Boss DS-1 Appreciation Thread

[EOengineer]

I just impulse bought a 1989 Taiwan black label model. These are identical to the MIJ version, using the original preamp chip. I don’t dislike the current version but a friend and I just started a Nirvana cover project for fun and it’s a great excuse to checkout the differences with my barely used 2021 model.

I really enjoy this pedal as a boost into an amp that is breaking up. It shares some ground with the Rat in the sense that it can be a boost, distortion, or fuzz. Tonally they are obviously a little different.

Any other DS-1 fans? I know there are many out there who love to hate this circuit.

 

[norminal]

Any other DS-1 fans? I know there are many out there who love to hate this circuit.

I’m actually want to like it. Some of my favorite guitar players use it and I love their results, but I just haven’t been able to coax a decent tone out of one.

Any tips on using it with say, a JCM800 or similar Marshall’s?

 

[Bloody_Inferno]

My Satch/Vai fanboyism made me love and appreciate the DS1. Granted that I only owned stock MIT versions, I used it a hell of a lot for leads.

I've since moved on to a Vox Satchurator and in turn a Free The Tone Heat Blaster for these kinds of sounds, but I still have my old DS1. I still plan on grabbing the Waza DS1 some time as well.

 

[the swede]

It’s good pedal for sure, evidently in the right hands it’s as great as any distortion box imo.

 

[the swede]

I’m actually want to like it. Some of my favorite guitar players use it and I love their results, but I just haven’t been able to coax a decent tone out of one.

Any tips on using it with say, a JCM800 or similar Marshall’s?

My opinion. When I used it with amps, this was many years ago, i really didn’t like it with clean amps. It works though. Requires some dialing in unless one wants to sound like a teenager in the 90’s… the static sound.
But mostly is about using that tone to cut away the excess the pedal puts on the treble from the guitar.

But imo the pedal sound absolutely best when the distortion is blended together with an already distorted/crunchy amp sound. It’s like stacking distortions. That’s were I think DS-1 is the best.

 

[EOengineer]

My opinion. When I used it with amps, this was many years ago, i really didn’t like it with clean amps. It works though. Requires some dialing in unless one wants to sound like a teenager in the 90’s… the static sound.
But mostly is about using that tone to cut away the excess the pedal puts on the treble from the guitar.

But imo the pedal sound absolutely best when the distortion is blended together with an already distorted/crunchy amp sound. It’s like stacking distortions. That’s were I think DS-1 is the best.

This very closely mirrors my experience. The DS-1 into a clean amp is a can of bees, even worse if there’s a bright cap in the fray somewhere.

I love it with my 1959 and 2204. Dial in a little grit from the amps, then start with the pedal drive around noon, crank the pedal level all the way up (the DS-1 isn’t loud, basically at unity with max level), and keep the tone below noon - often around 9-10 o clock for me though I’ve seen others just turn it down all the way.

The DS-1 works much better with my Fender tube amps if I can crank them enough to get some amp breakup as well.

 

[FuzzyAce]

Remove the clipping diodes.
Thank me later.

 

[BahamaDada]

There's no *actual* (so called) DS1 in my Katana. But there is a booster-type called "Distortion". And I believe that is "just" a DS-1. That booster into the new Pushed channel is heavenly 2000s. Insta 2000-American rock tone.

 

[0XI0]

I know there are many out there who love to hate this circuit

idk what changed in amp preamp/input circuitry design over the years on the whole but for its first 30 years a DS-1 into the front of anything clean or crunch gave you a straight up rectifier tone, before there was SLO or rectifier. at some point amps clean and crunch channels got "improved" or something, became more hifi, where the DS-1 is now really particular what it goes into, if you get it wrong the top end does this square wave beehive washout at any setting and people (rightfully) are like "DS-1 is safety garbage". NEVERMIND?!?!? how tf. I don't think it's the DS-1 fault either, they changed over the years but not that much to make it 97% bad 96% of the time you plug it into anything. you didn't have to used to keep the tone knob way low to avoid the high end washout, with modeling amps you have to run treble on the models almost off to get a usable DS-1 foundation tone that doesn't stroke out in the top

 

[0XI0]

best example of how a DS-1 is really supposed to sound is in Native Instruments Guitar Rig, there's grand canyons worth of space between the clipping, and zero compression or sag. idk wtf line 6 modeled for their stock DS-1, it plays like a sea sponge

 

[DrewJD82]

I really gotta rehouse this guy-

Like @Bloody_Inferno, it was the Vai and Satch’s use of it that made me want to get one. I got a new one in the mid-90’s and hated it, then I heard about all the “Satch and Vai only use the old school MIJ’s” and tracked one down, I think I got it for $50. For about 15 years I’d keep it in the case of my main player as my “if I show up and all they have is a clean amp, I got this”, or I used it for a boost in front amps.

Hopefully I can figure out how to keep the old base of the pedal, I know they aren’t serial numbers going in series, but I still dig having such a low number DS-1.

 

[EOengineer]

I really gotta rehouse this guy-

View attachment 27385

Like @Bloody_Inferno, it was the Vai and Satch’s use of it that made me want to get one. I got a new one in the mid-90’s and hated it, then I heard about all the “Satch and Vai only use the old school MIJ’s” and tracked one down, I think I got it for $50. For about 15 years I’d keep it in the case of my main player as my “if I show up and all they have is a clean amp, I got this”, or I used it for a boost in front amps.

Hopefully I can figure out how to keep the old base of the pedal, I know they aren’t serial numbers going in series, but I still dig having such a low number DS-1.

That’s a VERY cool DS-1. The old boss stuff is so cool.

 

[metropolis_4]

I love a DS-1, I think it’s the most misunderstood pedal out there.

Stock, I hate them into a clean amp (especially a Fender), but they sound amazing hitting an already overdriven Marshall. They seem to be made for Marshalls.

I also love either clipping the diodes or replacing the diodes with red LEDs and using them as overdrives into cleanish amps

 

[bikescene]

I have one that I did a bunch of mods to. I kind of want it to go back to the stock form. I was using it back in my naive pre-tube amp days and wasn't happy with it.

I'm thinking of buying a new one to goose my tube amps now.

 

[DrewJD82]

I always wanted to try those Keeley mods back in the day. Did he eventually make his own brand's version of one?

 

[la szum]

He's done a few different versions over the years. This is the latest.

 

[itchyfingers]

I've owned a bunch, modded a few and then gave them to people who liked how they sounded. For me they always sound better with a tone stack mod and a little less gain/fewer bees. But even in it's stock form, its a pretty great pedal. Got a special one...

 

[Alonious_Monk]

Owned one, and never really took to it, until I saw a 'That Pedal Show' episode on the DS-1.

Hearing how they stacked it with a RAT was awesome, and I immediately had to dig out my DS-1 and my RAT. It makes a glorious noise now.

 

[James Freeman]

Not a fan of this one.

 

[2112]

Great tones and run-down with the DS-1w here. Warren nails that early 80's Gary Moore tone.