DEMO Tachyon-BOSS SD-2 lead mode

[Guardians of the analog]

Build Rating

5.00 star(s)

Wait, Boss did a MIAB? Sure did, way back in 1993. That's right, here's another sleeper pedal that I didn't know about until I started this whole Boss endeavor. The SD-2, while it might sound like the successor to the SD-1, is nothing like the mild overdrive of the original. This is the Modded JCM style pedal I didn't know I needed in my life.

The lead mode that this pedal is based on is a thick and juicy gain monster that gives better high gain marshall tones than many modern marshall amps . The SD-2 is basically a channel switching amp in a box. The original has two channels, crunch which will be in a future build report and lead which is featured here. The channels could be switched remotely with a seperate footswitch. Truly ahead of it's time.

The pedal is also pretty hot rodded under the hood as well. With 5 seperate gain stages and LED clipping you can see it has more in common with an amp than many pedals of the day. You can also see where people like Dave Friedman got ideas for his pedals when looking at the schematic. So how's it sound? Like a nasty ass JCM style amp. I can pull some sick 80s style tones and lots of my favorite early 90s tones. In the sound clip I feel like I nailed the dookie/insomniac era tones that I grew up with in my teen years.

Black matte tayda box with UV print. Went with Makkari since Tachyon means moving at the of speed of light and who's faster than Makkari. Sick build with nasty tones.

 

[szukalski]

That's like eating a plate of warm toffee. Thick and chewy.

 

[Laundryroom David]

Need

 

[Harry Klippton]

 

[steviejr92]

Oh my…that’s one shmexy board. Your cleanliness never disappoints. I really need to do myself the favor and start building Boss pedals.

 

[Guardians of the analog]

That's like eating a plate of warm toffee. Thick and chewy.

Need

Get!

Oh my…that’s one shmexy board. Your cleanliness never disappoints. I really need to do myself the favor and start building Boss pedals.

Gotta stop sleeping on them Stevie

 

[Paradox916]

Clean as hell man, it nails that cranked Marshall sound for sure.

 

[Harry Klippton]

It often seems like most peoples idea of what a cranked Marshall sounds like is really a marshall plus a dirt pedal. This is especially true of the JCM 800, but it's also what makes MIAB pedals seem so accurate. The first time I played a JCM 800, I thought something was wrong with it because it didn't have nearly the amount of gain I expected. Once I found the right pedal though, it was awesome

 

[Guardians of the analog]

Clean as hell man, it nails that cranked Marshall sound for sure.

Thanks Rob. BJA was playing modded Marshalls cranked back then and this gave me that vibe. Either way, such a fun pedal to play.

 

[Paradox916]

It often seems like most peoples idea of what a cranked Marshall sounds like is really a marshall plus a dirt pedal. This is especially true of the JCM 800, but it's also what makes MIAB pedals seem so accurate. The first time I played a JCM 800, I thought something was wrong with it because it didn't have nearly the amount of gain I expected. Once I found the right pedal though, it was awesome

I will admit, I have never played a Marshall… not even the little licensed battery powered ones.

 

[Mentaltossflycoon]

 

[MichaelW]

Wait, Boss did a MIAB? Sure did, way back in 1993. That's right, here's another sleeper pedal that I didn't know about until I started this whole Boss endeavor. The SD-2, while it might sound like the successor to the SD-1, is nothing like the mild overdrive of the original. This is the Modded JCM style pedal I didn't know I needed in my life.

The lead mode that this pedal is based on is a thick and juicy gain monster that gives better high gain marshall tones than many modern marshall amps . The SD-2 is basically a channel switching amp in a box. The original has two channels, crunch which will be in a future build report and lead which is featured here. The channels could be switched remotely with a seperate footswitch. Truly ahead of it's time.

The pedal is also pretty hot rodded under the hood as well. With 5 seperate gain stages and LED clipping you can see it has more in common with an amp than many pedals of the day. You can also see where people like Dave Friedman got ideas for his pedals when looking at the schematic. So how's it sound? Like a nasty ass JCM style amp. I can pull some sick 80s style tones and lots of my favorite early 90s tones. In the sound clip I feel like I nailed the dookie/insomniac era tones that I grew up with in my teen years.

Black matte tayda box with UV print. Went with Makkari since Tachyon means moving at the of speed of light and who's faster than Makkari. Sick build with nasty tones.

So is this the other channel of the "Admiral Crunch"?

 

[Laundryroom David]

I ate some tight corn on the cob last night. Local Southern Ontario stuff. It was correct.

Is tight a thing?

Get!

 

[Harry Klippton]

I ate some tight corn on the cob last night. Local Southern Ontario stuff. It was correct.

Is tight a thing?

Tight corn indeed seems like a thing

 

[Mentaltossflycoon]

Tight corn

 

[Guardians of the analog]

So is this the other channel of the "Admiral Crunch"?

It sure is, I think you'd really like it Mike

 

[Laundryroom David]

It sure is, I think you'd really like it Mike

Just finished building this one. Build report to come. Too busy livin’ my JCM dreamz right now. What a great pedal.

 

[KR Sound]

I ordered one along with the Slow Gear and they just showed up today