Analog Man Boss BD-2 Super Mod

Simple. No secrets, no tricks - just set it to taste.

This is really a great pedal. I have had it for a couple, three years now and it stays on my board as amps, guitars and other pedals come and go. I have used it for everything from a low gain boost to a high gain lead tone. I like two drives and like to experiment. I set this one to compliment whatever the other flavor of the day is.

I use tube amps and think it is a high quality compliment. Guitarwise, I mostly play a Les Paul, but, I also regularly play a Tele and a PRS. I don't think this pedal is guitar or amp specific.

However, as with most overdrives, if you have a saturated signal AFTER this pedal in your chain - either another overdrive or a high gain drive channel on your amp, this pedal won't do much for you.

It is a Boss to begin with so it's solid. I have never had any problems with a Boss pedal.

Great overdrive pedal. I have been playing forever. I currently play in a regularly gigging band (kinda rock variety with some newer country thrown in), as well as a rockin' church praise band. This pedal is a great tool for both of those bands and is super at lower volume practices as well.

If you are considering one of these, get one. I'm keeping mine.

The Boss BD2 is very easy to use.Volume,tone and gain.There are no changes to the control system with this modification.Settings will vary with diffent amplifiers and guitars to get simular results so minmal tweeking is required.

Sound quality is much improved after this mod,the tone control is voiced with more midrange and bass response.The tone contol has a more useful range of tones after the modification.The gain tone is much more responsive in its mininal settings and the gain settings past the one o'clock setting go far beyond what the stock pedal can do!Reversing the gain to a minimum setting and the volume to a higher setting yeilds a good clean boost.This pedal worked consistantly well with my Mesa Boogie MKII,Peavey classic 30 and Tech 21 Sans Amp GT2.

Being a Boss pedal you are starting with a very well designed and well built pedal.What Mike does is repalce some of the electonics to improve the sond quality.I have yet to see any Boss pedal fall apart they can take lots of use and abuse before the show signs of damage.

Mike is fantastic at responding to emails and answeering questions about his products and his modifactions to other manufacturers pedals. He is always interested in your feedback.His website is very informative and detailed about his work.I was concerned about shipping and emailed Mike. Mike responed the next day with all shipping information and when the pedal mailed back to me!One other "pedal modifier" (no name given)I tried would'nt respond to emails or phone calls

I was pleasantly suprised at how much better and more useful my Blues Driver became after Mike worked on it.His combination of Boss Blues Driver BD2 and Ibanez 808 tube screamer mods are un beatable in the world of stomp boxes.I own "Perscription electronics","MXR",non modified "Boss" pedals,"Digitech"and "Tech 21" distotion pedals non of them come close to sound as good as these!I will be seding more of my pedals to Analogman in the future! Thanx Mike.

Most people say "3 knobs, how hard can it be?" Yes it is easy to operate, but the 3 knobs have a lot of interplay with your guitar knobs too. Guitars volume, tone, pedals gain, tone, and level, can be dialed around to find many different (beooooooutiful) sounds. Experiment with it!

WOW. Very transparent soft clipping pedal with LOTS of volume boost available. I am a lover of the strat single coil sound, and this pedal doesn't alter it at all (unlike a standard tube screamer, with sucks out the lows and boosts the mids). I use this pedal with an american strat and an all tube Traynor YCV-40. Analog Mike takes a nice stock Boss pedal with shrill top end and a useless tone knob, and turns it into a creamy overdrive with more gain than a tube screamer, huge volume boost, and a tone knob that works magic. I have been through many overdrive and distortion pedals: analogman sd-1/808, Boss DS-1, Boss Metal Zone, Rocktron Rampage, Proco Rat 2, EH English Muff'n, Route 66, Fuzz Face, and Z. Vex Fuzz Factory. This pedal is my all time favorite overdrive. As Mike states on the analogman webpage, this pedal squeals with all three knobs cranked.

