Boss RE-issues and limited run pedals?

Flanging_Fred · September 2013

An interesting post on Facebook from guitarguitar. The bosses from Boss are over in the UK at the moment (visited GAK yesterday) and on the post it says they were discussing interesting ideas about boss re-issues and limited run pedals.

If they did do it, what would you want re-issued? Slow gear, spectrum, VB-2, CE-1, DM-2? Or maybe the digital metalizer?

spacecadet · September 2013

I'd love to see the DM-2 so I can retire mine to the shelf. Can't find anything that compares to it.

dogload · September 2013

I'd like to see the PN2 Tremolo/Pan for the same reasons as Spacecadet.

Maybe the VB2 as it is supposed to be good. Never tried it though.

The Slow Gear is (as far as I'm concerned) over-rated. I tried one many moons ago (when they came out, in fact) to replace the volume pedal that I use for whale noises. I wasn't impressed.

I can't think of any other Boss pedal that needs re-issuing that isn't already out there.

Anyway, wouldn't re-issues just be blighted by the 'they're crap coz they're not black/ green/ pink or whatever label/ made in Japan' argument? And because of that, wouldn't sound the same.

ICBM · September 2013

Any of the '2's which have been replaced by '3's, for a start...

I must admit I don't miss too many of the old ones though, and they're reasonably easy to get second hand, with the possible exception of the VB-2 and a few of the other rare ones which aren't really all that useful. (I've owned a Slow Gear and a Spectrum, sold them for the silly money they fetch and wouldn't bother again.)

The PN-2 and PQ-4 were good, and fairly hard to get now, so maybe those even though they're not that old.

dogload · September 2013

Oh- I forgot that Dimension C2- the one with the four buttons.

frankus · September 2013

EH-2

midiglitch · September 2013

Dm-2 for me

EricTheWeary · September 2013

dogload;33967" said:
Oh- I forgot that Dimension C2- the one with the four buttons.

that one. Also mentioned on the Chorus discussion and, oddly enough, I was looking at a thing about John Jorgenson and he has one on his Hellecaster board.

p90fool · September 2013

The PD-1, no contest.

[Deleted User] · September 2013

CE-2 & DM-2 - on the proviso that the actually sound like the originals, rather than just look like them (Dunlop's MXR range is a perfect example of this - and actually don't look that similar either...)

Heartfeltdawn · September 2013

I'm surprised Boss haven't jumped on this already. The success of the Ibanez handwired Tubescreamerand the recent MXR Bonamassa pedal shows limited runs can work. PGS have had limited pedals be successful like the Supernatural.

A VB-2 would be lovely.

ICBM · September 2013

Heartfeltdawn said:
Ibanez handwired Tubescreamer

Lol... they can't be serious can they?

(Google google)

Oh... they are...

)

Presumably the twits that are buying these don't know that the most desirable vintage Tube Screamers used by SRV, Eric Johnson et al are PCB?

And that you cannot "hand wire" the innards of a JRC4558D at all...

Dave_Mc · September 2013

^ there are shitloads of threads on TGP where they say the HW tubescreamer is far better than the normal one.

ICBM · September 2013

Dave_Mc said:

^ there are shitloads of threads on TGP where they say the HW tubescreamer is far better than the normal one.

Is that the same place where they thought the Freekish Blues Alpha Drive sounded "completely different' from the Joyo Ultimate Drive?

)

mike_l · September 2013

funny that i dont like tubescreamers, i prefer a bad monkey into a valve amp or an sd1 into s/s... I find them a bit to (cant think of a better word) flubby.

Dave_Mc · September 2013

ICBM said:

Dave_Mc said:

^ there are shitloads of threads on TGP where they say the HW tubescreamer is far better than the normal one.

Is that the same place where they thought the Freekish Blues Alpha Drive sounded "completely different' from the Joyo Ultimate Drive?

)

Yes. And where they swore blind the Jan Ray couldn't possibly be a clone because it was just that good. And where they're currently hyping some probable clone/very slightly-tweaked clone called a dumbloid which is like $500. And which looks like it was put together by a GCSE electronics student in his/her shed (gutshots were posted by the person doing the hyping... they never learn

) ).

