BOSS GT User Manual
BOSS PRODUCTS CATALOG 2008
When I got my first guitar, my life changed.
A new passion was born,
and all I wanted to do was to play.
There were guitarists I loved, and guitars I adored.
And then I got my first BOSS pedal — my point of take-off.
It was the driving force that made my musical dreams a reality.
BOSS has a long, celebrated history of making dreams come true.
Whether pro or beginner, guitarists throughout the world rely on
BOSS for the very best in tone, expression, and reliability.
GT SERIES
Advanced Multi-Effects
Processors
TWIN PEDAL SERIES
Twice the Size, Twice the Power
GT-PRO
Twin COSM®Engines
in a Single Rack
COMPACT SERIES
The World’s Best-Selling
Compact Effects
LEGEND SERIES
Popular Fender®amps reproduced
via COSM
®
P9-10
P3-8
P11-12
P21-24
P17-20
RC SERIES
Powerful Loop Recorders for
Live Performance
ME SERIES
Multi-Effects with
Intuitive Operation
BR SERIES
Pro-Quality Studios with
Built-in Burners
DR & DB SERIES
Small But Powerful
Timekeeping Tools
TU SERIES
The Gold Standard in Tuning
AD SERIES
Unlock the Potential of
Acoustic Guitars
P13
P14
P15-16
P25-28
P29-34
P35-36
The history of BOSS reads like the history of
guitar effects. The famous compact pedal
line-up began in 1977 with the classic OD-1
Overdrive, which established the
masterful design
principle for all other
BOSS effects pedals
that followed.
Legend
The World Leader in Compact Effects
10,000,000 pedals sold and going strong ... BOSS is the number one
choice for musicians who want the best of the best.
Carefully selected parts, uncompromised circuit design, road-tough
construction-everything on a BOSS pedal is made with the professional
in mind. Musicians who demand the best choose BOSS.
3-4
From the beginning, BOSS has built the best
pedals by adhering to these key principles:
➀ Reliable aluminum die cast bodies. ➁ Pedal
switches that withstand the 1,000,000-repetition
durability test. ➂ FET switches to eliminate the
clicking noise of conventional mechanical
switches. ➃ Non-slip rubber bases. ➄ Easy-toinstall battery compartments. ➅ LED indicators.
➆ Battery and AC power.
Philosophy
Note: The OD-1 is no longer in production.
Beyond standard effects, BOSS is famous for
its unique and unusual stompboxes, such as
the SG-1 Slow Gear, VB-2 Vibrato, and, most
recently, the RC-2 Loop Station.
Originality
Not just for guitarists, BOSS
has a range of effects built
specifically for bass players.
So plug in, and anchor your
music with solid,
high-impact effects that are custom-tailored for
low frequencies.
Bassists Welcome
Only the very best components and circuitry are
used in BOSS pedals. No corners are cut, no
compromises are made — these pedals are
built to sound great and take a pounding.
Pro Quality
Where will you take your tone? From subtle
sweetening to complete audio transformation,
BOSS provides more tone-shaping options than
any other compact-effects manufacturer in
industry.
Imagination
BOSS has laid claim to many “world firsts
”
during its illustrious history. Among the many
BOSS highlights have been bringing to market
the first-ever chorus, overdrive, digital delay,
reverb, and pitch-shifter pedals.
Breakthrough
BOSS offers an incredibly wide variety of effects
that can take your sound to places it has never
been before. Whether you need subtle polish or
full, sonic immersion, BOSS effects will do the
job reliably and professionally.
Colorful Lineup
DD-7 RV-5 PS-5
ODB-3 GEB-7 CEB-3
SG-1
VB-2 RC-2
Note: The SG-1 and VB-2 are no longer in production.
Explore Your Inner Rock Star
Warm, fatten, bake, or burn — BOSS overdrive and
distortion pedals are world famous for their rich,
aggressive, and expressive sound. With nine compact
pedals in this category, guitarists have an expansive
range of power-tone tools to choose from.
Used by Pros Everywhere
A classic! Add some hard-edged
distortion while preserving the
subtle nuances of your playing
dynamics. A Tone control is
provided for easy sound shaping.
Nu-School Distortion
with Massive Low End
This pedal’s dual Distortion and
Gain Boost circuits take thick,
heavy distortion sounds to a whole
new level. Special Gain Boost and
Bottom controls let you shape your
tone for maximum volume and
low-end punch.
