Boss Modulation Pedals - Totally Doing it for Me

jufros · #1 06-02-2009, 04:49 AM

I've pretty much given up guitar at this point and I've been trading used effects boxes on TB/ebay for a while now in an attempt to build a bass friendly board. The band is getting whackier, spacier, and funkier by the minute so I've seriously invested in bass effects.

I'm running:
Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive -> Boss LS-2 (blender) -> Electronix Gemini Drive -> EHX Nano Small Stone -> Boss BF-2 -> Boss CE-5 -> Boss PH-3
In blender:
Devi Ever Bit Fuzz -> EHX Micro POG -> Subdecay Flying Tomato -> Electronix MessDrive -> EHX Micro Q-Tron (thinking about selling to guitarist and replacing with EBS as the volume spike is pretty intense with a fuzz in front of it)

I was thinking I'd throw the PH-3 in the synth blender but I think I like it more than my Small Stone. There's just something about how pronounced and in your face it sounds. There's never any doubt that it's on. Similarly, I sold my EHX Stereo Electric Mistress and replaced it with the CE-5 and BF-2 without losing any money. I couldn't possibly be more thrilled with the change. The CE-5 is lush but static and is quickly becoming one of my most used pedals. The BF-2 is absolutely amazing after the Gemini Drive and synth blender combos and has proven much more versatile than the SEM. I used it in a song the first the day I got it.

Is anyone else here REALLY into their Boss modulation pedals? I was expecting the PH-3 to be much less useful that it seems to be.

Lindsay · #2 06-02-2009, 05:17 AM

I like my PH-3 and think PH-3 fans should come out... and be proud!

jufros · #3 06-02-2009, 06:06 AM

Absolutely. There's not much talk about this pedal here but plenty about the MXR and EHX.

pbd · #4 06-02-2009, 06:09 AM

I love pedals, so many flavors to choose from, so many different experiences with each of them. Its a blast buying and selling them too.

Sorry, I don't have any experience with Boss modulation products but I do love pedals!

Todd

theunknowndude · #5 06-02-2009, 06:23 AM

i Would ALMOST consider getting the PH-3 but my BF-3 is doing it for me right now,... weird metallic tremeloish sounds... loving it

jufros · #6 06-02-2009, 06:29 AM

Get both! I'm loving my BF-2 and PH-3 and am not really having low end loss with either. Just tweak the PH-3 depth and res knobs until you're satisfied. I think I'm actually going to keep both the Nano Small Stone and the PH-3 on my board.

JMDT · #7 06-02-2009, 08:12 AM

I use the BF-3 and it is one my favorite flangers for a good metalic sound (yes, better than the BF-2).

I've used the Boss CH-1 and I like it better than the CE-5 for chorus, however I find it hard to use either of these over a good analog chorus (the Maxon has an extra gear of lushness that the other two can't muster). I bet that the CE-2 would sound heavenly on a bass with all its analog goodness.

I've never really liked the Boss phasers. Yesterday, I demoed phasers for 2 hours at a local shop and when it got to the PH-3's turn I was dissapointed. It just didn't sound as alive as the other offerings. It was definately the most versatile phaser I tried, and the Step mode alone would almost be worth picking up the PH-3. If you like random noise, step mode on the PH-3 is heaven.

I love my Boss TR-2, its gets a bad name due to the stock volume drop, but have the thing modded, and it is an amizing tremolo pedal.

jufros · #8 06-02-2009, 08:16 AM

How much did you pay for the mod? I could squeeze a pedal on my board but and was thinking about a tremolo but I don't have room for anything bigger than a boss pedal.

I really dig the Step mode and I also like the Rise mode on the PH-3 as well. I find the PH-3 to really shine with more synthetic sounding pedals like the Devi Ever Bit and the Micro POG.

I can definitely see the advantages of the BF-3. I almost went with a BF-3 over the BF-2 but opted for the less metallic sounding (pro and con) BF-2.

JMDT · #9 06-02-2009, 08:27 AM

I use a tremolo kit from these guys, but you can order a modded pedal too. Definately get a volume knob though so you can set it to unity gain as the depth knob changes the volume characteristics.

vodka mods

jufros · #10 06-02-2009, 08:44 AM

Very cool that looks promising. I would love to A/B a modded Boss Tremolo against the cheaper ModTone (seems to have very similar features).

Part of me wants to get a second CE-5 to run in my synth blender loop... I just can't think of a better chorus for fattening synth sounds, especially for the money.