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Boss DC-2

Summary
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Manufacturer URL http://www.bossus.com/
Ease of Use 9.8 (19 responses)
Sound Quality 9.4 (20 responses)
Reliability 9.4 (18 responses)
Customer Support 8.8 (8 responses)
Overall Rating 9.4 (19 responses)
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Product: Boss DC-2
Price Paid: USD 150 USED
Submitted 09/29/2006 at 04:07pm by Christopher Taylor
Email: taylorcp<at>mcmaster dot ca

Ease of Use : 10
The DC-2 is simple to use, plug in your patches, select one of the 4 buttons and go.

Sound Quality : 9
This pedal gives a warm lush tone. It is similar to a chorus pedal but has a bigger richer sound than either of the Boss CE-2 or CE-3. While probably not a sound for everyone, if you want a unique colour to your chorus sound, pick up this pedal. They're becoming more and more of a collectors item - which is understandable, they were sold only in Japan and the sound lush.

Reliability : 10
This thing will never break. Solid metal casing. The buttons could be better, but even those show little signs of wear and my pedal is easily 15 years old.

Customer Support : No Opinion
Never had to deal with Boss and I don't expect to.

Overall Rating : 9
This pedal is perfect if you like to play clean. I am not a fan of distorted/overdriven chorus sounds and never found a combination that I like.

If I lost this pedal, I would definitely track down another one. If I have to use a chorus sound this is the pedal. Electroharmoix makes the only other chorus I'd consider using. Even then that one sounds too wet.

I wish the pedal were a bit more flexible (although the 4 modes are quite good)... if you'd like a little more flexibility checkout the DC-3 although that being a digital pedal the sound might differ markedly.


Product: Boss DC-2
Price Paid: US $100.00
Submitted 05/12/2006 at 04:25pm by Singeon Smythe

Ease of Use : 10
VERY easy to get a good sound out of it, I spent about an hour and a half just now tinkering with it(It arrived earlier today). No idea about patches, it didn't come with a manual, no idea about firmware or upgrades...it was purchased used.

Sound Quality : 9
It's going through a marshall 4X12 coupled with a TS-9, CE-2 Chorus,Phaser by Boss and an NS-2. It sounds great! Very flexible sound.

Reliability : 9
I'd depend on it for sure. I intend to use it without a backup. Boss pedals are built like an armored truck!.

Customer Support : 8
Never dealt with them. I've never had a single pedal fail! or break. VERY reliable. Not too sure where I'd get it upgraded or repaired. I hope that day doesn't come that quickly!

Overall Rating : 8
I play a wide variety of tunes. 'Been playing a LONG time! If it we're lost of stolen, I'd be rather ticked off and would definitely seek a replacement quickly. I like everything about the pedal...no dislikes.


Product: Boss DC-2
Price Paid: US $175
Submitted 12/19/2005 at 08:09pm by Rick
Email: apx20<at>aol dot com

Ease of Use : 10
4 push buttons..if you can't do that..you're rentally metarded.

Sound Quality : 10
Well, I'm kicking myself for selling mine on Ebay..yea I got 150 beans for it, but who cares. I paid 260 for a Fulltone Choral Flanger and it isn't quite as sweet as the dc-2....live & learn.

Although I do wish the DC-2 had more adjustment.

This pedal was basically a studio chorus effect in a pedal with the 4 favorite or best settings for studio or live stuff.
Can't go wrong with this pedal..it sounds so very sweet..
adds almost a ring to the sound without ever getting obnoxious.
These are rapidly being gobbled up, so if you see one for under 140 bucks grab it. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Reliability : 10
since these haven't been made for what..20 years or more..
I think you could say..it's a tank.

Customer Support : 10
They are over play cards with the Maytag repairman...

Overall Rating : 10
I have to rate it 10. Anything less would be a lie.
It sounds phenominal...works way simple..what else can a guitar player ask for?


Product: Boss DC-2
Price Paid: Trade (very used) used
Submitted 11/03/2005 at 01:53am by brian

Ease of Use : 10
4 buttons, 4 modulations, no knobs.

Nothing like it, gotta love it.

Sound Quality : 10
I have pedals galore and my set up changes often, but this pedal is a mainstay. I play electric guitars into effects into tube amps and occasionally into modelling boxes for recording.

It's not noisy.

