Boss DS-1 Distortion

I gave it a "9" for one reason. Even though it only has 3 knobs, it is a little more difficult to get a cool sound out of it. I will go into more detail below.

This pedal is very capable of kicking ass~~~>Only in certain circumstances. It often lacks in the "low end" department. I play my Charvel 375 out of a 160 watt Peavey bass combo. So, I really don't have that problem. If you are playing live out of a stack, it is a great pedal. If you play out of a "before puberty" practice amp, it will suck. Other than that, it gives a great sound for a great price.

Why you they put this here?

Someone said something about a little guy who goes home every night really lonely becuase nobody ever calls him.

It is a great pedal for a really great price. I would never sell it. (Part of that is because I couldn't get very much money for it, and the fact that I really like it.) I am planning on adding a Metal Zone to my arsenal, but I would keep the DS-1. Anyone have a MT-2 for sale? For you kids who think it sucks because it doesn't have enough low end? Well, grow some balls and buy a bigger amp. The DS-1 is rather quiet, which makes it a great pedal to record with. It is a great choice for those who like that classic distortion. LP+Marshall tube...etc etc.....

3 knobs: level, tone, and distortion. The manual is included, but you don't even need it.

I use a Les Paul thru a Dunlop wah, the DS-1, a DOD chorus, and a Peavey V/T Series 50-watt. My favorite artists are Dream Theater and Metallica, and this pedal does not cut it. I am getting a Boss Metal Zone ASAP because the DS-1 sounds too thin. I also have a problem with the level on it: I have to turn it up to ten just to get the effect level equal to the original clean level. It will do OK for blues, but my style is metal and it does not get the job done.

It's a Boss, and like all of their products, you don't need a backup at shows, but I always bring batteries with me.

It's fine for blues, say goodbye to metal if you want to get it. I've been playing for almost 3 years and I metioned all my other gear up above. I wish it had a 3-band equilizer like the Metal Zone, but I'm gonna get that soon, anyway. By the way, read about my problem that I metioned before, and please E-mail me if you have any tips on how to fix this.

This footpedal is as eay as the rest. It takes a while to find the tone you want. The manual for it is pretty detailed and easy to follow. There is some difficulty changing the battery because of where it is placed, but that's the price you pay for quality.

I use a Epiphone Les Paul and a Fender Deluxe 112 Plus amp. I wanted to get a nice warm sound good for playing regular chords but there is a lot of noise in this little box. I tried every setting on the pedal, my amp and my pick-ups and I could not get the sound I wanted. The distortion knob seems like it doesn't even change the distortion level. It sounds the same on minimum as it does on maximum, only the fuzz sound in my amp when I'm not playing gets louder. The tone knob it supposed to act as a treble/bass tone. While raising the treble I loose the bass. Some might say it's easier that way but I couldn't get a distingtive sound. This pedal also sounds really crappy when recorded. I plugged into the headphone jack and listened and it was the worst sound I had ever heard. What a mess!

Like all Boss pedals this one was built to last. I wouldn't torture my audience with this distortion sound though.

N/A

I play a post grunge style of music like Foo Fighters. This pedal did not live up to my expectations. As soon as I realized this pedal was not for me I quickly returned it for credit. I realized the best distortion sound I could get was through my amp. I had a Danelectro Fab Tone distortion but I got rid of that when I realized it sounded awful when recorded. Boss still makes great foot pedals, but I will never buy another distortion pedal again.

uh....3 knobs shouldn't be very hard, should it?

this is an excellent distortion pedal. i'm using two ibanez guitars, a custom made rg and an s classic, and both, as well as any other decent guitar, sounds great through this. it's pretty basic, but most distortion pedals are. the other guitar player in the band i'm in recommended it to me a while back, and i just happened to find one in a pawn shop. i took it home and WHOA, was i shocked. the thing i hated about other pedals was that it was really hard to get a clean sound out of them when playing more than 3 strings. the higher strings don't mush together when playing them. in other words, i'm saying, "chords sound good!" of course, you've probably heard that kurt cobain used this pedal on 'nevermind' and live shows, but who cares?!?!? it sounds great!!

yes, this thing is reliable. all boss pedals are

i don't know

this pedal is great for rock or any style lighter than that. it's not for metal use necessarily, but i think it's useful to have for those tame starting songs. it's actually helped me out a great deal, because i can actually incorporate full chords into songs with it!! right now i'm actually without it because the other guitar player in my band has it with him. i hate that. i am definitely going to buy another, though. ams has them new for $45, so how can you find a better deal?

very easy to use 3 nobs, tone,dist,level , we all know what they mean, (dont we)

I am useing this pedal with a Gibson Les Paul Studio w/ stock pickups too soundtank compressor-ds1-dod ge7-dodflanger- my practice crate g15 or my Yamamha 2x12 combo.I hope to be getting a half stack soon...over the pedal does not make that much noise and it always has the same tone a never have to change the settings to what it sounded like the day before..with this settup i can get a megadeth/ early metallica sound..its a good distortion pedal for the money..

I would depend on this pedal , my dod pedals on the other hand some times ..never mind ..i would gig without a back up , but my yamaha does not have distortion and i would be hurting , but i am looking at the new tone works 411 that has a great distortion and effects and also has a great price ,,who has a lot of monet any way?

I have had other boss pedals with no problems they just keep on rockin

I always play metal from 80s bands like Ratt to Dokken ( the reason why I wanted a guitar) to Alice n Chains to Dream Theater to the shredders satch, vai , hoey , gilbert... the only thing i dont like is that it could have more low end and more distortion ,, but isnt that always the case..i compared it to the metal zone (tons of distortion) but this pedal had tone to it and i could get the same thinkg with my eq pedal and use the compressor for a solo boost. i love this pedal it is my distotion sound ..i give it 9 9 there is always someting better

Real easy to use - three knobs: tone, distortion, volume
nuff said

It pains me to read some of the bad reviews this pedal is getting. Yes if you are plugging it into a practice amp or solid-state Peavey or something then it sounds like crap. However - using this pedal with a decent valve amp will produce some of the best rock tones imaginable. Ask EVH and Vai - they get of on it. This pedal can sound fatter than a bag of pork rinds BUT YOU GOTTA USE THE RIGHT SETUP. I use it with a Les Paul going into a Marshall 30th anniversary head. IT KICKS ASS!

You cannot break a BOSS pedal. It just can't be done.

Never needed to talk to BOSS.

If you are a metal guitarist - find something else. If you want pure rock tone - GET IT NOW!!!!

It's three knobs... c'mon folks. Adjust and stomp. I have to give it a 7 though, because the genius who designed it at Roland but the level knob where you can't easily turn it(it where the tone normally would go) and it's like that on all DS-1 pedals not just mine.

This pedal is okay... but don't expect Kurt Cobain's huge fuzz to come blasting out of your amp because it won't. This pedal is for posers who wish they could play guitar. After using it for an hour I just gave up... it sounds like a solid-state amp after you turn it past 12 o'clock. It's not half as good as all the other BOSS pedal I've tried. Don't buy it... or if you do, don't expect to use because you will soon out grow it when you see what good tone actually sounds like. It should work fine for all you poser with 15 watt amps who woodshed for a living.

It's a BOSS... just try to kill it

look at other people's info...

I play grunge/punk rock... this pedal won't cut it for a decent tone. Compare it to any other good Boss pedals and you'll see that spending the extra 10-30 bucks for better tone is well worth it. If you want a good cheap fuzz... I'd seriously recommend the Big Muff reissue, or the DOD Classic Fuzz, but avoid this one! You'll be sorry later when you become an experienced player. Kurt's tone rocked... but this pedal wasn't the reason why, tone comes from the hands.

Very easy to use, only three nobs.

Well, it tried this at a local music store because it was already set in the chain to an amp I wanted to use. THIS PEDAL IS CRAP! I have tried many distortions in my day, but this is no where near the tones of the bands like Smashing Pumkins, maybe because they don't use this piece of garbage, they use a Big Muff! I thought the sound from this pedal was thin, and not at all as good as many people make it out to be.

It's a BOSS, and they hold up OK

Had a BOSS pedal once, and I tried to get a manual for it (I bought a PS-3 used) and they gave me a run-around.

