that's pretty much what i did. got on the booteeq bandwagon back in 2014, and then realized after all the money i had wasted that it's all consumerist BS.
@@yomuthabyotch: What are you talking about? So what’s the expensive boutique pedal in this example? The Boss is the more expensive of the two. Besides, what’s a boutique pedal anyway? Keeley, JHS, Greer, Wampler, OBNE, Earthquaker Devices, Jam Pedals…, just to mention a few, are these boutique brands according to you? And are they too expensive? I’ve had numerous Boss pedals and some of them are really great, but for most of their pedals there are better versions. What’s BS about that? I’d like to know, because I don’t see it.
@@mariodriessen9740 "better" is such a subjective word. i respect original designs, but the vast majority of beauteekh pedals are essentially old-school circuits rehoused in a prettier metal box. and yeah, waza craft is BOSS's shitty way of getting in on the bewtiec bandwagon (a little late if you ask me).
@@yomuthabyotch : “better” is subjective indeed. And I have a weak spot for the originals. That’s why I keep playing Fenders and Gibsons instead of their cheaper and/or more expensive counterparts. But how many overdrives and distortions did Boss make? Do they all sound ‘better’ than the overdrives and distortions made by the companies I mentioned earlier (and many others)? That would be just as silly as saying all expensive pedals are better by definition. I just don’t understand the statement that ‘boutique pedals’ (again, what does that even mean?) are all just BS boxes of gear, built and meant to fool the consumers into thinking they’re buying something great, when they’d be better off using relatively cheap mass produced pedals made by one of the largest manufacturers of musical gear in the world. This is not a freaking conspiracy! It’s a pretty straightforward concept. If you want an overdrive, a distortion and a booster, you have thousands of options in all price ranges. Please don’t tell me you never had a pedal that sounded better than a Boss pedal? And I’m not saying they can’t be good. But to call all pedals that are slightly more expensive BS is… BS.
I got myself the BP-1W and absolutely love it. Works amazing with any guitar, and into either clean or dirty channels on the amp. Bes of all, when I stack it after the FZ-1W, it makes the tone MASSIVE - like a Big Muff Op-Amp fuzz, without the madness and noise. The BP-1W fattens up single coils beautifully (in my Tele), and pushes the humbuckers in my other guitar into creamy overdrive. Its hugely versatile. Love it!!
@@jasondorsey7110 Not really. They're two different beasts. You can shelf off some of the low end with the EP booster, but it won't get near the EQ curve of a proper treble booster.
The issue is, just seeing EP Booster there I don't want to try anything else. It just warms my heart both sound and aesthetic wise. I really want to use the little black box. To this date I'm not sure how to describe the color of EP booster. It sounds softer and more mellow but it doesn't lose the brightness or the mids anyway. It's very odd. But I realized it wasn't really a battle of pedals at the end, just for context. Good choice, hard to pick a better known preamp boost for contrast. Shoutouts to these mini video series. They are concise, fun and interesting. No big plot, no agenda. Just a little bit of business.
Hi, Mick and Dan! My 10 month old boy and I love to watch you guys and he tunes right in the second you start playing. Just want to thank you because I know these memories will be precious to me once he's grown. Just know you guys have supplied hours of memories with my boy. You guys rock and I appreciate you!
To the point. This was a short feast of knowledge. When educating us our here, I cannot think of better than you guys! And I watch a lot! Thanks. I will always be around for long form shows as well.
Ive had the Bp1w for a couple of months now and it is the magic boost/od Ive been searching for! Boss eq and a zen drive and covers my gain needs from tele chicken pickin to 335 soaring leads. These short format pedal videos are a welcome addition to the incredible work you guys do for all us guitar nerds. Thanks so much for all the inspiration over the years!!
Love my BP-1W! Set to CE mode and standard buffer with humbuckers is my favorite setting. Natural sounded great with your single coils though. As you said, VERSATILE!
