Analog Man Boss DS-1 Pro Mod

Tone, Level and Distortion knobs, can't get any easier than that. With the Analogman Pro Mod there is significantly more range of useful distortion available than stock.

My primary setup: US Strats, Tele, LP into Vox CM Wah, Fulldrive 2, A/M Mod DS-1, FT Fat Boost into Fender DRRI amp.

Mike's mod turns a typical inexpensive fizzy production distortion pedal into one with a very authentic overdriven tube amp-like crunch. Great bottom end added, killer crunch, very balanced and VERY toneful! Super responsive to pick attack and volume roll-off. Best $70 spent especially compared to boutique pedal prices!

I expect it will be reliable a long time. Sturdy Boss pedal and quality work inside.

Got my pedal back from AnalogMan 4 days after sending it! Mike has been very responsive to questions too. Judging by his reputation I don't expect any problems.

I play blues, classic rock, etc. Been playing 20+ yrs. No gigging anymore just play for pleasure. Many guitars, amps & effects over the years. If this were lost I'd definitely get another...may anyway. Can't beat the price compared to other boutique distortions and it does exactly what I want.

Three knobs - they each turn. Doesn't get much easier than that. However, before the modification, each knob really just changed the noise this pedal made. Since the modification, each knob now actually affects the sound - it's now musical.

To echo other reviews, the stock pedal was VERY buzzy. After the mod, this pedal is very natural and organic. Where before the knobs just changed the level of static, now the knobs actually affect tone. You can go from a lower gain sound with the gain all the way down to all out chaos with it dimed. This pedal can get quite thin. You need to be aware of the relationship between the tone and gain settings. Higher gain, lower tone, and visa versa. This is "seasoned to taste" to each individual's ear, and nothing created by the modification, but something to be aware of all the same.

The big thing here is that this modification takes a pedal that I personally thought to be unusable and makes it vital part of a high gain sound. It is good as both a stand alone distortion stomp box and to drive a gain channel. I have it right before a modified Boss SD-1 (see other post) and with them both on the tone is tight, crisp and very musical!

I give this a 9 - not as a one off knock to AnalogMan (because this mod is a miracle) but because I don't think this pedal is the end all in search of gain tone. However, it's a great pedal!!!

It's built like a tank.

Mike is AWESOME to work with!

I sent my DS-1 to AnalogMan with $70 in the battery compartment. What I got back was a box full of tone! This pedal can do quite a bit in terms of covering sound. Turn the gain all the way down and you get a nice rhythm sound - roll it up and you have all the gain you could want. It took me a bit to get comfortable with this and find the settings I wanted, but once I found them I'd be very sad without it!!!

Drive, Tone, and level. Couldn't be simpler.

Too many guitars to mention. My main guitars are a Texas Special Fat Strat, MIJ '66 Strat w/ vintage noiseless, PRS Custom 22 and a Les Paul. I use a Fender Hot Rod Deville 4x10 through a Marshall 1960AV 4x12 with Vintage 30s. I use the green (drive) channel with the gain at 4 for a fairly clean sound. The DS1/Pro works great with this setup. I bought a stock DS1 not long ago and it was so bad I gave it away. It was just nasally and thin. The Pro mod is incredibly full sounding. A lot of bottom end and the mid peak seems to have been moved to a lower frequency to remove some of that nastiness. You still have to be careful with the tone and keep it under 12 o clock to avoid a buzzsaw sound, unless thats your thing.

I haven't had it long enough to tell how reliable it is but Boss pedals have a good reputation. I fon't believe I'd need a backup.

I sent Mike an email complimenting him on the pedal and got a quick response. I haven't needed their customer support yet but thay have a great reputation for quick response.

I've benn playing for 20 years. My band plays mostly classic and contemporary rock and blues. I first run into a 535Q Cry Baby then I use several overdrives in my board. Maxxon OD808, Ibanez TS9 reissue (going to be paying Mike a vist soon), Boss SD-1 ( which is going to be taken out for now with the addition of the DS1), and a Russian Big Muff. I have a Boss MT2 as well but its got the same problem as the stock DS1. I need a heavier sound for some of the newer stuff we're doing so I'll be sending that one to Mike as well. I then run into a Line 6 MM4 Modulation modeler and a Danelectro Dan Echo. I know nothing is perfect but I can't find anything to complain about with the DS1/PRo.

It's a great distortion pedal, and if you enter in a great tube amp setted at high volume (like my Fender Deluxe Reverb Amp with Celestion V30, setted with volume at half), you can certantly get great sounds.
The DRIVE control can really be used at any level, also at minimum or maximum, and everytime you can get very expressive and organic type of saturations.
The TONE control gets perfect tones from minimum to 1 o' clock (from 1 o' clock to maximum is too treble for my taste).
The VOLUME control, has a normal range from minimum to half, than you can go far over the level you have with the pedal off.