Don't worry, I'm trolling the fuck out of that thread.

mike_l · September 2013

Dave_Mc said:

Don't worry, I'm trolling the fuck out of that thread.

Top work.... 8-}

ThePrettyDamned · September 2013

Link to the thread? I'd like to join

ThePrettyDamned · September 2013

Lol! Just read it. 600 dollars for a pedal? And that's the basic one?!

It's gooped. That means it's a clone. When was the last time that didn't mean "modified clone"?

When will these people learn that you can modify an existing circuit to restrict pot values in a" tone zone"? I'm going to hazard a guess that's probably what's going on.

I don't even know what "bloom" is.

Edjt: happy to be proven wrong, though.

stickyfiddle · September 2013

I'd love to try a CE1 if they wanted to reissue that in a smaller box.

HW TS808s are hilarious. I don't go on the FX pages of TGP; I just can't take it seriously. It's got a blue switch so it must be good... :rolleyes:

Mericky baby-boomers really make I larf

http://www.effectsbay.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Ibanez-TS808HW-Limited-Hand-Wired-Edition-Tube-Screamer.jpg

Bucket · September 2013

HM-2, so I can get one to play Entombed.

Honestly, those pedals have such a cult following, it'd probably be a pretty big seller if they reissued it accurately.

You can get them on eBay, but apparently they're getting harder to find because lots of the guitarists in the old Swedish death metal bands are stockpiling them, some have something like 20 each. This is because it's the pedal they all used in the late 80s and early 90s to get the massive thick "buzz-saw" guitar sound they favoured - they achieved said tone not by hours of careful tweaking, but instead by simply maxing every control. If you listen to "Left Hand Path" by Entombed, that's the sound.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6exw6xT0oo

ICBM · September 2013

stickyfiddle said:
HW TS808s are hilarious. I don't go on the FX pages of TGP; I just can't take it seriously. It's got a blue switch so it must be good... :rolleyes:

Mericky baby-boomers really make I larf

http://www.effectsbay.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Ibanez-TS808HW-Limited-Hand-Wired-Edition-Tube-Screamer.jpg

Credit to Ibanez though... they've realised there is a tappable market of unlimited stupidity and have sunk a well right in the middle of it.

Loving that hand-wired IC

. If I remember correctly a dual op-amp like this contains something like 56 internal components, mostly transistors. I think I can count 34 components - including the pots, excluding the IC, the switch and the LED - in that pedal. Which means that the bulk of it is in that little black machine-made chip

).

Ah yes... here it is:

http://www.seekic.com/uploadfile/ic-mfg/20131924144382.jpg

This is *half* a 4558. 28 components - 15 transistors (one a FET), 9 resistors, 2 capacitors, and two diodes (one zener). The chip contains two of these circuits.

Dave_Mc · September 2013

^ Someone needs to start making mojosauce 4558s with germanium transistors, mullard capacitors and the like.

I mean I know there are already the supposedly higher-end chips like burr browns etc. but that's just lazy.

EDIT: actually someone should make a ts808 with discrete components instead of the op-amp. I reckon you could get about $5000 for it on TGP.

mike_l said:

Dave_Mc said:

Don't worry, I'm trolling the fuck out of that thread.

Top work.... 8-}

Apparently not, they're not biting

Supposedly they sound good stacked. Or there's a double version for "only" $1000.

ThePrettyDamned said:

Lol! Just read it. 600 dollars for a pedal? And that's the basic one?!

It's gooped. That means it's a clone. When was the last time that didn't mean "modified clone"?

When will these people learn that you can modify an existing circuit to restrict pot values in a" tone zone"? I'm going to hazard a guess that's probably what's going on.

I don't even know what "bloom" is.

Edjt: happy to be proven wrong, though.

LOL yeah I saw that. And you're right, it seems to be $600. I should have known, $500 is a bit on the cheap side for a decent ovedrive pedal.

The fancier ones are even more. It's crazy.

