Boss TR-2 Tremolo

Very straightforward, although i'm not sure if it's really ok in very high speeds - sounds out of tune somehow. To me that's not a problem, i want it between 10 and 1 o'clock anyway.

I did the C4 modification because most people recommend it, i even got an older TR-2 to be able to do this and did it right away after testing. Can't say if it's better because i didn't listen to it properly before. Anyway, after that - no volume drop, no loss of frequencies, maybe even a bit better with it on and depth on 0 than off... As for the sound - there is a discussion if it's vintage enough, i was disappointed on my small Fender transistor amp (FM25DSP or something like that), even thought about upgrading the tremolo, but using it with my Peavey Classic 20 which has been out of use for long but today got new tubes, it's lovely for being a modern pedal - don't think i'll bother to upgrade now... With the Peavey and my vintage SG i get the mid 60's English R&B sound i want, so next thing would be a proper reverb...

No doubts about this although i've had other Boss pedals causing problems in the past...

No experience

Only thing against this is that it - like all Boss pedals - is a bit ugly. When will they give up on that large square switch in favor of a more distinct and better looking vintage switch? If i would replace this it would be either if it stops working or to get a prettier pedal - and god knows only Behringer makes them uglier.

This review is for the older TR-2, the new one seems not to be reviewed yet!

I think the sound quality is very good. I also have a Behringer Ultra Tremolo UT100, which I think is excellent value for the money, but the TR-2 is superior, some in sound based on the amp sound I like, but much better in construction. I bring this up as well because of the mod issue. When I did the mod I found that my TR-2 started to sound more like the Behringer unit. I put back in the capacitor, or whatever the part is, in my TR-2 after I found that I did not like the sound of the mod. The volume difference was almost not noticable. The people at Boss are not idiots. That part keeps the pedal sounding more like a real tremelo sound you'd get out of an old amp. It keeps the sound more mellow and less artificial. Yes, I agree that the mod creates a more pronounced effect sound but I prefer the sound to be more subtle and less artificial, or digital. If some of you are having problems with your pedals, such as major volume drop, then I would say go for it. In my case, the pedal sounded fine to begin with, with no major volume drop or other issues. If your pedal sounds fine and has just a small bit of a volume drop, and you like the older more realistic sound that you get from an old Fender amp, don't bother messing with your pedal. I think the people at Boss weighed the difference and thought the pedal sounded better the way they set it up. I agree.

Based on my limited knowledge, I'd give the pedal a 9 because it does everything I'd expect it to do pretty well. I base this on the fact that you get a good deal on it as well, if price vs. value is implied in this category. In my case, I got a very good deal. I would say that used goods such as pedals, but especially amps where a lot can go wrong, shouldn't go for more than half of what you can buy it for new, if it is something currently being sold new and available. This does not mean half of list price, this means half the discounted new price that anyone can get online. People always make me laugh when they say that what they are selling is a good deal because it is half off of retail.

I found the controls to have a good usable range and to do what was expected.

This review is based on a test I carried out in a music shop's demo room, using a USA std strat straight into the TR-2 and with the output of the TR-2 fed into a 100w valve amp combo, set to give a warm, clean tone.

I liked the controllability and range of the controls, but found the tremolo effected sound quite thin. I was also testing another tremolo pedal in the same demo session, as an A/B (a T-Rex Tremster). The other pedal gave a far warmer sound with far more bass response.

On closer listening it transpired that the TR-2 was effectively cutting out most of the low end bass of my guitar signal.

However.... this was not the reason why i'm giving it a 1 rating, as one could argue that a thin sounding tremolo is what is required/desired (for some uses).

The reason I'm giving it a 1 rating for sound, is that I then moved on to test the TR-2 with it in bypass mode. I found that the same low end rolloff was happening in bypass as well. I'm not talking about a slight bass frequency drop here, but something pretty major. I tested a stright connection to the amp and also a A/B comparison with the T-Rex unit, just to check I wasn't mistaken, but sure enough in bypass mode the TR-2 losses a whole load of low frequencies.

I don't use phrases like 'tone suck' because they mean nothing descriptively. I'm talking about a severe bass frequency rolloff at I'm guessing anything below about 200hz. It would be interesting to hook a frequency sweep test set up to a TR-2 in bypass an see what happens at the lower end of the guitar's frequency spectrum.

Unless the TR-2 unit I tested (brand new) is faulty -adding this in your effects chain is going to ensure your guitar's signal is well and truely altered (for the worse). I can't see how anyone can use this unit effectively unless it is put in a side effects loop and swiched in/out when needed - even then, when you switch it in you are going to get a thin, bass light sound, which does not resemble the guitar's original signal or tone.

