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bisticles
Copper Member
USA
8 Posts |
 Posted - 10/22/2009 : 01:52:22
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I was doing some trading on Craigslist a while ago, and someone offered up a weird old effect pedal from his attic. Never one to turn down something interesting, I am the owner of this Boss DB-5 Boss Driver pedal, complete with original box. It sounds.... weird... but like nothing else I've ever heard before. Thought some folks here might enjoy the pics.
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Mansun
Gold Member
Spain
564 Posts |
Posted - 10/22/2009 : 02:16:43
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| beautiful! Does it work as good as it looks? I think you could afford a whole pedalboard should you choose to sell it. |
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zerksies
Double Platinum Member
USA
3406 Posts |
Posted - 10/22/2009 : 04:00:52
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| wow nice find |
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Fylthy
Copper Member
Australia
17 Posts |
Posted - 10/22/2009 : 06:24:33
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Wow!
Like, Wow!
Can you record some clips? I'd love to hear it :) |
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Goran
Double Platinum Member
Sweden
2203 Posts |
Posted - 10/22/2009 : 06:40:34
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Great find, thanks for the pictures  |
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DeFrag
Moderator
USA
3409 Posts |
Posted - 10/22/2009 : 06:40:45
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Tks for the pics. Very nice!
The unit must have just lived its whole life in the box.. shuffled around in the attic time & time again. |
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Mesjoggah
Gold Member
Netherlands
595 Posts |
Posted - 10/22/2009 : 07:18:05
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Wow!, what a great find! |
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ButterFlo˙
Copper Member
France
23 Posts |
Posted - 10/22/2009 : 09:04:27
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Yep we HAVE to hear what that sounds like..
Flo˙ |
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sp-1
Platinum Member
Germany
1454 Posts |
Posted - 10/22/2009 : 09:26:45
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Very nice find Some soundclips would be interesting  |
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Dr. Bob
Moderator
Australia
6593 Posts |
Posted - 10/22/2009 : 09:27:17
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Hi bisticles
I Think the guys have really summed it up.
But here's my attempt.
 
Can you tell us the serial number of the unit.
Regards Dr. Bob  |
Edited by - Dr. Bob on 10/22/2009 09:55:25 |
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bisticles
Copper Member
USA
8 Posts |
Posted - 10/22/2009 : 13:05:37
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Thanks guys. It's #601000.
It's a pretty odd pedal, and I think it's meant for monophonic instruments only. The inputs are labeled Bass and Lead. If you plug a guitar into it and slam a chord through it, it sounds like a transistor radio on fire. There are a couple of youtube clips of that, which will either make you laugh or cringe.
So for my quick demo, I borrowed a friend's bass and played a little ditty through a couple of the modes. Please note that I'm not a bass player, and it's a Hondo with a fair amount of duct tape holding it together. You're not getting world-class playing out of me here.
The pedal operates in three modes; EQ, EQ+Attack, and EQ+Distortion. Attack alters the... well... attack of the note, softening the first few milliseconds to take an electric bass and make it sound more like a string or synth bass.
The distortion is what I'd call a literal distortion. It's like a fuzz but angrier and more fickle. Almost like if you lined up a whole bunch of spring reverb tanks, tuned them to specific keys, and did a performance by kicking them in order. You can hear what happens when I hit all four strings at the end of the clip.
YouTube video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIMDk_IH8T8 |
Edited by - bisticles on 10/22/2009 13:40:08 |
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Dr. Bob
Moderator
Australia
6593 Posts |
Posted - 10/22/2009 : 14:18:19
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Hi bisticles
What a great & very accurate description.
I laughed so hard I nearly threw up.  
BTW - Thanks for going to the effort of make & posting a demo
video.
Does it sound any different - better with a 6 string electric?
quote:
Almost like if you lined up a whole bunch of spring reverb tanks, tuned them to specific keys, and did a performance by kicking them in order.
Such a classic collectors piece & in as new condition.
Did it also come with the manual?
Regards Dr. Bob |
Edited by - Dr. Bob on 10/22/2009 14:19:36 |
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sp-1
Platinum Member
Germany
1454 Posts |
Posted - 10/22/2009 : 14:41:44
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| Thanx for the quick video. It might sound interesting with a 6 string guitar. I hear some potential |
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bisticles
Copper Member
USA
8 Posts |
Posted - 10/22/2009 : 15:04:29
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This clip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6Tj13G1sI0) is pretty much what you get with a 6 string guitar. Madness. It does a lot of odd stuff with harmonics, so if you hit a note and its fifth, you get a fairly standard fuzz sound, but throw in a flatted fifth or something a little more complex and it loses its mind, making those weird oscillating noises. Up high on the fretboard, it almost sounds like it's doubling an octave up.
No manual, just the box. The top of the pedal is in near-perfect shape, although the battery compartment door has some damage from what looks like a leaked battery. The right knob still has protective film on the skirt. |
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Ptak
Bronze Member
141 Posts |
Posted - 10/22/2009 : 16:20:23
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| that things crazy lol i want it. |
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FRANZONI
Double Platinum Member
Ireland
3543 Posts |
Posted - 10/22/2009 : 16:51:33
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| Welcome to the forum from Ireland......great find..i checked out your clip and the other clips posted a well...when you said it sounded like a radio on fire soundwise,you weren't far wrong.........still a nice collectors piece and who knows,you might find a reason for it's sonic mahyem one day in something your doing musically..... |
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Topic |
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DB-5 Boss Driver - Look what I found
