BOSS Nextone Amplifier (EL84 Setting) Vs Vox AC15

The BOSS Nextone amp is the newest amp to come from BOSS. Fresh off of the success of the Katana amps, the Nextone takes a page from the Katana, but clearly shares DNA with the Blues Cube series. It features four different tube settings. For the sake of this review, I'm focusing on the EL84 British setting, so I'm comparing it with my Vox AC15 combo.

Cleans:

Right out of the gate, the Nextone is impressive. I am a fan of Vox amps. I've owned and used a Vox for years. In the room, playing big open chords, the chime is there. The sound is big and focused. Of course, with reverb and delay, the sound is pure ambient greatness. There is note definition without a hint of mud. While the higher register is bright and chimey, The experience with lower notes is where we lose some of the similarities. It may be due to the different cab designs, but the Vox seems to shake everything around it. At similar volumes, the BOSS doesn't seem to resonate as well. Besides that, the BOSS produces great clean sounds, but it lacks the big bottom-end that the Vox has.

Crunch:

I've recently discovered that the Vox dirty sounds are somewhat... polarising. Where I enjoy turning up my AC15, others can't stand the sound. Now, guitarists are known to be a tiny-bit particular about their tone so the difference between love and hate could be psychosomatic, but it is a difference of opinion. Vox may not be known for their crunch sounds, but I enjoy how the breakup is a little trashy with a big bottom-end and chimey highs. As I increased the gain on the Nextone however, the breakup was not the same. It wasn't bad, but this was probably most different the amps sounded during the test. I did my best to EQ the Nextone a little closer. No dice.

Recording:

So, the amp I used for comparison is the Nextone Studio. I decide to make a short recording I could go back and listen without the influence of room noise. I listened to both amps through headphones to compare. What I found is that the clean tones are impressively similar. While I enjoyed the way the Vox filled the room when playing live, recording by micing the speaker removed that effect entirely. The Crunch tones again were where I heard the most difference again. The breakup was a  little more generic than the Vox. The Nextone wasn't bad, but it's not a replacement for my Vox.

Conclusion:

The BOSS Nextone isn't a stand-in for a list of amps, but in the case of the EL84 setting emulating a Vox. It does a decent job of copying the clean chime. During recording, the results are similar. One isn't far and away better, and that is probably the best thing you could say about this amp. It's a little like cooking with garlic powder instead of fresh garlic. Is the product better with one over the other? Probably. Is the product drastically different at the end of the day? Not really. The Nextone is what it is. When it is all said and done. It is a Solid State amp doing an impressive job at imitating a tube amp.

BOSS Nextone Amps vs BOSS Katana Amps... FIGHT!

Recently, BOSS has given us the Nextone amps. They are heavily inspired/based on the Roland Blue Cube amps. If you can remember, there was a time before BOSS release the Katana amplifiers where Roland's (BOSS' parent company) biggest amp line was the Cube series. Many people played and loved the Cube amps. Some of the most praised amps in the line were the Blues Cube. The Blues Cube was designed as a direct competitor to the Fender 1x12 amps. Following in that line, the Nextone amps are a continuation of that idea. I think that the Nextone is better than the Blues Cube in nearly every way. However, is it worth it?

I've talked a lot about the BOSS Katana on here so I won't go in a lot of detail in this post. I, like many other people like the Katana amps. I own a Katana amp. It makes a great practice amp. It makes a good gigging amp. You can record direct and mic it with reasonable (or even impressive) results. I think the most impressive thing about the Katana amps is the price. BOSS may have not have realized how big of a success the Katana was going to be. The Katana was priced less than it is now when it was released, suggesting that it was undervalued at release. So the Katana if a huge value that can serve in a multitude of roles.

There are key points were the Nextone amps are similar to Katana. Obviously, BOSS wants to emulate the Katana's success. The most obvious similarities are the power limiting feature (which actually was featured of the Blues Cube before the Katana) and the way the back panel is set up. The Blues Cube had much less in the way of options. However, the back panel of the Nextone and Katana look almost identical. There are some major differences as well. The biggest may be the effects that are built in. Katana promised a huge list of effects that you could select from and control. The Nextone gives you some effects that you might find of small tube combos (reverb, trem, and even delay). Where the Nextone can really flex is power section emulation. This is a solid state amp, but you can select the type of tubes emulated the amp emulates. In practice, this voices the amp like two different American amp or two British amp.

Both of these amps sound good.

Both of these amps have good In/Outs.

The Katana has more effects.

The Nextone models/emulates 4 different Tube amps.

The Katana has 5 amp charactors/modes (which is different?!)

The Nextone has software support to customize your amp voicing.

But UGT! Which one should I buy? The obvious answer is to play both side by side and buy the one you like more. But let's say that you have to buy one or the other without playing either one. If the difference in price doesn't matter, then it mostly comes down to effect. If you have a pedal board then I'd lean toward the Nextone. However, if you need a amp that does effects as well, you might want to go with the Katana, but they are limited. Which one is better overall. Not surprisingly, the more expensive one is going to have a better speaker and cabinet.

Conclusion

BOSS is killing it with their amps. I am very impressed. At a very glance, these amp look very similar. There are some key differences that make the Nextone very impressive. I'd go so far to say that these amps are what the Katana Artist should have been. If the Nextone retained the effects section from the Katanna, it would be game over.

Ugly Guitar Truth: Boss Nextone Amplifier

Boss has been known for creating some of the most iconic and memorable guitar products of all time. A few years ago the world was taken aback when BOSS gave us the Katana amplifier. The internet was abuzz with talk about an amplifier that gave you tonnes of useful features and BOSS-quality effects. The Katana was not the first, but what made it a darling was that it started for $200. For what many pay for their first "beginner" amp, you could have an amplifier that could get you through your first gigs or be a respectable studio tool. I personally love the line-in and headphone functions. Many of my larger amp and combos don't include this feature. So it's nice to have this on an amp that doesn't make me feel like a compromising tone-wise.

I like the Katana, but why am I take about the Katana on a post about the Nextone amp? Well, my first thought I had about the Nextone, was that it was just an update/addition to the Katana series. Since the introduction, BOSS has added many more Katana models. I can't speak to have the success they all have been, but the Nextone seemed to be at home next to the Katana amp. However, this is not the case.

