The Boss HM-2W Heavy Metal vs. an Original HM-2

[@shaunmorrison6448]

It's really weird looking at an HM-2 that isn't beat to shit.

[@davidedalfarra8236]

Truth was spoken

[@matrixmodulator]

bought the old version 5 years ago for 30$ and it just have 3-4 small scratches lolol

[@Defleshuary]

@@matrixmodulator Assuming seller didn't know what they had!

[@aslamakinen9526]

@@matrixmodulator holy shit 30$?!

[@shaunmorrison6448]

@@matrixmodulator I got mine for £80 a couple of year back. Missing a knob and a bunch of paint. Plus I was sick on it once and I couldn't get some of the dried stuff out of the bare pot shaft.

[@Intaminator]

Andys pick-less technique is already a marvel but him doing tremolo picking that way is just insane. Major props.

[@xerodelacroix5552]

Dude has to be Miyavi's number one fan.

[@ze-ce.cra_]

@@xerodelacroix5552 while I'm not sure that you're joking or not, but I'm pretty sure that Andy is older than Miyavi and has been around first before Miyavi.. So at least Andy knows/figured out those kind of techniques without seeing Miyavi

[@replicated]

Im so surprised he actually demoed this. I thought because of his pickless technique, he would avoid pedals like these. Speaking of that, do any extreme metal bands go pickless?

[@Intaminator]

@@replicated None that I know of. I'd imagine that it's just not feasible for extended periods.

[@evansyliboy]

Andy Krieger

[@davethomas2108]

Andy seems like a chill, laid-back guy, and I adore the absolute deadpan innocence when he says "now let's stack 'em" and my surround sound melted.

[@VimFuego]

Yep. Stacked HM2s. The perfect speaker burn in method.

[@larryrock11]

"Let's stack both of them" 🤘🏽

[@DiminishingAugmentation]

Best part of the video. Unironically sounded great, too.

[@VimFuego]

🤘😁🤘 Damn! Now I need two.

[@purplecoloredrock]

Well, this just convinced me that what my MIJ HM-2 needs is a HM-2w to keep it company!

[@duck_5150]

Yes!!! Lets do that!!

[@andredegiant3876]

I wasn’t aware that the HM-2 had so many useful settings besides “all knobs up”. Thanks for going in depth Andy! 🤘

[@marquisdexxx]

lol )))

[@maschoff69]

Andy is the Sheriff of Pedal Town because he always does them justice 🤘🤠 Thank you Andy!

[@AndyDemos]

I appreciate it!!!

[@Muppio]

"So let's EASE our way..." woha woha woha, there's no easing into nothing with the HM2.

[@Jonathan_Doe_]

HM-2 goes balls deep, first thrust, dry.

[@MichaelD8393]

I left my business meeting for this 😂

[@coolbossnessFTW]

The spookiest part is his ghost pick

[@thedoctor-pn1iq]

This was one of the best HM-2 demos on KZbin. Of course everybody knows what the “everything on full” setting sounds like, i love that Andy played a lot more than just extreme metal, he really showcased how versatile this pedal can be in the right hands.

[@b.c.fields1310]

I bought one for 5 bucks in a garage sale 30 years ago...still have it and it looks pretty clean.

[@andreasf6671]

Great demo, Andy! Entombed, MBV, Gilmour and the HM-2. Doesn't get any better than that.

[@stankowalski4574]

Gilmour used it in front of a Mesa Boogie amp on the clean channel, then through a digital delay, and then into a clean Fender amp..he said doing it this way smooths out the unpleasant, raw frequencies.

[@joequintana5546]

I saw a guy playing a killer Blues set with a Strat, a BOSS HM-2, and a Fender Blues Junior. One of the best tones ever. Like a cross between Joe Bonamassa and Gary Moore.

[@stankowalski4574]

BOSS should seriously consider re-issuing the Digital Metalizer MZ-2 as well as the Adaptive Distortion DA-2 and the original OD-1 Overdrive. In my humble opinion, these are the best overdrive / distortion boxes that BOSS ever made.

