boutique ($$$) pedals. I'd never hesitate to use Boss.
1) LOVE BOSS. As a new guitar player growing up in the 80's in a small town, my local shop only a small variety of pedals. The plastic MIJ Arion, Rocktek, KMD...etc and BOSS. I couldn't afford BOSS. It was huge the day I came home with my firt DD-3. I learned every trick that pedal could do. I used it for 2 amp set ups, slapback, trail delays, oscillations...used it live in a high school jam band. I did everthing I asked of it and it never broke doing it. Still have one to this day. 2) During a 6 month period, I was living with my dad while he was dying of cancer. When the stress and long nights got too much, I would go out and hit the local music and pawn shops looking for BOSS pedals. The goal was to collect all of them, the whole history of Compact Pedals. It was a coping mechanism that also proved another point. Yes you can find them in any music shop new, but you can also get them used everywhere. And a used BOSS is just as reliable as a new one. 3) After a life time of pedal buying, playing, selling and swapping I can say this with assurity. BOSS can stand with the best of them. They taught me the foundations of tone with simplicity. They taught me how to play like me regardless of what pedals I'm playing through. That great tone comes from the hands and not germanium diodes hand picked off trees by Norwegian gnomes. 4) After 35 years of playing BOSS, here's what I've learned. I still haven't played them all. They still haven't stopped innovating. The BD-2 and the SD-1 together can do most of the gain sounds that you will ever need. That every chorus pedals is still just trying to be as good as the CE-1/2. That the HF-2 High Band Flanger is the unsung hero of modulation. That the FT-2 has that Mutron III mojo. That you should definietly get the WAZA BD-2 but a regular SD-1. With 6 pedals on, I still can't hear the buffers. If the buffers bother you, get a switcher...you can afford one with the money you saved buying used BOSS pedals. Just get the Waza CE-2. My favorite compressor out of 10-15 that I have is the digital CP1-X. And finally, the OD-2r is the best yellow BoSS overdrive...sorry SD-1...but I still love you.
"...great tone comes from the hands and not germanium diodes hand picked off trees by Norwegian gnomes..." creative comment in the midst of a lot of other good stuff!
As another person who grew up in a small town in the eighties, Boss were very much the pedals you aspired to owning. I eventually saved up and invested in a Roland GP-8 in '88 if memory serves me right, so got eight fully programmable pedals in one convenient box. I still have it, and it still works perfectly, although I don't gig with it any more. Currently using a BD-2 as my main pedal.
The biggest point of failure with pedals is the switch. Boss solved this with electronic switching. In a boss pedal, two strips of metal in a very simple switch need to touch for an electronic signal to flip the state of the pedal from off to on or back. The audio signal is separated from this switching scheme. Super simple and will last 30+ years with heavy use. Then the boutique and true bypass craze came, with the 3pdt switches that actually carry the audio signal as well. Those contacts in the 3PDT switches will last 5 to 10 years, possibly less with very heavy use. MXR uses DPDT switches, which is sort of similar though one point of failure less than 3PDT. However, they solder the switches to the PCB. Enough stomping will eventually crack the solder or damage that switch. It's all fixable, but better to stick with a design that will just work!
I think that true bypass craze was a big factor. Suddenly boss, and buffers were looked down on and at the very least you needed a 'modded' pedal with true bypass and a few components changed - ideally with the LED to a super bright one that dazzles the user. Ironically it's the electronic switching that's failed on John's SD9. Seems to be a common problem on that pedal and I've had a go at replacing the switching transistors and a few electrolytic capacitors. It would work fine for a few minutes and then stop again. Probably general drift of various components mean the electronic switch isn't setting the right voltages anymore. Maybe there's some breaks in some of the circuit traces and resistance is a bit too high. Ironically one of the fixes could be to do a true bypass mod
Lots of boutique users also, but no question that Boss pedals are everywhere with live players. Prince famously used almost nothing but Boss pedals. Same with Johnny Marr and many others. I think the main reasons are that they were around before the boutique pedal thing took off, they are bullet proof for traveling and live gigs, they have super simple interfaces, and the whole bottom of the pedal acts as the foot switch, so you don’t have to zero in on a small little peg to turn it on/off when you’re in the middle of a song. Even Josh Scott from JHS said that Boss has the most perfect pedal design of all time, and it’s mainly because the whole bottom of the pedal works as the switch, and they almost never break.
I think the best part about modern pedalboards are the switchers because you don't need to stomp 🦶🏼 on any pedals anymore. You can also use better alternatives to The Boss pedals in a smaller footprint.
@@IamMusicNerd Yes, it's in my opinion very interesting how a lot of so-called "first's" in guitar and amplification technology and other music gear in general were actually pretty "perfect" from their original designs. I mean there seems to be numerous examples of this phenomenon being observed throughout the years of rock-'n'-roll and music history. Wtbs... Boss I believe actually nails it on its second attempt at the ultimate stomp proof stomp box, and I'm probably wrong about everything and nobody should even be reading this what's wrong with you? Just stop and back away
I’m a massive fan of the tone of Boss but a another big part of why I started using their pedal is the design. With my very wide foot, I still manage to occasionally switch on a neighbouring pedal by accident. With the tiny switch of most boutique pedals (and worse when a pedal has 2 switches) what hope have I got unless I have a massive gap between each pedal? Boss are beast!
While I do use a lot of boutique pedals, I totally agree with John 5's mentality. I play a Fender Twin ('65 Reissue) live because I can rent one from any backline company all over the world. I also always use a Boss FV-500H volume pedal and a Boss delay (most recently a DD-8) in the live setting because I know if something goes wrong I can replace them easily. When I've had gear miss flights and ended up having to rely what a backline company or promoter can scrounge-up locally I've invariably been presented with 90% Boss pedals. It happened to me in Moscow a few years ago. It happened to me in Wisconsin a month ago. It even happened to me in London, where you would think boutique pedals would be easily obtained. I did some shows with Tom Morello several years back and his pedalboard consisted exclusively of pedals one could pull off the shelf in a Guitar Center in 1997; mostly Boss.
I still have the same bass flanger that I bought in 1987. Still works great and sounds like it did the day I bought it. Boss is rock solid. Never broke one.
If you're hung up on your Kemper like me, make sure you get Johns Kemper Rigs, I did and I found all the sounds and tones I've been wasting my time and life to find! I also have Boss petals that are over 40 years old, and they work perfectly! I'm getting ready to start using them again!
I had a 40 year old boss sd1 which was still working when I sold it (regret) all my boss pedals I've been using for years with zero issues. Bought a jhs morning glory (200) and after about a year started to fail. Also had ehx small clone which basically fell apart. The boss stuff is rock solid. Tried and tested. Exactly why the pro's use them 😊
I bought an SD-1 when they first came out. That's 40 years ago and it's still on my pedalboard. I got a reissue as replacement "just in case", never needed it to replace, only to add... Not that I didn't try all kinds of otherdrives, but after a week or two I always had found out I can do this with 'Old Yellow' as well; The only other drive on my board is the 'always on' VoodooLab Sparkle Drive, because of the clean blend possibility.
I’ve had a Boss DD3 delay since I bought it in the 80s - never given me a lick of trouble and it’s still on my studio board today. Their EQ pedals are a staple for me as well. Since I grew up when Boss pedals were king I have a soft spot for them even when I lust for the boutique stuff. Great video! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
In reggae, the boss DD3, DD7, Phase 3, and Space Echo Pedals will forever be the standard. Nothing like a guitar or piano skank through Boss digital delay. It just feels right
Buzz Osborne, leader of Melvins once said, that he chooses Boss' effects (among the other cheap / popular) cause they're mostly not expensive, and what's important - easy to obtain, which is crucial when You tour around the world.
I think BOSS-pedals get a bad rap because: 1. They are relatively affordable 2. They are among the first pedals that people might buy 3. At a point when they might not have a decent amplifier yet 4. And at a point when both their playing skills and gear-knowledge are not quite up there yet 5. Which makes Boss-pedals (or any pedal) sound bad, and that first impression sticks
Chris Rea endorsed Boss pedals in the late ‘80’s, he had an immense touring schedule and released a stellar album in 1990! He loves them because they work!!!!