We've Seen These Before

The Nextone amplifiers are the newest amps from BOSS, and you wouldn't be wrong to think that they share some DNA with the runaway success that was the Katana line of amps. However, these amps are more closely related to the Roland Blues Cube. With just a look, we can see the similarities on the control panel. The channel controls are set up exactly the same. You still have the Tone and Boost controls, Tube Logic and Power Control that we are used to seeing of the Blues Cube. Is this a reheated Blues Cube sold under the BOSS brand? Well, in a word, no.

Something New

While this might have started life as Blues Cube, BOSS has taken lessons from the Katana and applied them to this amp. We can see it most clearly in the effects. The effects are one of the most impressive features of the Katana (besides the solid foundation of good tones). While we don't have the impressive library of effect from the Katana we do have delay, reverb, and trem built in with similar controls to the Katana. The main claim to fame the Nextone is the selectable "Power Section". You can select from 6V6, 6L6, EL84, and EL34 which are just coded names for American and British-type amps. In addition to what we can see on the outside of the amp, BOSS has created an editing software tool to support the backend of the amplifier. This is supposed to give you in-depth control over the "Bias" and "Sag" just like a tube amp. You can also change the EQ across the entire amp and play with how your effects loop operates. The Nextone editing software will also let you change the Boost function into a compressor. So, that's kinda neat.

Conclusion

I never really liked the Blues Cube series. In theory the Blues Cube is a good choice, but I always felt that if you were going to spend Blues Jr. money, then you should probably buy a Blues Jr. (although if you picked up a used Blues Jr. and put the money you saved and bought some effects, then you'd be much better off). However, BOSS has put a lot more into the Nextone. There a lot of features packed into these amps. Sometimes that spell disaster, but BOSS has impressed me with this kind of thing before. "Nextone" is a trash name, however. There is no getting around that. It brings to mind brands like Nux and Hotone for some reason. Both of which I wouldn't want to be associated with my top-shelf combo amps. They are handsome, so hopefully, that's enough to offset a throwaway name. Will I buy one? Let's just say that I'm interested.

Ugly Guitar Truth: BOSS Waza Craft DC-2W Dimension-C

I don't think I get this one. I understand that it's a vintage pedal that BOSS has released under the Waza label, but other than the vintage appeal, there just isn't anything here that I'm stoked about. I ran a little long in the post about the Waza Metal Zone, so I think this will be shorter.

Ugly Truth in: 3... 2...

1. Presets

I'm a knob tweaker. I love to twist knobs. I like to fine tune all the settings. The biggest reason that I don't own a Strymon pedal is that I would probably be found dead from dehydration next to it because I tried to adjust all the parameters. So the fact that this is a "set it and forget about changing it" type of pedal is a little detracting for me. I get the appeal, but I'd be screaming for a Blend knob right off the bat. I mean, it is a cool pedal with a lot of vintage appeal. Also, you can rig it up in a loop with a blend if you are that into it, but it sounds like a lot of trouble just to run a special pedal with some cool vintage cred. 

2. Premium

This pedal isn't for me. The whole Waza line has a particular customer base and 9 times out of 10 I'm not interested. (actually, it's 2 of out 8 so far...) This is the most expensive Waza pedal at 229 USD. No doubt there will be those that buy and love this pedal. Those people probably already know that they will love this pedal before they buy it and they don't mind paying that premium. I'm not cool enough to really "get" this pedal, so my money is better spent on a used MD-500. You get 20 presets with the Dimension-C, but your options are nearly limitless with the MD-500. 

3. There is no 3

Conclusion

No doubt there are some cool sounds in this box. If you were stoked when BOSS announced it, then you are the type of person that BOSS made this pedal for. I, however, didn't. 

The Ugly Truth About BOSS MT-2W WAZA Craft Metal Zone

BOSS decided to break the dang internet, or at least our tiny little corner of it, with the announcement of the BOSS MT-2W. It is regarded by some to be the most despised of all pedals and praised by others for its unique sound and features. Along with the Dimension-C, the Metal Zone has gotten the WAZA treatment. So what does that mean for this divisive pedal? Well, let's take a look at what the BOSS Waza Craft Metal Zone MT-2W has done

First, a little backstory. I think I've shared this before, so I'll keep it brief. I used to play in a metal band. In my search for great metal tone. I, for a time, used a Metal Zone running through a GE-7 into an amp set for the edge of break-up. I still remember that I set the gain all the way down. This pedal had enough gain at zero. The more you turned up the distortion knob, the more noise and hiss came through the pedal. I still think that a Metal Zone running through an EQ is a powerful combination and an easy way to enter metal tone nirvana. So what do I think of BOSS releasing a Waza Metal Zone?

It makes sense. If you really think about it. Waza is the "greatest hits" of BOSS. The first pedals in the line were some of their best sellers. The SD-1 and DS-1 have sold tons of units. Nearly everyone that has gotten into pedals at least knows of these pedals if not owns them. I've owned several of each. (Why? It's hard to say.) But Waza isn't just about BOSS' most popular, current production models. They have rereleased some of the most coveted vintage pedals from the past. The DM-2 has been a vintage favorite for those that crave analog delay tones. The CE-2 is another pedal that saw rerelease in the Waza line. Both of these pedals are often emulated, but it seems like there is still a draw for something backed by BOSS. So why the Metal Zone? It's not as common to see an MT-2 as it is an SD-1, the Metal Zone is still in production, so why then? I think it's the same reason the BD-2 got its custom setting. Modders.

One of the first pedals that I ever modded was a Metal Zone. I liked the pedal, but the noise was always bothersome. So when I stumbled across a mod that was supposed to help with that, I jumped on it. I also killed the first MT-2 I ever tried to mod. eBay loved me. I think this is the reason that BOSS has given the Waza treatment to the MT-2. I hate being too cynical (or maybe I don't. I don't know.), but it makes sense. BOSS doesn't see much money from the modding community. When I modded pedals, I didn't buy a new pedal. I jumped on eBay and bought the cheapest pedal I could in case I screwed up the mod. I'm many others do the same, so BOSS wants to cut out the middleman and sell us the modded pedal up front. It makes all the sense, but is it worth it?

