My 10 Favorite Boss Pedals And How I Use Them

[@cigarettecat3981]

1. Metal zone 2. Metal zone 3. Metal zone 4. Metal zone 5. Metal zone 6. Metal zone 7. Metal zone 8. Metal zone 9. Metal zone 10. Metal zone

[@becketthor]

Arf Arf metal zoan for your toan

[@becketthor]

Jeremiah Daniel unless you are talking about Converge you are dead wrong

[@cigarettecat3981]

@@becketthor bruh jane doe slaps

[@stevendearden8030]

@Jeremiah Daniel Metal Zone all the way

[@cyberdejin]

@Jeremiah Daniel Absolutely. Metal Zone is a mosquito. Metal Core is the real deal :)

[@bakerXderek]

Boss FRV-1 reverb is probably my favorite boss pedal. Found it BRAND NEW at a pawn shop in box for $80 then found out after buying it how expensive it was online and hard to find. Definitely a hidden gem.

[@bleromafia]

I also like the boss NO-3 boss nothingizer does absolutely nothing but you need it anyway

[@slipknotrob666]

Oh yes, I have a different pedal from that same series... the EH-2 enhancer.

[@jiggersotoole7823]

Hahaha!

[@someguynamedrob581]

The best part is that it features true no-bypass.

[@peterwelsh1932]

I got theSpectrum Pedal. It does even less

[@shredi_knight]

Yesss! The NO-3 is a must have along with the BOSS SH-1t Tone Sucker on any pedalboard!

[@MrTPF1]

The DS1 is on just about every song you ever heard from the 70's , 80's and 90's, so I was dismayed that you chuckled on it's inclusion.

[@markhunstein9138]

I literally just watched this after buying a used fender 63 reverb pedal at guitar center for sixty bucks. I feel like I hit the jackpot

[@shaunw9270]

MARK HUNSTEIN Congratulations man ✌😉 Gotta be the best reverb pedal made by anyone that has the original tube sound, I want one but I'm not paying crazy £££ for one either. Enjoy 👍

[@robertcaple5165]

Definitely a sleeper pedal when it came out, but they're getting pricey. Congrats on the awesome buy!

[@alexandert696]

U did, I ve seen them go for 100+ in some places

[@Mr2006explorer]

Congrats! I payed $200 for a new one.

[@mikecorey8370]

Boss nailed that one.

[@alexmurphy5289]

I just wanted to say I love your channel. It's no nonsense, it's no ads, it's just straight knowledge and help for musicians. Thank you man.

[@Kashed]

I have one of the first DS-1 pedals made, serial #7700, from Dec of 1978 with the clear switch that I got at a neighbors garage sale in the early 80’s. It’s a long dash silver screw pedal. It is the BEST sounding distortion pedal I have ever heard. Seriously, find one and you will never let it go. No other boss pedal compares to it.

[@fuchsia5899]

That is awsome!

[@t0ddbr0wn731]

As a metal head raised in the 80-90s the Boss Adaptive Distortion change my life.

[@kylelikeskjvbible]

For me it was the Digitech Metal Master on its own, or a Boss DS1 mixed with Marshall overdrive.

[@andrewdimartino7426]

Who else thinks Phil is a better guitar player than he gives himself credit for?!

[@copytekk]

Andrew DiMartino agreed! He was pulling some pretty tasty licks there in the beginning.

[@freepadz6241]

Andrew DiMartino yup. All round good egg.

[@salkdjfasldkfjsdlk]

Good ones usually have that attitude.

[@terrymiller111]

@@freepadz6241 Yeah, that head is pretty round.

[@toobmaniac]

I for one think the guy sucks terribly..I personally don't care even the slightest bit about what pedals he uses and how he uses them either !

[@joerodriguez1797]

I bought my 1st BOSS Pedal. Looper RC-1. The lights really help control the webbs in my head, sharpening my timing, Yay. 🤝🏼👍🏼

[@shanewright2772]

The BD-2 is my only "always on" Pedal. And it is the best colour of any Boss pedal.

[@pyotrilyichtchaikovsky3733]

Favorite distortion/drive ever. The blues driver is so warm and deep, even when you want to play metal it sounds better

[@aaronwebb1548]

@@dakotavenom7821 Billie-Joe from Green Day uses a Blues Driver, I don't reckon they're very bluesy. Not sure how it would handle metal, but it does punk and hard rock great.