Went back to a Boss blues driver and a super overdrive on my board from much more expensive drive pedals.Just got the tones and feel i wanted from the boss pedals.
It's the best $100 overdrive you can get...$50 for a used BD-2 and $50 for a new SD-1. A free lifetime lesson in gain stacking and a range of gain sounds for most musical styles.
The thing that makes Boss pedals great is that in nearly all cases they say *exactly* what they are ("Chorus", "Distortion", "Flanger", etc.) and there's no confusion about what type of pedal you'd be getting. There's no abstract names like "Volante", "Slö" or "BigSky" -- you could say "I need a delay pedal" and go to a music store, and there'll be a Boss pedal with "Delay" or "Echo" in the name that would most likely fit the bill. Even the Boss pedals that have slightly more specific names ("Metal Zone", "Blues Driver", etc.) are relatively easy to tell what they do and how they might sound -- only ones that come to mind that aren't as straightforward from the name alone are the Dimension C and other "Dimension" pedals (which are based on the old Roland Dimension D rack effect) and things like the Spectrum and Slow Gear (older pedals that aren't produced anymore and go for ridiculous money). They made a perfect design (I call it the Nokia 3310 of the pedal world) and made it dead simple to figure out and use.
Joe Walsh & Don Felder - Eagles , Keith Scott - Bryan Adams use boss pedals till the day.. these are the real boutique pedals.. back in the day 80s and 90s the boss pedals ruled..credits to you for picking the blues driver. it's a must have on any board!!
I came to the conclusion that Boss has already figured out guitar tone and most other pedals were based on Boss pedals. It's hard to get a bad sound out of a Boss product which is under the Roland USA company in my understanding. I love Boss/Roland and think most their products are top of the line. I myself own a new Boss Dual Cube LX and a Boss Nextone Stage 40 and a few Boss foot switches and pedals. And my tone is tight af son! Lol
I am Brazilian and now I live in Europe. I remember when I was a teenager the boss pedals were not so affordable in Brazil (and I believe it's even worse now) so I always had to go for cheaper alternatives (Behringer, which I still have with me as one of them) Groovin pedals (Don't even know from which country it is, and so on, and Onner brand too. Then I moved here, started a TH-cam channel of pedals, and started to have some boutique or handmade pedals (excellent and reliable ones) and I started to try the massive brands of pedals that I couldn't afford when I was a teenager (DOD, T-Rex, Digitech, MXR and so on) but never a Boss. Recently on a trip to Valencia in Spain, I decided to buy a DS-2, because I am a huge fan of John Frusciante, and you know what? I loved it. Amazing pedal, reliable, simple, built like a tank, great sound, and with a really good price. I agree with you, sometimes we need to think more about how easy is to find a replacement and Boss is one of the best brands for that, if you go for their regular line (not the more fancy versions) you can find almost anywhere in the world.
Dave Navarro has always been a Boss player. Robert Smith as well. Those artists are more in my wheelhouse but they definitely stick with those pedals after all of these years.
I'm a touring loop artist. Most people expect me to have 90 boutique pedals. My pedalboard: Guitar: Boss Tuner Exotic boost MXR super BA Keeley Caverns Boss RC30 Keys: Boss Space Echo Vocals: Boss P6 Harmonist Boss Space Echo Only the MXR and the Keeley have needed to be replaced. I destroyed a DD7 but that was my own doing. Roland is like that too. I've had numerous Yamahas crap out at shows. Can't handle the salt water in the air. My two Roland keys still kicking just fine. Boss/Roland is the Toyota of pedals. You can get flashier stuff, but nothing's more efficient.
Had a Roland keyboard in the early 90s get water dropped on it from a rain bulge in a wedding marquee... it shorted out. Dried it out for a few days in an airing cupboard and it was fine with absolutely no work needed.
I knew a couple young guitarist who had little money when I moved up to a newer boss pedal or tried something new I just gave my old pedals to them it helps to help the next generation along when ya can afford to Cheers !
In my over 20 years of playing music and live gigging, I have never had a Boss pedal fail or break. They are built like tanks because they have been in the business longer than any “boutique” builder. So, as another person has said, they have decades to develop and create some of the most innovative and solid built pedals ever to hit the market.
The content and especially the improv songs on this vid are just pure joy. BOSS were my first snd only pedals. I wish I would have kept them and not traded them in for an ART SGX2000 way back when.
There is a rig rundown video with Billy Duffy where he's asked why he uses BOSS pedals. He says it's because they are available in more places than any other pedals.
Great show! My experience was similar to yours regarding the perception of Boss as a higher end pedal company when I first started out playing in the 90s. I didn’t have any Boss pedals, but I wanted them. When the boutique pedal business really took hold, my perception was that Boss was sort of like to Honda Civic of the pedal industry-reliable, great value, available everywhere, will get the job done, but probably not the most exciting, innovative, or aesthetically pleasing. I have about 170 pedals (I adore them and am fully addicted) and 4 of them are Boss. I’ve been thinking about getting a few more Boss pedals. I love that their design has remained basically the same for all these years. Great company.
Nice Video John, My first pedal was a Metal Zone MT-2 20 years ago, still have it, still work but I don't use it much as I play more mellow stuff. The next pedal was a SD-1 that I have been using for almost 20 years. The reason pros use Boss is because the sound is good, it's reliable and if it ever breaks it is easy to find one in a local music store.
In the 80s and 90s everyone used Boss and MXR. They definitely weren’t considered cheap and they were the industry standard. Then the internet came along and cork sniffing, self appointed “experts” started talking them down whilst talking up anything with a 70s style box, a daft name and a high price tag. The thing is, people were spending a load of money on boutique pedals whilst trying to replicate sounds often recorded with Boss, MXR, DOD etc. Not only that, but with longer signal chains, a buffered pedal is required because if everything is true bypass, you lose signal which will decimate your tone. Boss are incredible.
Some 40 years ago my first pedal was a Boss heavy metal HM-2. I managed to trip on it and shear off the Dist knob. Sent it to Boss in the UK. Fixed and sent back free of charge with no fuss. 😊. SD1, GE7 and DD6 are on my board thesedays. Always reliable 👍
@@bryanherward4679 It’s pretty much an MI Audio Crunchbox I think. They were one of the original ‘boutique’ pedal manufacturers. Reminds me, I’ve always meant to try an Angry Driver!
❤.Great video man. Yes Boss is the boss of pedals. For myself instead of a 3 ft x 2 ft or 1 meter x 2/3 meter for you metrics guys pedal board. I just use the Boss GT-1 multi effects pedal. Not as an Amp modeler but for the effects. Small, light weight, rugged enough for me, and has plenty of Boss effects and others built in. Also can run on battery power for busking or fast setup for jamming. As well as it is very economical.
I love boutique pedals. Boss is totally fine and doesn't break. Cost effective. Musicians get magic from their hands. Hobbiests get joy out of collecting.
Nice, thanks. Many, many, years and many, many many pedals came and most went. Stock Boss SD-1 is still on my modest 6 pedal board. I still love it. A Boss DD-2 on there too, another absolute beauty!
Agree 100%. I bought a few Boss pedals 1979/82, and more in the 40 years since. All still work, none have failed, and most have hundreds of gigs/rehearsals and teaching (I'm a guitar teacher) under their belts. And that's without countless hours playing at home. The only pedals that ever failed me were boutique ones. Boss pedals sound great and are essentially bullet proof. I still use Blues Driver, DD 2, Tuner, FBM 1 (Fender Bassman) and FRV 1 (Fender Reverb) all the time.
Everytime something breaks or needs repair, there's always a boss pedal thrown in it's place because they can be pulled from a shipwreck and plugged in that same night 🙃
I had a Roland Foot Controller for my GP-8. I don't if Boss is built in the same factory but I'm guessing so. regardless, that pedal board took an unreal amount of abuse on the road. It was all dented and scuffed up and had a ton of beer spilled on it. 7 years and never ever stopped working (I did have to get a backup cable because I did have trouble with one). incredibly well made. That experience also makes me question the wisdom of having a floor modeler. Also, never had a Boss pedal die on my in decades. amazing company
Some of us just have a problem with ubiquity. If I needed to build a board today from Boss alone (GE7, Angry Driver, Dimension C, TR-2, DM-2, BF-3) I’d be quite happy.
