Boss by BJF

[JofZ]

http://www.thesegoto11.se/?read=17

Say it ain't so Joe!

[Eskimo_Joe]

I know you're just trying to stir things up per usual, but I actually agree. I was pretty surprised when this came out. Seems like Analogman and Keeley have this more than covered....and that BJF has plenty going on already with mainline BJF, custom shop, and Mad Prof....why layer on one more thing? But at the end of the day, if it results in pedals that are more usuable/enjoyable than previously available, why not?

[Bobby D]

BJ designed the mods, but he does not do the actual building, from what I understand.

he's too busy trying to build more Honeybees

and the chorus looks mighty interesting.......

[JofZ]

I was actually hoping people would post unbiased opinions, cudos!
If there is room in the market for another modded Boss pedal I think that is fantastic, but after years of messing with stompboxes and hanging out with the average touring pro, I have found a pattern. More Boss stuff is on tour then any other brand. Why is that? Is the tone garbage? I was put to the test and I consider myself the ultimate tone snob, a cork sniffer and if it ain't hand built, well I ain't playing it. A friend blind folded me, handed me my guitar and started stomping on pedals, begging me to identify them. I was wrong every single time, and the ones I liked best were BOSS boxes. Now you know why I sold every expensive pedal on my board. I had 12k tied up.
Now before some one says I am an ###Hole, let me say the following. For some strange reason after the blind fold came off, my opinion changed on certain pedals. I believe all your senses are in play when selecting a stompbox.
I think if everyone did the same test they would say the same thing, if they were open, honest and candid. With that being said, collecting and playing boutiques stuff is a ton of fun, for me it started with an adventure. I was trying to rebuild a rig of the past and wanted identical gear of my heros. I found the vintage stuff wasn't worth the cash and the boutique stuff was built to beyond correct specs if you went to the right people. Today, I am about making my own sounds, playing for me and not posting my stuff to fit in a frat. The punk in me would never swim downstream with the same colored shirt and pants. As soon as my stuff became popular it was time to move on.
If I find another BJ, I'll never post his wares on the gear page again

[NewarkWilder]

to me it just says Bjorn is just a true madman and you can't really keep him tied down to one thing for too long... I guess it would be cool if he got uber-serious about making 100000000x honey bees and getting BJFs and MPs stocked in every store in the USA, but if this is what he wants to be doing, more power to him... a modded DMM? Yes please! modded small clone + vb-2? Mmmmhmmm!

I'm not gonna pull the trigger on the OD yet but I think I want a BJF DS-1 just for hilarity's sake (and i'm sure it sounds incredible too)

[Bobby D]

I was actually hoping people would post unbiased opinions, cudos!
If there is room in the market for another modded Boss pedal I think that is fantastic, but after years of messing with stompboxes and hanging out with the average touring pro, I have found a pattern. More Boss stuff is on tour then any other brand. Why is that? Is the tone garbage? I was put to the test and I consider myself the ultimate tone snob, a cork sniffer and if it ain't hand built, well I ain't playing it. A friend blind folded me, handed me my guitar and started stomping on pedals, begging me to identify them. I was wrong every single time, and the ones I liked best were BOSS boxes. Now you know why I sold every expensive pedal on my board. I had 12k tied up.
Now before some one says I am an ###Hole, let me say the following. For some strange reason after the blind fold came off, my opinion changed on certain pedals. I believe all your senses are in play when selecting a stompbox.
I think if everyone did the same test they would say the same thing, if they were open, honest and candid. With that being said, collecting and playing boutiques stuff is a ton of fun, for me it started with an adventure. I was trying to rebuild a rig of the past and wanted identical gear of my heros. I found the vintage stuff wasn't worth the cash and the boutique stuff was built to beyond correct specs if you went to the right people. Today, I am about making my own sounds, playing for me and not posting my stuff to fit in a frat. The punk in me would never swim downstream with the same colored shirt and pants. As soon as my stuff became popular it was time to move on.
If I find another BJ, I'll never post his wares on the gear page again

hey man.....i know plenty of touring pros who use standard BOSS pedals. two that i have seen recently are Robert Smith from The Cure, and Prince. Both are great guitarists, and both of them had a standard Boss BCB-6 board loaded with BOSS pedals.

