Improve DS-1 sound

zdtv · #1 03-31-2007, 12:15 AM

I own a boss DS-1 pedal and like many other I found that the sound is a little bit too thin, not open and I want to improve the sound. I like the kind of sound that Satriani can get out of is ds-1 but it seems that nobody really know the secret with his boss ds-1.

To improve the sound of the pedal, do you think that a mods will be a good idea. If yes let me know why you think it's a good idea and what mods I should pick ,and please try to found one person that accept to mods pedal from canada unlike Keeley because I'm in canada and they only mod pedal from US. Also, if you got other advice to improve my sound like an other pedal please let me know.

RSVampire · #2 03-31-2007, 12:21 AM

modded Boss pedals destroy stock Boss pedals... end of story.

you can buy an already modded pedal from Keeley and just sell your stock ds-1 to someone else.

otherwise you can buy/send your pedal to Analogman which has very similar mods to Keeley.

Rich · #3 03-31-2007, 12:30 AM

Or get rid of the POC Taiwanese version and buy an older MIJ. Joe used a stock MIJ for 20 years before Keeley hit the scene.

Flobanez · #4 03-31-2007, 12:43 AM

A friend of mine had his sent away to get modded, it sounds awesome. His is also a made in Taiwan.

I do know someone else who has a MIJ one and I couldn't really tell the difference. But, then again, I didn't compare them right then and there....

vaughn · #5 03-31-2007, 02:14 AM

i had a mij version and i couldnt tell a difference from the taiwan

Rich · #6 03-31-2007, 02:25 AM

The MIT is brittle and harsh and sounds like sh!t. The MIJ and Keely mod are close, I tested for about a week before I finally left the Keely in the chain.

chris101 · #7 03-31-2007, 09:29 AM

Some early MITs have the same opamp as the MIJ - and the same everything else from what I can find, they are transitional pedals. They have the 2.1mm power adapter port mounted right down on the back plate. The later MITs have the power connector raised up away from the backplate.

mi2tom · #8 04-01-2007, 12:08 AM

MIT sucks! Get em modded at once

Tubarão Guitars · #9 04-01-2007, 12:17 AM

Have both MIJ and MIT for a while.
MIJ rules all tha way.
Specially for non harsh'd tones!

Mike239 · #10 04-01-2007, 08:32 AM

Ok heres a little background info on the DS-1 first

Well there's been 3 different versions of ds-1's:

The First ds-1's were made in Japan and inculded the Toshiba TA7136AP op-amp. This version was probably the best type of ds-1 you could buy, it had a very warm and mellow sound to it with plenty of crunch to it. You could buy these up until 1994.

Second Version was still made in Japan and it had the Rohm BA728N op-amp plus they removed about 5 components from the circuit. This version was very warm and mellow much like the previous version but it did have a bit more treble to it. This version was sold until 2000.

The final version is what we buy today. It's Made in Taiwan and it contains the Mitsubishi M5223AL op-amp and it has about a further 3 components removed from the circuit. This probably has the worst sound out of all the ds-1's its very bity and has too much treble and it sounds very thin.

Anyway modding any pedal WILL make it sound better unless you screw up and it dosen't work or you damage something inside the pedal. So normally when companies modify a ds-1 its normally the newest version and they try to give it a bit more bass and a bit more of a boost to it so that it will sound better and people will find it more useable.

Anyway heres and A/B test of a stock DS-1 compared to a Modified DS-1 so you can hear just how different they sound.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nN2qoVkRRoI. Anyway hope that helped you.

chris101 · #11 04-01-2007, 09:52 AM

..almost but not quite, Boss Taiwan also made the DS-1 with the original TA7136 opamp, check out bay listing: Item number: 330100698628, an internal piccy on there also.

Salamander In The Sun · #12 07-16-2007, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike239

Ok heres a little background info on the DS-1 first

Well there's been 3 different versions of ds-1's:

The First ds-1's were made in Japan and inculded the Toshiba TA7136AP op-amp. This version was probably the best type of ds-1 you could buy, it had a very warm and mellow sound to it with plenty of crunch to it. You could buy these up until 1994.

Second Version was still made in Japan and it had the Rohm BA728N op-amp plus they removed about 5 components from the circuit. This version was very warm and mellow much like the previous version but it did have a bit more treble to it. This version was sold until 2000.

The final version is what we buy today. It's Made in Taiwan and it contains the Mitsubishi M5223AL op-amp and it has about a further 3 components removed from the circuit. This probably has the worst sound out of all the ds-1's its very bity and has too much treble and it sounds very thin.

Anyway modding any pedal WILL make it sound better unless you screw up and it dosen't work or you damage something inside the pedal. So normally when companies modify a ds-1 its normally the newest version and they try to give it a bit more bass and a bit more of a boost to it so that it will sound better and people will find it more useable.

Anyway heres and A/B test of a stock DS-1 compared to a Modified DS-1 so you can hear just how different they sound.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nN2qoVkRRoI. Anyway hope that helped you.

Thanks for the link!

The difference is night and day.