Any favorite DS-1 mods?

[thermionix]

I'm tinkering with one for a friend.  I don't have a good enough grasp on the circuit to come up with my own plan, so I've been looking at some of the various mods circulating online.  I just did the Wampler "JCM" mod described in this Premier Guitar article:

https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/boss-ds-1-mods-1?page=2

Except I left R17 stock, as someone commented it sounded too "Metal Zone" with that change, and more "cranked Marshall" without it.  I would say the pedal is improved somewhat, but still sounds too trashy (harsh, fakey) to me.

What do y'all like?  Neither I nor the owner are into really high-gain heavy metal tones.  Something more organic (ahem, "tube like") would be nice.

[alexradium]

Try the fat mod ,check out amz blog.

Inviato dal mio m3 note utilizzando Tapatalk

[robthequiet]

I had this scribbled down from somewhere, maybe something to try...

C2     1uF
C3    .1uF
C12  .047uF
D4     LED
D5     1N4001
R14   10K

[thermionix]

Thanks for the suggestions.  I re-read the Wampler article, and tried to follow along a little better this time using his schematic.  Starting to get some ideas about things I want to try.  But still open to input of course.  I know a lot of folks have modded the hell out of these.

[lukeferg]

I've just dragged my old DS-1 out after spending years on the shelf. I did the Keeley mods on it years ago and that drastically improved the pedal but it still had that classic DS-1 sound. Here's a pretty detailed set of instructions http://www.instructables.com/id/Modify-Your-Boss-DS-1/

Some easy mods you could try would be replacing the diodes for red LEDs and lower R16 to 4.7k (stock is 6.8k)
R16 controls the mids, lowering R16 will raise the mids a bit, so it's not as scooped out. I've just replaced R16 in addition to having the Keeley mod and am super happy with the result. It's spending a lot of time being used now as opposed to before.

[Groovenut]

LPD DS-1 Sonoran Dog Mod Instructions

1 ) Locate and remove C3. Replace it with a .015uF (15n or 153) film cap.

2 ) Locate and remove C5. Replace it with a .022uF (22n or 223) film cap.

3 ) Locate and remove C7. Replace it with a .00047uF (470p or 471) ceramic cap.

4 ) Locate and remove C10. Replace it with a .027uF (27n or 273) film cap.

5 ) Locate and remove R11. Replace it with a 220k (red red yellow or red red black orange) carbon film or metal film resistor.

6 ) Locate and remove R13. Replace it with a 1k (brown black red or brown black black brown) carbon film or metal film resistor.

7 ) Locate and remove R16. Replace it with a 3k (orange black red or orange black black brown) carbon film or metal film resistor.

8 ) Locate and remove R17. Replace it with a 33k (orange orange orange or orange orange black red) carbon film or metal film resistor.

9 ) Locate and remove D5. Replace it with a yellow LED. 3mm fits easiest.

10 ) Locate D4. Unsolder one end and lift it from the board, leaving the other end soldered in place. Locate part D5 removed in step 7. Orient D5 the same as D4. Solder one end of D5 to the lifted end of D4 and the other to the board where we lifted D4.

Optional


Opt1) If you find the mids are too scooped, locate and remove C11. Replace it with a .047uF (47n or 473) film cap. The one we removed in step one will work nicely.

Opt2) If you feel the pedal is too bright, solder a .01uF (10n or 103) cap across R17. This will roll some of the presence off. Any value from .0022uF - .015uF will work. Adjust to taste.

Demo

https://youtu.be/nOBhG6HomkE (not mine)
https://youtu.be/fKvMcV0yNxk (not mine)

[thermionix]

Lawrence, those YT clips sound cool.  Almost more of an overdrive at that point.  WAY better than a DS-1 IMO, and seemingly quite natural and musical.  A little bright to me, so Option 2 would be in order I think.  I'm definitely considering doing that one.  Thanks!

[nonoxxx]

These day i am having some fun modifying a taiwanese DS1 that I forgot for years and it sound really good

Here is the mods

clipping stage : 2* diodes in serie in d4, a led in D5: it give a good amount of gain and a really clearer , stronger tone than stock.
Increase of R17 to 10 or 15 k for bringing some mids ( i don't remember the value cause I test several before findind what works )
all electrolythics coupling caps for 1uf film.
I don't feel the need to increase C1, C3, C5, C12 and C13 to 0.1uf for the moment.

And I will test this evening to increase the gain by reducing the value of R13 (between 2k and 1k I think), if you are doing the same dont forget to  change the value of C8 to keep the same frequency range.
I have some more tweaking to do with the tone stack , perhaps trying to remove r17 or replace R17 with 100k to get a full tone range on the treble side of the tone (at 100k the filter will let pass all frequencies above 72 herz , it should be fine).

It sound really like a cranked amp, if you want some audio clip  I can send you a quick recording test by mail

[thermionix]

Well Lawrence, I finally did the Sonoran Dog mod, it sounds killer!  Absolutely smokes a stock DS-1, becomes a completely different pedal.  That harsh nasally stuff is completely gone.  I did options 1 and 2 (10n).  My only deviation was 33n for C10 because I didn't have a 27n.

Now, if the tone and volume pots were both audio taper, it would be perfect.  But that's just a knob position thing, no big deal.

Thanks!  My friend will dig it for sure!  Now I'm wanting one for myself, lol.