I have never personally liked the Ds-1 pedal, but I used to have the OD-1 overdrive, and that was a great pedal. The BF-2 flanger is one of my fave flangers. Same with Ibanez, there are some really good ones like the CP compressor and of course the TS series pedals.

Yes, sometimes it seems like many guitarists collect pedals like they are baseball cards or something

I have not heard a BOSS pedal that sounded as good as a Dyna Red, but the metal Zone was sorta similar.

but when it comes right down to it, someone like Jeff Beck could play Danelectro pedals thru an old Peavey Backstage 30, and still make it sound good.

ps: the "next" BJ is john fromel

[NewarkWilder]

ps: the "next" BJ is john fromel

I don't know for absolute certain that this is true, but it sure as hell could be. John is amazing.

[Eskimo_Joe]

Great to see a constructive conversation. I have to agree with many of the points made. I think the basic concept applies across a lot of things. Just the same, I'll stick with BJF.

IDEA -- It would be interesting if someone with video making capability did a blind test to put the theory to the test.

[BJF]

Hi,

Regarding Rocketride pedals and those I don't build myself but only deviced what to do with the circuits for extended use to my ears:

I can say I have used live on stage many times BOSS DS-1, BOSS OD-1, EH Small Clone and also EH DLX MM and the DS-1 I kept in my bag of tricks in case I'd get an amp that it would bond with such as a Roland JC120 and Orange Graphic 120; OD-1 I found useful on some amps that distorted some but not enough and then the OD-1 would push the mids to make the sound more streamline and that was ofcourse interesting in the 80's.
The EH Small Clone I used for anything chorous and having such an option was ofcourse mandatory as chorous was at one time obligatory........anyway that was the best unit of all chorouses I tried back then- lots clearer than the BOSS CE-2 that I would otherwise have used- but the BOSS sounded too mainstream and cut out too much treble.
I had and still do somewhere an old EH DLX MM and that I used only when using a Coloursound Overdriver since when running the EH DLX MM into a distorted amp the echo sound gets excited and repeats sound similar to the first reflection- actually I needed an echo that could go before the Coloursound as the Coloursound overloaded the amplifier input.

All good and well, and I could mention a number of other pedals I have used live and on recordings some that I to this day find fun to play only all those BOSSes and Arion's and EH's , Coloursounds et.c. while good all have one or two limitations that I feel is a hinderence to live use and in recordings:

Model by model
The BOSS OD-1 I bought becuase one of my guitarheros had one and he alwys had a good sound and I got good sounds too as long as the amp I ran it through distorted ..........eventually I built in a little circuit in my OD-1 so I also could use it on clean amp settings, because if I'd use pedals I'd most likely do that because I need a clean sound from amplifier or multiple shades of distortion to fit different playing styles.
The OD-1 I could use to predrive a few pedals but not the DS-1!

The BOSS DS-1 I could only use with certain amps that allowed a carrying midrange......at loud levels getting a carrying midrange is most helpful to make the sound listenable and playable on feedback.
There are a number of distortion mechanisms inside the circuit that might be interesting at low levels but those also make for harsh sounds on loud levels.
The other day Professor Peter of the Royal Highschool of Music came by and asked if I would consider making a distortionpedal that could take the strange chords he had deviced for a piece of music and the Rocketride DS-1 could hang with those chords. As I have told in another thread this was the hardest of the modifications to device removing several distortions that would cloud chords- admittedly I did not play such chords as Professor Peter so I could not tell right away if it'd work allthough I did play all kinds of chords I'd use myself.
For the Rocketride DS-1 I did run this through a number of amps including a Fender Twin Reverb Reissue by all proplayers I know regarded as one of the absolute hardest amps to play yet one often on stage backline.
Combining the original BOSS DS-1 with its midscoop with the midscoop of the Twin Reverb Reissue results in a serious bees in a can sound.
By removing some of the on low level interesting but with some chords disturbing overtones both the Rocketride SD-1 and DS-1 can be combined resulting in three useful sounds-which is something I would have liked to have many years ago when I had a whole row of BOSS pedals...........
Also fun is that while I demoed the Rocketride DS-1 for a guy who is a professional guitarist he bought one for the purpose of playing God Save the Queen in a play he's the guitarist in.

None of the modifications done to the BOSS pedals are offered at this point by other modifiers of BOSS pedals, which leads me to believe both of these may have a market.

