Boss TR-2 Tremolo

3 knobs. turn, set and away you go. Easy peasy japanesy

Disappointing.
There is a very definite volume drop with this pedal.
When I use it without overdrive I have to turn on my clean boost or compressor with it so it's not buried under the other instruments.

Not good. By far the worst trait of any boss pedal. I can handle it not being true bypass. But for a pedal as expensive as this they should sort it it.

It's boss. You could throw it out of a plane and it would still work

no experience

I think it's time for Boss to start thinking about the TR-3.

Obvious improvements would be getting rid of the volume dip, maybe even putting a dedicated volume control on it.

Another thing that would be really cool would be a Tap tempo. That's what makes their phase shifter so useful.


Overall this product is the weakest link (literally) in my pedal board. Everything in it is boss apart from my Wah Wah and Overdrive.

Must do better...see me after class

Typical three knob stomp box. Sick green color. Rate-speed /depth-intensity/ and wave-shape of the waveform. AC adapter port is on the topside where ALL AC ports belong! BOSS battery compartment with the thumbscrew. Typical BOSS quality. Very easy to use. I had my sound going in about 30 seconds. Totally silent switching with a red LED to tell you it's on.

Sounds just like an old Fender circuit. I have no idea what all the volume drop is about. Mine is an older unit and I notice zero drop in volume when I step on it. As for all the mods-it don't need no stinkin mods, amigo.
Les Paul into Wah-wah, into TR-2, into BOSS ME 5, into Roland Blues Cube or Fender Blues Junior or Fender Blues Deluxe RI. For surf-o-licious wobble it kills! I'm perfectly satisfied with it. Compares favorably with pedals costing much more. (our other guitarist has a boutique trem stomper for comparison) Trem circuits pre-date reverb...it ain't rocket science and it's been around for 50 years.
Honestly I cannot fault it in any way. Simple, easy to use and it delivers the sound I was looking for.
Handles bluesy overdrive real well and the cleans are not colored at all, whether the TR-2 is on or off. Very quiet-no noise.

Good stuff...no worries.

You're kidding, right?

I'm playing in a classic rock/surf/blues band. I needed trem for some of the tunes we play. I came here to HC and scoped out a few pedals. The TR-2 seemed like a reasonable unit for a good price ($40-used). No regrets.
I read a lot of reviews here on the TR-2 that discussed the mods on these. I have no need for any improvement, myself. Others swear by the mods-good for you. I try to buy my stuff based on the sound/utlity. I don't swap parts if I can avoid it. Almost all of my gear is stock. In my opinion, no improvement is needed with this pedal. It does exactly what I want it to do with no issues.

Three controls- rate, wave, depth.
Super easy to use!

I bought my TR-2 but in the mid-late '90s and I've run it in several different setups with several different amps and guitars through the years.
Not noisy at all, in fact it runs very clean.
The only problem is what the TR-2 is notorious for; it's volume drop... but even with it's volume drop I'd still recommend it.
If boss managed to fix the volume drop it would easily get a 10 rather then the 7 rating.

Boss pedals are tough... everyone knows this so I'm sure I wouldn't have to try and convince anyone.

It's your basic tremolo effect- it will work well for any type of music you throw at it.
If it were lost or stolen I would grab another over the competition but I would (as I have been meaning to with my current unit) have the keeley mod done (analogman's mod is also very good) and that would fix the volume dropping issue.

3 knobs for rate ,depth and waveform.couldnt be easier.
Tap tempo would be nice but did blackfaces have it as a feature? Of course not !!!!

The volume drop on this pedal is only a percieved drop as all trem effects do this.Its a psychoacoustic thing.
It does a good job of emulating a nice subtle fender amp trem right up to stuttering morello type stuff by way of wobbly surfy cramps.
my only complaint would be that it is a bit hissy but you cant hear it when your playing and you could gate it when your not...problem solved.
overall a very usable pedal which isnt leaving my board any time soon.

its boss so will last a long time.ive had all manner of boss pedals in my time and only one died (a dd2)

never dealt with them

apart from the hiss its a great affordable way to get some swampy wobble into your sound.
you could always spend way more on a demeter or similar but give this a whirl 1st and you may be pleasantly surprised.

This review is for the pre-2008 version. It's my understanding that Boss has corrected the main problem I encountered with mine in the newer version.

Of course it's an easy unit to use. It's also pretty versatile.

I'll do my best to describe as accurately as I can just what I personally encountered with this unit. I wanted a tremolo to make up for the lack of tremolo in my Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. I sound I wanted was based on the sound Robbie Kreiger got on the solos on Riders On The Storm, not for that song specifically, but to use on some other things. The TR-2 does this sound very well and is actually a pretty versatile unit overall.

Now, there are various reviews on here where people talk about a significant volume-drop. In all fairness to Boss, I have come to the conclusion that this depends on your own personal system. Up until recently, my pedalboard was audio-wired traditionally, that is, one pedal into the next, into the next, etc. In this configuration, I did not notice any volume-drop when the unit was engaged. I used the unit for about four years in this configuration with no problems. Recently, however, I aquired a Road Rage 8-channel true-bypass looper and routed all my pedals into individual channels on this looper. Now, with each effect isolated, I have encountered a significant volume-drop when I engage the tremolo patch. Not just slight, but very significant, to the point where I've had to replace it with a Catalinbread Semaphore.

I'm not a technician so I can't say why there would be this kind of difference due only to the audio routing but it is the case, nonetheless. I have not encountered this problem with the Semaphore, which has a volume control.

I used the unit for four years without a problem, and it's in the typical Boss enclosure.

I have never dealt with Boss.

I've been playing professionally since 1974 and still am. It's my job. And I can say with certainty that this sort of volume-drop is not in one's immagination, as suggested in one of the other reviews here. If that were the case, it's doubtful some of the other companies would goto the trouble of building volume controls into their units to compensate for this very thing.

My overall opinion is that if you run your pedals traditionally, you're probably okay using this unit, although I might suggest buying a new, post-2008 version just in case. But if you're isolating your pedals with a looper, I would suggest looking elswhere for a good unit with a volume control.