Log story just a little bit longer: yes, it is worth it.

The End

Just Kidding! did you think I wasn't going to talk this point into the ground? Is this your first time here? So, you may have noticed that I haven't talked about what this pedal sounds like. (I mean, if you think about, reading about what a pedal sounds like is a little silly, but hasn't stopped me before) If you like the way the Metal Zone sounds then you'll like the Waza Zone. If you didn't, then you probably won't be blown away by this pedal. If you don't know if you like the Metal Zone or not, then what have you been doing? It's been around for over 20 years... To be honest, this is one of the Waza pedals that I'd be interested in. I don't have very many heavy distortion pedals, and the MT-2 hold a special place in my guitar playing history, so buying a premium/custom version from BOSS for 50% more isn't a stretch.

Ugly Guitar Truth: Boss Katana Artist Amp

When the BOSS Katana was first announced, I wrote up my impressions of it. I liked the idea of it. It seemed like a well though out and executed design but it wasn't without it faults. I never did like the look of the amp. It was simple, but the overall look was a little bland. There was too much black on black. While I like the concept of the Kanji symbol for Katana being the amp's main design feature, it too was underwhelming and too close to familiar English letters. The price and features were too good though. BOSS had nearly every competitor beat hands down. So it's no surprise that BOSS has once again expanded their line of Katana amp with the 100 watt Artist model.

Still 100 Watts




If you are familiar with the BOSS Katana 100 Watt, then you are familiar with most of the features of the Artist. The five amp models are still there. The tone section still lets you control Lows, Mids, and Highs. You still have your Three FX: Boost/Mod, Delay FX, and Reverb. You still get Presence, and Master controls with 100/50/0.5 Watt settings. So if you were a fan of the Katana before, then you are still going to like the Artist, but is there enough to really call this an upgrade?




What's New




For starters you get a WazaCraft speaker in the Artist model. Waza is BOSS Premium line, but personally, I've never really thought that the Waza amps met the hype (or the price for that matter). The Waza was a feat for sure, but the Katana was were BOSS really hit the homerun. Having said that, is the Waza speaker an upgrade? After hearing a side by side comparison, the Artist does have the edge. However, that might be due to the cabinet construction. Another key feature is the more robust cabinet construction and the semi-open back cab. My money is on the shape and size of the cab having more to do in the change in sound than the speaker, but that's just my two cents. Other than that, the Artist gives you Cabinet Resonance and Line Out Air Feel functions.




Is It Worth It?




So, right now the Katana is priced at $600. The 2x12 100 watt Katana is priced at $500. You're getting one less speaker for 100 more dollars. While this seems like a bum deal at first, there is a fair amount of value for your money. The cabinet alone is a huge improvement. The Waza speaker may help as well. The Cabinet Resonance and Line Out Air Feel could help breathe a little life into you signal. The overall look of the amp is much improved in my opinion. Will I buy a Katana Artist? Personally? I'd love to see the head version, but I love what they done. BOSS has done an impressive job topping their already impressive line of Katana Amps.

Ugly Guitar Truth: BOSS Katana Air

Just when you think that BOSS has covered every possible angle with their KATANA line, they go and do something like this. Last year we saw the introduction of the katana mini. Like me, you might have thought that BOSS was out of ideas for their wildly successful line of affordable amps. But like me, you would have been wrong.

Real Wireless

The BOSS Katana Air boasts features that are familiar but in an unprecedented way. They've already made a battery powered Katana. Line6 released their Spider amps with built-in wireless. The guys at BOSS decided to put it all together. Now we can play guitar with exactly zero wires. They even have set of effects built into the amp that you can control via Bluetooth.

Play All Day

The transmitter is built into the amp. This means it charges while it's docked in the amp. It even has a motion sensor so that it can go into low-power sleep mode when not in use. It wakes up automatically when you pick up your guitar. This helps preserve the 12 hours of playing time you get on a full charge.

Plenty Of Power

When at home, this amp can put out 30 watts. That is plenty of power is this super compact amp. When operating on battery power, this amp still kicks out 20 watts. This makes the Katana Air a serious jamming machine. Most battery-powered amps put out less than 10 watts. This amp doubles that and lets you plug in for 10 more.

Conclusion

All these features on top of the outstanding Katana platform make this a valuable addition the Katana line. While this won't replace a gigging amp, It might just be the one you grab on the way to a jam or become your go-to when practicing at home.

5 Worst Pedals Of 2017

Just as there is best of the year, there is also some pedals that didn't really seem to hit their mark. This isn't to say that they don't do the job their were meant to do, its just that sometimes the fact that they even exsist is a a head-scratcher. Let's take a look at some of the worst pedals of 2017.

EHX Blurst

I wanted to like this thing when I saw it. EHX has the habbit of bringing unexpected and fun products to market, but the Blurst was flirting with line between junk and genius and fell right over to the junk side. This is a pedal that dares you to try and use it. There is are some interesting special effects in this box, but I can't see that anyone could find use for it other than a noise maker. Some may need weird and interesting noises and this will provide, but for many of us, this is a waste of space.

DOD Rubbernecker

This pedal is actually a solid delay. It has some unexpected features and it expands of what you are capable of with analog delay. However, it suffers from timing. The Rubbernecker is now in the shadow of its big brother, Carbon Copy Deluxe. These two delay may possibly share some DNA, but given the choise between the two, most are going to go with the pedigry that the Carbon Copy brings with it.

BOSS/JHS AngeryDriver

This pedal came straight out of left field. The Angery Driver is a colaberation between JHS and BOSS. It combinds the Angery Charlie and Blues Driver. Both pedals are outstanding in their own right. So the decition to combind the two comes as a big surprise. Although, the pedal works on a technical level, it robs itself of some the best qualitiest that come with each respective pedals.

Keeley D&M Drive

What is basically a signature pedal, the D&M Drive actually works against itself. I understand why this pedal happened. These two brits that talk about pedals on the internet have the capability to sell plenty of pedals if they recomend them, so why not give them an endorment deal? Well, the whole perpuse of their show is to help guitar experience many differnent guitar product and maybe help with purchasing choices. If it turns out that they just shill for whoever is lining their pockets, then it doesn't help their credibility.