[@jamescroy9464]

Hyper Metal and the Hyper Fuzz

[@sleeplvss]

An OD1w would be super sick

[@V1VISECT6]

@@sleeplvss i'd rather have an OD-1w over the SD-1. The super overdrive was a cheap pedal that people liked modding and BOSS capitalized on the modding scene. Then sometime in either 2015 or 2016 they change the standard circut board to an SMT for both the DS-1 and SD-1and made it "impossible" to mod. Analouge Man couldn't work on them but recentley some people have managed to mod them iirc. I wish they brought the combo drive back, they introduced that with the power stack and that still exists, for now.

[@rk28984]

@@V1VISECT6 That's why I bought a SD1 and after opening it up and seeing that is now SMD components I sold it to a friend and bought a used OS2 instead.

[@javiceres]

I like the Custom mode a lot more

[@BramClaes]

3:47 Andy is the Mark Knopfler of Death Metal!

[@medulasa1]

Ngl, finding out that this pedal has range and not just the chainsaw is a bit mindblowing, but also useless, bc I just want a chainsaw machine thanks

[@Toolleeow]

lmao this is the way

[@lifeinsaltlakecity4001]

@@Toolleeow iss the only way foo

[@TylerHodelin]

Bro it’s good for both ridiculously fat chainsaw riffs and a mid forward fuzz pedal. Actually a super useful pedal

[@Jake-mv7yo]

there is the Jupiter Effects death saw

[@austinnicely9781]

Andy, thank you for giving us a proper shoegaze application in this video. not enough gazers appreciate its perfection.

[@shanejb2121]

The original pedal often gets crapped on but when I was a kid starting out with a cheap Strat copy, and a small solid state practice amp, this little beast did wonders for me in the early 80's. Most distortion channels on many small practice amps were brutally thin, and grating , lacked the ability to produce clear, distinct pinch harmonics, and mine was no exception.....a real afterthought in the design, but getting this pedal, and with its on board EQ (color mix L and H), the result was a very heavy, thick, and much more harmonically rich tone if you spent time and dialed it to your specific amp. The Gilmour reference is excellent. As I grew as a player, dicovering he used the HM-2 on A Momentary Laps Of Reason's sessions, most notably Yet Another Movie was inspiring, and drove me to keep the pedal in my chain as I improved, and aquired better guitars and amps for specific sounds. Fast forward to today, I rarely if ever use it, as my tastes have changed to a smoother high gain, or crunchy cranked JMP tone as my main focus, but that's not to say I'd never use it again. I remember it fondly, and it made playing a fun, addictive experience as a metal fan, and I can still totally see the merits of the HM-2 for adding a certain character, or as a stand out part in a song, and with the Waza treatment, it gives this pedal a new life with more flexibility in the controls. I guess it's like they say, what's old is new again! Great review, and thanks for bringing back all those memories.

[@johndcoffee632]

Andy: Let's stack both of 'em My face: TurnToDust.jpg

[@zacattack5243]

Nice to hear someone not diming the pedal constantly. Sounds like a tonebender at around the 5 min mark!

[@badenialshreebley91]

It’s kind of funny how they’re reviving this pedal to sound better when one of the main appeals is that it sounds like shit

[@HarkoBarf]

so true

[@craigtheduck]

it's not too much better; i think the biggest improvement overall is the Waza Craft buffer whose improvement is most noticeable when the pedal is disengaged i for one will enjoy switching between the standard and custom modes just to see how much more of everything it provides at any given setting

[@herbmaloid8752]

It devalues the idea of WAZA.

[@craigtheduck]

@@herbmaloid8752 How? It's a beloved pedal and deserves the Waza Craft treatment much more than the Metal Zone.

[@divebomb99]

Some say the "S" and "C" designations on the switch denote "Standard" and "Custom". However, I've come to learn via back channel communications to Roland Japan that they actually denote "Shit" and "Crap".

