The Boss Japanese Era Part 1

Boss have gone through several design phases in the last 45+ years. Some of these Japanese made Boss pedals have achieved legendary status over the years and some have come very desirable. In this video I document each of the Boss compact pedals that came out between 1977 and 1982.
The retrospective era is 2014 - today. My bad!
Disclaimer: The opinions in this video are my own, I was not in any contact with Boss, nor did they contribute to this video in any way.
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0:00 intro
0:52 early products
1:41 1977 OD-1, SP-1, PH-1
4:58 1978 GE-6, CS-1, TW-1, DS-1
7:29 1979 CE-2, SG-1, NF-1
9:47 1980 PH-1r BF-2
12:00 1981 CS-1, GE-7, SD-1 DM-2
15:13 1982 VB-2, OC-2, CE-3, PSM-5
20:27 My thoughts

[@wacama67]

Another great Boss video Jason. Thank you very much. I hope you enjoy making them as much as we like watching them. Best wishes.

[@hisproperty1438]

G'day Jason, Thanks for a great video. I'm hangin' out for the Japanese Era Pt II video. Keep up the good work Andrew

[@JasonAyalaSpare]

I'll probably do it in the next 2 months, I have some other projects in the pipeline.

[@ac30lifestyle]

Great education on the boss era

[@sixbladeknife44]

I have quite a few Boss silver screw pedals, even a few doubles and triples (like the CE-2 which has long been my favorite chorus…I even have an oddball one with numbers 1-10 printed from the factory around the depth and rate knobs, I was told it was possibly a prototype or a NAMM show type display piece or even a special order). The one I regret letting go of is the 14 pin chip OD-1 I had years ago…I’m not even a tubescreamer guy, but that was the best sounding TS type I’ve ever heard. Nice and full sounding and didn’t have a bass drop like most. Nice work on this episode, good stuff.

[@LewWelchThePoet]

🤘👍🏿 Looking forward to Part 2.

[@ericwarrington6650]

Wow bro..the most comprehensive breakdown of boss I've ever seen.. amazing amount of research and work compiled is very impressive.. awesome man..

[@evilwahwah]

Great history lesson, really enjoyed this and can’t wait for the next parts covering the other eras in Boss history. Thanks for making this, keep up the great work!

[@lizard1230]

always love a new boss video :)

[@bernomatic3788]

Fantastic video - thanks so much! Looking forward to this series

[@jasonm3602]

I have one word to describe this video, Jason - f@#*ng awesome!! Great video, mate. 🎸🎸👏👏

[@chiptriplett655]

Great video man! Huge BOSS fan. Over the years I've had most of these at one time or another. Even that power supply. They have always made a great product. Even the "hated" ones that I'm not sure are even hated at all. Thanks for the knowledge!

[@JoeBat95]

YES!!!

[@michaelfowler3187]

I'm a third of the way in and already had the thought a few times now that I should just comment about the quality of the playing, the choice of riffs or notes.. the recording and the blend of information and ear candy, Jason you continue to make amazing videos. I'll probably have more thoughts to share by the end of the video, but nice job

[@JasonAyalaSpare]

Thanks for saying so, I've actively been trying to improve my content.

[@ktuluboy]

Great video!

[@kierenmoore3236]

11:08 EHX Electric Mistress came out 4 years prior to the BF-2. It had both 18v (1976-1980) and 9v (1981) versions. I still have one of each. It is a brighter flavour of flanger than the BF-2, which I also love. For EHX, think Walking On The Moon; for BF-2, think the bridge of Are You Gonna Go My Way? The Japanese Era of Boss was awesome. The pastel-coloured PH-1R, CE-2 and BF-2 pedals are probably my favourites from this very early era?! CS-2, DM-2, SG-1, VB-2, & OC-2 Octaver are all right up there, too, though. Will have to wait for your Part 2, for the very first Boss pedal I owned to pop up … Can’t remember whether any of my OD-1s have a momentary LED … I definitely have a CS-1 with momentary LED, though. I notice your TW-1 has a momentary LED … I suppose there’s a list of all the Momentary LED variants, somewhere …

[@JasonAyalaSpare]

Thanks for info 🎸

[@charlesrubitschung7592]

I'm waiting for part 2 because my favorite Distortion pedal from Boss came out in 1987 and that's the Boss DS-2 Turbo Distortion which has 3 controls and a mode selector knob and mode 1 is standard Distortion, mode 2 is this very fuzzy Distortion and the DS-2 also has a Remote jack next to the input jack so it's a cut above the DS-1 in terms of its layout but it also just sounds good in both modes

[@JasonAyalaSpare]

I have all of the Japanese pedals, I will be doing part 2 in a couple of months. I will also be doing a separate video on the DS pedals

[@matt-peterfry4286]

This is a really great video!!

[@JasonAyalaSpare]

The most expensive video I've ever made.

[@cadeahistoria5130]

Part 2, please !!!!

[@JasonAyalaSpare]

@@cadeahistoria5130 in a couple of months

[@eoinjennings519]

Ce2 is magic

[@STRATMAN1969]

I bought a DS-1 for $38 to hang on the wall, cuz I don't really play them but you got to have one. I ended up letting my buddy use it cuz he's a huge Nirvana fan. I ended up getting a HM-2 just to have cuz it was the first pedal I ever had as a teen. Did some research, and got a MIJ '86. Then thought let's get another DS-1 found a 2002 Taiwan for $55. So then I think I should try and date the one I "loaned" my guy. I turn it over, and see MIJ . So now my buddy has a 2002 that he can use /w 9v power supply, and my 1981 is back where it belongs.

