BOSS GE-7 PCB versions

[btondin]

Hello,

i'm looking for a graphic EQ to put in my FX loop and become interested in the BOSS GE-7 due the price.  Heard that it can be noisy due the stock components so I would change the opamps for ultra low noise ones and change some caps.

I can't get clear information about the PCB versions of this pedal, if it have become SMD and when. No problems if the component just become SMD (DIP8 opamps to SOIC for ex.), it can be substituted. But if boss is now using dedicated IC's would be impossible to mod.

Anyone with newer versions can show both sides of the PCB?

Thank you

(the only image I found doesn't show the component side of the PCB)

[ElectricDruid]

I don't *know* but I'd be surprised if they changed the design so much to have specialised chips. The basic op-amp solution of the original GE-7 is basic and cheap. Doing that in SMD makes the board smaller and decreases production costs, so you'd go ahead with that. Redesigned the whole thing from scratch is going to cost money, so is less likely, in my view.

You never know though. There have been plenty of strange decisions made in the history of pedal building!

PS: That "cannot mod" Boss pedal actually looks very tempting - all that empty space in the enclosure that you could stick something else in!!

[Rob Strand]

I suppose the other way to spin this is, if Boss have changed the entire circuit we can't conclude the new circuit has more or less noise than the old circuit.   It's a whole new beast.

[btondin]

I don't *know* but I'd be surprised if they changed the design so much to have specialised chips. The basic op-amp solution of the original GE-7 is basic and cheap. Doing that in SMD makes the board smaller and decreases production costs, so you'd go ahead with that. Redesigned the whole thing from scratch is going to cost money, so is less likely, in my view.

You never know though. There have been plenty of strange decisions made in the history of pedal building!

PS: That "cannot mod" Boss pedal actually looks very tempting - all that empty space in the enclosure that you could stick something else in!!

Yeah. But since it's costly designing a whole new IC in die level, the savings in buying third party thru hole IC's that can increase the price in long term can justify the redesign.

I become interested in this pedal due the low price, the thru hole PCB, simple analog circuits that can alow modifications, even the entire board can be removed to alow a complete redesign (just keeping the linear pots board).

[btondin]

I suppose the other way to spin this is, if Boss have changed the entire circuit we can't conclude the new circuit has more or less noise than the old circuit.   It's a whole new beast.

I agree. In a redesign they could have fixed all the noise problems and something else. But the possibility to modify and solve problems just with a multimeter, a solder iron and basic electronics skill is valuable.

[PRR]

A main point of a well-designed effects loop is that the level is higher than guitar level so hiss is less of a problem.