Didn't like it, would never buy it. I much prefer my Big Muff to this. The ton eis better, more sustain, and overall a better deal than this.

Tree Knobs. You gotta be as dumb as a monkey's turd if ya can't figure this box out.

This pedal has great distortion. The TONE knob is exelent(compared to the Big Muff Reissue, crap) This was the first pedal that I ever bought. I loved it. I bought it about 3 years ago and sold 1 1/2 years ago for a ZOOM 505 guitar. That was a big mistake. I am currently collecting BOSS pedals to fill a BCB 6 case. The ZOOM was great when I bought it, but I've grown out of it. BOSS pedals are the way to go.

BOSS BOSS BOSS BOSS BOSS BOSS BOSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Nothing is more reliable than a BOSS. Always use an adaptor or connect all your pedals with a daisy chain. Batteries just don't cut it.

I dunno. Never delt with them.

At the time I loved this pedal. It is great introduction into the wonderful world of distortions. It's not a Metal pedal. I've moved on from certain bands that I listened to, and this pedal probably won't cut it. It's great for Silverchair, Nirvana, and you can get a bit of hard rock. I currently listen to Pantera, Metallic, and Sevendust and am looking into a Metal Zone. If anyone has any valid comments about the MT-2 or DS-2, please e-mail me. (adress below)

Simple, amazing changes at the simple twist of a knob. Never bothered to look at the manual

I get a preety extra boost throught A Gibson SG, Digitech RP-10 and a Marshall JCM 900 SL-X with a 1960 cab. Wish I could connect it via MIDI to my RP-10 to use it as another distortion. I mostly play classic rock especially ZEPPELINand I must say that in all honesty, This pedal is CRAP for ZEPP. But Nirvana , Alice in chains, and pumpkins all come out in this pedal. Turning up the gain on my amp really gets a warm sound. Forget any good blues sounds from this pedal.

Never given me any trouble. Never needded a bakup. Has taken kwite a lotta shit and has not troubled me at all

Never had any need. N/A

Good if you have any other dists but i would not buyt it if it was going to be my only dist. VERY GOOD FOR WHAT IT IS> Versatile but doesn't work wonders!!!

Do get a ggod sound is so easy. It's gat fat tone and awsome distrion. It only have tree knobs level,dist.,and tone. The most importsnt one is level you need to have it just right of it will sound like crap.

This little stomp box can put out some much noise it makes my 15 watt fender amp sound like and marshall stander stack.It gives it a huge bosst.The distorion is loud and never weak.You can make your guitr sound like the deftones,korn, and wezzer.You really cant get a lite distrion the only down side.

very reliable never breaks down.Plug it in and it is ready to go.

never had to use it.

I play heavy alternative.it suits me just fine.Ive been playing for 2 years.I own 2 fender american made strats.If it was stolen id buy i new one only if boss came out with a ds-2.I love the heavy distrion but i hate how you cant get the low dist.Its either you have it on or you have it off.It helps me make my music.

There are three knobs on the top: The tone knob is a guick EQ knob for changing the sound from ultra bright to mega deep. The level knob controls the overall level of the effect when it is on, and the Dist knob controls the gain. This efeect is incredibly easy to dial in a good distortion sound, and the manual is decent I guess.

I am using this pedal with a Peavey Predator guitar and a Fender Ultimate Chorus amp. Not only does the distortion sound better on this pedal than on my amp but it is way quieter. I play alot of Nirvana, Pumpkins, Local H, etc. and if you're going for Kurt's sound this is THE pedal for you although with the gain turned all the way up it adds so much sustain that you have to wait forever for feedback.

Although I haven't had this pedal very long let me just say it looks like a tank and I would trust it at any gig anywhere.

Like I said if you play alternative and you crave that fuzzy Nirvana distortion look no further than the DS-1, but I don't play blues or jazz or metal so I can't give an accurate account of what it sounds like for that kind of stuff. However it is a very quiet pedal and it appears to be very reliable, if it were stolen I would buy a new one in a heartbeat.

This probably one of the easiest pedals to use. Tone, Level, and Distortion.

I run my Les Paul through a Crybaby, the DS-1, a DOD Octoplus, a DOD Phaser, a DOD Flanger, and a Zoom 7010 Processor into a Marshall combo amp. This pedal is very versatile, you can get almost anything between vintage '60s rock and hardcore music. The manual also has some good preset settings that are useful.

Yeah, I can depend on it, this thing is almost indestructable.

This pedal is a great all-around distortion. I play Led Zeppelin, Limp Bizkit, RATM, and Korn; this pedal is great for all of them. If anyone ever stole this pedal, they must really need it more than I do because this pedal is hella cheap. But to answer the question: yes, I would buy it again. If anyone's thinking about buying this pedal, don't let all of these alterna-posers deter you from buying it because of their reviews on how easy it is to get a Nirvana or Bush sound, this pedal rocks. Buy it. Thank you. Boy, I sure do like butts.

The DS-1 Distortion has 3 knobs, level, tone, and distortion. I purchased this pedal second-hand, so it didn't have a manual. However, after ten minutes of twisting, anything the manual says could probably be discovered first-hand.

I play a Fernandes Decade Standard with 3 single coil pickups, yet the pedal doesn't feedback. The pedal sounds very traditional, and one can get some very contemporary sounds out of it. It sounds the best coming out of a clean channel with no reverb. It can handle Led Zepplin, AC/DC, and most classic rock sounds. This pedal is NOT a metal pedal. It is not really even a punk pedal. If you are looking for a really heavy sounding pedal I reccomend the Boss Metal Zone. This pedal has very clear highs so it is great to use for soloing. It is not very good at taking power-chords, as the pedal is not very bassy. It is ine of the few distortion pedals that can work when a wah pedal is on, as most drown it out.

Boss is the most reliable makers of pedals around, I would definately gig without a back-up. This pedal does gobble up batteries quickly, so I reccomend purchasing a Boss power supply.

Never dealt with them.

I play classic and hard rock in my spare time, and this a perfect match for my music. I also own a Dunlop Crybaby and a Boss Xtortion. I play alternative and punk, which is the only reason this pedal is in my bedroom instead of in the music room. It is a great pedal to mess around on, as it picks each note up and it echoes your playing style. I would probably buy this pedal again if it were stolen. I think the best feature is that it doesn't feedback. I compared it to several other Boss pedals, and chose this one because I already had the Xtortion and was interested in a different, more contemporary style of distortion. I wish this had a tad bit more bass than it has, as that is the only thing that keeps it from being an all around distortion pedal.

The pedal is really easy to use.3 knobs.The manual is useless.

This pedal sounds great.I can get a light mellow distortion for certain songs.And a pretty heavy distortion for most of my songs.It is not a heavy metal distortion,but I don't play metal so I don't care.I can get Nirvana's sound,or a sivlerchair sound(don't really want it but i can get it)When I use with my washburn BT2 and i boost the lows and mids on my amp i can get a Sepultura sound.A bit noisy but what distortion isn't.

I have kicked it out of the window on the second floor onto concert,and it still works.

This is a great pedal for a person who wants a not too heavy distortion,but still lots of fuzz.Better than any DOD distortion,it is my main distortion.I love it.Also one last thing,to you people writing reviews and putting down nirvana and their fans,FUCK YOU.

It has Distortion, Level, and Tone, so even Nirvana fans can work it. It's easy to get a good distortion, and just as easy to get a bad one. I didn't read the manual, you don't need it for easy things like this.

I'm using a modified Strat w/ humfucker at bridge and a Crate GX-65 amp. Yes it's noisy, it's a distortion. The noise is actually better than most distortions, if you can't stand it, cut the tone on your guitar, prick! You can get a very good rock and roll sound, good mids and highs, and drive it more and you have punk. I don't think those kids down there bought it, because this thing can't do grunge. Of course, they probably have Mustangs and Small Clones and Crown power amps, to make it grungy, because they wanna be like Kurt Kablam.

I can depend on it. Who the hell gigs with a backup pedal? It's sturdy... I'll spare you made up stories about how I dropped it off my roof and got it wedged up Seinfeld's ass... the Nirvanabes have plenty of them!

I play rock and roll style punk and rock in general, and I like to mix in different styles and sounds. I've been playing for four years, and I own other stuff which isn't relevant here. If it got stolen/lost, I'd get a new one. I love the Proco rats, but I needed to be able to get the whole sprectrum of distortions. Instead, I got this, and it get's half. Fuck.

