Boss DS-1 with Keeley mods?

[Mark Abbott]

I own a Boss DS-1 distortion pedal which I implemented the Keeley mods to. I do recall that it sounded pretty good though tonight it didn't sound right at all. The notes higher in frequency sounded fizzy, and when the tone control was set to bassier settings the higher frequency notes had no sustain.

I've had a look at the obvious sorts of things such as broken wires, but there are none to speak of.

I also seem to remember (rightly or wrongly) that this pedal did have a clean tone when the distortion control was set fully counter clockwise. The pedal now distorts all the time with the intensity of the distortion varying with the position of the Distortion control.

What is the verdict on this one does it sound like it has a problem or is this normal?

I ask this as years ago I had a RAT pedal that gradually got more distorted. I didn't really notice it till one day I thought it sounded rather harsh, thus I didn't turn it up as much. A couple of weeks later it stopped working. It turned out that the chip had been gradually failing.

Anyway I would be grateful for any assistance.

Yours Sincerely

Mark Abbott

[jonathan perez]

check your battery.

[Mark Abbott]

Dear B O M

Thanks for the reply, that was te first thing I did, as the DS-1 sounded like it had a bad battery. I tried another battery with no change in tone. I also plugged a lead into the DS-1 and measured the battery while the effect was operating, the battery measured 8.9 VDC.

Yours Sincerely

Mark Abbott 

[the_random_hero]

Check that one of your jacks isn't shorting out to the case, or something similar. I had the same problem with my DS-1 when I replaced a few diodes for experimentation.

[MartyMart]

The wierd sounding fizzy/splatty stuff is a mystery !
As for the gain change, when you do this kind of mod there's not much "clean" left, unless
you're using a low output strat/tele pup.
With HB's it will be dirty the whole range of the gain pot.
I would check the board for any errors or cold joints on your mod work, perhaps something has
worked its way out of a pad since you did it.
MM

[Mark Abbott]

Dear Randon Hero

The effect sounds okay when it is bypassed, there is no loss of signal between a straight cable and have the effect bypassed. So based on that I'd say that the jacks aren't being shorted out. I'll keep that in mind and make sure the jacks aren't being somehow shorted out.

Dear Marty Mart

The gain of the pedal doesn't change a whole lot between gain fully off and having the gain at 12:00. I have compared it to pedals such as my RAT to see if the fizzy (octave like distortion) occurs in the same places using the same
setup and no it doesn't, the RAT sounds bigger. I have been using a guitar with humbuckers but the same sort of thing happens when using single coil pickups.

I did have a look at my workmanship, and it does all appear to be good. I can't see any dry or cracked joints

I will have to put a signal through it and see what happens, I recently got the circuit diagram with waveforms and output levels from another DS-1 post.

I seem to remember it sounding pretty cool, so it is all a bit of a mystery to me. I should point out that I haven't used it in a while and I started using it again a couple of weeks ago.

Thanks for your post and advice, much appreciated.

Yours Sincerely

Mark Abbott

[the_random_hero]

One of my pots was shorting out to a switch that was connected to the case. There was no volume loss or anything, the best way to describe how it sounded was 'blarty'. I just did a bit of fiddling around and wedged some plastic in between the pot and switch and fixed the problem.
There are a few other threads saying they have the same issue though. Maybe Boss wanted all the pedals to die at a certain point? 

[JHS]

Forget the Keeley mods, those mods make the DS-1 to sound a little better compared to the stock unit but you can't polish a turd like the DS-1.

Instead, build a stripped down Son_of_the_DS-1 with high grade caps and w/o buffers. Soundwise it outclasses any modded DS-1.

JHS

[Arn C.]

JHS,

What do you mean when you say:

build a stripped down Son_of_the_DS-1 with high grade caps and w/o buffers.

Is there a schematic or info to do this somewhere?

Thanks!
Arn C.

[JHS]

There is a schem on the web, called "Simple DS-1" (jpg or gif-format). The FX is based on the very early DS-1 layout and was designed by Bumper Crop Studios Japan. It was published in a Japanese FX-bloq (I've forgotten which one, all those bloqs have stupido names that nobody remenbers after a day or two). The tone stack has the typical Keeley mod.

BTW: Somebody posted a simple one-cap change for the DS-1, and claimed that it fixes most drawbacks of the DS-1.

JHS

[Arn C.]

Thanks JHS!

Arn C.

[MartyMart]

I built one from an original schem and hacked out the switching, which is quite easy to do.
I like it but it became something else, not having the DS-1 character anymore, some would say
that's a good thing !!

MM.

[wampcat1]

There is a schem on the web, called "Simple DS-1" (jpg or gif-format). The FX is based on the very early DS-1 layout and was designed by Bumper Crop Studios Japan. It was published in a Japanese FX-bloq (I've forgotten which one, all those bloqs have stupido names that nobody remenbers after a day or two). The tone stack has the typical Keeley mod.

BTW: Somebody posted a simple one-cap change for the DS-1, and claimed that it fixes most drawbacks of the DS-1.

JHS

jhs - is this the schematic you are talking about?
http://www.indyguitarist.com/schematics/boss/BOSS%20DS-1_001.png

If so, I always wondered where that one came from and why it is called a ds-1! 

However, one of the things I don't like about that circuit is that there is only the one gain stage instead of the ds-1 which has the transistor gain stage into the opamp.
That can be easily added though of course.

Thanks,
Brian

[mars_bringer_of_war]

Is that schem a DS-1? I highly doubt it, looks more derivative of a Dist + than anything else. I could be wrong.

[wampcat1]

Is that schem a DS-1? I highly doubt it, looks more derivative of a Dist + than anything else. I could be wrong.

No, the ds-1 schem is at http://www.indyguitarist.com/schematics/boss

The schem I listed is what has been called a ds-1 schematic erronously.
bw

[Mark Abbott]

I have been using the pedal again. I find that it is okay, but the problem is there is compression on the front of the note which is enormously annoying. I compared it to a Tube Screamer which suffered no such problem with my guitar and amp.

Is this normal for this pedal or does it have problems?

Thanks

Yours Sincerely

Mark Abbott

[wampcat1]

I have been using the pedal again. I find that it is okay, but the problem is there is compression on the front of the note which is enormously annoying. I compared it to a Tube Screamer which suffered no such problem with my guitar and amp.

Is this normal for this pedal or does it have problems?

Thanks

Yours Sincerely

Mark Abbott

that compression you are hearing is a result of that first gain stage with the transistor. My favorite way to get rid of it is to change c3 to a .022 or so. Then, make r7 smaller. I use a 220k with decent results. Many guys will look at those values and tell you that it shouldn't sound good after those changes, but on the new ds-1's I've found it to be very effective.

If you want to get rid of it totally, get rid of that transistor and increase the gain around the opamp instead.

Hope that helps!
bw

[ayayay!]

you can't polish a turd like the DS-1. 

I used to think that too, but take a listen to my mods.    

http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=68836.0

[Mark Abbott]

Dear Brian

Thanks for the advice I will try that. I find the pedal sounds pretty good really, I have been comparing it to a Heavy Metal pedal that a friend lent me and it is much better than the Heavy Metal pedal barring the compression on the attack of the note.

I will have to listen to you MP3 Ayayay.

Yours Sincerely

Mark Abbott

[WGTP]

http://www.muzique.com/news/fat-mod-for-the-boss-ds-1/

Seems like new mod's are always showing up.