How does the Boss DF-2 work?

longshins

This has always bugged me, how does the feedbacker technically work? Is it a short digital delay that is then held? This website almost explains it.

https://www.leylandpedals.co.uk/blog/all-i-know-about-the-boss-df-2

ICBM

It’s a monophonic synth oscillator which is designed so it oscillates at the input signal frequency - that’s why you have to press the pedal just after you’ve played the note. If you press it first it will lock onto whatever random frequency is present - which can be useful if you get the hang of triggering it on the picking noise or palm muting… you can get some interesting drone or almost rhythmic noises - quite Dr. Who .

Funkfingers

I had one for a few months. My conclusions were that the basic distortion was nowhere near ferocious enough and that the feedback effect was even more fake than a Fernandes Sustainer device. 

Where the pedal could be interesting was holding a sustained note whilst performing Adrian Belew twangbar stunts in a sort of mad harmony. (Actually, this usually sounds more like cats being tortured.)

ICBM

Funkfingers said:

I had one for a few months. My conclusions were that the basic distortion was nowhere near ferocious enough and that the feedback effect was even more fake than a Fernandes Sustainer device. 

Where the pedal could be interesting was holding a sustained note whilst performing Adrian Belew twangbar stunts in a sort of mad harmony. (Actually, this usually sounds more like cats being tortured.)

I’ve always found mine fierce enough as a main soloing distortion, although it’s slightly softer than a DS-1. The feedbacker is ‘fake’ for sure, but musically very useful if you’re playing at too low a volume for real feedback, and it can do drones and ring-modulator-ish effects as well, which real feedback can’t. It’s the one distortion pedal I will never sell, because it can’t be duplicated by anything else. I very stupidly traded away my second one, thinking I no longer needed it since I’m not gigging with guitar now… I did have four at one point (including a broken one for spares) when I had two sizes of pedalboard and a separate ‘one pedal in a pocket’ for jam sessions.

Two of them were the original much cooler and DiMarzio-baiting ‘Super Distortion & Feedbacker’, although they’re electrically identical.

hollywoodrox

I’ve had 2 of the Silver ones  that were good but I ended up not using them each time much 

ICBM

hollywoodrox said:

I’ve had 2 of the Silver ones  that were good but I ended up not using them each time much 

The FB-2? I've never played one, but from Youtube clips it looks to be very different.

jeztone2

I had one that was broken & I didn’t realise. I was really into the band Swervedriver and they use them. So when I sold it. The guy emails me and says it’s broken. I said “ Don’t be silly just listen to Swervedriver”. Then about two years ago I read an interview with Adam Franklin where he says they got that unique sound from a broken DF-2. :0

the_jaffa

I’ve got one of the earlier ones, pre name change. I don’t use it a huge great deal but mainly got it because John Squire used one for the intro of Standing Here and it can’t really be done properly without it. 

DesVegas

It is one pedal I wish I still had. I think I may have preferred the EHX Freeze as the distortion sound on the df2 was just so recognisable and I'd heard it a thousand times before