For the EH Small Clone as I told this was my favourite back in the 80's and I was convinced that it'd still be as Sebastian brought down all the chorouses, but alas the circuit has changed so I thought I'd change that to get the sound I used to get......... Oh yes EH rules agian;)...ah but then Sebastian asked if this could also do Vibrato and yes it can.
Studioguitarist Micke Nord cam by and tried and said the new EH did not sound like the old one he has but that the Rocketride was more like it.
Now, my old friend the Suprodude brought me his old EH Small clone one just like the one I used to have and playing that besides the new EH Small Clone they'd be two different effects, but the Rocketride is very close.
It is ofcourse so that circuits can change without notification from manufacturer......

The EH DLX MM, this new format of EH DLX MM is to my mind arguably the best pedal EH has ever made and it whips my old EH DLXMM to pulp in every respect I can think of.
Ah, but then talking about echo sounds and a sea of repeats that can be used in band context and live and recordings meaning both at earshattering levels and imortal recordings in that sense that what is on the tape is on the tape and listenable as long as the tape holds and then a sound I remebered from tape echoes I have used through the years- back in the 80's tape echos were about the same price as analog delays and later digital delays but neither the digital nor the analog delays would give the sounds of tape echoes, which is why I have dragged tape echoes to many gigs.......
Ah, yes the DLX MM is a fine unit as is but now thinking of a different sound that would closely follow playing with a reverb sense to it and for this I also compared to the sound of the Amtech Age-1 a rackmount delay used by David Gilmore while mostly otherwise used by instrumental groups that play early 60's songs and the Age -1was designed using most of the tape echoes popular in the 60's as benchmark and to my ear this Rocket ride is in the ballpark while different.
Oh yes I might ask Sebastian to make a comparision with my tapeecho.

Indeed it is so that my time is limited and I have a whole slew of pedals to make by hand, while as I do a lot of research for MP amplification time gets more cramped so as I was asked if I could device a line of modified effects I agreed on a couple of terms, firstly that I'd get to choose my own favourites and secondly that I would not have to do anyof the modifications myself and I would then try to offer modifications that are not readly available elsewhere.
Yes one can argue that would there not be allready too many companies that modify these pedal?
Yes there would be very many and it's also the thought I once had when starting to make pedals that would there not be enough pedals allready?
I felt then that if I'd do make pedals those would have to different enough from and the punk in me would say
I will not conform, I guess.
It is also so that I get these funny ideas and I'd like to try different things.
I have played guitar semiprofessionally the lionpart of my life and also through all those years had ideas on sounds and behaviours in sound I'd like to have myself and because of this there are very few people I know that do not play an instrument and many of those also give me ideas.

Yes I know many professional guitarists use easy to get pedals across the globe and countless are the stories I have heard of pedals being stolen on stgae or in the dressingroom and just the other day a Honey Bee got lost in Las Vegas-indeed I have had one or two pedals stolen from stages I have played and took a bunch of measures to prevent this.
There are professional guitarists playing BJF pedals across the globe these days and some of those have several setups because they might have a nightride. I also know some professional guitarists that would not care too much about the sound as long as it would be loud enough for the gig and those guys would play their technical stuff on whatever gorilla they can find.
There are also many professional guitarists playing MP pedals.
I'd say it's a false statement that all professional guitarists play BOSS pedals and I'd think this forum is showing that not all do, from some very fine guitarists that are on board here.
Sebastian also happens to be one of Sweden's most hired guitarslingers and I might ask him to post a picture of his pedalboard.

Oh and no sonic difference between pedals?
I read the other day of TGP a guy that had played his Honey Bee alongside with his Barber LTD and he though those were so alike...............ahum, I have played the LTD and would say that's a fine lowgain OD and Barber offers many fine pedals- personally I like the Dirty Bomb best right I enjoy distortion.
Anyway, differences it were, now just striking one chord downwards through two different pedals might sound alike.However as fine as the Barber LTD is it is a different circuit than Honey Bee and not shooting for the same sound as far as I remember from reading about the LTD when it came on Music Toyz.........
This is to say that under certain conditions sound differences might be minimal between various pedals.
Like when I tried the Barber Dirty Bomb I thought, hm, I wonder if an EH Big Muff would do this sound?
Not! because the Dirty Bomb has a tighter bass period and to my ear a more fun pedal to play.........
Right so the LTD does not have the dynamic range of distortion that the Honey Bee has and ofcourse if you just play a few things dynamics may be overridden.
Is dynamics of distortion useful? I think it is because under the right settings distortionlevels can be controlled by hand- ofcourse this is not useful to just anyone and some might not want dynamics at all.

