Boss GE-7 EQ Noise Question

Hi everyone,

I am in the market for a Boss GE-7 equalizer pedal. It occurred to me that a lot of what I was searching for in a drive pedal might be solved by using an EQ. I don't know why it didn't occur to me before...simply place the EQ after the drive and dial in all sorts of flavors!

I want to get away from the constant buying, selling, and trading drive pedals.

Simple GE-7 research on-line revealed some players saying that the pedal was "noisy", a couple of Youtube demos revealed that as well. On one video in particular it was easily apparent. The player stepped on the pedal and there was hiss.

Wouldn't it make sense that, if you wanted to change your EQ, you would subtract frequencies rather than add them? For instance, if you wanted to boost the lows and highs you would simply lower some of the mid frequencies rather than raise the low and high bands.

I am wondering if this is where the noise is coming from? Players adding too much on the high frequencies which results in the pedal boosting unwanted noise. Is there a down-side to reducing frequencies on an EQ rather than adding them?

I am planning on buying used, so it's not something I am able to try out ahead of time.

Thanks for looking and for any ideas forum members have to offer.

Ive never had a noise issue with mine and ive used it for about a year.

I have an older Japanese made GE 7 and there are no noise issues at all. Of course when your boosting a drive pedal the EQ will boost the noise coming from the drive pedal.

I have a newer one and it did add a bit of noise when cutting or boosting. I ended up modding it by replacing all of the noisy opamp chips with lower noise varieties and changing a few other components. It really did help bring the noise down. Be careful when choosing the replacement opamps because the power consumption will go up a lot using certain types. Make sure your power supply can handle it.

I got a $20 Danelectro Fish N Chips, very low noise. This was after reading that the Boss commonly had noise problems.

Hi everyone,

I am in the market for a Boss GE-7 equalizer pedal. It occurred to me that a lot of what I was searching for in a drive pedal might be solved by using an EQ. I don't know why it didn't occur to me before...simply place the EQ after the drive and dial in all sorts of flavors!

I want to get away from the constant buying, selling, and trading drive pedals.

Simple GE-7 research on-line revealed some players saying that the pedal was "noisy", a couple of Youtube demos revealed that as well. On one video in particular it was easily apparent. The player stepped on the pedal and there was hiss.

Wouldn't it make sense that, if you wanted to change your EQ, you would subtract frequencies rather than add them? For instance, if you wanted to boost the lows and highs you would simply lower some of the mid frequencies rather than raise the low and high bands.

I am wondering if this is where the noise is coming from? Players adding too much on the high frequencies which results in the pedal boosting unwanted noise. Is there a down-side to reducing frequencies on an EQ rather than adding them?

I am planning on buying used, so it's not something I am able to try out ahead of time.

Thanks for looking and for any ideas forum members have to offer.

I have two and they can get noisy if you're too exteme in boosting frequencies, espceially the mid-range, I think. As for subtracting versus bossting frequencies, I don't recall that working as well. I currently have the low and high frequencies boosted and the mids scooped down below unity. Good way to tame a mid heavy amp.

No noise if played clean. Adding overdrive & distortion will add noise. Worth investing $25+ on the mod however. The sniper mod works well.

I use mine as a boost and there's no discernible hiss from the pedal itself no matter how much gain is before or after it.

Thanks for all the replies!

Noise would make sense if I was using the GE7 after a distortion pedal. Any noise from the pickups or the dirt box would be accentuated by the gain on certain bands.

Interesting that some people find noise and others don't? I wouldn't think Boss would have that different a sounding pedal between the years.

It occurred to me after I posted that I could try one out at a music store first (and bring along my current drive pedal) and see if I like the results.

Am I correct about putting the EQ after the drive pedal? In this case, a BD-2 Blues Driver.

I don't like the buffer in that particular pedal. I notice a (for lack of a better term) tinnyness when it's bypassed. I suppose if you're leaving it on all of the time to alter frequencies then it won't bother you.