My advice - steer well clear of this unit. there are far better choices available.

I'd class the TR-2 as being unusable for serious guitar usage, for the reasons stated above. I know some 'name' players use the TR-2, so perhaps there is a mod I'm not aware of, or perhaps they use it in a switched loop and make do with the thin sound? I've used other Boss effects in the past and enjoyed them, so the TR-2 is a real shame.

Totally easy to use; no manuel needed! Speed/Depth/Waveform
end of story

Sound isn't colored much by the Boss TR-2 Tremelo. This unit isn't very noisy either. I can't give it a 10 on tone sucking or noise, but
pretty decent. Now before I removed the C4 from the circuitry it was warmer, but had a smothered sound. After the C4 "mod" it is opened up
more responsive, more powerful, not quite as warm. But removing the
C4 is definetly the way to go. The square wave could almost jerk your amp while pulsating, slow it down to a snail's pace if wanted, or hyper speed if wanted.

Boss has a reputation for solid, reliable units. I did have to insulate the battery wires; they were worn by stepping on the footswitch and had a naked space on it.

I have always liked tremelo. It's not going out of style like say
flanger, ring modulator, or space sounds, I'm content totally with the (modified) Boss TR-2 Tremelo. I have no plans to buy another brand or look elsewhere for any other tremelo unit.

Start with all knobs in the middle position. Sounds great - your standard tremolo sound. Start tweaking from there.

My pedal does NOT have the volume drop problem. I'm guessing that Boss heard about all the griping and fixed it in the newer models? Mine sounds great. Doesn't suck tone too much (at least not recognizably in live situations - but it probably does a little bit... as much as any other non-true-bypass Boss pedal).
The tremolo effect and tone is very tasteful and useful IMO.
In case you're wondering, my signal chain is: Strat -> Homebrew Power Screamer -> Maxon OD9 -> Boss DS-1 Keeley Ultra Mod -> Boss TR-2 Tremolo -> Vintage EHX Electric Mistress -> Ibanez AD9 analog delay

it's a Boss. Never seen one break yet.

don't know.

I play rock, jazz, pop... whatever pays the bills. Been playing 20 years. I'm not a huge Boss fan, the only other Boss pedal i use is a Keeley modded one. But this sounds great, and doesn't suck as much tone as I thought it would. I was pleasantly surprised, and this pedal has found a home on my board. I don't mind spending $$$ but this is an awesome value for $40 used. (Again, mine doesn't have the volume drop problem - maybe it's because it's a newer model?)

Dead easy. 3 parameters which provide a variety of very use able tremolo timbres. No need for a manual.

Ive just done the C4 mod.

Before C4 mod: 7/10

The overall effect was good however, my overall guitar tone was 'sucked' and a noticeable volume drop occured when the effect was switched on. This was especially noticable when playing loud through an amplifier. This was all due to the C4 capasitor. (Capasitors by definition have a 'mellowing' effect on a circuit....apparently!)

AND SO...

After the mod: 10/10

All my gripes with this pedal are gone! The volume drop has disappeared and now the pedal sounds much fuller, with a slight emphasis towards the bass frequencies, which I really like!

It's a Boss pedal - it will outlive me. 'nuf said.

(in a gig situation, my backup rig is a Pod XT so I wont be buying a backup pedal.....even if I could afford one......im quite poor!)

Never dealt with them.

To test the effect this mod did to the pedal, I recorded my PRS Custom 22 into the TR-2, then into a Pod XT and finally into Pro Tools LE 7.3 via an Mbox. This was then monitered through a pair of Beyer Dynamic DT-150s (sick headphones! buy some lol). I was careful to use exactly the same parameters on all the equipment involved to make this a fair test. I recorded a simple chord sequence and then a lead part to examine 2 different ways this pedal could be used. This was recorded twice; once before the pedal was modded, and once after. (and yes I did my best to play with the same velocity)

The results were great! after listening o the modded tremolo sound, I was really impressed. Looking at the Pro Tools session file also showed that the waveform from the modded recording was larger than the original signal, proving that the volume drop has been removed.

This pedal is a fantastic addition to my effects arsenal! Now that the C4 mod has been done, the TR-2 will be on my pedalboard for a very long time! Dont get me wrong, I am not a tremolo pedal expert and no doubt that Fulltone or EHX or whoever probably make a better tremolo, but FUCK IT. I like this one and for the price I payed, who can argue! End of.