The sound of the pedal varies depending on the amp you use and on how much the amp's tubes are working:

*with my Deluxe Reverb setted at half volume (or more) the pedal give the very best, the sound is really bloody, screaming, full and responds in an incredible manner to your touch (of fingers and plectrum on guitar, and of foot on wah), mantains really the sound of the pickups you setted on your guitar, very transparent also at high drive, and follows very well the different setting you do with volume and tone controls of your guitar. The pedal has a particular enfasis on bottom frequencies (bass and treble), it transforms my Fender amp in a sort of Marshall, but without that tipical british dryness, and with more "body fluids" (more vintage, like '70/'80 distortion sounds), can also match very well with a middle voice overdrive like a tube screamer (I have a Maxon OD9/silver, and I put the DS1/pro before, so when I switch on both the two pedals, I get a divine sound, a sort of super psychedelic tube screamer with more saturation and tone spaciousness, but when I want a real distortion, not an overdrive, I use the DS1/pro alone), another note about the sound is that the pedal, when on, is very less noisy that many other distortion pedals I've tried.

*But if you enter with the pedal in a solid state amp, or in my Deluxe Reverb at very low home volume level, is a little buzzy, but this is normal with ditortion pedals, and in this case all the distortion pedals I've tried were far more buzzy that the DS1/pro.

With my strato, my DS1/pro, my OD9/silver and my Deluxe Reverb, I can play what I want, and where I want, because I've got a unique omogeneous professional sound with a lot of expression shades.

Mike is a real friend of every guitarist of the world, write him a mail and he will answer you in one or two days solving all your matters. I live in Italy and recieved the pedal in a week, with a creazy cinnamon candy in the box (a red hot "Screamers"!).

I play any style, from rock to afro, passing through jazz, latin, and funk, and this pedal give me more freedom, because it's as live as my tube amp, so now it's like if I had another amp, or, that's better, one amp with more expression chances: it's a great thing for a lover of Fender amps' breathing sound, and hater of buzzing distortion pedals sound, like me.
If I really have to find a difect in this pedal it could be the tone and volume range (the tone at maximum is too treble, and the volume at maximum is too high) but we all know that it's not a real difect (noone forces you to set them at maximum), so, the conclusion is that: ...now, I can't stay without it!!

easy

sounds pretty good.

If we are measuring this category as an improvement over the ds-1, it's obviously an improvement. HOwever, i think that if u want a distortion pedal, and if you are willling to spend a hundred plus bucks on it..., get something like the tonebone classic or the fulltone OCD or maybe the lovepedal COT50. They are higher quality than this, and true bypass, and stuff.

THe sound has lots of harmonics and everything..., i wish there was more tone control with the tone knob, it'd be nice if it had a different sweep which could give u scooped or boosted mids for different rhythm work... I think it'd be very useful to have a little EQ pedal (Danelectro Fish and Chips would do just fine) to really fine tune it better, but then u have two potential tonesuckers in your chain.

as it is, it sounds really good if u just need distortion for leads, or if you already have a ds-1 and are happy enough with it but want to turn it into a comparitive superman.

yeah, it's great

they're pretty cool

Like i said, it's fine and it's a cheap upgrade, but you can defenitely do better than this. THere is a defenite difference between these modded pedals and boutique ones, i think there is just design flaws in the originals that cannot be bypassed.

UH, it's a distortion box...pretty self explanatory.

As usual, the analog-dude took a completely worthless buzz-saw, ice pick in ear distortion pedal and made it musical and useful. This pedal is much smoother and quieter than the stock pedal. It has a little less gain/distortion than stock but definitely enough to get the point accross. The pedal retains note definition even when distortion is maxed and adds a warm sustain yet not really 'compressed' sustain (I run the 'tone' knob at around 10 o'clock, 'level' is a little louder than unity and 'distortion' is cranked). With the change to a JRC chip the AnalogMan DS-1 is a little smoother than the Keeley seeing-eye mod DS-1 (that I also used to own) I went with the AnalogMan Pro Mod DS-1 pedal this time and it is 'as advertised' great pedal!

I have about a dozen AnalogMan pedals and all are working perfect....does clean work, no worries.

Great guy, answers any emails quickly (within a few days..).

If you are looking to dirty up a clean amp or really push a crunch/gain amp this pedal is smooth and musical, pretty cheap price-wise, and reliable! great bang for the buck.

This is really simple to use. Three knobs - distortion, tone and level...you plug it in, and turn it on and off. Idiot proof.

