Boss
Boss DS-1
Best distortion on the market – Joe Satriani. Steve Vai. EVH. Countless others. There's no disputing the king of distortion pedals. I've been playing guitar for 30 years now and… Read more
having worked in the industry for many of those I've tried everything I've been able to get my grubby mits on and you know what? I've ended up right here, where it all began because the DS-1 is smooth, it's fat, it's as dynamic as they come, it's got perfect range, it can be used as a sustainer, it's Angus Young in a box and it pushes an old Marshall over the edge. Of all the pedals I've played over the years, this, my friends is the holy grail. There are only so many ways you can make a distortion pedal and this is the first and the best. Think about it. You have an input, which basically passes through volume, tone and gain pots or 'variable resistor' there is a basic EQ the pedal is set to, and there is a gain section normally using diodes to clip which then sees the signal output to amplifier. No need for any other gain pedal (although being a guitar player I still have more than my fair share..) responds great through a nice amp, not nice through inexpensive junk or straight through PA. Your amplifier is paramount to any possibility of sounding good but that's a whole nother book entirely.
Love it
Absolute waste of $140 – I purchased a Boss TU-3 tuner in December 2019 and I can honestly say this would have to be the worst tuner I have ever owned. Every time I go to use… Read more
it the battery is dead. I never leave the lead plugged in and I would be lucky to use it twice and it's dead again. Rather than sell this junk to someone else I'll be sending it back to Boss and i'll buy another brand!
Boss SY-200
It does have some good sounds and claims to have 128 presets. It cost $550 It has no backup software. This is a big deal as all your adjustments can… Read more
be lost. It has two systems which don’t relate to each other effectively, presets and dial Many of the sounds are pedantically similar. Many sounds have different volume levels which is requiring constant adjustment during gigs. It is noisy, had to install a noise gate to put up with this. Comparing it to my zoom a1x four for half the price and it's software it is very poor value. I use 5 sounds from it and not very often. Bought because of online videos and tested it prior to purchase. The bad points of this pedal became more annoying over several months of use.
Boss CS300
Two-stroke alternative – I now have great difficulty starting my two-stroke chainsaws due to a painful condition in my right shoulder (bursitis) so I had to look for an… Read more
alternative and found it in the Boss 40volt battery chainsaw which I purchased through ebay (A$165 + postage). It has a 12inch bar and seems to be very sturdily made. I am surprised how well it cuts. The 2.5amp/hour battery gives me about half a ute load of wood and re-charges in 1 hour. I'm guessing the saw at full charge is equivalent in power to a 28-30cc two-stroke saw; just a guess. The saw comes with the battery, charger and instruction manual(s). I love the tool-less chain adjustment as well as the fact that I don't have to use two-stroke fuel nor put up with the fumes and noise. I was so impressed I purchased the Boss LM370 lawnmower which uses the same 40v battery. It does a fine job and gives me the flexibility of having two batteries when I'm using either tool. The tools are at the budget end of the spectrum and obviously haven't got the power of the larger two-stroke tools but so far they have done a sterling job. It's lovely not to have to put up with the noise, fumes and starting hassles of the other machines; just pull the trigger and you're away!
January 15th 2019 Update: Boss GT300 Lithium Ion Trimmer
Uses the same 40volt 2.5amp/hr battery as the Boss chainsaw and lawnmower. Lasted about 10-12 minutes and then just went dead. I checked the battery in my chainsaw and mower and it's fine. Returned the trimmer to the seller and he assured me a replacement would be posted to me. This has not happened yet. This was just prior to Christmas. Ebay and Paypal have not provided any assistance whatsoever.The seller appears to be a large company in Victoria with a 100 percent positive feedback. Here's hoping they're true to their word. Very disappointed.
Boss RC-30
This is a great product – There is now many loopers on the market. This one is great. As with all Boss pedals, this is made very robustly. Great housing and good rubber on the… Read more
base prevents slipping. Mounts well on pedal boards.
Some old negative reviews have focused on the short delay when a loop restarts. This was fixed a few years ago - can be fixed on all versions if the firmware is updated via a USB cable.
The loop effects are not great if you ask me, but you can always apply external effects.
Shop around if you want a new one, the prices vary enormously. I suggest you try to pick one up second hand if you're on a budget.
Boss Katana
Got one of these second hand with the GFC E foot switch. It is awesome goes loud enough to enjoy the neighbours and has enough effects to keep from practicing. Don't think I will need an upgrade anytime soon.
The ebay seller of the Boss GT300 trimmer has not sent a replacement as of 22/01/19. Pity. They… Read more (+2 replies)