[@brianrollins7275]

Old video but I really enjoyed it so thank you for making it. Boss pedals are great cheaper options especially when buying used. I just bought the SD-1 again brand new for $62.99 and I think it was well worth the money I spent. I do think some boss pedals dull my tone a tad but that’s no longer an issue thanks to true bypass loop switching pedals. I have a passive one loop looper from Saturnworks that requires no power and it turns any buffered pedals into true bypass. That way I can use my favorite buffer (JHS little black buffer) up front to drive a good strong signal to the amp. I only use 4-5 pedals so one buffer at the front and everything else true bypass works best for me. Having the option to turn any boss pedal into true bypass is the best thing ever for me. If I’m just playing clean I don’t like my tone with a boss buffer in the chain. Takes away to much high end and sounds a little dull. But put it in a true bypass looper pedal and it’s buffer is out of the chain. I wish I had discovered this before I sold a lot of pedals that I felt were tone suckers when off. Especially my mxr csp026 74 reissue. I’ll have to grab another one of those soon. Also need to get another bd-2 dm-2 in the future. Sorry for the long winded comment, I’m a gear geek for sure. Thanks again Take care

[@rowlandstraylight]

I have to say accoutic sim pedals do an adequate job of filling in the 10 seconds of accoustic-ish part in a rock set that would otherwise need another guitar on a stand or a very expensive piezo system, but then you need a piezo in your backup guitar too.

[@Aniki82]

SD1 super overdrive ! Never fail

[@derangedhermit2879]

If it was a 2 Knob OD 1 Boss Overdrive pedal, with that early magical optical transistor, it would be worth sending off to be converted to true bypass?...LoL

[@josefeld7164]

KC I find their buffered bypass totally sufficient.

[@josefeld7164]

KC Good taste. Yeah the Mark V doesnt need any pedals for sure and the Peavey only a good Tube screamer to tighten it up. What do you think about the newer Boss pedals ? My last 3 pedals in my signal chain are all newer Boss Pedals ( Tr2, Fender Cosm Reverb and Waza Delay) and since the signal is already buffered to compensate for the long cable run I don't notice much of a difference. At least no unpleasent one. May I ask how you like the Mark V for Clean/Blues/John Mayer/SRV like tones ?

[@goddessintriptych7046]

OD1!

[@Aniki82]

I wrote this before watching the video, phil's demo of sd1 isn't doing justice to it IMO ✌ But there is plenty of good demo. The main plus : works on every amps with every guitare, no harsh sounds as it's very smooth and consistent 💪

[@josuesamaniego182]

Boss GE-7 is the most underrated pedal of ALL TIME.

[@daddyosink4413]

The Berhinger clone isn't half bad either.... kinda noisy, but 1/2 The price.

[@user-js8wz6yt4v]

Any thoughts on the MXR 10-band EQ?

[@daddyosink4413]

Fuh Q it was good enough for Dimebag.... Jussayin.

[@user-js8wz6yt4v]

DaddyO's Ink oh I didn’t know that. I have an MXR 10 band and I absolutely love it, just wondered how it compares to the Boss EQ.

[@daddyosink4413]

Fuh Q in my opinion MXR pedals are built better, and easier to replace the switch if you wear it out..... and I think they are true bypass, but don't quote me on that.

[@PastorMcfly66]

Phillip- I LOVE the OD-1. It is such a great pedal and I am not sure why Boss doesn't make it anymore. It is a true hidden gem!

[@pyrofoo]

I absolutely love the CS-3 and for the same reason you do. It gives such an incredible sound that a lot of compressors can't compare to, at least in my opinion. I also use a BD-2W, DA-1, and TE-2. Boss pedals always seemed to get a lot of hate from my guitar playing friends, but they've never done me wrong.

[@DaveyMulholland]

Guitar playing friends are usually total gobsh¡tes in my experience. Ignore all the dogma.

[@sh4rkbyt3]

The BOSS EQ Was my first pedal purchase. Followed that up with the SD-1, then the Blues Driver and two analog digital delays. That basic setup gets me every sound I need currently. I also have a Line 6 Helix but it's so much quicker to just have a basic setup that I can change on the fly in seconds. For my tuner I love the TC models, easily visible in any light from a distance!

[@dalepal]

I like that you can still get Boss pedals that sound good without spending a fortune and they are known to be well built and sturdy.

