Pedal Chopping Block: BOSS Blues Driver shootout

[@TheToneLounge]

⚡ 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗼𝘀: 🔴 VFP series: kzbin.info/aero/PLeAo3au6SN1kfdYcyp8bvHttqkPinQ2Wt 🔴 AC15 series: kzbin.info/aero/PLeAo3au6SN1mEE4I1YYC2GtP7Y9sZ4VKT

[@mark.guitar]

I've been using the "Cinders" for years. Light gain in parallel with a Klon clone. Tried a Waza BD2 and swapped it back out again!

[@TheToneLounge]

I'll have to try that myself!

[@mark.guitar]

@@TheToneLoungeTPS have done one of their epic posts about this. Well worth a look to guide your exploration. I use a stereo pedal to split the signal and run them L & R from there to the speakers. Much fun to be had!

[@thesuccessfulbarber]

The cinders is definitely brighter

[@mark.guitar]

@@thesuccessfulbarberI got mine in a sale. There was a display of about 50 TC pedals. I A/B'd all five Cinders into a deluxe reverb and there was a fairly big tonal difference. Cheaper components with more variation I guess. Mine was the best of that bunch.

[@STRATMAN1969]

My choice would be to sell all three, and get a Boss JB-2 Angry Driver. It's crazy versatile, and doesn't get nearly the love it deserves. Imho. But I've been trying to make a conscious effort to stick with the originals. If I want a 808 sound I'm going with a Ibanez, Big Muff - EHX, Rat- Pro Co. etc. etc. So yeah I git whut you're doing. I'm sure I'll be doing it someday as well. Good luck when you get to your Fuzzes.

[@TheToneLounge]

There are different approaches and philosophies when it comes to purchasing gear. Sticking with the originals is a great way to do it, too.

[@kosmicwizard]

Nice vid! I have the Keeley Super Phat Mod, the Waza is Boss cloning the improvements that Robert Keeley did to their BD2. He has since come out with the Super AT Mod. Andy Timmons, but I'm like you, I don't need to chase every new tone, I've probably already arrived, lol.

[@TheToneLounge]

That's the issue: knowing when you are there! :)

[@kosmicwizard]

@@TheToneLounge right? Haha

[@kosmicwizard]

@TheToneLounge I'm certain 2-300 is definitely past being there. I (like you & Keith from 5W world) need to trim the fat.

[@francoluna12]

This should be the real trend, puting the same type of pedals to test, to figure out what to buy. I'm a bass player, i don't own any guitar *YET* but the blues driver sound great to me

[@TheToneLounge]

I also play bass, and might do the same thing with bass pedals. :)

[@mkrj2576]

BD for the win. Boss pedals are way easier to hit on the fly with bare feet. Oh, and in terms of simplification… my board has a tu3, BD set for higher OD, followed by an SD-1 set low gain, higher level for a solo boost. They can be used separately or run together. Amp kept relatively clean. Clean amp plus either or both pedals gives me all the range of gain for cover tunes I need.

[@TheToneLounge]

BOSS pedals are so good. I use to just look at the boutique stuff, but I'm falling for the simplicity of the BOSS pedals.

[@theallmightyham]

Really dig the cinders too, but I found it a little dark and didn't have to fuzzy/falling apart thing at the higher gain settings. I came into owning a Waza Craft blues driver after owning a regular version for years and while it's nice I would be happy with the regular blues driver over it 90% of the time. I really like the sputtery higher gain sounds in the original and the brighter top end in comparison to the Cinders.

[@TheToneLounge]

That's what I love about hearing people's opinions on these videos, there is no one-size fits all pedal. We all love different things.

[@martingalicia36695]

Not to defeat the purpose of this video, but two affordable pedals have come on the market that could blow all three of these away: MoVall Interplanetary Blues Driver and the Joyo Bright Day Overdrive. Great video!!

[@TheToneLounge]

I have not tried the Movall yet, but I have the Bright Day Overdrive. I would not say that the Joyo is better or worse, but it is a contender and I'll shoot it out against my BD-2W in the coming weeks.

