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 Truth About Getting Your Pedal Modded By JHS

If you are up on your pedal, then you are familiar with JHS pedals, they started offering a service to mod popular pedals for those that are so inclined. They started developing custom circuits and offering a line of pedals. Some of these pedals are very highly respected and sought after. I've been a DIY guy for the most part and have done many mods to Boss and Ibanez pedals, so I've never gone in for sending pedal off. Planning mods and tracking down parts has been a fond hobby for a long time, but this mod in particular seemed like a solid candidate. Now, on with the truth!

Here's what I got back form JHS

It's Uncomfortably Long Process

When dealing with send pedal through the mail, the worst part is the wait. Anyone who has order a piece of gear knows that it hard to wait. They have your money, you've made your decision, but you have days before you can play with your new piece of kit. Unlike an order from a retail web-store, The modding process is a service. So you mail your pedal, in this case, it took three days to arrive at JHS. Then they have to process your order in the order it was received. I was alerted that since I had mailed it just before the new year, then there would be a delay. The website stated that a typical order could take up to three weeks to process. So, I wasn't stoked. It ended up taking right up to the three week mark to receive my pedal, so according to the website, it was quite timely. If you were a active musician with gigs, then you would be out an important part of you rigs for weeks.

There A Hidden Fees

The enticing point of all of this mess is that you (yes, you!) can have a boutique-quality, professional-grade piece of gear for the price of a popular, mass-produced piece of gear. All you have to do is get these wizards to do their special brand of voodoo to it first. All for a nominal fee, of course. But that is to be expected. Nothing is free, but you probably already have one of the massively popular pedals that they offer a mod to, so its not like you are spending more money on your pedal, you are investing in an upgrade. So you come to accept the seemly exorbitant cost or changing a few part that total to a couple of dollars, but you rationalize it to yourself somehow. Then you come to find that they stick you with the cost of shipping it back to you. (not only that, but it's twice as much as you paid to ship it there...) In all I nearly doubled the price of my Soul Food, but it was all worth it, right?

It Might be worth it

Of course, I was excited to receive my pedal back from JHS. It just like getting new gear, expect that it was yours to begin with... So I spent a fair amount of time playing with my newly modded pedal, as I do, and I'm happy with it. That is, in the since that it was any worse than way I left it. Also the bass knob made a considerable difference when rolled all the way up. The switch that controls the clipping diodes made a very minute difference. I'm pleased with the changes made. I didn't have to lift a finger to do them, and everything looks great. 

Conclusion

Is it worth it to get your pedal modded by JHS. I think we already know the answer to that question. No. It is absolutely not worth it. Do I think that my $60 dollars (yes, all told I spent $60 on the mod plus shipping both ways) would have been better spent toward another pedal that already accomplished what I was trying to do the the original pedal. Unless it is directly related the the functionality of the pedal (like adding addition modes or settings) then a mod is mostly that special incantation that only those practitioners of the dark arts know. Or you know, google and soldering... 

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Boss BD-2 Blues Drive Mod

So I've been talking a lot about Boss pedal mods lately... there is a reason. Its because I've done a lot of them recently. I really enjoy messing around inside those little boxes and seeing what I can get out of them. It really is a lot of.... fun? Anyhow, Moute Allum has gotten me in a lot of trouble lately. He is putting out a lot of great stuff that I just have to have. I've posted a lot about OD pedals, like here and here, so you know I like a good dirt box. So when I finally got around to actually buy a Boss Blues Driver it was only a matter of deciding what I was going to do to it. I went with Moute again. I chose the H20 mod because it seems to offer what I would like in my little blue box. I took my time with the mod. I thought that this was going to really wow me like the GE-7 I had done before this one. Here is where the pattern breaks. I was able to side-by-side test this pedal with an unmodded twin and the differences were so slight that at times I was unable to identify which was the modded pedal. Now this was far from scientific. I ran both pedal in series so they had to pass through each others buffers, but as far as the great difference/improvements I have had in the past, there was no one thing I could point to and say was much better. Maybe some further testing is in order...

