Monte Allums Boss BD-2 Mod

This review is for the BD-2 H2) mod. I found it very easy to do. Took about an hour with checking after each change. Monte's instructions are always verey clear and easy to see and understand. The one thing I did though was put the factory LCD resistor back. The instructions call for a jumper to get a super bright LCD. Well when I turned it on the first time I found it a little bright, after I got my vision back (LOL) I returned original value. Otherwise I think think this is a very straight forward mod to perform. I bought a BD2 just to do this mod.

After I was completely finished I went to studio and plugged in, and all I can say is "Wow". The difference is amazing. I always thought the stock BD-2 was one of Boss's better pedals. I actually liked it. Now though, I love it. This is what I wish the overdrive channel of my amps sounded like. I use a Crate VC30 and a Peavey Classic 30 with either a Strat Plus or G&L ASAT Classic. Both amps are too mid voiced on the overdrive channels, and as "Classic" designated amps I guess that was the plan. The Crate has an amazing clean channel though and loves pedals. The BD-2 H2O is very very quiet other than at max gain (Still not bad). As others have said, your guitars still sound like themselves. All Strat positions are very transparent. I run this after my Tvon modded Dynacomp and into a Tvon modded DS-1 (other great mods).If you have a BD-2 or you are looking for a boutique sounding and transparent overdrive you owe it to yourself to get this mod. You'll never regret it.

It's still Boss, made to last.

Here Monte gets an 11. He always responds quickly to e-mails. Very helpful. I have bought other kits and discovered my circuit was different and Monte quickly bought same pedal and sent me new pictures, can't beat that.

I have gone through tons of pedals, overdrives, distortions, etc. I won't say the the BD2 is now the last OD pedal I'll ever buy. Shopping for new gear is half the fun. But I will say that for now, I am not looking, I have a great sounding setup. We all have a sound in our head when looking for amps, pedals etc. After 6years of doing that and a truck load of gear I think I'm good for awhile, and Monte has been a great part of that. The only thing I'll do next is mod my DD-3 when Monte has a mod available.

Very easy. Self explanatory.

Excellent. I'll bypass what others have said, because you can read that below. However, I do agree with almost all of the comments below.

This pedal / with Allums mod / reminds me of a first issue ('70s) Boss OD-1 Overdrive and a '70s issue Electro-Harmonix Hot Tubes, with less noise than both.

Great character to the sound.

I bought this used / Ebay / have used it consistently for several months now. Never a problem.

I've never contacted Monte & company.

This is darn near a perfect sounding overdrive. Like a good older Marshall ('70s era). That was my conclusion, before I read that comparison on the Monte Allums site.

This mod eliminates most of the harshness of the stock BD-2, especially in medium to higher settings. It adds a bit of low end and takes any peaky frequency spikes out, making it more of a natural sounding overdrive, like everyone is talking about.

This is my third Monte Allums Boss conversion kit. I already had the T-Von converted CS-3 and SD-808 on my pedalboard. I opted for the H2O spec for the second-hand Blues Driver which was purposely bought for conversion.

Clearly the experience gained doing the CS-3 and SD-808 conversions helped with the BD-H2O mod (see separate entries on Harmony Central user review pages). The instructions supplied are as clear as possible and the advice notes and suggestions provided my Monte are extremely helpful. Reiterating the golden rule : ONE MOD at at a time then TEST the pedal. Net result was no problem in carrying out the work.

Someone made reference to the difficulty accessing the tone pot capacitor - no problem at all. Some of the components at the pot end of the PCB are much less accessible. Three hours of care and patience and the work was completed.

It helps to have long-reach tweezers and small long-nosed pliers to remove desoldered parts which were a bit obstinate in vacating their locations on the PCB. The kit is very comprehensive, although I would advise potential buyers to have some soldering flux handy as it is very useful in kicking off the capillary action of the desoldering process.

The easiest way to benefit from this kit is to have someone else do the work for you. For the DIY pedal modder, let's say it's a 9 just to allow for those moments of frustration that are inevitable doing a delicate, precision task like this.

Sound quality! That's what this mod is all about. Most of us have a fair idea what the stock BD-2 sounds like. Now clean it up, remove the mid-range hump, lose the tizziness and improve the transparency. That is precisely what the H2O conversion does. A Strat still sounds like a Strat and Gibbo still sounds like a Gibbo BUT both have added muscle.

Whereas the SD-808 adds a bit of edge with boost, the BD-H2O adds some 'natural' dirt to the inherent guitar sound. The Strat neck/middle PU combination is still immediately identifiable but with a lot more muscle and roundness. Les Paul neck PU with the tone pot wound right back is instant Woman Tone, pure and simple. I did use my Rat2 for Strange Brew now it's the BD-H2O.