[@Scott__C]

I had an HM-2 in the 80s. For that time, I found the best tone was gain full, level to match when it's off (full on level always crapped out the sound), low between 12 and 1o'clock, and high between 11 and 12 o'clock. Great 80s tones. I've always hated the all knobs on full sound from that pedal.

[@One-eyedFats]

A friend recently gave me his original HM2 for my first pedal board- for my ukulele. 🤘🤘🤘

[@-k-b-]

The shoegaze demo was awesome! Kinda sounded like Dinosaur Jr

[@AndyDemos]

I was surprised to find those sounds in there too, thanks!

[@grl_division]

Belinda Butcher did use an HM-2 for when you sleep 🤔🤔🤔

[@whatwedointheshadows3349]

Dry with dirt doesn’t really sound like shoegaze. That needs some reverb or delay.

[@JulianA-tr6pt]

@@whatwedointheshadows3349 loveless is mostly dry with dirt, layered to perfection

[@pCeLobster]

They actually sound surprisingly different, especially with the knobs backed off. Waza sounded quite a bit better to me.

[@XChristianNoirX]

The waza has more output and quieter components, so it's going to sound different. Also, I think one of the pots or some component is no longer available.. The reason it probably sounds more the same maxed out is because 90% of people use it that way, so I think boss focused on making it sound the same all on 10. That's common with clones from other builders too.. They sound almost the same maxed but way different with other settings. Also, some clones like the Behringer have more treble, but you just back it off slightly. Otherwise sound very close with my Taiwanese one with all knobs maxed out. Apparently a lot of the older pedals sound a tad different anyway. I just have 1 Japanese one and 1 Taiwanese one, and a mountain of clones. When my waza arrives, I will only keep my 3 BOSS ones, the Behringer, and the Bear Amps Heavier Metal. That thing is a beast especially stacking into other distortions, because of the control. All the other ones can go... I'm $2k in, so that's a lot of pedals. The waza puts meup another $179 so something's gotta give. 😂

[@danielkorladis7869]

@@XChristianNoirX Another thing is that the originals are quite old now, and electronic components can drift out of spec.

[@XChristianNoirX]

@@danielkorladis7869 I have a couple of each now. My least favorite is now the Waza. I'm not sure why I'm keeping it. 😂

[@kevindarbro4829]

I agree. The Waza had a lot more clarity and a bette tone rather than a wash of grainy distortion that the original had, imho!

[@jlev6478]

Thanks for the stack! Always a plus

[@comfy_21771]

I really like how he really makes some good different sounds, awesome review!!

[@JN-qj9gf]

Hi Andy - what calcium products do you recommend for strong nails?

[@rossboylan18]

I also have this question.

[@zackmano]

Stacked and maxed out. That is the only proper way to end this video. 🤘🏼🤘🏼 Bravo, good sir. 👏🏽

[@wesman7837]

No, that fu€|

[@mattster693]

Litterally the last person i would ever expect to demo this pedal lol, hell yeah

[@endezeichengrimm]

He demo's everything though.

[@drake5557]

Man, would have been nice if this was released a couple months ago when I bought my Japanese HM-2. But eyy, it was worth every single penny spent on it.

[@Chudchanning]

The collector part of my brain said "buy an original!" But upon seeing prices and a few side by sides the logical part of my brain said fuck that, get a brand new one that hasn't had years of abuse

[@bicisnobombas]

Holy shit, Andy, those last 30 seconds just slayed me! A pedal demo video has never made me literally laugh out loud. "Let's stack both of 'em". You are officially my hero.

[@middle_pickup]

It sounds so good. Boss has outdone themselves.

[@CarlosVargas-cn7rx]

"And you can find it right here at Reverb, Thanks for Watching!" - All right, that reissue HM-2 really rocked! "Let's stack both of them" - WOAH!!! WHAT???

[@erikavery8569]

The HM-2 was my fave distortion in the mid 80s. Nice to see it reissued.

