Opamp Adapter Mods
Ok dude I ordered some of those chip adapters from you and put them in various pedals. The pedal so far that I can't stop playing with a higher quality chip installed is the DS-1. Putting a Burr Brown in a DS-1 has turned that pedal into a beast. Its outstanding. If you haven't tried it yet, your ego will skyrocket because those chip adapters are badass. That DS-1 sounds blood thirsty now. Paul Shea
Daddy-O Mods
Hi Monte, Thanks for getting me off of my butt, and getting me to get up and not be overly proud of my soldering techniques. I went back and basically re-soldered every joint on the board, plugged the Daddy-O pedal in and it sounds absolutely stunning! There again, thanks for the mods and all of the great sounds you are giving us guitar players. Keith Entringer, Phoenix, AZ
I have successfully installed the Daddy-O TNT Tri-Gain Mod. Took my time and followed instructions as specified All is Well. Now I have to make make my mind about the JRC4558D Opamp or the Burr Brown, They both sound great. This is a vast improvement over the Stock Daddy O. I'm looking forward to the CS-3 & DD3 mods next. Blessings & Peace! Sean, Bermuda
Within the last few weeks I've done 3 of your DIY pedal mods for the BOSS CS-3, BD-2 and the Daddy-O. It was a lot of fun, a little challenging and I learned a lot. But most important the pedals really sound nice. I've been playing in rock & roll bands since the 70's and I have to say with these mods I have the best tone ever. Point is, my tone has always been pretty good. But now it is even better. The kind of "better" that inspires my guitar playing. Thanks! Oh and add me to the list of guys who bought the BD-2 just to do your mod. It sounds awesome. Good job man! I only bought the Daddy-O Tri-Gain mod for my son and I to do a mod together. I don't like the stock Daddy-O so this was a low-risk in case was messed it up. We didn't even check the pedal after each step! HA! But the pedal didn't work. BUT we fixed it! AND, the Daddy-O sounds somewhat useful now. I plan to give it away to a beginner player. I have one question I hope you can answer quickly. I have an older ProCo Rat pedal (no LED). Is it possible for me to use a resistor and LED from previous mods and adapt it to the RAT? Can you guide me on this? If not cool, I'll experiment. I understand you are busy and have a business to run. Rick Deason
Thanks again for the Danelectro Daddy-O TriGain mod kits. This makes 3 Daddy-O pedals I've modded with your kits, and everyone of them sound excellent. The TriGain feature completely transforms the pedal, and there are so many more tonal options with the Daddy-O now. You may remember me asking if you offer a kit for the Danelectro Fab Tone pedal. If you do decide to offer one, please put me on the list. Thanks again, Mike Forrester
Those mods I got for the Daddy-O and TS9 are awesome. Do you know if there's any mods for the Jeckyll & Hyde Pedal out there. Even if I could get it to sound like the Daddy-O would be cool. My Daddy-O with mods blows it away then add the TS9 and nothing is better than that setup. DEAN TASCHEREAU
Cool, Thanks, Just finished up the mod, it sounds great! Didn't think this pedal could sound as good as it does now. Thanks again, Chaz Baker
I just came back to find your mail... I discovered the answer while watching the LEDs while playing... neat the way they light up in response to input. Now, just let me say this: Oh. My. Word. Doing this mod was a blast. I built a couple of Craig Anderton kits back in the '80s, but I don't remember them being this much fun or having this kind of impact. I really can't wait to tackle the CS-3 mods. The modded Daddy-O makes my 15W Marshall sound like a monster. Wait till I play it through the Heathkit W4AM a church friend refurbished for me -- praise band will never be the same! Richard Garifo
The mod'd pedal sounds great and is a very noticeable improvement over the stock pedal. It now has big time gain when needed and also a quality sound when on lower gain settings. Ken Kerbe
Hey Monte, hope you had a great Christmas. I just wanted to drop you a note to let you know how much I am still enjoying the TNT modded Daddy-O. As a matter of fact I wanted to tell you that I got a BSIAB2 kit for Christmas and how it compares to the Daddy-O. This is the "Brown Sound in a Box" and is supposed to be one of the best Marshall emulator pedals out there. It is supposed to do low to medium to high gain Marshall sounds with an emphasis on the early Van Halen tone. I built it and it sounded very dark so I did some tweaking on it based on info I gathered off forums on the net. I messed with it for a couple days and got what I thought was a pretty decent tone from it. Then I decided to try it against the modded Daddy-O. There is no comparison. The BSIAB does one thing - high gain Van Halen and it does it well. The Daddy-O with the TNT TriGain mod actually has a useable gain control and does everything from warmed up blues to full on maxed out Marshall. I'm not saying the BSIAB is not a good pedal, it does what it was intended. I will say the Daddy-O is a much more versatile and all around usable pedal. I am sticking with the Daddy-O. Also, I saw your testimony on the web site. That's pretty cool that you posted it. The BSIAB kit came from General Guitar Gadgets. JD Sleep is a great guy and he has a place where you can add a Bible to your shopping cart for free. More coolness. Robb Lipe
Just wanted to drop you a quick note to say I received the mods today, installed them both this afternoon and I'm pretty much blown away by the tonal differences in the pedals. Very cool. Can't wait to spend a little more time playing with them. The instructions were super easy - I don't know how anyone could mess them up, though people are pretty creative that way. Both the SD1 and Daddy-O sound great. Thanks! Ben Reynolds
Hey, I just received my daddy-o mod kit. It is my second kit. (Boss ds-1). Great kits. I just wanted to thank you for the fast shipping. It got here before the actual pedal which I ordered two days earlier. I won’t quit until I have them all. Jeffrey Bostich
Hi Guys, Greg Rayner from Australia here, I have completed my Daddy O Mod and the difference is unbelievable, awesome work. I broke the legs off one of the Led's from the Tri Gain switch, so I haven't been able to finish it yet but I put the 2 diodes in where the Leds 2 & 3 were as in the TNT Mod and the difference as I said is awesome so much better. I did get them connected but with the Leg broken so short it was hard to get a good join and after a few attempts over a few days the I got it all connected but each time after soldering the switch failed to work in any of the positions at all, so I think my best bet is to get another Daddy O Tri Gain Mod and try again. If I have damaged the Leds by overheating would the switch still work in the other 2 positions if it is soldered to the board correctly? Is it possible to overheat a Led? How do you test a Led? This is my 1st Pedal Mod so its all good, had no problems with the Rest of the Mod (TNT) just the switch part but I learned a lot in the process. I am going to order some more Mods in the New Year and will get another Daddy O Tri Gain Kit and try again and be alot more carefull of the Legs of the Leds this time around. I am thinking of putting a Tri Gain switch Mod into a DS1 that has already been modded here in Australia by Dubtronic's. I noticed that the Daddy O Tri GTain Mod has two 1N4002 Diodes and the DS1 Tri Gain Mod has only one 1N4002 Diode. Can you tell me why this is and what would be the difference between the 2 Mods on a Modded DS1. Thanks again and have a Excellent New Year and keep up the Gr8 work. Very Satisfied Customer Greg Rayner, Australia
Well I finally was able to complete the mod and in the few minutes I got to try it out before it was bedtime for the kids...I was loving it! I am going to give it a full go this afternoon after work but initial impressions were, well...impressive. This is definitely the sound I was aiming to get when I first purchased the pedal and now it finally is there. I like the green LED by the way; I'd love to get my other two Danelectro pedals one of those as well. Are those something you can just get at Radio Shack? Anyway, I'll see if I can get a decent recording of my Les Paul with all three gain switch positions to send your way. Thanks again for a great sounding mod. It was well worth the price and time to install. Jason Gustafson
I really appreciate you refunding the shipping cost by grouping my order in one shipment. Thanx!! I've purchased two of your mods in the past... One for the Daddy-O and one for the Boss SD1. I love them both! I have an Xotic BBPreamp that cost me $185 and I can almost get the same sound from your modded Boss SD1. The only difference being that the BBPreamp has seperate Bass and Treble whereas the Boss only has a Tone control. I can get more lows from the BB. But you've made the SD1 sound really excellent! The Daddy-O was a fizzy buzzy pedal until your mod. Now it sounds amazing. I put is up beside a ProCo Rat and I can get it to sound just like it. I have a few questions about the 308 pedal I just purchased.. You said it was based on a Rat pedal? Can you get the same amount of gain from the 308 that you can from a Rat? I really like the Rat pedal (my buddy has one). Also, I just purchased your CS3 Opto Plus. Does it sound better than the original CS3 mod? A buddy has a CS3 with your original mod that he loves. So I figured I would get the Opto Plus mod. My stock CS3 is so noisy it drives me crazy. Thanks a lot Monte! Tony Leach
I just assembled your daddy o kit. and love it I can play my daddy o again. I also have a danelectro fab tone. I don’t like how much tone it has. It’s hard to adjust it down. Got anything for it? Also I got something called a clone that someone made up to sound like a Ibanez sd9 sonic. But it was modified to sound more like the Ibanez tube screamer. Is there a way I can make it sound like the sonic sd9? Thanks for your help. Bob Williams
Just wanted to let you guys know that I love the sound of my Daddy-O since I modded with the TNT kit. I'm thinking of adding the Tri-gain add-on. Mike Forrester, Baltimore, MD
Monte, WOW! I think that pretty much sums it up! I have done minor soldering before, mainly guitar cables, but never attempting a pedal mod before. I had bought a brand new Daddy-O and was, to say the least, concerned about messing the pedal up. I played the pedal straight out of the box to make sure it was functioning and you are right, it is not that great of a pedal straight from the factory. I decided to go for it, starting last night at about 9:10pm. I did each mod and then checked it, like your instructions said to do. I took my time and was done at about 11:30pm. Again: WOW! This is now a great pedal!! I am thrilled! Thanks Monte!!!! Bob Ashford, Oak Ridge, NC
Monte, thank you for working out a fix for the Daddy-O Mod! I changed the C9 to 1uf tantalum capacitor, and that definitely resolved the bass issue! The pedal can now put out as much bass as when bypassed, and then some! The sound of the pedal is very full even under intense drive. Nice work on this pedal overall, totally worthless pedal stock, now its awesome! Thanks again :) Matt McCormack, Columbus, Ohio
RAT 2/YDR Mods
Fat Rat When it comes to describing, then i say this: You know rat? (i have vintage rat too). Well, imagine it as fat as an hamster's cheeks... And the LED, it blinds me on stage.. started to wear dark glasses. And when it's too dark, everybody can see me doing a solo ;) Vilho Meier
Just wanted to drop you a line regarding my recent purchase. Pedal mods came this past week and I’ve got them installed with no problems. REALLY impressed with the improvement on the RAT tone – It went from being basically an unused pedal on the board to one that I enjoyed playing several hours the other day – just right into the amp. Putting it back into my full effects chain – I’m still coaxing new and interesting tones from it. I literally just got the Tube Screamer installed – haven’t had as much play time, but initial impressions were just as positive. Thanks for putting this kits together and making these available. I’ll definitely keep you in mind. Mike Mizell
I finally found some time last night to do the RAT DIY mod kit – and it’s great! Now I need to go get another stock one just so I can compare side by side. Kyle Tompkins
I've completed the mods to my Rat pedal with the exception of the Tri-mode switch. All I can say is wow. With all the other mods the pedal sounds amazing. I'm tempted to just change the crappy stock 1N914 Diode in location D2(C) with your provided 1N4002 Diode. But I will probably go ahead and do the tri switch mode tonight. I can always go backward. I just wondered what you thought of that? Mark Gisan
I just want to say that this was ridiculously easy to do and really was worth the money. Thanks for a great kit and a great product. Paul Abbott
Received the mod kit yesterday and completed it in a couple of hours. This mod is AAA+++ I’m using a USA Strat and a modded Blues Jr. Best tone to date. Thanks again for a great product and super fast shipping. Look foward to doing more mods on my other pedals. Kindest Regards, Mike Dereta
I recently installed the ProCo Rat mod and couldn't be happier with the tone - like night a day from the previous stock sounds! Before I did the mod though, I had already modded the pedal a few years ago with a LM308N chip. I saw that you included this with your mod. The chip I installed a few years back appears to be from a different company and with a different "call number" on the top. My question is, if I already installed a LM308N chip would there be a great difference in tone by putting the Monte Allums provided chip in instead. Do all LM308N's sound the same? Thanks for any help you could provide, and thanks for offering such a great mod! Stuart Watson