Natural Overdrive with
Endless Sustain!
Classic BOSS overdrive, based on a
dual-stage design for bigger, fuller
sounds. Variable Drive and Tone
controls create overdriven sounds
from mild to extreme with almost
endless sustain.
Distortion and Overdrive
Together At Last!
A flexible pedal capable of
producing overdrive, distortion, or a
combination of both. Get “in your
face” distortion while maintaining
the subtle nuances of single-coil
guitar pickups.
Two Distortions
for the Price of One
Features twin modes for an
expanded range of distortion —
taking you from blues-rock rhythms
to searing leads at the press of a
pedal or twist of a knob.
The Perfect Tone
for Blues
Get the tone of a bluesy, vintage
tube amp in a compact pedal
capable of anything from warm
overdriven sounds to full-on
distortion. Leaves the subtle
nuances of your playing intact.
Distortion
Mega Distortion
TURBO Distortion
An Overdrive Pedal that
Reacts to You
Equipped with Roland’s Dyna Amp
technology, this innovative overdrive
pedal reacts to your playing
dynamics. Get a transparent, clean
sound by playing softly, for example,
and transition smoothly to a
powerful overdrive by picking
aggressively.
Dyna Drive
OverDrive
Blues Driver
®
5-6
Warm, Tube Drive Sounds
Uses BOSS’s asymmetric overdrive
circuitry for warm, smooth
overdrive sounds that respond to
your picking style just like a tube
amp. Includes a Tone control to dial
in just the right sound.
SUPER OverDrive
OverDrive/Distortion
COMPACT
SERIES
Crunchy Overdrive
Effects for Bass
An overdrive effect designed to
cover the entire frequency range of
bass guitars, including 5-string
basses. Overdriven sounds can be
blended with dry bass signal for
maximum clarity and punch.
Extreme Metal in
a Compact Pedal
The ML-2 delivers massive
distortion and gain with heavy lows
for music that requires a crushing
sound. The ML-2’s ferocious and
biting tone will slice through any
blast beats your rhythm section can
produce.
BOSS’s Most Popular
Pedal!
Features dual-gain circuitry for
thick, tube stack distortion with
heavy mids and lows and
long-lasting sustain. A 3-band EQ
with semi-parametric mids takes
your sound to the extreme.
A Distorted Blast
from the Past
The FZ-5 uses COSM®technology to
authentically reproduce three
famous vintage fuzz effects of the
’60s and ’70s. Turn the FUZZ knob to
BOOST and you’ll create an intense
distortion that even exceeds the
originals.
Metal Zone
®
Bass OverDrive
Metal Core
Fuzz
SUPER Chorus
Chorus Ensemble
A Unique Stereo Chorus
Delivers a clean chorus sound with
crystal-clear highs and a unique
stereo effect, variable between the
left and right speakers. An EQ
function adjusts the tonality of the
chorus sound.
The Original Chorus
Produces everything from mild,
natural chorusing to the penetrating
stereo chorus popular in
contemporary music. Covers a wide
frequency range and includes both
high- and low-cut filters.
Advanced Electric-ToAcoustic Guitar Modeling
The AC-3 is a new-generation
compact pedal that employs
COSM
®
modeling technology
to transform any electric guitar
into a variety of beautiful acoustics.
Improves Your
Overall Tone
Compresses louder signals
while boosting lower signals
for smooth sustain without
degrading the original sound
quality. Onboard EQ provides
precise tonal control; low-noise
design for super-quiet operation.
Powerful 7-Band EQ!
Shape your sound and
eliminate feedback with seven
bands of equalization. Includes
frequencies ranging from 100Hz to
6.4kHz with a powerful 15dB
boost/cut per band.
Precise Tonal Control
With a frequency range from 50Hz to
10kHz, the GEB-7 is ideal for any
bass guitar, including 5-string
basses. Seven bands of EQ are
available, affording greater control
over the crucial midrange.
Equalizer
Bass Equalizer
Compression Sustainer
Acoustic Simulator
COMPACT
SERIES
Phase Shifter
Modern Phasing with
Tap Tempo Sync
Vintage BOSS phasing effects
including 4-, 8-, 10-, and 12-stage
phasers, plus new “Rise” and “Fall”
effects for unidirectional phasing.
Tap tempo sync or realtime control
of rate via an Expression/Pedal
input.