TC Electronic Rush Booster

This year we saw a whole slew of new pedals from TC Electronic. It's no coinsedence that this come after the buy out of TC by Behringer's parent company. What make the Rush booster worse than most other pedals in the same line is that TC already make a great boost for the same price. The Spark Boost is great and compact. For a one knob boost, you don't need a huge, heavy enclosure. This seems like some kind of oversight.

5 Best Pedals Of 2017

Happy 2018 everyone. I just wanted to take a moment to look back at the previous year and recognize some of the best things to happen to guitar pedals in 2017. This isn't everything that was great, nor is in any particular order. These are just the five pedal of last year that stand out the most. Starting with:

BOSS RV-500

Boss expanded their line of 500 series effects. In a somewhat predictable manner, Boss added to the well-received DD-500 with an equally impressive Reverb unit. BOSS loyalist have been long-suffering devotees to a brand that took its time to catch up, but many feel like the 500 series is BOSS's answer to Eventide and Strymon. Not only do BOSS fans have an answer to the huge do-everything-delays, but so do those that can't bring themselves to throw down the big bucks. At $350 these delays look like a bargain.

TC ElectronicFlashback II

2017 seemed like the year everyone was stepping up their delay game. TC was no different. Many love the Flashback delay, and for good reason. TC Electronic's Tone Print features are massive. How do you improve upon a pedal that you can update endlessly via a cable plugged into your computer? More functionality. Somehow TC crammed, even more, features into their Flashback II. The Smash feature is, for the most part, unprecedented. Now you can have an expression pedal built into your compact pedal. The Flashback II is a solid win.

Wampler Deluxe Tumnus

Wampler stepped up their game with the Deluxe Tumnus. Despite its recent release, it has taken over pedalboard everywhere. I follow tons of guitarist and guitar pages and it seems like nearly all the boards posted on the internet in the last few months have a Deluxe Tumnus on them. The Klone Wars may be over. Many guitarists want more out of their light overdrives, and the Deluxe Tumnus delivers.

EHX Green Russian OD

For the last few years, EHX has been the go-to place when looking for inexpensive pedals that deliver (especially if those pedals have a striking resemblance to another, rather iconic, pedal). Stopping short of making a re-issue, EHX opted to release a clone of an EHX classic. The Green Russian Big Muff is a copy of the Russian made Big Muff Pi. This isn't an original idea, but it's cool to see EHX reaching back to their roots. It doesn't hurt that it is inexpensive and compact.

MXR Carbin Copy Deluxe

I'll be honest. I've never really seen what was so special about the carbon copy. Analog delays are nice, but I've always like the expanded capabilities of digital delays. Not until I owned a Carbon Copy did I understand that it has a sound all of its own. The worst thing you can say about that pedal is that it is limited. The Carbon Copy does away with that complaint. The Deluxe is an improvement on the original in every way. This is a textbook example of how you update a fantastic original.

Ugly Guitar Truth: TC Electronic Iron Curtain Noise Gate

Alright, I guess I'm going to to do all of these things. By now, we know that TC is putting out a huge number of pedals that should look familiar to anyone that has been around BOSS or Behringer effect pedals. When I first heard of the people, I thought it was something different. I'll get into that in a second, but now we will take a closer look.

Not A Clone

So Behringer put out direct BOSS clones for a long time. They are still producing cost-effective stomp boxes that are nearly identical to their BOSS brethren. Here come TC and they look like they are upping the ante. They are pretty much taking some of the most successful circuits and stilling them in rugged boxes. Basically taking Behringer's game and raising the bar... kinda. Like we saw with the 3rd Dimension, TC pedals aren't always direct copies. I'm not saying that they aren't up to par, but some of the features don't make to the final product. The same thing has happened here. The BOSS and Behringer pedals both feature an effects loop. This isn't necessary, but it is a noted loss when comparing these very related pedals.

The Competition

Looking at budget noise gate pedals, you won't find many. Most start out well north of the advertised price of the Iron Curtain-$50. The Behringer has a spotted reputation, and the BOSS is twice the price. It's pretty much between EHX and TC at this price point. If you need anything more substantial than what those two pedal can give you, then you should probably take a look at the TC Sentry and stop messing around with bargain bin pedals. Personally, I've never really had any need for noise gate on my board. Not to say that I haven't used them. My experience with the BOSS NS-2 and MXR Smart Gate is enough for me not to recommend them. Even with the limited features, if TC made a solid noise gate at $50, then this is a huge win for guitarists in general.

So Close

They had the name and the look, but if they just could have made this a Russian Big Muff clone I think I could have forgiven the lack of green. I know this is on the heels of EHX releasing their Green Russian, but imagine for a second a world that had a choice of Russian Fuzz clones. Maybe this one goes for more of a Black Russian feel? What makes it worse is that they put out a Muff Clone in the line. The demo did sound pretty low-gain, so maybe it's going for a Russian feel... but that just makes it worse. You were so close TC!

Conclusion

I'm actually pretty surprised that I have so many feelings about a Noise Gate. But honestly, this pedal does seem to feel a bit of a gap in the market. The lack of features does give me a little bit of pause. If I were to find myself in need of a noise gate and had the option of the Iron Curtain and the Silencer, then I might just get the Silencer on the features alone. I mean, seven dollars buy quite a bit more. Then again, noise gates are a hard thing to get right, and I haven' really see TC drop the ball on any of these pedals, so it might come down to a dual.

Ugly Guitar Truth: TC Electronic Crescendo Auto Swell

If you think like me, and let's be honest who wouldn't., then you think that volume swells in guitar-based music is just the bee's knees. No better way to make you guitar sound spooky, seductive, and whale-ish (welsh?) than to add some volume swells. In fact, volume swells are so prevalent in you guitar work that you don't have time to work a knob, and a volume pedal doesn't fit on your board because you added yet another transparent overdrive that you absolutely need for "that" tone. (That last klone totally makes your amp sound just like a modded Fender Dumble.)

Hot Take

This pedal is just a reheat BOSS SG-1. Behringer made a clone and this is that in a TC electronic box. All these things are probably true and that is complete fine. I'm ok with TC electronic doing this. I mean, it's not like this is the first straight copy of the Slow Gear. There have been clones and DIY kits for ages. My Line6 M5 has an auto swell effect among the five thousand other ones. Did I buy it for that one effect? No. Do I use it consistently? Also, no. I mean, I do have a volume pedal...


