Boss BF-2 Flanger on bass?

meursault42 · #1 04-22-2012, 09:49 AM

Any thoughts/experience? Thinking about picking one up, but don't want to waste time/money if it sux.

Challah!

Fitz · #2 04-22-2012, 10:01 AM

I think they sound awesome. Don't pay any more than $50 though. They can definitely be had for less if you are patient and look around.

meursault42 · #3 04-22-2012, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fitz

I think they sound awesome. Don't pay any more than $50 though. They can definitely be had for less if you are patient and look around.

Thanks

It seems like the going rate for MIJ "Red Line" BF-2s is in the $70 range.

meursault42 · #4 04-22-2012, 10:47 AM

So this is the one I'm looking at. No more than $50 for this you think?

CHILDISHGAMBINO · #5 04-22-2012, 11:18 AM

I have a Bf-2 on my board. It's not the one in your pick, it has grey knob faces with black lines. It sounds pretty good on bass. I prefer feeding it dirt over just playing it clean. I think I paid 60 bucks(Canadian)for it. I don't know much about the values of specific model differences so I can't say how much the redline version is worth. I kind of find that type of stuff a little silly, but collectors get moist over the strangest things(to me)sometimes. What are the differences besides the knobs? Made in Japan VS Taiwan etc.?

Insouciance · #6 04-22-2012, 11:50 AM

Yes yes yes. $50 is a great deal. They sound BEAUTIFUL on bass. You won't regret it. There are a few decent mods that can be done to really open it up into psychedelic bliss.

There is an internal trimpot that plays with the regeneration to make things VERY trippy.

And from what I have been told by various pedal geeks and circuitheads, the circuit is very similar between the MIJ and MIT versions. I have the MIJ and it is awesome.

kokoshmusun · #7 04-22-2012, 12:22 PM

I used to have one, got it on the basis of recommendation, great on bass, I would say $50 is a pretty good deal. I think I got mine for $40 from ebay several years ago.

bassgod0dmw · #8 04-22-2012, 12:55 PM

It's the only pedal that has been a constant on my board. It's excellent at what it does.

Fitz · #9 04-22-2012, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by meursault42

So this is the one I'm looking at. No more than $50 for this you think?

I've seen several go for $40-$50. And I'm talking about the exact one pictured, not the white knob version, though both sound identical.

cosmicpimp2 · #10 04-22-2012, 08:01 PM

I got one and an Ibanez Airplane Flanger... The boss might go back in the line up

kaputsport · #11 04-22-2012, 08:59 PM

I used one on our first album.

Be careful, it can get out of control.

meursault42 · #12 04-23-2012, 09:51 AM

Seller was asking $70 and came down to $60. Still a no-go?

RCCollins · #13 04-23-2012, 09:57 AM

$60 sounds pretty fair.

jmattbassplaya · #14 04-23-2012, 10:00 AM

$60 is good.

I have the BF-3, which isn't as popular with many bassists, and I like it a lot.

To me, flanger > phaser!

meursault42 · #15 04-23-2012, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RCCollins

$60 sounds pretty fair.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmattbassplaya

$60 is good.

I have the BF-3, which isn't as popular with many bassists, and I like it a lot.

To me, flanger > phaser!

facilitators...

bassofthe · #16 04-23-2012, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmattbassplaya

To me, flanger > phaser!

Brohoof. /)

BruceBass3901 · #17 04-23-2012, 02:48 PM

I love mine. Brilliant to liven up clean passages where its just me and a drummer, great with dirt, great with sustained notes. Just awesome!!

If its good enough for Tool, its good enough for me

Mine is the grey faced knob version and I'm pretty certain its stock. I haven't even played with the internal trims

meursault42 · #18 04-23-2012, 02:51 PM

Cool, thanks everybody. I went ahead and bought it. Was able to negotiate $55 shipped. I'm gonna go ahead and say I did okay before anybody has a chance to tell me otherwise

lowpass · #19 04-23-2012, 05:49 PM

I have a MIJ BF-2 (the one pictured) that I bought in the mid 80's. Haven't used it much lately but have been thinking of firing it up again. It is a great pedal, but as mentioned, it is easy to overdo it.

I saw a Peavey tech do a demo once where he bi-amped using this flanger. Ran the lows straight into the amp with no effects and only the highs through the flanger. Sounded awesome! Not as thick or muddy as running full range through it. You might want to give it a try.

meursault42 · #20 04-23-2012, 05:58 PM

Yeah, I'm curious about the low-end loss. Not sure that I'd be willing to go to such lengths to correct for it though. But from the demos that I've heard of both the BF-3 and the BF-2b, the crossover freq sounds like it's too high and thereby the effect looses some of its cojones. But of course those demos are always deceiving and I could be completely wrong about that.