Keeley Boss DS-1 Ultra improvements

[Nuts]

Today I got a Keeley Boss DS-1 Ultra, and I can't be more disappointed 
Before I bought it I was reading amazing reviews on that pedal (rate of 9.5 from 90 people) claiming for a thick, full, Marshall tube sound
After a long messing with the setting, I could't get a decent sound out of it, only a thin, metalic sound.
Does anyone know what I'm talking about ? or/and can tell me how to improve that pedal?
thanks.

[Alex C]

What guitar/amp/pickups/speakers are you using?  All of these can make a huge difference in the sound.

Also, have you heard the DS-1 before the mod?  Maybe all those reviewers were hearing a thick, full, Marshall tube sound compared to the fizzy harshness of the un-modded DS-1.

Finally, did you buy it direct from Keeley or from Ebay or another source (if other source, are you certain of its authenticity- is it really a "Keeley")?

[JimRayden]

but first of all - make sure you plug into a guitar amp. No guitar pedal sounds good when plugged into hi-fi amplification or PC soundcard, even when they're advertised as full, thick, marshall sounding. They'll sound, as you said, extremely fizzy.

---------
Jimbo

[Ed G.]

What kind of amp you using it on? I can't get even a modded DS-1 to sound any good on my Fender Super Reverb. I had one, modded it to Keeley specs, and while it was an improvement, it still didn't work for me.

[jxoco]

I have a DS1 modified to the 'Keeley specs' and it does sound good. With the tone at the top it gets screechy and so I don't use it that way.
I thought that the ULTRA was more of a mod to boost the output, make it act more like a Treble Booster

[jxoco]

there are soundclips at this site to compare to your's
http://www.indyguitarist.com/mods.htm

[Satch12879]

Smells like a miswire; mine was tasty AND quiet right off the bench.

[delbowski]

i think that the ultra mod puts another LED in the clipping section.  i find LEDs to be kinda harsh, so maybe that could be the reason you're not experiencing those marshall tube sounds you're looking for?  just my two cents...

del

[Nuts]

I was checking it with Les Paul Studio and a Fender stage 185 amp, and the amp got a better distortion built it.
I have also 100 W tube Marshall, so I want to get my fender amp sounds close the marshll.
the pedal got the Keely stickers, with the led in "O" and the toggle switch, I also check inside an saw changes, so I guess it's a Keeley.

[JimRayden]

So you want a solid state Fender to sound close to a tube Marshall, huh?

Here's a spoiler. Santa doesn't exist!

(Sorry I couldn't resist. )

Okay, jokes aside, Fender amps, especially the SS ones, do sound harsh. One thing you can do is replace the speaker for a Greenback or similiar. That should help you closer to Marsha but it'll still remain what it was designed as.

Then you could try the BSIAB2.

----------
Jimbo

[Nuts]

I have to say that today I'm little more satisfied with it, I just needed to mess the pedal more, but I'll still glad to hear any suggestions from you.

[gulliver]

Really, this pedal's specialty is getting very high-gain out of an already high-gain amp. Try it to get a little extra oomph out of your Marshall, you may love it. Start with the distortion and treble on 10:00 and adjust each to taste.

[wampcat1]

there are soundclips at this site to compare to your's
http://www.indyguitarist.com/mods.htm

Those soundclips are of my mods, not of keeley's though. Keeley's pedals sound different than mine.
Keeley should have clips up as well though - look through www.rkfx.com

bw

[George Giblet]

Those things have always sounded cheap and buzzy to me too.

However I found this recently.

http://p221.ezboard.com/fdigitechrp2000usersforumfrm4.showMessage?topicID=14.topic

Scroll down half way 'til you get to the poster "Inaweofschon".  The post has text "Hearing a Neal Schon challenge made me remember"

I was willing to give the DS-1 a shot again.  I think turning the tone all the way to 0 might be going a bit far, but many people have said to keep the before the 12'O Clock position and to have the amp already distorting.

[Alex C]

I think Joe Satriani might not use the DS-1 anymore now that he has his signature amp, but when he was using it for his main sound, it was more like a booster.  Vai does the same as well, using a distorted amp and using the DS-1 (I believe his is ultra-modded by Keeley) with a low distortion setting to push the amp harder (he uses a Tubescreamer in the same way, for a different tone, if you were wondering).

So when you hear that "the pros use the modded DS-1 to get their thick, warm tube sound," keep in mind that they are using it to boost a quality tube amp, and for the most part, not for its inherent distortion sound.