Analog Man Boss DS-1 Pro Mod

It's easy...

Schecter Strat or Tele w. Kinmans - Vox Wah w. true bypass - Analogman Bicomp - Analogman TS9/808 - Analogman DS1 - Visual Sound H2O - Tube Amp (Fender, Marshall, ATT (handmade German EL84 Amp)
I was dissappointed the first time at home and wasn't satisfied after the first rehearsal where I used it as a "solo" effect. I'm absolutely blown away now, after four months! I set it up like an overdriven amp (with my Fenders and ATT) and control it with the volume pot of my guitar. That works very well. Very warm and transparent distortion, very "Marshall" and useful when you play with a band.

Analogman and Boss - very reliable!

See my Bicomp review. Mike is a guy you can trust!

I like Analogman effects. They're made for guitarplayers who play in bands, not for bedroomplayers. I will order again, maybe the Sunface or, if he will build one, a Tremolo. Good effects, good value for the money!

Difficult to use because I cant get a good & non-buzzed sound out of it!

I am really shocked at these reviews. No offense but are they just listeners of hype~~? "Makes a Fender sound like a Marshall"?????? Please people - and Mike - The only Marshall this sounds like is one of those little battery operated plastic boxed ones you can buy for $30. This does not TOUCH a Marshall sound!

I'm REALLY suspect of some of these reviews - why would someone with a Les Paul and a Marshall actually waste their time (and tone!) and use one of these?

All negatives aside, its an o.k. sounding box but DON'T believe that stuff about "makes a Fender sound like a Marshall". That's just shameful marketing.

So what does it sound like~~~sounds like a cross between a Rat type effect with a bit more fuzz in the mix~~~ LOTS of highs - this thing will take your ears off if you're not careful so watch those tone controls boys and girls!!

It works best in smaller practice rigs. I tried it through a loud Fender Twin ('64 pre-CBS blackface) and let's just say I'm not into this sound at ALL. I bought this from a friend (some friend!) and quickly sold it afterward.

I'm sure we're good there.

No experience here. I hear good and bad things so I'll leave it with "no opinion" here...

I play rock, blues, and some classical. I feel I have a good ear as I've been playing live for over 15 years and have used a good deal of equipment. This is a good pedal to noodle with at home but so is a stock DS-1. Neither of them cut it when you turn up the volume - unless bright buzzy sounds are what your after then maybe it'll work for you. I give it a 6 overall. At least it has SOME use.

It's your basic distortion pedal, super easy to use.

I'm using this pedal with a 69 50 watt Marshall into a basketeave cab with 25 watters. Les paul, PRS and Strat guitars. This pedal just sounds GREAT. I like it much better than my Fulldrive 2. It is capable of a wider variety of sounds and has a nice warm tone. This is perfect for classic rock sounds or even some of the heavier metal. It's just so versatile. Noise is NOT a problem just what you would expect.It is very easy to get a sweet sound out of this pedal which is uncommon for lot of distortion pedals.

It's a Boss, never had a problem with them.

Very helpful and quick, just great service. The pedal does what they say it will do.

I have played for 20 years and have owned all kinds of pedals. From cheap to botique. I play every other weekend in clubs and have spent many hours in studios, this pedal just sounds great for so many things,from classic rock to metallica and everything in between. For the money NO WAY can you beat it. For all the folks out there who know tone, this is the real deal!!! I am shocked you can mod a pedal and improve it that much!!

Tone, Level (output), and Dist (for amount of distortion) controls -- pretty basic. Great range on the tone and level controls. Good manual from Boss and Mike's instructions are straightforward. Doesn't take long to dial in the sweetness.