Here is what Mounte has to say:

Boss BD-H20 DIY Pedal Mod Kits - When searching for a name to call this mod I chose H2O because it's the symbol for water. Water can be clear or transparent and it can be light or heavy. This mod transforms the BD-2 into an almost completely transparent pedal letting the true character of your guitar, pickups and amp shine through. Not only is it almost completely transparent, it's also extremely Dynamic. As you turn the Gain knob up on the pedal you can control the amount of gain using the volume control on your guitar. The BD-H2O will react exactly like a tube driven amp. The shriek highs and splaty gain of the stock BD-2 are completely removed. Compared to our regular BD-2 mod this mod has a much flatter EQ.

My regular BD-2 Mod has a slight mid boost and a little less gain than the BD-H2O Mod. Both mods remove the shriek highs and splaty gain of the stock BD-2. The splaty gain of the stock BD-2 is a common gripe I hear about others that offer mods for this pedal. We have removed this issue with this pedal. We also include a Super Bright 3mm White Clear LED. We also modify a resistor to increase the brightness of the LED X3. You can use the LED as a flashlight on stage after the mod, it is that bright, almost blinding. I will boldly state that this is undoubtedly the best mod on the planet for a BD-2. And the really cool part is we won't break the bank with the price of our mods. We offer top quality parts and expert craftsmanship at very reasonable prices.

Boss TR-2 Tremolo Guitar Effect Pedal Mod

A good while back I picked up a Boss TR-2 Tremolo. I like the pedal. I have a Vox Cambridge amp that has tremolo built in but I wanted to be able to switch the effect on and off, hence the pedal. As many people have commented on this particular pedal, there is a little drop in presence when switching the effect on. Go figure right... So I search for a mod that would help with this issue. I found Moute Allum. He offered a cure for a reasonable price.

Here's what Moute says:


Well, you asked for it and here it is. The stock TR-2 is noisy and has a volume loss when engaged. With this mod I have fixed each issue. I have also incorporated my new Dual Stacked Chip Adapter Mod using a very high quality Burr Brown OPA2134PA and RC4558P Chips. The effect is like lifting a blanket off the pedals tone. I can boldly say without a doubt this is now one of the best Tremolos available in a stomp box at any price point.

With this mod I have incorporated a pot that not only solves the volume loss issue but also now allows the pedal to be used as a clean boost with the depth knob all the way down. I also modify a resistor which increases the brightness of the LED. A Super Bright White LED is also supplied.
With this mod I have incorporated a pot that not only solves the volume loss issue but also now allows the pedal to be used as a clean boost with the depth knob all the way down. I also modify a resistor which increases the brightness of the LED. A Super Bright White LED is also supplied.
I'm so glad that I did. The pedal is excellent now. It does add a knob on the side of the pedal. Keeley has a similar mod that replaces the depth knob with a concentric knob. Super sleek. The mod includes some "hi-fi" parts and replaces a in-line op-amp with two 8-pin IC's. I really recommend this mod or one like it if you own this pedal and think you may benefit from it. All the changes it makes are good one. It makes a good pedal great. 

Boss DS-1 Distortion Guitar Effect Pedal Mod

       So there is a lot of mods out there and I would be lying if I told you that I tried them all but I have done a few. Some turned out to be big improvements and others were even bigger disappointments. So how do you know which mod is right for you. Well, I can't really tell you. Maybe you want something completely different out of your pedal, I can't tell you that a mod makes a pedal better or worse. I can tell you which I've done and what I've liked.

       A few months ago I found my self owning a Boss DS-1. Picked it up in a gear trade. I've never been a fan of the pedal. It puts dirt on your signal like a box with the word "distortion" should, but there are complaints with the way it does this. I'm not technically gifted. I'm not going to tell you that it compressed my tone, or sucked it dry, or had some kind of mid-hump/scoop I didn't enjoy. It did seem like the mid frequencies were scooped and that no matter how I turned the "tune" knob I couldn't find a sound that I liked. I've tried the pedal in (bedroom)studio and life setting. I did not like what it did for me. So I then turned to mods to make it do something I did like.