[@supernoobsmith5718]

The only brand that never failed on me. They're freakin tanks!

[@someguynamedrob581]

After the nuclear war, it'll be cockroaches, Keith Richards, and Boss pedals.

[@lessthanbug]

I have my fair share of pedals I have collected over the years, and my two favorites are BOSS pedals: I hit the jackpot and found and old CE-2 Chorus pedal at a yard sale. It still had the box and the original owners manual. I got it for $40!!! I sounds amazing! My second fav is a BOSS DS-1, (also bought at a yard sale for $25!!!) that was modded by Analog.man!!! It has become my go to distortion pedal. I run it into a Fender 68 DRRI and it sounds incredible!!! BOSS FTW!!!

[@markewing6780]

Thank you very much for this video Philip. Pedals is one of the things I have had trouble deciding on, since I am the type of guy that had the notion that I didn't want to use pedals at all. I know, I know, I'm breaking out of the "box". Trying to be open minded and widen my horizons. Thank you, kind Sir.

[@matthewkennedy76]

The Boss PS-3 is one of my desert island pedals. It can do things that I have never heard any other pedal do. I really cannot express how much I love that pedal and most guitarists don't even know it exists. The only other Boss pedals that I consider classics are the DS-1, the BD-2, and the DD-3.

[@semiografo]

My first Boss pedal was an HM2, but my first brand new one was a RV3, which I have sold later. It was contemporary of PS3... two great digital effects. Loved its fully wet reverb effect.

[@mattgilbert7347]

Never trust anyone who doesn't have at least one Boss pedal on their board. Never. CS-2>SD-1>2x BD-2s>CE-2>DD-7>TR-2>RV-6 True bypass loop switcher and a few mods and you're done. If you need fuzz, grab an MXR 108, stick a wah in front - sorted.

[@jasonkim6710]

Does metal zone count

[@Thiago_Alves_Souza]

@@jasonkim6710 yes it does. If you know how to use it and have it on the FX loop instead of the input.

[@GregStraub42]

I have zero boss pedals... and no real reason to buy another pedal.

[@MrMeh57]

Literally a minute in and I've already gotten useful information. This video rocks

[@brendenpavao2071]

I'd add the FZ-2 Hyper Fuzz. People seem to love or hate them. They have a couple fuzz settings, one of them being pretty tame, and the other is pretty over the top. Think Electric Wizard and Dopethrone. It's got a pretty solid boost setting too. They seem to be a pain to find these days, and they usually don't seem to come too cheap.

[@E-BikingAdventures]

I loved the turbo overdrive. Most sustain I ever heard in any overdrive pedal. I owned 2 of them. It was different from the other overdrive pedals. It used cascading descrete circuit stages instead of the typical op-amp circuit.

[@terrymiller111]

12:12 is a tone I could use for the rest of my life.

[@Shred_The_Weapon]

My ex-bandleader/co-guitarist had in his arsenal the tuner, the flanger the Metal Zone, the Octave, the acoustic simulator, the digital delay and (if I’m not mistaken) the EQ. (He overlooked the BD-2 for an Ibanez screamer for unknown reasons.). When first I saw him in 1996 (I was age 16 at the time), he had already purchased all of them and used them (at least) for the following nine years. Early in my own collaboration with him, he lent me his DS-1 Distortion pedal. I misused it (save when I kicked in my wah-wah pedal), but I got here via another video with tips about how to properly apply it. When you said “double pedal”, the CE-2 was the first model which came to mind. What I learned here was how much I really want an ME-80 (which I’ve spent nearly a year trying to talk myself into purchasing). One thing which I would love to know is whether or not the petals it duplicates could be used to simulate the Boston guitar sound and the Tom Scholz hyperspace pedal.

[@blewzman]

The Dimension C. Love that one

[@jimincornwall1925]

Thanks Phil, as someone who is only now, after playing for over 50years (I know shocking), just now getting into individual pedals other than my RC-3, you gave me great insight into what I am after. I’ve been using my Podpro for years now, and I’m just looking for more flexibility, plus I’m back in a band and weight is also a factor for this old fella, lol. I always enjoy you videos, so thanks again.

[@RequiemDead]

I really wish Boss would re-release the HM-2 and do a Waza Craft version. Who can I market this to?!