[@LosTreintaMusic]

just casually "let's stack both of them" lmao

[@Nickpaflas]

Love it when the Hag comes out.

[@joachimekstrom]

Original is warmer and I prefer that sound. I’m glad I have the original however the new one is great too!

[@HarkoBarf]

Let's buy a HM-2 for the warm sound

[@EntralledInEssence]

@@HarkoBarf LOL

[@Paul-dw2cl]

They actually sound pretty great stacked

[@wa3800]

Back in the 80's we were all looking for Metallica in a stomp box. I bought one in 85 and could not contain it going through my Peavey Bandit to sound like any songs being played back then. Ozzy, Metallica, Megadeath, Slayer, Anthrax ruled back then and this sounded nothing like them so most of us put the Heavy Metal pedal on a shelf and about 1993 I could not give this pedal away let alone trade it at a pawn shop. I miss that $5 dollar pedal I bought used (a new could be had for $35) just to crank it up every now and again through my original 86' BC Rich Warlock.

[@divebomb99]

Yes! This. I started playing in the early 90s because of all those bands you mentioned. This pedal is anything but that style of metal. There were mountains of these things all Used in the local shops selling for $19.

[@tcmontario]

Saaaame. And I was running it through a TRANSISTOR amp. 10x worse hahaha

[@Petesy68]

Andy's brilliant and this demo is well played, informative and interesting start to finish. However. I bought an HM-2 new back in 86 or 87 I think and I always hated it. I took it out and tried it from time to time just in case my opinion had changed with time and experience. Still hated it every time I heard it. Finally sold it with the original box and instructions a couple of years back. My ears are not sorry, and neither was my PayPal account. Both models stacked sounds like an Entombed bootleg which gave me a big grin, so it's all good 😂

[@JesseJuup]

That tonestack is incredibly flexible. I wish Boss would make a sister pedal with a bit more tameable distortion circuit, but keep that tonestack.

[@MrJackrockerman]

The pedal should be name Light Metal..👍😁

[@DylanShield]

“Let’s stack both of ‘em.” No, Andy! You’re a madman!!

[@Mini1124]

That tremolo picking finger style was absolutely nuts

[@chuckadams195]

Had one in the 80’s and a pos Roland amp and a aria pro guitar step on it and it just screamed the good ol days🤣😂🤣

[@joshuabeckwith7906]

This pedal sounds so gnarly no matter what, it's definitely a fuzzy distortion, then it just goes full on chainsaw at max, it's the most oddball pedal ever, if you want really abrasive sounds, it's a good choice for sure.

[@Monomonmamon]

That backed waza sounded like a good alternative for fuzz!

[@scottmartinezguitarandbass]

Actually in the shoot out, the 2nd setting sounded a bit different. The WAZA has some extra mids and "boxy" tone compared to the OG. But I'm getting one anyway. :P It'll be great sitting next to my Metal Zone.

[@RsiX_productions]

The new one has a bit more definition from what I can tell . Possibly a bit more crunch less fuzz . I like it , I will buy it

[@elmariachi451]

RIP phone speakers at "Let's stack both of them"😂😂😂

[@EothaG]

Why oh why did I give mine away in 1989?!?! I bought one new in 1984ish when I was 14 and played the heck out of it. Then in 89' I bought an ADA MP-1 and decided to go the way of the Rack unit. I gave my Boss HM-2 pedal to my much younger step brother who was only mildly interested in playing guitar. Who knows what the heck he did with it but it's gone. I have many cool pedals these days but I would love to have that HM-2 back for just one day...

[@rubyviolet8]

The best thing about hm 2 is that it lets you use surf

[@ZepIV]

Alright, I've been watching Andy absolutely rock out on these Hagstrom Swedes for YEARS now, and I am definitely getting one soon. They're just the bomb. Also going to actually play an HM-2. It's been 14 years of playing I guess I should try one of the guitar memes lol

[@bharmon1980]

I just bought the new version of that pedal and I love it

[@TheoAndHisPedals]

Can't wait to give the HM-2w a go on bass, I bet its going to kill!