Same Old Problem


So, I have story about how the SG-1 came about. Disclaimer: I have no idea if this is in any way true. It's just something that I heard once. It sounds like a think that might be kinda true. As it goes, The guys at BOSS were putting out pedals left and right and making a ton of money because pedal just love the guitar pedal things. There was only one problem. The line of BOSS pedals had been pretty fleshed out and there wasn't a huge outcry for anything more. BOSS had to come up with a new idea. You see, BOSS wasn't always a huge company that followed trends only five years too late. They were once a young, innovating company with ideas. At this particular time, they were having a lot of trouble coming up with anything. That is until someone had the idea to make a pedal that was basically the inverse of a Noise Suppressor which they already made. So, the SG-1 Slow Gear was born. It worked, but it's a little crude. VFE make a similar pedal that fine tunes the idea. The Slow Gear was never supposed to be the end-all be-all of swell pedals, but the limited run made it rare and so it can fetch a high price. This, incorrectly, gives some the impression that it somehow superior to other auto swell pedals. So, if this is a faithful copy of the original, then we are getting a pedal that someone at BOSS pulled out of their butts when they couldn't think of anything better.


Conclusion


I'm only human. Even though I explained that the Slow Gear is nothing special, and despite the fact that I own Two pedals that can reproduce this effect, I still want one. I wouldn't mind owning an actual SG-1, but I probably wouldn't put the Behringer pedal on my board because I'm vain like that. So yeah, this is a compromise that spares my ego and lets me not spend $500 on vintage pedal I'd hate to take out of the house.

Ugly Guitar Truth: TC Electronic 3rd Dimension Chorus

TC Electronic showed us the next line of their smorgasbord line of effects. There were several interesting things to note. Probably the most noted was the chorus. We are so used to looking pedals with some arrangement of knob that when we see something the 3rd Dimension it is quite striking. A pedal with the non-familiar shape and size of the new TC boxes with four push buttons instead of our trusty knobs. Is this a better way to do chorus? Maybe, maybe not, but let's take a look at it.

Reboxed Behringer?


At first glance, this pedal looks to be a direct reboxing of a Behringer Chorus Space-C with one glaring exception that we'll talk about later. TC is now owned by Behringer's parent company, so they have been put to task taking care of the most repeated complaint of the Behringer effects, their plastic boxes. So now these pedals have a case that, along with a poster a Raquel Welch, could easily aid your escape from prison. To me, the new box seems to be a serious upgrade to the Behringer. Maybe "upgrade" it too strong a word...

Where's the Stereo?


Both the Space-C and the BOSS DC-2 it was based off of took a single input and provided two outputs. However, the 3rd Dimension doesn't provide the 2nd output. Personally, I don't run a stereo rig or stereo effects, so it doesn't really effect me much, but many people do, and those people would benefit from a faithful reproduction of the classic chorus. However, let me remind you that TC teased a Juno-106 type chorus, and people lost their minds. That pedal was also mono.

Limited


The first question I asked when I saw a push button pedal was, "But, how do I dial-in my tone?". Watching the video the TC put out, Tore talks about spending hours fine tuning a chorus sound. Help me out here, but has anyone spent hours doing this? Most of chorus experience has been CE-2 based, so there wasn't much to mess with. I'd think that four buttons lacking any label, other than being numbered, would be harder to tune than clearly labeled knobs, but that would be an unforgivable deviation from the classic... shm.


Conclusion


To the average player who is not worried about the heritage of there chorus, this is a very interesting pedal. The demo that TC did sounded fine. I'm not a huge chorus user, but it can add a little complexity to your sound when needed. I probably won't pick one of these up. Not because I don't like the 3rd Dimension, but because my Lyon (by Washburn) chorus is meeting my chorus needs. Plus... it's Stereo.

Ugly Guitar Truth: JHS Haunted Mids Mid-Boost Pedal

If, and only if, you are as cool as me, and you were on your phone looking at Instagram instead of doing anything better with your life, then you might have seen that JHS is taking pre-orders for a new pedal. The Haunting Mids is, according to JHS, a frightfully effective Sweepable-Mids boost/cut pedal that can turn any amp or pedal into a ghastly monster. Let's break out the pitchforks...


Let's Talk About The Puns

They are stupid. I thought the entire pedal was a joke... kinda like their April fools pedal they posted a while back. Evidently this thing is real and they are taking pre-orders. Hopefully the pre-orders are just to see if there is anyone out there willing to put out money for this thing. Does your spine tingle when you think about pedals that do next to nothing? Do you have nightmares about muddy tone, then you must not know to turn an EQ knob. The description for this pedal is so campy, it belongs in a Bruce Campbell movie. But don't worry, if you don't like puns then you won't like this pedal either.


What Are They Going For

Let's take a look at the controls. Volume, Mids, Sweep, and a Hi/Low switch. Volume is self explanatory, it make it louder or not louder. Mids and Sweep work together. The Mids either boosts or cuts the selected frequency. The Sweep knob sets the frequency that is boosted or cut. The Hi/Lo switch effects the width of the range of frequencies effected. Hi is a more prominent and focused range, where Lo is wider and softer. So, this a boost pedal with shapeable mids... cool. But I have bad news for JHS


There Are Way Better Pedal That Do Everything (and more) That This Pedal Does

Literally every graphic equalizer pedal out there beats this pedal hands down. JHS tried really hard to make it cute, but every pun in the world can't save you from the fact that this pedal is stupidly limited. It's just slightly more refined than Spectrum pedal (one of the very first pedals that BOSS put out). The MXR 10 band eq is capable of doing everything the Haunting Mids does, but better. Plus, it's cheaper. Is it too big for your pedal board. Get the 6 band eq. Not enough bands? The BOSS GE-7 has got you covered. Mids? Lows? Highs? Cuts? Boosts? These pedal do it all. That's why I have 2 GE-7s on my board. Is the GE-7 noisy? Not that I've ever had a problem with, but there are mods that quiet the pedal.