An example:

Same settings just using dynamics of playing and feedback.
Oh yes I had fun and was only in it for the fun while I did not think I was good enough guitarist to showcase the amp.........fun was had allready and this example shows playing dynamics
Oh yes sing I'll have to get me one oif those amps allready;)

Short story again:
I modified a Fender amp a few years back and the guy that owned it has the softest touch I have ever seen. Now this guy is a brilliant guitarplayer and a much hired pro. However to my access I had another proguitarist but this guy has a slugger approach and could make this amp distort at will by the mere force and under control of his playingforce, but the guy that owned the amp only made clean sounds outof the amp due to his fine appraoch so I increased the gain to match the owner's playing style and then that went to a level were it was extremely hard for the other guy to make just a hint of a clean sound.

It goes to show that guitarists have many requirements and may play in many different ways and I meet all kinds through my work. I am happy each time one of them findsomething I make fit their style and I feel challanged when fine guitarists like for instance Professor Peter, just to mention one would approach me with ideas of how to connect a sound to a certain playing style.

Once Harri told that the MP amp CS-40 has a problem. Oh yes he can be hard like that.
It consited of that the driven guitarists that would really appreciate the dynamics and the modularity of this amp would not be payed enough to afford it, or at least very few of them while the guys that had no problem affording it did not sound too good through it because you can't hide within the notes.
Interestingly in an interview with about twenty MP CS owners none would use the same settings on amp nor the same speakers or output tubes or whatever variable you can find but they all claimed they could get their personal sound. Arguably I have some MP owners to interview and Joe I'll get back to you when time is convinient for you.

As a side note the only guy I have seen using the sound I have secretly hidden inside the amp was Ben Harper but he played slide sitting close to the amp getting those feedback sounds-yes I would have liked to hear that but it was on a concert in France infront of 14000 people- no I am too old to go to such gigs and queue for several days to get a ticket.

Since then the CS-40 has been played at the Wembly Stadium and the guitarist sent me pictures but come on I kow this guy like a brother and would likely go and see him at the pub Anchour but I don't have time to go these days.

Ah but the Rocketride it was and yes I'd think of sounds I'd like to use and those not available- because whyelse there would be a point.

Oh and Jason. we were friends and I don't see why we could not continue being friends?

Perhaps I did not welcome you enough to the board?

Let's sit on the beach as once discussed and you'll know what would rest in the sun and sand and enjoy the fun because life is too short not to........

Rant finished.
No, I don't have much time to post, and yes John Frommel is one of my favoutite designers-- I hav not heard one of his pedals but having talkjed with him I feel I can tell this.
Other people I have spoken with and that I feel are so good would include Briggs and Soul Sonic and Bajaman.I just got an chorous from Bajaman and it's good you have better believe it!


They don't know how good they are so please give these guys an applaud!

Hey I know there are some great people that do not get the appreciation they deserve.
It's a good thing they'd be recognized and you know the best thing is that Steve of Bajaman wrote have fun BJ and I will and am.

I hope these guys will stay on and make fine DIY projects.

Hey I know I can't make enough pedal for everyone and I know there are talanted builders that know a flaming lot more than I do about DIY and I am happy to welcome at least some of the best I know to this board and may there be a tourbox soon!

Oh well, so on topic, why make modifications well the simple answer is just this that I don't think anything I do now has been tried before......if I did I'd not do it as simple as that!

Now I wish you all fun and that all be happy and well and constructive discussion is the backbone of this forum


Gentlemen have fun
BJ

[nichcope]

BJ you rock! You create so many amazing pieces of gear and you just keep the creativity flowing year after year, it's great to see!!! Still haven't had a chance to play any of the Rocket Ride pedals, but I'm excited to give them a go eventually because you always put your flavor in your work. Always keeping it fresh, always keeping it real, and always bringing good tones to the world!!! Music needs more people like you!!!!!!! Cheers to your hard work and great creations, it is definitely appreciated by so many!!!