[@pwman]

I was kinda hoping Andy would paint his nails black and throw on some leather and spikes. Lolol. Great review and playing as always Andy!!

[@denverrandy7143]

I don't use a pick either.when ppl ask me about it I tell them using a pick feels like holding a pencil up by the eraser and trying to write.just uncomfortable.to each their own....that was awesome when he stacked them.Andy Rocks!!!🤘😜👍

[@xerodelacroix5552]

Amazing, Wazacraft modded an HM-2 into a DOD Death Metal.

[@ladisvalmakal9536]

I love both swedish death metal AND My Bloody Valentine - just until now I had no clue about MBV using the HM-2. Gotta go back to my old CDs from the 90s.... Thank you, Andy! :)

[@laurencemiltonbell6951]

Looks like you found out the same thing I did when I compared these pedals, the new Waza version is louder than the old one. Noticed you had the old HM-2 level maxed and the HM-2w level backed off a bit. Gotta say that my old HM-2 has been on the shelf since the late 80's when I was in High School and the new Waza will probably join it and just come out to play from time to time as I'm more into the blues in my old age but I just had to get the Waza for sentimental reasons. I do like the custom mode though as it thickens it out quite a bit.

[@giostroppa]

- ...Thanks for watching. Let's stack both of them - o p e n i n g t h e g a t e s o f h e l l

[@entropybentwhistle]

Andy-man, for a proper demo of this pedal you had to wheel out your Cookie Monster vocals skills over the playing! ;)

[@esteban_666]

"Both of them" Sounds like shit, love it ♡

[@thechronicnoizeco.6675]

The review i’ve been waiting for…

[@syazwan_ruslaine]

Is there a good setting to make the chugging tight? Coz I could not get that sound unless I boost it with a ts9. It’s sounds flubby and not good for chugging riffs at all.

[@jacobhenderson6332]

Your Jazzmaster is gorgeous.

[@JeffIndigo]

That riff @4:30 is amazing!

[@TheChadPad]

Now for them to reissue the FZ-2!!

[@sprayscience]

If anybody is interested. I can build clones of these with a Mid control. Sounds wicked with a mid scoop, and gives it more tricks than the original.

[@jahlijahman]

how would i inquire one of these?

[@ruination775]

How can I get one of these?

[@kevinbirge2130]

Still the nastiest, gnarliest, most unique distortion circuit I ever heard. Nothing sounded like this when it came out.

[@DiminishingAugmentation]

I wish we got to hear some down-tuned death metal riffs.

[@thebreakfastmenu]

All the original ones have gone up so much. I remember when they were 80 bucks all day. Maybe that says more about my age, but I feel like it wasn't THAT long ago.

[@trentvalentine9]

The price of all used gear is going up so much, it's wild. Pedals that used to go for $25 go for $80 now and amps that used to be $500 are $900 now. It's a tragedy

[@thebreakfastmenu]

@@trentvalentine9 Yeah, and not to mention the price of guitars. Why is everyone listing their 90s MIM Fenders for 600+ now? I know inflation but jeez

[@Radiofred]

I got my MIJ July 84 HM2 for 30 quid on eBay in 2007. Those were the days.

[@denverrandy7143]

Chainsaw has never my thing to play...I love entombed.But man,pedal all the way up with the new channel switch was killer.🤘👍

[@nebstaism]

That stoned album was so good 🔥

[@chrisjohnson9300]

Custom mode aka High On Fire mode 🔥

[@GuillaumeVrac]

The difference is that the new one has a “Waza Craft” logo on it

[@isomatic]

The link on your Reverb homepage for this article is messed up. It is the admin link to your editor portal instead of the link for the user.

[@Reverb]

Thanks for saying something. It's all fixed now.

[@TomPark1986]

If you have an original, unless you are absolute die hard fan, the waza doesnt offer anything that different except for a mid cut/gain. Think of it as a very aggressive fuzz.