Very Easy! 3 Knobs, Speed, Depth, and wave shape.

This is a very natural sounding Tremolo. Doesn't color your tone too much and is just subtle enough. I can get a great SRV tremolo sound with this pedal.

Boss... Built like a tank! Nuff said!

I play blues rock. Playing for about 25 years. My signal chain is Fender Strat with Fralin Blues Specials, Voodoo Labs Sparkle Drive, MXR - Phase 90 - Dyna Comp - Classic 108 Fuzz, Boss Tremolo - Dynamic Wah, Maxon AD-9 analog delay, Korg Pitchblack tuner, into a Peavey Classic 30 combo w/ Celestion Vintage 30.

This Pedal is a perfect compliment to my overall "Power-blues" sound!

Three controls, Rate, Depth, and Wave.

Probably a 10 for someone familiar with Tremolo pedals, 8 for the newbie. It is easy to get a "good" sound out of the unit, maybe slightly harder to get exactly what you're hearing in your head.

The Wave control goes between Triangle and Square wave and is mostly a "color" function to be set after Rate and Depth. [What I'm trying to say is to not be intimidated if you don't have any idea what its supposed to do. :) ]

My rig:

Epiphone Sheraton II >> MXR DynaComp >> Vox 847A Wah >> mXR 10-Band EQ >> BBE Green Screamer >> EH Big Muff Pi (Russian) >> MXR Phase 90 >> Boss TR-2 Tremolo >> EH Holy Grail Reverb >> MXR Carbon Copy Delay >> BBE Boosta Grande >> BBE Sonic Stomp

There is a slight volume drop when the pedal is engaged.

It sounds good on ultra clean settings and light-to-mid distorted settings. Haven't really tried it with heavy gain, but supposedly Tom Morello uses the TR-2 so it must not sound too bad. :)

Unlike a lot of other Boss stuff I've played with this pedal has a definitely personality; also between the three different controls you can go from vintage, 50-60s like warble (Sleepwalk) to the big E minor chord from Mary Jane's Last Dance (Petty) to modern stuff like Boulevard of Broken Dreams (Green Day) or Guerrila Radio (Rage Against the Machine).

Use it as a hammer or self-defense device in a pinch

Excellent tremolo. It is digital and buffered bypass so there is a small amount of tone difference but nothing too terrible.

I'm thining about getting mine modded by Analogman, which supposedly takes care of the volume drop and gives the trem a little more presence.

If anything, I wish this unit had been 25ish dollars cheaper and/or came with a power supply.

3 controls, pretty easy to get a good sound out of...

Since I had never used a tremolo before, the manual was quite helpful in trying out initial sounds. Of course I went on my own once I got the hang of it. I did perform the C4 mod...more on that below

2004 Ibanez S470 into a Peavey JSX head with GT6L6 tubes. For the record, I have my TR-2 placed in the effects loop, not in the main line.

Haven't had it that long, but as we say here on H.C., "it's a Boss..."

Never dealt with Boss.

The main reason that I decided to post a review on this is to let everyone know that it seems that Boss has reverted to the older style boards in the TR-2. I just picked mine up new about 2 weeks ago, and I did have to perform the C4 mod on mine. It has been mentioned on here previously that Boss changed the circuit boards and that you can't perform the C4 mod on new TR-2s/the mod has no effect on new TR-2s. Mine was brand new out of the box, and the C4 mod was needed. I can't say that I noticed any "dirtying" of my tone after the mod, but the volume drop problem is solved by performing it.

Pretty simple -- 3 knobs. Rate, Depth and Wave.
Wave is square or rounded. Didn't take 2 minutes to figure out how to do what I wanted to do.
The manual has some sample settings that I liked: Vintage Tremolo, Electric Piano Sound, Swtiching Technique Sound, Rotary Speaker Sound. Didn't care for the last one: With the Rate turned up all the way it sounds like Outer Space setting, but the rest are useful.

This is the category that prompted me to write this review.
The only trouble with most of these reviews is they're all about about the C4 mod. Sounds like spinal surgery. I bought mine new in July 2008, today.
After reading the reviews I decided to thoroughly A/B it. I play a '99 Les Paul Studio into a Fender Twin. I put the TR-2 into the effects loop and my guitar straight into the 1 input, switch down for 25-watt sound instead of 100-watt (hey, I'm in my living room).
I had my wife repeatedly twist the Mix knob from 10 to 1, wet to clean.
With the effect turned off, I noticed no change in tone, playing full E-chords, A and B chords; playing chords further up the neck; noodling up high on leads. Don't know if it's a true bypass, but it's close.
I think the effect is at least an 8 on transparency even when on, playing in all those situations (chords or single notes, bass or treble). No dropoff in volume and tone was preserved between clean and tremolo. Maybe it's a 9 or 10, but I'm reluctant to claim that.
I'm playing a Gibson Les Paul into a Fender tube Twin, so tone is important to me. This pedal passes, at least the 2008 version.

It's a Boss. I've had my PH-1R since '84 with no problem, so I'll say this one is probably reliable.

Hope I'll never find out.

I like this pedal more than I thought I would. "Until We Sleep," from Dave Gilmour's first album: Set the Wave to square and the Depth all the way up, Rate about 1 or 2 o'clock and you're there.
I like Rate about 1 o'clock, Depth around 1 o'clock and Wave around 11 o'clock for an average setting.
I'm thinking this might be one of those effects I use most of the time. Set all the setting shallow and it's a nice background vibrato.

It's easy enough to use. No problems. I have no idea if there are upgrades available. I doubt it.

It works and does what it's supposed to do. I'm not that much of a tone freak to know if it's the best one available. There may be better trem units out there, but I haven't found a better one yet. If I do, I'll buy it. I use trem on maybe 2-3 songs per night.

Boss's stuff is bulletproof. Or so they say.

The first TR-2 I bought died after about three days. The second one didn't work right out of the box! In a fit of anger, I called Boss directly and after some difficulty (I had to go "up the ladder" to the director of customer service), they sent me a replacement direct from the factory. This one, finally, worked fine.

It's very good, obviously.