[@pastorkev777]

I had a Cinders in the past, it was great, i have had newer BD-2s and old ones. They are all quite similar. I would choose the Cinders still, one i want to compare it to is the Xotic Soul Driven. I used the Cinders similar to many do with a Klon boosting another drive.

[@TheToneLounge]

I've had a few other people say that the use this type of circuit to boost other pedals. I'm going to have to try that too.

[@calvinbass1839]

Cinders for me.

[@TheToneLounge]

Great choice.

[@brandonanderson2066]

Can't go wrong with either and they are very close. In this demo i liked the cinders for light/ med gain and either BD for higher gain. All very close. I need a blues driver on my board.

[@TheToneLounge]

You absolutely do, and the Cinders would serve you well.

[@diegobonaparte86]

I'm listening through my JBL bluetooth speaker, and as I'm not in the room, these are my thoughts. 1.- Single coil Squier: liked the BD2 best, the Waza was good too; 2.- Gretsch: for the chimier pups I thought the Cinders sounded pretty good (BD2 was OK too); 3.- Humbucker on the ESP: I liked the Waza, felt it sounded more rounded overall. The Cinders sounded darker, but fine still depending on your musical preference (creamier is a word that comes to mind). If I had to choose and pick one, I wouldn’t be surprising anyone because my ranking would be: 1.- Waza 2.- BD2 3.- Cinders

[@diegobonaparte86]

@diegobonaparte86- in all fairness I should have added that I'm a Tele player myself, and also like the traditional humbucking tones, but am not much of a Gretsch fan (wouldn’t really own one)- so that’s the reasoning behind my choices, and ranking.

[@TheToneLounge]

That is exactly my ranking as well. I decided to keep the Waza.

[@TheToneLounge]

I love Teles too, there is no universal "right" or "wrong".

[@diegobonaparte86]

@@TheToneLounge absolutely agree with you, there’s no right or wrong as it all comes down to personal choice. For that same reason I felt the need to editorialize (hahaha) & explain the reasoning behind my personal preference, as I was thinking of my guitar & tones.

[@diegobonaparte86]

@@TheToneLounge I was really surprised by how rounded the humbuckers sounded with the Waza, how they came alive & how harmonious the combination was. Thanks so much for the video, it’s very illustrative.

[@GTRmike64]

Solution: buy a Digitech Screamin" Blues. Similar type of pedal, but more tweakable with separate bass / treble knobs and speaker sim available which can serve in a pinch if your amp breaks down during a gig.😊

[@TheToneLounge]

Thanks for the tip! I'll keep an eye out for one of those.

[@TheWaveGoodbye-Music]

I use a cinders, many pedals have come and gone but my cinders remains it's a great pedal. I think mine has high-hi's because I have an ac15 with top boost

[@TheToneLounge]

The Cinders is not only a great pedal, but it's also priced really well.

[@Blues-man.]

All three sounds great, I have a hard time telling the difference I suppose I would pick the bd2 blues driver over the tc and the wazacraft, just for the name.

[@TheToneLounge]

You'd be well served with any of them! :)

[@DTension]

I have the Cinders into a vox with some dirt on the clean tone and it is very nice.

[@TheToneLounge]

I bet that is sounds great!

[@Paul_Lenard_Ewing]

The new kid on the block is the Movall Interplanetary Blues Drive ....seriously well made and just $35.00 USD. These days all Boss regular pedals are made using contemporary parts. Even the German, American and Japanese parts are all made in China on high tech machines that can spit them out. The parts are so cheap there is no reason to dumb down a pedal. The average citizen in China make $5000.00 USD a year plus the Chinese are big adaptors of high tech factories. The Chinese are now competing more between their own brands. Direct sales cuts out big chunks from all the middle man thing. Anything over $30.00 USD CAN be good. Under $20.00 USD and it can go either way. Finally Asian players buy much, much more than the West. With populations past one billion having thousands of sales for anything is a given. Mass production in China is indeed just that.

[@TheToneLounge]

Thanks for the recommendation, Paul. Every time you comment, you drop some very insightful and helpful tips for not only the community members, but also for myself. I truly appreciate your feedback! Cheers

[@kosmicwizard]

I don't like the fizz on the top of the stock bd2, I can see that they removed it with the waza. The cinders is really good for the money, but I would keep the waza, as you already have it. Cheers.