Pitch Shifting and Beyond
Combines intelligent pitch shifting
(+/-2 octaves) and harmonist
functions with new Tremolo Arm/
Flutter effects. Tremolo Arm bends
notes to a pre-selected value while
Flutter simulates the slapping of a
tremolo bar.
SUPER Shifter
Pro-Quality Delay in
a Compact Pedal
A powerful delay pedal with three
distinct modes. A variable Delay
Time control creates delays from
12.5ms to 800ms, while a Hold
function is capable of producing
repeats from here to infinity.
Digital Delay
The Next Step in
Compact Delay
The DD-7 takes the best features
from its predecessors and expands
the creative potential with
Modulation Delay mode, classic
modeled Analog Delay mode,
external pedal control options,
longer delay time, and more.
Digital Delay
Flanger
The Flanger Gets a
Face-Lift
The thickest stereo flanging sounds
ever in a BOSS pedal. Ultra mode
produces BOSS’s deepest flanging
sounds ever, while Gate/Pan
creates spacious flanging with a
cool Slicer effect that seems to
“swirl” around the listener.
7-8
SUPER Octave
The Ultimate Octave Pedal
The OC-3 SUPER Octave puts new
polyphonic octave effects, a Drive
mode with distortion, and the
original OC-2 effect in one
convenient pedal that’s ideal for
bass, too.
Dynamic Wah
Unbelievable “Talking”
Wah Effects!
The world’s first compact pedal to
produce human-voice type wah
sounds using a “Humanizer” effect.
EXP Pedal mode allows foot
control, plus dedicated Bass input
for processing bass guitar.
Tremolo
A Chorus Pedal with
Built-in Crossover
A split-frequency chorus capable of
applying warm, rich chorus to
higher frequencies without
muddying the lows. A space
synthesis effect guarantees a
natural and spacious chorus effect.
Classic Tremolo Sounds!
Reproduces the classic tremolo
effects of vintage ’60s amps using a
Low Frequency Oscillator (LFO). LFO
waveform is variable from triangle
to square for producing a variety of
classic tones.
Bass Chorus
The amazing BOSS PW-10 V-Wah®is likely to be the last wah pedal you’ll ever need or want. This
first-of-its-kind programmable modeling wah uses COSM technology to recreate some of the most
popular wah pedals in history. These include
“CBY-Wah” (the classic wah sound), “VO-Wah” (the
British wah sound), “MO-Wah” (a popular new-school
wah sound), and “Uni-V” (a vintage swirling rotary
effect). But the PW-10 doesn’t just do wah; it also
creates analog synth-like sounds via its “Double
Resonance” mode and cool “talking” sounds in “Voice”
mode. Eight types of overdrive sounds are also included,
which can be dialed in with the Drive knob. Special
infrared sensors give this wah smooth and noise-free
sound, while three digital memories make it easy to
recall your favorite settings. To try it is to love it!
Wah Pedal
■ OD/DS TYPE
The PW-10’s infrared sensors deliver smooth wah sounds every time —
unlike analog pedals, which become noisy once dust settles inside.
Switches the effect selected
with the Type knob on or off.
Switches between Manual mode and
the PW-10’s three User memories.
■ COSM WAH TYPE
CUSTOM ADVANCED VOICE CBY-WAH
VO-WAH MO-WAH
BLUES OD
UNI-V
METAL ZONE MUFF FUZZ VINTAGE OD GUV DIST
DISTORTION TURBO OD BLUES OD BOOSTER
High-Quality Pedals for Guitar and Keyboards
Foot Volume
Foot Volume
The FV-500H (mono, highimpedance, inst. level)
volume pedal offers a
new stylish design, a
road-tough build, and a
comfortable, smooth action.
The FV-500L (stereo, lowimpedance) die-cast volume
pedal is built for comfort
and durability, ready to meet
the needs of the most
demanding pros.
The low-impedance
FV-50L is designed for
connection after effects
units or for use with
keyboards.
Volume Pedal
The high-impedance
FV-50H is designed to be
connected before guitar
effect units in the signal
chain.
Volume Pedal
Pro-Quality Reverb —
In Stereo
The RV-5 Digital Reverb gives you
six of BOSS’s best reverbs —
including spring reverb emulation,
gate reverb, and an all-new
“Modulate” mode — in a true
stereo pedal.
