HOMEATTENTION:
IT'S RECENTLY COME TO MY ATTENTION THAT SOMEONE OUT THERE ON THE INTERNET IS SAYING THAT MY MODS ARE A COPY OF SOMEONE ELSE'S.
ABSOLUTELY NOT TRUE!!!
I HAVE SPENT YEARS COMING UP WITH MY METHOD OF RE-VOICING TWO PEDALS, THE BOSS SD-1 AND THE BOSS DS-1. I HAVE NEVER COPIED OTHER 'MODDERS' AND ANYONE THAT SAYS SO IS A LIAR.
IF YOU'VE READ THIS ANYWHERE ON THE NET, PLEASE TELL ME WHERE AND, YOU BETCHA, THEY WILL BE HEARING FROM ME.
DTS Technical Service offers superb pedal mods for Boss SD-1™ and DS-1™ pedals for unsurpassed tone. Ibanez TS-9™ pedals can be modified to original TS-808 performance. All work is performed by Ron Burati, a Fender™ certified technician with 30 years of experience in music AND electronics. Please see users' comments at bottom of page. I also perform mods on Boss MT-2, Vox, Dunlop Wahs, Vox V810 Valve Tone and a few others.
NOTE! If you already have a earlier DTS modded SD-1 or DS-1, get yours upgraded for $10 plus return shipping!
See the USER COMMENTS section and check the (temporary) SD-1 88C and DS-1 MB4 sound samples
Boss DS-1 MB4.7 |
Rich harmonics
Goes from slight overdrive to huge bone crushing Marshall-like gronk and beyond into insane distortion
with greatly enhanced dynamic response
Better 'TONE' control than the original circuit. And
the MB4.7 is more
Strat friendly but still works great with humbuckers |
As popular as the MB2 mod was, I wasn't satisfied. I heard things in the sound that I thought needed more work. After considerable experimentation I was able to successfully alter the pedal's voicing. The results are way beyond my expectations. This pedal has turned out better than I ever imagined a DS-1 could be.
MB2: The plain Marshall-In-A-Box Mod
The MB2 was basically my take on the Marshall-In-A-Box Mod, which is a huge improvement (when done correctly) over the original DS-1.
MB3: Tone, dynamics, harmonics
The original DS-1 tone circuit provides radical bass boost/treble cut going counter clockwise and treble boost/bass cut going clockwise with a scooped sound in the center. I found this to be not only extremely limiting, but there was not place on the sweep that sounded useful to me.
The MB3 and MB3A mods provide VERY dynamic, extremely responsive touch. Even at very high 'DIST' settings, light playing produces clean tones. The notes breath more, they aren't buried under a blanket of noise. This means that you can hear the guitar's harmonics at all playing levels. Without touching a knob on your guitar, pedal or amp, you can go clean to huge crushing distortion just by picking light or hard.
The MB3 mod changed the control to act as a simple 'brightness' control for rolling off the treble. I changed the rolloff frequency so that the mids are not lost when tryign to tone down the highs..
With the MB3A mod, an additional amount of extreme distortion is available at the very top end of the DIST control's rotation. From 0 (CCW) to about 4 o'clock it works like earlier versions. The last 10% of the CW rotation puts you into full saturated distortion / fuzz land with wicked harmonics.
The MB4 mod effects the tone control and further improves its usefullness.
The MB4.7 is a slight varient that is the result of getting feedback from other die-hard Strat players. This version is a simple shift of the tone control's cutoff frequency.
The clipping mods warm up the signal at the distortion point in the circuit by taking away the fizzy brittle high frequency noise that masks the musical content of the pedal's output. This is done by changing the resistors, diodes and capacitors used in the part of the circuit that produces distortion from a clean guitar signal. The pedal's noise source is completely eliminated. I figure that if you really want noise, you can just turn the tone and dist controls fully up. But even then, by eliminating the noise that masks them in the stock pedal, you will still hear the rich even-order harmonics from your instrument.