I submitted a prior review tfor the TS9DX turbo silver mod. That was my first experience with Analogman modifying a pedal. I was so pleased with the result of the TS9DX/Silver, that I sent him the DS1 for the Pro mod.
Let me say this, I've always hated the sound of the stock DS1. I always thought the Japanese version from years back was buzzy and annoying, and well...the Taiwan version is far worse. In fact, I think the stock DS1 pedal is useless junk. On a recent road trip, I found a ridiculously good deal on a new DS1, and having read the description of the pro mod on Mike's site (and user reviews), decided to buy it expressly for the purpose of having him modify it.
A bit of a risk knowing that I really didn't like the thing to begin with!
The results a majorly impressive. The sound is nothing like the buzzy sound of the original. The distortion is really smooth, and a nice contrast to the TS9DX silver. I really didn't think that this modification would sound this dramatic. If you like the characteristics of the original....and why anyone would, is beyond me...you may want to think twice about this. If youare into improving your sound with a toneful distortion device, then just do it! The pro mod removes the chewed up top end buzz sound of the stock unit. The tone control really smooths out the sound a great deal. The pedal now sounds terrific on both high gain and the lower gain settings. Nice round and full.
Calling the modified pedal a 'DS1' now really does a great disservice to Analogman's pro mod. This is a totally different unit. I'm really enjoying it!

Boss pedals seem to last for years and I've heard nothing but good things about Mike's work.
I'd definitely rely on it without a backup.

Mike has always been conscientious about replying to my email questions. Email are answered with 3-5 hours. He really seems to care about his work and customer satisfaction.
The best part about Analogman aside from the tone improvements is the fantastic turnaround.
I mailed this pedal last Monday. On Saturday, I received the DS1 modified pedal. I stuck it on my pedalboard, and used it over the weekend in rehearsal for a theatre gig that will last through the next four weeks. This kind of customer support is just great.

I've been play over 40 years. Many different styles and a variety of gear to cover these applications...archtops to solidbody Fenders, class A amps. I'd replace it if it were lost or stolen.
This is a tremendous...ridiculusly good improvement over the original. If you own a DS1, just send it Analogman for the transformation the pro mod will render. You will not be disappointed!

Same as unmodded, only now it sounds far better.

Guitars:
Hagstrom Swede (old PAF in neck, Duncan 59 bridge), Hamer USA Custom Shop (w/ Duncan Hot P90 neck, Custom P90 bridge), Homemade Franken Strat (original Hotrails), and an SG. I have more guitars, but these get used for rockster sounds with the DS1 pedals.

Amps:
68 Fender Dual Showman Reverb (modded to Blackface specs), 68 Fender Princeton Reverb (modded to Blackface specs), DBL Amplifiers JDR Custom 35 (35 watt all-tube Marshallesque head), DBL Amplifiers JDR Custom 60 (60 watt all-tube Hiwattesque head), Fender Tonemaster 2X12 Cab w/ Celestion Lead 80's (I love this thing! It beat out all other external cabs for years before i finally just sold all my others)

Analogman DS1 Pro vs. Keeley DS1 Ultra:

This is a head to head comparison of the Keeley DS1 Ultra Mod and the Analogman DS1 Pro Mod. I'm in several performing and recording bands, and I've always liked the timbre of the stock DS1 in that it's nasty, and it has a certain JCM 900/Soldano/early Mesa high end mushiness that's so satisfying when you want high gain sounds. Also Kurt Cobain used one... a lot. But the stock pedal has many drawbacks... It's noisy, as hell. It's output volume is lower than your clean guitar when you turn it off, even with the output maxed (where most of us leave it). The tone knob takes your sound from muted, fuzzy, fusion right to trashy squeak with almost no transition. And it tends to sound like crap (flat and small with not enough low end or mids) next to a good dirty amp or a tube pre. Turning down your guitar's volume knob to clean up the sound is a bad move since it results in grainy, tinny crapped out sound. Most diehard users dial their amps to suit this pedal if they really can't live without it's particular sound.

Workmanship:
Looking inside each pedal is the first big clue. In short, although both seem to function properly, the Keeley looks like crap inside and the Analogman looks totally pro. Every new solder point in the Analogman pedal is a little BETTER than factory. The Analogman mod replaces tons of components AND THE ACTUAL OPAMP CHIP (strange that it sounds closer to the stock pedal in the ways you liked in the first place?), while the Keeley looks like a highschool tech worked on it as an experiment on his buddy's pedal. Some components are replaced, but the chip is not, and the LEDs that are added (and do look cool from the outside) are attached in a real pile of poorly done soldering.