[@LucasLeCompteMusic]

I cant wait till people get their Waza HM2s in and list for them 1k on reverb since their really hard to get right now. Mines dont come in until also September

[@MrDream-zm1pw]

They're not supposed to ship out until August so it's not just you.

[@luispereztasso]

as a shoegazer this is a must have for me. Imagine blending it parallel with a russian muff. Damn.

[@i.r.theofficial]

Andy cut down the tree when he turned them both together 😂.

[@michiboss700]

Great sound!

[@ccfmafia3301]

But where's the FZ-2 Waza 😭😭😭

[@curragh4635]

this guy rules

[@purplecoloredrock]

What Jazzmaster is that? It looks hella good with that burst!

[@eljoel89]

Andy Martin with a HM-2? Finger picking never sounded so brutal.

[@DavidRoger78]

Ok maybe level and distortion pots are similar. The EQ instead is totally different. Waza version has too much more mids. The original one is scooped, and is more functional with a valve amp that brings out the missing mids to give that IYF character

[@jamescroy9464]

To me, at times, the waza seems brighter. Anybody else think so?

[@waynegardner873]

Only Tony Iommi and dogs could tell the difference in standard mode!

[@noahmichael6996]

XD XD buddy is rockin the black metal tremelo FINGER PICKING! Also digging the hagstrom. whats the toggle switch do? that was after market rite?

[@javiceres]

The clipping itself sounds a lot like a fuzz circuit to me... Actually reminds me of my FZ-2

[@MrTDembinski]

Ah memories of 1985….fun times…. No idea where mine I ended up after I “lent” it to a buddy…..more his speed but …

[@lebrassedidier8258]

Haha i lent mine too many years ago and want it back now 😂

[@Tmidiman]

I love the HM-2, but this would like the mixing desk input is being blown out or the pedal is broken. Did they put a Tone Bender circuit in there instead?!

[@oliverjohn5566]

Entombed, Dismember, Grave, Unleashed

[@MrLintRoller]

"Lets stack both of them" POG

[@Swedishoutlaw]

Did you run it through the clean channel or the gain channel? Because that is a big difference for this pedal

[@afrizalyusranzale6809]

Signal chain? Boss HM 2 into the input or return ?

[@JulianA-tr6pt]

It's been spotted on Bilindas pedal arrangement in the late 80s I think (one photo exists), but I don't think the HM2 contributed to my bloody valentines sound much at all, as much as the forums want to believe. Of course, it's still cool for shoegaze and I might get one.

[@mikehemens9359]

I guess one of the members used it live, not Kevin the singer tho.

[@JulianA-tr6pt]

@@mikehemens9359 yeah, I mentioned it being in Bilindas pedal lineup. Around that time, she also used an 80s shredder guitar for a while. The band could've used just about anything - and kinda did. Kevin had more amps and volume than Bilinda too, furthering its unimportance to MBV.

[@mikehemens9359]

@@JulianA-tr6pt I get it now.

[@mikehemens9359]

@@JulianA-tr6pt do you play guitar? I was wondering why more rock people don't fuck with those shredder style guitars. (I don't really play)

[@JulianA-tr6pt]

@@mikehemens9359 yeah I do! Funny enough, I got into MBV and shoegaze type stuff when I only had a beginner Squier strat with a blocked off trem and an Ibanez S. I'd play lots of that stuff with the Ibanez, making use of the tremolo unit for the Kevin Shields glide guitar technique. Now I have a Fender Jaguar and Squier Jazzmaster which generally work way better due to the mild trem units and super bright circuitry and single coils. The super sensitive locking trem system is loads of fun though, dive bombing and all. They can be plenty versatile too, as long as the pickups aren't super high output. Shredder guitars original were, after all, upgraded stratocasters.

[@eDWICHt]

Haha, wouldn't have expected this one. Fantastic job at any rate. I love the second tone(s) of the direct comparison. What amp did you use here? Was it the Hamstead?

[@divebomb99]

Has a Dave Matthews timbre to it.