Boss durability, and Analog Mike's excellent craftsmanship.

Mike often will fix things for free if you ship them to him. He also personally answers emails.

I use this pedal as a volume and/or gain boost to push the front end of my amp, and also as a stand alone low gain distortion effect. It has more volume boost than any other pedal I have tried (aside from Z. Vex which go for $300 a piece). If you want a creamy over drive that doesn't alter your guitars pure tone, the BD-2/super is the answer.

This pedal is very easy to understand and use, even without a manual.

Previously, I had a Blues Driver and got rid of it because I was not happy with the response and the tone. After receiving Analog Mike's modded pedal, I was ecstatic. It was like night and day and now every time I play out, people want to know how I get the sounds they hear. I love it!

I play out quite a bit and never have a backup for it. I think it will last into the next century due to Mike's augmentation.

I wouldn't dream of sending a pedal to the manufacturer when someone like AnalogMan is available to expeditiously repair just about anything.

I play Blues (traditional and hard rock), Hard Rock, Metal, Blue Grass, some Country, and acoustic Latin Jazz.

I use the Blues Driver (on different settings) in all of the electric music I play. It is the most dependable pedal I have ever had and I owe it all to Mike Piera.

If it were lost or stolen, I would immediately order another one from Mike.

This pedal complements every other pedal I play. In the beginning, I was disappointed with this pedal, but AnalogMan's version makes it all worthwhile.

Three knobs. Very easy, as a regular Boss pedal.

Well, I'll just say this mod is great. I think the BD-2 is a good pedal if you play alone in your bedroom, but if you try to play loud, it's getting really noisy. With Analogman's mod, the sound quality is really amazing. The tone knob is REALLY a tone knob. You're BD-2 is some kind of high quality Tube Screamer. You can use it almost as a clean boost, or as a distorsion, which sounds great too. I had the chance to compare Mike's BD-2 with a TS9 (Silver Mod) and a TS808 (True vintage Mod), and I'm not afraid to say that the BD-2 sounds much better than the TS-9, even with Mike's Mod.
I use an American Strat in a Hot Rod, the BD-2 to crunch my clean and the TS-9 Silver Mod as a booster? I can't figure out how I was doing before I had my BD-2 modded !
Don't expect to shred with this pedal, it's a Tube Screamer, but, once again, I never heard a better sounding TS-like pedal !

No pb.

Mike is a great guy. I sent him a lot of emails, I always had an answer within 10 hours !
I sent the pedal from Europe, I had it back a week later? AnalogMike is working fine and fast? Even better : two days before I sent the pedal, I had a look inside, and I managed to desolder a wire (don't ask me how I did that, no idea?)? Mike fixed that for free? Well, do you know anyone else like that ?

I play for 15 years (from blues to garage)? I was thinking of getting rid of my old boss pedals (and I did for some of them), AnalogMan made it the best pedal I have. 65$ for this is nothing compared to the way it will improve your sound.