This conversion also seems to benefit the Blues Driver when used in conjuction with other stompboxes. With Monte's SD-808 pushing the BD I can get really impressive biting blues sounds from all my guitars whilst retaining their character. That, I feel, is the crucial difference resulting from all my Monte conversions. A modified CS-3 driving the BD gives a superb singing, and sustaining, blues sound that retains the integrity of the original guitar signal.

All-in-all the BD-H2O fills the tonal gap between the modded SD-1 [TS808 specs] and my vintage Rat2. Those who have heard it used in anger with both tube and tranny amps have remarked how good it sounds. Needless to say Monte invariably gets a quick and enthusiastic plug.

Come on! It's a Boss chassis. If your solder work is tidy and precise this pedal should last a lifetime. If your soldering isn't then the damn thing probably won't work.

The BD is mounted on a pedalboard and is mains powered, so no risk of dying batteries mid-gig. I would expect the legendary Boss reliability to hold up equally well for any of the Monte-modfied stompboxes.

VERY helpful and courteous. E-mails are responded to very promptly. Monte appreciates customer feedback. I have only contacted Monte to inform him that his goods have arrived and that the conversion went well - and the net result is an improvement [understatement!] in the performance of the converted pedal.

It's almost impossible to fault this guy in any way. Maybe the big boys in the industry should take note?!?

A modded Blues Driver. Used in a Blues Band. An absolutely perfect additional to my sonic armoury. To the extent that I have suggested to Dear Wife [aka SWMBO] that I may not need any more stompboxes! Rash move, I know!

My pedalboard consists of:-

Monte'd Boss CS-3>>Ancient [but self-modded] Blubber wah>>Monte's Boss SD-808>>Monte Boss BD-H2O>>ProCo Rat2 [unsullied original mid 1980's model]>> Boss DD-3.

This set-up drives either a Hiwatt DR103 [into 2x12 or 4x12 cab] or a Marshall MG30 [for small venues]. The Hiwatt set-up is sonically magnificent - if a bit on the loud side, much to the chagrin of keyboard players. TOUGH!! The little Marshall sounds much improved with the 3 Monte conversions driving it and whilst it doesn't have the grunt of the Hiwatt half-stack it is more than adequate for 'intimate' [i.e. cramped] British pub gigs.

Like all my other Monte Allums conversions I would give the BD-H2O the maximum 10/10. It takes a decent stock pedal and makes it almost obscenely good - and useful to the Nth degree.

The cost at $22 with $3.50 freight to the UK is ridiculous for such an end product. This is VFM in capitals, emboldened and underscored! Its rating, IMO, goes way beyond FANTASTIC value.

Bought H2O mod

The use has remained the same as the original Boss. But the range all pots have been changed.

So level, drive and tone. But way beyond the original Boss.

the mod was easy to do. With the advise of checking after every mod almost nothing can go wrong.

The sound is really great. I've used it with my Carvin Stagemaster all tube amp and the sound is really great. I've owned a several overdrives (maxon 808, T-rex Alberta), but this one sounds the best.

I also own a Monte Modded SD1. Together with the BD2 as a boost (low drive, volume at 12 o'clock) the combination is perfect for blues, rock and maybe even metal. And no noise at all

Now I ordered the DS1 and CS3 mod. I have full confidence in the mods of our friend T-von.

in my opinion, Boss is standard.
No backup, full confident. No bad experiences

I ordered by internet. Within a week the package was send to the Netherlands.
allright

I play blues, rock and pop in a band called Nuts. I have to use a lot of effects for the covers. I've used multi effects like GT3, VG88, XTlive, but always came back to stompboxes.
Now I use a 5 channel loop-master. So no bad influences of non true bypass effects.
Pre loop: Keeley modded Proco Rat (true bypass)
loop 1: CS3 soon with monte allums mod
loop 2: SD1 monte allums
loop 3: BD2 monte allums
loop 4: Ibanez RC99
loop 5: Ibanez FL9 + Arion SAD1 delay
post loop: Line6 DL4 (true bypass)

perfect setup. Maybe I'll dump my RAT, because the combo sd1 and BD2 sounds terrific

This is for the H2O mod...

Still just 3 knobs, tone, gain, and volume. The tone seems to have a limited range, but in a good way. It makes it much easier to tweak.

IMHO, there isn't a better OD pedal out there. As soon as I plugged it in, I was hooked. I've been using a Barber LTD Silver and Keeley SD-1, and it's comparable to the Barber. The pedal is completely transparent. You definitely hear your guitar first and then the breakup of the pedal. With humbuckers cranked, it definitely won't go completely clean, but the range of OD is impressive. I keep it at 10 o'clock or below. I'm actually thinking of getting another one and leaving one with the gain at 0 and the other at 9 o'clock.

