Newer BOSS DS-1 vs Old

[Lonely Raven]

I'm sorry if this has been asked before, but I didn't find any references
in a quick search.

I'm thinking about replacing my BOSS DS-1. I used to have an original
from the '80s, but it never sounded right with whatever gear I had. And
back then, I even tried it with a Roland Jazz Chorus and just never
got a good sound out of it...so I ditched it!

Anywho, I'd like to take a stab at it again. Are the current line of DS-1
compairable to the original? Or did they botch it like Ibanez did the
"new and improved" Tube Screamer?

[Two hands31]

Well, the main problem is MIJ or MIT. The older ones are Made in Japan, the newer ones are Made in Taiwan I believe. The newer ones apparently don't sound as good.

[satch]

I think this subject belongs in the "gear and equipment" area...

[jono]

And as if by magic ...

[SalemB]

As I don't own a DS-1 so I don't know the answer to your question. I'd like to quote a little from "the Boss book" where Masao Takahashi of Boss corp. are asked about different things.

Q: Even among the same models, the sound is different depending on when it was manufactured. How can that be?

A: With a long selling model like the SD-1, some people have said that the sound was better when it first came out, but is that really true? Takahashi says, "It's a fact that people sometimes tells us they think the sound has changed, that it's not as good as when the model first came out. I think the reason may be that because the model have been selling over a long period of time, there are natural changes in the parts between the units produced 20 years ago and the ones produced a year ago. Capacitor capacities change, and other small changes take place. Those elements might affect the sound in minor ways. Also, in a number of the models, production of the parts used in some of the circuits has actually been discontinued, so we had to change the sound in any way." It may be that, like guitars, as the effects processor ages, changes occur at the parts level over the course of time. At any rate, those changes appear to be very minor ones.

[goldboy]

The reality is that the chipset changed from the early 80s to the present.

The optical amp chip that creates and shapes the distortion that you hear has changed. In technical and electrical tests they meet the same specifications, but soundwise they are not the same. The components may have the same or 'similar' values, but the value you're after is what you hear.

The chipsets used in the DS-1 in the Japanese versions sound much richer and more pleasing to most who can hear the differences. The newer ones have a new chipset that are similar or identical in value to the old ones but do sound harsher. The aging process does have something to do with that...in the end the MIJ will sound nicer than the MIT ones.

But its all personal taste..so you decide for yourself.

I had 4 Boss DS-1 all made in Japan recently. I liked one 'specific' one over the other three because it had a sweet distortion at a certain setting (in comparison to the other ones in the same setting). So it stands to tell that yes, age, wear, and other factors may affect what you will hear out of one particular pedal. Ever see joe's DS-1? It's beat to crap, sure he can get whatever he wants...but he relies on that 'one' for his needs. Same with Vai...in a BOSS interview several issues back, he is pictured with his DS-1 and SD-1 also beat to crap...but they have the 'sound' that they want.

Experiment o' tone seekin' one!

[Lonely Raven]

I am aware of the technicalities of the differences, I was just trying to see
if people are shying away from the newer ones because they have
*botched* the sound by using current hardware.

I hate to sound like Eric Johnson, but I can honestly *hear* the difference
between batterys in the old pedals I used to have. I *know* I can hear
differences in cables, in tubes, in similar guitars from different batches.

I guess I'll just have to try out a few DS-1 and see if one really
catches my attention.

When you guys go for a Satch Tone with your DS-1, do you use the
DS-1 for distortion? Or do you use the DS-1 to *drive* your amp to
distortion Ala Stevie Ray?

Anyone have some DS-1s I could borrow? Buy? I'll post in the
classifieds....

[RSVampire]

DS-1's are awsome pedals. Beacuse they cost only 40 bux a pop and you can just rip it open and replace everything to make it sound different. I hear the MIJ pedals are what Vai and Satch and Wylde use. The older parts they are talking about, do make a big different. Here's a link - http://www.jemsite.insomnia-vhosting...ic.php?t=11655
http://www.musictoyz.com/cgi-bin/ult...c;f=1;t=000855
Parts that have changed in minor ways can make a big difference on the sound of the pedal. If you don't like the sound of your DS-1 and it's a MIJ model you can probably find a few people on the forum that'll buy it for a decent penny.

[Lonely Raven]

Thanx for that mod link. I've been wondering what kind of mods I could
do to (any) pedals. I know cap mods are easy, and fun to just swap and
listen...but until this thread, the only other mods I've heard of were putting
original MIJ parts in the MIT pedals.