Very easy to use. If you know what you're doing it shouldn't be hard. Three standard knobs

Sounds best with humbuckers. Little weaker with single coils. When using this pedal I play a Gibson SG through a Peavey Classic 30 turned up VERY loud.

definately dependable

Never dealt with them.

I don't use it as much anymore. I am growing out of it. It's a good beginner pedal. Very basic distortion. Although I don't plan on using it in the future, its always good to keep your pedals. They come in handy eventually. If anyone has any decent suggestions for ways to use this pedal, other than for main distortion, e-mail me.

three knobs (tone, dist, level) and a footswith. Can't get any easier than that.

an exallent distortion! I use it with my fender strat and my fender champ 110 amp. This thing rules, I can get it to purr like a kitten or screem like a mother. Sounds great through my rig and interacts great with other effects like the ce-5 chorus ensamble, bf-2 flanger, ph-2 super phaser, and electro-harmonix polychorus which I also have. It gets me the sounds made by the greatest band of all Nirvana! They are my favorite band. This was the pedal used on all the songs except the ones from the In Utero era which Kurt used the sans amp. Many are confused and say that he used the big muff on most songs, they are wrong. He used this the most and only used the big muff on one song, lithium, and it was barowed. This was his main distortion for most of his carear and is a great pedal for anyone and any kind of music.

Yes, I can count on this to work and sound great even if my life depended on it, and you could use this forever, never needing a backup.

never dealt with them, but they are probably like the maytag people, just waiting for a call for a repair, that will never happen. You won't need them, it's a BOSS the most dependable thing on earth.

I play grunge, hardcore, punk music and its great. I would replace it in a heartbeat. I love every thing about it. I have played a ton of other distortion pedalsonly to fall in love with this one. It lets me be creative in writing music and lets me reproduce my favorite tunes.

3 Knobs (Level, Gain, and Tone) can't get too much easier than that

As far as a Distortion pedal goes its not all that great. When I use it I tend to keep the distortion all the way down and turn the tone down a bit for a blues sound. I combine it with my amps distortion for a little more power. When the distortion on the pedal is turned to the max it seems to sound flakey thin and somewhat weak.

The one I use is from a friends dad and its like 10+ years old and has taken some beating but it still ticks All Boss are made solid so this shouldnt be a problem

As far as used for soloing it aint too hot but combined or used for chords it isnt too bad it couldnt be better but its inexpensive and i didnt pay for it so what the hell

There's three wheels, one for the treble/bass balance, one for the volume and one for the gain level (how much dist). It's easy to get a sound you like. Sometimes the volume wheel seems to sensitive so you've really got to turn it a bit at one time!

I'm using it with a Marshall VS30R and a Fender strat 60 without humbuckers. There's not so much hum if you compare to other dists.
Kurt Cobain (Nirvana) used this pedal for Bleach and most of Nevermind.
You can get both overall soft sounding dist/sustain to real heavy ear killing sound, that's great :)

I haven't own this effect a long time but the construction seems good and strong. There's no plastic parts in critical areas, all metal.

This is the best dist I've used. It's much less noisy than my Marshall Shredmaster (that sucks). It look fat and stabile, it seems to be to.

Very simple to figure out. Tone, Distortion and Level knobs - they all do what they say. Easy to use, easy to find a variety of sounds.

I use this with a Roland Jazz Chorus Amp, which has the world's worst distortion onboard. The sound of the DS-1 is pretty boring, and although Boss claims great response to playing technique, eq, etc. there isn't much. At the same time, it does distort over a generous range. Best used in combination with some other effects.

Very well made.

N/A

It was cheap and it does the job. I use it happilly with all manner of other effects, and it always blends right in. The sound isn't exciting on its own, but for basic distortion it's very nice. Combined with a good overdrive, more meaningful sounds are possible.

There are three knobs- really easy to use. There is a manual if you're into looking at them.

This pedal has great sound. The tone knob gives a wonderful range as well as the distortion. This is THE pedal used on Nevermind- all except Lithium. I had no problem replicating the Nevermind sound, just took a minute or so of fiddeling. I use mine with a Crate GX-30M and it works really well. I have noticed a little noise from this puppy, but that could be from a crappy guitar (old harmony) or cables.

It's a Boss- you decide.

Never dealt with them- they probaly don't need customer support

I give this pedal a big two thumbs up. It's probably not the best there is(i.e. the DS-2) but I'm not complaining. It was bought to get the Nirvana Nevermind sound from their earlier years. If you can hook this puppy up with an EH Small Clone Chorus- you're hooked up. If this got stolen, I'd buy a DS-2 for something different, and then probably buy the DS-1 again- it's that good.

It can't be any easier than this! All you have are three knobs, Tone, Level and Dist. The level knob it really just a volume controll. It's so easy to use I got a good sound out of it within one minute of turning it on! Plus the instruction book gives you sample settings that are really great!

I'm using this pedal throught a Fender Champion 110 and a epiphone ES-300 strat. There's not a lot of noise when the pedal it on but there is a slight buzzing, althought I think that's coming from my set up because I've got cheap cables. If you turn this dist. up and the tone up you can get a good fuzz sound. If you turn the dist. and tone knobs down a little you can get a heavyer tube distortion sound. If you follow the instuction book's exaple setting for a crunch sound it also has a warm low distortion tube sond wich I love and by turning the tone knob in all directions you can change the sound from really warm to a almost tinny sound, Really cool!!! I give it a nine because there maybe other pedals out there with beter sound but for in this price range the sound is amazing. Beats the heck out of the DOD pedals I tried!

I would definetly use this thing at a gig without a backup. I've had this pedal since the fall and it still has the original roland battary either roland makes really good battarys or this pedal doesn't use up much juice. I've even left the plug in the imput jack which drains the battery but my little orange friend keeps on ticking. If I went on a gig tonight I wouldn't bother to change the battary in fact I don't think in even pays to buy the AC adapter because the battary last so long and you aren't resticted with the AC cord.

I've never had to deal with Boss/Roland but the give you an address to send it to in order to get it repaired and they have a WEB site and for AOL users you can go to KW: Roland for a lot of information.

I play music anywhere from alterntive to lite rock to folk/rock and this pedal is the perfect match, I can't tell you how much I love it. The price is so amazing, 40 bucks for a pedal with al of these features just blows me away. If you need a distorion pedal and you don't have a lot of money (like me) this is the perfect one!

3 knobs - level (controls volume), tone, and distortion step on the pedal pretty simple

I have tried this pedal with a variety of guitars and amps results are about the same with all, but it sounds best w/ humbuckers can get a variety of distortions from blues to heavy rock but it doesn't really do overdrive (check out the Boss SD-2 Dual Overdrive if you can afford it - a great sounding overdrive pedal) pedal is pretty noisy a good entry level distortion

"it's a Boss" but if you don't unplug it, it will go through batteries like crazy, so remember to unplug it or buy an AC adapter

never dealt with them

a decent distortion pedal, but there are many better ones out there (though it's great for playing "Wild Thing" - I wouldn't even think of using another pedal for that)

Straight ahead labeling of volume, tone and gain (or was it Distortion). Anyway, it's slightly more difficult to use than a MXR Distortion + because it has an extra knob.

I've had this thing since I was a junior in high school (79-80) and have continued to read reviews of the pedal over the years. I think it has been much maligned in print by "serious" guitar mags. It's sound quality is sorta buzzy in a classic fuzz sort of way. This does not mean it's undefined and can't handle chords. I've seen reviews saying it may be an okay blues pedal. This is true if you think the Yardbirds are a blues band. It does the latter-day Beck/Page era and early Hendrix stuff quite well. You can also get a decent Johnny Ramone out of it as well. Placing it in front of a Crybaby can get a fairly accurate Ron Asheton sound as well. It's not a "metal" distortion, but rather a well behaved fuzztone. It's great for anyone out there still playing hardcore.

When I eventually became a pro "alterna-rocker" I kept this pedal. I wound up playing gigs bigger than my amp could handle. I found I could get a good, useable and distinctive sound by using either a big amp clean, or directly plugging into the PA, and using the tone and distortion knobs as my only tone controls. The tone knob can generate a fairly wide variety of "colors" considering it's just a stompbox knob. It never broke, quit, or anything on me. I still have it, but don't play as loud and proud as I used to-thus I don't use it as regularly as I did. (In fact I get cooler results by stringing two lower output overdrives together-but that's another story).