Just wanted to say I received my Rat mod kit, and it ROCKS! I was able to install it with no problems. The instructions couldn't have been more clear, and as for the tone...WOW!!! I just got back from playing some festivals with it, and I can't believe the difference! I Can't wait to try some of your other mods. Peace, Steve Krecklo, Toronto, ON, Canada
My wife got me your RAT mod for Christmas. Having already done your SD-1 Mod, I knew I would be pleased with the RAT. I just completed the mod without using the switch and doing the Tri Gain Mod. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE WHAT YOU'VE DONE WITH THIS PEDAL!!!! Great job! Here is my question. I love the sound so much, I don't want to lose it. If I go ahead and do the Tri Gain Mod, will I lose the sound I have with the pedal now? It would be cool to have other tonal options, but I don't want to get them at the expense of the sound I have now. Thanks again! Craig Motasky
Hello, My name is Andrew Hoffman and I just recently ordered a Roxx mod for the DS-1. I would like to do the mod today. Can you email me the instructions so that I can move forward? Oh, by the way, I also ordered the RAT2 mod and the Dynacomp mod in the past from you and I never gave you any feedback. I would like to say thank you for giving me the ability to turn the RAT2 and the Dynacomp into brand new usable pedals that sound so good that I use them all the time now instead of not at all like before. The Dynacomp sounds like I'm using a really expensive compressor. It's crystal clear and very responsive. The RAT2 is just, well, awesome. If I want a vintage tube sound, flip the switch over to Germanium and I can rock out to Led Zepplin or I can switch it to the LED side and rock out to more modern rock. Then, if I just want some good old classic RAT tone, throw the little switch to center and and rock out to the juicy, lovely RAT distortion. The tone knob works now! The white LED when the effect is on is much cooler than the ugly red one too. Anyway, thanks. I have a much better sounding system now because of your mods and am looking forward to making it even better with the DS-1. P.S. Please use my comments as testimonials if you see them fit to do so. I would like you to use just my first name though. Thanks, Andrew Hoffman
Monte my name Is Derek Carignan and I want to take a moment to give thanks to you for a sound that has had all my friends and band mates raving about my sound coming through my 93 blues deville. I owe it all to you! I would love to win an od-308 and jump to the opportunity of even buying one but first I must buy the bd-2 blues stack plus mod kit! So far I have built four of your mods and rave about every one of them, telling all my friends where I got it, how I did it and that everyone should improve the sound quality of their boss pedals. Either way, just wanted to give you my sincerest thanks. Derek Carignan, Henniker, NH
Boss TR-2 Mods
Hello Guys, first, I have to say that I love the Boss pedal mods you have out. I have done three, one for another friend, and two of my own. I have the CS-3 Ultra Plus, and recently the TR-2 Plus. Hands down now the best sounding and dynamic compressor, bar none. The TR-2 is now so clean and sweet! One more mod I would like to see from you is for the Boss OC-2. I use mine with a Boomerang Phrase sampler real-time live for a bass guitar sound. There is not quite enough gain in the octave 2 output when mixed mostly to the octave side, also the sound could be a bit cleaner and closer to a bass guitar sound. I use the Boomerang as it is the only sampler that has a dedicated aux out, loop only, which is fed to a bass amp on stage. You the only folks I know who could make the pedal into what it could be. Of course I am open to suggestion on another pedal that might suit this application better. Keep up the fantastic work, the world's tone loves you! Mark Webb
Monte, Just got done with the TR-2 Mod. Where was that a year ago when I sent mine to Keeley?! It is a great mod. I put it in a buddy's TR-2. I A/B yours and Keeley's. Yours is smoother. Keeley's is a little edgier or a little more aggressive. Both greatly reduced the noise. I believe the BB chip is the key driver to the difference as you guys both replaced most of the same caps (give or take a few). I like both sounds - I think it comes down to persoanl preference - I think I would lean towards yours as a liker of more vintage sounds - you nailed that! Great work! Just wanted to say thanks for another great mod. I am doing a lot of pedal building of my own but when someone wants me to work on a Boss pedal I just order up one of your mods - no brainer - you did all the work on optimizing the components so it is worth my time and effort to just buy the mod from you! Attached is a picture of the one I just modded - got the volume knob up with the others. My buddy had one other request - he wanted to fine tune the rate adjustment - so there is another knob for that. I replaced the 10K resistor at R20 with a 10K and 50K pot in series. I told him to leave it all the way down for stock and use the fine trim when needed. It works surprisingly well! Check out the pic - you will respect the space usage. Aaron Puttcamp
Have just finished my BD-2 H2O, SD-808 and both switch options, GE-7 mod and the TR-2 mod. Had no problems what so ever on any of them except the TR-2 mod. I did a each mod one at a time and checked. By the way your mods sound awesome. I have had these BOSS pedals sitting is boxes for ages. They sound good and do the trick but are just not up to what I was needing. Your mods have brought them back to life and looking forward to installing them in my board. I have the OC-3 yet to do. I will be doing this one as you suggest and see how much modifications I need. I wanted them to sound different. Don L Johnson
I was very excited when I saw the TR-2 on your site after requesting it a couple of times. I knew it would be worth the wait and I was not disappointed. The first thing I did was add the chip adapter - MY JAW DROPPED on that alone! Then I added the volume pot - that was exactly what that pedal needed. Then I added the remainder of the mods, which like most of your mods, are subtle - but great. I am now very interested in more of the chip adapters for my other pedals. I will do as much research as I can on your site, but may come back to you with a question or two. All the best, keep up the great work. Sean Borton, Winnipeg Manitoba, Canada
Well, I guess that missing stock cap doesn't matter, cuz I have the mod kit finished and it sounds great! I love the bonus of having a clean boost! Hardest part was getting the pedal back together with that chip adapter in the way, it was a tad bit bulky, but I finally got it closed. I probably wont be buying any more pedals, at least not for a while. Sorry to say it, cuz I enjoy working with your kits. Thanks for the kits and the easy to use guides. My tone overall is vastly improved, and the pedals I've modded are keepers. GoooooooD Stuff! Gary Dans
Carried out the tr 2 mod today and very pleased with the results. Cheers, awesome mod. Will recommend to every one I can. Brandon Bott
Thank you sir for your super fast shipping. I installed the mods the same day I got them and so far I am completely amazed. Your sound filed are good but until one gets the chance to twist knobs for themselves, it really isn't absorbed. I am completely blown away by the ds1 tri gain recto mod. I can now say that I have a reason to get rid of some pedals now that it is in my arsenal. Thanks again so much sir. I look forward to the dd6 mod being released. Simply astounded, Timothy Gibbs
Boss Delay Mods
DD-3 — Monte, Bravo! I like the modded OD-3 even more than the modded SD-1. Keep up the great work. Thanks again. Tom Kissick
DD-3 — Thank you for the quick shipment and the detailed instructions. I had no problem doing the mods. I love the way the hi-cut mod sounds on my Boss DD-3. I love the GE-7 mod too! Takes an already good pedal and makes it sound even better! At a gig this past weekend, I turned on the GE-7 and just left it on all night! It sounded that good! I will be back for more mods-my CE-2 will be next on the list to get modded. I did not expect to have any difficulties doing the mods since I have been a field service technician for the past 25 years. Would you have any objections if I started doing Monte Allums mods for other people too? Of course, I would have them buy the kits directly from you and I would do the work. Thanks again for the excellent products and support documentation. Best Regards, Phil Pinault
DD-3 — Hi Monte, I did the mod on my DD-3, and it sounds great, especially with the 0.47 Capacitor. With the 0.1 Cap, the difference with the original sound is really small... Do you think I could try with another capacitor instead of the 0.1? Maybe 0.2 would be better? Iker Ruiz Lopez
DD-3 — The kit arrived today and I installed it. Love it! Thanks for the quick shipping and great customer service! Just wanted to let you know, also, that I put in a water clear violet LED no problem. The only thing I found different on this pedal was a ground attached to the LED screw. I have one of the older DD-3s so I couldn't put the switch under the effect knob, but it fit just fine over it. Great mod! Mike McArthur
DD-3 — Monte, thanks you very much for the DD-3 kit. I've just finished the Bone eNut installation. I'm happy with the finished product. As mentioned, I'm a drummer with interest in hotrodding stomp boxes for my personal studio set up. Your kits are too cool, the tones are just great..... Keep up the great discoveries and designs....making it affordable for all us novice. Chet Wagoon
DD-3 — I just installed my DD3 mod and it ROCKS. I don't know how I survived with out this mod. Completely revived my love you this pedal. I want to get the DS-1 Roxx mod and the CS3 opto plus mods but am questioning my ability to successfully install them myself. I enjoy working with this stuff but don't have tons of experience soldering. I felt comfortable doing the DD3 mod but I know that is probably one of the easier mods. What do you think? How hard are the two mods I'm looking at? I'm sure you get asked these types of questions all of the time and I apologize for being "one of those" customers. Thank you for your advice and your awesome MODS!! Matthew Fegley
DD-3 — Yo just played a gig with the GE7 and DD3 mod kits that i got form you and the sound was awesome, Big Difference, and I’m someone who knows the difference i play jazz/funk gigs in the MD tristate area and make my living teaching and playing gigs when people ask me what’s on me pedal board I make sure to tell em about your mods,, when things slow down for me I’m gonna do my tubescreamers over with your mods this time, thanks again, Ken Bussey
DD-2 — Hello again. I did the DD2 and CE2 mods, fantastic!!!!!! The ce2 sounds better than anything I have ever heard. I will do more of your great mods in the future. Thanks, Graham Smith, Norway.
Boss OD-3 Mods
OD-3 Plus — Monte, Bravo! I like the modded OD-3 even more than the modded SD-1. Keep up the great work. Thanks again. Tom Kissick
OD-3 Plus — Random thought here...... I finished this mod It sounds great now, especially with the Frenzel Hotbox (HBX-WC30) amp. Another keeper! THANK YOU! Gary Stephens, Lincoln, NE.
OD-3 Plus — Just to let you know: Mod has been installed. Pedal sounds fantastic! Rich, lively and very tube-like. I play a Framus Diablo guitar that profits especially from the softer setting of the dual switch. I am very happy with it. Thanx & best wishes, Matthias, Germany
OD-3 Plus — Hey Monte just installed the od-3 supra plus mod kit and I can’t tell you what an awesome mod this I thoroughly enjoy it thank you! Mike at Basement Amps, Michael Stewart
Supra Plus — Let me say that I just finished my 6th pedal mod of yours and the latest, the OD-3 Supra Plus, has to be my favorite - and that's saying something. I agree that the OD-3 pedal is pretty sweet on it's own, but with the Supra mod it's a whole different tone experience. Volume knob on the guitar cleans up the tone without getting muddy and it's really got that smooth overdrive without a hint of buzziness. It was also one of the easiest mods I've done beyond the TR-2 kit I got back in December. Right now, I'm running a modded CS-3 (my 2nd favorite pedal) into the TR-2 and into the OD-3 and then out to a "yet" unmodded DD-3. I play in a weekend Southern Rock / Blues band here in North Carolina and I get the biggest kick out of playing clubs and guys asking me how I can get that kind of tone from a Crate V50... I modded a Blues Driver for the other guitarist in the band - he gets as many questions as I do :). I've had a slew of high-end overdrives in the past (Fulltones, Voodoo, T-Rex, etc.), but my OD-3 is the bomb - Thanks again! Tony Dunn
Supra — Here is the web site for "Area 51" www.area51tubeaudiodesigns.com. Dan is as cool as you are, very personable, the guy never sleeps! He is really talented, worked with Kendrick for many years and still helps out with the seminars with the rest of us tube freaky geekies. I would love to go to one, but living in Alaska... can't afford. I think your Tri-Gain switches would work good on many of the little amps out there with a crappy gain stage. I would love to ship this little one to you to hear for yourself, but shipping is soo darn expensive! I will see if funds provide in the future? I can not wait to get my hands on one of YOUR pedal kits (OD-3)... next available $106 is yours! Peace my frien! Tony Fleming.