90's American Strat w/Kinman Avn-56's and a Avn-59 in the bridge, into the Analogman-modded DS-1, into a '69 Super Reverb (with a fixed-bias circuit, as opposed to cathode- or self-bias circuit) w/what appear to be 4x10" CTS alnico speakers. Compared to other distortion/overdrive pedals (particularly the tube-based products) this pedal is very quiet --- some hi-end noise when cranked, but still within very tolerable levels. I bought it from Mike already modded, so my only A/B is with the Distortion channel on my Roland GP-8, a Maxon OD808, a Keeley-modded TS-9 (not "baked", just the standard southern-fried mod), and a Budda Phatman. It has more gain/distortion than the Keeley TS-9 and the Maxon OD808, but is slightly noisier at hi (3 o'clock+) distortion/drive settings, but nowhere near as noisy as the Phatman. Doesn't quite produce the "stack-like" bloom of the Phatman, but definitely has a nice throb to the overdrive/distortion -- much more musical than the GP-8 Distortion module and the Maxon OD808. Does a fairly nice overdrive and clean boost, but doesn't play as well with my Keeley compressor (an awesome piece!) as the Keeley TS-9 does, so I keep the Keeley TS-9 (a fantastic pedal for overdrive tones) in my chain as well. The Analogman DS-1 Pro Mod shines in two areas for me --- the arena rock tone (just add a little reverb and delay to taste) is definitely in there and is certainly professional sounding; but where I really love it is for slide guitar. With the tone rolled off a little towards the bass end of the dial, level slightly higher than my straight clean tone, and Dist set at 2-3 o'clock, hint of reverb (output thru the amp's normal channel w/tone controls set to taste), and neck pick-up with a glass slide I was getting jaw-dropping blues-rock slide tone! I'd give it 10 just for that, and a 9 for the arena-rock sound. Overall a 9+.

I've only had it 3 months, but it's a BOSS --- my past and current experience with BOSS product in this regard is nothing but positive.

Very easy to deal with -- cordial, professional, responsive, fair - about all you can expect from a premium e-tailer.

I love this thing for slide guitar -- when my band first heard it, they went into awesome admiration mode. I've been playing seriously for about 20 years --- many different styles over the years, although I wouldn't (nor would anyone else for that matter) consider me an expert in any of them. I'm not a big gear acquisition guy, but I definitely believe in having the right tools for the job. This pedal is a very professional sounding, fairly versatile piece of equipment. The only thing I wished it did better was produce the sweet tones at lower volume levels -- for slide, it was fine; but, for the other types of music it sounded better the louder you played.

the knobs are much different that before, much more usable, not as britle or metallic sounding tone knob. BIG IMPROVEMENT!

sounds pretty freakin bomb! I use a Hot Rod Deville 4X10 and it really gives it a strong punch. Its almost like having another amp with high gain, I guess you can say it lends my Fender a bit of Marshall. I am very happy. The pedal is much nicer sounding now, before i couldn't even put it on my board but now it goes right after my Fulltone FDII. Its pretty sweet, i have three gain channels now. Sounds much better with my fat strat than with single pups

I play an american strats, one fat.

yup Boss stuff does last, and with the magic touch of Analog Mike its probably a sure thing

Seriously, you will not find a better guy to deal with. This guy answers my e-mails in the same day. One time I had to call down there (just to talk to them about a product) and i got to speak with Mike. This guy is the real deal, very genuine.

a 9.5 really

Extremely easy, the thing is either on or off, I can only get one sound that I like out of it, but it's a great sound.

I play an old Silvertone into a Fender 69 Twin Reissue. Before the modification, the DS-1 was extremely harsh so I had to have both the tone and distortion rolled way back to avoid it sounding like an icepick in the ear. The problem was, with everything rolled back, it wasn't harsh anymore but it was wimpy because the distortion was too low.

The mod fixed the problem beautifully, now I still roll the tone back as it's still a very bright pedal; however, I can crank the distortion up without the harshness I had before. It's just a lot warmer. It won't quite make your fender into a Marshall, but it will improve quite a bit on your crappy Taiwanese DS-1.

Just got it back so not quite sure. However, Boss pedals tend to be reliable.

Mike is very responsive to emails

I use it for Rock. If it were lost, I'd buy another.

AS ststed earlier, 3 knobs- couldn't be easier.