If it were lost of stolen, I would check out other trems before buying this one again. If the TR-2 turned out to be the best one, I would buy another. I wish it oscillated faster. That's my only complaint, but it's not such a big deal.

Very easy to use.

This is on the new TR-2:

In 2007 the Boss TR-2 has undergone some significant changes in the cirquit design. The new version is easily recognized by a "R" sign on the box. The new model is still all analogue.

But finally Boss has reacted on the complaints about volume drop. What have they done? They have exchanged R9 for a trim pot. The way it is set up from the factory (around 2 o'clock on the trim pot) there is no volume drop. By turning the trim pot counterclockwise you can further boost the volume level. By turning it clockwise you can set it to unity gain like on the older models (which had no volume drop at all, by the way. It was all just psycho acoustics, as a trem is supposed to sound weaker because of the drop outs during the pulsating).

The C4 Mod can be done on the new models, either. But there's no need for the C4 Mod anymore. I did the C4 to both - old and new - models and I can assure you, that it is the wrong way. It doesn't boost the volume but increases the transients and just makes it sound harsh, sterile and cold. Totally useless. Takes all the warmth out of your guitar every time you step on the pedal.

The folks at Boss may be dumb, but most folks on the internet and in the forums are even dumber. Everyone with an ear or two should hear the negative efffects of the C4 Mod. Just snipp one leg of the capacitor - then put this leg in an out of the board and listen carefully. Everyone who has done it this way has soldered the C4 back in again asap. Do yourself a favour and keep the pedal intact. There's a need for this capacitor in the cirquit, otherwise Boss would have dropped it.

The sound? Nice vintage style tremolo.
Just two minor complaints: It can't do the more extreme helicopter throb kind of thing and there's a little hiss, but that's about it. All in all a great pedal.

It's a Boss.

I play since 30 years and had it all. This is a good tremolo. Not the best, but it's rather cheap and a great value for the money. No volume drop on the new models and an internal trim pot. What more could you ask for?

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.

It has three knobs, two more than me, it's that simple

I tried it out with my U.S.A Telecaster and a Vox VR30 amp.
At first it sounded pretty tinny/empty, I've just done the C4 modification, and it's been brought back to life.

I'd give it 2 before the mod, 10 after, i'm really pleased with it.

Since the C4 mod, it responds better than before, it's got a nice warm "worn in feel" like a good pair of shoes.

It's a Boss pedal, so it's really reliable, if it ever did die on me, i'd buy another and use this one as a doorstop.

Never had any call to use Boss support

My style varies a lot, i play 60's, Punk, Indie etc. I'd definatley buy another one if it was stolen.
The only thing is know, is to sort out my other Boss pedals, is there any diy mods you can let me in on.

3 knobs, easy.

SINCE I DID THE C4 CAPACITOR...... lovely and warm, very smooth old school sound, wraps you up in a mellow tremolo sound.

BEFORE THE C4 MODIFICATION..... sucked out all my vintage gears tone. I use '60's Fenders with '50's Fender amps and as with 99% of new Boss products it 'moderned' my sound to much.

It's not as good as old tube or boutique tremelos, but you wouldn't exactly want them on your used and abused pedal board! I was about to sell this Tremelo when i stumbled across the modification.

FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS OF A GREAT GUY A FEW REVIEWS DOWN FROM THIS, BUT IT ONLY WORKS ON OLDER TR-2's.

***** CHEERS FOR THE HELP MATE *****

Boss = RELIABLE. Most of my Boss pedals are pre 1985 and still work as they did then.

Never needed to use them.

But, in the 'Boss Book' the founder of Boss says that the new ones are just the same as the old early Japanese ones... we all know thats B.S.

Now i've modded it, i'm chuffed as punch. If you like the old school and roots, you will too.

Before that, just another 'ok' new Boss pedal.

If you don't know what i mean, Pepsi challenge the new Boss against the old.

Important update on the C4 mod...

I wrote the original C4 mod instructions back on 11/27/04, and apparently many HC readers have been happy with the results. However, I started getting emails from people saying that the couldn't find C4, and that their circuit board didn't look like the picture I sent them.

From what I gather, Boss has "upgraded" the TR-2 to a new design (possibly all digital). therefore, YOU CANNOT DO MY C4 MOD ON THESE NEWER PEDALS! I do not have a new TR-2 myself, so if anyone out there has more info on this issue, please email me or post it on HC.

Unfortunately, you cannot tell the difference between the old style and new style from the outside. You have to open the unit up and see if it has the new board or the old board. If you really want this mod, I suggest you find an older TR-2 from Ebay. I just saw a bunch listed, including units with the C4 mod!

Email me if you have questions. I can send you a picture of the old style circuit board showing where C4 is.

Three dials....it doesn't get any easier, just listen, rotate to taste and serve.

Well I was very cautious about this magical C-4 modification to stop the slight drop in volume. I had thought maybe the folks doing this mod really did not remember the old trem sound as I did.
OKAY, I bit the bullet and did the simply snip, snip on the C-4 and OH am I glad I did. The sound really cleared up and became much more vibrant so I'd have to recommend this modification to this pedal to anyone. I'm using it currently with a Roland Blues Cube BC-60 and with a Fender Highway 1 Strat, Samick SAT650 (355 clone) and a Tele.
All sound very very nice. Smooth.....like velvet. Tremolo is a very nice effect IF used selectively. I used it with a touch of delay and a little chorus and it surprised me and sounded like Danny Gattons Magic Dingus Box......well...close.

As they say 'Like a tank'. I have seferal OLD Boss pedals and they have all stood the test of time.

Never had to use it.

I've played a variety of music in several bands for more then 30 years. If this pedal got away from me I'd get another (and do the C-4 simple mod). Great value for just the amount I ws willing to spend and then some.

-Three knobs (typical boss pedal set-up), Rate, Depth, and Wave.
-A "check" light tells you if the pedal is on or not.
-Two 1/4" jacks for input and output, which are CLEARLY labeled.
-9v power adapter port on the "back" of it.