I used to be a hater of Boss. Then I acquired an old DF-2 from 84 recently. I cannot believe that it’s in the condition it is for a pedal from 1984. I absolutely love it. I have a belief that in another 40 years it will be in the same condition that I got it in this year.
One word......PRINCE. Played and entire pedalboard with nothing but BOSS pedals. Got every tone you can imagine. Tone is in the hands and heart. Nothing to do with gear.
Yes, playing authentically and as proficiently as you can is most important. Although sometimes you have compositions in your heart that simply can't be achieved with standard gear. It is at least something to do with gear, for those of us who wish to express that which can't be expressed with standard gear.
As a long time Prince fan I was going to give a difference of opinion…. But then I remembered a video where Prince was setting up. He knew his sound and how he wanted things.
@@benjaminwoodrowmusic6070Your hands don't create effects. Tone and effects are different. No matter how great of a player you are you can't create phaser, octave, Envelope Filter etc...effects with your hands... Plus he needed to go from clean funk to crunch to leads within the same song
It's all in the name. BOSS. Still the standard for all the reasons you mentioned. This topic isn't discussed enough these days. Great insight and video!
Whatever gets you playing. I’ve seen people lose interest fast when they don’t understand why they can’t sound like what they hear on the radio with their classical. I’ll be the one to say there was nothing like hitting that first chord through a ds-1 back when I was a kid.
Most things you see on TH-cam these days are not really "boutique". Boutique is what your buddy builds in his basement. ...And no, JHS and Wampler are not boutique either. Nothing you own is true boutique because you have bought it upon a YT video "recommendation" (or "product placement" as the more awake people like to call it) that has over 3 million views, so go figure... I also think that the theory that pros use gear that is easily replaceable is strange logic. First of all, why would they want to use gear that is prone to damage? (hence the "replaceable" part of the argument). Secondly, I can't believe that a real pro really cares what brand of overdrive they use since 99% of them sound 95% the same anyway. What makes pros pros (and what incidentally also makes them play cheap Boss pedals) is the fact that they simply couldn't care less about "the holy grail tone". Pros don't collect pedals to satisfy their geek gene, they rather use tools for their work. I don't think that Jimmy Page or Jeff Beck, Santana etc. would sound any different with NO MATTER WHAT guitar pedal (or none at all!).They simply don't care as much because they know it's not as important as your favourite pedal influencer wants you to believe.
I've had a Boss CE-2 since the late 80s, never broke, and still sounds great. I have a Boss OD-2 made over 30 years ago - it still works and sounds good plus I have a Blues Driver. Indestructible.
I’ve tried dozens of pedal brands over the years and I always come back to Boss. With the exception of some JHS and MXR, I just love the tones I get with them.
That outro lead is sick! Excellent balance of expression/phrasing and flashiness. I have a bunch of boutique pedals because I think they are cool! I like supporting smaller operations and I enjoy the thought that there is no other pedalboard exactly like mine anywhere else. Also, and I'm a "bedroom" player (which is to say, a terrible musician) so no danger of playing an actual show, let alone a whole tour.
I’ve been using mostly Boss pedals for over 30 years. I have plenty of others from other brands with more esoteric functions, but the Boss pedals are rock solid and consistent. Never has one had anything go wrong with it that wasn’t my fault. I’ve had their CS2 Compressor, their Super Chorus, BF2 Flanger, their Super Phaser, their Super Feedbacker and Distortion (still my primary distortion), the Hyper Fuzz, Dual Overdrive w/remote, their DD3 Digital Delay and their PS3 Pitch shifter and digital delay with a Roland Expression Pedal. I like to dial in each pedal to mix perfectly with my amplifiers with different guitars and Boss has earned my loyalty. I do have a couple of MXR pedals and they’ve been great as well.
I try and use all BOSS gear. I use a Roland Octa-Capture interface for recording. I use BOSS GT-1 guitar processor. I love BOSS & Roland gear. They are solid as a tank and always works.
*For everyone talking about the large/wider footswitch, I want you all to know that PEDAL SWITCH COVERS exist. Look them up. Lifesaver for button switches.* -Widens them up for easier access. -Come in all sorts of materials and colors, etc for personalization/matching. (wood, metal, plastic) -Saves your foot from pain/bruising when playing with no shoes. -Pretty cheap No motive, I just really enjoy them since I play barefoot at home a lot and like to be interactive/tend to stomp on my effects.
I appreciate your videos and intro playing. Your playing demonstrations can be very inspirational. Starting with the Acoustic guitar, I transitioned to Electric about 12 years ago and went crazy with GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome). I purchased 15 different Boss pedals, and most are still in the box (lately I’ve been thinking of selling them), because I went towards spending thousands more on boutique and ophisticated pedal effects. This year I woke up and decided to lose everything except for reverb. Focus on the playing and so-called natural tone from the guitar and amp. Everything else comes from my fingers. Pedals can be distracting - Yes. All this said, I think I will hold on to the Boss pedals. Let’s face it, they knew what they were doing when making and marketing them. Same size, nice different colors, form factor, they have knobs! etc. Who wouldn’t want to collect them all! LOL. They were ahead of their time in many ways and the base line and design always will be. I enjoyed your previous video on the recent Fender Player II Strat. I’m getting one anyway, regardless of the smell LOL
One Boss pedal i sold, then re-bought is the Boss PQ-4 (actually Boss PQ-4B). As a guitarist it's very useful at the front of the chain for 'always on' pre-shaping into drive pedals or as a solo boost... Also nice at the end of the chain for contouring your sound into different mic'd amps/speakers or direct to front of house.
I've recently come around to BOSS, I've always loved their delays but only recently decided to fill out the rest of my board with their stuff. The blues driver comes to mind as a standout favorite, such a versatile great sounding OD.
I am glad you quickly mentioned Prince in connection with Boss Pedals. 99% of his pedal board was Boss. Regardless of your choice of pedals, for what ever reason, pick what YOU think sounds best. Even though it can be costly, don’t be afraid to experiment. I use mostly Boss pedals. I figured out what works for me back in the 80’s. Tried a bunch of different companies and always went back to Boss. But, in the end, everything is in your fingers and technique anyway.
Boss just works all the time...trustworthy and great quality sound. I have been using the Angry Driver JB-2 for over a year now and I don't think I will ever replace it.. I am more than happy with its features!
I've got a Boss DS-1 distortion pedal that's been going strong since 1988 and a CE-2 chorus almost as old and they have probably played 500 gigs plus rehearsals. Had to solder a new input jack on the distortion about 10 years ago, but I think my grandchildren will still play them when they're old. Bomb proof.
Boss has a pedal for every kind of player. With quality that’s second to none. I have many Boss pedals, some from the 80s still. Beat to hell, but work perfectly. Never heard of one breaking down myself. Plus, they are still innovating. The Tera Echo is insane!
Aside from what everybody else has pointed out (great build quality, excellent sounding, affidability etc.) I think the main reason why pros use Boss pedals is that they have become sort of "industrial standard". In other words, if a musician, a sound engineer or a recording technician (etc.) want to achieve a certain sound, he knows exactly what kind of effects are needed and how to set them up in no time... This thing can make the difference in many situations.
I've just revisited my Boss list. I have owned 35 different Boss products over the years. My earliest recollection is having the MZ-2 from '87/'88. I currently have the TU-3W, MS-3 (awesome), DC-2W. DC-3, GT1000 Core and the SDE-3000EVH. Just great products.
Gorgeous, as usual. Oh--about the the pedals. Simplicity. Simplicity rocks. Less to tweak, less to break. Less to remember. No hidden menus, no secondary features, no Easter eggs, no wall warts, no software. And a simple pedal need not produce simple sound. For example, a Dimension C does some pretty sophisticated things but you don't need a tutorial. If I was a pro on a dark stage, I'd prefer step on the yellow pedal for OD, the green one for delay, etc. I have my share of boutique pedals but when the novelty wears off they usually end up on Reverb. Thankfully, resale on expensive pedals is good. The one thing I can never get back is the time wasted adjusting all those interactive knobs.
When I first started my pedal collection, I bought used Boss pedals on eBay. Many of them had a good bit of wear and tear, but all of them still worked perfectly. 10 years later, they're still working perfectly! And a quick lookup of the serial number says these are 30-40 years old. You can't beat that.