Well it's pretty easy to use as it only has three knobs

I use a 1968 Marshall 50w plexi and a JTM45 clone voiced to suit me that I built myself. I run both these amps around 6-7 on the volume and my guitar vol around 6 for a clean tone with a strat, I turn up vol for a nicely driven tone and use the BD-2 for extra drive for solos or higher gain in general. Call me weird but I MUCH prefer this sound than any channel switching high gain preamp type setups I've used or heard. Simple amps like I use sound best to me and I get nice power amp compression and sustain which the BD-2 super adds to beautifully, it doesn't change the character of my sound like most pedals do!
Over the past couple of years I've spent a lot of money and time working to fine tune my sound and find a more of a signature of my own, in that process and along with 7 different amps I have bought the following OD pedals. Keeley BD-2, Keeley rat, Keeley ts-9, Keeley seeing eye mod DS-1, Fulltone FD-2, Fulltone Fat Boost, Fulltone OCD, Durham SexDrive, Lovepedal Cot50, and I've tried quite a few others I didn't buy. I also own a couple I bought back in the early 80's including an original TS808 and DS-1.
I've spent countless hours going back and forth between these pedals and different amps, speakers and cabs etc over the last two years and I always end up with the AnalogMan BD-2! I prefer it with the vol at 1-2 o'clock and the gain around 9 o'clock but it sounds great around these settings +-20% for me.
The Analog Man BD-2 is significantly better than the Keeley version and vastly better than the stock one for my taste! I have had this pedal over a year now, I recently emailed Mike to tell him how much I liked it and he said he sells heaps to Japan but not many in the US and other regions! What a shame!! This must be the best kept secret of OD pedals, maybe some can't get past the wank value of more expensive pedals? Oh well too bad for them!
I'm on the waiting list for Mike's KOT pedal and it's a long wait, I dream that it may surpass the BD-2 super, man, I really hope it does! but I won't be holding my breath and in the meantime this one will do very nicely thanks!
I suppose I should say this?? I am a journeyman/freelance guitar player and I've made my living this way for the past 27 years doing everything from high profile to bar gigs, TV, sessions, musical theatre(yech!!!) etc etc blah blah

I've had no issue at all with it and I'd depend on it and use it with no back up

Mike is VERY friendly and responsive! He even answers my boring questions about how long I have to go till my KOT is ready. 100%

I think I said it all above! It it were to be stolen along with all my other gear it would be one of the few things I'd replace, unquestionably the best OD pedal for my taste that I've personally heard! AND it's not even expensive!!!

As per stock Boss BD2 three knobs - Level, Tone and Gain easy peasey!

I use Gibson Les Paul with P90's into Morley Bad Horsie, Boss CH, Boss GE7 and BD2 all into Orange Custom Shop AD50 Head (EL34's 50 watt class A/B or standard switching on custom head is to class A 30 watts - my choice is class A 30Watt), Marshall 4x12 Celestion 70's re-issues G12H 30 watters. Have Orange set on light crunch, back guitar off to clean up, GE7 for cleanish boost/solos, BD2 for sustain solos etc. Stock Boss BD2 is very transparent ie lets true guitar/amp sound prevail. I like this pedal as does not add loads of mids, compression, processing etc. However stock BD is a tad too gritty, fizzy, noisey on top end and Tone control even fully off position does not quite deal with top grit/fizz but is best of the rest for me. Analogman mod is 120% plus - same transparency, same great bottom end (with valve amp), but loads smoother, warmer and the Tone control now works on them there top frequencies where it is needed! Also lot quiter than stock. I tried both the stock and Analogman BD through my Daughters cheap 10 watt practice amp for fun - result Stock BD even with tone fully off sounded buzzier than a buzzy thing in a tin can. Analogman BD2/Supper sounded great - smooth, warm and again the tone swatted the buzzy thing and the buzzy thing in the basic amp sound - fantastic! Played for about two hours and seemed like two minutes - need I say more! #30 practice amp or #1300 valve head you can really hear the difference here!

Analogman seems to have his own reputation for relability so going off that - however bottom line - It's still basically a Boss pedal with pedigree, plus new components are of better spec and quality (why it sounds so good) result improvement on the most reliable pedals on the planet - Glamtastic mate! No back up or safety net required here - me thinks!

E mails answered same day, help was 100%. Ordered, paid by Paypal, pedal in my hand four days later - ie USA to UK four days - superb! Would have cost me $60 return to send my existing BD2 + $45 to mod (total $105), but as my existing is well used (sockets, switch etc to think about) went for new and mod at $175 delivered to UK - thats approx #95 - cost me #65 in UK for stock BD! Brill value! E mailed post getting pedal and again answered same day and took time to chat over the wire - this guy cares!!!

