boss distortion

[Scott M]

Does anyone use the stock orange Boss distortion with no mods? If so, what are its strong points?

Thanks.

[leonard d rock]

i think most guys like the boss ds-1 because its cheap, sturdy and good sounding. however, i have modded it because i wanted to change the tone of the pedal from scooped mids to flat mids which i find cuts better with my gear and band, soundwise. try it with your gear in stock form, then if you dont like it, u can sell it or mod it, lots of mods available here and elsewhere.

[yark14]

I play straight into my amp 90% of the time. But the rare occasion when I want some extra bite I turn to my DS-1. I've went through a few other pedals and such and I love the simplicity and sound of the DS-1.

[mwaym]

I have a DS-1 and absolutely hate the scooped harsh sound !!!!! Although..... I think I'll have my 16 year old son mod it as per plans on the internet. He's much better at schematics and soldering than I . I actually just play though a Kustom Tube 12A amp, and the distortion on the amps is...... different. One thing I notice is.... the longer I leave it on, the better the distortion...... I'm talking 3 hours plus !!!!!

[gtrplr]

This is one of those love/hate things. Very few people are ambivalent toward the DS-1. Personally, I don't like the sound stock. It seems harsh and the tone control doesn't do much. Modded, it's a different story. My favorite mod is Brian Wampler's Vintage mod. (indyguitarist.com). Several other mods also sound very good. The DS-1 is a great platform for modding because it's well laid out, no surface mount parts.

Grab a soldering iron and go for it.

[Tim Armstrong]

I have a DS-2 Turbo Distortion, which has two "channels", the first of which I believe is the same as the DS-1, and the second being a kinda nauseating thing I never use. The first one sounds like a Marshall in a can to me, though, and I like it a lot!

Tim

[leonard d rock]

Originally Posted by Tim Armstrong

I have a DS-2 Turbo Distortion, which has two "channels", the first of which I believe is the same as the DS-1, and the second being a kinda nauseating thing I never use. The first one sounds like a Marshall in a can to me, though, and I like it a lot!

Tim

i had one ds-2 which i sold for the same reason, i couldnt use the turbo II setting. like nasal, honky overdrive into a wah-with battery sound.

ldr

[Mark-00255]

I bought a DS-1 cheap but just didn't like that frazzy finish to its distortion. I did the Vintage mod noted in Premier Mag online and it has a fantastic, edgy classic rock tone now. Easy to do, and the parts cost me about $6 at Radio Shack!

[mwaym]

Ya.... the vintage mod is the one I want to do. Seems simple. And the sound clips are awesome !!

[churchie]

I have one with the Keeley mod, with the extra switch. I love it. I mainly play an AmSer Std Tele (2006) into a HRDlx. I use the DS-1 for those 'Marshall' tones

[gtrplr]

Slightly off topic:

If you're into the "Marshall in a box" thing, General Guitar Gadgets has a kit for the BSIAB2 or "Brown Sound in a box 2". If you can mod a pedal, you can build this one. Comes with everything you need except a soldering iron and solder. I built one and it's a great sounding pedal. A co-worker of mine (Steve Miller, no, not THE Steve Miller) says it's my best sounding pedal.

Disclaimer: not affiliated with GGG.

[SackvilleDan]

I picked up my first DS-1 a few years ago because of how responsive it was to picking dynamics through a Les Paul. After a while I realized I was not actually a fan of the pedal; it's too harsh for me.

Sometime later I got caught up in the whole MIJ vs. MIT Boss thing, and sprung for a Japanese DS-1. This was a little better; the end result was the same tone with a lot less noise/hiss.

Now my Japanese DS-1 only gets used on mild settings to stack with my OD-3, and that's a rare occasion. I find anything past 2 o'clock for gain is too harsh for me.

[cowie86]

All early Nirvana recordings are with a DS-1, and there's alot of Nirvana covers on youtube that use one.

[franchelB]

Having grown up listening to '70s and '80s hard rock, the Boss DS1 is "the sound" I hear whenever I hear that music. And I prefer it over the Bad Monkey, which happens to be a great pedal. It just doesn't have the gain that the DS1 has.
BUT, as much as I love the stock sound of the DS1, I decided that I was going to have it modded by a friend from church. He used the "indyguitarist" mod...and now, my DS1 sounds better than I could've ever imagined!

[twangcaster1]

Nope. I use a Tube Screamer and an MXR distortion. Sometimes I use a Blues Driver.

[ahoar12]

I have a stock one and I like it. Of course, it should be noted that it is the only pedal (besides a tuner) that I have right now. (or can currently afford)

[czech-one-2]

im using a made in japan ds-1 for my main heavy overdrive. i agree it can get raspy with tons of distortion,but i back off the distortion to about 9 o'clock
and its a great solo tone. keep the treble below 11 and its not too bright.mine has a nice range in the tone pot.
it beat out a sd-1,ts9 and kmd overdrive on my pedal board.
i believe the old chips play a significant role in the tone of the japan
ds-1's,becuase i tried a new one and it was alot more brittle sounding to me.
the only mod i did was a lower value volume pot which made the pedal much louder. i guess i get a good feeling when i've found my tone with a $40.00 pedal,a$150.00 amp and a $200.00 guitar! unfortunately this realization came about 15 years and tens of thousands of dollars to late!

[Pinball_Wizard]

I like the DS-1 for it's Crunch, great rhythm sound to it. Also it makes for a pretty damn good Fuzz-wah set-up stock; Worth trying this pedal before a wah.


Current models are thinner sounding than older ones, there is an MIJ mod out there to return a few components to original specs. I'd suggest trying that mod out if you Have a DS-1 and are thinking about modding it, before going into something more characteristically changing.