Never had to call 'em.

I used it for this kinda garage punk stuff from @ '83 to '91without giving it much of a rest, and to this day it does everything I've always wanted in a fuzzbox. You can play '60's garage stuff w/ it and "punk rock" If you use it w/ a guitar with cheesier pickups (like a Mustang or something weaker) it gives up a slightly more retro/grunge sound (kinda like Mudhoney). With pickups w/ real prescence/output it can sound as contemporary as anything I've heard on the radio recently.

Well three knobs, if that is hard for you, i'm surprised you even learned how to buy this thing!
but if you can, it is a breeze.

Well, it seems to be the plauge, but my xp 100 whammy wah doesn't sound that great with the ds-1(they never do, do they?), and i'm going through a great little amp a peavy audition 110 with an ibanez rx 240. But the quality is very nice, I am a pretty big fan of fuzz, and this was the perfect pedal for me, considering that the price didn't kill my wallet, and it is boss quality, so i am quite happy with that. it sounds killer with humbuckers, but single coils, ehhhh..... there is no noise unless you go through a crap cord, but sometimes if you are after a less fuzzy noise, this is not the type of distortion pedal you want.(od ir ts-9 might be the ticket)

Well, lemme say this, if BB king landed on this sucker, it would not be damaged one bit.
i recommend buying an ac adaptor, using batteries can be a pain in the ass.
and perhaps we will never see a 1 for reliability for a boss pedal.

never, must be a pretty nice job.

Well since i am into Rage against the machine and deftones, and this is a great pedal for those bands. especially since one of the guys below me said that is resembles the rage song "know your enemy" and it does. This may not be the pedal for heavier stuff, i might want to get a mt-2 for that, but this is great for light distortion abilities. i also own a zoom 2020, xp 100 whammy wah, and this is great complement pedal, especially since my amp's distortion was kinda... ehhh.... and this really brings out the lively-ness of it.
if it were destroyed (BB's revenge?) it would buy it again. stolen? i would hunt the a-hole down and retrieve it, either that or just simply buy it again.
to sum it up, if you want a nice light distortion with light fuzz abilities, and versatility to boot, this is your pedal, if you want more heavier stuff, try a mt-2, but other than it is a grand pedal.(makes a great first!)
(send me patches if you have any!)

Three knobs: Gain, Level, & Tone. It can't get much simpler.

This pedal is remarkably versatile considering how simple it is. Turn the gain way down and the level up and it makes a decent low gain, boost although it can't really do the TS-9 OD thing since even with the gain down it's still fuzzy. Turn the gain all the way up and it's pretty much a typical fuzz pedal. I would not call this pedal 'tube-like' tone but it's pretty musical and very interactive with the type of amp you use. I've run it into my SF deluxe reverb, into a cheap SS amp, and into a SF champ. It sounds like dookie through the SS amp but the it works well with the Fenders. It doesn't give you a really monstrous distortion (you want big try the Metal Zone), but it's pretty cool IMO.

Boss pedals are built pretty damn tough. The only problem I've ever had is that the LED stopped working in my CE-2. Otherwise no probelms.

Never tried them, though I imagine they're decent...

This pedal isn't the best distortion out there but it's probably one of the best for the $$. I've had the Metal Zone and while it's pretty cool it wasn't for me. The DS-1 fits my style better and gives me an edgier sound when I want it. It's pretty buzzy but in a musical way, unlike a lot of other cheap distortion pedals. I think this would be an idea pedal for someone who's on a budget as well.

Easy to Dial sound in, just like tuning in an old Big Muff. However, it does get a little muffled on the bass side. It gives you extreme high treble side. The one I bought is a first year 1979 model, and its light does not stay on.

I use a JCM-800 Marshall 50w Combo, with a Gibson SG. It gives me a Fuzz sound that is pure, but again I have the 1979 version. I think this older version was made to sound just like a Big Muff of the time, which it does. It has that Nirvana Fuzz everyone talks about, but I don't know if Kurt Cobain used the old version.

It is a Boss unit, which means it is indestructable. I have yet to have a boss unit fail.

Boss is still in bussiness, however I havent needed their support. Their web site is very accesible

My favorite unit is the Big Muff, but if your looking for a close substitute, this older DS-1 will do in a pinch

Couldn't be any easier to use. 3 knobs (Tone, Level , Distortion)
Just gotta play around with the knobs to get the sound you wish.

I'm using this stomp box with a crate GXT212 combo amp and a Ibanez rg450 guitar. On the treble pickup, it can get noisey at high volumes, however on the bass pickup this noise is eliminated. Also i should tell you it takes a chunk away from your clean tone if you run it direct from the guitar to the amp. It sounded like shit through my fx loop though when i tried it.
You can get loads of tones of this pedal, it's very versitile. I can get anything from a bluesy type sound to a metalish sound.
With the distortion knob cranked up and the tone in the middle, I can get a tone similiar to Tom Morello from Rage Against The Machine. Listen to Know Your Enemy's Chorus and thats what i'm talking about

I'd depend on it and use it in a gig. It doesn't drain batteries fast also.
The thing is a tank anyways. It will probably outlive me without any problems

Never had any problems

Other than the noise or the diminished tone in the clean channel. This pedal is excellent for all types of players out there.

Simply fiddle with it for five seconds and your ready to grind.

I prefer this pedal because of its RAW grungy tone. I use this with a Les Paul Special and an SG Standard going to a Peavey Classic 20 and its very meaty. I can also get a great fuzz sound out of this by putting the gain full, tone at 2 o'clock and using the neck pickup with the highs rolled off. IMHO, this little box can give you that "in your face" sound. Just listen to the good ol' Nirvana stuff and you'll get what I mean.

By the way its built, it will probably last forever. Keep it up Boss!

I love this pedal a lot. So if you dig a raw, fuzzy, dirty and grungy tone, save your amp distortion for the blues and give this box a spin.

This thing is a great peal! There are only three knobs. Tone, Level and Dist. The level knob is just a volume control. The instuction book tells you enough to get started and has a few sample settings which can be helpful.

It has a nice distortion. It didn't take me long to get the sound I wanted. The sample setting fir fuzz is my favorite, I just turn up the tone and ist. knobs a little more than they tell you to get a real fuzzy sound. This thing goes from real fuzz to a crunch sound although I wouldn't recomend it for music that requiers a heavy distortion (i.e. heavy metal) it's not weak like some DOD pedals, just not real heavy! I use it through a 75 watt Fender and and som times a 45. I like the sound I get best when the amps drive channel is off (Makes the distortion a little more heavy). This pedal isn't noisy either.

I would use it on a gig without a back up but I don't need this pedal for all of my songs anyway. The only thing I would do is to make sure that you have a fresh battary before you take it on stage. I haven't had this pedal for a real long time but the battary hasn't shown any sign of wear yet.

It's a boss so Idon't think you need to worry but just in case they give you a sheet with the pedal that has an address to write to if it breaks.

I really like this pedal, I play mostly rock and this thing is great for adding some distortion clips to your songs and works great for riping out solos. I can get my lettle orange friend to make 60s fuzz to some newer styles from the 90s I you are looking to start a collection of effects this is a great start. I compared this thing to an Ibenez tube screamer and a boss XT-2 Xtortion and this pedal came throught the only way I wouln't recomend it is if you want a really heavy distortion. If it were lost or stolen I would buy another one.

When I first got this thing, I had just learned what effects pedal was... and about 2 minutes after hooking it up I was already past simply playing with it and was starting to duplicate the sound of cream, zep, beatles, etc. Just three knobs to it, and one of those is volume. Don't even bother with the manual until you get bored enough to read it.

I've got a pretty cheap Peavy Rage amp, and a cheap as all hell Peavy Predator guitar, and I still managed to get a pretty good sound out of the thing. It's not very noisy on it's own, but it will take any existing noise and turn it into a lawnmower (not it's fault though, it's distorting whatever you give it, noise and all). As for it's power, it's not exactly a heavy- metal style cruncher, but it does put out some pretty nice plain distortion and fuzz effects. In fact, it puts out a damn near perfect high-tone fuzz. It can make a novice guitar player sound like clapton from his cream days... until they screw up anyway.