Completely idiot proof. I got mine's second hand (the previous owner modded it) unboxed and without a manual and was having fun with it within seconds. There's even a handy diagram of the wave shapes next to the middle knob.

Sounds great but suffers from a slight volume dip without the mod, definately get this done if you have one of these pedals or are considering getting one. You can change the shape of the wave and get some pretty cool surfy sounds out of it. I play a Mexican Fender tele' through a solid state Laney head and marshall 2x12 which sounds ok, but i've also messed around with it through my mates Orange AD-30 and it sounds just grand.

Boss stuff in general is pretty solidly built and dependable.

n/a

I'm not a massive gear head or anything but this sounds, to my ears, as good as anything i've heard and is pretty fairly priced. I don't think a pedal twice the price of this one would be 100% better. I spent about a month mucking about with mine's til' i started using it legitimately, I really hitting chords with this plugged in after a delay pedal and mucking about with the knobs on both. Great fun!

Good Pedal. Simple to use. I recommend doing the C4 Mod (see other reviews) - makes a good pedal even better.

Sound good. No noise. Nice tone (espedially after Mod).

Boss - verywellbuilt - even my taiwan model is - just as solid as any of my other Boss pedals.

Never had to contact Boss.

Does just what I want it to do - nice vintgage type tremolo tone - even better with simple mod (clip the C4 capacitor - takes 30 seconds - and I am a techno idiot). And with the square wave option and a little ditortion you can even nail the "How Soon Is Now" sound byt The Smiths.

Very simple. The wave form knob is subtle. I got authentic tremolo sound right away, very much like Fender vibrato.

I thought the effect was bold enough right out of the box. It could be that mine is a newer one or perhaps I better understand the perceived sound level of a tremolo (half on - half off) since I've had the gold standard Fender Super Reverb vibrato.

Mine has some hiss when engaged (on the "on" cycle of the modulation). Mine is in a board with four others though. It's not heard when playing, only when quiet. Not good for a quiet recording.

It's a Boss-virtually indestructable. I was considering cheaper pedals but this Boss matches my other Boss pedals in my array.

I've never used them but I hear they are responsive.

I play classic rock, country, some light jazz. This sounds nice on old surf instrumentals and pretty chord melody stuff. Only a handful of hits used this but I use it more than I thought. I like this pedal.

Look at it. It does not get any easier than this.

I have never modified any piece of music gear before today. I don't even know what a soldering gun looks like, but I know when a tremolo pedal sucks tone. And before 10 minutes ago, my TR-2 (purchased new in the fall of 2006) sucked the life out of any guitar that I ran through it. It was actually purchased for me by a company paying me to play in a musical theater show with all 60's music. Six months later (after not using it since the show) I was about to put it up for sale on Craigslist when I decided to check out this "C4 mod" that I read about last fall before I told the guys which one to buy. There were on a budget and I figured the TR-2 would at least not malfunction.

So I followed the instruction below which I cut and pasted from a review that's listed just a few before mine. Believe me, I was a bit nervous before I snipped. Who am I to be modifying effects pedals?
I snipped the C4 capacitor, plugged it back in, and suddenly it's my new favorite pedal. Holy crap. It sounds fantastic. I can actually hear the tone in my Strat neck pick-up... LOUD and CLEAR. Do it folks, follow these instructions. I'm rating it a 9 because I never tested any other tremolo pedals.

HERE IS HOW YOU PERFORM THE C4 MOD:
Materials:
(1) Phillips-head screwdriver
(1) Bowl or cup (you don't want to lose any screws)
(1) Pair of small scisors, wire cutters, or nail-clippers.

-Take the battery out of your pedal, and/or unplug it from a wall outlet adapter.
-Unscrew the bottom 4 screws from the pedal, and put them in your cup or bowl.
-Take the bottom panel and plastic covering off underneath that.
-Pull out the circuit board, keeping in mind you will have to pull out at an angle so the 9v adapter box can slide out of its hole with ease.
-Locate the larger of 2 small "silvery pillow" objects (capacitators, if you know what they look like) and cut/clip both leads from the circuit board.
-Tape the C4 inside your pedal somewhere so that you don't lose it. (Encase you decide that you hate a good sounding pedal, you can solder it back in.
-Put the circuit board back in, replace the plastic cover, screw the bottom panel back in, and you're done!

I have 3 Boss pedals now. They are strong and reliable.

Haven't needed it.

Like I wrote earlier, this pedal is fantastic after the "C4 mod." I will be using it tomorrow night for a gig. But it's the only tremolo pedal I have ever used, so it's gets a highly satisfied 9.