Supra — Thanks Monte. I started the OD-3 Supra mod last night. After each step, I just play and say WOW! Mark A. Schaffer
Supra — Just got 2 pedals (OD3 & DS1) back from Chad, they sound terrific and I wanted to thank you again for unleashing these tones. I cant imagine something sounding better! I had one question about the DS1 pedal (with toggle switch).It has 3 positions, but Id like to know what each one is so I can describe it to my fellow guitarists. Thanks a Million! Ed, (W.PA)
Supra — Thanks, Monte! I think a chip or a diode or something that supply current wasn't able to handle the electric load because I can hear the effect very low then suddenly will come on to it's full volume. Sometimes it will come on when you press the pedal sometimes it would NOT. Now it's completely gone and by the way I did the Supra Mod on the OD-3 that one is a killer man! On a humbucker it's dead quiet!!! I could NOT even believe it! Well of course if you split it there'll be a little hiss but hey everybody does. My next is the Super Overdrive GT I have the stuff already! I bought 3 packs from you just last week. My last Mod will be the Equalizer and Distortion rectifier Tri-Gain i have the tri gain Sustainiac too. I'm a big fan!! I can't wait to take to the islands this coming summer (Philippines)!!! ha ha ha ha ha!! let me know if you want me to send it there or take pictures of the entire thing. Let me know. Thanks. LORD DENNIS DE CASTRO
Supra —I got the OD-3 finished today, and it sounds great. Thanks for putting in the time to make a great mod. The pedal sounded harsh before, and a little sputtery. Once my amp warmed up (an Orange AD30) it was better, but I never really loved it. This mod seems to get rid of the big cliff between every phase. After the mod, it's smoother and not so jumpy. Monty Charlton
Supra — No worries at all, I snatched the caps from the ds1 rectifier mod, so I was at least able to finish the Od3 mod - it sounds amazing! Really is quite similar to my jcm800 pushed hard, and really compliments its sound when it isn't cranked up! Thank you so much for the great service! Fifth mod kit, and I'm very happy with all of them! Caspar Mølholt Kjellberg
Supra — Thanks for sending the correct caps. With the mods complete...the OD-3 Supra may now be my favorite pedal to use with the Les Paul and the BD-2 H20 with my Tele! I now affectionately refer to the SD-1 808 as my DRN (down right nasty) pedal and it just screams with the Les Paul! I am not sure what "enhanced pinch harmonics" are supposed to sound like in the BD2 H20 mod. After swapping diodes several times I found the sound of the original diode more transparent and the sound of the gain smoother than with the 1N34A Germanium diode. Go figure I guess. Now...you said you use the CS-3 Opto mod yourself for most things. How I use the compressor will be primarily clean, with the BD-2 H20 when I am after that Nashville sound, or with the SD-1 or TS-9 for long sustain in lead work. I really only use in "live" situations versus studio. Would the Opto be the better of the CS-3 mods for my uses? Since I did not care for the Germanium Diode in the BD-2 mod should I have any reservations with the CS-3 mods? Nice job on the Web site redesign. I especially like the descriptions you have provided for the Op Amps. Not that I am unhappy with the SD-1 808 Mod, but am wondering if I should give the OPA213PA a try in the modded SD-1. Any thoughts? You warned it would be addicting. :-) Mark A. Schaffer
Supra — Sorry for the delayed verdict on the OD-3. I thought I'd wait for a rehearsal to 'roadtest' it. Once again very pleased - the room we were using on this occasion nearly always gives me a few problems soundwise but this time the sound was better than ever! Then again I had made a few other changes to my rig. Got another gig tomorrow night so will be using all three modded pedals then. Whilst I was waiting for the OD-3 to come back the band recorded a few tracks and I needed another boss pedal for an overdrive so that I could stomp on that and the DS-1 simultaneously clicking one on and one off for solos etc. The engineer lent me his BD-2 and I was quite impressed so seeing as they're fairly cheap second hand I thought I'd get one as a back up. There just happens to be a broken one on eBay at present which probably won't go for much. Apparently the guy selling it used the wrong adaptor. I was wondering if you do Monte's BD-2 H20 mod and if so would it be necessary to get the pedal repaired first or would the damaged parts in question be likely to be replaced when the pedal was modded anyway. Terry Maslin
Supra — Just did the mod for this OD-3. It really sounds great! I sold my OCD last month because I couldn't stand the harsh sound of it, and this really takes its place. One question... Is it possible to mod the drive control so there can be less gain when its all the way down? Donny Mahlmeister
Supra — I realize you probably get a lot of emails but I thought you might like some feedback on the (now) "old" Supra mod. First let me say that I am impressed with your dedication to your costumers. It is rare to see people take the time and effort to email their costumers about an update or change to their product. I was pretty impressed with the Supra mod after installing it into my favorite OD pedal. I was on the verge of shelling out for an OCD as I thought that would be the only way to improve my sound from the OD-3. I bought the OD-3 second hand about 8 years ago and thought it was the most transparent OD pedal I had heard up till then. It really lets the sound of the guitar through and responds well to dynamics, PU and volume changes. It was solely by chance I bumped into a message on a Danish forum about your mod and I checked out your site straight away. What was even luckier was that I was about to go into the studio to record and had just bought a Telecaster Baja for the gig (my main guitar being a Fender Starcaster 1975) and was looking for a quality compressor for some country twang. I then discovered your Opto mod and ordered it along with the Supra mod. This resurrected my CS-3 and both mods now feature heavily on the album which will be released independently in Ireland within the next couple of months. I did think the Supra mod was a clear improvement of the original OD-3. What I didn't like about the original OD-3 was the slightly nasal sound of the pedal. It is as if the extreme frequencies either ends of the band are slightly attenuated. I thought your mod dealt with that and brought out more bass AND treble. The gain structure is changed slightly and I think this is where most people will be skeptical about the mod. I happen to prefer the new more fizzy gain but as I can understand from feedback this has not been to everyone's liking. I suspect this is a very subjective area and there will never be consensus on what sounds good as everyone has their favorite OD sound. I think the immediate reaction to the mod is that the pedal looses some warmth and I thought the same when I had just done it. After a while I realized that this was down to better frequency response. I also think the pedal is much more sensitive to PU and dynamics. So all in all I don't think I will bring my pedal back to your new improved re-vamp. Especially, as I didn't retain the old components and would be too lazy to try and find replacements on radionics.ie....Claus Jensen
Supra — Monte, I am very pleased with the sound of my OD3 after doing your mod. You can really change the sound of it with your guitars volume control. It simply ROCKS! Dave Atkinson
Supra — Hi Monte, I just did a live recording with your dyna comp and od3 mods and I think the tone is good, so I was wondering if there is any way I could send you a track to post. It is so sweet. Thanks a lot, Chris Condon
Supra — I just finished OD-3 supra mod. This is third mod I had done. DS-1 (Rect), SD-1(808) and OD-3 (supra). I found that using supra od-3 as a boost for ds-1 is the best match I ever wanted to find. I'd like to call it 'MUSCLE TONE'. You just made me drop my jaw. It was a very rare moment in my ten years guitar life. Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you very much!! Your mod is unbelievable. Just unbelievable!!!!! Sincerely yours, Seho Park.
OD-3 Plus — Hi Monte. I recently bought a Boss OD-3 with your Supra mod installed. I'm really impressed with the sound quality and range, in fact it exceeded my expectation and fulfills my recent search for something that combines the best qualities of other pedals I've used into one Boss sized package. This has piqued my interest in your other mods. I have two Boss pedals with Analogman mods that I'm not quite satisfied with, a BD-2 Super and an SD-1 808 Silver with switch-able clipping. The BD-2 is transparent but the drive tone is harsh, and the SD-1 has a nice drive quality but lacks punch and dynamics. So, my question is would any of your mods work with these already modified units or would it be better to leave them as is and start with un-modified pedals? James Banno
OD-3 Plus — Hi, I received and installed the Boss OD3 mod and I think it's great. Thank you very much. Very cool.
Bill Whypp, West Trenton, NJ
Boss DS-1 Mods
Roxx — First off, the DS-1 Roxx mod I did a couple of weeks ago... at first thought it was a bit too much more me, and a bit noisy. Well, if you plug it into a quality power supply the noise goes away, and the tonal range is quite extreme, very clean and transparent. I have really grown to love this pedal (stock, I still can’t believe they make make it! total piece of crap!) You really did a great job fixing all that is wrong, and making it outstanding. And well... your OD-308... what can I say? It is better than you describe, I am more than stunned. I can't decide what mode sounds better... they are all way above and beyond! Never heard a pedal that did not change your amp tone, this one really does not! Totally transparent, this is the best thing out there by far! Sent the word to my good friend Grifff Hamlin, he said will send an order in... Like Right Now! www.bluesguitarunleashed.com The cool thing here is, he has thousands of students and followers, and at times will pass on really cools products out there, here it is! Thanks Again Monte! Tony Fleming, Anchorage, AK
Roxx — Just wanted to say thanks, Worked up my DS-1 with the Roxx mod, sounds great! Cant wait to try it out this weekend. Looking forward to doing more of your mods to my pedals, I get to play all over the country and here in Nashville all the time, already have some friends wanting to mod their pedals or buy my DS1, Ill send them your way. James Davis
Roxx — Monte, just dropping you a line to tell you your roxx mod is so awesome, it has turned my ds-1 into about 4 stompboxes in one maybe more. A masterpiece in mods, no more fizzy thin box here,the range of usable tones out of this box is amazing, I could go on and on, I get might just get another ds-1 so can have 2 of these awesome tone machines. Thanks for another great mod (I also have the h2o plus mod, I gigged with it last week , very tasty) thanks again , and may god bless you and yours, Terry Hamill
Roxx — I have bought a ROXX DS-1 second hand and I love that pedal, I´m a big fan of old MIJ Ds-1´s but this one shines way above the old ones I have. My "problem" is that the one who did the mod put the sticker on the overside of the pedal and it looks bad. I tried to remove it but it can´t be done without destroying the sticker. So could you be kind enough to send me a new sticker that I can put on the front end of the pedal??? I´m a semi-pro so it´s like a free advertisement for you :-) Regards, Goran Svensson, SWEDEN
Roxx — Just wanted to give you some personal feedback on the last couple of your mods I installed. The DS-1 Roxx is some of your best work yet, WOW! I just sat down and played it, the BD-2 H20, and MT-2 Tri-Gain, (my friend has your TS-9 Tri-Gain), side by side for hours. They all have their own personalities, but the Roxx really seems to have the best low end super crunch while being very clear, no muddy low end, and over all has the most clarity on individual notes. A little bit noisy, but that is the nature of gain... Definitely need a power supply with this one, I recommend it on all of them, much cleaner. You really topped yourself on this one! Thanks!!! On another note... sit down for this! The TS-9 Tri-Gain switch I installed on my little '93 Fender Bronco is your best work yet!!! You would not believe the super clear gain this thing has now, the LED's sound just unbelievable! The original diodes really sounded like crap, this is a super clean Fender, with a built in distortion pedal from hell! You are the man! Tony Fleming, Anchorage, AK
Roxx — I emailed you a couple of weeks ago after doing the Tri gain plus mod on a DS-1 and the GT on an Sd-1. They are great and I'm still wicked happy with them. Not one to leave well enough alone, I bought another Ds-1 (for 25 bucks!!!) and did the Roxx. It's even better than the Tri Gain. it's knocked the Analogman and the Tri Gain of my pedal board (for the time being). I still like those other pedals. They all have their own thing going and are subtly different, but I think that the Roxx is going to be #1 of all the DS-1s I've got. The thing that is best is that it really lets the chracter of the guitar shine. A strat is a Strat, A tele sounds like a tele through this pedal. Very, very nice. I just scored a cheap BD-2 and am going to do the Blues Stack when i get a chance. Really nice work and such a deal. Thanks again! Regards, Andy Cottle
Roxx —Monte, just finished installing that mod without a problem. One of the little boards on the distortion pot got in the way but I was able to bend it toward the input jack to make room for the double chip adapter. I ran the pedal through my studio setup and its very nice. I was amazed actually or I would not have even sent you this email. Sounds awesome. I will be using it live and recording with it so I will get back to you with some feedback. Now the Trigain TS9! Thomas Ochoa
Roxx — If I mislead you with the title I’m sorry, but i do have a few tips. First of all the mod is AMAZING! I love the sound. Thanks a lot for the awesome mod. Stuart Tow
Roxx — As you suggested...it was the power supply...I am a fan of your mods...if it weren't for the ROXX mod this pedal would have gone as one of the worst distortion pedals ever in my book since I have tried to incorporate it in my rig countless times before but it was too harsh...Now it is a killer machine...Best of all I am psyched of how it blows away my expensive "boutique" pedals...THX, Nelson Nieves
Roxx —Thanks a lot for the sticker, it came today, and now is on my DS-1 ROXX. I just have to tell you how much I like the ROXX, switch in middle position and dist on 12 o clock. I have a lot of pedals, vintage, boutique and newer and guess what, the ROXX is at the top of my favourites, alongside Fuzz Face clones much more expensive. Göran Svensson
Roxx — Thanks for the quick response to my question... And all I can say is Wow with that ds1 roxx mod... it's excellent! I used it at a gig this weekend and even people that always hear me play were telling me how well the sound was... Thanks! Paul Sanders
Roxx — I have to say I'm extremely impressed with the sound that comes out of this pedal, the dual 1N4002 diodes and the LED circuits sound amazing! People pay big money to get sounds like these from a pedal. Thanks for sharing your work, its well worth the money. I did take this mod one step further and refinished the ugly orange case. The dealership I work at has a body shop, so I sanded and prepped the pedal, then went to our painters and asked what cars they were painting and picked a color I liked. Its nothing for them to take this pedal with them into the paint booth and give a spray while they paint a car, even has a nice clear coat finish. Henry Elzer
Roxx — Thanks so much for the great mod! Finished it tonight and it sounds great. Best, Darby Hewitt
Roxx — So I did the majority of the work on my DS-1 ROXX! mod this Saturday. Things went very well for the most part and the changes I am already hearing are phenomenal. Nice work. It does appear I was shorted one resistor ( the 1.1k carbon comp resistor, part H in the instructions). Not too concerned, but do send me one when you get a chance. I did check my packaging as mentioned in the documentation. mmmm, brighter LED. The only trouble I'm having is getting the new dual stacked NE5532 adapter assembly to fit in the case. I think I should have left the leads longer on the 1uf cap replacement (part C ) so that I could fold it over (putting some heat shrink tubing on the leads to prevent shorts). It's hard to move the part to make more room as it stands since it's a cube! Don't know if I'm the only monkey to have trouble with this, but it may be worth mentioning in future versions of the instructions.... then again, I took just another glance at your instructions and you do say 'bend the adapter assembly forward toward the front of the DS-1.' By front, do you mean the end with the screw or the end with the jack for the power adapter? Thanks so much for your work on all this. I'll be ordering a few more kits from you in the future. REALLY wish I had the proper version of the RAT, but alas. Cheers, M. Alan Baumbusch, Baltimore, MD
Roxx — thanks/ Monte I had the gt mod and the roxx mod / done by Merv at mervs mods / oh my WORD / they are what I have been hearing in my head for years / the gt mod was like a blanket was taken off my amp / and the roxx was extreme metal when i wanted it/ at its best thanks again / and sorry for all the late night emails. Paul Santos Marysville, CA
DS-1 — Greetings, I just acquired your regular mod for my Boss DS-1 pedal and am very, very impressed with the results! In fact I am overwhelmingly impressed! Thanks again!
Walter Krupka, Mount Laurel, NJ
DS-1 — This mod rocks. I purchased my DS-1 at Guitar Center, brand new and on sale, for 39.99 (reg 97.99). What a steal. It sounded ok out of the box, but with the Rectifier mod and the Tri switch mod, this thing is amazing. I would also recommend to everyone that they should go for the Tri switch mod, because it allows for so many more options with this pedal. I am 100% happy with this product, and you have turned a decent pedal into an amazing pedal for me. I am looking forward to getting a Boss Blues Driver or Ibanez Tube Screamer, and will be looking to one of your kits when I actually purchase one of those. Oh, I didn’t see any Vox 847 Wha mods on your site. I had to go to Pedaldoc in order to get a true bypass as well as replacement parts to give it a more vintage sound. Would have been nice to see a mod you might do for that pedal. Tony Alonzo
DS-1 — Hi, I just finished the DS1 mod minus the Bass/Mid mods. Thought I'd do them later as you suggested. Pedal sounds with great heaps more clarity. Still screams though!! Just ordered the GE7 and SD808 mods too. Thanks for the mods and the really quick turnaround!! Instructions were excellent too! I've got an old Boss PH1 Phaser too, ever looked at that with a view to cleaning it up? Tom Fryer
Rectifier — Hello Monte!!! Just wanted to say THANK YOU!! for your dual gain switch mod on the DS1.. I've already got your first mod for this pedal, but I've ordered your NEW!! rectifier dual gain mod with the switch, trying to get more volume out my pedal, and I only went as far as the switch mod, that was all I was looking for in this pedal, CREAMY DISTORTION, TONE WITH TONS OF VOLUME AND BITE and don't even get me going with the HARMONICS!! But now I'm going to have to buy another DS1 to install the rectifier mod that I have left, that I'm 100% sure it will sound GREAT!!! Just like all your mods!!! MUCHAS GRACIAS!!!