This thing is built like a sherman tank. If this city got nuked, I'd bet the only things left in my apartment would be the cement foundations and this pedal. I don't tend to stomp on the thing, but anything with a metal casing this thick isn't going to break down without some serious abuse (like a mac truck running over it). I'm more of a hobbyist so I don't play gigs, but if I did I'd feel secure about this thing working on me.

If anyone has actually had to call customer support, I want a picture of the remains of their box... and the bear that got at it. Far as I know they don't even have any customer support.

I was a novice when I got it, so I guess I wasn't making a very informed decision, but now that I've actually built up some experience on the thing I'd say that if canadian terrorists stole it I'd probably go get the same thing. It's a good basic box. The only thing I think it lacks is a heavier distortion, but that's more for a specialized box. It's a good for general distortion effects, and has a decent quality level for it's price.

Simple, as all good distortion pedals are. Twist the little knob thingies and push the switch, woo!

kind of noisy, nice sound though, they're all noisy. oh, and I thought I should mention that when everyone was saying that Kurt Cobain used this for all his popular songs, well, this is not a 'grung' or 'fuzz' box, much of the time he was using his Big Muff for those famous tones (I have one of those too), they're great, but anyways, back to this one.

solid, but I refuse to say 'it's a boss'

I just said it's dependable

nice, just don't forget if you're really looking for the Nirvana or Smashing Pumpkins sound, they both used a Big Muff alot.

You can't get easier than this folks. Three knobs, tone, level and dist.The instuction book gets you right on your way from setting it uo to examples of differant controll settings. It even has a memo section so you can write down you own combos!

It has a nice distortion but it's not to heavy. I'm using it with an epiphone and sometimes a harmony strat throught a fender chapion 110 and a squier champ. The type of distorion can be changed from really muddy to tinny or in between for that crunchy sound. It's pretty quite and it't great for solos. If you turn up the dist and tone you can get a nive vintage fuzz.

I just got it but it's a Boss! I don't think you need a backup, it's very tough!

I haven't had to deal with them but who has too! it's a Boss!

It's a good overall pedal for all types of music except metal or punk, of course I don't play that typ of music but it doesn't seem heavy enough. If it were lost or stolen I would probaly buy it again althought I might upgrade to a Boss MT-2 metal zone.

Simple! How much tone, how much distortion, the output volume, plug it in, stomp it, Result: Distortion! I usually leave the setting as they are, so when I want to use it, all I've got to do is jump on it. Manual is good. Also give you suggested setting and a place where you can write in your own.

I have a Hamer slammer series (Californian) with a Peavey pracky amp. Sounds excellent, very little unwanted noise. One problem though it is a touch more difficult to get feedback compared to my Zoom or my amps built in distortion. But still a brilliant distortion

Toughest bloody thing! I kick mine around, jump off my amp onto it. the Battery lasts forever. I put all the dead batteries from my Zoom into it and it still goes forever!

N/A

I play punk/grunge/metal/alternative and it is brilliant! I've been playing for 2 yrs and have 2 electrics (hamer + el cheapo) and 1 acoustic. If I lost the pedal it would definitely be on my shopping list... but not before I checked out the DS-2. Anyone wanting a mean distortion which is completely reliable and reasonably cheap I suggest this pedal!

Three knobs only. It's not rocket science, you know! What does suck is the level knob is tough to rotate because all the knobs are bunched together.

I use a mustang through a performer1000 driving a marshall 4x12. It sounds AWESOME!!! I can get the ultimate Nirvana, Pearljam, FooFighters, and AIC sound out of my "little orange guy". Extremely versitile in all areas. Any other effects sound rich with him. Only complaint is he is noisy. I also have a X-tortion and this thing hisses but no noise. Same company, different problem. Can't figure it out.

I'm not even gonna bother, OK!! Reliability my @&&.....

I got some free stuff from them and they're a great guys to hoot.

Two thumbs and two toes up for my " little orange guy ". He is my favourite pedal. I've had him for a year now and I've never been dissapointed. I can't see myself playing any other pedal. I also have a x-tortion and a ds2 and the ds2's distortion isn't as full. Again, great pedal.

this unit satisfied at the start( about 6 monthes ago.) Then i bought a zoom 1010 and discofered th perfect use for this unit- as a distortion boost. connect this to any distortion and youre away! The range is massive- nearly any distortion will come out.

As i stated- i use it as a boost, so i do get large amounts of feedback. i havent noticed any hiss. I get a cool Nirvana or Led Zep sound. The tone control changes it from muddy to tinny , and i try to ignore

Its a boss. Ive thrown it against several walls, and have no problems with lending it to people for gigs. I like the recessed dials. Only problem is the batteries get used when some thig is plugged in, even when its off.

i met them at a show once. very knowledgable people, knew which pedals kurt cobain used and i wanted, gave me many freebies such as stickers. Generally uk support is well better than us support

better than a tubescreamer, very proffesional, top gear. I will buy boss again.

So damn easy, it's almost funny. Only 3 damn knobs, Level, Dist., and Tone.

I use it with my Fender Strat and a Marshall amp. It sounds great! Barely any sound when your not playing (although you can add feedback). It sound terrific! Can get some really nice Nirvana sounds out of it. Wouldn't really recommened it for those that play Metal, though. Still, you can get almost any sound out of this little box.

Let see, I've kicked it more times than I can remeber, it fell downt the stairs twice, kicked into my wall a few times, and it still is A-OK. This thing is immortal.

Boss probaly dosn't have a customer support line 'cause they make such dependable pedals.

I must buy! While it may seem like a cheap pedal because of the price, the sound would make you think it was an 80 dollar box! I was thinking of getting a DOD Grunge befor because I wanted a more grunge sound, but this one has just as good of a sound, plus it's more dependable, plus it was 40 bucks less! Can't go wrong with this thing.

Real easy to use. Has 3 knobes- Tone Dist. Level. The manual gives you some sample settingswich you can use to tailor ypur sound.

The best sounding pedal yet. Has a good Dist. which I play for any thing-STP, Green Day, Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana. Has a good sound from wisper soft to screming loud. I use it to play in my punk band and i can't go wrong.

Very reliable. I've had it for 3 months and it gives me no problems.

If I had to buy this pedel again I would. I played the DOD Grunge and this pedel is 100% better. This pedal gets a variety of soungs and is suitable for almost any one.

It's the easiest freakin' pedal EVER! Just three knobs that are easy to identify. The manuel, however, is totally worthless.

I hook it up to my Fender Start and my Fender amp. Sounds very good on it and dosn't have that much feedback. However, the distortion is kinda weak. It's not as distorted as I would like it, even when the distortion is turned all the way up. I play mostly grunge and alternative. Still, for 40 bucks, you can't go wrong.

You can stomp on this thing all day and it wouldn't break. Hell, I would go as far to say that you could throw it out of a 2 story house and it would be alright.

Let me ask you this: How many of you had to call Boss?

It's a very good distortion pedal for beginners or those looking for a bargain. I would bring it to a gig. Still, for my style of music, it dosn't seem to have enough distortion. I'll probaly get a DOD Grung pedal, but until then, the DS-1 is perfect.

So far besides, the crybaby, this is the easiest one to use. It only has 3 knobs a Tone, a Level, and a Distortion knob. Very simple. Just fool around with it until you get he sound you want.

I use this distortion pedal with my bass. I get a pretty sound from it. It is better than most distorton pedals. Most distortion pedal make the bass sound like a guitar not this one. It sounds good using my crate b80xl combo, but it really sounds good from an Ampeg head and Ampeg cab.

The toughest little pedal around. Batteries seem to last for ever unless I forget to unlug my cords.

I have not had any probs yet so I don't know.

Like I said before this pedal give a very good sound to a bass. I have had it for a couple months now an no probs. I haven't been playing long so this is the first real good pedal I have bought. If by some chance It runs away or is given the 5 finger discount I would replace it immediatly. Also another good pedal to get is the OBD-1 the bass overdrive.

This pedal could be operated by my 7 year old brother.

