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FenderStrat86
Bronze Member
USA
79 Posts |
 Posted - 11/08/2009 : 07:09:02
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Hello,
My name is Kelly and this is my first post on this site. I came across this site and used the function to look up the date that my Boss guitar pedals were manufactured in, very awesome. I knew they had to have been made in the late 80's because that was when I purchased them new, but I wanted to know exactly what years they were. All pretty much March through November of 87'.
Now that this information is out of the way, I'd like to ask if anyone knows exactly why the Japanese made Boss pedals are better then the 90's and newer pedals. I've heard a number of guitar players comment that the Boss pedals which were manufactured in Japan in the 80's and older are far better sounding then the ones made later in Korea and Taiwan. The Japanese guy who owns his own guitar shop in Japan where I purchased them all of them from in the 80's has very limited English and I have very limited Japanese, so I wasn't able to get this information from him during my recent trip back to Japan. We were both able to communicate that the Boss pedals were later manufactured in Korea however.
So is this true that the Japanese made Boss guitar pedals have a better sound? If so, why is that?
Thanks and happy to find this site.
All the best,
Kelly |
Edited by - FenderStrat86 on 11/08/2009 07:12:44 |
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Dr. Bob
Moderator
Australia
6593 Posts |
Posted - 11/08/2009 : 08:21:01
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Hi FenderStrat86
Welcome to the forum from Australia.
You have asked the perennial question.
This & similar topics have been covered many times in various threads.
Always a prickly subject.
To some MIJ means quality sound/tone, & quality build.
To others MIJ is sought after for its collectability.
MIJ Boss pedals do typically fetch more in the S/H markets.
There can & are be arguments both ways.
I have a few MIT pedals that shine - & some that sound identical to other MIJ's.
Then I also have a few MIJ pedals that leap out of the pile.
Regards Dr. Bob  |
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PaulH
Gold Member
535 Posts |
Posted - 11/08/2009 : 10:02:13
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To be honest I've owned both sorts and I can't tell any difference.
Sell them, buy the MIT versions and actually make some money.
To me, there is so much hype surrounding the difference, that have people actually start to believe it.
I'd be very suprised if anyone could hear any difference between an identical MIT and MIJ pedal in a true double-blind test. |
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Laurie
Double Platinum Member
Canada
4854 Posts |
Posted - 11/08/2009 : 10:08:56
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quote:
Originally posted by PaulH
I'd be very suprised if anyone could hear any difference between an identical MIT and MIJ pedal in a true double-blind test.
To build on this... a bunch of Boss pedals have had circuit changes over the years and the MIJ pedal and MIT pedal may not necessarily be the same. Pedals that come quickly to mind in this category are DD-3 and DS-1. |
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Laurie
Double Platinum Member
Canada
4854 Posts |
Posted - 11/08/2009 : 10:10:35
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quote:
Originally posted by FenderStrat86
I've heard a number of guitar players comment that the Boss pedals which were manufactured in Japan in the 80's and older are far better sounding then the ones made later in Korea and Taiwan.
G'day and welcome!!
A quick note - Boss pedals have only been made in Japan and Taiwan (not Korea). |
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FenderStrat86
Bronze Member
USA
79 Posts |
Posted - 11/08/2009 : 21:48:53
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Thanks for all of the great information. Greatly appreciated. About a year ago during one of my Japan visits, the guy I purchased these pedals from and all my other guitar stuff and I were talking about old times and about some products and "manufactured in Korea" came up during the conversation, perhaps something was lost in translation or missunderstood, etc. He may have been talking about some other brand of pedals or instruments and I didn't catch that part.
Just to let you all know, I have the RV-2, NF-1, CS-3, CE-3 and OD-2. As your aware, the RV-2 came with a power plug since it wasn't built to use a 9v battery and so I also got a power cord "daisy chain" as to power up all the pedals without using batteries. I bought all these in the later half of 1987 from my friend who still owns his own music store in Japan today. In 86' I purchased my Fender Strat from him also. I was really involved in guitar playing during the years of 86' and 87'.
BTW- G'Day to you too. I've been to Australia before, two weeks in Sydney in 87' and two weeks in Perth/Freemantle in 89'. Both places were really great. In Sydney there was this really small music store in town that had some really cool items in it and lots of famous bands had shopped there,framed photos all over the walls of band members possing in the store with the owner. Was remarkable to be there in the same place.
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Edited by - FenderStrat86 on 11/08/2009 22:18:43 |
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sp-1
Platinum Member
Germany
1454 Posts |
Posted - 11/08/2009 : 22:40:55
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Welcome  FenderStrat86
So is this true that the Japanese made Boss guitar pedals have a better sound? If so, why is that?
A lot of this is in the mind, but hey, if that helps to make it sound better, it probaply sounds better  
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FenderStrat86
Bronze Member
USA
79 Posts |
Posted - 11/08/2009 : 22:53:00
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quote:
Originally posted by sp-1
Welcome FenderStrat86
So is this true that the Japanese made Boss guitar pedals have a better sound? If so, why is that?