I was the touring bassist for the Motown group The Miracles for several years and yes. I always used Ampeg amps as a back line because I could get it in every city around the world. I used an Ampeg SCR DI because if mine broke Ampeg would make sure I got one. We also want boxes that we know can take a beating on the road and have the classic sounds.
Steve Vai said he uses Boss pedals on tour because if his pedalboard gets lost by an airline, or a pedal breaks, you can walk into almost ANY music store in the world and buy a replacement. In the studio he might use some boutique pedals, but on tour Boss pedals make sense because they are ubiquitous, readily available, reliable and relative to other pedals they are cheap. I’ve always loved Boss pedals, I’m no touring musician, I’m a “bedroom musician”, and I’ve got significant hearing loss in one ear thanks to some time spent in the Middle East, so Boss pedals I always felt were great value for money and to my messed up ears, sounded great. The only non-Boss pedals I own are an Ibanez Tubescreamer Mini, Dunlop Wah and an MXR Phase 90
I recently got a Boss VO-1 Vocoder simply because it was the best option and fastest order delivery for a quick Bon Jovi cover gig. Not only are the pedals rock solid and available, they make a big effort to fill every need out there!
Hello brother Cordy, more to say than is possible to share here, but echoing others who mention the availability of Boss pedals in the eighties.A starry eyed tween to teen in those days, the Boss pedals *were* the fancy pedals. We didn’t have access to online anything and the world was huge and information scarce. In college I was exposed to kids from big cities hip to MXR and George L cables and whatnot. I only got into boutique stuff by comparing off the shelf stuff many years later after struggling with multi effect rack gear. I couldn’t find a clean boost better than the Xotic RC. And at the time, there was only one version. I made sense then to pick up an AC and a BB. So I kind of skipped exploration of Boss drives. Now I find myself collecting many classic Boss pedals and understand better how others evolved from some of those circuits. Hard core guitar mentors frankly couldn’t afford a lot and they managed to get amazing tone through sans amp solid state rigs with Boss pedals. These days, post pedal boom, pedals seem to be more about online marketing than hours in music shops comparing things. And yes, Boss switches can break, low quality power supplies can take the life out of them, etc. A long strange trip it’s been. Cheers, Daniel
My Boss SD-1 is my favorite pedal . Use it every time I play and I actually prefer it to the MUCH higher priced Surh Shiba drive . The Boss SD-1 just has a unique sound and edge to it that sounds fantastic to my ears , amazing response also
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Who's your favourite player who uses Boss on their board?
Duh! Prince.
Joe Walsh, Prince, John Frusciante
Gary Moore
Some bloke called Dave Gilmour :)
Jonny Greenwood
-large footswitch
-easy interface
-built in buffer
-identifiable colors
-built to last
-sound great
That’s why they are still the Boss
Easy to replace on the road if lost.
if there is one thing i don't like about boss is that LARGE footswitch, easy to foot on while you jump like punk kids do, but i just don't like it, not look classic... 😂
@@junoomarsedaever had two boss pedals too close next to each other & switched both with your new rocks by accident?
Still, they're mega easy to turn off again so it works both ways! 🙂
I see that as a positive, I always put the overdrive next to the delay so I can turn them both on at once..
Add in 2 more line items to totally nail your list: :)
-reasonably priced
-global, ready availability
Because if you have a Boss pedal breakdown you can find a replacement at any half decent guitar store.
Love your pfp
And the price won’t be horrible
I just checked Amazon. They have all the BOSS pedals, and you can get a delivery from them almost anywhere.
But, if you find something you like, why settle.
And because the chances of it breaking down are virtually zero. Those things are tanks
When the bombs land and civilization is destroyed, three things will survive the fallout.
1. Cockroaches
2. Keith Richards
3. Boss pedals
I will add I used to be Trevor Bolders bass technician in Uriah Heep for years, and he only used Boss pedals. They were like Captain Scarlet - Indestructible
LMAO 😂
I'm not so sure about Keef, didn't he stop smoking??
You forgot Peavey amps.
You forgot Shure mics
Brilliant 🤣🤣🎸🤟
Because they're reliable and because nobody in the crowd cares about how rare your light overdrive is.
Agreed. Most of the crowd can't even tell the difference in amplifiers.
exactly, and honestly one pedal from a different brand won't make all the difference in the world. You can still get an incredible tone with a good amp, playing well, with a decent guitar (and sometimes that's not even necessary lmao).
Boss does an enormous crazy amount of research with their pedals with crazy amounts of testing. I used to think Boss pedals were nothing special but after a few years I’ve concluded that they really sound perfect in song mixes. They really have dialed in the accurate frequencies in their pedals especially when paired with good amps.
Everytime a youtube blogger tries to find reasons for using Boss stuff I wonder... Its a JAPAN company with more than 50 years of development and innovation experience in guitar world. There are no more loopers like boss, sy series like boss, no one makes slicer etc etc. still they are the top, you can find their production in every store across the world.
Why no one pays attention to this and still thinks that boss is rubbish?
The issue is that we too much believe "boutique" manufacturers who instead of inventing new pedals simply clone over and over blues breakers / tube screamers / muffs etc.
There are 0 issues with boss. There are a lot of issues with guitarist minds and boutique marketing strategies that easily manipulate guitarist minds
So much of it is really just marketing for the boutique brands saying this is the best, but if you have to, buy Boss. It's kind of ridiculous.
@@alexei_u Josh likes Boss pedals. John Cordy could have just linked the JHS video
Put a Boss pcb in a fancy hand painted enclosure with chicken head knobs and sell it for 300 bucks. Boutique for ya .
The older pedals a have pretty intrusive buffers. It also seems to be worse on some pedals than others, maybe also aging pedals get worse. I think they have improved their buffer designs over the years.
That’s really the only issue I’ve had though.
The real issue is called classism. People with money want to differentiate themselves from people without money by flexing their belongings.
Check out the Andertons blind test videos where they showcase that often times low priced gear sounds just as good (if not better) as higher priced gear.
Everyone wants to buy into the belief that buying a $450 distortion pedal will somehow make you a god.
Because they’re built like tanks, have easily identifiable colors and simply are… The Boss 😊
2004, kitting out a band for a world tour and both guitarists and the bass player had 90% boss pedals. Boss/Roland were happy to do excellent prices so we picked up three of each so always had back ups. Thing is, those backups are to the best of my knowledge still in their boxes. Great pedals. You only need something different for maybe reverb/delay and modulation if you have specific needs :)
@@martin-1965 hell yeah! Loved this story as a boss player, thank you for sharing!
Working for Boss, I'm glad our work gets recognized ^^
Your pedals are fabulous. Thank you.
@@MatthewTomich Thanks, man, rock on !
I love the DD-500! :)
1) well designed
2) reliable
3) ideal format
4) accessible everywhere
5) 50 years of existence
6) universal external 9v power supply format
7) it does what it says on it
8) little speculation
I think another big reason why Boss is so common is that, for a lot of these guys, particularly the older ones, is that most of these boutique pedal brands weren't around when they were building the core part of their sound. Boss was, Ibanez/Maxon was, DOD was. They know how to work 'em to get what they're after.
This. Only/mostly Gen-Z bedroom nerds are obssessed with boutique pedals
Asolutely. I started playing in78 and am a professional musician since 86. 95% of my colleagues play Strats and Les Pauls into Marshall, Voxes and Fenders through BOSS or Ibanez pedals or maybe a Fulldrive. They don't care about pedals, they care about somehow making a living by playing music.
As a Gen-Z bedroom nerd I don’t have the money nor do care for boutique pedals
@@iHateRats-mt3sj Still doesn't change statistics.
You can easily step on two at a time. Like a boost and delay for a solo.
Another cool thing is you can flip the bottom plate over and add Velcro to stick on your board.
That way if you ever want to sell the pedal just flip the plate back over and you have clean rubber bottom without Velcro residue.
!!! 😳!!!
Flip the plate! How did I never hear of this trick before?!? What great idea! Thanks! 😃🎉
This comment is more valuable than the last 100 videos I watched out together. Thank you!!
@@thegolfingmusician6345 This guy BOSS pedals!! My favorite feature of theirs.