Thanks Mick. Love the new format for quick reviews. I have a BP-1w and it provides a great "base layer" on top of a natural amp sound. As you say, the result will probably be very amp dependent, I use mine with an uber-clean Roland Jazz Chorus which needs a bit of grit on top
Hi I have a jazz chorus and was thinking of the bp-1w as a way to get some natural amp-like overdrive from the amp. How do you use yours, and is it good for this purpose?
After a day working at home I was inspired to go and spend 30 minutes playing with the Jazz Chorus and BP-1w (and a bit of tremolo courtesy of the Boss TR-2) , can confirm that BP-1w goes from clean/warm at low gain to nice overdrive at high gain. Also it is a good boost when in front of other drive pedals if they have headroom🎸😀🎸
I am enjoying these short, to the point, get-in-get-out videos. It's nice to have them interspersed with the longer form content. On another note, I can't say I was entirely shocked when at the end of this one I heard Mick utter the phrase "I preferred the vintage setting"! 😂
Yah, the modern buffer is too buffery for me. I think if you had a bigger board with loads of true bypass pedals and quiet amps... the modern setting would be preferable. But at volume with a super clean signal path... too much buffer!
I own two EP-boosters, I like how they open up the full spectrum and put some warmth around the low end on my clean sounds. Don’t care for how they overdrive my amps though.
I use both, have a total of 6 effects pedals. Each is used for specific purposes in a covers band. Both are very good. The EP is a real bargain and is kept on most of the time. The Boss has a nice edge to it that cuts through nicely.
I had my BP few days ago and it gives everything that I wanted for years, the feel is just great as hell. I use it in a Fender SuperSonic 22 on the crunch channel set to 4 on the gain one (gain two on 0) , set mainly on the normal mode, everything at noon , with my Telecaster, it just dream. By the way this video format is pretty cool, thanks for the video
The Boss boost on RE mode, with other digital delays sounds like a Boss RE201 and RE20. I’ve shot out both, and the preamp sounds correct to me. I do the EP thing boosting with a ChaseTone Secret Preamp into a SA Collider in tape mode. The preamp boost color whether at unity or boosted for grit. It does the thigh you want. With pedals today you can find a delay or boost preamp standalone for ANYTHING! Then run it into a Strymon or Source Audio. This is if you don’t want to deal with vintage or buy more pedals. Im telling you they work for most high end dsp based pedals! Now EHX give us an old Memory Man preamp boost! Not kidding lol😅
To my ears the EP Booster has the fatness of the RE setting and the top end of the NAT setting. BP-1W adds a little versatility, but also is bigger and more expensive. For my money, the EP has all of the right sounds in the right places and I don't think Boss has convinced me to go through the hassle of switching. I think it's more worth considering for Boss users and humbucker players.
Picked up the BP-1w right when it came up. I keep it after my drives and step on it for boost, and it's phenomenal. I wish it had a tone control, but I seem to want one only when I'm at home. I don't miss it playing live. Maybe if it had a tone knob I would consider it for an always on pedal, but using this purely for boost after an always-drive or even after a lead drive is crazy great. I tend to use the Frusciante CE side more (and I thought I would prefer the RE side).
Loving those "thing du jour" short vids. Nice tone and verstillity from the BOSS pedal but real estate is at a premium on my boards. The Ep is great in that regards and sounds great also.
I know y’all say to use headphones when listening, but what about $600 Klipsch bookshelf speakers I got for $300 and use with Bluetooth and vinyl player? Seems better than my TV speakers lol. Much love and good energy.
Just the demo I needed to hear. EP preamps are a bit too dark for my taste. The Boss is a good option for having transparent, a bit dark, and darker options.
Just got this a week ago and in love. It pairs well with the blues driver. I set it at CE, 2pm on both knobs going into the blues driver with blues driver gain at zero and volume and tone to taste. Works with several amps set at edge of breakup with humbucker guitars. Really brings out harmonics and retains the dynamics I look for in my setup. Your mileage may vary but sharing for those who have similar goals and are interested in this pedal.