Conclusion


This pedal is probably a simple, well designed pedal that does what it promises. However, I can't really recommend that you buy (or pre-order) it without pointing out how pointless a pedal like this is. If you want to shape your mids with a pedal, then get a graphic EQ. Save some money and get a much more flexible pedal. Do you want a pedal with cute ghost on it? Then paint a ghost of an EQ pedal because this pedal is nearly worthless... Just when JHS was impressing me with their new reverb....

Why I Still Use A BOSS DD-20 Delay

For nearly ten years, I've used the BOSS DD-20 as my main delay. I've had several others come and go, but I've always stuck by the BOSS Twin Pedal. When I bought it, it was one of the best delays you could buy. As the years have gone by, I've seen many impressive delays come to market. There are a few reasons why I haven't upgraded.

It's Simple

If you can use a any of the BOSS digital delays, then you can use the DD-20. With just a few turns of a knob, you can dial in just about any delay sound you want. That's not to say that it's lacking features, but the interface is very easy to understand and use. There are no menus. There is a screen to give you all the information you need. It's all right there in front of your face. So simple, it's almost dumb. Just the way I like it.

It's Deep

This pedal does a little bit of everything. It's not perfect by any means. However, there are plenty of options to choose from. Not only that, but there is feature that you don't see often on a delay. Not only do you get Tape, Analog, Ping Pong, Looping and other modes, but you get a Tone knob. I know that's not super exciting, but it let's you dial in how dark or bright you want your repeats. I'm sure that some of these uber delays can do the same thing or similar, but when this was new on the market, it was very unique.





It's A Value





I paid top dollar back when I bought mine, but now you can regularly find this pedal for under $100. I've done a lot of looking recently, and $100 doesn't buy you a lot in regards to delay. In this case, You can get tons of delay for your money.




Conclusion




If I had the 200-250 dollars it would take to buy a DD-20 at its original price, I'd do one of two things. I'd save up for the DD-500 or I'd get the Carbon Copy Deluxe. The DD-500 might be a little overkill, but it won't leave you wanting. The Carbon Copy Deluxe is a great delay made even better. I'm running analog type delay sounds most the time anyways, and the Carbon Copy is just about the best deal going for one of those. If I had to put together a full feature pedal board for the least amount of money, then the DD-20 is my pick. For about a hundred dollars, the DD-20 is very hard to beat.

Ugly Guitar Truth: JHS/BOSS JB-2 Angry Driver Pedal

Ever since the announcement of this pedal, my news feed and social media have been blowing up about the new BOSS/JHS collaboration. The JB-2 Angry Driver is a step in a new direction for BOSS. JHS, however, have done this before. They've partnered with Jet City on a A/B Buffered Line Driver boost type pedal. (I have one and it is just about perfect for my AC15) According to things I've read on the internet, this is the first time that BOSS has gone outside of their considerably large house to develop a new pedal. If you want to read the marketing copy, google elsewhere. Let's get ugly...

Blues Driver

I love the BD-2. It really is a versatile and classic pedal. It's filled with great tonal possibilities. However, many have discovered that the tonal possibilities they are looking for come in the form of circuit modification. The humble Blues Driving have become the Honda Civic of the pedal world. Many well intentioned souls set out by buying a slightly used model with hopes of one day creating the ultimate machine. Only, they wake one day after hours of labor and money spent with something that is barely functioning much less better than when they started. I for one have removed buffers, replaced opamps and changed LEDs all for very little gain. Not to say that there aren't any worthy modifications. Keeley has done world a service by creating the quintessential BD-2 mod. It's like the movie where Sandra Bullock is a cop the has to be in a beauty pageant. Objectively, she accomplished and proficient, but be ready to bust out the double sided tape...

Angry Charlie

I haven't as much experience with an Angry Charlie pedal as I have with a Blues Driver, but the pedal as quite the following. The pedal is being used by anyone from novices to pros. I'm not going to tell you that the Angry Charlie is a slightly modified MI Audio Crunch Box, but there are those that believe that and they sound like they know what they're talking about. You could show me the schematics for both pedals, point out the similarities in the circuits and make a contextual demonstration of that information via puppet show and I still would struggle to grasp "how" the two pedals are similar. Honestly, most gain pedals work very similarly so saying someone is copying another is true in one way or another. But then you have the baggage the JHS carries with it. They is, very literally, hate had for JHS for associations that the founder has/had with certain religious groups. It comes up nearly in every thread involving JHS. I've also written about it. It's out there.

Angry Driver

Ok, at this time I've yet to use one of these pedals. It has just been announced so very few people have. So let's talk about what we know about it so far.

Take a breath.

They've taken the three knob tone stack from the Angry Charlie and given it a single Tone knob. This is somewhat understandable since they are squeezing two pedals into a single compact BOSS enclosure. However, imagen if they had gone with a regular medium-sized enclosure and given the Blues Drive a three band EQ (we already have one with a two band EQ. It's called a Digitech Screaming Blues"). I've spent most of my morning watching Youtube reviews of this pedal, and the only one that sounds decent to my ears is Rebea Masaad's. (The others range from eh to eww. Is it that hard to get decent tones out of this thing? Is this the new Metal Zone? Concentric knobs!!! Metal Zone confirmed!!!!!!) We get 6 modes of operation on this pedal, which is nuts, but let's not forget to mention that this pedal absolutely has a BJ mode. Just puting it out there. While we are being superficial, lets mention the fact that the pedal is probably the only BOSS pedal I'd call "hard to look at". It's not any uglier than any other BOSS pedal but that red on white color scheme is hard on the eyes. In fact, I officially recommind that you only look at it with those paper sunglasses you had to get to look at the solar eclipse. You'll with you had those glasses on when you see how much this pedal will set you back. Two hundred dollars for this bastardised Blues Driver. I think that makes this the most expensive single compact drive pedal that BOSS has put out. I get that it says "JHS" on it, but come on BOSS. We know this pedal was all you. But BOSS did the market research and found out that stamping three letters on the front would mean that they'd sell just as many at $200 as the would at $99. Thank you to all those JHS fanboys out there that pay out the nose to have you pedals put in pretty boxes. Alright, I think I'm done.

Conclusion

I'll admit. I'm excited to play one of these pedals. It's like seeing a miniature pony drive a car. Those two things don't belong together. I wouldn't believe someone if they were to tell me that it would happen, but now we have them, a unholy union that has spawn this abomination.