Neat trick. I HATE looking at used pedals and seeing nasty Velcro all over the bottoms. Such a turn off.
Flippin heck! 😮
I once liberated a Boss DS1 from the waterlogged boot of a car in a scrapyard. The pedal plare was missing but half of each of the side screws were still in the housing, it was seriously battered, looking like the previous user had been playing cricket with it for years and out of the cricket season had simply been using it for air rifle target practice. I had that thing for years and it worked perfectly.
As a full time gigging musician who isn't famous at all myself, here's my reasons I use them.
1. Big button is easy to hit
2. Colors are easy to see on stage.
3. Cost efficient
4. They do sound good
5. Durable
I have had the CS-2 compressor on my board since they came out 40 years ago. I own three of them and have never had an issue. They sound great and get the job done without any drama. I have also owned numerous DD3s, DS-1, CS-3s, Blues Driver, pedal reverbs, and now the Boss IR-2 and have never had any issues with any of those pedals either. The only pedals that I have had issues with were several of my boutique ($$$) pedals. I'd never hesitate to use Boss.
11 o'clock is always the magic point for gain on boss drive/overdrive/distortion pedals I find. Love it mate! Boss pedals for the win.
you start with boss, you become a boutique midwit at some point & you end with boss - the virtuous cycle
after years of trial and error my board now consists of mainly BOSS and EHX lol
1) LOVE BOSS. As a new guitar player growing up in the 80's in a small town, my local shop only a small variety of pedals. The plastic MIJ Arion, Rocktek, KMD...etc and BOSS. I couldn't afford BOSS. It was huge the day I came home with my firt DD-3. I learned every trick that pedal could do. I used it for 2 amp set ups, slapback, trail delays, oscillations...used it live in a high school jam band. I did everthing I asked of it and it never broke doing it. Still have one to this day.
2) During a 6 month period, I was living with my dad while he was dying of cancer. When the stress and long nights got too much, I would go out and hit the local music and pawn shops looking for BOSS pedals. The goal was to collect all of them, the whole history of Compact Pedals. It was a coping mechanism that also proved another point. Yes you can find them in any music shop new, but you can also get them used everywhere. And a used BOSS is just as reliable as a new one.
3) After a life time of pedal buying, playing, selling and swapping I can say this with assurity. BOSS can stand with the best of them. They taught me the foundations of tone with simplicity. They taught me how to play like me regardless of what pedals I'm playing through. That great tone comes from the hands and not germanium diodes hand picked off trees by Norwegian gnomes.
4) After 35 years of playing BOSS, here's what I've learned. I still haven't played them all. They still haven't stopped innovating. The BD-2 and the SD-1 together can do most of the gain sounds that you will ever need. That every chorus pedals is still just trying to be as good as the CE-1/2. That the HF-2 High Band Flanger is the unsung hero of modulation. That the FT-2 has that Mutron III mojo. That you should definietly get the WAZA BD-2 but a regular SD-1. With 6 pedals on, I still can't hear the buffers. If the buffers bother you, get a switcher...you can afford one with the money you saved buying used BOSS pedals. Just get the Waza CE-2. My favorite compressor out of 10-15 that I have is the digital CP1-X. And finally, the OD-2r is the best yellow BoSS overdrive...sorry SD-1...but I still love you.
"...great tone comes from the hands and not germanium diodes hand picked off trees by Norwegian gnomes..." creative comment in the midst of a lot of other good stuff!
As another person who grew up in a small town in the eighties, Boss were very much the pedals you aspired to owning. I eventually saved up and invested in a Roland GP-8 in '88 if memory serves me right, so got eight fully programmable pedals in one convenient box. I still have it, and it still works perfectly, although I don't gig with it any more. Currently using a BD-2 as my main pedal.
I'm a cheapskate so I've got the regular CE-2 and BD-2... got them both used.
Why get the original SD-1 instead of SD-1W?
@@Guest-986-yall because you don't need the extra bass in a pedal known for it's low frequency cut off...for 3 times the cost
The biggest point of failure with pedals is the switch. Boss solved this with electronic switching. In a boss pedal, two strips of metal in a very simple switch need to touch for an electronic signal to flip the state of the pedal from off to on or back. The audio signal is separated from this switching scheme. Super simple and will last 30+ years with heavy use. Then the boutique and true bypass craze came, with the 3pdt switches that actually carry the audio signal as well. Those contacts in the 3PDT switches will last 5 to 10 years, possibly less with very heavy use. MXR uses DPDT switches, which is sort of similar though one point of failure less than 3PDT. However, they solder the switches to the PCB. Enough stomping will eventually crack the solder or damage that switch. It's all fixable, but better to stick with a design that will just work!
I think that true bypass craze was a big factor. Suddenly boss, and buffers were looked down on and at the very least you needed a 'modded' pedal with true bypass and a few components changed - ideally with the LED to a super bright one that dazzles the user.
Ironically it's the electronic switching that's failed on John's SD9. Seems to be a common problem on that pedal and I've had a go at replacing the switching transistors and a few electrolytic capacitors. It would work fine for a few minutes and then stop again. Probably general drift of various components mean the electronic switch isn't setting the right voltages anymore. Maybe there's some breaks in some of the circuit traces and resistance is a bit too high. Ironically one of the fixes could be to do a true bypass mod
Lots of boutique users also, but no question that Boss pedals are everywhere with live players. Prince famously used almost nothing but Boss pedals. Same with Johnny Marr and many others. I think the main reasons are that they were around before the boutique pedal thing took off, they are bullet proof for traveling and live gigs, they have super simple interfaces, and the whole bottom of the pedal acts as the foot switch, so you don’t have to zero in on a small little peg to turn it on/off when you’re in the middle of a song. Even Josh Scott from JHS said that Boss has the most perfect pedal design of all time, and it’s mainly because the whole bottom of the pedal works as the switch, and they almost never break.
Marr's used the GT-10 and I think now the GT-1000 core.
Japan only makes amazing equipment. Boss pedals are also some of the easiest to replace, which goes a long way when you're touring
I think the best part about modern pedalboards are the switchers because you don't need to stomp 🦶🏼 on any pedals anymore. You can also use better alternatives to The Boss pedals in a smaller footprint.
@@IamMusicNerd Yes, it's in my opinion very interesting how a lot of so-called "first's" in guitar and amplification technology and other music gear in general were actually pretty "perfect" from their original designs. I mean there seems to be numerous examples of this phenomenon being observed throughout the years of rock-'n'-roll and music history. Wtbs...
Boss I believe actually nails it on its second attempt at the ultimate stomp proof stomp box,
and I'm probably wrong about everything and nobody should even be reading this what's wrong with you? Just stop and back away
I’m a massive fan of the tone of Boss but a another big part of why I started using their pedal is the design. With my very wide foot, I still manage to occasionally switch on a neighbouring pedal by accident. With the tiny switch of most boutique pedals (and worse when a pedal has 2 switches) what hope have I got unless I have a massive gap between each pedal? Boss are beast!
The first chorus pedal I bought was a Boss CE-2. I bought it in 1988/89. It still works.
That was my first boss pedal too. Mine was free with a Yamaha rgx112 guitar I bought used back in the mid 90s 😊
me too
I fried mine a couple of years ago with the wrong power supply 😢
@@hollywoodactress I just checked this morning and these things are worth $200 - $250 now.
The CE-2 was my first pedal that I bought back in the 80's and is one of my favorites. I'll never get rid of it.
While I do use a lot of boutique pedals, I totally agree with John 5's mentality. I play a Fender Twin ('65 Reissue) live because I can rent one from any backline company all over the world. I also always use a Boss FV-500H volume pedal and a Boss delay (most recently a DD-8) in the live setting because I know if something goes wrong I can replace them easily. When I've had gear miss flights and ended up having to rely what a backline company or promoter can scrounge-up locally I've invariably been presented with 90% Boss pedals. It happened to me in Moscow a few years ago. It happened to me in Wisconsin a month ago. It even happened to me in London, where you would think boutique pedals would be easily obtained. I did some shows with Tom Morello several years back and his pedalboard consisted exclusively of pedals one could pull off the shelf in a Guitar Center in 1997; mostly Boss.
I’m obsessed with my RV-6, specifically on modulate mode. Absolutely beautiful.