Smooth Tone, Every Time
Smoothes out your playing by
eliminating harsh volume peaks,
even when using dynamic slap and
pop techniques. Ratio and
Threshold knobs allow precise
control of limiting parameters.
A “Must-Have” Pedal!
Eliminate unwanted noise and hum
without altering your tone. A unique
noise detection circuit preserves
the natural attack and envelope,
leaving your playing and dynamics
intact.
Synth Power Under
Your Foot
Utilizing the latest in DSP
technology, the SYB-5 faithfully
reproduces the classic sound
characteristics of analog
synthesizers. The 11 internal
sounds are supercharged for thick,
aggressive tone.
Bass Synthesizer
Convenient Pedal-Based
Tuning
Legendary BOSS tuning in a
convenient, easy-to-use compact
pedal design. A 7-segment LED and
11-point Stream Meter ensure
accurate tuning, even in low-light
settings or under bright stage lights.
Chromatic Tuner
Noise Suppressor
Bass Limiter Enhancer
Line Selector
Digital Reverb
Mini Loop Station with
Big Features
Able to record 11 phrases for up to
16 minutes, the RC-2 is ideal for
sound-on-sound layering or as a
backing machine, a basic sampler,
a phrase trainer, etc. Guide patterns
are provided for accompaniment.
Loop Station
™
Simplifies Your Setup
The easy way to switch
settings among several effects or
amplifiers, or route input and output
signals. When used with an AC
adaptor, the LS-2 can supply power
to several BOSS compact pedals.
The World’s First Modeling Wah Pedal!
9-10
Popular vintage Fender®amps reproduced via COSM!
The tube amps produced by Fender Company in the U.S. during the ’50s and ’60s are
still highly prized by guitarists all over the world. Approved by the Fender Company,
the BOSS Legend Series employs COSM
®
technology to reproduce the true tone of
the ’59 Bassman
®
, one of the most popular Fender vintage amps, and their ’65 Deluxe
Reverb
®
. Brought to you by BOSS, these pedals represent an exciting new concept of
retro-modern compact effects.
LEGEND
SERIES
Powered by COSM®technology, the FBM-1 authentically reproduces the
Fender ‘59 Bassman that was beloved in rock and blues for its fat-yet-transparent sound. Fender has granted permission to use the Bassman name and
logo to only one company in the world, and, naturally, that company is BOSS.
By using the FBM-1 as a pre-gain pedal, the unique sound of the Bassman
can be added not only in combination with a clean guitar amp, but with a
tube amp as well. The gorgeous tone characteristic of the Bassman can be
easily reproduced with the same classic controls as the original, including
Presence, Treble, Mid, and Bass EQ, plus a Bright input.
Detailed modeling of the Fender ‘59 Bassman
Fender ‘65 Deluxe Reverb in a Compact Pedal
COSM®technology faithfully reproduces the classic Fender ‘65 Deluxe Reverb
and the warmth unique to compact vacuum tube amps. Exclusively anointed
by Fender, the FDR-1 is a retro-modern marvel. Employed as a pre-gain pedal,
it allows the special sound of the Deluxe Reverb to be used in combination
with either a clean guitar amp or a tube amp. Equipped with control knobs
just like the original, the FDR-1 perfectly simulates the characteristic spring
reverb and vibrato of this beloved vintage amp.
Extra Surface Area, Extra Control,
Extra Expression
Power and precision unite in the Twin Pedal series.
More feature-packed than your standard stompbox,
each Twin represents the pinnacle of power in a
compact case. Double your foot power and expression
with these unique 2-pedal effects.
22 Overdrive/Distortion Pedals Right
Beneath Your Feet!
The OD-20 Drive Zone uses advanced COSM
®
technology to model the sound of
classic
overdrive/distortion pedals, as well as creating new sounds of its
own. There are 22 models to choose from, plus new “Attack Shape” and
“Heavy Octave” parameters for dialing in subtle nuances or extreme tones.
Four User memories store your
settings, while an Amp Control jack
lets you switch amp channels
remotely.
OVERDRIVE/DISTORTION
Instant Groove and Melody Maker
Inject a shot of high-octane fuel into your music with the SL-20 Slicer.
Instantly transform a guitar, bass, keyboard, or vocal into a pulsating groove
instrument. Choose from 50 onboard Slice patterns or experiment with the
SL-20’s innovative Harmonic
Slicer feature, which generates
percussive melodies, Loop
Record, and unique 3D Panning.