Ugly Guitar Truth: BOSS WAZA Craft 75-Watt Head

The Katana amps have made a huge wave in the solid state amp market. So much so, that it is easy to forget that the Katana amps share a blood line with the WAZA craft amps. The WAZA was the very first amps under the BOSS name. Roland has been producing amps for decades, but only in recent years have they put the BOSS logo on the front. Now, with the popularity and notoriety of the Katana, the WAZA line has expanded to include a 75-watt head. Is this finally the WAZA for the masses? Let's see...

Something Old, Something New

There is a feature list a mile long on these amplifiers. No matter what the amp can do, it has to sound good first and foremost. The WAZA was authentically voiced after the heavy rock sounds of the 70s and 80s. These amps also have a separate independent B channel that selects a"Brown Sound" Tone Capsule. Both the A and B settings have 4 channels: Clean, Crunch, Lead1, Lead2. Included with vintage tones are modern features such as Dual FX Loops, Midi controls, USB and Line outputs with cabinet simulated outputs.

Affordability?

The good news is that the WAZA 75-watt head costs $750 less than the 150-watt version. However, that means it still costs $1,500. Paired with the 2X12 cab, the combo will run you $2,500. That's Marshall stack money. Obviously, these amps are meant for the touring professional. If you were hoping that this would be a cheap option to the full bore 150-watt version, then you might be a little disappointed. This isn't exactly bridging the gap between the affordable Katana line and the premium WAZA, but it's good to see that they are still supporting and developing their high-end amps.

Conclusion

Is it time to run out and buy the WAZA Amp.  No, it is not. Unless you are a touring professional that can justify a high-cost rig, this option isn't very approachable. More approachable than the 150-watt version, but when we are talking about starting at $2500, then why not get the high-powered version. These are impressive amps that hopefully translate into great affordable products like the Katana.

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Ugly Guitar Truth: BOSS 40th Anniversary Box Set

BOSS pedals just announced that they are reissuing some of their first pedal they have ever produced. The SP-1 Spectrum, OD-1 Over Drive, and PH-1 Phaser are being produced in a hand-made, small batch manufactured in Japan. Vintage pedal collectors and enthusiasts of vintage effects know the importance of such pedals. Before now, to find and acquire one of these pedal out in the wild would mean throwing down big money. The Spectrum pedal can fetch around $500 on the open market. So is this a treasure to be had or a gimmick to be avoided. Let check it out...

It's A Gamble

There is a phenomenon in the guitar world especially guitar pedals. When a item is discontinued it either fades to obscurity, or rises to near-legendary status. The later happened with the Klon and King of Tone, and the former has happened to many non-nameless pedals. However, rereleasing vintage pedals isn't money in the bank necessarily. The Tuber Screamer is a great case in point. The TS-808 in currently available in a rereleased form, but it bares such a strong resemblance to the TS-9 and is heavily clone and copied that the effect is readily available in countless iterations. So the strongest motivation to by an 808 or this box set is nostalgia.

Money Grab

We have to mention the price of the set. $900 for the three pedals. Yes it comes in a really nice display box. but at today's market value, these pedals would only set you back about $700. The real gem here is the Spectrum. It is a single band parametric EQ. That means you can choose to boost or cut one frequency. You can pick up a brand new Empress Para EQ pedal that blows this out of the water for half the price of the vintage pedal. The OD-1 and PH-1 are both obsolete and replaceable by pedals that no more than what their vintage counterparts fetch. Is this an attempt to capitalize on the vintage pedal market by BOSS? Ehh, well...


Because They Can

If BOSS put out these pedals as a part of their regular run with inflated prices, then I wouldn't hesitate to dismiss this as a cheap money grab. However, they are only made 1,500 of these sets. That probably less than one per each guitar shop in the US let alone the world. This a milestone for BOSS. The set was crafted by hand in Japan in small numbers. BOSS has sold millions of pedals. They don't need to jack up the prices of 1,500 units. Everything about this set is focused towards a serious collector. The price an limited run are to insure exclusivity. I'm sure there are those willing to pay that price for three pedals that will remain in a box.


Conclusion

When I first heard about these pedals, I thought that they were going to be like the WAZA line. But this is something all together different. These are a special collectors item. Pedal Nostalgia has been a thing for a while now, and BOSS is giving the market something that it has wanted for a while now. I'm not going to buy this set. I don't have that kind of money to throw at pedal I don't intend to use. However, if they rerelease the Slow Gear that might be a different story...

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Ugly Guitar Truth: Boss MD-500 Modulation Effect Pedal

Along with the RV-500 Reverb and Katana Mini, Boss announced the MD-500 modulation pedal. It sport the same frame of the RV and DD 500 pedals, but it specializes in modulation effect such as Chorus, Flanger, Phaser, Classic Vibe, Vibrato, Tremolo, Dimension, Ring Mod, Rotary, Filter, Slicer and Overtone. If that seems like a huge list of various effects, it is. So is this unit a shiny new 10/10. Let's take a look at what we know and what we can gather.

Inspiration

I think that most of us know realise that the BOSS 500 series is heavily influenced by the Strymon line of effects. The Timeline, Big Sky, and Mobius are legendary in their own right and few choose to compete with them in the compact, powerful, dedicated, floor-based effect market. By no means do I mean that BOSS cloned the Mobius, but the format and function of the 500 series sync up with flagship Strymon pedals pretty well. BOSS has put their unique touch on all the pedals in this line. They've also put great thought into the features and effect that went into this pedal. Although it share some characteristics with the more established pedals, the MD-500 is a stand-out in its own right.

Something New, Something Old

This brand new pedal has a list of feature that stretches long. Included in those are some that are familiar with  those who know their BOSS pedals. The Slicer and Dimension effects hearken back to pedals of BOSS' past. Long loved effects that have found a home with those that desire eclectic, vintage tones and those that want unique, creative effects. Also available in this unit is an effects loop. Place it before or after the main effect, the loop can be set to be triggered by the Control/Tap foot switch. Don't let the simple layout of the pedal fool you, this pedal fully editable.