I still have the same bass flanger that I bought in 1987. Still works great and sounds like it did the day I bought it. Boss is rock solid. Never broke one.
If you're hung up on your Kemper like me, make sure you get Johns Kemper Rigs, I did and I found all the sounds and tones I've been wasting my time and life to find! I also have Boss petals that are over 40 years old, and they work perfectly! I'm getting ready to start using them again!
I had a 40 year old boss sd1 which was still working when I sold it (regret) all my boss pedals I've been using for years with zero issues. Bought a jhs morning glory (200) and after about a year started to fail. Also had ehx small clone which basically fell apart. The boss stuff is rock solid. Tried and tested. Exactly why the pro's use them 😊
I bought an SD-1 when they first came out. That's 40 years ago and it's still on my pedalboard. I got a reissue as replacement "just in case", never needed it to replace, only to add... Not that I didn't try all kinds of otherdrives, but after a week or two I always had found out I can do this with 'Old Yellow' as well; The only other drive on my board is the 'always on' VoodooLab Sparkle Drive, because of the clean blend possibility.
If it weren't for Boss, the pedal market would have not been this big. The basic design unchanged from the 70s is amazing.
I’ve had a Boss DD3 delay since I bought it in the 80s - never given me a lick of trouble and it’s still on my studio board today. Their EQ pedals are a staple for me as well. Since I grew up when Boss pedals were king I have a soft spot for them even when I lust for the boutique stuff. Great video! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
In reggae, the boss DD3, DD7, Phase 3, and Space Echo Pedals will forever be the standard. Nothing like a guitar or piano skank through Boss digital delay. It just feels right
Buzz Osborne, leader of Melvins once said, that he chooses Boss' effects (among the other cheap / popular) cause they're mostly not expensive, and what's important - easy to obtain, which is crucial when You tour around the world.
Guilty of pedal snobbery myself, but, the pedals that have stayed on my board longest are usually Boss. I don’t even shower without my GE-7 😉
That’s a bit graphic… 🙀😎
I guess humming in the shower is important for you :-)
Remind's me of Dimebag who had a guitar even in the bathroom... Ask'd about why he said: "That's why my lick's are the shit...!"💩
Don’t worry he’s got it on bypass so he won’t get electrocuted
I think BOSS-pedals get a bad rap because:
1. They are relatively affordable
2. They are among the first pedals that people might buy
3. At a point when they might not have a decent amplifier yet
4. And at a point when both their playing skills and gear-knowledge are not quite up there yet
5. Which makes Boss-pedals (or any pedal) sound bad, and that first impression sticks
Also, because they are so readily available, they are not considered "special" in any way ... and lots of players want to feel special.
Chris Rea endorsed Boss pedals in the late ‘80’s, he had an immense touring schedule and released a stellar album in 1990! He loves them because they work!!!!
Boss OD-3 was my first guitar pedal, I took it more than 10 years ago. Still in my pedalboard today. I love it!
It rules.
Went back to a Boss blues driver and a super overdrive on my board from much more expensive drive pedals.Just got the tones and feel i wanted from the boss pedals.
Blues Driver out performs boutique stuff that is 4x the cost. Amazing pedal.
It's the best $100 overdrive you can get...$50 for a used BD-2 and $50 for a new SD-1. A free lifetime lesson in gain stacking and a range of gain sounds for most musical styles.
I dont like overdrive pedals but the blues driver is something special!
The thing that makes Boss pedals great is that in nearly all cases they say *exactly* what they are ("Chorus", "Distortion", "Flanger", etc.) and there's no confusion about what type of pedal you'd be getting. There's no abstract names like "Volante", "Slö" or "BigSky" -- you could say "I need a delay pedal" and go to a music store, and there'll be a Boss pedal with "Delay" or "Echo" in the name that would most likely fit the bill. Even the Boss pedals that have slightly more specific names ("Metal Zone", "Blues Driver", etc.) are relatively easy to tell what they do and how they might sound -- only ones that come to mind that aren't as straightforward from the name alone are the Dimension C and other "Dimension" pedals (which are based on the old Roland Dimension D rack effect) and things like the Spectrum and Slow Gear (older pedals that aren't produced anymore and go for ridiculous money).
They made a perfect design (I call it the Nokia 3310 of the pedal world) and made it dead simple to figure out and use.
Good point.
I have been using boss pedals for the last 40 years. Love them.
Joe Walsh & Don Felder - Eagles , Keith Scott - Bryan Adams use boss pedals till the day.. these are the real boutique pedals.. back in the day 80s and 90s the boss pedals ruled..credits to you for picking the blues driver. it's a must have on any board!!
I came to the conclusion that Boss has already figured out guitar tone and most other pedals were based on Boss pedals. It's hard to get a bad sound out of a Boss product which is under the Roland USA company in my understanding. I love Boss/Roland and think most their products are top of the line. I myself own a new Boss Dual Cube LX and a Boss Nextone Stage 40 and a few Boss foot switches and pedals. And my tone is tight af son!
Lol
Exactly. How many OD-1 or SD-1 clones or Tube Screamer clones to we need?
I am Brazilian and now I live in Europe. I remember when I was a teenager the boss pedals were not so affordable in Brazil (and I believe it's even worse now) so I always had to go for cheaper alternatives (Behringer, which I still have with me as one of them) Groovin pedals (Don't even know from which country it is, and so on, and Onner brand too. Then I moved here, started a TH-cam channel of pedals, and started to have some boutique or handmade pedals (excellent and reliable ones) and I started to try the massive brands of pedals that I couldn't afford when I was a teenager (DOD, T-Rex, Digitech, MXR and so on) but never a Boss.
Recently on a trip to Valencia in Spain, I decided to buy a DS-2, because I am a huge fan of John Frusciante, and you know what? I loved it. Amazing pedal, reliable, simple, built like a tank, great sound, and with a really good price.
I agree with you, sometimes we need to think more about how easy is to find a replacement and Boss is one of the best brands for that, if you go for their regular line (not the more fancy versions) you can find almost anywhere in the world.
Love the Behringer stuff I have... cheap can indeed mean good.
Dave Navarro has always been a Boss player. Robert Smith as well. Those artists are more in my wheelhouse but they definitely stick with those pedals after all of these years.
I'm a touring loop artist. Most people expect me to have 90 boutique pedals.
My pedalboard:
Guitar:
Boss Tuner
Exotic boost
MXR super BA
Keeley Caverns
Boss RC30
Keys:
Boss Space Echo
Vocals:
Boss P6 Harmonist
Boss Space Echo
Only the MXR and the Keeley have needed to be replaced. I destroyed a DD7 but that was my own doing. Roland is like that too. I've had numerous Yamahas crap out at shows. Can't handle the salt water in the air. My two Roland keys still kicking just fine.
Boss/Roland is the Toyota of pedals. You can get flashier stuff, but nothing's more efficient.
Had a Roland keyboard in the early 90s get water dropped on it from a rain bulge in a wedding marquee... it shorted out. Dried it out for a few days in an airing cupboard and it was fine with absolutely no work needed.
Boss is the prodigal son. You had to lose yourself to find yourself
I knew a couple young guitarist who had little money when I moved up to a newer boss pedal or tried something new I just gave my old pedals to them it helps to help the next generation along when ya can afford to Cheers !
In my over 20 years of playing music and live gigging, I have never had a Boss pedal fail or break. They are built like tanks because they have been in the business longer than any “boutique” builder. So, as another person has said, they have decades to develop and create some of the most innovative and solid built pedals ever to hit the market.
I bought a Boss OD-1 in 1984, loved it from day one and I'm still using it.
Amazing pedal.
I’ve always wanted to make a boss only board. This confirms it.
The content and especially the improv songs on this vid are just pure joy. BOSS were my first snd only pedals. I wish I would have kept them and not traded them in for an ART SGX2000 way back when.
There is a rig rundown video with Billy Duffy where he's asked why he uses BOSS pedals. He says it's because they are available in more places than any other pedals.
Great show! My experience was similar to yours regarding the perception of Boss as a higher end pedal company when I first started out playing in the 90s. I didn’t have any Boss pedals, but I wanted them. When the boutique pedal business really took hold, my perception was that Boss was sort of like to Honda Civic of the pedal industry-reliable, great value, available everywhere, will get the job done, but probably not the most exciting, innovative, or aesthetically pleasing.
