Boss ST-2 Power Stack

The BOSS ST-2 Power Stack compact pedal is a new and I would dare say revolutionary compact pedal. Not necessarily an overdrive, not necessarily a distortion, it is a pedal that can serve as the overdrive/gain channel to a single-channel amp, or an amp that has a lacking overdrive/gain channel.

The configuration is standard BOSS; a 1/4" mono input and a 1/4" mono output to be run in front of your amplifier. It also has a 9V DC input so that it can be run on AC power from one of the standard BOSS power adapters.

UTILIZATION

The BOSS ST-2 Power Stack has four knobs: Level, Bass, Treble, and "Sound" knob, which controls the level of gain the ST-2 delivers. The range of the Sound knob goes from "Crunch" at 7 o'clock, to "Drive" at noon, to "Ultra" at 5 o'clock.

Again, I have to stress that this pedal REALLY makes it seem like there's another, different channel to your amp. I've played this pedal with multiple amps, both Tube and Solid-State, and it makes both sound just stunning. At lower "Sound" settings, the pedal makes the amp compress slightly and break up in the vein of classic blues-type amps. Bring the "Sound" knob up around 10 o'clock and you get a nice, gritty break-up. At noon the pedal gives off the sound of a classic crunch amp. Push the knob past 2 o'clock towards the "Ultra" setting and you get everything from classic 80's rock sounds to modern metal--it's all right there at your fingertips. The on-board EQ settings allow you to sculpt the tone to your exact needs.

SOUND QUALITY

As I wrote above, this is not an overdrive or distortion, rather employs BOSS COSM technology to model different varieties of amp tones as you turn the "Sound" knob to different positions. I haven't been so impressed by the quality and variety of the tones that can be coaxed from any one pedal in a long, long time. BOSS really took the time to do it right. You can hear the different amps in there: Marshall JCM 800 tones around noon, Fender/VOX cleans at the lower settings, and Mesa/Rectifier tones with the "Sound" knob around/above 3:00. The "in-between" settings are unique and great; this pedal REALLY encourages you to experiment.

OVERALL OPINION

I could write for days and days about the great tone of this pedal, but you really need to hear it for yourself. The BOSS ST-2 pedal is an EXCELLENT alternative for those who don't want to compromise on their clean channel, but need a great drive channel. I've heard that some have had issues with the pedal generating so much gain that it's difficult to stop from squealing and generating feedback. I've been running mine with an MXR Noise Clamp and haven't had any problems, with or without it.

If you have an amp that has a great clean channel but either doesn't have a gain channel, or has a less-than-adequate gain channel, the BOSS ST-2 Power Stack is an excellent 99-dollar solution. If something happened to mine, I would replace it in a heartbeat.

From fat crunch to ultra high-gain distortion, the ST-2 Power Stack delivers famous BOSS distortion with a stunning amount of power that’s akin to coveted tube amps and professional amp stacks. The SOUND knob simultaneously blends gain amount and sound character, so you can quickly dial up anything from vintage crunch and punchy drive to full-assault distortion. To add further detail to your tone, simply tweak the onboard two-band EQ to taste. The ST-2 is one very unique distortion pedal, calling on BOSS’ years of amp modeling research to bring you real stack sounds in a compact stompbox.

Original distortion sound reminiscent of tube-based stack amplifiers
Provides a wide range of tones, from vintage crunch to ultra high-gain modern distortion
Faithful and accurate response to picking nuances and volume changes
SOUND knob controls both gain level and sound character
Two-band EQ with dedicated BASS and TREBLE knobs
Road-tough BOSS construction

A newish boss pedal by Boss. Geared towards...anybody who wants a 'big' sounding distortion, which is...EVERY guitar player out there really..


UTILIZATION

Again, simple boss design with just a few knobs and the single sized compact pedal.

SOUND QUALITY

The sound...it's hit or miss with this one as it seems. A few of my guitar player buddies love it and some of them hate it. Be being one of the latter. I don't find anything particularly amazing with this pedal. To me it sounds like a well EQ-ed metal zone with slightly more mids. Oh and there's no mid knob on this either, how inconvenient considering the guitar is a midrange instrument.

