Boss mainly, but proco too?

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chuckusa
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Post by chuckusa »

Hey does anyone know if the newer proco rat 2 distortion pedals are old style resistors and caps ect, or are they the newer chip style?
By newer proco rat 2 pedals I mean the ones that are still for sale on ebay or guitar center.com or sweet water, some have the updated 9 volt barrel power plug tip, others have the 1/8th inch female power input?

Same question about the Boss Ds1?
I think its called surface mount boards. The newer style with chip components. Im just wondering if I can tell which ones are and which ones are not.
I herd that in 2017 Boss started making their pedals with surface mount boards.

Also if any of you guys are aware, but do you know if an LM308 IC chip will sit down in a Boss DS-1?

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soulsonic
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Post by soulsonic »

Boss DS-1 uses a very different opamp chip than the Rat. Not compatible to my knowledge.

The best DS-1 to get is the older Japan made ones that use the TA7136 chip, that they stopped using shortly after they started making them in Taiwan in the early 90's. But a friend of mine had a Taiwan one that did still have a TA7136 in it, so it doesn't HAVE to be a Japan made DS-1.
So, I recommend getting an early 90's era one made with a TA7136, from either Japan or Taiwan.
Or build your own! I've seen kits... :horsey:
It's also possible for you to build your own Boss DS-1 using the Rat's LM308. Totally possible, but you'd need a new board design.
"Analog electronics in music is dead. Analog effects pedal design is a dead art." - Fran

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soulsonic
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Post by soulsonic »

Also, more recent China-made Rats from the past 10 years or so have gotten a very bad reputation for poor construction quality. The specialty Rats like the Dual Rat and Juggernaut were still made in USA (at least at the time I was aware of such things, around 2010-ish) and good quality.
Rat is another pedal I'd highly recommend building yourself. It's an easy one for a beginner if you've never done it before.
"Analog electronics in music is dead. Analog effects pedal design is a dead art." - Fran

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chuckusa
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Post by chuckusa »

Thanks. That sounds cool I would love to make a sweet home-made rat.....

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