I have about 170 pedals (I adore them and am fully addicted) and 4 of them are Boss. I’ve been thinking about getting a few more Boss pedals. I love that their design has remained basically the same for all these years. Great company.
I have had no Boss pedal break. I still use my original ones I bought in the 80s.
Incredible really!
@@johnnathancordy But I have replaced capacitors. Pedal maintenance as old capacitors can cause noise. But they have never stopped working.
Bought my first Boss DD pedal in 1984 and it's still in my rack, Boss has always been my go to product
When I was a teenager back in the 90s Boss pedals were the only pedals at our local music store. There was nothing else.
Nice Video John,
My first pedal was a Metal Zone MT-2 20 years ago, still have it, still work but I don't use it much as I play more mellow stuff.
The next pedal was a SD-1 that I have been using for almost 20 years.
The reason pros use Boss is because the sound is good, it's reliable and if it ever breaks it is easy to find one in a local music store.
In the 80s and 90s everyone used Boss and MXR. They definitely weren’t considered cheap and they were the industry standard. Then the internet came along and cork sniffing, self appointed “experts” started talking them down whilst talking up anything with a 70s style box, a daft name and a high price tag.
The thing is, people were spending a load of money on boutique pedals whilst trying to replicate sounds often recorded with Boss, MXR, DOD etc.
Not only that, but with longer signal chains, a buffered pedal is required because if everything is true bypass, you lose signal which will decimate your tone.
Boss are incredible.
Cork sniffing lololololol
Some 40 years ago my first pedal was a Boss heavy metal HM-2. I managed to trip on it and shear off the Dist knob. Sent it to Boss in the UK. Fixed and sent back free of charge with no fuss. 😊. SD1, GE7 and DD6 are on my board thesedays. Always reliable 👍
Boss continues to make great stuff. It’s affordable and readily available. The Angry Driver will cover almost anything in a pinch with a rental DR.
and that Parrallel drive sound...it's might be the best rhythm guitar sound ever.
Ironically, a collaboration between Boss and a boutique pedal manufacturer….
@@menamestom who got the circuit from an Amp maker
@@bryanherward4679 It’s pretty much an MI Audio Crunchbox I think. They were one of the original ‘boutique’ pedal manufacturers. Reminds me, I’ve always meant to try an Angry Driver!
Not so ironically.
❤.Great video man. Yes Boss is the boss of pedals. For myself instead of a 3 ft x 2 ft or 1 meter x 2/3 meter for you metrics guys pedal board. I just use the Boss GT-1 multi effects pedal. Not as an Amp modeler but for the effects. Small, light weight, rugged enough for me, and has plenty of Boss effects and others built in. Also can run on battery power for busking or fast setup for jamming. As well as it is very economical.
I love boutique pedals. Boss is totally fine and doesn't break. Cost effective. Musicians get magic from their hands. Hobbiests get joy out of collecting.
Nice, thanks.
Many, many, years and many, many many pedals came and most went. Stock Boss SD-1 is still on my modest 6 pedal board. I still love it. A Boss DD-2 on there too, another absolute beauty!
JHS said it best, "Boss is Best".
CS3, DD3, CE5, 30+ years on and still going strong - no maintenance needed. Kerrang!
Agree 100%. I bought a few Boss pedals 1979/82, and more in the 40 years since. All still work, none have failed, and most have hundreds of gigs/rehearsals and teaching (I'm a guitar teacher) under their belts. And that's without countless hours playing at home. The only pedals that ever failed me were boutique ones. Boss pedals sound great and are essentially bullet proof. I still use Blues Driver, DD 2, Tuner, FBM 1 (Fender Bassman) and FRV 1 (Fender Reverb) all the time.
Everytime something breaks or needs repair, there's always a boss pedal thrown in it's place because they can be pulled from a shipwreck and plugged in that same night 🙃
If it was good enough for the band on the Titanic, it's good enough for me.
I had a Roland Foot Controller for my GP-8. I don't if Boss is built in the same factory but I'm guessing so. regardless, that pedal board took an unreal amount of abuse on the road. It was all dented and scuffed up and had a ton of beer spilled on it. 7 years and never ever stopped working (I did have to get a backup cable because I did have trouble with one). incredibly well made. That experience also makes me question the wisdom of having a floor modeler. Also, never had a Boss pedal die on my in decades. amazing company
Some of us just have a problem with ubiquity. If I needed to build a board today from Boss alone (GE7, Angry Driver, Dimension C, TR-2, DM-2, BF-3) I’d be quite happy.
I used to be a hater of Boss. Then I acquired an old DF-2 from 84 recently. I cannot believe that it’s in the condition it is for a pedal from 1984. I absolutely love it. I have a belief that in another 40 years it will be in the same condition that I got it in this year.
One word......PRINCE. Played and entire pedalboard with nothing but BOSS pedals. Got every tone you can imagine. Tone is in the hands and heart. Nothing to do with gear.
It has everything to do with tone you moron.
Yes, playing authentically and as proficiently as you can is most important. Although sometimes you have compositions in your heart that simply can't be achieved with standard gear. It is at least something to do with gear, for those of us who wish to express that which can't be expressed with standard gear.
As a long time Prince fan I was going to give a difference of opinion…. But then I remembered a video where Prince was setting up. He knew his sound and how he wanted things.
Why did he need an entire pedalboard if tone is in the hands?
@@benjaminwoodrowmusic6070Your hands don't create effects. Tone and effects are different. No matter how great of a player you are you can't create phaser, octave, Envelope Filter etc...effects with your hands... Plus he needed to go from clean funk to crunch to leads within the same song
It's all in the name. BOSS. Still the standard for all the reasons you mentioned. This topic isn't discussed enough these days. Great insight and video!
Want to sound different? Buy a pedal. Want to sound better? Buy lessons, even internet ones.
Want to sound? Try do.
Whatever gets you playing. I’ve seen people lose interest fast when they don’t understand why they can’t sound like what they hear on the radio with their classical. I’ll be the one to say there was nothing like hitting that first chord through a ds-1 back when I was a kid.
Good approach! And the 11:23 to 11:32 lick is super cool, I will try to learn it!
Most things you see on TH-cam these days are not really "boutique". Boutique is what your buddy builds in his basement. ...And no, JHS and Wampler are not boutique either. Nothing you own is true boutique because you have bought it upon a YT video "recommendation" (or "product placement" as the more awake people like to call it) that has over 3 million views, so go figure...
I also think that the theory that pros use gear that is easily replaceable is strange logic. First of all, why would they want to use gear that is prone to damage? (hence the "replaceable" part of the argument). Secondly, I can't believe that a real pro really cares what brand of overdrive they use since 99% of them sound 95% the same anyway.
What makes pros pros (and what incidentally also makes them play cheap Boss pedals) is the fact that they simply couldn't care less about "the holy grail tone". Pros don't collect pedals to satisfy their geek gene, they rather use tools for their work. I don't think that Jimmy Page or Jeff Beck, Santana etc. would sound any different with NO MATTER WHAT guitar pedal (or none at all!).They simply don't care as much because they know it's not as important as your favourite pedal influencer wants you to believe.
I've had a Boss CE-2 since the late 80s, never broke, and still sounds great. I have a Boss OD-2 made over 30 years ago - it still works and sounds good plus I have a Blues Driver. Indestructible.
Boutique pedals come and go like fashions. Boss pedals have been around for decades, and will keep on going strong.
Boss Pedals are the plain T-shirts of the pedal world.
I’ve tried dozens of pedal brands over the years and I always come back to Boss. With the exception of some JHS and MXR, I just love the tones I get with them.
I played a gig with Bonehead out of Oasis. His pedalboard was 100% Boss. Case closed!
Billy Duffy from the Cult as well
love that fact and his sound with oasis! i can remember most of noel´s pedals in the 90s were boss as well.
That outro lead is sick! Excellent balance of expression/phrasing and flashiness. I have a bunch of boutique pedals because I think they are cool! I like supporting smaller operations and I enjoy the thought that there is no other pedalboard exactly like mine anywhere else. Also, and I'm a "bedroom" player (which is to say, a terrible musician) so no danger of playing an actual show, let alone a whole tour.