The breakup is very natural, sounds exactly like a tube amp. I wouldn't use this for really high-gain distortion, as some of the clarity gets lost at the higher gain settings. But, this is an overdrive pedal, and one of the best around.

It's a Boss, and Monte's good people, so I'm not worried.

I had mine modded by Chad Matthews, who works with Monte. I don't know my way around a soldering iron well enough to try it on my own. Chad was very quick, had it back in a week.

You could spend a lot of cash on boutique pedals or boutique mods, but this is the best out there. I have not used Keeley's BD-2 mod, but compared to the mod on the SD-1, Monte's got him beat. The clarity of the pedal is amazing, and you will definitely not be disappointed.

This is the H20 Mod. This was my third Mod kit attempt from Monte. *BTW, Monte and "T-Von" are one and the same. T-Von is some kind of nickname* This was so far the trickiest, but that doesn't mean it was difficult. The tricky part for me: The capacitor on the Baby Board connected to the two Pots that's mounted directly to the chassis. You do need a small tipped and slender soldering iron. Especially if you goof up and remove the wrong capacitor first like I did! Guys, this is why Monte's good advice should be followed: One mod at a time! It took me a few minutes to figure out what I did wrong. I heard it instantly: An almost 60Hz Hum with a quick, "bip-bip-bip" sound. That sounded like a Cap discharging incorrectly. Yup! Wrong one!

Other than that, the mod went perfectly. About 1 1/2 hours. Make sure you Mod the Cap closest to the top of the pedal on that Baby Board!

The cleanest of all my Mods so far. The cleanest of all my pedals.

To me, this MOD is THE Holy Grail of Overdrive! The absolute cleanest, punchiest, growliest... The best. Period. When you use it, you hear your GUITAR first, effect second. Even at good gain levels, your guitar shines through and the character of your guitar is highlighted. The best thing about Monte's website: The MP3's are your result. It sounds just like that. He did a great job giving you a sample of the finished product.

To me, the BD-2 is an OD, but not quite full blown OD. Those OD's tend to hurt my painfully sensitive ears. A Blues Driver has always been an OD that borders toward Distortion IMHO. This is it's strength: OD without the Distortion hiss and noise.

Theirin is the overall strength: The H20 Mod is pristinely clean. You can't get any cleaner than this on a Boss pedal. Boss pedals can never be true bypass because of the FET switch, but this will pass for one! I don't even use 50% of the Gain. The tone mod makes it very flexible. I love it. The gain is so smooth, not biting, but still has an OD snap. It sounds like it's breaking up the speaker like it should, but not harshly. I must also say the super bright blue LED is cool. Makes it fun.

Use this with a tube amp. I don't think the nuances will come out as clearly with a solid-state, but I haven't tried that yet so you might be surprised.

One last thing: This is two pedals in one now. You can use this as an awesome clean boost by turning the level up and the gain all the way down. Most clean boosts I've heard color the tone when engaged, and add OD in all the wrong frequencies. This Mod was made to have a flat coloration, so there's no color added. Just clean gain and a hair of beautiful OD.

A "10"

Boss pedals are firm. I can resolder quickly, and I don't see this Mod being a problem. The parts in the Mod kit are so much better than the stock ones. It's probably more reliable now with the better components, but we'll just have to see.

Top notch. I emailed Monte @ 2:30 am regarding a DS-1 mod (see my Recto Mod review) and threw in a question, "Will this be a problem for the BD-2 as well?" He answered both questions thoroughly.

Can't beat this for under $100. Definitely my favorite pedal ever now! I am confident I can take on anyone's tone with this thing.

I had Chad Matthews do the mod, which is an option on Monte's site. My soldering skills are not great and I need practice on something I don't mind ruining. I selected the option and Chad sent the address almost immediately. I packed the item and sent it the next day using the USPS "Click 'n Ship" option. Easy! The pedal was back within a week. I live in St. Louis, MO and Chad is in TN.

The original BD-2 had a harsh gain if turned after about 12 o' clock on the pedal. But, I could tell with a few changes the pedal had promise. It is smoother and with the gain maxed it gets Texas blues nasty. It growls and pushed the tone. It can also be buttery smooth and breathes at lower levels.

It is a Boss and Chad does great work. I would take it anywhere.

Quick and easy. Never had any problems.

This mod is worth it. I have a Vox AD30VT and I can get a wide variety of tones using that setup with this pedal. Get the mod if you have this pedal. The price is reasonable and the people are trustworthy.

The instructions are incredibly easy and if you know how to use a soldering iron, the mod is a snap. The pedal itself is the same as the original BD-2, level - tone - gain. It is easy to use and easy to mod!