      Research. (Google) so looking into what I should do with this big hunk of orange took some time. I had to find something that I found appealing and seemed like I was capable of. (also the first step could not include "throw pedal away and buy -enter boutique pedal here-") I dismissed anything that said "Metal", or "Crazy", or "Super". I did find a mod that seemed to fit the "make it not sound like crap" requirement. Described  plainly as "vintage mod"

The Mod:

Boss ds-1—Vintage 
Mod Location Mod value 
D5 Led 
C3 .033uf 
R16 1k resistor 
C11 .01uf 
C1, C5 .1uf

     Simple enough. 6 pieces. It took less than half an hour. It made all the difference. The Eq was evened out and the nasty, fizzy distortion was lightened into a more mellow, overdriven amp-type sound. Side by side test proved that the mod had turned a hunk of junk (in my opinion) into something that I'd actually use. The change of the diode really changes "type" of distortion and the resistor and capacitor change the "shape" if that makes any sense. (probably not) The tone knob seems to "work" better. The Drive actually controls the amount of gain the unit produces, unlike before were it just went from a little fizz to a lot of fizz. Level kinda works the same, but the sound sounds more transparent. I even had my non-music playing wife listen and she confirmed the mod made it sound "clear-er" 

    So, if you have a DS-1 That you hate and want something that you don't hate, then do what I did and make your own vintage-y overdrive boosty thing

Boss GE-7 Graphic Equalizer Guitar Effect Pedal Mod

If you are at all familiar with the line up of boss pedals, then you've probably notice their equalizer pedal. If you've used then you may know that it can get a little noisy. Some of this noise is the pedal just amplifying your guitars signal which is going to have a little noise just by its nature. Using a Equalizer is a great way to boost certain frequencies to shape your tone without doing anything else to your tone. It may not turn your twangy tele into a moody jazzbox, but it wouldn't hurt to add it to your chain to fatten up a rhythm section. This pedal has enough flexibility to make you stand out on leads or have a big fat bottom end. No matter what gets moved or replaced on my pedal board I always keep my handy GE-7 around. So if this is such a great pedal, then why the mod? Well, I did mention the noise. The kit that got from Mounte Allum included no less than 6 opamps. As with most of his mods, this kit included some "hi-fi" passive parts. After I installed this kit I was actually surprised at the difference it made. It turned a good little tool into something great. HOWEVER, I'm not 100% sure why, but this mod makes it so that a 9-volt battery is drained in seconds. So If you are looking into this mod, then be sure to have a power supply on hand.

Here is what Mounte Says:

This is very handy tone shaping tool to have on your pedal board. This is actually a very nice sounding EQ right off the shelf. But it suffers from excessive noise as a result of the cheaper components Boss uses. With this mod we replace the cheaper noisy op-amp chips with low noise higher quality chips.

Lower quality capacitors are also replaced reducing noise even more and also adding a more focused Hi-Fi tone to the circuit. Noise is substantially reduced and the signal is passed through preserving the original tone of your guitar. The bypass circuit is also much improved. You will not find a better mod than this anywhere for the GE-7! You'll be shocked at the improvement this mod will make on this pedal.

5 Overdrive and Distortion Effect Pedals that I Can't Live Without

Let's pretend that the last couple years didn't happen, OK? ...OK! Here is a little bit of what I've learned: Children will change your life in every way, people won't pay me to be awesome (yet) and there are somethings that I can not live without. If you are a guitar player then chances are that you at least own some type of pedal or effect. Maybe you can't decide. The truth is, neither can I. That is why I have 5 dirt boxes that I will always have around.

5. Boss DS-1.

The Orange Box! I know what you are thinking, but don't right me off yet. I agree, this is a total noob pedal. (people still say "noob" right?) I agree. It is the obvious choice for those who have no idea what they are doing. They are cheap, $50 or so, and they are part of the most recognized line of guitar effects ever. I actually never owned one of these until I did some gear swapping and ended up get one of these thrown into a deal to "sweeten the pot". I've done some looking around and there are some pretty interesting mods out there for these. One of which is the "vintage mod" I worked on mine myself and the result was great. Sound very little like the original pedal. Much clearer. I play through this pedal just as much as the others on the list. The next one being:

4. Boss SD-1

Ok, another cheap stomp box. I don't even have a good reason to like this pedal as much as I do. Its not the best pedal on my list, and not the cheapest either. It does tie for the cheapest, but that is no reason to keep it around. What makes this pedal a keeper is that it feels the void. Not getting the grit from your rig that your looking for? This pedal steps up to offer a little different OD than the rest. Super simple knobs make it easy to tweak and the Boss compact sized doesn't hurt. There are tons of mods for this pedal too... I run one with just the C6 removed. Adds a little presents to the tone but doesn't change the overall tone much.