This setup (like all other boss pedals) is about as basic as you can get. My only complaint with ease of use is with the wave knob. If I did not know what they were referring to with the use of the word "wave," it would not be self-explanatory. Although everything is clearly labeled and explain in the user's manual, this could possibly concern a lesser-educated musician who perhaps bought the unit used and without a user's manual.

SEE "SOUND QUALITY RATING" BELOW:

I bought this pedal to get a "warm-and-fuzzy" feel for the softer songs by my indie rock band. First plug-in, and I felt like the pedal fails. I noticed a definite output level drop when the pedal was turned on. At first I figured that I was imagining things, as the pedal was MADE to swell or alter the output, but I clarified this by turning the rate/depth knobs all the way off, (which causes the pedal to do nothing) and the output was in fact lower.

The actual tremolo effect itself seemed to be dry and boring, almost as bad as some low-end digital effects. I took the time to research the pedal online, hoping I just got a defunct one... which is when I found out about the C4 mod!

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!

Benefits of the C4 Mod:
-No output drop when the pedal is on
-Warmer, more vintage tremolo sound (think 60's/70's psychedelic records)
-Less "hiss" from the TR-2 in your pedal chain

SOUND QUALITY RATING:

WITHOUT THE C4 MOD: 4

WITH THE C4 MOD: 9

It's made out of some kind of heavy alloy or metal, so the casing won't break. The inner circuitry is protected by some soft plastic, and is held tightly in place, so its not going to wiggle around inside the pedal. Overall, I trust the dependability of this pedal 100% and wouldn't even think to ever need a backup.

I've never dealt with boss's support line, but I've heard the good the bad and the ugly about it. I'm sure it's on a case-by-case basis that you get good or bad service.

Coming from a guy who plays anything from jazz to heavy rock, I find this pedal pretty useful and versatile. I believe in moderation and variation of effects, so I try no to over-use them in my music. The great thing about this pedal is how many different sounds you can get out of it, from a warm-and-fuzzy love song feel to a heavy Mars Volta jam-esque sound, this pedal is a must-have in my opinion.

it's that simple even a bass player* can work out how to use it...

3 knobs Depth, Speed, Wave Shape which ... um.. well... surprisingly...control the
A: depth
B:speed
and...
wait for it...
wait for it....
C: wave shape.



* I AM THAT BASS PLAYER... :P
well I mostly play bass but I swap roles with the Rhythm guitarist, playing a Rick for our "jingle jangle" indi pop or a Bass VI for trashy swampy rock tracks.

Perfect for classic 60's surf, UK pop/rock and 80/90/00's inti/alt rock


Set up - Fender Aerodyne Telecaster , Rickenbacker 350/6, Fender Bass VI.

effects - Line6 DM, Crybaby, boss chorus ensemble.

Amps - Laney VC30-212 + Vox AC30 run together in stereo, and, occasionally, a Roland Jazz Chorus.

I put the TR2 last in line in to the Laney VC30 after the stereo split on the chorus pedal so the Vox AC30 uses it's own built in tremolo unit, I deliberately run the TR2 and the VOX with slightly different speeds (al la Johnny Marr style) which causes some crazy stereo volume shifts (insert evil grin)


Look I use one unmodded and it still sounds great - honestly when your cranked over six tenths on your valve amp and the other guitarist, bass player and drummer are making a racket a bit of hiss is not going to ruin your day and a slight overall volume drop... meh I never noticed it on stage or in rehearsals, when I'm practising I just ignore it knowing it won't show up in the final mix .

It's a Boss do they ever, really, break?
love 'em or hate 'em these things (even the newer non Japanese units)... never ever seem to break...
I still have and use units I've owned since school days which means they are close to (cough) 30 (cough) years old - no problems bar the occasional lost plastic knob and the odd broken battery connector and one slightly split case (due to an Ampeg 8x10 fridge falling on it). Never had a "catastrophic" failure.

see reliability... I've never needed to take a Boss pedal in for repairs but I've dealt with Boss/Roland for synth and amp repairs if they are the same guys then I'd give them the overall ratting of "generally very happy"

a great basic effect that's cheap enough to be in any guitarists kit....

It will take some time to get it set just right. A lot of it has to do with the tempo of your music and what application you're using this for. However, the controls are really straightforward.

I did modify this unit by cutting out C4 or whatever that piece was. What a difference! Much more responsive. Sounds like a vintage trem pedal now. It's really clear, and there is no volume drop. It also works extremely well with other pedals. It's not noisy at all in my setup. I run it first in my chain, and then it goes through about 8 or 9 other pedals.

My only gripes about this pedal are the lack of volume control, and the subtlety of the effect. You really have to crank the depth knob to get the effect to stick out. But, most trem sounds are supposed to be subtle, so this is a good replication. Without the mod, I'd give the sound a 5. With it, the sound is an 8.

Boss.

Boss.

A really, really good trem pedal. Just do the mod! It's bonehead simple if you have a functioning frontal lobe. Don't spend $200 dollars or something on a trem pedal. This is the real deal!

This "review" is more about the much hyped-about C4 mod. I love modding and bending equipement, and even build my own little noise boxes. I'm not an electronics pro, but I get by for simple non-DSP stuff. I had some time to kill last night so I thought what the heck! I also devized to add a switch to toggle the C4 cap circuit "cut and uncut". Fun little project.

When I got it done and plugged it in, I was a bit confused to hear absolutelly no difference. I had a simple circuit done so that I could AB back and forth it in an instant to compare. I went back to the table and checked each wire and each solduring point with a multimeter, and to make sure that no solduring points were accidentally bridging to others. I was using a low-watt iron and was quick with my solduring, no chance to burn out the cap.

I test again. I crank the volume on my Peavey C30 and SOS a riff so that I can try different knob settings while Abing the mod. The differencs I DID hear are very slight boost to the low-end when using a square wave. It's so slight that you really have to look for it with no distractions though. This is definatelly not the night-and-day difference I keep hearing about.

So I'm very confused and dissapointed. On one hand, I hear no difference (I only knwo of one other person on another forum that heard no difference with his), on the other hand, dozens (hundreds?) of people are raving about this mod. So many that it's impossible that it's fake.