No it doesn't sound like a stack to me, but it does sound like a well EQ-ed distortion pedal. By that I mean it's usable for certain purposes but I could definitely see myself using other pedals if given the choice. It's a very tight distortion and it's not bee-hive sounding like the older generation boss distortion pedals so that's nice. However, it's still definitely got that boss distortion sound, but just rounded off a bit so it's not shrill. But it doesn't sag like a tube amp, whatsoever.

Also if you fiddle with the knobs you don't really get completely different sounds, more like you get the same sound, just with less gain or less treble and bass. It's not so versatile in my opinion.



OVERALL OPINION

Don't believe the hype with this one. I know I saw the same Marty Friedman demo you did. But I'm definitely not convinced with this pedal. It sounds nothing like what it's supposed to be, a 'stack' although that in itself is so vague to the point where it sounds pretty much like nothing. What kind of stack? a vintage marshall? a boogie? a vox? There's just so many colors that calling it a 'stack' just doesn't help narrow it down to anything. Overall in my opinion it's just another distortion pedal that sounds slightly better than the older boss distortion pedals but nothing revolutionary. Which means, solidstate distortion pedal. NOT tube.

The BOSS Power Stack ST2 is a more recent offering in the company's group of various and sundry dirt boxes. It's basically designed to ape the classic tones out of a driven amp stack such as a Marshall or Mesa Boogie but in a convenient stompbox package. It features all of the standard controls such as level, EQ controls, and drive. It's housed in the standard BOSS chassis and can powered by 9v battery or by an adaptor. It's a very typical and easy to use setup and it has worked for the company for many years.

UTILIZATION

Getting a good tone out of this pedal is simple and effective thanks to the layout BOSS provides. The controls do exactly what you would expect and there is no surprise learning curve like with some other drive pedals on the market today. I found the Power Stack to sound pretty awesome regardless of what I set the controls to. The drive control has a nice sweep to go from lower gain Led Zeppelin or Cream type tones to some awesome high intensity modern rock and metal textures. Very cool.

SOUND QUALITY

I've tried the Power Stack with various guitars and I can definitely say I prefer it with humbuckers for the extra sizzle and crunch factor that it gets. I found that using it with single coils sounded a tad anemic and underpowered for a killer biting rock tone. However when I introduced some humbuckers onto the equation, that's when the pedal really came alive and into its element. Whether I was playing rhythm or lead, rock or metal, the ST2 kept up with vigor and drive to spare. It has a surprisingly tubelike feel and response and lacked the compression of many other pedals that claim to emulate that cranked amp sound, but fall short.

OVERALL OPINION

All in all I think the BOSS ST2 Power Stack is a definite step in the right direction for the company. It combines a great and classic interface with excellent tubelike tone and feel. Add to this a low price and the backing of the pedal by the storied BOSS name and you're onto a real winner for sure. Definitely check one out if you get the chance!

features: see other opinions

UTILIZATION

easy to use.
bass, treble, volume = 100% as this is the gear for the last 100 years.

= Gain of the distortion adds or removes.

SOUND QUALITY

It is still one of the best distos brand!
I tried bcp and distos Boss overdrive as bcp scratch, and it lacked a little tjrs this or that.

Where the sound is balanced and the bass is super present without mute all sound. Moreover, according to the turning pottard gain, sound adapts and changes accordingly. If you put style "crunch", the color of the guitar timbre changes compared to the gain turned to advantage. On other pedals would be on the same level, but not on it.

I play on a USA Hot Rod Deluxe and a Les Paul and it does!

OVERALL OPINION

In conclusion, this is a pedal that sends its Marshallian.

The sound quality is exceptional.

I have little or no breath with the gain fully. I use good cables and a power supply jack Boss has a "filter". It is perhaps because of this that I do not complain ... a power supply of the stuff merdouille is blowing, it is known.

I can play both of ZZTop, as AC / DC, Led Zep or even that Satriani and Delta blues ...

I Kiff!