Boss DS-1 Distortion

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.

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