Could it be some TR-2s are built differently than others?

Very straightforward design. This pedal is ruggedly constructed like all Boss pedals, and is very easy to understand and use. Anybody can add it to their effects chain and dial in their desired tremolo sounds in seconds.

This pedal does exactly what you would want a Tremolo to do: it operates cleanly in that it does not color the sound of your instrument in any way, and it can create all the vintage tremolo sounds of the 50's and 60's in one package. I have had this pedal for years and played it with various amp and guitar combinations, and the results are always the same. Since the pedal is so transparent, it will sound great in any rig. The only reason this pedal gets an 8 for sound quality is the slight loss of overall volume that occurs when the pedal is engaged. However, the difference really is slight and probably inherent with this type of effect.

Boss pedals could survive a nuclear holocaust along with the cockroaches. They are virtually indesctructible, thanks to their design and rugged metal housing. Buy one and give it to your grandkids some day.

I've never dealt with them, because their products are so damn solid and reliable. (think of those commercials for Maytag with the out-of-work repairmen!)

This tremolo is designed to fill a particular niche in the guitar effects market. It's not for every guitar player, only those whose styles (country, blues, surf, etc.) call for tremolo sounds in the first place. Within this small category, however, this tremolo does it all. Whether you want the choppy aggressive sound of a helicopter taking off or the smooth warble of juke joint blues, this pedal absolutely owns the competition.

Super simple interface.

You gotta do the mod that people are talking about here. Clipping C4 and swapping R19 for a 4.7k ohm are HUGE improvements that cost less than a buck. Big ups to Zuff (11.27.2004) for posting it. The differences are: 1) No volume drop when effect is engaged (which was annoying) and 2) A lot more response from the wave knob, especially down at the square-wave end. Chucka-chucka-chucka...

It's a Boss built brick.

See above.

Bought it used, paid a good price, and post-mod it's a great shaping tool.

This unit is very easy to use just find the right settings and go.

This is where i read about the very simple mod of just clipping out the C4. also i read about replacing the resistor which i haven't done yet but will soon. but just simply cutting out the C4 brought this pedal to life. so to anyone else reading these reviews that has not done this mod, DO IT! It really makes a difference.

I haven't had it long enough to give an opinion.

N/A

With the mod it really becomes a great pedal. i can't wait to replace the R19. If lost or stolen i would buy another one off of ebay do the mods and have a great pedal for minimal money spent.

Never had one before so I read the instructions. Not hard to use at all. However it's like Texas hot sauce: you don't need a lot to get the effect.

Didn't want to spend a lot of money and Boss a well known name. Got it home and liked it but it had a lot of hiss and sucked tone. Then I read the reviews suggesting clipping C4 and switching R19 to 4.7k ohm. WOW! BIG DIFFERENCE! No hissing, no drop in volume level. I accomplished this mod in 5 min. on the kitchen table for .99 cents. Now this sounds like a $200 pedal!

No problems so far!

Never had to use them.

I wanted the rich lush tremolo tones your hear in the doo-wop music music of the 50's & 60's. This does it in spades after I made the mods. I would say 5 before the mods, a 9 after.

Simple enough to use.

I'm using this w/ a Yamaha RGX A2 and a 25 watt tube amp. I'm going to hit on two points: cabling and mods.

First, cabling. I've read a lot of guys are having noise issues with this pedal. I'm starting to believe there is a problem with these pedals. Maybe some bad batches came out. Mine sounds fine, but I do know what people are talking about. I've heard some nasty TR-2's when bypassed. There is an ever so slight tone loss when this pedal is bypassed, which is why I chose to put it into my true bypass loop. Now, about the cabling: If you use quality cabling, you will see a dramatic improvement. I use George L's for EVERYTHING including my Guitar and out-to-amp cabling. If you want to see that noise disappear, use cables like this.

Second, the mod. See the review by Zuff on 11.27.2004. Yes, remove the C4. Just do it. He recommends switching the R19 from 10K to 6.8K. I used 4.7K and WOW! I say do it! A five pack of these cost 99 cents at Radio Shat. A 50 dollar mod for a buck! Do it.

I love this pedal now. I was so disappointed and frustrated with this pedal that I never used it. It will now boost the signal (top end of the wave) just a hair above the bypass level. In other words, it cuts through the mix now but doesn't do it obnoxiously and doesn't push it anywhere near "peak" territory. The wave forms are so much more defined now that the Cap is out of the picture. Quieter noise overall.

It'll be fine...

Never worked with em.

I was about to send this POC off to be modded. I'm so glad I found that review. I love this pedal now. Heck, even my WIFE noticed it. She thought it sounded great. I would replace this if stolen, because it will last forever, and with the 99 cent mod it's worth buying again compared to an expensive tremolo pedal. An adjustable trim pot for the peak volume would be nice, but I'm satisfied.

Without the mod, a 4. With the mod, a 9!

Trem has always been the most basic of modulation FX in my opinion. You don't much simpler than speed, rate and wave. I have actually sold it now, because I wanted something with a touch more vibe and without the wave knob.

Fender USA Lead 1/G&L tele/Fender Cyclone and others through a ton of mostly MXR and Boss pedals to a Roland JC-120 and a Fender Super 210 tube combo. No complaints about the sound whatever. The volume drop...I think people are hearing things. Maybe there's variations between induividual units (although Boss aren't know for production inconsistency) but it's the nature of trem that your volume drops in cycles so if you engage it and it's at the bottom of a cycle, you're going to get a vol drop.

Boss...

Boss...

We play indie but when you're talking about trem, it doesn't matter. Trem is in practically any type of music except metal (although I'd welcome someone to prove me wrong on this!). It is my favourite effect and Boss, as usual, nailed it. I wish it didn't have the wave knob but that's purely a personal thing and I'm quite sure most players want it there.

All you need to use this pedal is eyes and ears...and some musical sense. A monkey in a space suit could use this. 3 dials, 1 input, 1 output!