David Cornejo, Las Vegas, NV
Rectifier — My DS-1 sounds amazing - the distortion tone is rich and full. It used to be so thin and buzzy. Thanks for a great mod! Yee Peng Chia, New York, NY
Rectifier —Monte, Like most I have been playing a long time. I have owned almost every distortion pedal made but this mod is hands down the best. Not to mention I feel connected to it because I got to do the mod myself. The sound is full and fat with plenty of output. Thanks for the work. If anybody is feeling scared about this product dont its easy and well worth the effort. Kenny Mclaughlin
Rectifier —By the way, You have just been declared a total genius by my guitar playing kid! The sound of the DS1 is totally amazing. Soon as we can find a used BD2 we will be ready for more. Jim Elberts
Rectifier — Hi Monte. I installed the DS-1 Rectifier mod. I also bought an eNut and put it on my Parker Fly Deluxe that had a bad nut and couldn’t intonate properly. Now it intonates almost perfectly. I don’t yet have a tuner that does cents, so I still haven’t taken advantage of your offsets, but I’ll probably be getting a few more eNuts in the future. Beautifully simple and effective! Thanks for offering this kind of stuff for those of us who like to play WITH our guitars instead of just playing them!
Brian Scully
Rectifier — I just did the rectifier mod today. After learning how to solder and de-solder it was not that hard. I got more tone and growl which is way better than the flat factory sound. Now the pedal is more usable than before. I haven't put the switch to tri gain mode yet because I don't have a drill. Anyway just wanna say that your mod rocks!!! Akavat Welvat
Rectifier — Now I can hear the pedal ;) WOW what a sound... very close to old Marshall. You have ears of gold... I will now install the tnt mod on the Danelectro. Remi Masse
Rectifier — I did it! It turns out that I burned up the little 5.6 V zener diode (D2) next to R35! A trip to Radio Shack, and she's 100%. I didn't realize those little guys were so sensitive to heat from the soldering iron.
Man, you really are a genius - I finally got to open this thing up all the way into my Mesa Express. Friggin' Marshall stack in a pedal. Holy smokes. I was grinning from ear to ear.
Now I'm Jones-n' for more pedals and more of your kits. Just have to pace myself and convince the wife that I need more pedals... Dennis Yates
Rectifier — Hello Monte, I did both your DS-1 Mods - I liked the Rectifier Mod + the best so far - very Satriani - Marshall like tone with excellent sustain - I like the mod because the tone is very neutral - you need more bass, Treble or even gain you just dial it in with the EQ - A lot of pedals stock and Mod pedals in my opinion have too much of something - Like too much Bass and no matter what you do all you hear is bass. The MT-2 Stock is a good example - no matter what setting you can't escape the unpleasing tone of the EQ - The BD-2 Stock has no sustain - it cuts out quick and the EQ is nasty - No wonder I gave up on pedals years ago - I will be doing the BD-2 Next and I'M currently doing the MT-2 Mod. Great job on the DS-1 Rectifier Mod - It sounds Incredible through the clean CH of My JCM900 with some chorus from my BOSS CE-20 Twin Pedal - The pedal sounds Incredible through an amp with 6L6 Power Tubes. Thanks Again! David Falzone, Boscawen, NH
Rectifier — One more accolade - the DS-1 kicks. Absolutely best simple distortion box I own. I found out what the problem was as soon as I swapped the 4002 diodes with the LEDs (from the SEM mod I had). R11 and R13. I popped R13 down to 1.2k and Rll went to 511k. I have the ability to now get unity gain with the level at midpoint. It has all the distortion I could ever want and has a fantastic tonal spectrum. It grinds, it groans, it just completely rocks. I can nail BTO, Deep Purple, Queensryche and Satriani. I now have the perfect all-around distortion unit. Matched with the Daddy-O – total arsenal of rock and blues damage. Thanks again for putting the time into researching and designing the best possible mod to any pedal I have ever done (only exception is the CS-3 Opto Mod). Thanks! Chris Laskowski
Rectifier — I absolutely love the DS-1 Rectifier, especially with humbuckers and an amp just starting to break up. The sustain is superb. Paul Dixon, Australia
Rectifier — Just got my DS-1 put together and it's great! The controls are way more useable and it sounds really rounder and more musical. Only had one hitch, put in the led and it wouldn't work. Reversed it and it wouldn't work. Found an old 9v battery, measured it at around 2.5 volts and it fired up my old led but not the included one. Oh well, even with my stock red led, the sound is most noticeably better. Thanks, David Keplinger
Rectifier — Just wanted to say that I hate distortion boxes in general. I got my first Boogie back in 1982 or so and never looked back. Thing is, this is actually a useable tool after your mod. I've been fiddling with it and there's now a lot of tone in this little guy. Also, setting all the controls to noon and cranking my little 60's black face Vibro Champ up to around half gives me a controlled feedback monster. I'm really impressed. I got a CS-3 for X-mass so I'll be ordering your Opto Plus mod for that one soon. Right now it turns my guitar tone to mud. I wanted to do my DS-1 first just to make sure I could pull it off. Although I've rewired guitars all through the 80s and done a bunch of PAIA kits I'd never de-soldered before. Plus I'm getting old (no half a century jokes please ;-) and my eyesight is going funny close up for a few years now. Once I got going, it went really smooth. David Kep
Rectifier — Just wanted to let you know... I finally got a minute to do the mod that I bought a while back. WOW!!! What a great sounding pedal. I can't believe the difference it made. My DS-1 is now a usable pedal. It went from Buzz Saw to Super Saturated Sweetness. Thanks. I look forward to buying a few pedals just to do the mods here in the future. Great Product!!! Thanks, Jimmy Blankenship
Rectifier — This pedal smokes, PERIOD! The DS1 mod kit instructions were super easy to follow. The Tech support was prompt and accurate. This pedal is capable of a wide range of distortion settings for rock music, from edgy to nasty and all points in between. The low end is tight and responsive and the highs are smooth, unlike the "ice pick" sound that this pedal used to make back in the 80’s Thanks guys... Mike Boone - Houma, LA
Rectifier — Hi Monte, I just wanted to drop you a quick email and thank you for the This AWSOME DS-1 Rectifier MOD.!!! I love the great blues tone you get when the distortion is turned down, and the tone at 12....Great Blues Sound... Crank the distortion up full.... WOW ..BIG AND FAT AND SMOOTH... Sounds real close to a Mesa Boogie... Rock On! Kyle Finchum, Newburgh Indiana
Rectifier — Hi Monte. I installed the DS-1 Rectifier mod. I also bought an eNut and put it on my Parker Fly Deluxe that had a bad nut and couldn’t intonate properly. Now it intonates almost perfectly. I don’t yet have a tuner that does cents, so I still haven’t taken advantage of your offsets, but I’ll probably be getting a few more eNuts in the future. Beautifully simple and effective! Thanks for offering this kind of stuff for those of us who like to play WITH our guitars instead of just playing them! Brian Scully
Rectifier — Monte, I put in your mod kit in my DS-1 and am very pleased with the results. I played last night and the tone was very warm and glassy. I play a Strat style guitar SC-SC-HB through a Tech 21 Trademark 60 and even though it is a solid state amp, I was able to get great distorted sound using the DS-1 alone and in combination with the amp's distorted channel. Thanks for all your help and the mods. Kenneth Polvino
Rectifier — I just got the mod put in and I can't believe how much better it sounds. It's as smooth as butter and I love how it squashes just enough to make it sound like a tube. Consider me a total shill! I WILL be back for more mods. Thomas Lhamon
Rectifier — Thank you for your excellent work in designs. You totally revamped my "beetle Bug" TS5 from extinction. Pretty much my favorite, I bought you're DS-1 mod kit... the better one, and that blows the Keeley out of the water!! Yours sounds great especially combined with and pushing a Keeley. I also did the GE7 mod. I have an old MIJ model. Now that sounds awesome as well. I've made a few believers in your designs including "BossModder" from eBay. Just wanted to say THANK YOU and happy holidays! Richard Puncsak
Rectifier — Hi Monte, I just completed the DS-1 mod and wow! What an improvement in tone! I’ll be ordering the GE-7 mod kit this week. Thanks! Stan Cook, Beaverton, Oregon
Rectifier — I've AB'd your DS-1 Rectifier with the tri-gain switch and a Keeley DS-1 Ultra and yours gets 1st prize! More headroom on the distortion, better EQ, brighter LED :-) You are the Godfather of DYI Pedal mods! God Bless.
Brandon Ysteboe, San Antonio, TX
Rectifier — Hey Monte, I did your modifications and my pedal works great!!! I've just done the first two mods so far and did the corrections and this pedal sounds awesome. I ran my Les Paul thru a DS-1 with your mod and thru the GE-7 with your mod (just two so far, the rest later this week) and thru a BBE Sonic Stomp pedal and my guitar is on fire!! It sounds great. I did your OD-3 last week and it is great too! Just to let you know all went well!
John Bucher
Rectifier — I just wanted to let you know that Chad modded my DS-1 with the Rectifier and it has amazing tone, no more muddy distortion just great clear tone. I must say that the mod has made the pedal a lot quieter then the stock DS-1. Thanks again Chad and I wait for your CE-2 mod to come out. As Zakk Wylde says remember the troops in your prayers. Sgt Stewart, 3 Bn Royal Canadian Regiment
Rectifier — Hey Monte, received the DS-1 kit today and popped it in. Sounds awesome, another great mod, this will now stay on my pedal board next to modded Dynacomp. Thanks Again. Rob McCallum, Canada
Rectifier — Most Excellent! Exactly what I needed to know. Thanks very much. This is a great mod! If you're curious, I put it in front of an Epiphone Valve Junior then send that to a small rack and 2 1x12's. I play a custom 7-string Les Paul with Duncan JB and Distortion PU's. It is a fun custom rig for recording and small gigs. The DS-1 mod adds excellent distortions that I've been looking for. I think I will try the GE-7 eq mod next, I have a really old one of those. William P. Capozzi
Rectifier — Monte, received the DS-1 kit today, wow, incredible, I actually own a Plexi. With this mod, it makes my Fender practice amp sound like the Plexi. The real cool thing is the practice amp is solid state but with this mod I can really hear the pick nuances and articulation which I love, definitely gives it a tubey vibe. Man I have to get my wah out to you to get your mod with Fulltone. Very satisfied. James Dietz, Denver, CO
Rectifier — Monte, Thank you for easily one of the best mods I have seen. In less than an hour I now have the smoothest, hottest distortion coming out of this DS-1 pedal! As I did each mod and plugged in back in it just kept getting better dude. Thanks again..... Shawn Putman, Warrior, AL
Rectifier — You couldn't imagine how scared I was when the kit arrived in the post, given my pathological fear of the soldering iron. However, I found it incredibly easy to do, and am amazed at soldering braid (small things I know) as had never used it before. The DS-1 sounds beautiful (was good before but now.....hubba bubba) especially at lower gain settings where it sounds so natural. Am really pleased - thank you! I will get some clips of it soon and will send if you like. Have just bought a TS10 tubescreamer from ebay. Anything you can do for this - didn't spot a kit on the web site? All the best and take care. Andy Carfax www.carfaxguitars.co.uk
Rectifier — After some more fiddling, I'm enjoying this pedal more and more; I was able to test it against the Fulltone OCD last night, and I was really impressed. The noise I was hearing I think is due to using a power supply, and having the gain on the amp turned up; using a battery and turning the amps gain down, that's when it started to get good. I tried it on a Blues Junior and a Roland MicroCube - Les Paul Vintage Mahogany->DS-1 Tri-Gain->Amp - sounded great! Who knew you could get that sound out of a solid state amp and pedal? Josh Kenning
Rectifier — Your rectifier mod kit arrived and I have completed the kit. The DS-1 is much fuller and smoother and is not as tinny and harsh. The instructions were detailed and complete. Thanks for a cool mod that really improves the stock Boss DS-1. Thanks, Tony Curtis
Rectifier — Hey, just thought I'd drop a line and say that the DS-1 mod is really something else. My band's other guitarist had his RAT stolen and didn't have the cash to get another one, so he picked up a DS-1 (apparently one of his favorite guitar players used one religiously throughout the eighties). It sounded passable out of the box, but just barely. Now the modded pedal has turned his Silverface Twin into an early Plexi! Those germanium diodes are my favorite part, so squishy and lifelike. I've since been trying to mod everything I can get my hands on and having a ton of fun with it, so thank you. Thanks again for a great mod and sending me down the wonderful road of DIY effects obsession. Take care. Rian Lewis, Lake Oswego, OR
Rectifier — Just wanted to drop you a note to say that the DS-1 rectifier kit sounds great!!! I also would like to know if I should be concerned if only one of the paired LEDs is illuminating? Everything else seems to be working fine. I tested the LED with a low voltage 'drained' 9v battery and it was working ok prior to installation. Josh Howe
Rectifier —Hi Monte, Just letting you know that I received the items, thank you. I will be in touch with you in a couple of weeks to order some more pedal mods. I have just finished the last mod DS1 and blown away by all the mods I don't want to put the guitar down. I have written 3 songs just by being motivated by the tones, so on to the guitar. Many thanks Monte. Kind regards, Brian Bongetti
Rectifier — Dear T-Von, man, Thanks, this thing (DS-1 mod) is RIPPING!! Took me about a half hour to install and I just finished up using it at this weekends gigs and could not be more pleased! Again thanks.