Now I have something else I can try!

[gkelm]

I've had an MIT and MIJ DS-1...I could hear only a very slight difference. Not surprised it didn't sounds great through a Roland JC...this pedal is probably best through a tube amp that's doing some OD of its own.

I'd say if you don't like the DS-1, look elsewhere. There are so many other great pedals out there that have a tone that might be more pleasing to you. Personally, I like something that's a bit more smooth.
Greg

[Lonely Raven]

Ok, DS-1 update!

I ran out to a guitar shop that I used to visit a lot 10 years ago to pick
up used stuff...I'm surprised that they are still even there. So I see a
used DS-1 on the shelf, and I ask the dude "how much". He's like
"$50 I think". I'm like "Haha, I hope not, they are only $40 new!"

So the dude comes back and says, $25 and it's yours.

It's a Made in Taiwan DS-1, slight wear...it even came with a battery.

So as soon as I get home, I plug in and jam out. It's still not as
Satriani as I'd like, but it's definitly better then I remember it!
Very percussive, slightly compressed, and a tight buzz. But a bit
harsh, and the tone is controll is very wild, and mostly useless.
You really have very limited sounds that (IMHO) would be usefull.
Or pleaseing for that matter!

Here is what I did:




What I did was take some of my computer wiring, basically an LED
lead for hard drives...but this one had a two prong jumper on one end,
and a slightly different two prong jumper on the other end. I figured
either end would allow me to quickly plug in different LEDs (and Diodes)
and see what I like! You can see the two green LEDs at the end of
each of the Black and Yellow leads.

It's pretty cool, as you jam, the LEDs will light up with your pick strikes!
Not very brightly, but enough to see that they are live.

In the second photo you will see a bunch of LEDs that I tried out.
Ranging from green, to red, to soft yellow, to super bright blue.
I was even able to hot swap the original Diodes back in (with some
difficulty due to short leads), and compair what I just heard with
what I had.



Overall I have to say that this mod is great, and makes the DS-1
(again IMHO) more of a blusie, fat toned, soft clipping distortion,
but I feel that you lose some of the percussiveness and bite of
a stock MIT DS-1.

Out of all the stuff that I had laying around, I acheved the best sound
by using one stock Diode, and one weak yellow Diode. It gave me some
extra volume, kept most of the percussiveness, and added some of
that fat tone. It kind of reminded me of a vintage Tube Screamer, but
with more buzz.

This weekend when I have more time, I'm going to pick up a grab bag
of Diodes (probably not LEDs) and try them all out with my hot swap
sockets and see what I can come up with. Judging from what I've heard
so far with the goods that I have on hand...I have a feeling that for me
to acheve more of a Satriani tone, I'm going to need to mess with the
capacitors on the tone and maybe on the output to get me the sound
I'm hoping for. Basically I'd like to keep the tight buzz, and the
percussiveness of the stock DS-1, but make is less harsh and more
musical. That is my goal!

I do apprecaite you guys pointing me to these mod articles. It inspired
me to dive and and see what I could do.

If anyone wants a DS-1 modded, I'm going to be buying another one
to have LED modded, and I'm going to drill and mount the LEDs so they
are visable while you are playing! Too bad they aren't brighter...that
would make for an all around cool mod!

[Kremlin]

Awesome From all the junk sitting around I assume you're a PC-moddin buff like me?

Let me know how it works out, I'm this *gestures* close to hurling my DS-1 out the window.

[RSVampire]

Yes let us all know how it goes...especially me

[Lonely Raven]

Heh, yeah you can say that...checkthe link:

http://forum.oc-forums.com/vb/showth...light=Cruncher

Kremlin, sell me or send me your DS-1. I'll play around with it!

There is also a guy on EBAY that's selling original DS-1 IC mod kits
and resistor packs...but he's selling them for $20. Kinda harsh...but hey,
it sure beats paying $100 for a good condition MIJ!!

[Kremlin]

Nice work I have a mirror-silver powdercoated fullsize Antec/Chenming, DD Maze2, '89 Ford Escort heatercore, Eheim 1250, 172mm Comair Rotron pushing 235cfm.

Let me know how your diode experimenting works out. How much do you think you'd charge to install a couple of diode options and a toggle switch on the side to change between diodes? I have very shaky hands thanks to guitar and tons of foosball, and I can't solder on premade PCBs well at all. Now try to picture me unlocking my AthlonXP lol.