3. Ibanez TS-9 DX

So far Pretty Standard, Boss and Ibanez Tube Screamer. Kinda predictable. There is a reason that these pedals have been around as long as they have. They make good sounds, they are affordable, and they are available. You don't have to shell out big bucks to have a handmade box (that probably is a clone of a TS anyways) to have that great tone that you can hear in half the songs on the radio. They do still play songs with real instruments in them, right? Anyways, the DX is a great TS because of all the different sounds that your can make with addition of the mode switch. The "Turbo" setting is not all that usable with my rig, but you might disagree... I dig my Boss pedals, but Tube Screamers have a great sound that is very unique. Speaking of Boss pedals

2. Boss BD-2

Surprise! Its a Boss Pedal... My relationship with the humble Blues Driver is complicated. At first I hated it. Nothing I did seamed to get me what I wanted. I would later come back to it years later in a drunken attempt to rekindle a flame that never was. Then something magical happened. With a little help from guys at Monte Allums, my Blues Driver and shared a blissful reunion of some pretty great tone. After my pedal went under the knife, it was true love. And then disaster. The pedal died and my love was lost. It would over a year before I could replace her. Sure there were other pedals, but nothing I was committed to. Wistful affairs with dirty little boxes that always ended in regret... except

1. Velvet Umble

Handmade in Greece, its almost like you're sending a bailout to their economy. But really there aren't that expensive. $160. They are based on a circuit from the guys at Runoffgrooves. After studying the magical and mystical Dumble Amplifier, the pedal was designed to emulate the tone stack used in the actually amp. The dirt is obtained by actually overdriving the circuit. (turning up the Level and adjusting the Master) It basically acts like a preamp you can overdrive. The guys at Velvet go on to add a boost feature that make this pedal really hard to beat. Really great stuff!

Badder Monkey Mod, Stage 2

 I'm pretty excited about Stage 2 of the Bad Monkey Mod. In this stage I've exchanged the C11 Cap for a .1uf instead of a .049uf Cap. I don't pretend to understand why these element change the sound, but they sure do. The step increases the bass response. The change is Very noticeable. I spend a considerable amount of time testing out the new features of the pedal post-mod. The tonal features are a far cry from where we began. It might just find its way back onto my pedal board.

Secondly, on the stage of the mod, I've done a little cosmetic work. I changed out the old red LED for a yellow one. I actually had to solder it in twice. Evidently it has to be put in a certain way, positives and negatives and whatnot. The LED was rated for 2 volts which I thought to be a bit too much. The pedal only draws 9 volts. The LED is a little faint. It may be due to a resister before the LED. I could change it out for one that lets a little more power to the light, but that may result in a popping sound when toggling the pedal on and off.

Most of the changes have been on the inside but heres a picture

Bad Monkey Mod

As far as I can tell the only modding that is really done to this pedal is switching out some capacitors for higher or lower value to effect the tone. I'm totally new at the whole modding ball game but this is what I've found out so far.

If you remove the Capacitor at C5 and replace it with one rated at .1uf then you can flatten the EQ of the pedal. Cutting the mid will give the pedal a transparent sound. If you want to cut the mids even more you can use a Cap with a rating of .15uf.

I pointed out the C5 Cap. It was a little of a wheres waldo. It is right between the knobs and the input jack.

Her are the solder points for C5. Not that hard to find, but its worth pointing out. Just under the knobs there.

There is also a mod for more bass. I'm not sure that this one is as popular as the mid-cut but I'll show it anyways in case you may want to add some bass to you Bad Monkey. Basicly you just follow the same routine. In this case you are changing the Cap at C11 with (again) a .1uf (or .15uf if you like) Cap and then you have bass boost. So Much Bass...

Pictures!

This one is much easier to find. Its basic the lowest thing on the right side.

Flip it over and there you go. The solder points. Pretty easy to find this time.

I haven't actually done this yet, but this is a common mod. You see this mod in the Humphrey Audio "badder monkey" on ebay for 100+ dollars. I bought mine a number of years ago for 40 From Musicians Friend. I't been kicked off the Pedal board because I don't need another "green" style OD when I have my Visual Sound Rout 66. But I may do the mod and use it for a boost or just as another color OD.

Like mods? Try one of these: Boss GE-7, Boss BD-2, Boss TR-2