I have heard better distortions, but those were marshalls and stuff. I liked it with the tone knob all the way down and the dist. knob all the way up. If i put the tone knob up, it sounds cheap, but thats probably my cheapo guitar with my cheapo amp.

This is probably the most reliable thing ever made. if i threw i down the stairs i bet it would still work. the battery almost never goes.

Never needed it.

This is a very relable box, sturdy and has a great tone. heay metalers might wanna get a boss metal zone, but for anyone else, this is a cheap, great sounding box.

REALLY EASY TO FOOL WITH. IT ONLY TOOK ME ABOUT A HALF AN HOUR TO GET THE SOUND I WANTED. THE MANUAL WAS USELESS, I DIDN'T NEED IT AT ALL.

IT'S VERY QUIET AND IS REALLY SOUNDS GOOD WITH A KEYBOARD TOO.

I WOULD DEFINITELY DEPEND ON THIS THING WITH MY LIFE. I'VE THROW AGANIST MY WALL A FEW TIMES AND IT STILL SOUNDS GREAT. THE BATTERY LAST FOREVER.

NEVER HAD AND NEVER WILL HAVE TO USE IT CAUSE THIS UNIT ROCKS.

I THINK THAT FOR THE PRICE AND VALUE. IT IS A GREAT DEAL FOR ANY GRADE OF GUITAR PLAYER.

This is simple. One tone, dist. and level. Takes 10 seconds to get a sound you like.

The pedel gets very muddy if you turn the tone past half way. But other then that sounds great. Gets very hevey to kinda warm. I run it through a Tranor tube stack and it sounds great.

This pedel is very reliabile. I wouldn't even use take a backup to a gig.

Never delt with them.

If I had to buy it again I would. This is the best pedel I've ever used.

It doesn't get much easier than this-tone, level, distortion.

This thing sounds great! I"ve been reading a lot of these things that compare it to Kurt Cobain's guitar sound or the DOD grunge pedal-BULLSHIT! I've been using it for Metallica and Black Sabbath and never associated it with that crap at all. It's fairly noisy, but currently I'm a terrible amp that is always noisy. There's a lot of room for adjustment, and it takes a while to find what ou're looking for, but if you look hard enough you can bet it's in there. Besides, no matter how it's set it never sounds bad. Very versetile, you can a good sound for damn near anything from blues to metal.

Built like a tank, so don't be pokin' it with your toe like it's made of glass or something. Gig w/ no back up?-sure. You won't go broke on batteries either.

Never needed it, probably never will.

Over all the best distortion I've ever come across. Some complain it doesn't give the ideal Hendrix fuzz, blues dist, or over the top metal tones. But hey if you can afford, and have the time to screw with 3 or 4 genre specific distortion pedals, go buy a fuzz face, blues driver and metal zone pedals. But, if you want one kick-ass pedal that can competantly provide distortion for a wide variety of music, I would definitely recommend the Boss DS-1.

This pedal has 3 knobs, very simple. My little brother could probably work this peadal fine.

It's got great distortion, and can be set to pretty heavy distortion, but if you want heavier, I recomend the Boss FZ-2 Hyper Fuzz. It also has a pretty good crunch sound.... the only fault is that it has some backround noise, but it's still one of my favorite pedals.

this thing is a tank..... my friend got a DODFX69 Grunge pedal around the same time as i got this, and mine is in almost perfect condition and his would probobly sell for $10. Plus, i play guitar much more than him in bring this one everywhere.

i've never needed to get support, this pedal is top quality.

If anything ever happend to this pedal, i'd buy it again, although i don't think i'll be needing to... It's a great distortion sound that i use in every song i've written that uses distortion except one. The only other pedals i've compared it to were DOD grunge, which i decided right away was shit compared the DS-1, and boss DualOverdrive, which is not that much better for a much higher price..... I recomend this pedal for anyone looking for a good distortion box. The only thing i wish it had was the double tone knob like in other Boss pedals.

Easy to use, only 3 knobs(distortion,volume,tone) , a 5 yearold could work this thing! you don't really need the instruction manual. the instructions have some suggested settings but they are pretty stupid.

This is the second best distortion i've ever heard(the best comes from my PARK amp)but this is the best stomp box out there.This box is best when used on faster music (mostly power chords)like punk rock.The distortion is only but so heavy , wild people might want a heavy metal pedal. (It also achieves a good NIRVANA sound.)

this thing is indestructable. It'll probably still be working when I'm old and dead.you can actually feel the sturdiness when you step on it(unlike DOD pedals{when you step on one of those switches you fear the whole pedal will fall apart})This pedal doesn't eat a lot of batteries either,you won't need a backup.

Haven't dealt with them yet.

I'd buy it again.Boss blows away any shitty DOD pedal.BOSS pedals are inexpensive,sound great,built like tanks,and are easy to use

Typical Boss stompbox, Three knobs: volume, tone, gain.. how hard is that?

Ok, I've seen this associated with a "grungy" sound which is true about it. It creates a lot of feedback, noise etc. kinda reminds me of stuff I've heard on a Bikini Kill album. It's pretty easy to manipulate and screw with till you get the sound that you like although if yer lookin for the Purple Haze-ish fuzz yer not gonna get it at all in this pedal. It can get really muddy when you want it but it's warm sound is pretty mediocre.

Well unless you're doin somethin crazy like swinging it above your head by the chord or dropping it from windows I don't think it'll ever give out on yah.

never needed to bother with them

I guess it ended all my distortion needs for the time being although im thinking about getting a Tubescreamer or somethin to create a warmer sound in addition to this pedal.

Umm, well. It is a stomp box, and a distortion pedal, what do expect? I certainly isn't challenging to figure out...

A really good Nirvana-esque tone, good for other things too. I can make it scream like a Tool guitar solo also. Just like a BOSS.

Well, its a BOSS. I played soccer with it, it won't break.

Umm, wouldn't it cost more to fix a stomp box than to completely replace it? Never had to deal with them, but I'm asuming these guys are like the Maytag repair folkers...

I'd probably play a few more, like the Metal Zone, but something tells me it isn't going to break anytime soon.

Very Easy

Allright for begginers

i would trust my life on it

Never needed to call them

To be honest, i really dont like it. I cant get the exact sound im looking for. For people into stuff like nirvana and stuff like that, its cool. But i like slamming some distortion with a wah every once in a while, and other wierd stuff like that. I wouldnt even DREAM of mixing this freak with a wah. All in all, its ok, but it just doesnt deliver the sound i want. thats why im getting a Korg AX30

The knobs and the stomp part of it are very easy to use, the batteries hardly go dead, but sometimes, the DS-1 messes up the sound coming thru my amp if kick it on, play full blast and kick it off and then back on. (like the blur song), but otherwise, its great.

The sound is great, I use it on my bass and it gets a great sound, low, grinding and sometimes I will turn it so that it sounds like a grungy guitar tuned way down.

It has great dependability except for that minor flaw in the ease of use evaluation but no, i would not bring a backup because I wouldn't need one.

If it got used to the bone, I would buy it again, the souns is great and it keeps the bass sounding like a bass with distortion, not like some boxes that always keep your G sounding terrible, this box is designed for the guitar but its great for the bass. It keeps up and is very useful in most of my songs.

This pedal is fairly easily to use, three knobs, tone, level, and distortion. It can be extremely bassy, or tinny, either way, it's easy to use. It came with a manual, read it once or twice, not bad.

The pedal has absolutely no noise whatsoever when not in use, but if you tweak the distortion and put your guitar on a treble clean channel, there's a ton of crappy noise, I don't care much. If you have patience, you can make it sound good. I like to keep my pickups on bass, and put the tone knobs on the two o clock position, level on the max, and distortion at twelve o clock.

I have played tons of shows with over two hundred ppl, and i never even thought of having a backup pedal, this thing is indestructable, it's a Boss!!!

Never dealt with them.

I would definately buy it again, I love it.

Pretty easy to use -- just gain, tone, and level knobs. I'm using it mainly as a "kick the tube preamp in the head" level/treble booster for soloing. Manual's pretty decent.

It's a little noisy, but not as bad as my old ME-6. Using it as a booster works, but not quite as well as I'd like, because it compresses things too much. It seems to like single coil pickups better than humbuckers, too. Using it as purely as a distortion pedal yields a tone that's too grunge-oriented for my tastes; not bad, but not me either.

