February 2008 \ Features \ How To \ Boss DS-1 Mods

Boss DS-1 Mods

Brian Wampler
 Premier Guitar February 2008
(2 of 2)

Let’s look at some modifications that will have your DS-1 doing your bidding in no time.


Classic JCM-type Marshall Tones:
LOCATION CHANGE TO:
C3 .033µF
R17 15k
C2 1µF
D4 1N4148 Connected in Series to another 1N4148
D5 1N4001 Connected in Series to another 1N4001
C5, C9 1µF
R13 OPTIONAL - Change to 1k for tons of gain, if you do this, also change c8 to 1µF


Modern distortion tones
LOCATION CHANGE TO:
R16 1k
R14 10k
C10 .001µF
C5, C9 1µF films caps (in addition to R15 3.3k)
D4 LED


Vintage distortion tones
LOCATION CHANGE TO:
D5 LED
C3 .033µF
R16 1k
C11 .001µF


If you like the general sound of the DS-1 but are looking for less highs and more of a tonal range change C10 to a capacitor with a larger value. Stock is .01ìF for a frequency roll-off of 7.2kHz.

Less shrill highs
LOCATION CHANGE TO: FREQUENCY ROLLOFF:
C10 .015µF 48kHz
C10 .022µF 3.2kHz
C10 .027µF 2.6kHz
C10 .033µF 2.1kHz
C10 .047µF 1.5kHz


All in all, the Boss DS-1 Distortion is an inexpensive pedal that can rival many of the best boutique pedals simply by changing the circuitry a little. While this may seem difficult, technical and out of reach, it really is very simple if you know what to change and where to change it. I hope that I’ve given you the knowledge and courage necessary to change your pedal from a mouse into a monster. Happy soldering!





Brian Wampler
Brian Wampler is an author, effects designer/builder and operates IndyGuitarist Custom Effects - IndyGuitarist.com and Wamplerpedals.com. His books include How to Build Effect Pedals, How to Modify Effect Pedals, and Advanced DIY Effect Pedals available at GuitarTone.net.


« Previous    1 | 2   

Related Articles

How to Balance Pickups on Strats and Teles
DIY: How to Set Up a Bass Guitar


Comments

 (98 comments) display by
UsernameComment
Mike
on 04/20/2013 		For all of you morons complaining about the mod then adding at the end " well I didn't use the same component as the mod states?" you are stupid use the exact values first before you start complaining idiot.
Trace
on 12/25/2012 		I got the vintage mod working on my end. I changed C11 to 0.047uf and it sounded a whole lot better. The tone knob has a different effect than stock, so don't let that put you off. I would've put 0.1uf (as I assume the author intended), but the closest thing I had was 0.047uf and even that is higher than the stock 0.022uf. In short, C11 = 0.1uf or 0.047uf.
Trace
on 12/22/2012 		I just did the Vintage mod listed here and am having some problems. I used those 4 exact values for the 2 caps, 1 resistor, and a standard red LED. I've checked my work and believe everything is correctly installed. Although the first time around I put the LED in backwards, so I replaced it with a new LED in the correct polarity. Turning the tone knob up and down decreases/increases the volume. I can get distorted tones, but it sounds like ultra high frequencies are leaking in. Also, the pedal seems entirely too loud with not enough distortion. Just wondering if anyone did the vintage mod listed here and got good results, or if they had to tweak anything. Also, if anyone suspects what's going on with my pedal, any input would be appreciated. If I find a solution I'll repost with it.
Martin
on 11/10/2012 		I did the vintage mod and the sound is good, but I found the pedal loses some of its volume. Next week I´ll try the Marshall mod, but before I´ll mod my Ds1 with a kit I´ve bought from Pedaldoc, just to see how it goes. A mate had his Boss Cs3 modified with a Pedaldoc kit and it shoulds really good. I will let you know how it goes.
Black
on 09/03/2012 		Just a question: is it possible to add a dry/wet knob? if yes, how? many thanks
James
on 05/13/2012 		I did the JCM Mod with the exception of using a LED in D5 instead of the series diodes and did the extra "High-Gain" step. Also, I used the .047 cap in C10 and it makes the Tone useful. This pedal sounds killer now. It has tons of "chunk" without the buzzy shrillness at full distortion when stock. When I put the Gain at 12 o'clock, it goes to a nice smooth overdrive. The best part is that I'm not actually done with the mod yet, as Radio Shack didn't have enough 1uf caps for me to do the job (two short), but it still sounds good. My only quandry with this mod is that I liked the sound of the pedal before and after the "High-Gain" option. With the stock resistor in R13, the Gain seemed to have a smoother progression with less top end distortion. With R13 at 1K, the max distortion is great but the Gain knob seems to loose some of it's dynamics. Maybe I'll have to rig up both resistors on a toggle so I can have both. My only other thought is that I find BOSS boards to be very fragile, so take great care when desoldering components. Always make sure the leads wiggle before you pull them out. Unlike Ibanez, BOSS folds their leads over and that makes it easier to damage board traces when removing. Ibanez boards are alot more beginner friendly.
Dom
on 04/15/2012 		I did the vintage mod yesterday and I am pretty happy with it. There is all sorts of new tones I can dial in. the only thing i dont like is the distortion is very mild almost not there until its cranked up all the way. This may be because I changed the value of C3 to .047uf instead of .033uf bc radioshack did not have any .033uf caps..
Shawn P
on 03/02/2012 		i did the vintage mod as it says in the diagram, but my level and tone knobs aren't responsive and the pedal is very quiet. I get great distortion, but I can't tweak it or anything. What could I have done wrong? All of the values are accurate. I did, however, use ceramic capacitors instead of the other kind. Could that be it?
Jez
on 02/28/2012 		I'm really hoping someone can help me out here. I liked my DS-1 stock, (it's a Taiwanese version) but LOVE it with the ULTRA mod. However, at 9 o'clock, the volume is at my amps unity.. which is a bit crazy.. Is there a mod that will give me less actual volume than it is stock? I don't care if it will not go as high as it does now, but as long as it doesn't change the tone at all and gives me more volume control than it does stock. Right now I've got to be real careful because at 9 o'clock is equal to amp volume, and a tiny bit below that adds bass like a blanket has been placed over my cab so it's onbly jusssst useable for me right now. Is there any mods for this? It must only be a new design flaw because I can't see any other cpomplaints about this anywhere. I also tried another new one in store and it was the same.. Thanks in advance.
xfree
on 11/13/2011 		after reading through, I found the mod best for me, is a stripped ver. of the marshall mod.These are the 2 parts I changed which made the Ds-1 sounds like a mild overdrive has been added to it but still preserves the drive of the ds-1. Change the C10 to .22uf and D5 to 1 pair of n4001 connected in series...try it and tell me your comments..add me at youtube my id is "sergeramic", I will put a demo of it soon



Your Comment:  

All comments are subject to editing or deletion by the Premier Guitar staff.

Your Name:  


Please enter the text you see in the image:  
10

3907BF97-BEEE-4E47-9E41-9C1C50104245