[@imperium7846]

RequiemDead YES!! I wish I didn’t have to pay $300 to do an accurate Entombed cover

[@JulianA-tr6pt]

Imperium You don't. There are clones for much, much less. Even boss ones sell for less than that.

[@RequiemDead]

I paid $220 for my Dunwich modded hm-2 clone and it nails the sounds. Would just be cool if I had an original or a reissue.

[@alanlotra8148]

I have an original HM-2 to sell 🙂

[@goddessintriptych7046]

Holy shit- me too. I picked mine up for only $50 a few years ago. Who am I kidding? I want to sound like Entombed every now and then.

[@pclindholm]

Great discussion - I agree that the used market needs to be considered when determining pedal quality. Used boss pedals are so affordable, so durable and high quality - such a good place to start - or end - when buying pedals.

[@Theylieohio]

You said there was one that almost made the list and one that would never make the list....well what pedal will never make the list?

[@gary_stavropoulos]

I bet it is the xt-2

[@Rael0505]

Definitely the Metal Zone!

[@Jah_Rastafari_ORIG]

I was wondering that as well...probably one of those, "...Why again did I walk into the kitchen...?"

[@juno980]

everyone is saying metalzone the hm2 is probably worse sounding

[@the_hippykiller22]

@@juno980 The hm2 does one thing but it does it like no other

[@greenmonster9913]

I don't love every Boss pedal, but I love a lot of them. I love that they look like Skittles, and I really love the big foot switch. I have the tuner at the beginning of my chain, and reverb or delay (depending on whether my reverb is in the FX loop) at the end of my chain, so the buffers come in handy for me

[@lesomb980]

My brother just picked up a Keeley modded Blues Driver for $20 at a pawn shop. He’s feeling pretty lucky ducky right now.

[@PhillipMcKnight]

Heck ya he is! good find.

[@scramblesthedeathdealer]

So he pretty much robbed a pawn shop. 🤣

[@chaseurias8874]

God bless Phil, one of the most genuine youtubers hands down

[@MrTPF1]

The other reason BOSS pedals are great is that you can change batteries in about 6 seconds. Other brands (Read "MXR and others) take a screwdriver and several minutes.

[@scramblesthedeathdealer]

I could never go back to batteries, especially with a pedal board!

[@AllTheCoolNamesAreTaken84]

Batteries???

[@pedroleal7118]

Hey Phil, I know it's an old video, but, had all the Boss Overdrives, and they were my 'Distortion' for years (always prefered them to the actual Boss 'Distortions'. There was a moment were I needed more Distortion and gain, so updated it to the Metal Zone, because I can have both worlds, Ultra Distortion and Overdrive in case of need. People don't realise how flexible the MT is. Still use it today with a DD-3 (I had the DSD-1 or 2?), and, always had a Boss volume pedal (FV-50 H). The original FVs could be used as an Expression pedal for the 'Auto-Wah' (had that one two>up-down

[@BrianSGuitars]

Boss also makes cool amps - that have built in pedals!

[@BrianSGuitars]

I have one off Phil's recommendation - the 50 watt. Other than not having an FX loop I love it!

[@tusharshankarrai1303]

Yes

[@frmadeira]

Roland amps all the way, best clean tones ever. Any roland cube will do the job, it's just a steal.

[@bigmazinthedesert]

frmadeira agreed. May not have as many effects or features but fuck those little cubes are gnarly.

[@joshuathompson8372]

Yep, I'd rather get a quality amp than built in effects. BOSS can't compete with amps like Marshall, Fender, Orange, VOX, Roland, EVH, etc.

[@jackwallace5729]

Looks like my rig from the '80s... Ha Ha... well, the Compressor and the Super OD. I ran an Octaver as well as the Phaser. Those and a crybaby Wah were all you needed. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.!

[@93greenstrat]

What about the "honorable mention" for the one that will never make the list (i.e. Metal Zone :-) )?

[@zdsminorz]

I modded my TR-2 - Monte Allums mod. Became completely noiseless and the pedal now has a level knob so you can dial up the perceived volume drop. Great Trem is now amazing! As good or better than any boutique trem.

[@markdp1983]

Good video, I'm a Boss fan. I only use minimal effects anyway, so Boss pedals on my board is more than enough.. Some of those "Boutique" pedals are so overrated.. A lot of them seem to just have nice paint jobs on the case?!