[@TheToneLounge]

The Waza is the one I decided to keep. I also received a Bright Day Overdrive from Joyo, and I'll be damned if it's not just as good as the BD-2W.

[@kosmicwizard]

@@TheToneLounge I believe it

[@Mike-rw2nh]

Are there any Blues Driver style pedals with a low impedance so I can get that glassy clean up normally reserved for a Fuzz Face circuit?

[@TheToneLounge]

I think that the Cinders would be the best candidate.

[@Mike-rw2nh]

@@TheToneLounge thank you so much. 👍

[@thesuccessfulbarber]

I thought the cinders was a Blues driver clone.. now they're going to double in price

[@TheToneLounge]

The Cinders is a modded BD-2. Most people seem to be unaware of this fact.

[@anup_pinkfloydian]

Hi Jonathan. How does one make the BD2 sound good with a Vox ac10c1, which lacks mids? I bought a BD2 with a lot of expectations but somehow not happy with it

[@TheToneLounge]

Stack it with a Sd-1 or tubescreamer 😁

[@beburicoterito]

I placed a mxr timmy before the bd2 and finally found my goto sound. A fuzz (iannucci haze) in the beginnig and that is my rig. My amp is an ac15c1.

[@anup_pinkfloydian]

@@TheToneLounge does stacking mean, the SD1 before BD2 or after it? The vox is mid scooped, so what do you recommend?

[@TheToneLounge]

@anup_pinkfloydian try it both ways. The SD-1 after will give you more volume boost. Before the BD2 it will give more distortion.

[@indiedavecomix3882]

To my untrained ear, they all sound identical or at least so indistinct from one another as to make no noticeable difference. In any case, I couldn't tell you which one sounds "better" to me.

[@TheToneLounge]

That means that price is no longer an issue. :)

[@indiedavecomix3882]

@@TheToneLounge No, I always buy the most expensive product, in the most colorful box. 🤣

[@wesmitchem825]

Id say waza blues driver you get two modes on one killer pedal

[@TheToneLounge]

Yep, that's the one that I'm keeping.

[@Blues-man.]

My sins of a poor guitar player (bad that is) I hear someone demo a pedal, a guitar, a amplifier and I immediately think I need it I buy it and guess what I still can’t play or sound any better don’t make my mistake. Learn to play first. Great video by the way. 👍👍☮️❤️

[@TheToneLounge]

Learning to play is an important factor, but we all do the same as you. We all give into the pressures of owning the latest and greatest piece of gear. Honestly, I'm doing this new series to help others break away from this mind set.

[@brandonanderson2066]

We've all been there and it's tough! But it's an easy fix. Are you playing loud enough? It could be you need a larger cab/ higher wattage amp. It's also hard to sound decent without a custom shop quality instrument and a stereo rig. I'll show myself out 😂🤘

[@crapmalls]

An old blues driver. The new ones are too compressed

[@TheToneLounge]

Interesting. I never had a chance to play an old one.

[@nikman5300]

Thank god my ears are not that sensitive to subtle differences as between those demonstrated (and i tend to believe i belong to the vast majority). Take that a step further and ask yourself if you could differentiate between those if played live with a band. It would be very helpful if we could rank the importance of the source or each item in the sound chain like 1) amplifier 2)cabinets 3) pedals and 4)guitar to achieve the sound you like. And remember pedal makers are enterprises that aim to profits. They will be very pleased to see you beiing unsettled with your sound. They will have to offer something new to fill your gap. And again something new... and again....where again tends to infinity.

[@TheToneLounge]

That's a great idea. Knowing where to put your money and invest in the right gear might be useful to some people. I'll see what I can come up with in terms of video idea. Cheers

[@nikman5300]

@@TheToneLounge I really hope i contributed an idea to this channel. Still if your answer is kind of joke to a very obvious thing i've said, i laughed at it

[@TheToneLounge]

@@nikman5300 No, I'm serious about this. It could be a fun video .