Dan Connor, Clayton, DE
Rectifier — Monte, I just finished installing your "Marshall In A Box" mod for my DS-1. Wow! It sounds great! I can actually articulate with this pedal now. This was my first foray into modding and soldering and I can't believe it turned out so awesome. Very fulfilling. I'm hooked! Can't wait to install the CS-3 Opto and BD-2 H2O mods I also ordered from you. You have some amazing products here. Thanks Very Much, Fred Crounse
Rectifier Tri-Gain Plus — Hi Monte, I just finished the tri gain + stacked chip mod and plugged it in front of my JMP50 and WHOA NELLY!!!! I wish my wife was not home so I could rock this thing for an hour or so! I just bought a MT-2 on ebay and I'll be ordering your mod kit for that this week. Nice work buddy! Thank you! David Dixon, Santa Rosa, CA
Rectifier Tri-Gain Plus — Just wanted to say that I performed my DS-1 Tri Gain mod this morning and everything went perfectly. Took about an hour and a half overall. The instructions were easy to follow and the pedal sounds great. Thanks Again, Eric Maier
Rectifier Tri-Gain Plus — You and I sir are developing a love hate relationship musically speaking. I love ya for my MOJOFIED Pedals. But I hate ya because you keep coming up with more. Your gonna get me shot by my wife. I have 4 of your pedal mods now. CS3 Opto, 2 SD-808s (one with Assym/Sym switch and 2x gain, the other no 2x gain no Assym. switch), and my new Tri-Gain Rectified DS-1. I just got the Tri-Gain Rectifier goin, Which sounds killer by the way, and now I just heard your SD-1 GT Mod. Dang you. Now I gotta buy that one too. HAHA Good for you I guess. You just want me to have 4 overdrive distortion pedals on my pedalboard don't you. It’s a conspiracy. Anyway, I love the tone on your GT sound clip. I have a couple of questions but first want to describe how I am running this rig of mine so you can elaborate. First I did something odd that worked great, I was toying with pedal placement one night and I put the CS3 after the SD's and DS, and my god it got even better. The sustain!!!! Here is CURRENT placement and current setup. SD808 # 1 (w/0 2x gain set as boost pedal) >>> SD808 #2 (2x gain, Assym. Gain at 9am) >>> DS-1 Recto. (Tri-gain Switch in middle or on LED Side, gain maxed) >>> CS-3 Opto >>> Into a Digitech gnx3000 for effects >>> Carvin Belair w/ 4x12 clean channel only. Comment. This setup is currently tonally killer. I have boost. I have SRV and VOXY TONE with the SD808 at 9am. I have killer 70's Marshall or Recto. tone with the DS-1. Then if I kick in SD-1 #2(2x gain, 9am unit) along with DS-1 I get killer EVH/80's metal. Mark Bakersfield, CA
Rectifier Tri-Gain Plus — Monte, Thanks for the switch. Hooked it up and this thing sounds…well….so analog! Fantastic. Really like it. Not sure this will take the place of my G-Major but it is still a really cool sounding mod. Easier to take the pedals out than a rack. Robert G Roy
Rectifier Tri-Gain Plus — Best thing I ever did for my pedal. I just bought one from your store, installed it in my DS1, and used it at a gig. I now truly have a Marshall in a box running through my Fender amp, and have the best of both worlds. Beautiful rich distortion, and I can hear the notes in chords much better. Funny story though . . . I originally modified this DS1 using a mod I found online (Overdrive Spider, or something like that). It was an old Robert Keeley mod for the DS1. Unfortunately, I was only able to get 250 volt 1 microfarad capacitors, which are gargantuan, as opposed to 50 volt which are probably the right size, but I was able to solder them in. I just had to bend some things around. Unfortunately I couldn't close the pedal, and had to build a plastic gasket to go around the back lid to raise it away from the circuit board. The funny thing is, I almost couldn't get the pedal closed when I soldered in the new opamp, but was able to bend some things around again, and close it up, with possibly a little curvature of the circuit board. I may have to add to the gasket a little, but it seems to be okay at this point. Anyway, thanks for selling those opamps. My SD1 with your mod sounds fantastic, as does the DS1, and I think my quest for ultimate tone is now complete. Feel free to post my comments on your site. Derrick Campbell, Boston, MA
Rectifier Tri-Gain — DS1 tri-gain Perfect solution. Regular DS1 mod may have, depending on pickup's output, a volume problem - too quiet, or better to say - can't make it louder than original signal. No problem with more vintage single coils. Anyway with tri-gain mod it has more option and can have more boost, without needing an extra booster. DS1 (modded of course) makes me forget, that I’m really playing a Fender... Vilho Meier
Rectifier Tri-Gain — Hey Monte, just wanted to say thanks for throwing in the LED. Your mods are top notch. After I installed the CMAT upgrade I put my pedal up against a Fulltone Fulldrive 2 & it smoked its ass! I was seriously considering a Fulldrive before I found your site. I just saved a shit load of dough. Thanks Mike Crandle
Rectifier Tri-Gain — I just finished the mod on my DS-1 and it's great. Followed your instructions to the letter, got to letter K, had a problem, rechecked, found it, and it sounds awesome! In this world of whiners, I just want to say thanks for a great product, excellent service, and fast shipping! Steve Robinson, Valencia,Ca.
Rectifier Tri-Gain — Hey Monte, I've been playing the DS-1 Rectifier and the H2O Blues Driver for 6 months now, so this is no honeymoon review. All I can say is WOW! The H2O is big, open, organic, transparent, low noise, with everything from subtle boost thru snarling madness. Hard to believe it's the same Boss pedal at all. The DS-1 Rectifier just Smokes the distortion box competition. Incredible range now with the Tone control and all the splatty decay and harshness is long gone. This is the distortion that I've searched for since 1985! And the recent Tri-Gain switch? Holy cow! The original Rectifier plus 2 additional types of gain, and every one of them a winner! Thanks for the simple, straightforward, well thought out mods, they don't just take these pedals to the next level, they are in a class all by themselves. Robert Lees, Massachusetts
Rectifier Tri-Gain — First of all, the praise…thanks for making such unbelievably good mods available to us for a very affordable price. You are a very gifted man in many ways. Next, onto the “business”… I ordered a DS1 Rectifier Tri-Gain CMAT kit on Sunday, 2/18…and then later ordered the DS1 “Standard” mod + a Tri-Gain CMAT upgrade kit on 2/20. When I ordered my MT-2 Sustainiac Tri-Gain kit back in December, I got an e-mail from you with the mod instructions attached. I haven’t received e-mails like that for either DS1 mod, so I was wondering if those e-mails/attachments were just delayed -or- if they were not available for the DS1 mods. Please advise. Brett Miller
Rectifier Tri-Gain — Hey, well, I just wanted to drop a line and give you a big thumbs up on your mod. The instructions that you provided was very thorough and easy to understand. Besides that, the mod for the ds-1 is just awesome... allowing for so many possibilities in tone and sound! I love my ds-1 now! you rule! i just hope to see more mods on other pedal types, to bring my stock drab pedals to totally rockin! Meanwhile, I plan to buy some other pedals, like the blues driver so I can mod it with your mod... keep up the awesome work! Too bad eBay’s' charging more cuz I hate to see that people aren't seeing your stuff because of that. Thanks again, Shaun Nguyen
Rectifier Tri-Gain —What can I say, My DS-1 Rect+ with Tri-gain mod is perfect and I'm seeing myself buying more DS-1 in the future to mod it to your specs. Just a while ago I listened to the SD-1 GT mod clip and that will be my next mission. Thanks, thanks, thanks! You and your work simply rock and rule! Ricky Vinluan
Rectifier Tri-Gain — Just wanted to say HOW GREAT my ds-1 Trigain+ mod came out. I MAINLY choose your kit over others because of the chip upgrade. I play around with audiophile stuff and am a great fan of updating chips and I must say it was a joy to hear the all of improvements, but the chip is a killer. Kind Regards, Reuben Pinkster, Melbourne, Australia
Rectifier Tri-Gain —I took the 2 leds they had in the thing and used those. Man these things sound incredible. Many kudos to you for this. I’m outting them through the paces right now and it sounds to me that the LED side of the switch is the worst of the 3 sounds LOL. The middle (I don’t know what that’s supposed to sound like but it sure does sound like it has the bottom end of a 4 x 12 cab. Some Back in Black rhythm sounds great here). The diode side sounds a bit like Satch to me. Of course I played a little Surfin with... just to be sure. Once again... Many thanks. I’m going to be rehousing these and I’m gonna be ordering some extra stickers. BTW, our opening acts guitarist will be in touch to order up some mods. He was blown away this weekend by the BD-2 mod and the Dyna Comp mod. Both were stock on his board.... Dickie Fredericks
Rectifier Tri-Gain —Luckily I have a background in electronics (BS degree in 85') and after cruising through the paperwork I figured out that you most likely pulled both the old diodes and swapped in one of the supplied 1N's as permanent, D4 I believe, and hooked the switch up as noted in the paperwork, seems to work fine, three tones with the louder less distorted being the middle, since only one diode is running at that point. After comparing to my original TS-9 (an early build first run model) and having to suffer using the thin sounding stock DS-1, I decided to install your Rectifier Tri-Gain mod to my DS-1. It now sounds 10,000 fold better than factory stock and I have three voices to choose from instead of only one, that's more than I can say for my TS-9. I commend you on the superb choice of hardware upgrades for the MOD. It really gives all my guitars a nice voice through any clean amp settings much less with some gain on a Mesa or Marshall. The way it reacts with my Line 6 Vetta is just incredible, it gives so much more control and tone, especially with my 62 less paul standard (not a reissue), your DS-1 Rectifier Tri-Gain plus those PAF's are absolutely a players dream. If I can only get that side vibrato to stay in tune better my life would be complete. I wouldn't hesitate to order your upgrade for my TS-9, that is if I ever go back to using it. Keifer Tech
Rectifier Tri-Gain — Hi Gary, the pedal arrived today, & I’m more than pleased. It sounds great & now has some real varied tones. Just want to say thanks, it’s been a pleasure. Mark Jeavons
Rectifier Tri-Gain — I have installed your mods in the TS-9, DS-1 (Tri-gain), BD-2 (H20), and SD-1 (808), and all of these pedals a fantastic. Each mod was the best $20 I've ever spent in the audio world. Thanks a bunch! Thanks for your quick response to my question on the DS-1. I have another question (if you happen to know off hand). I have an ultra bright LED and I want to install it in my TS-9. Do you know which resistor on the circuit board I should replace / eliminate to do some fine tuning of the brightness? All the best, Rob DeMar
Rectifier Tri-Gain — Thank You Monte! I installed the Rectifier CMAT Tri-Gain Mod on my DS-1 and I just have to say that I have been trying to get this tone for 15 years! Now I have it thanks to your mod. I have had this pedal sitting on the shelf since 1989 and every time I pulled it down and plugged it in I was never satisfied. It would go right back on the shelf. But now, with your mod installed, it has found a permanent place in effects chain. What an amazing difference! I have a 50 watt Marshall JMP that I had to turn up to 7-8 to get this tone, needless to say, neighbors didn’t necessarily enjoy it as much as I was, but nonetheless, it was the only way to get the tone. Now, I can turn the volumes way down and the pedal delivers that same rich, warm tone, even through a non-tube amplifier. The tones are broad, balanced and smooth. Jon Parkinson
Rectifier Tri-Gain — I recieved the DS-1 Rectifier Mod with Tri-gain switch yesterday. Thank you for the fast delivery. I was installing the mods until I noticed that I only had 2 LED's, one green and one red. I had the impression that I needed 2 LED's for the Tri-gain switch and one for the replacement LED. Kindly verify this. Looking forward to your response. Thank you. P.S. this is my second Mod, the first being a CS-3 Opto Mod. I still cant get over the sound produced through this pedal, I cant find the words to describe it. It’s nothing short of being amazing. I've shown it to several musicians and they all say the same. Keep up the good work and more power to you. Raff Garcia
Rectifier Tri-Gain — I finished the last mod yesterday. I must say I am amazed with how it sounds, the distortion is much more lush than I would imagine it would ever get. I especially like the switch, since I give me three different distortion voices. The knobs are also a lot more responsive like you mentioned. CyanideBlue
Rectifier Tri-Gain — I changed the switch and can now hear a big difference between the LED's (smooth and tube like) and the Diode Lift, & Diode mod. I still do not hear a huge difference between the diode lift & diode mode but I'll keep at it for a while. But I A/B-ed this modded DS-1 with my MIJ DS-1 and it is a world of difference. I'm almost embarrassed to think that I even liked the original after hearing these mods of yours. Gregory Timm
Rectifier Tri-Gain — I've just installed the DS-1 Rectifier Tri-Gain Mods... This a great value - so much so that I went out and purchased a CS-3 to try your mod (ordered this morning). Great stuff. I've been playing for over 30 years including some pro touring work in the '80's. Trust me when I say I've tried a lot of gear. Your DS-1 Rectifier and Tri-Gain mods turn any solid tube amp into a classic, boutique or modern gain amp with-in seconds. Well done! I've got a couple of questions for you. I read a post from a customer of yours that using the burr brown op amp took away that 'marshally' sound - the guy stated that he didn't use the BB op amp change, but did everything else. I elected to not install it for now and try for myself. I really like to sound, but would hate to got to the effort of installing the chip to a/b the tone - I'd probably have to record them to do a proper comparison, so... Q: Do you really think the BB chip will significantly alter the complexity of the distortion? I love the 'marshall' type sound that the pedal has with the mod, so I'd hate to lose it. Looking for advice... Next, there is a slight drop in gain on the double LED switch side vs. the double diode side. Both sound good, but there is a clear drop in volume, although not drastic when switching to higher gain. I'd say I have to increase the level control by 1/4 to 1/3 to match the gain on the diode side. Q: Is this by design, or is it related to the BB chip missing? Lastly, just some constructive comments I'd like to offer: I found it pretty tight to get 7 pieces of shrink tube out of the length supplied; we could use just a bit more. I would recommend you increase the shrink tube length by about 1/2 to 3/4 of any inch. Chris Johnson
Rectifier Tri-Gain — I have recently completed the Rectifier Tri Gain Mod on my recently purchased DS-1. I must say that out of the box the stock DS-1 was almost unuasable, too noisey, unlinear and inneffective controls and harsh sound (desireable for some). However, this mod has transformed the pedal, the range of sounds which this pedal can produce has been increased ten-fold. This pedal is of such good quality that its rivaling the o/d channel on my amp! It just goes to show what lower end pedals can do when good quality components are used, and a bit of tinkering is applied. My DS-1 wears the "Monte-Allums" signature sticker with pride! Cheers Kevin Macleod, Scotland
Rectifier Tri-Gain — I installed the DS-1 CMAT Dual Gain Switch Mod with no issues. This mod is the shit, the led's sound great. Nicholas B Lazoo
Rectifier Tri-Gain — I got the DS-1 instructions, as promised, and spent the afternoon completing the project. Wow. What a great-sounding mod! Well done! And all I've played with it so far is my Squier 50's Classic Vibe through a Vox AC4TV8 (which I'm also going to modify). Can't wait to get home to Louisiana and play it with my PRS and Mesa Express. The pedal cleans up great and sounds great with all of the crunchy settings. WAY more flexible than the stock circuit. Makes me wonder why manufacturers won't take just a little extra time and effort to get it right the first time. Hey - if you're going to sell me a box of fizziness, at least let me CONTROL the fizz. I bought this DS-1 last month for the express purpose of modding it, and boy did it ever sound lousy out of the box. Anyhow, I've got two issues left from the mod, and I suspect they may be related. I burned out the stock red indicator LED on the pedal after dropping in the new lower-value resistor. No issue, really, since I was wanting to change the color anyhow. Thanks again for your help and a great mod kit. I'm really glad that I took the time to do this one. It was my first one, too. Lots of fun. Regards, Dennis Yates Fort Polk, Louisiana
