Are "Made in Taiwan" Boss pedals any good?

[iris186]

Just saw an offer on a boss pedal, that seemed reasonably priced, an ls2. But the seller makes a point of saying "Made in Taiwan". Where are Boss pedals made normally? Do you think this would affect the quality of the pedal? Seller has great reviews. No problems in feedback. But still, the price has thrown me off a little, so Im immediately suspicious! And free international shipping... Hmmm.

I would just fear someones getting a raw deal somewhere down the line, if you know what I mean.

[JimiBryant]

Boss pedals are remarkably consistent and they have been made in Japan
as well as Taiwan. The older (Japanese-made) ones seem to go for premium
prices compared to the made in Taiwan ones.

Prince uses nothing but Boss pedals, and he could certainly use anything he
wants to!!

[winny pooh]

I'm not sure when the move happened, but any new Boss design after is only made in Taiwan, so its not possible to have a Japanese LS-2 so no reason to mention it, pedals wheret you will have both varieties will be longstanding favs like the DS1 and SD1 etc etc.
Buy it, very handy for faster switching if you have to chains going, or just for a tuner out.

[Guitar_Ninja]

I'm pretty sure the move happened sometime around 1994. At that time they changed the circuit design of the DS-1. A lot of people feel the original design of the DS-1 sounded better than the current one, which I believe is where a lot of the MIJ hype comes from.

[11 Gauge]

The move to Taiwan and the circuit changes in the DS-1 did not happen at the same time.

Folks that have a MIJ DS-1 would like you to believe this, since older DS-1's do have the Toshiba 7 pin chip and a few other differences that many consider superior.

Regardless of country, the bulk of Boss's pedals currently offer Mitsubishi chips in place of the old Toshibas. While I'm not a huge fan of the Mitsubishi chip, the OD-3 uses one, and is considered one of the best dirt pedals that Boss makes.

Pedals such as the SD-1 have been manufactured in Taiwan for a very long time now, and they are pretty much the same as the oldies - same nice JRC4558 chip as they've always had.

I've had literally hundreds of Boss pedals apart going back to when they were first offered. They are still made to the same standards, as far as I'm concerned. Their PCB is superior to most other mass produced stuff, and their stomp switch design is much better than Ibanez and others, IMO.

I'd rather have a MIT Boss pedal with an actual PCB that can be maintained or improved versus a MIA Digitech with SMD construction that is ready for the trash if/when it breaks.

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EDITED TO ADD:

Actually, I just found this on Wiki, which details the SPECIFICS of the DS-1, which is now on it's FOURTH CHIP:

"Boss compact pedals were originally produced in Japan, until circa 1990 where production moved to Taiwan. Some users claim there is a sound difference between the two, although there is no conclusive evidence to prove the superiority of either. Earlier units came with a metal screw securing the battery compartment, later models retained the metal screw, adding a plastic knob for tool-less battery removal. The labels on the bottom of the pedals come in several different colours including black, silver, green, pink and blue. Apart from this the basic design has remained unchanged for over 25 years.

The DS-1 Distortion, however, is an exception; the design has changed significantly twice throughout its lifetime. The first time was around 1994 when the Toshiba TA7136AP op amp was replaced with the Rohm BA728N. In 2000 the op amp was again changed. This time it was replaced with the Mitsubishi M5223AL. The latest op amp change occurred in 2007, when new DS-1 pedals began shipping with the NJM3404AL op amp."

[tiktok]

Roland could start putting a green dot on the bottom of all their pedals tomorrow, change nothing else, and in six months the non-dot models would be worth more.

[Rextrade]

Originally Posted by tiktok

Roland could start putting a green dot on the bottom of all their pedals tomorrow, change nothing else, and in six months the non-dot models would be worth more.

But I've heard that the green dots suck out all the warmth from the pedal. Definitely worth the extra $$$ for a non-green dot.

[11 Gauge]

Originally Posted by Rextrade

But I've heard that the green dots suck out all the warmth from the pedal. Definitely worth the extra $$$ for a non-green dot.

Actually, it depends on the country of origin that's making the green ink or paint. If it's MIJ paint, then it will sound tonally superior. If it's MIC lead paint, it will sound worse, since we all know that lead kills signals...

The whole idea of "vintage MIJ" Boss pedals still cracks me up. Even though I had one of the first CE-1's (and sold it like a doofus), I just don't think of this stuff as vintage or collectible.

[tazzboy]

It really depends on the pedal and how old it is and the popular demand for it.

[Anchoret]

Originally Posted by 11 Gauge

Pedals such as the SD-1 have been manufactured in Taiwan for a very long time now, and they are pretty much the same as the oldies - same nice JRC4558 chip as they've always had.

That chip's production has changed a few times, too, while keeping the same number.

A few years ago, I read a letter from NJR concerning the impossibility of remanufacturing the original JRC chip as used back in the early stomps. Production methods/tooling have changed and there's no going back. However, to satisfy stomp crazies who don't understand that the original chip was a dirt-cheap, inconsistent junker and think it was always jam-packed with magic, the new and better-produced chips have since been given the old JRC number. "Give the people what they want."

Yeah, they have to have that green dot, absolutely.

EDITED TO ADD:

Thank you for that data. I was unaware of it.

[Anchoret]

Originally Posted by 11 Gauge

I'd rather have a MIT Boss pedal with an actual PCB that can be maintained or improved versus a MIA Digitech with SMD construction that is ready for the trash if/when it breaks.

Well, you can always build your own.

There are two sides to all this, though. As circuits become more complex, there's no other way of getting them in a small case other than by microminiature surface-mount construction. It's not uncommon to open a modern analog stomp and find nearly two hundred individual components. That's never going to fit in a Boss-sized case with old first-generation, through-board construction with a rat's nest of flying leads, etc., etc.

Never mind cost.

[11 Gauge]

Originally Posted by Anchoret

to satisfy stomp crazies who don't understand that the original chip was a dirt-cheap, inconsistent junker and think it was always jam-packed with magic, the new and better-produced chips have since been given the old JRC number.

Almost all op amps are caveman technology, IMO. I don't care whose 4558 it is, or if it has one or two D's at the end, either (the "inferior" by some 4558DD in the SD-1 is actually a dual layer chip that is more quiet).

[11 Gauge]

Originally Posted by Anchoret

As circuits become more complex, there's no other way of getting them in a small case other than by microminiature surface-mount construction.

I'm not talking about digital delays or 12 pass phasers (although Boss made the latter without SMD's), but basic op amp dirt stomps such as the Bad Monkey and latest Danelectro Daddy-O's that are using SMD's.

Pedals like the BD-2 would probably be more cost effective done as a SMD layout, but everyone's hooked on modded ones, and you can't do that with SMD pedals.