About Boss Guitar Effect Pedals

For many electric and acoustic guitarists, half the fun in playing live comes from playing stompbox effects pedals. These pedals can be used to change a guitar's tone to a more distorted or metal tone, simulate an acoustic guitar or add cool phasing effects like flange and chorus and delay. Boss has been synonymous with guitar pedals for over three decades now.

First Pedal

Boss is a subsidiary of Roland, a Japanese manufacturer of high end musical equipment. The first Boss effect was the B-100 The Boss, an acoustic guitar pickup system that included a preamp that clipped to the belt of the player. The first true Boss pedal, the CE-1 Chorus Ensemble, was released in 1976. Unlike later Boss pedals, the CE-1 wasn't a battery powered unit and was rather large. It is, however, still considered a classic and can be heard on many Police records, as Andy Summer used it.

Next Steps

Boss released three compact pedals in 1977: the OD-1 Overdrive, the PH-1 Phaser, and the SP-1 Spectrum, an equalizer pedal. These pedals are recognizable as Boss standard pedals. They were small, had a metal case, and could be powered by 9V batteries or by DC power. These pedals also included silent FET switching to eliminate the popping noise many pedals had when they were turned on. Boss followed with a variety of pedals as the '70s closed, including the CE-2, their first compact chorus pedal, released in 1970. Guitarists loved the standardized, compact size, which made it easy to build pedal boards and to power the pedals.

Delay

Boss continued to develop pedals, using the same box as the OD-1. The DD-2 delay pedal, released in 1984, was the first compact digital delay pedal available to guitarists. It offered a variety of controls, including delay time, effect level and mode.

Multi-effects Unit

In 1988, Boss released the first floor unit multi-effects processor, the ME-5. This unit let guitarists access multiple programmable effects without having to go to expensive outboard gear. The unit also included a built in tuner, making it an all-in-one solution for many guitarists.

Production Shift

In 1990, Boss shifted production of its pedals from Japan to Taiwan. Many guitarists feel that the Japanese-produced pedals sound better, and, as such, there is an active market for vintage Boss pedals that were made in Japan, such as the SP-1 Spectrum, the DM-2 and DM-3 analog delays and the VB-2 Vibrato.

Current Lineup

Boss is the largest manufacturer of guitar pedals in the industry, and their current lineup includes over 100 pedals for guitarists. These pedals include classic distortions, digital delays, amp simulators, reverb units, chorus and pitch shifters, and multi-effects units. Boss has also developed a specialized lineup of pedals for bass guitar players.