The Boss name is revered by a huge number of guitarists, and the reason is simple: these are amazing pedals. Boss is the effects pedal arm of Roland, which is one of the most influential brands in electronic music today. All the expertise that Roland developed making keyboards and synthesizers has worked its way into the Boss pedals, which offer a smorgasbord of effects to satisfy any guitarist or bassist. The first Boss pedal was the CE-1 Chorus Ensemble, which made its debut in June 1976 and was a foot-activated port of the chorus/vibrato electronics from Roland's JC-120 amplifier. Two years later, Boss introduced a series of more compact pedals - the OD-1 overdrive, PH-1 phaser and SP-1 "Spectrum" equalizer. Those legendary Boss pedals have gone through a few generations of refinement, leading to the current OD-3 OverDrive pedal, PH-3 Phase Shifter pedal and a few different equalizer effects including the GE-7 and GEB-7.
Those are just scratching the surface of the pedals in the Boss lineup. A few other items to whet your appetite for effects include the FV-50 and FV-500 volume pedals, which come in mono or stereo varieties, the FZ-5 Fuzz, TR-2 Tremolo and CS-3 Compression Sustainer pedal. Looking for an authentic vintage sound? Check out the AW-3 Dynamic Wah for some '60s flair or the FBM-1 Fender Bassman and FRV-1 '63 Fender Reverb to nail that classic rock tone.
Three of Boss' most popular pedals all have one thing in common - Dave Navarro's pedalboard. The CH-1 SUPER Chorus, TU-3 Chromatic Tuner and DS-1 Distortion pedals are among Dave's favorite effects, so Boss has been thoughtful enough to offer them all together in a "Dave Navarro Pedal Pack." This bundle not only sets you up with all three pedals, you also get a BCB30 pedalboard to keep them secure on the stage.
Boss effects pedals are legendary by name for their big, meaty footswitches and similarly beefy sound. When you add Boss to your pedalboard, you can count on the effects to deliver in a big way. Give Boss pedals a try at your next gig and it won't take you long to see how they've earned their sterling reputation.