This pedal is JUST what I was looking for in a Tremolo pedal. Boss says this "Reproduces the classic tremolo effects of vintage 60's amps using a Low Frequency Oscillator(LFO)". Yup! That's exactly what it does! I don't play Metal or use distortion. I may use some Over Drive but I usually even like the clean end of that. I play mostly clean stuff (Jazz, Country, Blues, Oldies, etc.). This pedal sounds GREAT!! This pedal sounds JUST like the old Fender amps. If you CAN'T get it to sound right, then either you don't understand what tremolo is supposed to sound like so you really don't want tremolo anyway (but you THINK you do)--OR--you have it hooked up wrong. When I hooked it up through my Effects Send/Return loop, it was noisy (but ALL my pedals were noisy when hooked up that way). If I hook it up between guitar & amp. It's quiet. Also, keep in mind that if your effects (like THIS ONE) don't sound good, you may want to blame your amp, you guitar, or your own lack of knowlege in using effects. I wouldn't be shy about gigging or even recording with this pedal. You can go from a very subtle, soft vibrato (just enough to add some movement to your notes) by putting the Wave dial all the way to the Saw Wave side and bringing the Depth down to around 9 or 10 o'clock--to a very obvious and abrupt stutter by twirling the Wave all the way to the Square Wave side and bringing the Depth all the way to the max. There's a whole world of great feels in this pedal between those 2 dial setting extremes.
One thing to keep in mind (especially if your a Newbie); tremolo is an effect to be used in SMALL DOSES! It is a VERY noticable effect even when dialed in on the "light" side. If you don't like the way it sounds, then you probably just don't understand what tremolo is supposed to sound like.

Boss pedals have a GREAT reputation for being reliable. I DID have a pedal once that didn't work but not because I broke it...it was a factory defect.

Only dealth with them once and they were not helpful at all. Usually you WON'T have to deal with them 'cause the pedals are tough. I word to the wise. Boss doesn't play around with their policy. You'd better buy your pedal NEW, from an AUTHORIZED BOSS DEALER, and you'd BETTER have your original sales receipt if you want any kind of warranty service or help.

Easy to use. Very tough, well made pedal (it's metal not plastic). SOUNDS GREAT!! (if you are looking for a vintage tremolo effect). Very versatile (there are a lot of "sweet spots" in this pedal), it's very flexible. Personally, I just love this pedal! It's not one you'll use in EVERY song but if you want a really GOOD sounding vintage tremolo effect. BUY THIS PEDAL!

you can't get much simpler than this

it sounds great, although i don't use it too much because simply of what it does. i can see myself someday all of a suddent using this an awful lot though and experimenting heavily, just i haven't gotten around to spending too much time with it.

you'd have to intentionally be trying to break a boss pedal for it to break

it's weird implementing this effect into songs, but if/when you pull it off this pedal will certainly be do its job well. lost or stolen, i'd buy it after i buy a few other pedals i'm interested in, but eventually i'd definitely have another.

Very easy to get the good tone.

Everyone else here is complaining about the pedal's tone - but did any of you read what Boss said the pedal is supposed to do for your signal before you bought it? Its supposed to mimmick the tremelo on those fender amps from the 60s - and it does it perfectly and then improves upon the effect. If anyone has a problem in any regard with this pedal's sound then they didn't really want a tremelo pedal to begin with and they are an amatuer who is still figuring out which effects do what for their tone. Its a 60s tremelo sound - if that is what you want then this is perfect - quit complaining - for the $90 effect unit class this is as good as it gets. Its either this or the Digitech unit for that price - otherwise you can go pay $500 for some TC Tremelo unit - you get what you pay for. And the volume output? Insignificant - everyone is nitpicking and falling besides the point - the effect is pristine - its not a $500 TC Unit that you would ideally use for recording - but you don't own a studio anyway so what does it matter? Its perfect - when you get signed and go into a million dollar studio you can borrow their tremelo unit instead of your pedal. And if this effect is too noisy its because your amp is a cheap piece of crap - and any effect with heavy metal distortion used in conjunction will be noisy - what don't you people understand? Look, if you have an ounce of musical talent and a half-way decent musical ear you will hear the wonderful wave of dreaminess this pedal produces. If your amp and guitar suck though you will probably not like any effect. Through a tube amp and playing a mahogany guitar its magic.

its very light - my digitech pedals seem much more reliable - but my last boss pedal was from the 70s or early 80s and it still works - i trust it.

10 - if you know you want tremelo then this is a good unit. if i was recording i would go for something more expensive because a more expensive unit is guaranteed to sound better than a less expensive unit. This unit helps me create a dreamy effect that i use in short bursts or for drones or hits - its not a major effect - its used occassionally in some songs of mine and in that regard i could not create the sound i want to in a live scenario without this pedal - good buy for $89.

Very easy to use like all BOSS FOOT PEDALS.

Used it with a Fender 65 Twin Reverb. Vibrato was turned off on amplifier. Played it with reverb both on and off.
The effect is too noisy for tremolo!!!! Had a Boss GT-5 and the tremolo was outstanding along with the other effects. But the GT-5 is too difficult to change from various tone types. Wanted something simple. So I traded the GT-5 in for some other BOSS PEDALS. This is not one of the pedals you should purchase from BOSS!!!!

BOSS builds equipment that lasts. Yes, if it were a good sounding pedal. This one is a big, big, disappointment!!! I took mine back after playing it on and off one day. Background noise (as others herein have mentioned) was terrible. I exhanged it for a Boss Phaser.
I'm giving this category a 10 (NOT for this pedal) but for other pedals BOSS produces......

Dealt with Roland once regarding the GT-5. The customer support was excellent.

Currently, I play Surf and Blues. I have played various other types of music on and off for 30 years. I thought the tremolo on this pedal would be similar to the GT-5. In no way is it similar. It is too noisy and drives you nuts after a while. Also, you should not have to be tampering around with it, cutting the C4 thing, or whatever!!!. You void your warranty when you do these types of things. A 5 year warranty is a tremendous warranty period. I currently have a BOSS DD6 (Digital Delay), PH-3 (Phase Shifter) and a LS-2 (Line Selector). I am very pleased with these products. They get 10's across the board. Boss should take this pedal off the market and concentrate on achieving the degree of clarity of tremolo as found on my past GT-5. I suggest strongly that you do not purchase this effect in a Boss pedal until that occurs.