More Than Meets The Eye

On the surface you get a powerful modulation pedal, but that's just scratching the surface. Each effect is deeply editable through an LCD screen or by linking to a computer and using BOSS' effects editor. All of these features are packaged into an unassuming, attractive frame. What make this particular pedal special, is the fact that it does so many different effects. Where the DD-500 does delay and the RV-500 does reverb (and a little delay) this pedal does so much. It's hard to say that a ring mod and rotary effect are related, but there they are sharing space on the same pedal. That's where this pedal shines. Where you may not use tremolo on every song, you very well may find one of the many effects available in this unit that you do need. So where as the DD-500 might replace your delay and the RV-500 could replace you reverb, the MD-500 might well well take several pedals off you board.

Conclusion

The MD-500 is something that the market has been looking for. Does it complete kill the Mobius? It's hard to tell since the pedal is currently only in pre-sell. Personally I think that the Mobius is a little more exhaustive. However, the MD-500 is offering a lot and the price seems like a bargain compared to similar units from Strymon and Eventide. It will be very interesting to see how this pedal stacks up with established top dogs in this section of the market.

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Ugly Guitar Truth: BOSS Katana Mini

On the heels of the announcement of the new 500 series pedals from BOSS, BOSS has also put forward a new Katana amp. In addition to the 50 watt combo, 100 watt combo and 100 watts head, BOSS will add a mini, 7 watt version to the line up. The Katana series has been praised since it's introduced. The mini version looks to be a desk top version with a 4 inch speaker. Is this a solid solution to those that are want for space or in need of low key practice gear? Let's look at the facts...

It's Small

Less than 10 inches wide and under 3 pounds, this amp is aptly named. It is also priced at half of the next size in the line up. The amp is impressively small. Small amps are not know for known for having the best tone. However, this amp is housed in a specially designed ported cabinet with a custom designed 4 inch speaker. Other features that you wouldn't think to see is a three band EQ, three channels, and delay. The amp might be tiny, but the feature list is impressive for its size.

It Stands Out

I've previously written about the Vox Pathfinder 10 and how impressive it is for its size and price. I'm very interested in seeing how these two amp compare. Considering that the Vox has very limited features, the BOSS seems to have the very clear advantage. The amp modes make this tiny amp one of the most flexible compact amp in its price range. You'd have to triple the price to find an amp in its size and better feature set. Out of the gate the Mini make a strong case for anyone looking for an extremely portable amp.

It Has A Lot To Live Up To

The Katana line has been praised by many. Not only is it one of the best values on the market right now, but many have preferred the Katana over much pricier amps. While lacking some of the key features the Katana line have been noted for, you still get three amp modes. If these are related by more than just name, then the Katana Mini is offering a serious price at this price point. 

Conclusion

Many, are critical of these smaller amps and their ability to be more than a novelty. I have been very skeptical of any combo featuring a speaker under 10 inches. However, the 6.5 inch speaker in the pathfinder 10 was surprisingly able to produce quality tones. These amp wont be able to fill a large room, but these amps are built for quick, portable jamming. Barring a major flaw, these amps are poised to bring the Katana value and acclaim to the mini, battery-powered, super-portable amp market.

Check out the hands on review of the Katana: Here!

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Ugly Guitar Truth: BOSS RV-500 Reverb

What many have considered a long awaited debut, BOSS has announced their first additions to the 500 series pedals. The RV-500 Reverb has been anticipated since the release of the original 500 pedal, the DD-500 Delay. While the DD-500 was a welcome update to the DD-20, the RV-500 (along with the MD-500) has now established a line of pedals that are poised to compete with Strymon and Eventide. With 32-bit processing, and 96 kHz sampling rate, the hardware under the hood is virtually matchless. 12 modes and 21 reverb types that are all highly customizable leaves little to be desired. The feature stack on this is impressive, so whats the ugly truth...

It's actually Not That Ugly

Visiting local music stores is a little bit of a hobby of mine.When I see a well stocked effects pedal display case, it is akin to visiting an art gallery. There are hints of style and theme (or lack there of) and you can tell the difference between pedal manufactures like artists' motifs. BOSS, for the most part, stopped stylistically somewhere in the 80's when they introduced their compact pedal line and the familiar shape of most BOSS pedal that we know today. The 500 series however complete redesigns the look of their pedals. The inspiration of the redesign clearly comes from some of their competition. The three button layout, knob layout, and even the stamped aluminum enclosure all seem rather similar to other high-end, powerful effect units. Did BOSS copy other effects? Well, that word does have a lot of stigma attached to it in the effects market, but yes they totally did.

It's Not A Big Sky Clone

Obviously, some of the exterior element of the pedal have been "borrowed", but this pedal is not trying to be a Strymon Big Sky or a Eventide Space. What it is trying to do is complete crush those exact pedals and any others that may stand to rival it. When Line 6 released the DL4 delay in 1999. BOSS took their time and came out with the DD-20. Like the 500 series. the DD-20 was on the front end of a whole line of pedals that would follow the same twin pedal format. I actually debated those two delay pedals back when they were two of the most powerful delays on the market. My decision then was the DD-20. The BOSS pedal beat the Line 6 in features and performance. It also cost less. It did take nearly four years after the DL4 to come to market, but when it did, it came to win. 

Too Soon?

If you remember when the DD-500 came out, it debuted at the same time as the RV-6. Needing a reverb pedal, I bought a RV-6. It has been my primary reverb ever since. While there was a sizable chunk of time between RV-5 and RV-6, it has barely two years between the RV-6 and RV-500. While two years is the standard dwell time between modern consumers and smartphones, many guitarists don't typically replace their pedals every other year. (I've been using my DD-20 for nearly 10 years.) However, there is probably little cross over is those that would buy the RV-6 and the RV-500 despite their apparent similarities. Instead of a update to their compact pedal, The RV-500 serves to entice the players considering other high-end, powerful units. 

Conclusion

I won't lie, I was very excited about the announcement of this pedal. This is probably the most exciting pedal announcement in the last 18 months. It seems that BOSS has been on a roll. The DD-500 was a huge step forward for them, the Katana amps are being praised over higher price competition, and now we get a powerful Reverb at a fraction of the cost of comparable units. It is hard to imagine that the RV-500 reverb will be anything other than great success.

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