It's pretty tough, like all of Boss' stomp boxes.

Never needed it.

Probably wouldn't buy it again (it was an impulse buy). I think I liked my old Marshall Guv'nor better, although it *really* sucked as a booster pedal. I wish it had a clean boost option, but that seems to be strictly the domain of boutique pedals.

- its kinda hard to get a satisfying sound out of it, for me depends what mood im in - what are editing patches? - manual? lost it useless - my unit has not been upgraded, its kinda been re-issued they stopped makeing them in Japan in 1994 i think and now ther made in Japan

- it has loud treblle sounds which i like sometimes, kinda sounds like foo fighters "exhausted" on some settings - the effect sounds good depending on what you want to hear, you can get a good mudhoney sound outta it - i have a DS-2 and DS-1 and soon a CE-2 (vintage 80's) an i just recently hooked them both up, useing both at the same time is great for getting instant feedback and weird noise so im keeping the DS-1

im not gonna say "its a BOSS" its a cliche on Harmony Central

I think BOSS just tells people they have customer support so people feel nice, its probaly just a guy in a little room with a gameboy sitting there all day

- I would not buy it again cus theres no need to unless i sell it - i like its nice high trebble sounds and noise when combined with the DS-2 (wait till CE-2 comes in!) - I compared it to the DS-2... The differance? DS-1 "trebbly" DS-2 Bassy - I wish it could talk to me, and a differant color or the same color as the DS-2 - It helps me make music! When im playing some sonic youth "Drunken Butterfly" i can make nice noise with it - yes i would like to warn people buying this becaude Kurt Cobain used it- It sounds nothing like the Bleach Era, they stopped makeing the ones he used go here if interested in vintage pedals www.soundbarrier.com

It can't get any simpler. Just tone and distortion knobs. A few seconds of playing around with them and you'll have a good sound.

Very little feed back with my 61 SG reissue. It kicks ass for Nirvana like sounds. Otherwise it not very good at duplicating the sounds of many other bands. It gets extremely muddy with the tone turned down. Mainly just very crunchy and sharp distorion. The best setting is tone 1/2 way and distortion 3/4 of the way.

Roll over it with a tank if you want and it will still work. I'm sure they test these babies at ground zero.

There probably isn't any because nothing will go wrong, most likely.

If mine was taken by aliens, ya sure, I would definately run out and buy another even if I had to sell my car for the money.

You'd have to be an idiot for this to confuse you.

A little more low end would be nice, otherwise is great

I have used this thing for 10 years. That's not a typo. It is still goind strong, no problems

Cobain apparently must have used this for all the references to him here. I can assure you that it wasn't modeled after him. I have had mine 10 years, no problems.

Extremely easy to use and come with a manual.

For the most part is sound great. Could use a bit more punch, but is still better sounding then anyother pedals I've heard.

It's a BOSS. You could back over it with your truck and it would still work.

Never had a problem

Great pedal. Great price. Definately would buy it again.

It's pretty simple to operate, so you should have no problem dialing in on a good tone. It has three knobs: tone, level & distortion. It can go from fuzz, to warm and even kinda bluesy, and its normal rock distortion is great. The manual has some sample settings which are really good, and can help tou to develop your "own" sound based on them.

The normal distortion is awesome, and is a little bit noisy, but that's common in distortion boxes. Its really good for standard, all-around rock distortion. Sometimes the distortion doesn't feel as powerful as it should be, but it rocks anyway.

Built like a tank. Can withstand some serious stomping.

I've never dealt with the company, their products are very reliable.

I would definitely buy it again, and would even consider buying another one for back up since they're not that expensive, though I seriously doubt the unit would ever fail me. I do wish it had a bit of a little more punch, but its a great stombox. In fact, it's the one all other distortion boxes should be judged against, it's kind of a standard. And you can't beat it's price, it's value greatly surpasses it.

It's very easy. It has three knobs; Tone, Level and Distortion. The manual is for retards, eg: "If the pedal isn't working, make sure there is a battery in it."

It's noisy when you aren't playing, but a NoiseGate pedal can fix that. With the Distortion cranked, it gets really loud. This better is way better than the MT-2 or the DOD FX50-B. You can get that raw gut-wrenching distorted sound if you back off on the tone and distortion and crank the level up.

I can depend on this, baby. It's a BOSS!

Never delt with them.

I would buy it again, definately. I am using it for the effects loop on the Boss ME-8. I like the orange colors and the old-fashion looking knobs. The original price was $135 Canadian but Tom Lee Music had a sale and was selling it for $120, but I talked them down to $80! This pedal rocks.

It will give a good Nirvana or Smashing Pumpkin type sound. Nothing like a Metallica or Marilyn Manson. The manual is pretty good, though I lost it within the first week. But it does give some pretty good settings for the type of music that you might want to play

It is pretty noisy if you crank it up all the way (which I do alot), but anything other than that is pretty quiet.

I would be willing to bet my life on this pedal. It is one of the best quality pedals. I have totally abused this for about 3 months and it is still going strong. I would definetly use this on a gig.

Never dealt with them

I would probably buy this again, but I might go for something with a more Marillyn Manson type distortion. What I love though is that it is so simple to use, just 2 little knobs.

3 knobs, level, distortion, tone.

Can't beat the price (cheap) Sounds real good on a Fender Twin Chorus amp (stereo), The distortion wasn't very hard, better luck with a "Metal Zone" pedal.

I has NEVER failed me in 1 year.

Never had to ask 'em for help.

It helped me create good "Nirvana" like tones. I would recommend this pedal to a hard rock guitarist. I wish it had a LITTLE more UMMPH though, as far as price and versatility, it cannot be beat.

This was the first pedal I ever bought and it's still the one I use the most. You can get a wide variety of tones with it, and it usually works great in combination with other effects. I run a Boss Enhancer behind it in my effects loop for a REALLY crunchy sound. The only problem I have ever had with this pedal is that it feeds back a lot with my Crybaby Wah.

This pedal is amazingly easy to use but the sound you get out of it is pretty cheap. I think it needed a better variation of sound. The manual was pretty good. The sample settings were helpful.

The effects are preety clean (for distortion). The distortion is kinda weak though.

This unit is very dependable. I've never had any problems with it. The batteries last really long too.

N/A

I dont think I would buy this pedal again because of it's weak sound. It is really easy to use and great for just messin around. I wish it had more variations for sound. It helps when you are trying to come up with a tune because you can quickly chane the sound but you sometimes cannot get the right sound you want.

Knobs... Not much to be difficult about here.

I dug out my DS-1 recently after its been collecting dust for several years. I originally stopped using it when I got a Peavey Clasic Chorus 212 with SuperSat, preferring the built-in distortion and beginning my move from a biting distortion to a smooth saturated tone. I don't notice much problem with noise. If you like a sucked-out-mid sound, this does it really well. Really "crunchy" distortion. Don't plan on a smooth brown sound. For what it does, it does it well.

I've had it at least 5 years. No problems whatsoever.

I prefer a smooth sustaining sound, but I'd buy it again if: I wanted a harsh distortion sound, or wanted to use it as a boost to some other distortion. I'm keeping it as a last-ditch backup for my rack gear. Metal distortion pedal...

great distortion sound. I use it with a Fender Strat going through a Fender Bullet amp.

This is a great pedal. i would buy it again.

it can't get any easier, just adjust the knobs until you find a sound you like.

this pedal is awesome. it has such a huge range of sounds, from a soft warm distortion to a heavy crunching distortion.

it's a boss. need i say more?

never dealt with them.

i love this pedal. i would definitely buy it again.