The effect never sounds weak, but depending on what you're running with it the effect can range from very present to simply subtle. Play clean guitar and add DC-2 and you'll definitely hear a whole new sound. But add DC-2 after a heavy fuzz box and you might not notice what you're missing until you turn it off and that added harmonic sparkle is suddenly gone. Either way it adds something to everything.

The guy I got this from called this a chorus pedal, which it kind of is but isn't.

All the settings are chorus-like but not like other "chorus" guitar pedals. The effect a very organic doubling presence, with each setting having different, slightly detuned harmonic values, with variations on that extra body and tone. The slight differences in the waves can actually make for big differences from one setting to the next, with phasing, doubling to chiming to vibing sounds.

Also unique is that the chorale wavering is very natural, like a real instrument, and not ridgid, hence no "rate" knob necessary. Very, very musical.

Reliability : 10
Definitely dependable. I got mine used from a great friend years ago, and it was beat to hell from years of gigging but worked and still works great. I wish everything was built like these.

Customer Support : No Opinion
Boss stuff has been durable.

Overall Rating : 10
I only skimmed a couple reviews here but anything else I'd post seems covered well. I have another nice analog chorus and a couple digital chorus pedals but the DC-2 is a favorite.

Something well-made goes a long way, and this is that kind of find. Stereo, smooth, pro modulation in an indestructable, portable box.


Product: Boss DC-2
Price Paid: N/A
Submitted 08/22/2005 at 12:40am by TonMeister K.
Email: lptech<at>shaw dot ca

Ease of Use : 10
This pedal is dripping with 'coolness'. There are no patches to edit. Just 4 buttons to push, and there you are. I downloaded the manual at Roland's new manual web-page, but there is nothing to it really. It is a Boss pedal made in the mid-80s. Plug in your axe and make some noise.

Sound Quality : 9
It sounds amazing. I also own the SDD-320 (the big brother to this unit). There is a compander in there somewhere, so it's fairly quiet. I use mine in my Boss bass rig....Boss LMB, AW3, High-Band Flanger, RV-3, and the of course the Dimension C. The axe is a hot-rodded 1979 Music-Man Sting Ray Bass. When I show up at a 'jam', most bassists leave the building.

Reliability : 10
All Boss pedals are very reliable. I switched to Boss from MXR in the 80s, and never looked back.

Customer Support : 9
Roland/Boss have always been very helpful, and they better be, because I use lots of their products in our recording studio, especially the vintage ones.

Overall Rating : 10
This unit, and other Boss/Roland products are used constantly in the recording studio, to cover many styles of music. I've been playing Bass for over 20 years. If it were lost or stolen, I would find another one, or put the bigger brother (SDD-320 Dimension D) back to work. If you need that chorus pedal, this is the one. If you find one in good shape, cut the deal. don't lose out. And oh!, use the DC adaptor. This thing devour batteries.


Product: Boss DC-2
Price Paid: 90 (pounds sterling) used
Submitted 02/15/2005 at 12:26pm by Anonymous

Ease of Use : 10
there are 4 buttons to choose from.its that simple.dont have manual as i got it second hand.dont need one either!!!

Sound Quality : 10
This pedal really is as amazing as everyone says.My guitar is a Fender USA Standard Telecaster through Boss GT-6 and then either through a PA or my rubbish marshall valvestate 30 which im gonna get rid of soon for a Roland JC-120.I'm a great Boss fan and I love the sound of the Roland SDD-320 which is the rackmount version of the DC-2.The chorus is really spacey and with not much vibrato at all.I've A/B'd with my GT-6 chorus effects which are very good and the DC-2 sounds way better.In stereo its awesome.It replicates some leslie like tones on the 3rd and 4th presets.I have heard the DC-2 emulation on the GT-6 and the CE-20 and they can't touch the real thing.This is a one off amazing pedal and there is nothing that sounds like it.This pedal does companding and as such is very quiet.It is totally ANALOG and you can tell as well.It's lush.Please BOSS bring back the Dimension Chorus series!!!!!!!!

Reliability : 10
Since its a Boss I'm pretty sure it would never break.!!!!joke its built like a tank!!!yes i would gig without a backup but these little things are growing difficult to find and are appreciating in price every day.

Customer Support : 10
Yes i have dealt with Roland before and they are very friendly and helpful.

Overall Rating : 10
The thing is ethereal.Thats all I can say.Roland engineers must have been high on drugs when conceiving this little baby!!!!I play ethereal rock/indie like cocteau twins,pumpkins,the cure and foos.This pedal complements my Boss GT-6 amazingly.I have been playing for 7 years and I love this pedal to bits.If it was lost I would pay ANY price to get another one.It's that essential to my sound.To be honest DC-2 isn't really a chorus its more of spaciousness pedal.There is nothing on the market like this PEDAL.