A lot of this is in the mind, but hey, if that helps to make it sound better, it probaply sounds better
Thanks for the welcome.
As for the pedals, from what I've been told by multiple individuals, the internal circuitry is different and so that creates a different type of sound. But if anyone really knows for sure, it would have to be someone who is passionate about these pedals. There are many members here that have that passion.
I personally have an interest to know if it's true or not simply because I own a hand full of them from my......ahhh..younger days  
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Edited by - FenderStrat86 on 11/08/2009 22:53:59 |
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DasBeef
Gold Member
United Kingdom
704 Posts |
Posted - 11/08/2009 : 23:40:52
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quote:
Originally posted by PaulH
To be honest I've owned both sorts and I can't tell any difference.
Sell them, buy the MIT versions and actually make some money.
To me, there is so much hype surrounding the difference, that have people actually start to believe it.
I'd be very suprised if anyone could hear any difference between an identical MIT and MIJ pedal in a true double-blind test.
I do think there is some truth in that, but I do believe there is some truth in the other argument too. I could definitely tell the difference between my long dash MIJ DS-1 and a current MIT model. I bet even someone who hasn't even heard either of the two pedals would say they sound different. As for the MIJ long dash, and an early MIT, I don't think I could tell the difference. The end of the day, it's what you want to sound like. I don't like the current DS-1's, but if you do, fine. Then they are better for you. I just got the CE-2 MIT, and I'm quite happy. Haven't been blessed with the opportunity to A/B it against a MIJ, and not really in a hurry to try it either.
Also, I will add that I had a MIT SD-1. I then got two MIJ SD-1's, and immediately sold my MIT, because again, I thought the MIJ sounded better, when A/B-ing. If you were to blindfold me, I'm not certain I could pick them out, but I think I could.
So back to what I said earlier. Ultimately, it's what you like. If you are happy with either version, then happy days. If you're unhappy with you're MIJ version, also happy days, because there will usually be a collector willing to pay top dollar for it. I personally haven't paid top dollar for any MIJ pedals. I got them all for really fair prices out of curiosity, safe in the knowledge that I'd always either get my money back, or get a decent trade for them.
That's my tuppence anyway.... |
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Laurie
Double Platinum Member
Canada
4854 Posts |
Posted - 11/08/2009 : 23:58:32
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RV-2... was MIJ only.
NF-1... was MIJ only.
CS-3... was MIJ and MIT. BUT. There was a chip change from dBx to THAT in 1992 (well after production moved to Taiwan). I for one believe the older dBx chip sounds better, and that it's about the chip change not MIJ/MIT for this pedal.
CE-3... was MIJ and MIT. AFAIK the circuit was consistent. Some people can hear the difference. I can't.
OD-2... was MIJ and MIT. AFAIK the circuit was consistent. Some people can hear the difference. I haven't listened to the both side-by-side so can't comment on differences.
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zerksies
Double Platinum Member
USA
3406 Posts |
Posted - 11/09/2009 : 02:58:04
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| welcome to the forum |
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verivorax
Platinum Member
Canada
1185 Posts |
Posted - 11/09/2009 : 03:10:59
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In some cases, there are definitely audible differences.. and, as Laurie mentioned, some pedals were ONLY made in Japan.
I'm more of a collector than a player and for arbitrary reasons at the time I started, I decided to limit my collection to MIJ pedals. It's a fun and dangerously expensive hobby!  |
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FenderStrat86
Bronze Member
USA
79 Posts |
Posted - 11/09/2009 : 05:06:04
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DasBeef - If I was able to compare pedal audio, that would be pretty fun to try out, though I can't because I don't have any access to MIT pedals.
Thanks Laurie for that information about the pedals that were strictly MIJ. All the ones I have were MIJ because I purchased them all back in 87'. The first thing I did when I found this site was punch in all the serial numbers to see the dates of manufacture. All the ones I own were manufactured between March and November of 87'.
Thanks for the welcome Zerksies. And Verivorax, your absolutely correct.....collecting these wouldn't be a cheap hobby I wouldn't think since there are so many different ones to collect. I had purchased five altogether back in 87' and even with the yen rate high like it was back then, I was still paying a lot for them. The most expensive of the five that I purchased was the RV-2. It was 24,800 yen just for that one. Even with the high exchange yen rate, I still paid over $200.00 for it new. I think that pedal was so expensive though because it came with that power plug since it wasn't made to use a 9v battery. None of the others I purchased came with a power plug. |
Edited by - FenderStrat86 on 11/09/2009 18:37:46 |
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Laurie
Double Platinum Member
Canada
4854 Posts |
Posted - 11/09/2009 : 06:10:31
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quote:
Originally posted by FenderStrat86
I think that pedal was so expensive though because it came with that power plug since it wasn't made to use a 9v battery. None of the others I purchased came with a power plug.
The only other one that came with a power adapter was the PSM-5. |
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Topic |
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80's vs currently built Boss guitar pedals