It takes ages to get a good sound out of it. Most people think that one setup will do wonders but actually, a lot of variables have to be considered too such as your guitar. It took me about eleven months to get the sound that I QUITE like. What I did was I turned the bass and mid-range all the way down on my amp leavin' the treble at tops. Otherwise, it sounds like mud. I've tried increasing the mid as Kurt Cobain does but it sounds too fucked-up distortion. Sometimes, I even want to increase the output of my Power supplie( adaptor ) thinking it would increase the contour or sharpen the distortion signal but I'm afraid I may blow it up. What the hell are Editing patches? The manual's quite useless. These kind of three knobbed things with a foot switch can even be operated by dweebs. All I wanna' get now is the DS-2 Turbo Distortion and the Electro-Harmonix Small Clone Chorus. I'm kind of a Nirvana "re-live'r"

I don't really find it noisy cuz' I'm kinda' used to IT. What I would call noisy is when you turn all the knobs tops and set full gain and treble on your amp. If you want a low-level "metally" low-end, try turning up the bass and treble on your amp and mid-range all the way down. Depending on whether you're usin' a power supply or a battery, I'm only gonna' comment on power supply usage, For example, if you're like everyone else who keeps the Dist. up, with the Tone all the way down you'll get mud, all the way up too crappy, like looking for a radio channel, but at two o'clock it's great. What the manual says about getting a mild, warm distortion is crap. THIS IS A RAW DISTORTION PEDAL. NO CONTOURING. THAT's WHY i SUGGEST you get the DS-2 Turbo Distortion and an Electro-Harmonix Small Clone Chorus. Set them in these positions: (from left to right) DS-1, DS-2 and Small Clone. The distortion is very, very RAW. No damn contouring is allowed. You'll get the RAWEST Distortion around with these babies. This is a very committed distortion pedal. Also, depending on your guitar, not much sustain is present.

It's a BOSS. A Super Tank. A solid, raw-biting, INDESTRUCTABLE pedal!!!!!!!!! Since I use an adaptor, I don't need a battery, although it's quite cumbersome...

Never had to go for it. COMPRENDE~? It's a Boss. SOLIDITY IS IT'S BREED!!!!!!1

I would buy it again if I lost in any way. Even though I'm a drummer, I know my way with the guitar. I kinda' specialize in Nirvana stuff. I just love as a solidly committed distortion pedal. I minutely dislike its color. I wish I had the Roland DS-2 Turbo Distortion and the Electro-Harmonix Small Clone Chorus. I've heard what it sounds with these babies combined, including the DS-1 Distortion. If you'd like a sample, listen to Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit for the combo trio and Come As You Are for the Small Clone watery guitar effect. It helps me make music in a way that it is a piece off the Kurt Cobain Equiptment. Essential in my gear. Last thing, Nirvana rules. Our litlle group has always been and always will until the end. Kurt, I and Krist miss you man! Till our re-uniting day.

It's easy to get a good sound outta this box, but you may have to tweak yr amp, to perfect. The manual's souns settings are kind of funny, but still give a good idea to how the unit is used.

It gets noisy when the tone is on full, the effects at some time can be overwhelming, because it's so powerful. Good distortion sound.

it's a tough unit, i would like to test it with an eight pound sledgehammer, i swear by it...a tough cookie.

i wish a good fuzz sound could come out of it.

I got this used so I didn't get a manual, but it was so simple my dog could use it. 3 knobs, Tone, Level and Distortion. Just play with it till you find a sound. The tone switch is almost like an equalizer: all the way left it's really bassy and all the way right it sounds like hillary clinton with a thighmaster up her butt.

You get a little hum when you're not using it, but that's normal for distortion pedals. It's pretty fuzzy but that's what distortion is, isn't it? You can get a great alternative/grunge sound with it but I wouldn't reccomend it for metal players.. the low end isn't very "metally." For fun turn the distortion all the way up and tweak the E string. It sustains for like an hour!

It's been on the same battery for a month and still sounds like it sounded when I put it in. As for gigs, I prefer my Turbo RAT, and I use this for feedback and noise, but the RAT isn't dependable at all so I usually end up using the BOSS as my main distortion.

Can't answer that-never dealt with it. I threw it against my Honda when I got pissed off and there's a big dent in the car, but the pedal is fine. These pedals are built like a brick outhouse.

I'd buy a million of them. I love this pedal. My friend's buying my turbo RAT so i can get another one of these. A big muff doesn't even compare to this. It just kills. I put stickers and stuff all over mine because i don't like the color of it.

Simple 3 knobs.

Very noisey to Mild Warm. Awsome pedal, sounds like Kurt Cobain. The effects sound great always ready to go( Use a Power Supplie).

Its Boss!

I would buy a hundred of them. I love the distorsion. Great for hard rock (Alternative.)

It's pretty simple. Like three knobs- how hard can it get. It's pretty easy to make feedback when you want it and it's pretty easy to elimanate feedback when you don't want it.

I think it has a great sound when the Level knob is at 10 o'clock, the tone knob is at 11 o'clock, and the dist knob is at 4 o'clock positions. If you want a fuzzier distortion, turn the dist knob all the way. For feedback, turn all the tone and dist knobs most of the way. But it'll sound like crap with all three knobs turned on full.

It's a very dependable pedal. I've thrown it against the wall and it has been running off of a dead battery since the day I got it (4months ago) and still sounds great. No, I didn't buy it because Kurt had one (even though Nirvana is my favorite band). I bought for 2 reasons 1. My friend had one and it sounded awsome. 2. I hated my Boss Metalizer.

I'll probably never need to fix it or upgrade it.

Overall, it's a great pedal. It suits all my musical needs as far as distortion goes. I would highly recomend it if you can't afford a DS-2 which is slightly noisier.

It's not that hard. If Cheech and Chong put their minds to it, they could figure it out in a good half hour. I didn't get a manual. What's an editing patch? Firmware? Revision number? WHAT?

Noisy? Yes. It is noisy. (For the record, Kurt Cobain used the DS-1 and the DS-2. He never used the DS-50 or anything else.) The distortion is really good and filthy. Play over a clean channel, though.

I'll tell ya, this thing needs a FULL battery. It won't switch over for crap if your battery is pretty well used. An adapter is handy, but kind of cumbersome.

BOSS.

Everyone who plays Nirvana (buy FROM THE MUDDY BANKS OF THE WISHKAH) needs to buy this box. This kicks out great distortion with a perfect sensitivity. You don't have to play real hard to get a real grungy sound out of it. It just rolls and rolls. It's da bomb. YEEEEEEEEEAH BOY-EEEEEEEEEE!!! BAM!!!

Well, there are three knobs on the pedal, level(volume), Tone and Distortion. How hard can it get? But, don't be mislead: with these three knobs, you can produce an enormous range of sound. It's very easy to use to get a good sound out of it.

This pedal can produce a huge diversity of distortion from sweet-blue-distortion to thrash type of distortion. The only sound which I haven't been able to produce is the Pantera-sound and other metal sounds, but I use my amp-distortion for that.

I've thrown in couple of times, jumped on it, opened it up few times, but it still works.

I think Kurt Cobain used this pedal. This pedal is great. You can produce such a huge diversity of distortion, and at the same time it's so simple to operate. Although the distortion may not be extreme enough, it has that raw sound. The only thing that I don't like about this pedal is that you can't control the contour of your distortion. (maybe that's why it sounds so raw) I think everyone should have this pedal, 'cause it's a pedal that you can do so much with and use it a lot.

real simple, no matter how drunk you get

noisy, but no more than other distortions, easy to get a nice ruachy sound.

just like all boss effects, don't have to worry about stupid stage divers

never had a problem

As easy to use as can be.

See the previous entries. Everything I'd have to say has already been mentioned in them.

This one that I'm using is about as old and beat up as can be, and it works just fine.

If you're into basic fuzz tones and don't mind a little noise, then this is the box for you. If not, then look elsewhere.

Three knobs, level, tone and amount of distorion. Real easy.

It has the noise any distortion will have. It isnt a very flexible unit. The box claimed it can do softer, more subtle distortion, but it cant. Even at it's lowest rating, it's still pretty distorted. But, if you are looking for a dedicated distorion box,this might be the one.

Never had trouble with it or most of my Boss pedals

If you're looking for your basic, reliable fuzz box, this it it. 3 knobs - tone, level and distortion. Any monkey could run this thing.

It sounds alright. When your amp's cranked you get lots of feedback. At low volumes it still sounds good. The big problem with this box is that you can't really make play intricate stuff with the distortion all the way up without it sounding like a buncha noise. If you have more tone than distortion, it sounds bad. If you have more distortion than tone, i guess it sounds alright, but kinda muddy. it took me a while to figure out a decent setup.

This is a very reliable, solidly built box.

Like i said earlier, this is your basic, decent sounding fuzzbox. I like bright tones when i play, and this doesn't quite cut it. Keep in mind though, it wasn't built for bass and it doesn't sound like it.

5

8

9