It was good. Its gone now. Simple to dispose of.

I used this for awhile til I got sick of playing. And breathing.
Alot of reviewers below talk about taking the C4 out of it. I decided to put some C4 in it. I plugged it in and BLAMMOKABOOMKERBOOSH!!!! I blowed it,my amp, my guitar and myself the f%*#$ up!!!

Cant depend on it anymore. I won't be gigging anytime soon seeing as how I am DEAD!!

They sent their condolences. "RIP TR-2 and its suicidal owner.

I play gothic music from beyond the grave. Very subtle and silent. I don't think I will be buying one again anytime soon seeing as how corpses can't make their way into Guitar Center or handle currency very well.

The TR-2 is really easy to use, most trems are, I think.

Stock the tr-2 is an okay sounding trem, it's competent, nothing to write home about, but a good standard trem. I did notice a slight volume drop, but it was something that I could live with.

And then I read about the mod in these forums. Basically it involves removing the C4 capacitor thing. I was a bit leary about doing it so I emailed one of the other reviewers on this site and he reassured me about doing it. I just spent 89 bucks on it and didn't want to mess it up.

So I went ahead and opened up the box and with a wire clipper I snapped off the C4 thing - it's a big silver thing in the middle, it's easy to find.

Turned on the pedal and it did sound better! not as much of a volume drop and the trem is just a bit 'something' - I don't know, but it's a better pedal and I'm glad I did it.

boss

na

I've owned a lot of great trems - and with the mod this is another great trem.

As usual for boss pedals this is pretty easy to use. I mean, if you can handle three knobs...

I bought it, tried it, and brought it back to the store.
What a poor tremolo pedal!
It`s terribly noisy, as if you implant a miniature Steamtrain in your amp that does anoying choo-choo-choo-choo sounds.
The other big problem is that it has a ridiculous low output, so you`ll have to install a boost or volume pedal to get along during live gigs. - Unacceptable.

The effect itsself is OK, though pretty cold, but you have a lot of options and can go up to helicopter trem sounds.

Boss pedals are always reliable. - Unfortunatly most of the time you can also rely on poor sound.

never did

Boss pedals are reliable, we all know. But that`s nearly all for the TR2.
It is noisy and weak.
Save some money and go for a T-Rex Tremster or even better a Fulltone Supa Trem.
They are worth the price- the Boss TR2 is not!

I play an Ibanez SZ520 and a baritone-tuned frankenstrat into a Rivera M-100. The TR-2 sits last in my front-of-amp chain, which goes vintage Morley VCO --> Boss GE-7 --> MXR Distortion+ --> MXR Phase100 --> Boss TR-2(it is a tad too subtle when it sits in the fx loop). It is very quiet...I do believe the newer TR-2's have had some sort of manufacturing change that makes them less hissy.
I did a pre-mod check, and yes...the sounds are shall we say...uninspiring.
So, I got out some snips and said goodbye to capacitor #4.
The mod is as good as advertised. You will not regret doing it.
The only thing I wish it had was an expression pedal input to change the effect rate.

I've got a silver-screw DS-1 and a CE-2 from the seventies that still work and sound like new. 'Nuff said.

You have to remember just how large a company Roland/Boss is.
Maybe I am just lucky but the two times I've needed them, I recieved prompt, friendly and accurate info.

I play mostly classic and hard rock. This pedal is versitile enough to go from "Born on the Bayou" to all kinds of nouveau chopped-up mayhem. After doing the C4 mod, I truly love this pedal.

Very easy to use and get a good sound out of it. It's a nice mod that takes a great, built like a tank, pedal and makes it more prominent. Love the blue light that is added. Step on it and go

The boss trems are normally dinged for their volume drop when engaged, with this mod there is a slight volume boost so the trem really stands out in the mix. I've read about some people modding these themselves by cutting some capaciter thing, but I wouldn't trust myself to do that. This is a good mod that makes a great trem even better - no real complaints.

built like a tank - no issues

don't know

solid trem - solid mod

Pedal sounds too dark and undefined when its stock. The volume drop was also a pain in the ass. To be honest, I was going to sell the pedal until I found out about the modifications available. Not the greatest sounding stock tremolo.

As Spider already posted, this pedal sounds quite a bit better when you switch out some of the stock component with upgraded parts. I had a local tech modify the pedal for me using Spiders instructions:

"To sort the drop in volume issue replace resistor (R9 10K) for a 4.7K resistor or better still install a 10K trim pot and tweak to the desired volume required."

4.7k is way too much gain. I even tried 5.6k but, which was a little bit better, but still too much. I wanted a enough of a boost to create a unified gain sound. The problem I also ran into was that when using the tremolo as the last in my effects chain, the volume boost of the tremolo drowned out the other pedals. I gave up on the idea of a resistor and the tech suggested that he install a trimmer on R9. This method works a lot better and basically performs the function of a volume control via the resistors output. It can also be installed on the board instead of having to drill for a new volume knob, or having to order a dual pot.

"To make the pedal have a more Hi Fi sound reduce noise remove (C3, C5,C20,C21 1uf)electrolytic caps and replace with 1uf metallised film capacitors/Mylar.Also replace(C2 and C6 10uF) electrolytic caps for tantalums."

No real comment. The caps are what alter the overall tone of the pedal. It pisses me off that Boss couldn't spend a dollar or two more and use the above caps to begin with. The pedal sounds awesome right now, and all I did was change 6 capacitors with better quality ones.

"To add high end sparkle remove completely (C7 10pF capacitor).Try it, if it is not to your taste put the cap back in."

I have a strat, tele and a Rivera Knucklehead. I have enough treble as it is, not applicable to me. I don't know if it's possible, but it seems like a toggle switch allowing two different tones: stock, and low cut would be cool. What I "hear" as tremolo in my head is a warm, wavey sound though, so it's all subjective.

"If you feel you would like to increase the rate lower the value of (R31 50K)try say a 10K to start with.I personally left mine as stock value.The above requires a bit of knowledge and the use of a soldering Iron...Proceed with care."

