BOSS DF2?

[wui223]

Do u guys think building a BOSS DF2 is worthwhile and possible? since it is discontnued already. Or could i just build the feedback part leave out the dist ?

[Fret Wire]

http://www.bossarea.com/loadpage.asp?file=boxes/df2.xml

The distortion part is do-able, don't know about the feedback part. Maybe a DIY dist. pedal and Walco sustainer with a momentary stomp switch in one box.

[cb]

Buy one off of ebay first to check it out and see how you like it. If you get tired of it you can always dump it again. I have one and I mess around with occasionally (keword is occasionally because it's more of a novelty item).

You play a note and hold the pedal down. The feedbacker then tracks the note (i.e. tries to figure out what note you're playing) and generates a tone (the feedback) based on the note it tracked. If it doesn't get the note right, it sounds horrible. So you can't play a chord and get useable feedback, for example.

Having said that, it's still a lot of fun. A trick I do is pick a note like A, press the pedal to get the feedback started (it's very quiet at first, and fades in, much like real feedback) then slam an A chord, hold the chord, and revel in the feedbacking glory as the fb builds! Sounds so cool, it made me laugh out loud.

Here's where the DIY part comes in. I think it would be nice to bypass the distortion on the pedal so you can use your own dist pedal or none at all, possibly. So the idea would be to pass the guitar signal through unaltered, but still generate the feedback when you press the pedal.

I think there are other discussions in this forum on this topic - just do a search. The schem is out there somewhere, too.

[Mark Hammer]

The current issue of Vintage Guitar lists the DF-2 in their survey of vintage prices as normally selling around the $70-75 range.

My own view is that in the absence of the "feedback" function, this pedal is about as bland a distortion as you can get.  Not terrible, but not at all superior in any way to any $19.95 distortion anywhere.  The feedback function IS the charm of the pedal.  If you are a novice, the feedback function is also the hardest and trickiest part of the build, and I would not recommend attempting it.  *IF* your chops are up to it, though, it's a nifty trick.