Product: Boss DC-2
Price Paid: 30 (Euro) used
Submitted 12/03/2004 at 12:56pm by Martijn
Email: mrtngzn<at>hotmail dot com

Ease of Use : 8
We'll if you at least got ONE finger on your hand you should be able to get a good sound out of it... Unfortunatly the previous owner didn't still have the manual for it (Not that you need it but it's always fun to look into it... Might anyone know if you can find it online or
maybe even be able to e-mail it to me, please E-mail me at mrtngzn@hotmail.com... Thank you....)Gave it just an 8 because there's so little (read: NONE) tweakability to make a sound that's even more to your tastes...

Sound Quality : 10
Well i've tried a few Boss chorus pedals over the years... I own the CE-5, CH-1, CE-2 and now the DC-2, I have tried all the others exept for the CE-1. This is truly the best one i've tried the CE-3 beeing the worst sounding. The CE-3,CE-5 and CH-1 are just too "digital" and cold sounding to my ears... This one sounds alot like my CE-2, that i still like alot but always sounded kinda too thin for me... That's kinda how i would subscribe this pedal, like the CE-2 but with more effect level. Great to get that '80's New wave sound (The Cure, The Cult, Siouxsie, Fields o.t. Nephilim) or Ambient sound (Cocteau twins, Pumpkins). I like mode 1 best. My Amps are a Diezel VH-4 with Mesa Recto std. cab and a DSL 100 with 2x12 Marshall 1922 cab and it sounds great with both amps or guitars (Gibson LP custom and Ibanez S 540fm) Also great for acoustic. Now the great part of this pedal is that it can be used in stereo also so you can also make professional recordings with it, which is rare for an analog '80's pedal.

Reliability : 10
'c mon it's a Boss, YOU will stop working before your pedal does...

Customer Support : No Opinion
Never needed to contact Boss so no opinion

Overall Rating : 9
The guy i bought it from didn't know the value of this thing so i really got it for a steal!!! I've seen them go for up to 4 times that price, and it's in absolute mint condition!!! Lucky me.... I've been playing for 14 years now and been looking for this pedal quite a long time (they are rare here in the Netherlands...) It's perfect for my alternative rockband, I also play in 2 metalbands, i would never use it for these. It's just great for those ambient, clean open chording parts and finger picking. My biggest influences are David Gilmour, The Edge, Satriani, Smashing Pumpkins, Tea Party and i can use it for alot of that stuff.... So it really DOES help me make music.


Product: Boss DC-2
Price Paid: #68 used
Submitted 04/24/2004 at 06:48am by Dan

Ease of Use : 10
4 buttons, pick one, play.... Manual is basic, covers basics such as what plugs in where, etc

Sound Quality : 9
This effect is great. Lush but subtle chorus and swirlyness. There is a bit of background noise when not playing, but nothing really bad, this is boss after all. I bought this because i was told it was subtle and i dont like the CE-5 because its too obvious. The Smashing Pumpkins used this on the Arising Tour, and it does cover The Machina chorus sound well, but then they were pedal whores, so there'd be no point trying to get to close to a Pumpkins sound.

Reliability : 10
I have never known a boss pedal give up on someone... Even when i did something stupid like run a 18v power supply into my delay by mistake. Doh! And it still worked after that!

Customer Support : 9
I see lots of bad reviews for Boss Customer Support, but when my Delay pedal wouldnt work (cos i had 18v in it and hadnt yet realised), i was put through to an expert in about 30 seconds, and he was friendly and gave constructve advice. I once read about how unfair it was that Boss helpline is only 9 to 5... Little unreasonable to expect a 24 hour helpline, no?

Overall Rating : 9
This pedal is good for any genre, I use it for Andy Summers inspired noodlings, it goes well with U2 type leads, its good for adding to distortion (as a novelty not as a reliable sound), its good for doing the sad, quiet parts in songs. I recommend it chiefly for people who play space leads, as it adds texture to the sound, and also for arpeggios and slow chords. The beauty is that you can choose the intensity and density of the chorus you want to create very easily.


Product: Boss DC-2
Price Paid: Traded
Submitted 01/02/2004 at 05:21am by Alex Farran
Email: crestfallen_starlight at hotmail<dot>com

Ease of Use : 10
Very very easy. 4 Buttons, each with a preset sound. Plug in, push a button of your` choice and play!
I don`t have the manual as I bought this second hand.