Rectifier Tri-Gain — First of all I have to say how much I dig your DS-1 mod I did. I ended up using the LEDs instead of the diodes, and it rocks too hard. I was going to put in the switch, but decided to just keep it simple. Anyway, the reason I am writing is about this Marshall SV-1. I bought one, and it has great sound, but it seems this noise without a special wall wart is everywhere. It works great with a new battery, but I have all my pedals on a godlyke daisy chain power supply with no batteries anywhere, and they all work great except this SV-1. Sounds awful. Do you have or are you working on a mod that will fix this noisiness? It is built like a tank, and I am keeping it against the day I can fix it and then add it to my board. Any thoughts? Mark Walker Rhodes
Rectifier Tri-Gain — My lord where have you been? DS-1 Rectifier Tri-Gain Mods this is the grail. After fixing it, got to hook it up to my amp rig. Oh my god, I just thought I had a good distortion sound. Now I have a great sound. I can't wait to do my other pedals. this pedal sounded awesome while using slide. It was effortless. monte you are my hero. Long live Monte, may come up some new ones how about a crybaby wah mod. Rick Mize, Portland, MO :-)
Rectifier Tri-Gain — I'm a guitarist from San Antonio, TX that has been playing for almost 20 years. After reading over your website today, I was moved to email you. I, too, suffered from the bane of crappy stock tone and didn't want to spend hundreds of dollars on boutique pedals. Through my own internet research I realized they were all just clones of already-existing pedals with upgraded components. That's when I started researching pedal mods. Again, through my research I found 2 companies that seemed the most legit. Yours and Mr. Robert Keeley. Having not personally played either company's pedals, I searched YouTube and other Internet sites that would give me a glimpse into what the new tones would be like. My twin brother called me from Germany one day asking me about tone and what I thought about pedals, tubes, speakers, etc. I just happened to be on your website when he called and I told him the main difference between you and Keeley is that you provide the mods and they are performed by the purchaser instead of shipping off your pedal and paying triple the price. Based on my recommendation, he bought your Blues Driver H2O mod. Mind you, I still hadn't personally used your mods yet. A few weeks later, he called me. He already had his guitar ready. Even over international phone lines, I could tell the tone was leagues better. That convinced me. Since then I've modded my TS-9 and a DS-1 I purchased specifically for modding. My brother has also done one of your Metal Zone mods as well. The purpose of this email is to thank you for providing quality product and great tone. By modding my TS-9 I solved the incredibly annoying feedback problem I was having when I used it as a boost after another overdrive pedal. Also, my bandmates have affectionately nicknamed my Allums modded DS-1 "Thor" because of the god-like gain that comes from it. I plan on adding stacked Burr Brown's into it to further enhance its already great tone. Just yesterday I purchased the SD-1 GT mod and I can't wait for it to come. I've recorded with the Super Overdrive before but never actually owned one. I tried it stock last night with the rest of my rig and it sounds pretty good stock but I know that after the Allums mod it's going to sound amazing. I wanted to let you know, you've got a customer for life and thanks again for your hard work in designing these mods and making them available to working guitarists such as myself. If you get the chance, please check out my new band's website. The heavy rhythm guitar on the song "Take" features your Rectifier mod on the DS-1. I'm pretty sure I used the TS-9 stacked with it as well. Thank you, again. I will continue to recommend you in the future. Chuck Costello
Rectifier Tri-Gain — HEY MONTE, JUST GOT DONE WITH MY DS-1 RECTIFIER MOD AND IT KICKS ASS. I OWN A KEELEY DS1 MODDED PEDAL AS WELL AND YOURS HANDS DOWN SMOKES IT. YOURS IS MUCH MUCH MORE TRANSPARENT, AND IT HAS A VERY WIDE RANGE OF TONES FROM LITE OVER DRIVE TO THE SATCH THING LIKE YOU SAID, ALSO PINCH HARMONICS JUMP OUT OF THIS THING. THE KEELEY PEDAL IN COMPARISON IS BOOMIER AND MUDDY, YOU REALLY HAVE TO KIND OF FIGHT WITH IT TO GET PINCH HARMONICS OUT OF IT BECAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE IT HAS A BLANKET OVER IT. I HAVE DONE 3 OF YOUR MODS SO FAR THE DYNA COMP, OD-3 AND DS-1 AND THY ARE ALL GREAT, THANKS AGAIN MONTE FOR THE GREAT PR0DUCTS, I AM A CUSTOMER FOR LIFE. CHRIS CONDON, JUPITER FL
Rectifier Tri-Gain — Just wanted to thank you for the great DS-1 Tri-Gain Mod. Just got my DS-1 back post mod from CMATMODS, and it really sounds amazing. I still can't believe its the same little nasal pedal I got a few weeks back. Great mod, and much thanks for it. Dustin (Lycan) Valdez
Rectifier Tri-Gain — Just wanted to email you and let you know that how awesome your mods are. I've had 3 pedals modded with your kits, all of which bring the tone leaps and bounds above there out-of-the-box sound. The first mod I got was the DS-1. The pedal was instantly nastier. Now I don't use distortion as much as others so I'm in no way any kind of authority on 'em, but overdrive pedals are a different story. I've had a lot of overdrives. I've had to stay away from vintage overdrives as the price for any of the classics (a TS-808 for instance) can top 500 bucks. Your modded Boss pedals put them all to shame (Boss included). My second mod was the SD-1 and man I absolutely love that pedal!!! The sound was so much more warm and organic after the mod. My newest mod is the H2O.....Jesus Christ on a cracker!!! The response on this pedal now is unbelievable!!! I have never, NEVER, NEVER have been more satisfied with a pedal!!! I just did this one last night so I'm still a bit happy about it (I'm at work now and can't wait to get back to play on it). From the reviews I've read the Keeley mods don't have a bad track record but I'm 3 and 0 with you so please, PLEASE come up with a TR-2 mod (or maybe you could do one especially for me with the dual functions of volume and trem and true bypass.....I'll pay you :-)). Once again, great job, man. Grayson Anthony
Rectifier Tri-Gain —I got the chance to do a shootout of a few high gain pedals the other day. Included in these were your DS-1 rectifier (Obviously), MI Audio crunch box, Carl Martin Heavy Drive, MI Audio Tube Zone, Visual Sound Jekyll and Hyde. I am so impressed how well your mod kept up, and some areas super ceded these pedals, some of which are over three times its price. The noise floor was one of the lowest, in dynamics and touch response it was the best, also in harmonic content, and it cleaned up the best of the lot.In fact, it's only real rival in this collection was the crunch box. Intrigued, I opened it up to find box metal film and tantalum caps, two leds in the clipping section and a JRC chip, with an illegible label. I suspect that your rectifier tri-gain mod would probably push my humble orange box into pole position. Just a bit about me: I am a session player in the SA scene, currently performing with multi platinum artist Nianell and Idols series one winner Heinz Winckler, as well as appearances on crossover star Loyiso Bala's SAMA award winning album "Blow your mind". I'm not in the A team, but I perform with them often, and enjoy their friendship and respect. It's a small industry here, with Gold status being achieved at only 20 000 units sold. Boss pedals are a mainstay among the real players here, most especially the BD-2 and DS-1, and I look forward to showing mine off to my peers. This is leading to two things. Firstly, I would even know what any of these components were, let alone that they have a positive effect on tone were it not for you. I am bitten. I have now organized to spend some time shadowing a local tech, and intend on grabbing a few books on the subject. I feel like I no longer have to accept shortcomings in any piece of equipment, and that I am empowered to change them, warranty be damned. I also have learnt the valuable lesson that price is not always directly proportional to quality, use your ears! (Speaking of which, I think yours should be insured!!!) Thank you Monte, for improving a whole drawer full of my pedals, and giving me a changed perspective on the tools we as players use. Secondly, and this is probably a little beyond the call of duty, I still would like to tweak the DS-1 a little further. The pedal is SO close to being exactly what I need, just one last aspect is missing: I wish it had more bite in the upper mids. When you described your SD-1 mod as "early Zeppelin tone", that's the midrange I'm looking for, but with DS-1 levels of gain. Do you have any recommendations to tweak the circuit further for me? Maybe a range of values from subtle to extreme? Thomas Selmer-Olsen
Rectifier Tri-Gain — I recently bought your DS-1 Tri-Gain mod. I simply cannot believe the sound I'm getting from this $39 pedal. BRAVO, man. I simply cannot hear ANY difference in the signal, even when the DS-1 off, and NOT looped out of the main chain. For that reason, I have kept it in the main signal chain. The reason I ask is because I wonder if this pedal, post-mod, is now acting as a high impedance input buffer. Regarding the tuning offsets, I have a custom built tele with an aftermarket neck (the slim kind, not the thicker vintage size). I want to install a brass e-nut and tuning offsets, but I have one issue: I'm left handed. Puh-leease tell me you have room in your universe of perfect tuning for leftys. I do not see information about it on the site. Can you do lefty tuning offsets? I'd imagine the eNut itself is universal, right? Erich Lenz
Rectifier Tri-Gain — First of all thank you very much for your wonderful mods. I got your DS-1 Rectifier mod a little while back and yesterday I ordered DS-1 TRI-Gain Upgrade Kit and CS-3 Opto Plus mod. I'm very happy with the Rectifier's tone - I just can't get enough of it!!! Now I can't wait to modify my stock CS-3. Roman Vaxenburg
Rectifier Tri-Gain — I am having a blast installing your mods in my Boss pedals and I am truly happy with the improved tone and capabilities. I have a dozen Boss pedals and will soon have the Full Monte on my pedal board as I max out all of the mod options. I have one question if you have the time to offer a suggestion. Not realizing I had a vintage DS-1, I now have a left over Burr Brown OPA2134PA and chip adapter from the Rectifier Tri-Gain Plus mod. I have a modded MT-2 (Sustainia w/Tri-Gain) and CS-3 (Opto) that were modded without the Burr Brown chip option. Now with the spare parts available which pedal would most benefit from the chip mod and which in-line chip do I replace? Thanks again for your great products, concepts and customer service! Steve Wellein, Arizona
Boss CE-2 Mods
CE-2 — Hi, I have your boss ce-2 mod and it is incredible! I was wondering if you think it will work in an Ibanez CS-9? Wade Oshio Hawaii, USA
CE-2 — Hi monte, First off I just want to say an enormous thank you for the CE-2 mod. I was very skeptical about the impact the mod would actually have, fearing that it might all just be hype or people hearing what they both want and think they should hear. I was most certainly set straight, as even halfway through the mod, the difference to the sound was absolutely enormous. It's now a permanent addition to the effects chain and the mod will pay for itself within a few weeks, simply because I don’t have to waste money on a stream of batteries or an old boss adaptor! Once again, Monte saves the day. I’ve attached the photos of the GEB-7 that you requested (I’m sorry about the large size of the photos - I was reluctant to shrink them down too much). Hope they come in handy. Also, I’ve recently purchased a CS-3 for modding very cheap off eBay. The plastic housing for the AC input is completely shattered, so if i attempt to plug it in, the metal connection is simply pushed into the pedal. I see that you sell AC connections to convert other pedal's inputs to a Boss-friendly version. Would this be usable as a replacement? There are 3 wires hanging loose in there now (2 x Red and 1 x Blue), and I don’t want to bother buying an input off you if it's not suitable. Thanks again - you rule supreme, Si and Face www.myspace.com/silvacode MSN Hotmail is evolving check out the new Windows Live Mail. Simon Lewis
CE-2 — I hope you are doing well. I modded my GE-7 and CE-2 with your kits and played with the pedals for some time now. I know this pedals inside out since many years and what shall I say: I´m totally blown away!!! I never thought, that this box will sound so good after the mods. The CE-2 is a killer chorus now and the GE-7 is absolutely free from any hiss and noise. Great man, you know your business!!! We are running a shop for guitar parts and DIY stuff for guitarists, and I think your pedal mod kits would be a perfect addition - so are you interested to have a distributor for your kits over here in Europe? If you are interested, you can have a look at our webpage: www.singlecoil.com Hope to hear you soon and take care, Dirk
CE-2 — Monte, Just a note to say the chorus mod works great and sounds really creamy. Thanks, Best, Kevin D. Hamilton
CE-2 — Thanks for the parts. I actually got a Single Pole Triple Throw toggle switch and wired up a tri-gain mod with the 7.5 k resistor in addition to yours. That turned out surprisingly well. Had to rotate the drive pot 180 deg to get the butt end of the switch to fit - but had no problem. Took the CE-2 and SD-1 down to the music store for some gear junkies to try. They all loved the mods. I didn't realize how much better the CE-2 was until I heard some others. It has a much wider range and a more defined 'sweep' if you will. It is much more musical. The SD-1 GT just sounds great the third resistor really helps change the gain structure of the drive knob. You by far have the best product for the price. Those guys couldn't believe I only had $50 total in the SD-1. Anyway - you sent me some LEDs - thanks - the yellow one is very, very dim. It barely lights up. I have never known an LED to be bad. Does this one take a different resistor? All the others worked just fine. And I did have the 'flag' facing the right direction. Thanks again!!! Let me know what you think about the LED. Thanks, Aaron Puttcamp
CE-2 —This mod is truly amazing! No problems installing it, but I think I may have liked the tone best before the opamp mod. When I tried to compare the two I realized I hadn't noted the orientation of the original chip, though. Can you tell me which way the writing faces? There's a dot on one end of the chip -- does it go towards that little circle on the board? I thought I remembered which way it went, but couldn't get it to work - could I have I fried the chip by putting it in backwards, or was it just my faulty 3AM soldering skills? I put the opamp back in and the pedal works good, but I'd still like to compare the two sounds. Before I did the last mod I couldn't put my guitar down it sounded so good! I might not fully appreciate the opamp until I use it on the gig this weekend -- I know tone at home doesn't equal tone on stage. I may feel differently about the added "clarity", etc. when I get a chance to crank it. Overall I'm extremely happy with the improvements to this pedal!!! Thanks in advance for your help. Thom Brack
CE-2 — Wow! Man, this pedal sounds gorgeous, incredibly reminiscent, (if not a lot better than my original I got back in 1980)! With my Strats it sounds almost crystalline, shimmering away beautifully, and surprisingly quiet to boot!? It's a truly inspirational mod, well done & thanx so much! Best regards, Mike Christer
CE-2 — I recently purchased a chorus pedal mod for my ce-2b and have to say WOW. I’ve been playing bass for 35 years both professionally and for the sweet love of it. I use this pedal with a Nikki Sixx acoustic bass and want to tell you your mod is simply much more organic than the original pedals sound. Thank you very much for this. Wayne Dupuis
CE-2 — Let me first say how much I'm digging your CE-2 mod. One of my CE-2's has the Keeley mod, I wish it didn't. I really like yours much better, it seems to have a bit more mid punch which I like. Anyways, excellent job! Question is, I'm looking to mod my stock BD-2 (I have a Keeley modded BD-2 which I do NOT like) with one of your kits - can't decide on which one. I'm sure you get this question a ton so please forgive. I'm looking for a
Plexish-type of OD, like a "cleaner" overdrive rather than distortion. Looking forward to you perhaps giving a bit more insight on the two mods (BD2 vs BD2 H20) Thanks again for all your research. Tim Ploughe
CE-2 — I just got done modding my seventh pedal this week. I love them all.