[@eoinjennings519]

Slow Gear is great for those Blackmore solos if you haven’t got a strat or can’t do the finger wrap thing !

[@nostro1001]

It's interesting that it took Boss so much longer to release their Trem mid '90's? I guess we'll hear about it in the next episode. 😎👍

[@JasonAyalaSpare]

you will, the PN-2

[@simonkaye7268]

Excellent work again Jason! Your holiday assignment gets an A+ from me. Yes, l agree. This boss era was the best and changed and influenced the music of this wonderful time....I know l was there. CE - 2 (long dash) is my fave still today. Now, shouldn't you be working on lesson plans for next term ? Or are you going to wing the first couple of weeks like me? Haha

[@JasonAyalaSpare]

That's how I roll, I make it up between the staffroom and the classroom 😃

[@nostro1001]

​@@JasonAyalaSpare Here I thought you were a music teacher (at a school) , so little need to create lesson plans, nobody checks what the music teacher is up to! 🙄 Now if I've been wrong all this time, first week back pre task, pre task, pre task & to round it out...writing on demand! Great video. Thanks Jason!

[@JasonAyalaSpare]

@nostro1001 This video was a bit like my classes; improvised. I press record on the camera and just start talking.

[@nostro1001]

I have a first year praccy starting day one Term 2. I got an email one of the last days of Term introducing herself, lamenting she wasn't able to come in and meet up with me etc prior to commencement. I replied immediately. Since then not another word. I'm hoping as a first year she doesn't follow your lead - improvised. 🤣

[@coldacre]

great channel mate! just subbed up and having a bit of a binge. really well put together, good sound, good editing. the mic really suits your voice (is it a Rode?). keep up the great work - cheers from James down here in Melbourne.

[@JasonAyalaSpare]

Hey James, yes it's a RODE NT1000

[@coldacre]

@@JasonAyalaSpare quality

[@jasonlee8497]

I was a young guitar playing teenager in the early 80s. Boss was a big deal. Still is for me. I remember when their first tuner was released. Not the pedal version, it had a real vu meter. There’s always one or two Boss pedals on my board.

[@JasonAyalaSpare]

I have one of those old tuners 😉

[@francisco.amorim]

Great video! Didn't know the noise gate was a slow gear with an inverted signal chain. I own a Behringer Slow Motion unit, don't know how it compares with Slow Gear.

[@JasonAyalaSpare]

I might have to do a cheap vs expensive video 🤔

[@barrysnook6262]

Great video Jason Where's part two?

[@JasonAyalaSpare]

Coming in September

[@barrysnook6262]

@@JasonAyalaSpare im excited Jason I love boss pedals.

[@michaelfowler3187]

Check out the loop gate by zvex I feel like it's an ultimate combination of the slow gear and the noise gate. I can't remember if it actually does a nice swell in if your attack but it certainly does that with its effects loop so I think you could theoretically make it a slow gear still, but by activating (clicking) the foot switch.

[@JasonAyalaSpare]

Cool, I've never seen the Zvex before, I'll have to check it out.

[@Paul_Lenard_Ewing]

The BOSS SD-1 is literally a modified Tube Screamer. Brian Wampler does a video that he does in real time where he converts the SD-1 back to the ts. Basically it is a matter of diodes that change the tone from ts symmetrical distortion to the Boss asymmetrical distortion.

[@JasonAyalaSpare]

Or is the TS a modified OD-1? I suspect they might have been copying each other.

[@Paul_Lenard_Ewing]

@@JasonAyalaSpare No Maxon came up with a very elegant circuit. So good that just by changing diodes other makers have sold so many pedals that many guys have 3 ts on their boards and think they have 3 completely original designs as the makers simply named the different. In fact once I once hated the ts and found out years later I got conned and owned 2. The ts was made to compete with the BOSS OD1. It was ready to make when they found out Boss had a patent on asymmetrical distortion. So Maxon were forced to redesign it with symmetrical distortion. Maxon had no patents etc on the ts and the basic design as I mentioned was both elegant and cheap to make so they ..borrowed it., LOL a sort steal from me and I will steal back, LOL, LOL

[@ivorytelecaster]

First pedal I ever bought was the slow gear. I still kick myself for ever getting rid of it.

[@JasonAyalaSpare]

I hear you 🙁

[@eoinjennings519]

BF2 WAZA needed

[@xBelastianx]

How cool would that be. A Boss BF-2W - Standard Mode is BF-2, Custom Mode is HF-2

[@JasonAyalaSpare]

🤔

[@JasonAyalaSpare]

@xBelastianx the BF-3 has HF-2 mode, it's not as good as an actual HF-2.

[@kierenmoore3236]

⁠@@JasonAyalaSpare Do you have an og HF-2?

[@hodrix]

Are the "Retrospective Era" dates correct?...

[@JasonAyalaSpare]

no, 2014 - today

[@johanneshej4940]

Why is the Digital Era and the Retrospective Era the exact same years (2000-2013)?? Makes no sense. The Retrospective Era should be 2014-today if it’s following the Digital Era. Mistake or do you have an explanation for the extreme overlap?

[@JasonAyalaSpare]

Do'h! As you say, the retrospective era is 2014- today. It started with the release of the Waza Craft pedals.