[@SandauxBeats]

Wow! That AC-3 WITH EQ pedal made all the difference. Will try that combo out! I used AC-3 to one of my tracks in one of my albums. It does have that "acoustic" vibe on it.

[@Supperconductor]

I’m a gear minimalist so I bought a Katana Artist and called it a day.

[@RhythmGrizz]

Supperconductor aw that's no fun tho lol

[@Supperconductor]

RhythmGrizz hahaha true. I haven’t always been this way but trust me I don’t need another hobby becoming a rabbit hole

[@Rob_B_93]

Why not have both? ;) pedals and the amp

[@paulnew3150]

Phillip is a wealth of great information. I watch all of his work. He is responsible for driving up the price of the Boss GE-7. LOL

[@brianyork5510]

What was the one that will never go on your board? I don't believe you said after you mentioned there were two left the JB2 and one that will never go on.

[@randyeppyt]

I'm guessing MT-2 - but yeah, he totally missed it.

[@brianyork5510]

Okay, thanks. I thought maybe I'd lost it for a second

[@ChipLeach]

Brian York Left me wondering, too!

[@tadeucaldararo]

I think it's the Metal Zone.

[@DoubleDguitar]

Ok, glad I am not the only one...

[@georgefromgreece4119]

The Blues Driver is extremely versatile for sculpting your overall sound, timbre, in many nice and tonally legit and useful ways.

[@tommyroseguitar4557]

10-4 on that! Likes single coils and buckers alike, it loves the VOX AC amps....

[@TechnoRiff]

I'm also a fan of Boss and like the OC-3 Octaver as it does a very decent bass line for thickening up riffs without a bass player. BTW - not sure you mentioned the pedal that "will never make the list?"

[@jacksonh8295]

8:43 to 8:57 made me get up and order an SD-1, i've been looking for a good overdrive that isn't too distorted or heavy since i play mostly surf-punk type stuff and geez, that tone you got out of is phenomenal

[@MucicuTzu]

You & me brother, 8 months later but i just ordered one now. Already have a DS1 and an ibanez DS7, I'll see what comes out of them

[@truespiderman]

Way cool video. Boss pedals are great. But I never heard of the angry driver....now I'm totally intrigued and would like to at least try it out at my local music store if they have it :)

[@mine_all_the_time0793]

I'm a beginner and after getting a few chords down pretty good I decided to purchase my first pedal. After trying a bunch at sweetwater, I loved the sd 1 the most to my beginner ears.

[@starsiak123]

I'm guessing the Metal Zone would be the pedal that would never make the list. It actually sounds pretty good if you run it through the fx loop in back of the amp rather plugging it the front of the amp. Complete different sound.

[@Shadowsdeity]

Oh really? I saw it in a video but can you confirm it?

[@figjam9530]

traditional metal zone pedals suck balls when run through the front of the amp, but the new waza craft metal zone fixes it. it's the one waza boss pedal that is indisputably better than the original. boss make my favorite metal pedal but it's the boss metal core ML-2. the boss heavy metal HM-2 pedal is good too.

[@gainonten4031]

Actually it runs good in front of the amp, but you gotta control(reduce) the brightness/precense of the amp, it adds the bees. Putting in the fx loop remove any EQ from the amp, hence it sounds better (in a poorly set amp)

[@Lowtech14]

Nice video, and useful public service for all those that can't chase a board of pricey boutique pedals. A few faves are in this video, namely the SD-1 Super OD, the Fender 63 Reverb, and the tremolo.

[@Plasmafuse]

Super Chorus or Chorus Ensemble is missing. Boss is mostly known for their Boss/Roland Chorus. Even though you don´t use Chorus yourself, one has to be on the List.

[@jernie9384]

Not when the title says "My 10 favorite Boss Pedals and how I use them"

[@LazyCat010]

Plasmafuse Still have my Roland Cube Chorus amp from the '80. Their analog chorus is the best!

[@Plasmafuse]

Somehow true but he asks also for my/our Opinion/s, which Pedals are not in the List and should be in :) 19:37

[@93greenstrat]

The CH-1 has been with me from "the beginning".

[@RhythmGrizz]

The ce2 is the one for me.

[@TheOlesarge]

The Boss OD-20 Distortion Drive Zone...it'll get you there and further. I LOVE IT.

[@tadeucaldararo]

I like the Boss Power Stack ST-2. It's on my top 10 Boss Pedals list for sure. Have you ever tried this one, Phill?

