Boss

About BOSS products

BOSS is probably best known for their range of rugged guitar and bass effects processors including compact and twin effects pedals, multi effects pedals, pedal boards and electronic guitar tuners. A division of the famous Roland Corporation, BOSS now also makes outstanding multi-track digital recorders for studio use, rhythm machines, loop stations, digital studios and digital metronomes. All the BOSS tools in the signal chain are designed to make it easier for you to make great sounds.

BOSS has always put the emphasis on ease of use in their recording and effects units, so you'll spend less time tweaking and more time making your music. The first BOSS product appeared in 1976-the B-100 The BOSS, a clip-on preamp and pickup for acoustic guitars. The first actual BOSS effect pedal, called the CE-1 Chorus Ensemble, also came out in 1976. Popularized by session guitarist Andy Summers of the Police, the CE-1 is still a revered chorus effect unit among guitar players. Compact BOSS pedals started to roll out in 1977 with the OD-1 Overdrive, the PH-1 Phaser and the Spectrum SP-1, a parametric equalizer. 1978 saw the debut of the BOSS DS-1 Distortion Pedal, and the TW-1 T Wah. The first compact BOSS chorus pedal came out in 1979 as the CE-2. A flanger effect unit, the BF-2 came on the scene in 1980.

BOSS scored the first mass-produced digital delay pedal with the DD-2 in 1983. The pedals kept coming, with nine in 1987, and the famous Metal Zone MT-2 in 1991. Since the Heavy Metal HM-2 Distortion Pedal came out, it has been an integral part of heavy metal music. BOSS makes your life simpler by giving all their compact pedals the same footprint, so you can easily organize your pedalboard. Their robust construction insures that your BOSS guitar effects are rugged and reliable enough to withstand heavy road use. And their distinctive color-coded cases make these pedals easy to see, so you always stomp the right one on stage.

In 2006 BOSS brought Roland's COSM (Composite Object Sound Modeling--a more realistic-sounding way to emulate an amp's performance) to their AC-3 Acoustic Simulator pedal. Since then, the BOSS FBM-1 '59 Bassman Pedal and the FDR-1 '65 Fender Deluxe Reverb Pedal have also included COSM, as have many others. BOSS is famous for their "buffered bypass," which uses Field Effect Transistors to eliminate annoying pops or clicks without degrading your signal. The FET bypass lets you put together more complex signal chains and use longer cable runs without a loss of sound fidelity.

If you like bundling your guitar or bass effects in a floor unit, then BOSS multi-effects processors are for you. BOSS gives you a full line of processors from the Boss GT-10 and ME-50 for guitar, to the BOSS ME-50B and ME-20B for electric bass to the BOSS AD-8 for acoustic guitar. All feature COSM digital signal processing, and the EZTone wizard's easy-to-use graphic icons to shape your sound just the way you want it. BOSS multi-effects units have USB capability that lets you stream audio and MIDI data in real time.