Agreed with you, too- I wouldn't say it's definitely not a clone or lightly modified clone (or with the controls neutered, as you said). But on the law of averages (especially with the goop and iffy-quality wiring etc.), based on what's happened before, it's a fairly safe bet it is. Safe enough that if I did want one (I don't), I'd wait until it was reverse-engineered, just in case.

gubble · September 2013

mike_l said:

funny that i dont like tubescreamers, i prefer a bad monkey into a valve amp or an sd1 into s/s... I find them a bit to (cant think of a better word) flubby.

Huzzah another person who thinks exactly like i do.

ThePrettyDamned · September 2013

Dave_Mc said:

^ Someone needs to start making mojosauce 4558s with germanium transistors, mullard capacitors and the like.

I mean I know there are already the supposedly higher-end chips like burr browns etc. but that's just lazy.

EDIT: actually someone should make a ts808 with discrete components instead of the op-amp. I reckon you could get about $5000 for it on TGP.

mike_l said:

Dave_Mc said:

Don't worry, I'm trolling the fuck out of that thread.

Top work.... 8-}

Apparently not, they're not biting

Supposedly they sound good stacked. Or there's a double version for "only" $1000.

ThePrettyDamned said:

Lol! Just read it. 600 dollars for a pedal? And that's the basic one?!

It's gooped. That means it's a clone. When was the last time that didn't mean "modified clone"?

When will these people learn that you can modify an existing circuit to restrict pot values in a" tone zone"? I'm going to hazard a guess that's probably what's going on.

I don't even know what "bloom" is.

Edjt: happy to be proven wrong, though.

LOL yeah I saw that. And you're right, it seems to be $600. I should have known, $500 is a bit on the cheap side for a decent ovedrive pedal.

The fancier ones are even more. It's crazy.

Agreed with you, too- I wouldn't say it's definitely not a clone or lightly modified clone (or with the controls neutered, as you said). But on the law of averages (especially with the goop and iffy-quality wiring etc.), based on what's happened before, it's a fairly safe bet it is. Safe enough that if I did want one (I don't), I'd wait until it was reverse-engineered, just in case.

Definitely. But I just saw a few demos and...Er...It doesn't sound good. It's very buzzy but smooth, kind of like the Boss DS-2 or 3, but with a different character.

I wonder if it would be so coveted if it was $100?

ThePrettyDamned · September 2013

On a side note, I would very much like Boss to not reissue, but to carry on bringing out new designs - the dyna drive is one of the best drives I've heard, but no one will even try them! Fine by me :P

If they did reissue, I would like to see a classic chorus pedal.

mike_l · September 2013

Dave_Mc said:

Don't worry, I'm trolling the fuck out of that thread.
Top work.... 8-}

Apparently not, they're not biting

Yet, don't forget the Yet.

Isn't that where someone was argueing the glue on LP's made a difference to tone?

Dave_Mc · September 2013

ThePrettyDamned said:

Definitely. But I just saw a few demos and...Er...It doesn't sound good. It's very buzzy but smooth, kind of like the Boss DS-2 or 3, but with a different character.

I wonder if it would be so coveted if it was $100?

I didn't actually bother checking the demos

) I did see a couple of people saying that it just sounded like a bog standard overdrive, which wouldn't surprise me

) I must check out those demos for a laugh now you mention it

And yeah if it were a sensible price they'd be saying how it was good, but only for the money. And that the expensive pedals were far better/had mojo/whatever. That's pretty much exactly what happened with the freekish thing.

)

mike_l said:
Yet, don't forget the Yet.

Isn't that where someone was argueing the glue on LP's made a difference to tone?

LOL

And yeah I think so. I don't normally pay much attention to the LP-type threads, but I have a feeling that's where the whole people buying a brand new CS Les Paul only to send it away to be disassembled and stuck back together with the "right" glue (for $$$$) started. Maybe it was the MyLP (whatever it's called, I don't go there) forum. Either way it's pretty funny.

And yeah regarding the original question, I'd be happy enough if they just reissued the couple of really sought-after pedals they had (or put circuits back to the original way they were, e.g. DS1) for sensible money and then just kept coming up with new pedals.

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Boss RE-issues and limited run pedals?

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