[@mr.mehoff6631]

Tadeu Caldararo is that one similar to the metalcore?

[@tadeucaldararo]

Jack O'Brien, it seems to me that it isn't anything like the Metal Core. Altough, I never tried a Metal Core, myself. I use the Power Stack with low gain to play some AC/DC songs. And I use it with half the gain to play some Iron Maiden stuff. I like very much the sounds I get from it.

[@mr.mehoff6631]

Tadeu Caldararo ah okay thank you, I didn’t know if the metalcore replaced the powerstack when it was discontinued

[@tadeucaldararo]

Jack O'Brien, I don't know either. Sorry.

[@aspebrend]

I use a power stack too in combination with a ge-7 eq sounds killer

[@BradColemanisHere]

Phil, this is why I love you and your channel. I was sitting here working and playing your video off on the side and listening, when you played the SD-1 and my head whipped around. I've been in search of a proper gain pedal for when I play at our modern church and I've gotten close but just not quite there. That's it! I feel like Marvin Berry in Back to the Future calling his brother Chuck. "You know that sound you've been looking for?" Yeah, that's it. I even play a PRS with two humbuckers, so I have some confidence that it'll sound like I think. Just bought it off of Reverb for $40 shipped. Thanks for the great review! I'll let you know how it goes.

[@hadin101]

The RE-20 is my favorite delay from boss

[@scramblesthedeathdealer]

That is a sick pedal, I used to have one. Unfortunately it got "lost" somehow during my divorce. I want another one, but I need an amp and stuff more.

[@avonzodiac]

I have the BD2 Waza, RC1 and the Waza chorus. I am absolutely in love with the chorus!

[@dwtn81]

Super octave. Must have.

[@daddyosink4413]

mike young I traded my OC2 for a Danelectro ChiliDog... it tracks better in my opinion.... but that was also 15+ years ago... stop have the Danelectro though.

[@Ryedor]

The TU-3 can also be used as a power supply. Maybe handle 2 Digitals + 2 analogues ? Nice for a small setup. Volume levels affect the effectiveness of the pedals. Set them up for bedroom levels and "mark" the knobs. Then, set them up for (loud) stage levels and mark them again. Boss pedals are bullet proof and relatively affordable. Great gigging tools.

[@albertlahaye7917]

I found a boss blues driver for $25 and of course I bought it

[@scramblesthedeathdealer]

It would have been stupid not to. Even if you don't want it, you could at least flip it for a few bucks.

[@chrisdaviesguitar]

I still have my original Boss HM-2 pedal bought circa 1982 (ish) and it still works to this day. It came with a brass plaque stating it was the 3 millionth Boss unit ever made. My other Boss pedals are NS-2, , CE-2, TR-2, DD-7 , RV-6, BF-2 and TU-12. It's safe to say I like my Boss pedals lol The next one I would like have is the RT-20

[@johntodd3286]

Phase shifter was really underrated.

[@PMTluke]

John Todd yes love my PH-3 on my live board and sounds great with and expression pedal too among all the other options for a pedal I scored $49 used PH-3 is awesome

[@jeffc4862]

Tried a boat load of 'boutique' phasers, and in the end, bought a PH3, saved a ton of cash, and still have the capabilities/sounds I need.

[@cybrunel1016]

Boss DS-1 was my first ever back in 1984. I called it my orange stomp. There was a poop brown Boss pedal for bass that had a 3-4 knob parametric EQ, I forget the name but, I guess it is great for guitar also, and they are increasingly rare and hard to find these days. Saw an amazing acoustic player on YT years ago who swore by them, he had three hooked up to his guitar, one for each pickup. Magnetic, piezo, and condenser, sounded amazing.

[@letmeooze]

The pedals sound great but because they don't offer true bypass versions and their buffers do something to my clean tone that I can't get rid of with EQ, I won't use them. I loved my Bluesdriver, but loved my clean custom amp more. Awaiting Keeley Super Phat Mod in the mail to take it's place.

[@TheSqweeXV]

The HM-2 shaped an entire subgenre. Its always worth bringong up in any discussion of great boss pedals. I know it didn't fit the criteria for this vid, but I love my DD-500.

[@turkeytrailhoneybeefarmgeo6292]

Boss gets it done. And most players can afford one.

[@tempestfury8324]

Another great informative video! Thank you! Boss pedals are simply great. They are are affordable, easy to use, and damn near indestructible!

