Nova Distortion, OG Boss DS-1

[Guardians of the analog]

Build Rating

5.00 star(s)

I've had this chip and board for a long time now so I guess it's as good as any time to go ahead and build it. My first guitar pedal was a 1992 boss DS-1 so this has me feeling super nostalgic. I built the newer aion comet with the dual opamps last year and have had a couple versions of the boss pedal over the years. So what's different about this one?

At the beginning (1978), the DS-1 was using the Toshiba TA7136AP preamp IC. This remained unchanged for about 16 years. This version of the pedal is said to have the warmest and best sounding breakup of all the different opamps used after. I would have to agree to a certain extent. These are harder to find these days and are getting expensive. Vintage units with this chip are going for hundreds of dollars. Obviously if you dine the distortion it still sounds like a ds-1 but the beauty of this circuit lies in the 11-3 o'clock range on the gain knob. Mixed with an amp that's compressing or slightly dirty gives the classic dirt sound that this pedal was made for. Of course you can release the bees if that's your thing. Overall I'd say this sounds 20% better than a modern equivalent, not night and day but to those tone chasers (@MichaelW )
It's worth the build.

For the enclosure I went with a matte orange tayda box and UV print. The diodes used are 4148 and bat41 in series to simulate the fv of the original diodes. For my design, I didn't want to just straight copy the other aion comet I built so I went with a whole new look. If you can find this IC, this is the version to build!

 

[Route14]

I only come here for the GOTA Boss Build Reports. Absolute fire on this one! Probably the most iconic yet misunderstood and misused pedal ever. I completely agree with dialing back the DIST.

I built this one with the TA chip as well and I love it. Do you know what the diodes and/or fwd voltage of the original diodes were? I'm sitting on another TA chip and maybe I need to build another with a similar diode configuration to compare. I just did the 914s like suggested in the documentation.

 

[Guardians of the analog]

I only come here for the GOTA Boss Build Reports. Absolute fire on this one! Probably the most iconic yet misunderstood and misused pedal ever. I completely agree with dialing back the DIST.

I built this one with the TA chip as well and I love it. Do you know what the diodes and/or fwd voltage of the original diodes were? I'm sitting on another TA chip and maybe I need to build another with a similar diode configuration to compare. I just did the 914s like suggested in the documentation.

The original diodes were 1S2473, with a FV of 1-1.2v

 

[Zanshin]

20% better?! I’m a DS-1 fan. I’ve been wondering if I should build one with this chip, I guess I better.

Awesome build!!

 

[Guardians of the analog]

20% better?! I’m a DS-1 fan. I’ve been wondering if I should build one with this chip, I guess I better.

Awesome build!!

Thanks, and if you can get a legit original then build one for sure

 

[Coda]

W rizz…that thing drips.

 

[Mentaltossflycoon]

 

[Bucksears]

Where are you guys finding (legit) TA7136AP chips?
I got some (apparent fakes) from Retroamplis a few years back.

 

[Guardians of the analog]

Where are you guys finding (legit) TA7136AP chips?
I got some (apparent fakes) from Retroamplis a few years back.

Believe it or not, I've been sitting on this one since late 2018 when I bought it from BYOC for 5 dollars.

 

[Bio77]

This rules!

 

[Paradox916]

 

[SYLV9ST9R]

Hot Damn indeed!
Not here around much these days (or anywhere online...) but glad I caught this one! Awesomeness as always my dude!
I'd f∂@k with this 10/10!

 

[m4268588]

If(mA) = (4.5-Vf)/2.2

 

[Nostradoomus]

View attachment 82237
If(mA) = (4.5-Vf)/2.2

ok

 

[spi]

Did you follow the original parts list or use some of the keeley/other mods?

 

[Guardians of the analog]

Did you follow the original parts list or use some of the keeley/other mods?

No mods, it's perfectly terrible just the way Boss intended

 

[Zanshin]

View attachment 82237
If(mA) = (4.5-Vf)/2.2

M4268588 makes a good point here. I bought some 1S2473 diodes and measured them, what I saw reminded me of this post.

A 1N4148 by itself would be a better approximation of a 1S2473. This chart is for a 1N4148 to compare to the one posted for the 1S2473.



The docs for the legacy Comet board describe using the 1N4148 and Bat41 combo to reach the Vf of a 1S2473, but they were not comparing apples to apples. The docs for the newer version of the board correct this error.

@5ma current I measure:
1S2473 0.683V
1N4148 0.695V
Bat41 0.628V

I’d bet the combo of the 1N4148 and Bat41 sounds good regardless. Louder in any case.

 

[CA138]

Awesome build and I love the design. May I ask, did you use the Tayda UV template and if so, did you print to the edges or leave a gap? I notice you got the outline radius in the corners perfect! I am about to place my first printing order and apprehensive about getting the edges/corners right as I have seen some examples where the printing spills over the edge. Also, is there a font for the Boss pedal print?

 

[micmac]

Like @Zanshin I bought some NOS 1S2473 a while ago. They may well reach Vf of over 1V at some current, but in my tester they measure the same as 1N4148.

I have a Boss SMD DS-1 and a clone that is built to Pre-94 spec (as described in Comet build doc). I used JRC4580D like my Boss original. There's no way to tell the two pedals apart! To me that means there's nothing special about the diodes.

 

[Bucksears]

I'll post a build report of my 1978 DS-1 build once the enclosure is finished.
I socketed the diodes and tried 1N4148s, 1S2473s and 1S1588s.
The 1S2473s were the most harsh, and the 1N4148s a bit less so. The 1S1588s were the best fit, IMO.
YMMV and YB(uild)MV.