Boss DS1

ICBM

Reverend said:

MXR's 78 custom Baddass is I think based on a modded DS1?

'Based on', as in "copied the basic circuit, but used a crude casing, fitted a crap switch, used a lot of SM components and made it generally unreliable"?

That would be par for the course with other modern MXRs, anyway - like the Zakk Wylde one.

Dave_Mc

^ You forgot "Doubled the price"

Reverend

ICBM said:

Reverend said:

MXR's 78 custom Baddass is I think based on a modded DS1?

'Based on', as in "copied the basic circuit, but used a crude casing, fitted a crap switch, used a lot of SM components and made it generally unreliable"?

That would be par for the course with other modern MXRs, anyway - like the Zakk Wylde one.

I don't know what you mean.

And I haven't had to replace the switch on a ZW overdirve, Hendrix fuzz and two phase 90s.

Oh no. Definitely not.  

guitargeek62

Does anyone else find their DS-1 doesn't have much level output? Mine's pretty quiet but I know it was modded at some point so I don't know if it's down to that.

ICBM

They're definitely not the loudest pedals, but it should be possible to easily get above unity.

mike_l

guitargeek62 said:

Does anyone else find their DS-1 doesn't have much level output? Mine's pretty quiet but I know it was modded at some point so I don't know if it's down to that.

Both of mine (standard and modded) have a decent volume hike available.

Is your amp quite heavily compressed or driven?

AxeWieldingBastard

guitargeek62 said:

Does anyone else find their DS-1 doesn't have much level output? Mine's pretty quiet but I know it was modded at some point so I don't know if it's down to that.

Same mate, I have the volume maxed on mine all the time- unmodded as far as I know. I'm interested to see if the hot head has more output.

UnclePsychosis

I've been thinking about getting a DS1 or DS2 recently because I've been listening to Bleach too much. 

So I did the sensible thing and bought something else entirely - Hardwire SC-2 now incoming. 

"the Internet" reckons the sc-2 is a lot like a Ds-2. What do you reckon? Will it scratch the itch? 

Cabicular

Cabicular

I love this grab n go board. I use the blues driver to "shape" the DS1 a bit. (gives it a bit more midrange if the amp is lacking

Marktigere1

Cabicular said:

I love this grab n go board. I use the blues driver to "shape" the DS1 a bit. (gives it a bit more midrange if the amp is lacking

Replace the BD2 for a CH1, add a TU3 and you have my board.  (Although my SD1 is not a Waza)

Do you stack the SD1 into the BD2? (Thinking of a BD2 myself)

Cabicular

Marktigere1 said:

Cabicular said:

I love this grab n go board. I use the blues driver to "shape" the DS1 a bit. (gives it a bit more midrange if the amp is lacking

Replace the BD2 for a CH1, add a TU3 and you have my board.  (Although my SD1 is not a Waza)

Do you stack the SD1 into the BD2? (Thinking of a BD2 myself)

Yes. and in this case it gives a tight AC/DC Marshall type tone. Where as the SD1 Stacked into the DS1 is Vai/Satriana/Sykes 
It does lack a bit of modulation. Could probably sub one of the delays for a Chorus
I do have a real fondness for Boss pedals

AxeWieldingBastard

I've been comparing the Hot Head to the DS1 today and i thought the slight difference between the two is quite interesting.

At similar gain and volume levels the DS1 always has this sort of 'open' attack. Not sure if that's the right expression, but it sounds like there's a bit of the clean signal mixed in with the effect, or something? It sounds cool anyway, more of a rugged distortion sound compared to the HH, which really clamps down and compresses straight away and giving that tight, crunchy distortion you'd normally expect; good for for palm muting and chuggy sounds and such. But I'd have to boost the DS1 with a GE7 to get a similar amount of crunch and chug on the attack as the HH.

What is that I'm hearing out of interest? Is there a bit of clean signal being mixed in at the output on the DS1?

Marktigere1

Cabicular said:

Marktigere1 said:

Cabicular said:

I love this grab n go board. I use the blues driver to "shape" the DS1 a bit. (gives it a bit more midrange if the amp is lacking

Replace the BD2 for a CH1, add a TU3 and you have my board.  (Although my SD1 is not a Waza)

Do you stack the SD1 into the BD2? (Thinking of a BD2 myself)

Yes. and in this case it gives a tight AC/DC Marshall type tone. Where as the SD1 Stacked into the DS1 is Vai/Satriana/Sykes 
It does lack a bit of modulation. Could probably sub one of the delays for a Chorus
I do have a real fondness for Boss pedals

Yep, love Boss pedals myself.  Hence me board

I find the CH1 is a great subtle Chorus and it works extremely well with my DM2W.  

Keep the DD7, add a Chorus and get a bigger board

clarkefan

Mod the DD-7 for tap tempo, sorted

Cabicular

I only need 400 ms
not interested in anything else
the ds 1 seems to mix some dry signal in there which I like when you stack the SD1 into it
you get two different levels of distortion simultaneously which is very pleasing

ICBM

It doesn't actually do that, although I agree about the sound. It just must be a characteristic of the way it clips.

For what it's worth I had a look at the schematic for the original MIJ version and it does use different clipping diodes as well as the different chip. I don't know which order the changes happened in though, or if they were at the same time… ie are all MIJ ones single-chip and all MIT ones dual-chip, or is there a transitional version.

Dave_Mc

^ Yeah, that's sort of the characteristic sound of the DS1- it's like it's slightly clean even when it's dirty. A bit like Fender-style single coils- maybe it's the scooped nature of it?

FWIW I think the Hot Head has that too, though as I said above I did think the DS1 I tried next to it sounded marginally sweeter.

Also now I think of it, the Daphon Distortion (which is often rebranded under other names) may well be a DS1 clone, as well. I haven't tried it, though- but the Daphon SD1 clone is very good, sounds almost identical, just in my case (again, this could be component tolerances) the "real" SD1 has slightly more level boost on tap. On the other hand, the Daphon one doesn't seem to have the Boss's bypass bleed...

AxeWieldingBastard said:

guitargeek62 said:

Does anyone else find their DS-1 doesn't have much level output? Mine's pretty quiet but I know it was modded at some point so I don't know if it's down to that.

Same mate, I have the volume maxed on mine all the time- unmodded as far as I know. I'm interested to see if the hot head has more output.

I can't remember. I do seem to remember their being very close in tone etc., so I'd assume output too.

UnclePsychosis said:

I've been thinking about getting a DS1 or DS2 recently because I've been listening to Bleach too much. 

So I did the sensible thing and bought something else entirely - Hardwire SC-2 now incoming. 

"the Internet" reckons the sc-2 is a lot like a Ds-2. What do you reckon? Will it scratch the itch? 

No idea. I've got an SC-2, and to my ears it's kind of like a better, more versatile DS1/Hot Head- a fair bit more refined tone, more scope with the tone controls, more headroom etc.

But it's ages since I've tried a DS2 and I can't remember anything about it, really.

Alnico

I tried to buy a DS1, then i tried to buy a Satchurator.
I ended up with a Way Huge Havalina Fuzz and a DOD Gunslinger.

I'm not very good at this am I ?

UnclePsychosis

@Dave_Mc thanks. Interesting you say refined. Refined isn't necessarily my thing. Ho hum. Looking forward to trying it!