[@stevewarren4813]

Thank you for sharing this.

[@thecardestroyers]

Recently I bought an SD-1 and I LOVE IT. It is the first pedal I have bought and it sounds amazing.

[@brock4388]

I was actually surprised at how convincing the acoustic sim pedal sounded on the video. The no go for me would have to be the DS-1. I couldn't get a decent sound out of mine and flipped it quickly. It just sounded like a really bad imitation of distortion and was too fizzy and boxy sounding overall.

[@RhythmGrizz]

john m let's not be snobs

[@simon_patterson]

I gave a CE-2 to a stranger on a whim once. Turns out my home was burgled of all the worthwhile music gear a couple of years later, so it would have been stolen anyway. I still miss it though.

[@schecterseven3894]

I do like Boss Pedals.

[@daddyosink4413]

schecter seven I've been a Boss fan since the 80s, but my favorite overdrive is an ancient Arion with the orange battery cover.... if you can find one, buy it.

[@schecterseven3894]

DaddyO's Ink, Thanks I will look for one, you never can tell what will come up browsing for used pedals.

[@mr.jerrygarcia3281]

This so far is my favorite video you have shared with us. Thank you Phil for sharing your knowledge with all of us.

[@sethride9042]

Boss metal zone is the one you left out

[@2112GTR]

My 2 favourites are both vintage ones. I had the OD-2 "Turbo Overdrive" over 30 years ago, and I actually sold it on when I needed the cash at the time, and always regretted it! It was my first overdrive pedal, to get the overdriven tone I was looking for (I was using a cheap solid state amp), and was actually my first Boss pedal, so there is more than a little sentiment in me looking for another one! I managed to pick one up a few years back, and I think it's about 25 years old, but it gets the tones I remember. It was pretty cheap and was in very good condition, so it's a good buy. The other one is a vintage analog Boss CH-1 Chorus pedal (circa 1998). I remember a friend of mine had one over 20 years ago, and I always though it sounded fantastic, so I can't understand why I never picked one up at the time. I got one a few years back, again with almost no wear, and I absolutely love it. I do think the analog ones sound better, definitely not as metallic sounding as the digital ones. The other one I have is a DD-7 Digital Delay, which was my most expensive Boss purchase. I tend to use it in the DM-2 analog mode, but it sounds great in whatever mode I run it in. The DD-3 is great, and is a classic, but what I like about the DD-7 (apart from the analog mode) is the fact that it doesn't cut the "echo trails" off, when you disengage the pedal. I think all the previous models do that! The main thing with Boss pedals is they aren't super expensive, and they are built like a tank. It's a shame that the paint chips off so easily (I hate that!), but for the money you pay, you get good value. They aren't cheaply made, and they don't tend to be in the boutique range either (although the DD-7 stacks up pretty well). They are also quite "modable" as well, which is always useful!!

[@JeffLanigan10]

I like the DS-1 because I play a lot of Nirvana songs!

[@jernie9384]

Same here

[@thomast3851]

Yall should get a ds2 its basicly a DS-1 with a lil extra thingy, kurt upgraded to the ds2 in later stages

[@devinsinderwitcz9134]

I take the Billy Duffy approach. If you're out on the road, almost ANY music store will carry Boss Pedals, not so for boutique pedals and then the cost! The GE-7 is probably the most valuable tool on ANY board (ask Tim Pierce), next up the DD-3 and the DD3-T are must haves for me! I purchased the TC 3 Polytune tuner pedal which shows up better from a distance and has a built in buffer. The only other pedals you have that I don't are the Reverb (built into my amp and works great) and the Acoustic Simulator ( I just don't use acoustic). Boss delays (digital and analogue) are critical for me. I'm with you in the SD-1 Super Overdrive too. Such a good pedal for juicy tones that gets overlooked sometimes.

[@imperium7846]

My favorite BOSS pedal is the HM-2

[@goddessintriptych7046]

BZZZ ZBZZZ BZZZ BZZ ZBZB ZZZZZBZZZZ from dream to dream BZZZ BZZ BZZZBZZZ we have always been BZZ ZBZZ BZB ZB ZBZZZ like an ever flowing stream ZZZZZZZZZZZ

[@imperium7846]

GoddessIn Triptych DISMEMBER!!