CE-2 awesomely smooth, best chorus I've ever heard
TS-9 I have two and I did them both--great
MT-2 much more usable and tight
SD-1 Much cleaner--awesome
BD-2 now its incredible in the higher gain settings
CS-3 now a very usable compressor--nice
Thanks for everything. I had no problem with the mods at all--very good instructions. Thanks! First one took three hours, then only an hour after that and I have no electronic experience. Keep rocking for Jesus! Mike Rose
CE-2 — I know you're a busy man, as am I, but I want to give you some feedback because your customer service was great and I think you deserve it! I finally completed all the mods I've bought from you some months ago. And I can say without exception this stuff rocks! Being used to modding computers and stuff like that, I've acquired some new skills and a taste for some nice electronics and soldering, thanks for that! About the mods: The SD-1 GT mod, makes a nice versatile overdrive which I can use in different ways, truely makes a "nice" pedal, a boutique like pedal which would have cost me at least €200,-. Now it cost me as much as €40, and I've learned some neat skills! You told me this was the right mod for my sound and you've been absolutely right! I'll take your advise any day! The BD-2 H20 mod revived an old overdrive of mine, which I retired as being to gritty and hash on my sound. This baby rocks! A very nice transparent, jet analog sound. And as you said: tons of tonal possiblities. I truely love it! The GE-7 (old style japan) left me with at least 2/3 of the hiss missing. I love it! And with the mods above it can really make me roar like I want to! (without all the noise I used to have). Now the DS-1 rectifier mod I've kept for last. And was happy to do so. I think my DS-1 is as old as my girlfriend is. My board was totally different from the board in the instructions. And to make matters worse only some diodes were numbered. But with the new skills I've learned, I could piece together the mod. I've kept the original capacitor and am in doubt I've I should complete the mod totally. The DS-1 already growls like it's on steroids, but keeps sucking tons of tone (some tons less than premodded I must say) so this on didn't keep to stay on my board. Oh, and of course the shielding of my strat worked like a charm, with all the nice od's I've got now, I'm miles closer to "my sound"! Thank you so much for that. My next project will be modding my TR-2 and DD-3 to your specs. I don't want to mod my mint CE-2 (I like it slow) but I'm thinking of buying a CE-2, CS-3 (I like my CS-2 but it sucks tone like the DS-1) and MT-2 cheap just for the fun of modding them. One question though, I've seen your plans for modding the NS-2 on your site. I'd really want to mod this sucker, as it plays a vital role on my board in keeping the noise down, but I feel it could be a better pedal. Is there a mod for the NS-2 coming? Monte, I'm a skeptical, liberal Dutchman and I don't really like saying things like "you're a God of tone" but you are, thanks for that and the sweet sounds you gave me! Keep up the good work! And greetings from Amsterdam. Daniël Wunderink
CE-2 — Firstly, thank you for the fabulous kits!! In the last year or so I’ve purchased kits for the Boss SD-1, CE-2, CS-3 and just recently the BD-2 Blues Driver. They sound fantastic, we’re very happy with them. I’ve been rebuilding my recording studio after about 10 years off (raising children) and also put together a pedal board for people to use when recording (see photo – “Pedalboard_01.jpg”). I’m an audio engineer, not a player, so while I can hear how much better the pedals sound, I rely on my guitarist friends to tell me how they like the equipment and they all absolutely love the pedal mods, so thanks again. I give the kits to my tech to install in the pedals and when I gave him the Blues Driver kit, he noticed the 8 way socket & board I’ve included in the other picture (“Socket.jpg”) from your instructions. He was impressed by the quality of the part and was curious to know if you are able to provide them (or recommend a supplier) as a separate item. Like many things, they’re difficult to source here in Australia. He’s not talking about huge numbers of them, but mentioned that they could use them when re-configuring mixing consoles and other gear where the 8-way in-line part needs to be changed to the “paired leg” style chip. I hope you can help out there, it would be greatly appreciated. If you let me know the situation I’ll put him in touch with you. Once again, thanks for those great sounds and Best Wishes from Downunder, Malcolm Hay (Guessongs) Adelaide, South Australia
CE-2 — Well I was a little skeptical about the results I would get with these mods. After spending about 20 min installing the first mod BOSS CE2, I have to say Holy Smokes this peddle is way above what I hoped it would be. KILLER mod and worth every penny. I cant wait to complete the CS3 mod. Very satisfied and returning customer. THANKS!, Dan Rocha, Perris, CA
CE-2 — Wow I just got my mod for the CE2 and it sounds amazing. I thought before the mod the pedal was amazing. I now have more range with my knobs and the pedal is just more shimmery. Ron Johnson, Mexico
CE-2B — I just finished modding my CE2B. It sounds fantastic now! Now I hear the effect a lot better on the low strings, fat sound, wow and very quiet. I'm not sure the blue LED is necessary, maybe I put in in later. Thanks for the nice kit and excellent instructions! Regards, Dave Hoop
CE-2B — Just finished the ce-2b mod. Wow! It really kicks a$$! What was the resistor for? I couldn't find that in the instructions... Thanks! Christian Boeger
Ibanez/Maxon Mods
TS9 Tri-Gain — I've just got back to pick up the TS-9 modified at the tech, the sound is awesome! The volume increased to insane levels and the saturation is filled with sweet harmonics too! The 3-way switch makes it extremely versatile and the difference in sound and volume are very noticeable! the only thing i can't tell a difference it's the 2-way switch, to me, sounds the same, I’ll try it with other amps and guitars, or maybe the tech screwed up! I’ll check it out this weekend and keep you informed, thanks for such a great mod, tomorrow or maybe Monday I’ll go to pick up the OS-2, can't wait to hear it!! have a great weekend and take care! Hector Rivera S.
TS9 Tri-Gain — I'd like to start by thanking you for the excellent service and product you offer. I recently finished both mod projects, the TS-9 Tri-Gain and the CS-3 Opto Plus. Both came out spectacularly, if I do say so myself. This is thanks to your excellent design and beautifully clear, specific instructions. I thoroughly enjoyed the DIY aspect of these, and I only had limited soldering skills beforehand. The Tri-Gain mod added frequency response and a whole bunch of tone options with the two switches. The Opto Plus added clarity and oomph and markedly reduced noise, just as you suggested. Both came out very well for bass, my instrument of choice. Mark J Morrow, MD
TS9 Tri-Gain — Thanks for the reply. I found an almost broken lead on the gain switch and a couple of bad solders which I cleaned up. I cleaned up the board with electronic cleaner and put some electrical tape in strategic spots. Also because the presence switch is so dramatic, the tone control is a little more subtle. The gain switch is now quite out of this world. Job well done. Phil Helliwell
TS9 Tri-Gain — Just wanted to say your mods rock! Got your TS tri gain mod today and what a difference! I have a ri 808 so mine already has a jrc chip in, and am not sure whether the one in the mod will be that drastic a change, but the changes make the world of difference! You are officially my new hero! Cheers! Lewis Dinsdale
TS9 Tri-Gain —Hi Monte, I love the mods. I've done the cs-3, ts9tg and the ts9dx and all of them are great. I couldn't ask for anything more and at that price you can't beat it. In the very near future I'll be ordering one more ts9tg and ts9dx. On my ts9tg with the tg switch on the most gain I have the drive and level at 12 o'clock with the tone at 9. With the tg switch in the middle I can turn the drive all the way up and the level at 9 with the tone at 9 and get a huge full stack sound. This is a very versatile pedal to say the least. I have a prs hollow body that was giving me some harmonic problems when I would have the sustainer and distortion on. I would hit a high b note and hear the octave below, I thought it was a combination of my speakers and eq but it turns out that it was the sustainer pedal. After doing the mod it fixed the problem. Now I'm getting these beautiful harmonics. That's the one thing I love the most about the cs3 mod, thank you so much for that. The only gripe I have is that your site said the ts9dx kit came with the jrc4558d chip but it came with the opa2134pa. I know there's not a huge difference but I had read some reviews and out of five or six different chips the 2134 was rated the lowest. I feel lucky that I can easily get a 4558 from barber electronic. On another note I'm in the market now for a true bypass pedal for my board. One pedal to bypass my whole board. Any suggestions? Anything for diy's? If you use one which one do you like? I could go on all day about how much like the mods but if you do want a more in-depth description of my usage of the pedals I'd be more than happy to help. I'm one very happy customer. Thank you again and I look forward to seeing more mods. If you need or if you know anyone that is in the market for a one off custom guitar please let them know about me www.rhotonguitars.com. Take care, Dan Rhoton
TS9 Tri-Gain — First off, it's pretty straightforward and easy to do...so anyone that can't handle this one just needs to forget modding anything. Second, I was skeptical of how much of a difference it would make. I've got a pretty simple set up: Strat or Tele >True Bypass Fuzz>true bypass Cry Baby > True bypass clean boost > TS-9> THD Bivalve amp. I kind of like the 'mid hump' of the tube screamer. I use George L cable and I didn't really have the whole "tone suck" issue with the TS-9 that people talk about...in fact, I don't really notice any. However, I do notice a slight loss when I take it out of the chain so I suppose it has something to do with the buffers in the Ibanez. I'm no electronic whiz; I just trust my ears. My issue was that at stage/club volumes the TS-9 just sounded harsh, buzzy, garbled, etc. Since I didn't want to go the whole boutique, true bypass, high dollar route on an overdrive I though at $20 it was worth a shot. I got the kit two days before a gig at a club here in NC, so I wanted to start with just a few parts of the mod. I did the IC and the output resistors plus one of the Caps (It took, maybe 30 minutes). I tested it briefly to make sure that it worked and then two days later it was on the stage. Hard to believe that 4 simple components could make such a difference, but they really did. It sounded noticeably less like a stomp box in the signal chain and more...just more. Hard to explain but I guess "warm" would be the best word. I can't really comment on low volume applications yet, but at live volumes it really makes a big difference. Anyway, I just felt compelled to tell how pleased I am so far. By the way, great testimony/faith journey on your web site. Also very inspiring. Chip Meyers
TS9 Tri-Gain — I have modded 2 of my pedals with your outstandingly great mods, an ORIGINAL Ibanez TS9 with the tri-gain and presence switches and a Boss GE7. I can't believe how amazingly quiet the GE7 is now and the TS9 is so versatile and the tones that I can squeeze out of this little green magic box are just amazing! I plan on modding my Boss MT-2 Metal Zone with one of your mods; I haven’t made up my mind yet on which one. You might realize that I am a very happy customer :) I am planning on using one of your mods to mod my Ibanez TS7. I love the sound of the pedal already especially the "HOT MODE," the only problem is that it's very noisy, the "TS9 MODE," is not that noisy at all, however, I want to keep the original sound/tone of the hot mode but eliminate the noise. Can you advise me of how to go about this? Terry Jones
TS9 Tri-Gain — I played my first gig with the TS9 in it's newly modified state. Tone, Tone, Tone... Did I mention TONE! The presence switch gives great flexibilty. More presence for a smal practice room and one flip of the switch and it is club ready. No other adjustments were necessary. Thanks... $22 turned that pedal into a classic blues sound that I have worked towards for many, many moons. Michael Boone
TS9 Tri-Gain — Just wanted to tell you how great the mod sounds! My guitar now sounds like my guitar and not a TS9 midrange hump! Thanks very much, Jim Youngman, Cocoa, FL
TS9 Tri-Gain — Wow, Monte! I had the mods done in an hour and your recipe was fantastic! My pedal gets the same tones you have on your site. I had tried all the popular Internet mods on my Boss SD-1. Fuzz Central, DIY, TS808, SD1 to Fulltone... you name it. You have the right combination to turn the SD-1 into a wide range, chewy, three-dimensional tone box. My Strat sounds amazing through the Boss using your mods into a 1X12 tube combo. I can't wait to use it for worship at church next week. Watch for me ordering some more of your mods soon. Gary Mould, Palmdale, CA
TS9DX — These are staple pedals for my rig. I've used them in different ways. They're really I'll I understand in effects. They sound like I just flipped a switch and made them do what they were intended for. I was happy with the tone before. Now there's just something better about them. Nice work. Not to mention it was fun. I really got good at soldering by the time I was soldering the TS9DX. Robert M DeSutter
TS9DX— Thank you again for re-sending me the mod package, it's damn sure appreciated. I finally got my Ibanez Turbo Tubescreamer TS9DX back form my tech and cannot believe the life your mod kit breathed into it. I told him to go ahead and slap the whole enchilada in there and good Lord, the pedal now has more sonic girth and enriched EQ across the spectrum with authoritative mids and the lows are THERE!! No more tone getting neutered when I kick on my overdrive. Each of the 4 modes remained distinctly different but are all markedly filled-out and more full-sounding than I was expecting. The dynamics and tone are alive. This was definitely a good call to try your mod and I will most certainly be forcing my guitarist buddies around Charlotte to try it in front of their rigs. Thanks so much, I'm diggin this immensely!! Regards, Cole Hadel