Sounds:
Though the Keeley mod is less tidy, the pedal looks and sounds very good, though less like a DS1 pedal in most ways. I took this one out on tour (the Analogman hadn't arrived yet) and i got a ton of feedback from other guitar players around the country. They seriously came up to me after EVERY show to ask about it. The low end your DS1 lacked before is all there. The tone knob DOES SOMETHING NOW! But I found it much SLOWER than what I'm used to from a DS1. I guess the LEDs add some weight and sponginess, but also on fast stuff they tend to almost muddy the sound. They Keely is much more classic rock sounding than I had expected. This is all just about the Pro Mode (switch up) though, since I found the Ultra Circuit (switch down, another LED in play) way too fat in the ass and tubby for me. Also the Ultra Mode has a LOT LESS GAIN combined with FAR MORE OUTPUT LEVEL. Even closer, in my mind, to a classic rock sound.

Although it's NOT WHAT I HAD IN MIND, the Keeley Ultra pedal does sound very good. Just not that much like the Boss DS1. And it gets used, but not when i want to use a DS1.

The Analogman DS1 Pro pedal is a horse of a different color... ORANGE! It sounds better than you think a mod on a $20 (used) pedal could possibly sound. It sounds like a DS1, but much more muscular, musical, and PUNCHY. Both pedals really make the tone knob work much better (I can't say either tone knob is better in functionality, but the Keeley looks cooler) In my first band practice with it, the other guitarist stopped in the INTRO of th

We'll see. I have Boss pedals with over a thousand gigs on them, no worries. And Mike is a cool guy and I'm sure he'll back his work and good reputation.

Like I said, Mike is very serious about his work. That includes keeping me (and all his customers) happy.

I've played many kinds of music for more than 10 years now. For rock, metal, grunge, indie, and industrial, this pedal is really quite amazing sounding. If it were stolen, I'd get another one. I think it's probably the best dollar value in a distortion pedal. And I like it as well as pedals costing HUNDREDS MORE.

Very easy to use, at first you would think that there would be a instruction sheet for the pedal after the mod was performed, but if you really think about it, it functions identically as it did prior to the visit to the wizard'slabortory. Simple to use, just turn knobs to your liking.

This is where the payoff begins with this pedal. This pedal before was to me just a cheap well built distortion box of marginal tone. After this mod I cannot beleive the difference. Mr. Analogman must have some unique way of bending the laws of physics to get a truckload of mojo into each pedal. This thing is going to be kicking a $300 pedal off of my pedalboard. (Added benefit of not not worrying about some low life trying to steal my expensive pedal) In numerical values I know some people are hesitant to use 10's for fear of something better coming along, but I am rating this pedal in regards to the modification that Analogman did and that sir, deserves a 10! He turned a frog into a prince on this one. This really does add a whole new dimension to playing through a Fender amp, either my Blues Deville or the Deluxe Reverb.

Seems to be very well built to start with and it may be early on to fairly evaluate this pedal's modification for reliability. So for now I will give it a N/A.

This is the most impressed I have been with any company's customer service. I sent AnalogMan this DS-1 for the Pro modification and a Ibanez TS-9 Tube Screamer for the TS808 Silver modification on 8/9 and it had to ship cross country. I received both pedals back on 8/16 and there is a weekend in there. I have never experienced a turn around this fast. A role model for all businesses. Unfortunately the grading scale only goes to 10, this company deserves a 20!

Dramatic improvement, outstanding customer service, superb sound quality, very neat workmanship, fast shipping for me equates to this being probably the most satisfying equipment experiece. This has made me very interested in the rest of Analog Man's pedals and modifications.

Tone Volume Distortion Silent FET switching It's still a BOSS

I'd give it a ten but you never know if something else better will come along but I love this pedal! It had some high-end zing at first so I plugged a cable into the pedal and into an AC adapter for 72 hours to "cook" the caps and it mellowed out the zing and is quite warm now. I expect it to sound even better the longer I use it. This pedal has a nice refined crunch and singing lead tone. It has a nice warm sound with a very sweet top end. I use it on everything from Led Zeppelin and AC/DC to Nirvana and Ozzy/Sabbath and it handles them all equally well with a very authentic sound quality. I get excellent sustain/feedback and a natural warm sound with the Pro mod. The Pro sounds authentic like the guitars on the albums I listen to!

It works when I step on it!

Mike was cool with me!

I had an old Japanese DS-1 about 10 years ago that I liked and the Pro sounds closer to it than anything else I've used since but if I recall correctly the Japan version did not have as much sustain and warmth and harmonics as the Pro and I can actually use the tone control! And I hear better note definition on chords with the Pro mod! The Analogman DS-1 is now be my number one Distortion pedal. The Pro also sounds great when OFF too. The Pro also sounds great with drop D tuning. I think the Pro sounds more authentic than other mods out there because the Pro uses a NOS diode for symmetrical clipping and other mods use an LED for asymmetrical clipping and the bands I like have the symmetrical clipping tone on their albums. Also the Pro mod that I have has a JRC4558 IC chip swapped for the stock chip which accounts for the warmth IMO. Other mods keep the stock chip I believe. I really dig the sun logo on the Pro mod too.