Nice demo which presented the pedal well May I suggest another alternative the Boss Line Selector which can be set to provide a base line boost plus ability to switch to the second channel set louder for leads Very practical for gigging And yes I love my EP booster too!
I think I had asked on a live Monday what was a grown up move from the EP Booster and you and Dan said "More EP Boosters?" but sounds like the Boss might be kinda awesome!
Super interested in the BP-1w as a light overdrive, but this mostly just made me miss my old EP Booster! lol Realizing now I probably never would've gotten rid of it if I'd had a blackface Fender at the time 😄🤷♂ So it goes. Thanks, fellas! Great to see this additional format for your channel!
There is certainly some kind of sonic magic sauce with the FET style boosts. Technically speaking, the FET's are voltage controlled devices, the BJT transistors are current controlled devices. So, when JFETs clip, they sound more like valve clipping than other types because of this. Many of the FET boosts operate at higher DC supply voltages like 18,21, 24 and these combined characteristics sweeten the sound with tube like magic. Many chips incorporate FETs, like the TLO72 used a lot in audio and in guitar pedals. In fact, the BD-2 Blues Driver circuit is a "discrete JFET Op-Amp" , a chip model built with individual FET transistors, then for some reason they buffered the circuit with actual BJT style op-amp chips! It's BACKWARDS from most drive pedals because they used chips for the buffers and real transistors for the op-amp part, it's crazy!
Love the new format, I did have to laugh a little Boss referring to their original buffer design as "vintage". Although "the old buffer everyone hated and complained about until Boss came out with an updated version" doesn't exactly roll off the tongue
Just when you thought we don't need another boost pedal.... Along comes Boss with an un-heralded instant classic! I find the CE side a bit treblier and bright than the RE side. The Natural is my fave, with Vintage buffer. Such a great 'special sauce' pedal!
Finally!!! Guys, this pedal is out since months!!! It’s an absolute gem and almost nobody did a serious test on it except for peeps who had this John Frusciante tone in mind, c’mooooon!!!🤦🏼♂️ I’m waiting for a complete review of this Boss BP-1 W from you guys! It deserves the right attention!!!
Thanks Mick. 1. I use an EP booster and DR so this was applicable to moi. I had a DD8 but didn’t get on with it. Too clinical. 2. I watch and like the 50 mins - 1 hr shows but I do prefer a 5-10 minute vid. Cheers!
Interesting - to my ear the EP sounds more open and transparent, and the Boss pedal sounds like … a Boss pedal? Oddly hear an edge of Blues Driver when Mick digs in with humbuckers 🤔
I got one when they came out and it deffo 'sounded like a Boss pedal' - especially not great at higher gains (I've gotten rid of all my boss drives for this reason, except my first ever pedal the OS-2 which I've kept for nostaglia's sake - still can't get a great sound out of it tho'). Middle to low on the gain sounded great - natural worked best for me. Then I sent it back like every other boost pedal I've ever had, except my Bad Bob which is a fair bit dirtier. If I need my strat to sound sparklier and more pronounced/articulate and louder, then I turn the amp up and bingo - or add a little comp.
The boss is dark like the real space echo preamp. The ep booster also has the dark eq profile but there’s an internal dip switch that brings the treble back to flat
Excellent work, Mick! This is the TPS video I've watched in a hot minute. Currently rubbing the back of my pregnant girlfriend while watching this, happy playing all!