Once you get really into gear you fund yourself recognizing boss as almost unbeatable.
I’ve been using mostly Boss pedals for over 30 years. I have plenty of others from other brands with more esoteric functions, but the Boss pedals are rock solid and consistent. Never has one had anything go wrong with it that wasn’t my fault. I’ve had their CS2 Compressor, their Super Chorus, BF2 Flanger, their Super Phaser, their Super Feedbacker and Distortion (still my primary distortion), the Hyper Fuzz, Dual Overdrive w/remote, their DD3 Digital Delay and their PS3 Pitch shifter and digital delay with a Roland Expression Pedal. I like to dial in each pedal to mix perfectly with my amplifiers with different guitars and Boss has earned my loyalty. I do have a couple of MXR pedals and they’ve been great as well.
Such BS. Players use all kinds of brands.
i dont think he said bs
3:43
Professional working musicians rarely use pedals and boutique stuff is for rich home guitarists and the mars volts
Stfu, nobody asked you
No one said they don't.
I’ve been gigging on and off for 40 years. I’ve never had a boss pedal stop working. I have a DM3 from the mid 80’s that still works great.
I try and use all BOSS gear. I use a Roland Octa-Capture interface for recording. I use BOSS GT-1 guitar processor. I love BOSS & Roland gear. They are solid as a tank and always works.
*For everyone talking about the large/wider footswitch, I want you all to know that PEDAL SWITCH COVERS exist. Look them up. Lifesaver for button switches.*
-Widens them up for easier access.
-Come in all sorts of materials and colors, etc for personalization/matching. (wood, metal, plastic)
-Saves your foot from pain/bruising when playing with no shoes.
-Pretty cheap
No motive, I just really enjoy them since I play barefoot at home a lot and like to be interactive/tend to stomp on my effects.
I appreciate your videos and intro playing. Your playing demonstrations can be very inspirational. Starting with the Acoustic guitar, I transitioned to Electric about 12 years ago and went crazy with GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome). I purchased 15 different Boss pedals, and most are still in the box (lately I’ve been thinking of selling them), because I went towards spending thousands more on boutique and ophisticated pedal effects. This year I woke up and decided to lose everything except for reverb. Focus on the playing and so-called natural tone from the guitar and amp. Everything else comes from my fingers. Pedals can be distracting - Yes. All this said, I think I will hold on to the Boss pedals. Let’s face it, they knew what they were doing when making and marketing them. Same size, nice different colors, form factor, they have knobs! etc. Who wouldn’t want to collect them all! LOL. They were ahead of their time in many ways and the base line and design always will be. I enjoyed your previous video on the recent Fender Player II Strat. I’m getting one anyway, regardless of the smell LOL
One Boss pedal i sold, then re-bought is the Boss PQ-4 (actually Boss PQ-4B). As a guitarist it's very useful at the front of the chain for 'always on' pre-shaping into drive pedals or as a solo boost... Also nice at the end of the chain for contouring your sound into different mic'd amps/speakers or direct to front of house.
I've recently come around to BOSS, I've always loved their delays but only recently decided to fill out the rest of my board with their stuff. The blues driver comes to mind as a standout favorite, such a versatile great sounding OD.
I am glad you quickly mentioned Prince in connection with Boss Pedals. 99% of his pedal board was Boss. Regardless of your choice of pedals, for what ever reason, pick what YOU think sounds best. Even though it can be costly, don’t be afraid to experiment. I use mostly Boss pedals. I figured out what works for me back in the 80’s. Tried a bunch of different companies and always went back to Boss. But, in the end, everything is in your fingers and technique anyway.
Boss just works all the time...trustworthy and great quality sound. I have been using the Angry Driver JB-2 for over a year now and I don't think I will ever replace it.. I am more than happy with its features!
I've got a Boss DS-1 distortion pedal that's been going strong since 1988 and a CE-2 chorus almost as old and they have probably played 500 gigs plus rehearsals. Had to solder a new input jack on the distortion about 10 years ago, but I think my grandchildren will still play them when they're old. Bomb proof.
Boss has a pedal for every kind of player. With quality that’s second to none. I have many Boss pedals, some from the 80s still. Beat to hell, but work perfectly. Never heard of one breaking down myself. Plus, they are still innovating. The Tera Echo is insane!
Aside from what everybody else has pointed out (great build quality, excellent sounding, affidability etc.) I think the main reason why pros use Boss pedals is that they have become sort of "industrial standard".
In other words, if a musician, a sound engineer or a recording technician (etc.) want to achieve a certain sound, he knows exactly what kind of effects are needed and how to set them up in no time...
This thing can make the difference in many situations.
Your tones in this vid are some of your best and that says something.
I've just revisited my Boss list. I have owned 35 different Boss products over the years. My earliest recollection is having the MZ-2 from '87/'88. I currently have the TU-3W, MS-3 (awesome), DC-2W. DC-3, GT1000 Core and the SDE-3000EVH. Just great products.
Gorgeous, as usual. Oh--about the the pedals. Simplicity. Simplicity rocks. Less to tweak, less to break. Less to remember. No hidden menus, no secondary features, no Easter eggs, no wall warts, no software. And a simple pedal need not produce simple sound. For example, a Dimension C does some pretty sophisticated things but you don't need a tutorial. If I was a pro on a dark stage, I'd prefer step on the yellow pedal for OD, the green one for delay, etc. I have my share of boutique pedals but when the novelty wears off they usually end up on Reverb. Thankfully, resale on expensive pedals is good. The one thing I can never get back is the time wasted adjusting all those interactive knobs.
When I first started my pedal collection, I bought used Boss pedals on eBay. Many of them had a good bit of wear and tear, but all of them still worked perfectly. 10 years later, they're still working perfectly! And a quick lookup of the serial number says these are 30-40 years old. You can't beat that.
I was the touring bassist for the Motown group The Miracles for several years and yes. I always used Ampeg amps as a back line because I could get it in every city around the world. I used an Ampeg SCR DI because if mine broke Ampeg would make sure I got one. We also want boxes that we know can take a beating on the road and have the classic sounds.
Steve Vai said he uses Boss pedals on tour because if his pedalboard gets lost by an airline, or a pedal breaks, you can walk into almost ANY music store in the world and buy a replacement.
In the studio he might use some boutique pedals, but on tour Boss pedals make sense because they are ubiquitous, readily available, reliable and relative to other pedals they are cheap.
I’ve always loved Boss pedals, I’m no touring musician, I’m a “bedroom musician”, and I’ve got significant hearing loss in one ear thanks to some time spent in the Middle East, so Boss pedals I always felt were great value for money and to my messed up ears, sounded great.
The only non-Boss pedals I own are an Ibanez Tubescreamer Mini, Dunlop Wah and an MXR Phase 90
I recently got a Boss VO-1 Vocoder simply because it was the best option and fastest order delivery for a quick Bon Jovi cover gig. Not only are the pedals rock solid and available, they make a big effort to fill every need out there!
Hello brother Cordy, more to say than is possible to share here, but echoing others who mention the availability of Boss pedals in the eighties.A starry eyed tween to teen in those days, the Boss pedals *were* the fancy pedals. We didn’t have access to online anything and the world was huge and information scarce. In college I was exposed to kids from big cities hip to MXR and George L cables and whatnot. I only got into boutique stuff by comparing off the shelf stuff many years later after struggling with multi effect rack gear. I couldn’t find a clean boost better than the Xotic RC. And at the time, there was only one version. I made sense then to pick up an AC and a BB. So I kind of skipped exploration of Boss drives. Now I find myself collecting many classic Boss pedals and understand better how others evolved from some of those circuits. Hard core guitar mentors frankly couldn’t afford a lot and they managed to get amazing tone through sans amp solid state rigs with Boss pedals. These days, post pedal boom, pedals seem to be more about online marketing than hours in music shops comparing things. And yes, Boss switches can break, low quality power supplies can take the life out of them, etc. A long strange trip it’s been. Cheers, Daniel
My Boss SD-1 is my favorite pedal . Use it every time I play and I actually prefer it to the MUCH higher priced Surh Shiba drive . The Boss SD-1 just has a unique sound and edge to it that sounds fantastic to my ears , amazing response also