I have the GE-7 and also have no noise problems.



It's a great pedal, and a great secret weapon. EQ placement is a personal preference, but I think most people put them after dirt.

I do anyway

Check out the Used Gear section at Guitarcenter.com. 30 day return policy

I've used EQ pedals for 40 yrs.. The GE-7 is fine and isn't noisey. Boosting frequencies and adding an OD will introduce noise, coming from the OD.

Never used a GE7 myself but I heard that the noise issue you mention is pretty common on those.

I'd say that keeping all levels below 0dB cannot create any additional noise.
So substracting should work.
Anyway that's how I go with my noisy Behringer mixers and it works perfectly

Thanks for all the replies!

Noise would make sense if I was using the GE7 after a distortion pedal. Any noise from the pickups or the dirt box would be accentuated by the gain on certain bands.

Interesting that some people find noise and others don't? I wouldn't think Boss would have that different a sounding pedal between the years.

It occurred to me after I posted that I could try one out at a music store first (and bring along my current drive pedal) and see if I like the results.

Am I correct about putting the EQ after the drive pedal? In this case, a BD-2 Blues Driver.

Thats where I put mine, but you can put it before dist for a different effect.

I was able to try a GE-7 out with my Blues Driver, and it didn't do what I wanted it to.

I was hoping to help sculpt some different tones out of the pedal - which it did - but nothing was satisfying to me. It felt that the whole tone collapsed whenever I began to subtract or add frequency bands. Maybe it was the BD-2?

I appreciate all of your input!

I think most of us use the GE-7 as a boost pedal. If it sounds fine, leave the bands flat and boost the volume. It shines for low volume gigs, that is, for bringing more bass in if needed.

I think most of us use the GE-7 as a boost pedal. If it sounds fine, leave the bands flat and boost the volume. It shines for low volume gigs, that is, for bringing more bass in if needed.

+1

I was able to try a GE-7 out with my Blues Driver, and it didn't do what I wanted it to.

I was hoping to help sculpt some different tones out of the pedal - which it did - but nothing was satisfying to me. It felt that the whole tone collapsed whenever I began to subtract or add frequency bands. Maybe it was the BD-2?

I appreciate all of your input!

Maybe you should get another OD instead of the EQ pedal. Or maybe you don't like BD-2 enough.

...Wouldn't it make sense that, if you wanted to change your EQ, you would subtract frequencies rather than add them? For instance, if you wanted to boost the lows and highs you would simply lower some of the mid frequencies rather than raise the low and high bands...

Hi mate.

I use a GE7 clone as a clean boost. And it's the best thing for that job, IMO.

I keep it at the end of the chain; set the sliders flat, roll off a little absolute top- and bottom-end, then use the "LEVEL" control to boost the overall signal about 6-9db. I don't find it noisy. But when it's on, it does boost the hum inherent in a single coil pickup and any dirt pedals I may be using in front of it.

The sliders are all active- they cut and boost, even the LEVEL control. If you just subtract frequencies, you'll drop your overall signal level, no? So anytime you boost the signal (whether on the EQ sliders or the LEVEL slider), you also boost the noise floor. When you do any radical frequency surgery on your signal, you may well find all kinds of extraneous noises becoming more noticeable. If it's too much of an issue, try a gate before your EQ pedal.

I use a GE7 - sometimes two, one for boost one for tone shaping. Yes, it adds a tiny bit of noise, mainly lower frequency hiss. Might just be an issue for recording, but in the context of any sort of band situation, completely irrelevant.

BTW, I use the tone shaper eq before the drive pedal, - drop the top frequencies a tad, boost the lower mids and slight overall volume - makes the drive pedal see a signal shape somewhat like a humbucker, and it reacts accordingly. I would usually switch both drive and eq on and off simultaneously, - as if they were one pedal.

Works for me!

Rick J