I'm a Fender vintage strat and vintage amp player. The pedal is surprisingly quiet- even on the highest gain setting, which I prefer. This pedal really does transform a classic Fender tone into a quality high gain mode, with even a similar attack to an older Marshall. For best results, I use the bridge pickup, and for an additional chill, I'll sometimes boost it a little with a Klon Centaur set clean. Just a great addition to my TS-9/808's, Octavia, and Vox Wah.

I have no reason to believe it is anything but dependable- it has been very consistent. If this pedal becomes a staple in my playing style, I'll purchase a spare, which I do for all my favorite gear.

All of my dealings with Mike have been excellent, and I have referred him to many friends.

I play blues/ rock/ alternative. Been playing for 37 years and am a gearhead to the bone. I would replace the pedal if it were lost or stolen. It seems this pedal is most compatible for single coil players using the bridge pickup ,and playing through a clean Fender sounding amp. Other gear combinations I tried, seemed less usable.

Couldn't get any easier

This is absolutely the best distortion pedal I have ever used. Over the years I have owned multuple effects ranging from high end rack mounts to The "Big Muff" LOL. This pedal gave my HR De Ville a new voice. It very much sounds like a Marshall when this pedal is kicked in. It even has that punchy crunch that you can only get with a cranked tube amp. Imagine having the clean warm tone of a fender/and the crunch of a Marshall in the same amp. Boss DS-1 pedal has been a standard found on pedal boards for years. This mod takes it from good to great.

Its a Boss. These things are mini tanks

Analog.man IS very quick to respond to any question or concern. I have written multiple Emails with questions that have been answered the next day. I have three pedals that I have bought from them now. I received each one within 5 days of ordering it. Does Musiciansfriend do that?

If your a Fender (Tube Amp) Player looking for that Illusive OD/dist
of a Marshall (and don't want to buy one)... This pedal is one to try. I would give it a 10+ !!!!!!

Extremely easy, just like a distortion pedal should be.

AWESOME. Mike claims that it will make your Fender sound like a Marshall. Just like the previous person stated, Mike wasn't kidding. I was really considering selling my Fender and getting a Marshall again, now I don't have to. I bought it to use as an alternative to my TS 808 and my Fulltone Fulldrive 2. It's sounds so good on the low gain settings that I'm using the Fulldrive much less. You can get great high gain sounds as well as some great crunch tones. It really responds well to your pick attack and cleans up nicely when you roll your guitars volume back. I usually don't like what happens to most distortion pedals when you roll the volume back, but Mikes DS-1 keeps its clarity and sounds great.

Boss pedals are very reliable anyway, I have all the faith in the world in Mikes mods. I have a bunch of his pedals and they've held up great.

Mike is one of the best people that I've ever dealt with. He's honest and he cares about his customers and stands behind his products. I've even received email from him on Sundays!

I've been playing guitar for 23 years and I spend alot of money on equipment to get my sound. For $95.00 you're not gonna find a distortion pedal anywhere that will compare to this. I have an Electro Harmonix Hot Tubes and a Fulltone Distortion Pro, as well as a TS808 and a Fulldrive 2. Mikes DS-1 slaughters the Hot Tubes, is as good or better than the Distortion Pro and handles milder overdrive sounds almost as good as the 808 and Fulldrive. Remember though, the DS-1 is a distortion pedal, not an overdrive. If you want an overdrive, get Mikes 808 mod. There is definitely room on my pedalboard for both. Especially now that the Hot Tubes is up for sale.

ultra- easy, there is nothing to it. Volume, tone and level controls.

Incredible- Mike said "it will make your Fender sound like a Marshall" and he wasn't kidding....this is the DS-1 mod PLUS a special chip on the inside, it is ultra smooth distortion, very high end sounding...I can't believe that this is a solid state pedal!

BOSS modded by AnalogMan, this should get an 11 if at all possible!

I have e-mailed Mike maybe 60 times in the past two years yet only bought 2 pedals off him...if that isn't a display of sincere interest and customer service then I don't know what is...prompt, reliable service on delivery. Top of the pile.

Great stuff. If you have ever wanted to get great distorted tones but didn't dig the crap sound of a Marshall clean channel now you can buy a great Fender or a Class A amp and then step on this pedal for the roar!