Does jammin Boss BP-1W make anyone else really happy? Boss BP-1W is quickly becoming my favorite pedal. It's just so beautiful and sexy. Practically free and the second you drop her on the board that chill ass motherfucker gives you a Rich Dark Gushing Robust tone.. And you also get this cute little 1/1 feedback response usually too harmless to be forgotten. But more than that, the Boss BP-1 is just so positively alluring. It comes on the board like "do you want to cast a spell?" and I'm like "yeah BP-1W i do want to cast a spell let's do this shit" and when she attacks she's like "SPELLS ARE FUN" and I'm like "yeah they are SO FUN." She doesn't say some bullshit macho shit like "I will destroy you" she's just like "nah spells are fun and voodoo spooky.” And she looks so happy. I mean this is an inanimate object that literally brought my guitar to life by magic. It understands it's life is a temporary magical gift and the dude is just fucking loving it. I mean just look at her face she’s just so happy and cute as a button. I am literally never sad when Boss BP-1W is on board. IDK if she's gonna ever make it into the pedal HOF or not, but for now she a super chill pedal.
I have the EP and it does a specific job, but the Boss is really cool and as you say "versatile" I have 2 Wazas now CE2 and Dimension C, both really awesome, I use the Chorus for acoustic and Dimension for electric, this could be my next Waza purchase!
Nice! Have you heard of the ClinchFX EP-PRE? Australian made, and apparently a full replica of the EchoPlex preamp. Run at the correct 12v it sounds beautiful. I wonder how this Boss and even the EP booster compares?!
Dump the boost pedals - turn up the gain on the amp and use your volume controls instead! That said, EP boost is one of the very few pedals I would consider good enough to be ‘always on’ - it almost never sounds bad.
So, I get to around the 20 second mark in the video, take heed of the 'sweet spot,' pause it, get up and go across the room and ... apparently the sweet spot on my Deluxe Reverb is also four and a half. :-)
I like both better with humbuckers, they don’t have enough “oomf” with the strat. Boss is a little more versatile, but the EP is so freaking good at what it does.
I’ve been doing a boost shoot-out today. EP, Katana Mini, Megalodon and the BP1W .. they can each shine in ways the others don’t so it’s all so subjective. Reassuring I’m not the only one clicking between these pedals listening for all the good stuff!
I don't own a boost although I think its my favorite effect. I have this cheap tone city sweet cream that I use always on, and I think I'm really just using it as a boost. It adds a warmth and sparkle. Takes my tone from dull to fun. I have a Dearmond soundhole pickup on my equally cheap acoustic and even on that setup it adds magic. It sortof makes my Jasmine acoustic sound like Scotty Moore's Gibson. Its so odd to me that my entire tone can sound so uninspiring and then I push it a tiny bit with some transistors or whatever and suddenly I can't get enough of it.
Like the format. Dig that boost. Source audio Zio analog front end boost has been a go to lately. It has a “studio” setting which is the pultec eq trick. Very hard to turn off at shows. Gets you heard but isn’t overly icepicky or loud.
Been curious about the BP-1W, particularly in comparison to the Fredric Effects' Accomplished Badger Mk 2. The BP-1W does liven things up - sounds dead without it. Although how close can you get with an EQ and a buffer if you're not introducing gain?
I was hoping you would get this one in -- Sorry I am so old school TPS - 🤣 - Question: what is it like with the CE -2w ?🤔.. and how close does that get to an original CE-1?
The Boss would be killer into modellers and ampsims! Could maybe have used a little EQ dial, to edge out the Xotic RC Booster. What's the impedance on the BP-1w?
I like it, but for me, just something about that single knob on the EP Booster I like. I'm not an advanced tone junkie, so less choices is better for me.
y'know I've come to think of boosts and buffers together in gain staging - I've noticed a different not having a TU-2 at the front of my chain after so many years with it in there defacto. The chain of buffers and where they are, including anything Boss shapes that tone markedly, and not necessarily better or worse. Funny to think that basically everything from the 2000s live was filtered through BOSS tuner buffers unless they're on a rack.
![Boss BP-1W - Boss Of The Boosts? [Plus EP Boost For Context: Effector Du Jour]](/img/logo.svg){kind=logo}