I have been gigging live semi-pro for 25 years (in excess 1500 gigs)I currently play 70's rock covers and mainly do a Glam Rock Tribute, I have spent many years and #'s on chasing the rainbow - found mine in the Orange Custom AD50 but sustain/screamimg solo sound stock BD2 - just fell short of perfection. (tried everything else on the planet, screamers, rats, O/D's, distortions, boosts etc etc etc - most colour the sound etc) Analogman BD2/Super has delivered and much to my families relief think I can at last stop spending the #'s, settle down and enjoy. Remember this is my end to the rainbow, I have searched for a OD boost/sustain pedal that does not colour the guitar/amp sound and is smooth, warm etc BD2/Super delivers. Best of the rest before I discovered Analogman is for me the Boss BD2 stock - if you love the stock Boss BD2 but is too gritty, fizzy etc - BD2/Super is 100% recommended!!!!!!

I use a Fender American Deluxe V-neck Strat through a Fender '65 Deluxe Reverb Re-issue.

Hard to answer about reliability becaus I just got it back from Analogman.

I'm a blues player who's been searching for a blues driver pedal with some TONE. Analogman's modification to my merely acceptable Boss BD-2 is nothing short of FANTASTIC.
I sent him my BD-2 and had it back in just about a week.
His mod makes this the perfect pedal for me.
It's rough yet smooth, sweet sounding and harsh all across the board. It is awesome. This pedal has TONE and is the only pedal that sounds good with my Am. Deluxe Strat....and I've tried every pedal that my local store had to offer.

Three knobs. Piece of cake. Tone control is way more useful after the mod.

I use an Amer. Std. Tele and an older PRS Std. with a Blackface Deluxe, Reverend Hellhound and Peavey Classic 30. (Can't vouch for it with a solid-state amp. Never touch the stuff.)

In a perfect world, I'd prefer a cranked tube amp of the appropriate size or a channel-switching amp, but of course the world is not perfect. The BD-2 Super (the BD-2 as modified by Analog Man) is the next best thing. It has the best low end I've heard from a pedal and doesn't sound like a fuzz box. The high end is natural. You can run it all the time if you want and work the volume from the guitar and get very nice results.

I should stress that I use it with tube amps that are already working a bit. I don't depend on pedals for grit with high-wattage amps in low-volume situations, so I can't comment on that kind of application.

Never had a problem with a Boss pedal.

Analog Man is great. He (Analog Mike) will return an email in a day or less and is really helpful. Can't beat that. Lots of cool stuff on his web site.

If you want a little more natural-sounding edge to your usual thing, or if you're looking for that something to get you through rehearsals, etc. where you don't have your own rig, this is it.

With the analogman mod it is very usable and the tone knob doesn't have to be all the way down to avoid the shrill tones that the stock model can produce.

I use an american strat - vox wah (fulltone pot/truebypass, fulltone dist. pro, boss bd-2 (analogman mod), ts9/808 (analogman silver mod), ernie ball volume pedal, electro harmonix memory man deluxe, into a fender hot rod deluxe with upgraded Jensen speaker and EH tubes. I use it as a boost to my analogman TS9/808 and it works like a charm for that. I can play more rythym or softer riffs with the ts9 and then kick in the bd-2 behind it for more of a ballsy sustained tone which works great for leads that cut through and also riffs that I really want to stand out and cut through the mix. Very transparent effect, can clean up great and get a nice drive as well but I usually run it with the drive about half way up and the tone in the middle, most of the drive I get comes from the tubescreamer which I keep mostly around 90-100% on the drive setting.

Boss makes great stuff that lasts a long time and is built really well. No need for a backup unless you are psycho with your gear and thrash it (but then again if you are playing that type of music then you probably wouldn't be using this pedal so no need to worry)

Analog Mike is the best in sales and customer relations. I can email him and know that he will respond with 24 hrs and he is a really great guy! Thanks Mike!

Yeah I would get it again. I am looking into the Boss DS-1 with the upgrade from analogman to give me more of a modern rock distortion sound, so that should go great with the BD-2.