PHRASE RECORDER
AUDIO PATTERN PROCESSOR
The Rebirth of a Roland Classic
Roland’s legendary RE-201 Space Echo is reborn through COSM
®
technology
in the RE-20. The classic chorus effect produced through tape speed,
compression, and saturation are meticulously reproduced. Features include
11 types of echo and reverb effects, a
virtual tape display, tap tempo, and
parameter control via expression pedal.
O PATTERN PROCESSOR
ROLAND SPACE ECHO RE-201
11-12
TWIN
PEDAL
SERIES
The World’s Most Powerful EQ Pedal
The EQ-20 Advanced EQ gives guitarists, bassists and other live performers
10 bands of programmable digital EQ with stellar sound quality. Physical
sliders make instant EQ tweaks easy, and a straightforward Write function
permits instant storage of
EQ settings into nine memory
locations.
BOSS’s Ultimate Chorus Pedal
The CE-20 Chorus Ensemble is the culmination of over 25 years of BOSS chorus
experience. This
programmable chorus pedal not only models classics such as
the CE-1 and SDD-320,
but creates entirely new effects, including chorus for bass
and acoustic guitar. New “Brilliance”
and “Ambience” knobs offer unprecedented
realtime control over the chorus
tone — making the CE-20 a pedal
no guitarist should be without.
BOSS’s Next-Generation Delay
The DD-20 Giga Delay provides up to 23 seconds of delay with easy
adjustment via push-button knob or tap tempo. With a choice of 11 modes —
including new “Smooth” and
“Twist” delays and sound-on-
sound recording — this is BOSS’s
finest delay pedal to date.
GRAPHIC EQUALIZER
DIMENSIONAL PROCESSOR
DIMENSIONAL PROCESSOR
DIGITAL DELAY
DIGITAL DELAY
ROTARY SOUND PROCESSOR
OVERDRIVE/DISTORTION
GRAPHIC EQUALIZER
The Travel-Light Looper
Explore the expressive options of sound-on-sound performance with the
best-selling RC-20XL. Layer phrase upon phrase until you fill up the 16
minutes of ample recording space. Create a massive “one-person band”
experience, build the ultimate
solo, change tempo without
changing pitch, undo mistakes,
and do it all live in real time.
OTARY SOUND PROCESSOR
PHRASE RECORDER
Supreme Rotary-Speaker Simulator
With its powerful COSM
®
-modeling core, the RT-20 authentically recreates
legendary rotary-speaker sounds. It offers adjustable Rise Time, Horn and
Bass speed, Overdrive, and more. And not just for classic spin, the RT-20 can
be used to create unique overdrive and pulsating effects as well. This pedal
sounds amazing, and offers a
stunning graphical view of the
virtual rotors on its built-in display.
TU&AD
SERIES
Stay In Tune — and In Time
This affordable tuner boasts super-accurate
LCD tuning, reference tone, Accu-Pitch, and
metronome function.
Convenient Pedal-Based Tuning
TUNER & METRONOME
The famous TU-series incorporates BOSS´s
world renowned tuner technology into an
ultra-convenient, portable package.
Accurate and easy to use, BOSS tuners let
guitarists and bassists prepare for
performance with versatility and reliability.
BOSS — the Most
Trusted Name in Tuning
The flagship Tuner with Accu-Pitch
™
CHROMATIC TUNER
The TU-15 is BOSS’s ultimate tuner, offering renowned
needle-point accuracy, backlit design, flat tuning and a host
of “world’s first” features not found in any other tuner —
including Accu-Pitch and Octave Adjust functions.
CHROMATIC TUNER
The worldwide standard used by top musicians
everywhere, thanks to extremely accurate,
easy-to-use tuning.
Great for Woodwinds and Brass!
Offers an extended tuning range of C1 to B6 for tuning
a variety of instruments including guitar, bass,
woodwind, brass, and ethnic instruments.
CHROMATIC TUNER
The Industry Standard
Chromatic Tuner
Legendary BOSS tuning in a convenient,
easy-to-use compact pedal design. A 7-segment LED
and 11-point Stream Meter ensure accurate tuning,
even in low-light settings or under bright stage lights.
13-14
For the fashion conscious, BOSS now proudly
offers its best-selling TU-80 tuner in a cool
white finish!
Now Comes in Two Colors
TUNER & METRONOME
Guitar &
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