[@jacobbrown1690]

hm3 was bettet

[@robertogrady2798]

You're a brave gtarist by committing to this subject... love your choices... you provide a very balanced view of what Boss achieves and fails at... regardless of boutique stuff I own, Boss will always feature on My boards also... my choices would be different albeit a little cross-over but I say "damn well done"... and isn't that the wonderful power of Boss reliability??? we can All find our own sound due to the Boss plethora of reliable tone.

[@paulleedean5720]

No metal zone?? 😁

[@navpanesar3002]

Thoroughly enjoyed this video Phil. Just dug out my old Japanese SD-1 to put in front of my Princeton. Best £20 I ever spent

[@dpark551]

No NS-2?

[@Plasmafuse]

Love it. Saves me Nerves! ;)

[@goddessintriptych7046]

It's fine. ISP Decimator II sort of stole its thunder.

[@dpark551]

I love the FX loop on the NS-2. Made it a winner imo.

[@Plasmafuse]

Yep, same here!

[@benjohnson2312]

Didn't think I liked PRS guitars until I saw the one you're holding. Love the finish...so much nicer than the quilted look

[@jimcricket8128]

Heavy metal 2!!!!!

[@goddessintriptych7046]

*Death metal growls

[@frozenintears]

jim cricket Swedish death metal

[@goddessintriptych7046]

Finnish Death Metal

[@joshuakozee5719]

I just want to say your guitars have the best intonation I have ever heard

[@v.k.7463]

I used to have a massive collection of pedals, especially Boss. My favorites were mostly the Boss pedals, even more than boutique pedals.

[@eraritjaritjaka1]

Good that you mentoined the JB-2. It´s an all in one distortion/overdrive pedal. You can go from very soft blues-driver sounds to hi-gained metal distortion combining the BD and JHS Mode... in extraordinary quality.

[@BRye-xp9nj]

Phil - Excellent video, especially for those of us who love older BOSS pedals and scour Craig's List, music stores and pawn shops for deals. I own 5 older BOSS pedals including the NS-1 Noise Suppressor, which is my personal fave. I use it in in a similar way to your Tuner pedal, at the end of my chain to cut down "hissing" and extraneous noise and shut down all effects with a single pedal... I also have the CE-5 Chorus pedal and putting it in front of the DS-1 Distortion pedal makes for some really "grungey" tones...

[@ClarkyGuitar]

My Boss pedal experience is thus... DS-1 - Used it for years but eventually ditched it. Far too fuzzy and thin sounding. DD-3 Delay - Had it for years, still on my pedal board, love it. FRV-1 Reverb - Amazing pedal. Bought it when it came out, still on my pedal board. RC-3 Loopstation - Great pedal but I never really got into looping so sold it. PS-5 Super Shifter - Really struggled with this one. Didn't find many uses for it. SD-1 Overdrive - My favourite pedal, I use it all the time and it's so cheap. Great on it's own or boosting into distortion pedals. MT-2 Metal Zone - Don't understand the hate. Still on my pedal board and I get great stuff out of it.

[@VitalikButtring]

Never thought of that AC-3 + GE-7 combo! Makes the AC-3 actually do what it's supposed to do!

[@tommyroseguitar4557]

My failing eyesight and big feet find BOSS pedals easier to deal with, use as many as possible. My VOX AC-15 and 30 get along with my CS-3, Blues Driver, DD-3, and DD-6 just fine, thank you. I want a Tera-Echo.

[@ATDStudios]

I'm mainly a hard rock and metal player but the Boss Fender Reverb is my most prized pedal. I love surf music and that pedal just puts you right in that space.

[@metalmaster624]

I have the blues driver waza and it is amazing! All analog and the sound on the custom switch is so good!

[@MikeFromNashville]

Great video. I agree on the Boss RT 20 Rotary Pedal. That really is an amazing sounding Leslie Speaker emulator. I mistakenly sold mine and re-purchased it. Thanks Phil!

[@Theweeze100]

I have a DD-2. Got it in Pawn shop for 60 bucks. Love it, and later found that they had expensive.

[@stevehogan8829]

seems like the acoustic pedal does exactly what it's supposed to do. I think it sounds good enough to add some interest and depth of tone to a gig.

[@zedzero77]

i just want to say that the sound of the acoustic simulator with the eq sounded really good. (even on my laptop speakers) but maybe that might of been just your smooth playing :) awesome video!!