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mildsilverbird
Copper Member
4 Posts |
 Posted - 09/11/2006 : 07:01:53
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I've been a BOSS user for years and a reader of this forum for a while now. Recently I plucked up the courage to purchase a PW-2 Power Driver against all the negative comment I've heard on the net.
I have to say that the tone is nowehere near as bad as I've been led to believe. To my ears (and through my rig) it reminds me of a Keeley-modded BD-2 I used to own (when the gain is dimed), although I think the pedal's best sounds are to be had with the gain at half-way or less. My o'clock settings are Fat @ 1:00, Muscle between 9:00 and 12:00 and Gain between 9:00 and 12:00. Level at just over unity.
Anyone agree, or do I have tin ears???  |
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Goran
Double Platinum Member
Sweden
2203 Posts |
Posted - 09/11/2006 : 07:56:28
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I think PW-2 sounds good at moderate gain setting and after tweaking of the tone knobs. I think it does it best with single coils.
When I first got it I didnīt like it, but after some rotations of the knobs (when I gave it a second chance) I liked it. Not the best Boss OD/Dist, but not the worst either
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bossarea
Forum Admin
United Kingdom
3652 Posts |
Posted - 09/11/2006 : 10:19:58
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| I like the PW-2. It sounds very different from most of the other distortion pedals. I like it a lot for power chords and riffs and as you, I usually keep the gain low as this pedal has tons of it. |
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StratoSphere
Double Platinum Member
Canada
2232 Posts |
Posted - 09/11/2006 : 13:38:25
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| i agree. i personally cant believe all the negative comments about the PW-2. i find it very useful and it has its own sound unlike certain other Boss distortions. |
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lost_in_sound
Silver Member
United Kingdom
150 Posts |
Posted - 09/11/2006 : 15:30:55
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| i want to know more about this pedal, i've heard grunge sound quotes towards it, but it doesnt appear to have a treble control; plus i dont like middly, bassy distortion |
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ununtrium
Bronze Member
Germany
84 Posts |
Posted - 09/11/2006 : 20:39:15
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I think the PW-2 is quite unique. I would not describe it as a typical overdrive or distortion.
You know the humming sound generated by power lines? I think it sounds like the guitar signal was sent right through a 20000 volts cord or somewhere along those lines. 
I would rate it somewhere between a hard distortion and a fuzz, but with this peculiar extra layer of ambient sound.
Anyway, it requires some getting used to, but I think it is well worth the effort (not like with the XT-2...).
Cheers!  |
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StratoSphere
Double Platinum Member
Canada
2232 Posts |
Posted - 09/12/2006 : 03:49:07
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| soundwise, it is kind in the gray area. i would call it a heavy OD.the "fat" and "muscle" knobs really form the sound. definately not your typical OD/dist box. it has a lot of character but you have to hear it to understand. |
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mildsilverbird
Copper Member
4 Posts |
Posted - 09/12/2006 : 06:58:08
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For lost_in_sound's benefit, the pedal CAN be bassy and middly, but you can back off the Fat if required. The Muscle is kind of like a contour control - down low it scoops the mids out a bit, and it adds more mids as you turn the knob clockwise. At the end of its rotation it produces a pronounced mid honk, but I can't see many people using it set that way, unless you want that effect...
It has a strange clip... I've heard "crackly" used to describe it. But I dig it. |
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Goran
Double Platinum Member
Sweden
2203 Posts |
Posted - 09/12/2006 : 07:59:12
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I want to remark that the choice of an overdrive or dist is a very personal thing, nobody could say (and telling the truth) that I like all Boss ODīs and dists. Some are perfect for my sound, some are not even close.
In the PW-2 case I can say itīs not for my type of sound, that is not to say that PW-2 is a bad pedal. Someone else of course will say that PW-2 is just great, nearly any setting sounds good in his/hers ears. So there is a market for every OD manufactured by Boss.
I can get a good sound of PW-2, with some twiddling with the knobs, sure, but I didnīt buy it because I fell in love with its sound, I bought it for collecting. But, as Bossarea says, for power chords itīs a good one.
Every Boss OD/dist is like a palette of different sounds/colours, use what you like.
This also goes for XT-2, I donīt like it, but I donīt state that itīs a bad disrtortion, just not for me.
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Sunburst
Silver Member
427 Posts |
Posted - 09/13/2006 : 08:23:39
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Iīd say PW-2 is a foe!  |
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lost_in_sound
Silver Member
United Kingdom
150 Posts |
Posted - 09/14/2006 : 18:19:09
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quote:
Originally posted by mildsilverbird
For lost_in_sound's benefit, the pedal CAN be bassy and middly, but you can back off the Fat if required. The Muscle is kind of like a contour control - down low it scoops the mids out a bit, and it adds more mids as you turn the knob clockwise. At the end of its rotation it produces a pronounced mid honk, but I can't see many people using it set that way, unless you want that effect...
It has a strange clip... I've heard "crackly" used to describe it. But I dig it.
okay, thanks |
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FRANZONI
Double Platinum Member
Ireland
3543 Posts |
Posted - 09/15/2006 : 00:15:23
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| i read somewhere the edge of u2 had replaced his od2 with a pw2 in his latest rig..... |
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With Full Distortion
Copper Member
Brazil
4 Posts |
Posted - 03/24/2007 : 16:51:49
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Hails Guys!
iīm fresh meat on Boss forum buy iīve been using boss pedals for 10 years now.
i would liek to know where i can find some BOSS Pedals soundclips from users of this forum ?!
iīm interested in the Power driver soundclip
need to know if i can use it for Thrash/death/blackmetal
i own a super phaser, digital reverb rv2, dd3-digital delay, metalzone, bass equalizer, guitar equalizer, and super overdrive. all of them are MIJ, except for the metalzone.
Congratulations for the forum and info here and thankīs IN advance
Extreme Metal Hails from brazil
JP |
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ptero
Silver Member
Mexico
218 Posts |
Posted - 03/24/2007 : 19:40:43
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quote:
Originally posted by ununtrium
Anyway, it requires some getting used to, but I think it is well worth the effort (not like with the XT-2...).
The XT-2 does worth. |
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DeFrag
Moderator
USA
3409 Posts |
Posted - 03/25/2007 : 07:06:20
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| Yup, I like my Power Driver alot. I was really looking for a pedal with a different sound than run of the mill overdrives, distortions, & metal-crunches. The low & mids are perfect while the grainy drive fills a versatile slot that other pedals just fail. |
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ronster
Gold Member
Australia
645 Posts |
Posted - 03/25/2007 : 13:53:15
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Yeah I'm all for this pedal. I agree with the others, you can't have the levels up too much and need to control your levels.
To me it's a little like a cross between an overdrive and distortion. I actually like it bassy!!!  |
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Topic |
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PW-2 Power Driver: friend or foe?