Next, the additional EQ mods move the cutoff frequency higher on the bass side of the tone control. This allows the brightness to be tapered without losing all the midrange harmonic definition of your guitar's tone.
With these changes the pedal becomes extremely versitile:
At low Distortion settings you get a tone sounding something like a small tweed amp being cranked. Setting the Tone up at the bright end provides a super quack.
Moving the Distortion level and backing down the Tone control gives you a great overdrive sound with a nice snappy transparent high end.
Moving the Tone control below 12 o'clock softens up the treble and brings out wonderful midrange harmonics but without losing the midrange or bass response.
Maxing out the Distortion control still gives you an outrageous degree of distortion but with a new warm harmonic-rich voice. Your chords maintain musical definition and single note leads sore with a wonderful harmonic sustain.
About Boost
All of my modded the SD-1 and DS-1 pedals provide a huge amount of signal gain so that -- even at low DIST settings -- you're capable of a substantial boost for soloing or if you just like to slam your amp's input hard. Of course if you don't desire the boost, you can just run the level control lower.
Bottom line: It's like turning your normally cold gigging amp into a dimed out 18 Watt Marshall™ through a big 4-12 bottom. Please see User feedback
This is only a temporary clip of one sound. I put this up while we work on the real ones that will show the complete range of tones this pedal will produce using various guitars.
| DS-1 with the MB-4 mod | |
| Strat with EMG SA pickups, medium DIST setting (2 o'clock), 1966 Deluxe Reverb | |
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MB-4 clip #1, lead 611KB mp3 |
Please see User's Comments
email me for more details
Prices:
I'll modify your DS-1 for $45.00
I have previously owned pedals from in stock modded from $75.00 up. All pedals
in good to exc conditions, no beaters. Some available in original boxes.
Shipping $7.60 insured USPS Priority Mail
First there was the Super Overdrive™ 808A ... nice
Then there was the Super Overdrive™ 808B ... rave reviews
Now there's The 88C Mod
Boss SD-1 88C |
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My customers were thrilled with the DTS SD-1 808b mod. The once sterile sounding pedal was given a nice warm tube sound with plenty of sweet even-order harmonic distortion like a good overdrive pedal should provide. My clipping circuit using additional filtering produces a thick sound like a vacuum tube amp's back end.
But the more I personally used the SD-1 808b, the more my ears told me that the EQ in the low end wasn't the best it could be.
So another year of playing clubs and trial and error and . . . it turns out that it was worth it.
The 88C: Announcing the NEW super suped-up RE-modded Boss SD-1
It has everything that everyone liked about the 808b circuit but now I've opened up the bottom end more for a thick, warm fatness that puts this pedal into a class of its own.
For now, I'm going to continue to mod the SD-1. Which is a great deal because these pedals can be bought cheaply and modified for a very reasonable price yielding a pedal on a par with the best boutique overdrive pedals.
But there are enough new parts involved in this mod now that soon we will introduce my own overdrive pedal based on my mods to the SD-1.
My re-worked overdrive circuit has a more natural dynamic response and more natural sounding overdrive, especially at high drive settings. At lower drive settings, the pedal is similar to but exceeds the best Tube Screamer clones with its more natural openness.
There's much more output for kicking your amps input when running at lower drive settings. My circuit produces richer harmonic overtones that ring and sustain longer and allow the player to get that controlled feedback that most find so elusive. And at higher drive settings this pedal goes into overdrive stratosphere.
The bonus is that this great tone comes with Boss' reliable construction.
These are only a temporary clips. I put this up while we work on the real ones that will show the complete range of tones this pedal will produce using various guitars.
| SD-1 with the 88C mod | |
| Strat with EMG SA pickups, low OD setting (8 o'clock), 1966 Deluxe Reverb | |
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88C clip #1, rhythm 373KB mp3 |
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88C clip #2, lead 717KB mp3 |
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88C clip #3, lead 527KB mp3 |
Please see User's Comments
email me for more details
Prices:
Your SD-1 modified to 88C $40.00
I have previously owned pedals in stock modded from $85.00 up. All pedals in
good to exc conditions, no beaters. Some available in original box.
