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Pedalhead
Silver Member
USA
245 Posts |
 Posted - 06/27/2005 : 19:33:40
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So untill this forum came into existance I would never even consider moding a perfectly good pedal, but with all of the talk here I am kinda curious. So my question(s) is/are you for or against moding your pedal(s)?
Are there any mods that one should avoid(like the "sounds like a turd straped to a board mod"?) Are there mods I shouldn't live any further without(must have). I have been a "purest"(MIJ pedals only) for the most part, and never would I mod my silver screw DS1, but what am I missig? Or not? |
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pawnshop_trash
Gold Member
USA
603 Posts |
Posted - 06/27/2005 : 20:33:59
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the short answer is, if you're happy with what you have, then you're not mising anything.
personally, I would never modify any MIJ Boss pedal, but I would consider most Taiwanese ones to be fair game. one practical reason to buy a recent MIT pedal, such as a DS-1, and then having it modded is so you could use it live (and leave your silver-screw DS-1 at home when you play out). most of these mods either add a new function to a pedal (like analog man's hi-cut mod for the DD-6 and others) or swap out lesser (cheaper) parts. generally speaking, the better-known names (Robert Keeley, Analog Man, Stinkfoot electronics, among others) all do quality work, and their web sites have descriptions/sound files for each.... |
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boss freak
Gold Member
USA
663 Posts |
Posted - 06/28/2005 : 00:29:51
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I've modded MIT and MIJ pedals. If you're thinking about modifications, make sure to listen to sound samples on sites such as robertkeeley.com before committing to anything and make sure it's something you need.
I have modified my own pedals and bought modified versions from Keeley. I don't have a problem modifying a MIJ pedal if the MIT version isn't as good as the Japanese version, such as the DS1, but then again, the MIJ DS1 doesn't NEED to be modified because it already blows away the MIT DS1. There are a few changes internally that somehow make a big difference. I also modified a MIJ SD1 and it sounds even better than before and I already had a second MIJ SD1 anyway. They can always be un-modded in the event that I decide to sell it, but I doubt that I will.
The best advice I can give though is to listen to sound clips and read reviews of the person's work. |
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MERCYFULFATE
Copper Member
USA
45 Posts |
Posted - 06/28/2005 : 01:55:18
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i would mod anything if i thought it needed it. i have even modded a jrc equipped black label ts-9 before.
modding doesnt just mean changing out a bunch of stuff, it can be the film caps only etc etc.
i have seen where two identical pedals are not the same.
when i had my yngwie signed yjm 308 pre ordered from my friend at digitech/DOD he tested several to get me the highest gain 308 he could get for me. they were all a little different from each other. |
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boss freak
Gold Member
USA
663 Posts |
Posted - 06/28/2005 : 06:29:14
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I don't claim to be an electronics wiz, but it seems to me that with a large number of electronic parts in a given pedal, most of which have a 5% tolerance (meaning the actual capacitance or resistance they provide is "within" 5% of the required value), that there would be some slight variations between several pedals of the same make and model when A/B tested against each other. Some mods that are available involve changing key components to a "tighter" or "closer" tolerance. This could, in theory, bring the pedal to it's optimal performance level as specified by the designer(s).  |
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bossarea
Forum Admin
United Kingdom
3652 Posts |
Posted - 06/28/2005 : 09:54:33
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I would only mod a pedal if I knew it would improve the sound.
Even then I would only do it if I had more than one copy of the pedal so I could A-B the result with the original version afterwards. |
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Goran
Double Platinum Member
Sweden
2203 Posts |
Posted - 06/29/2005 : 07:28:18
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To mod or not...
As a collector I would never mod any Boss-pedal, to me that�s just like to put a Floyd Rose on a 63 Stratocaster...
BUT if I have a SD-1 for collecting, I could surely buy a brand new and then mod. I think we all could agree on that?
Anyway I like the Boss pedals stock, and on my pedalboard I can use anything I like, Boss or non-Boss.
But it�s also obvious to me that you get a better tone if you practice more finger-vibratos, than if you mod a pedal...
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boss freak
Gold Member
USA
663 Posts |
Posted - 06/29/2005 : 12:33:20
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Good point Goran. The SD1 is a great example of a Boss pedal that can be bought brand new for so cheap that it's okay to modify it. The same goes for the DS1. Personally I have several of both pedals, all with various mods and of course a few MIJ models that sound brilliant in their stock forms. I feel that if the modded versions of some pedals breathe new life into them it's cool.
It's too bad it's not as easy (or at least less time consuming) to customize the look of the pedal once it's modded. By that I mean repainting and re-labeling the pedal to look like a Boss pedal label. I think it would be cool to have some one of a kind Boss pedals in the collection, like the Zakk Wylde SD1 in the Boss Book, where there are only five made. Obviously none of us will ever own one of those, but it could be cool to have our own "signature model" Boss pedal. |
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Goran
Double Platinum Member
Sweden
2203 Posts |
Posted - 07/04/2005 : 08:22:57
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I�m probably going to eat up my words above as I going to buy a Stinkfoot modded BD-2....
As soon as I have the time to test it against my stock I will of course report. |
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strat714
Silver Member
USA
156 Posts |
Posted - 09/15/2005 : 20:33:48
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| Used to be a collector, but now I only buy what I will use! So I would mod the very first SP-1 if it suited my purposes. Of course being able to sell it on eBay for an astoundingly ridiculous price may cahnge my mind! |
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walrus121
Silver Member
USA
187 Posts |
Posted - 09/30/2005 : 06:24:44
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I modified a Made-in-Japan GE-7 by swapping out the op amps with low-noise models (including a JRC 4558D that I destroyed in the process) because the pedal was so damn noisy. I don't know if the Made-in-Taiwan ones use better op amps in them or not (I've never looked at the insides nor the schematic nor opened one of them up), but I doubt it. It may be a classic 20-year-old pedal, but I consider it it be a dramatic improvement on what looks to be a bad design (TI reccomends against using the TL022P op amps for new designs because they are so bad; these are the op amps that are used to separate the frequency bands). I can always get another JRC 4558D off of the NOS market if I ever decide to sell the pedal, and the TL022Ps are still made today (but I saved those so I guess I don't have to worry about that.
Does anybody think that I should not have made these modifications? As far as I am concerned I made a crappy pedal sound great.
I don't think that it is any different than replacing your classic Vox wah-wah pedal's crappy worn-out potentiometer with a new Dunlop model that lasts 50 times longer. Someone mentioned that it would be like putting a Floyd Rose on a classic Telecaster or Strat or something. I think that most modifications would be like putting String-Saver saddles on a classic Strat and keeping the originals safely stored. As long as you don't drill any holes then there isn't a problem. Even if you do, as long as there is an easy option to switch out of the modified tone back to the original tone probably won't give the buyer much worry. Also, if you modify a newer pedal to sound like an older model you increase the newer pedal's value. |
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Pedal mods...yes or no?
