View other reviews for this product:
johnrae « An Instant Classic »
Published on 06/20/12 at 18:49The Boss DS-1 is a simple, dirty, and crunchy distortion pedal. It's a compact little killer. The thing has murderous sounds. It reproduces dynamics very accurately and has an awesome tone. It's a very simple unit to use and runs on a 9V battery or a power supply. It's a really classic unit used on many great recordings. It can go from a slight bluesy edge to pounding rock distortion. It's also a real steal, I got mine for just 50 bucks. It doesn't have any bells or whistles (it doesn't need them), and it sounds great. I use it all the time on gigs, for practice, whatever.
UTILIZATION
Easy setup. Plug it in, mess with the knobs, play.
SOUND QUALITY
I have used this with guitar, vocals and keyboard, all with great results. There are three knobs, tone, level, and distortion. Tone sweeps from an edgy biting treble to a muddy pounding rhythmic sound. Level affects the output volume and Distortion adds/subtracts how much edge and bite is applied to the sound. It's really easy to get a whole bunch of awesome sounds with a minimal amount of effort. It's such a versatile unit and VERY well built. These things are TOUGH. All metal chassis and good parts. I've had mine for months, it's been dropped, banged, rained on, smashed, and rolled down stairs. It works like new. There is also no tone loss. Instead of some distortion pedals, where you just hear a toneless, thin crackle, this has a very full and thick sound.
OVERALL OPINION
My favorite things about the DS-1 is the simplicity and AWESOME sound. It's so versatile, and I love the grit and crunch. I have no complaints about it. It's a well built piece of equipment with a great sound. I got mine for 50 bucks. I would pay 300. If you are considering this, buy it. It's a professional piece of equipment for an amateur price.
UTILIZATION
Easy setup. Plug it in, mess with the knobs, play.
SOUND QUALITY
I have used this with guitar, vocals and keyboard, all with great results. There are three knobs, tone, level, and distortion. Tone sweeps from an edgy biting treble to a muddy pounding rhythmic sound. Level affects the output volume and Distortion adds/subtracts how much edge and bite is applied to the sound. It's really easy to get a whole bunch of awesome sounds with a minimal amount of effort. It's such a versatile unit and VERY well built. These things are TOUGH. All metal chassis and good parts. I've had mine for months, it's been dropped, banged, rained on, smashed, and rolled down stairs. It works like new. There is also no tone loss. Instead of some distortion pedals, where you just hear a toneless, thin crackle, this has a very full and thick sound.
OVERALL OPINION
My favorite things about the DS-1 is the simplicity and AWESOME sound. It's so versatile, and I love the grit and crunch. I have no complaints about it. It's a well built piece of equipment with a great sound. I got mine for 50 bucks. I would pay 300. If you are considering this, buy it. It's a professional piece of equipment for an amateur price.