With the above mods, the pedal can get very "choppy" if you turn the rate and depth all the way up, as well as turning the frequency knob to sawtooth. If you're into that sound it would be cool, just not functional for me.

BTW, if you are going to do the above mods and have removed c4 from the board, you will need to replace it. I talked to one of the people at Keeley and he said they do nothing to c4, he actually asked me some questions about it and how it affected the tone.

Boss...hells yeah.

Waka waka!!!

Awesome with the mod, not so hot without it.

This is an update to my review on 11/27/2004, where I described my C4 mod to the TR-2. Since then, I have helped dozens of people make this mod, and everyone seems to be pretty happy with the results. I have also noticed a number of positive reviews for the mod here on the Harmony Central site. The C4 mod puts alot more pep and personality into this little green guy.

Here are the C4 mod instructions:
1. Remove the bottom plate and the insulating plastic piece which is just inside.
2. Carefully fold out the circuit board and find C4 in the middle of the board (it looks like a little silvery pillow, and the board says "C4" next to it)
3. Remove C4. You can use wire cutters, nail clippers, or even scissors. You can also bend it back and forth a zillion times until the two leads break.
4. Replace the circuit board, insulator, and bottom cover. Done!

Don't forget- this will VOID your warranty.

If you have any questions, please email me. I can send you a scan of the circuit board showing the location of C4.

-zuff

This pedal is composed of only three knobs, so it's very very easy to use and the controls are pretty immediately understandable

I felt only a little volume loss. But this tremolo can offer to the player a huge variety of sounds. The sound is dark and psychedelic. We can never set the tempo, but that's the best of tremolos!!! :-)

Ok. Just as the Boss guarantee teaches us all!

I don't know

I play pink floyd and oasis. anyway the sound is adactable to every stile!!! Since the sixties' piano to the interrupted voice tremolo!!! Great!!

Three knobs - rate, wave, depth. Doesn't get any simpler, really ...

I play pretty much exclusively a Fender American Deluxe Strat ---> Marshall AVT100 (soon to be replaced by a decent 30/40 watt tube amp) with various used in between ... Crybaby 535Q, Ibanez Fuzz (rarely), and the Boss TR-2. Before the C4 mod I was quite satisfied with the sound; it was a sort of soft vintage-style flutter/swell, quite nice. However upon reading that it could be improved, I made a rash decision and cut out the C4 cap (a silver 'water-tower on 2 legs' type thing right near the centre of the board, next to a black rail-looking thing) with some little scissors. When I set it all up and plugged in again, I immediately thought I had botched it; there was this crackly choppy signal for a split second ... but then, checking the leads and junk were all plugged in, it worked like dream. The upgrade in tone post-mod is remarkable! It kept all the sparkle and there was no volume cut ... also the variation are a tad more prominent, you can get more extreme tremolo sounds now.

Previously, yes - built very solid. Now, with voided warranty and all - have no idea. I only did the mod 30 minutes ago!

Pointless now, anyways ...

I've been playing nearly 7 years ... heavily into blues and oldies rock, some alternative stuff (Pearl Jam, Smashing Pumpkins, Jeff Buckley, etc.) As I said, I was quite happy with the thing before I modded it, but the mod turned the TR-2 from a really good pedal into a superb one. First and only mod I've ever attempted btw, really easy. Before the mod I might rate about 8, after mod would be 10; so in between I shall go!

Using with Fender Blues Junior. Marshall AVT50H head and 1960AV cab. Or sometimes with Peavey Blues Classic amp straight in and with only TS-9 Tube Screamer.

Guitars: Jay Turser JT-50 (Goth copy) and Fender Stevie Ray Vaughan strat.

Honest and open: Unless you'll remove the C4 capacitor cap, don't buy this pedal. Sucked all tone and volume. Removed the C4 with scissors. Awesome. That easy. HOwever, bear in mind that you void the warranty when you remove the C4 cap. I don't get in to other mods, though. Again, keep in mind that this is the only way to have this pedal, so say just go to hell when they tell you at the shop you can buy an extended Boss 2 year warranty plan for an extra $20. Boss don't break.

Once the mod is done, tone is great. Anything from Flamenco to the Leslie Cab twirling horn sound. From ska to funk to rock to reggae to SRV's "Cold Shot"

Not noisy at all. Nice and quiet with as much true bypass as possible.

Now the effects sound great.

5 before the mod, 8 after the mod. I mean c'mon, for a trem pedal there may be not be a '10' on the market.

Can absolutely depend on Boss. No questions. Gig without a backup any day.

n/a

Great match for any type of persons and music. Playing over 15 years. Own Fender Strat/SRV; Jt-50 Jay Turser; Yamaha Flamenco Guitar; Fender Metal Resonator guitar

Own Marshall AVT50H head (valvestate) with AVT CAB; Marshall 1960AV cab 4X12; Fender Blues Junior Combo amp (tube); Peavey Blues Classic 40W amp combo (tube); Fender FM212R solid state combo;

various pedals (crybaby; TS-9 tube screamer; NYC Big Muff; Digitech Delay (don't buy one...all they do is suck volume) )

AGain, 5 rating before simple mod; 8 after

It's a quite easy effect, 3 knobs:
-rate, increases the speed of the tremolo;
-wave, controls the waveform of the effect;
-depth, when counterclockwise no effect in created.

I use it with my rick bass -> all tube ampeg and the effect is very good. I bought it four years ago but I was not satisfied at all. I have to admit it was thinking to sell it until I read about this C4 mod: I did it and the effect improved so much I decided not to sell it anymore. Just cut that big silver cap with some scissors. No more volume drop, and the general sound was not altered. I am really satisfied now! I don't find it noisy at all. I have to agree with lots of other rewievers, 6 unmodded, 9 modded.

The pedal is sturdy and really dependable.

I never had to get in contact with Boss, as said their pedals are reliable.

I play rock and progressive rock and effects are an important part of my sound. I think I found the ultimate tremolo effect and I won't ever think to sell it anymore. If stolen I'd buy another, maybe used since these are not so cheap!