Sound Quality : 9
I use this with either a Fender USA Strat or a Gibson Les Paul Studio into a Marshall JCM Slash Signature Head & 4x12 Cab. I have a few effects infront too; I ran this as follows...
Fender Strat > Digitech Whammy > Russian Big Muff > USA Small Stone > Boss DC-2 > Line 6 DL-4 > Marshall JCM Slash.

I also played this pedal isolated...simply guitar > dc-2 > amp.
In both circumstances it sounded fantastic. Brilliantly clear and lushous in a whole new way. Sounds completely different to any other "Chorus" pedals I`ve heard. Adds a really nice vibe to your` playing whether in clean or distortion. Adds a fantastic swirley lead sound too when combined with disortion.
There is no noticable tone loss or level changes and is definately not a noisey pedal.
I hav`nt been able to run this in stereo yet for two reasons...I don`t have a stereo setup and the "Output B" jack is broken...although easy to fix.
But this only bodes well as most reviews have stated that the magic of this pedal surfaces when used in a Stereo setup. This just makes me eager to hear it like this!
But it truly sounds great full stop! Even in Mono!!
The only reason I give this 9 and not 10 is that in my opinion no pedal can ever really be perfect and I havn`t really compared this to other popular Chorus pedals...CE-2, Meistersinger etc.

Reliability : No Opinion
As it`s Boss we all know how reliable these pedals are...built like a tank and looks great too!
I would gig without a backup but if it was stolen or broken I would definately search high and low for another one although I doubt I could find another in this great condition...literally no scratches!

Customer Support : No Opinion
Havn`t needed customer support and the only thing that needs repairing is that Output B Jack and that`s incredibly easy to fix myself...I`m just too lazy!

Overall Rating : 9
I play live and in the studio aswell as at home and this sounds great in all conditions. I can`t really distinguish a certain genre we play so I`ll just say that the music I play and write with it is inspired by bands like, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Smashing Pumpkins, Tom Waits.
Lots of atmospheric texturing too.
But yeah, as an overall rating I give this pedal a 9. And as I said, the only reason I don`t give it a 10 is simply becasue I find it so hard to label something "perfect".


Product: Boss DC-2
Price Paid: 20 (Euro) used
Submitted 10/26/2003 at 01:04am by Wouter

Ease of Use : 10
Four presets, no brain surgery needed to use it

Sound Quality : 9
Ok, hum... It's hard for me not to get exited over this pedal because it is one of the best modulation pedals I have owned until now. I love the Cure like sound preset nr 3 gives me, and the insane chime of preset 4 is heavenly in some songs I've written. The other two more tam presets are ok but I like to hear the actual effect, so I rarely use those.
My setup was as follows:
Washburn N2 ( with EMG81 in the bridge)> Boss DC2> Marshall JCM900 SLX ( modded with clean channel)> Digitech DHP33> Rocktron Intellifex

With some delay and reverb this pedal sounded just ethereal, very fluid in sound actually. There is just one but... It seems to boost certain frequencies in the mids. Depending on your EQ setting this might cause this pedal to sound... well not bad by any means, just less good.
I play in a trashy but old school metal band. In can't really use it in there, but I do use it to record my more personal romantic/industrial stuff at home. It's just great to ad space on a four track.
This pedal cost me 20 euro's. Do the math it's a real steal for such a coveted pedal. The best bargain ever for me.

Reliability : 10
Boss=tank, no problems.

Customer Support : No Opinion
Never had to deal with them, no problems

Overall Rating : 10
This is the best sounding modulation pedal I ever owned; and even tried. I've been looking for a chimey ound for ages, trying the usual suspects like TC Chorus Flanger, all the boss Chorusses, Ibanez stuff, Danelectro... Even the booteek stuf didn't do it for me. thsi pedal does, I love it to death, really.
I now also own a Boss CE2, and that is great chorus, but it doesn't have the same chimey ethereal quality of the DC2. It's just more of the 80's sound really, the rock one I mean because the DC2 sounds like something Cocteau Twins might have used in their day to create all the dreamy textures.
If this one got stolen,I would move heaven and earth to get another one. I will never be able to top the bargain I had when I bought this pedal second hand, but hey, love is love, eh?
Contact me if you have any more questions, I will be glad to give all help within my ability.

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