Shipping $7.60 insured USPS Priority Mail
I can bring your TS-9 up to its legendary predecessor's (the Ibanez TS-808) performance. My upgrade gives you the warmth and tube-like roundness that made the Tube Screamer the de facto standard in overdrive pedals. Depending on you exact TS-9, this mod sometimes requires a chip change. If so, I will socket the board, install a RC4558 and return your original chip to you.
Prices:
basic mod $30.00 plus $7.60 s&h
with chip change $42.00 plus $7.60 s&h
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"Love it! It's great! It's in my pedal board." on his DS-1 MB4.7, July 18, 2007 Simon
Hosford ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hi Ron, Jonathan, 7/23/07
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I just got my [SD-1] pedal upgraded from an 808b to an 88c. The 88c is wonderful. I have told all my friends about this pedal. I love to play Blues and Rock. Add this pedal to your tube amp and you will be in heaven! I am ear to ear smiles the whole time I am playing.Chris Norris, TN ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I've been playing with this thing
(i.e. DS-1
MB3A) most of the night and this morning (between brief naps with the Strat hanging
from my neck like a... well, like a Strat hanging from my neck, if you get my
drift), and I have to say that it's all it's cracked up to be and more. MUCH
more. Man, this thing goes from sweet, creamery butter that just coasts along
almost unnoticed, but when you kick up the level and the tone controls it
unleashes a truly evil beast that snarls and growls like a BIG cat. You want a
canine reference? It can purr like a kitten, yet yap like a chihuahua, and it
can growl and bark like a pit bull if you want. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "HOT DAMN!!!!!! -- Mike from The Fender Forum ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Hello Ron- i bought
your Modded SD-1 yesterday after trying it out at the
shop...great pedal. I had -- Joe Boyle of The Aloha Steamtrain and Pete Nelson (Aug '06 update: Joe just bought a second SD-1 88c and the MB4 modded DS-1) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Well I finally got to give my Ron Burati modified wah-wah pedal a workout Satuday and let me tell you these mods made a discarded pedal in the back of my closet into something that "boo-teak" makers like Fulltone should be afraid of. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "This is
f___ing GREAT!" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Often you can find the DS-1 on sale at G-Mart for $39.99. It's a love it or hate it pedal. I didn't love it until I got one that our man TremoloKing had hot-rodded. Wowie zowie. It sorta picks up where my FD2 leaves off. From TheFenderForum.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Hi. The modded DS-1 came today and I LOVE it! Can I post a review of it for you on a web site somewhere? A lot of players would flip over this pedal. Thanks for doing great work." -- Jordan S ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Our very own Tremoloking does a Boss DS1 mod. I just got mine about a week ago and would like to present a review here. DS-1 MB2 review by Curtis Stetka on TheFenderForum ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ My amp tech Ron Burati makes a modded DS-1 distortion that I think sounds great. I have one in my pedal board and I like it a lot. LarryV, rec.music.makers.guitar.jazz ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "I like it A LOT better than the Reverend OD as a second pedal. It's very transparent." -- Rocky R on his modded VOX Valvetone ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Hello Ron, I got the pedal today. I like the tone and the gain. It is nice and warm." -- Ken C on his modded VOX Valvetone ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "The pedal is awesome! I loaned it to my friend to try a month ago and he won't give it back! I told him to get his own" -- Peter S on his DS-1 MB2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Hey there. I got the pedals today. Thanks again. I plugged the DS-1 through my Pro Reverb and it sounds great. I love how it can actually sound like a slightly dirty amp to a raging monster. And yes, the bottom end is all there." -- David D ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ misc Chris Collingwood of Fountains of Wayne bought a DS-1 MB2 and requested it be built in a custom box. Lloyd Cole bought an SD-1 808b ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
last updated 8/12/07
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