I got the parts for this mod, installed them all and ran right down to my favorite local music store where I have a couple of friends. By just an amazing stroke of luck they had just taken in a Keeley modded BD-2. We set up an A-B-C comparison with the Allums mod, the Keeley mod, and an original BD-2. Holy Mother of Great Guitar Tone! The Allums mod kicked the crap out of the other two. The original BD-2 was thin, splatty and generally unpleasing. The Keeley did sound good, not really harsh or anything, it was a lot smoother than the original, but then there was the Allums. Monte's mod took the Keeley to the next step. It is smooth, more responsive to pick attack, cleans up better with guitar volume and most amazingly has a much more open, airy sound. The old saying of taking the blanket off of your speakers really applies here! There is a more natural string to string balance and it can go from a little kick to a really fat overdrive, to almost distortion. It really can stand alone or use it as a boost to push an amp into sonic heaven. One of my friends who works at the music store loved it so much, he had to have it right away to push his Boogie for leads. I'm a push over, so I gave it to him and now I have to mod one for myself. He informed me that he used it to do some recording and it worked great with very little noise. His band mates also liked how bright it was on stage - they definitely know when he is soloing!

As long as you solder well - it should be indestructible! Should last as long as any other Boss pedal.

Monte must always be sitting at his computer, because if you ask him a question, you usually get a response within minutes. He is always helpful and sure does make some great mods!

This mod is just the best. I've tried it with tube amps and solid state amps - obviously it sounds better with tubes, but it is also very apparent how good the mod sounds on my little solid state Marshall practice amp. If you have a BD-2 get this mod and make your pedal really sing. If you are considering buying an overdrive boutique pedal, save your money, buy a used BD-2 and do this mod. You will be so happy with the results and you can spend the money you saved on Montes' mod kits for the SD-808 and MT-2 which also kick some serious ass. See the reviews on these mods!

The kit itself is tricky, you've got to have a fairly small soldering iron and know how to melt and absorb old solder from the board of the BD-2. If you're inexperienced (as I was), its challenging but do-able. If you're familiar, its probably a snap. Don't do it in your living room over nice carpeting!

Setup - Gibson SG Special or Gibson Blueshawk into either Sunn Concert Lead paired with an EarCandy Buzzbomb 2 x 12 Cab, or a Carvin MTS 3212 combo. Effects - Guyatone Mt-3 -> Maxon Comp. -> Maxon D&S II -> Monte Allums BD-2 -> DeArmond Weeper -> Maxon CS01 Chorus -> Guyatone Fl-3 -> Marshall VibraTrem -> Boss DD-20.

I use this pedal as my boost for solos. Occasionally as the main distortion, depending on what sound I am looking for. I f'in LOVE this thing. I loved the sound of the Blues Driver on its own, a great pedal. But after I installed this Mod, I've grinned from ear to ear nonstop every time I think of this pedal! I'm serious! It just RIPS! Its overdrive, its tubescreamer, its really raw sounding. There is some serious juice flowing through this thing. My Sunn amp's internal distortion doesn't work so I use pedals. Between this and the Maxon D&S II (another great pedal, but a totally different sound) I don't need whatever was once in there. Together these two pedal sound great with the D&S II as the main distortion and the modded BD-2 kicked in for solos and volume increases. The Carvin has sick distortion on its own, so I just boost with this pedal, and it sits on top of the sound and sinks its teeth into it. Makes me feel a little overconfident, maybe, its so good!

I've used various overdrives such as a stock TS-9, Rat II modded 3-way by Keeley, DOD, other Boss stuff, etc. But I think this thing rips them all apart, including the D&S II, which I love also. I'm always having to restrain myself from getting another Blues Driver to mod again with this same kit! If you're thinking about it at all, give it a shot. If you f' it up, you can always get another Blues Driver! If you don't, you will be happy that your pedal sounds just as ballsy, but with an extra added, I don't know, something. There's something great about this mod!

I was a bit worried about my own soldering job at first, there seemed to be some solder touching somewhere, but I couldn't find it. Occasioanl short-outs and surges. But whatever it was stopped after a couple of times. Maybe it wasn't even the pedal at all, I don't know. I just know its been solid for months of high use now. But, basically its a Boss pedal already, so very reliable in the first place. As long as you put it back together correctly, all should be fine.

Very helpful, sent me all kinds of diagrams and instructions and all that.

For a fairly simple DIY $20 Mod kit, I can't imagine anything better.

Its a do it yourself mod, so it takes some effort. There are a couple of places that are a bitch to get to. It took me about 4 hours to complete the mod, with breaks.

A very noticible improvement, much much cleaner. The sound is crisper, LOTS more headroom, less low quality fuzzy distortion sound, and retains picking attack 100%. Its more of a clean boost that adds a bit of overdrive if you turn the gain up. Its very nice and responsive.

I like the sound of a TS-9 better. But this and a TS-9 is better than 2 TS-9's IMO.