Maxon OD-808 —Mr. Monte, So I finally got over to Radio Shack and got a new solder iron so I could mod the pedals. I must say I'm quite impressed especially at how much the sound is improved and how little I spent. I was wondering, I own a Maxon OD808 and think it could benefit from a mod. Does that box have the same scheme as the other tubescreamers and would your mod work with it the same way? Also, do you do any wah mods? If not, are there any you would recommend? Hey man, thank you so much. I love what you are doing. You are enabling musicians (who are generally broke) to really have a sound that they are proud of. Uriah Rinzel
TS9 — Just wanted to say that I now understand your 100% feedback rating! I managed to do all three mods myself (TS-9, Daddy-O, and Dyna Comp) with no problems. Your directions were spot on and the tone! Wow! I own each of these pedals because they all had some great qualities, but with your mod kits installed, my three inexpensive, decent-quality stomp boxes have turned into pricless, botique tone machines. Instead of having a couple of sweet spots on each pedal, the entire range of each pedal is useful. Sweet toneful options up and down the scale. The harshness of the Dyna Comp is gone. The limited drive of the Daddy-O is now totally useable and the TS-9 truly sounds better than a vintage 808 with way more tonal options. Thanks again for a great product. I'll be looking for your kits for almost every pedal I purchase from here on out, and I'll be spreading the word! Ryan Horyza, Riverton, WY
TS9 — I’ve finished the mods of TS9 and SD 808. The mods TS9 are Great, the sound is better a lot. But, I prefer the JRC4558 than the RC4558. The sounds of the mods SD1 in SD808 are incredibly better than the original. I am an amateur in electronics, the mods are easy to do. I’ve checked the pedals after every mods, Which pleasure to discover the improvements. Thank you very much for your researches. I think that I am going to buy the modifications for the blues driver. Alain PIERSON, BELFORT, FRANCE
TS9 — Well you have done it again. I totally love my modded TS-9. I have never really been into pedal effects because they never sounded good to me. I was interested in getting into modding because I did not want to pay $239 for a modded Tube Screamer. So I took a chance on the MT-2 mod cuz I never liked it and I got it cheap a long long time ago. The TS-9 is now modded and rocks. I have already orderd the CS-3 mod. I can kinda hear what I am about to unleash in the CS-3. I have my eye on a GE-7 next. My wife is gonna kill me. Brian Blevins
TS9 —I recently bought the TS-9 and the SD-1 GT mods from you and my lead guitarist and I have just done the mod on his TS-9. I must say it has made a big difference to the tone, really smooth and you can really hear the notes being played. It was a good sounding pedal before and the mod has made it excellent, he's got some amazing blues sounds out of it and he even got a nice light grungy sound when the gain was cranked! Couldn't get that before. Paul Ashley, UK
TS9 — And the result .... Just amazing! My TS9 was one of weakest I have even heard and now it's like an "old-very-expensive" one, warm and powerful in the same time. Same for my Boss 'blues driver' witch is now a real super overdrive with upgraded harmonics, great sustain and a very dynamic sound! I'm very satisfied, thank you for everything, sure I will recommend yours mods. Jean-luc Loumes, France
TS9 —On another note, I turned one of my friends onto you site and he ordered the TS-9 full on mod in September. It sat around and I convinced him into just letting me do it. WOW not much room to work with, small PCB. That is buy far the greatest pedal I have ever heard! If I had three thumbs, they would all be very correct! Is your personal unit even better??? Love you more with every mod! Peace, Tony
TS9 — Did the TS9 mod today and the pedal sounds great. I was gonna sell this pedal 'til I did your mod, sounds too good to get rid of now. Thanks. Scrap Nixon
TS9 —Dear Mr. Allums, I just finished installing the TS9 mod and it is amazing! It literally woke up the pedal. It's a great mod. It's better than any other mod that I have heard. You should put some demos on You Tube and show the world your work. Sensei Alfaro
TS9 — Hello, Monte. Hope all is well with you today. I just entered my order for 3 mod kits and would like the SD-1 GT kit for my free kit. One of these kits is for a friend who has heard the massive improvement in tone your kits provide. He’s disenchanted with his TS9, so this may give him a second honeymoon with this particular pedal. I’ll look forward to your reply- thanks in advance. Buddy Kuhn
TS9 — Hi Monte, a quick email to say thank you for your TS9 mod. It is great! The instructions were great and even a complete amateur like myself had no problem with any part of the modification. Brett Harding, Toronto, ON
TS9 — Monte, I completed the TS9 mod (1 at a time then checking as suggested ... I took my time and enjoyed the experience!) and all went very well indeed. I am quite amazed at the difference. This well loved old TS9 is back in as my main overdrive now. My eyes and my ears are open again. Thank you so much. An excellent mod for sure! It sounds incredible!!! Scott Pendlebury, Sydney Australia
TS9 — I modded my ts9... It sounds amazing to say the least!!!.... I'm going to try the burr brown op amp next.... Thank you.... All my friends down at the blues jams want one(ts9mod) now too. Jeff Cosbar
TS9 —I just completed your TS9 mod and I cannot be happier with it. I have a shy tube amp and the stock TS9 just wasn't cutting it. This took it where I wanted to go and beyond. Even after just installing the "Brown Mod" I was extremely happy. If the pedal sounded this good stock, I would have paid double the price of the original pedal. Absolutely fantastic. Can't wait to start on the BD2 now! Thanks a bushel!! Daniel Atwood, Waynesville, NC
TS9 — Dear Monte, Good Golly! I don't need to test my TS9 with your mod for long, by just hearing it, I know now what its all about. Everything is so well balanced and it compliments my strat so well. I can imagine the time and effort you have put into this. I tried reducing the 4.7k resistor and like you said, it did affect the tone and I don't like it either, but I'm very happy with what it is now. Thanks for your mod and help all along. Sincerely. Davin Bak, Malaysia
TS9 — Just installed all the mods on my TS9 - it SOUNDS GREAT, and it's now USABLE! I have been playing through a DOD distortion pedal for a year or more because my band mates thought the TS9 was too harsh - but boy do I have a surprise for them - thick, smooth, tasty distortion like the foam on a Guinness draught! Thanks Monte! Greg DeMars, Dallas, TX
TS9 — Hey Monte, thanks for the quick shipping and quality packaging. I finished the TS-9 mod last night. Your instructions are easy to follow and the pedal sounds great. Please look into doing the Sparkle Drive Mod as I will be one of the first to buy. I will be modding my CS-3 tonight and can't wait to hear the finished product.Paul Kwant, Big Rapids, MI
TS9 — Hi Monte, just letting you know I bought a TS-9 mod from you on eBay a month or so ago, and last night my buddy did the work for me and it (the pedal) sounds unreal...Great sounding pedal now....There is a huge difference as you know after this mod was complete. I will be trying the MXR compressor mod next...Thanks again.
Monty J. Derhak, Medford, OR
TS7 — Just wanted to let you know that I was very pleased with the results from your TS-7 mod. Both humbuckers and single coils sound much better through it now. The sound seems to have a better edge to it now and pinch harmonics are easier to achieve at lower distortion levels. I can also get good sounds out of the hot switch now. It wasn't usable at all before. It was more difficult to take the pedal apart than it was to perform the mods. I use the pedal through a Heathkit EA-2 Hi-Fi that was converted to a Princeton circuit and it never sounded better. Thanks.
Brian Ruther
TS7 — I received the kit today. It took @ 45 minutes to install. (Great instructions, btw). I'm sure you already know, but I just have to say it anyway. Your kit is simply awesome. My box actually has clarity and tone now. I have an old MIJ squire "test mule" with a decent V neck, Fralin Blues special pups and the Clapton pre amp installed. I turned the (pre amp) boost to zero, ran through the TS7 into a Music Man 110 RD. (Not my best amp). Just a simple little scale run had me convinced. It really is a screamer now.
Ray Vinson, Newport, NC
TS7 — Hi Monte, I received the TS7 mod kit I purchased from you yesterday and installed it. I must tell you that I have listened to numerous mods on the Internet and yours is by far the best sounding one I have ever heard! Your instructions were clear and easy to follow. I took the modified pedal into the music store (Howren Music) where I purchased it today on my lunch hour to demo it for my friend Frank Adams who works there. Frank played through it and he was amazed! He has made his living playing guitar for over 20 years and has played or owned about every kind of overdrive out there so I really respect his opinion when it comes to tone. He is currently using a Fulltone Fulldrive 2 for his overdrive but I have a feeling that may change if he uses your mod on one of his pedals! They say word of mouth is the best form of advertisement and you can be sure I'll be blabbing all over the Charlotte, NC area about your products. Keep the great products coming and I'll keep buying! Richard Newton, North Carolina
TS7 — I tested my modded TS7 in my setup with my band last night and it was really good and had reached and even went beyond all my expectations about it. My Twin Reverb even with P-90 pups on my Tele already gives ''THE'' tone with the pedal set to clean boost. I like the distortion from the HOT mode also but the TS9 is a winner!!! Can't wait to put my Strat back together and try it. Your sticker found its place on the front of my TS7 for everyone to see where the tone came from!!! Thanks and best regards, Peter Hajdu-Slovenia, EU
TS7 — I have to tell you that I tried another internet mod on a different TS7 that I had and I botched the job In part due to inexperience, but also to lack of clarity despite ample documentation. Your TS7 mod kit was refreshingly clear and easy to follow. There was NO guesswork. More importantly, I can't believe the sounds that I'm getting from a used $25 pedal. It actually sounds better than my Keeley modded 808 reissue and Fulltone Fulldrive, and is head and shoulders above my Analogman TS9. Thank you. I'm searching for more pedals to modify. Fire up the soldering iron. Michael Nicolae, Malverne, NY
TS9 — I just wanted to drop you a line and say how impressed I am with the TS-808 and Beyond Mod kit. I honestly felt my TS9 was beyond hope with its thin/farty sound, but your kit transformed it into a world class pedal. I have been playing it through my brownface Fender Vibrolux and the sound is fantastic! I previously owned a TS9 which had the Analogman TS808 mod. I feel my TS9 with your Beyond TS808 Mod blows it away. Many thanks.
Thomas Jones, Gering, NE
TS9 —Just wanted to let you know that I've done my first mod to my TS 808 using the TS9 mod kit. It went very well with the exception of one mistake that I corrected immediately. With each mod I plugged my Stratocaster in and checked it and it just kept sounding better and better. When done I had that woody, warm, dry TS tone that I love so much. Thanks for offering these mods! I'm sure that I'll be ordering more before this weekend is done. James Crenshaw
TS9 —I just installed your Tube Screamer Mod. I took the pedal to my friend, he has a TS-9 as well. I wanted to have a stock pedal, just to have a comparison as I did the mod. And after it was done, man it transformed this pedal into something way better. The pedal lost that harsh top end and now a lot more frequencies are getting through. Before it was acting almost like a filter cuting my bass and boosting mids and adding this harshness to the top end. Now it's much mellower and smother and what is even more important more transparent. Now I can hear the character of my guitar a lot better than before. This mod is also the reason why I'm ordering more mods. Me and my friend..... we plan to do all the pedals we have. Mirc Cinku
TS9 — I have successfully completed all the mods for my ts's, comp, and DD-3. I can tell you that the difference raises the eyebrows. The tone and functionality of the pedals make me want to hurry home and play guitar. You Rock! Duncan Chaboudy
TS9 — Finally found the time to do your mods. DynaComp took a while as the hook-up wires from PCB kept breaking. They were so old & brittle. Replaced them as well. All I can say is WOW. I always liked my DynaComp before. Now I LOVE IT! I can't believe all the tone that was getting sucked out before. Clarity & shimmer are back! Very impressive. Now I just need true bypass & a LED and it will be complete. My Tube Screamer was a dog - had it for 30 years & never knew what all the fuss was about over these things. It had the 2043DD chip and sounded horrible. Destined to be cannibalized. That is until now. Again, WOW! Definition is now there and the murkiness is gone. Before the Drive had no additional affect past 12 o'clock and the Tone just sucked. Now however I can hear the subtleties of both. Night & day difference. Smooth, round & glassy. This one's going back on my pedalboard. I see now why people rave over the TS. Now I wish I had gotten the Tri-Gain version. BTW - I put the green LED from the DynaComp kit in place of the stock one. Now it's a Little Green Monster! Cool! The instructions included were right on the money & your tip of listening to each step is a great idea. I heard every subtle change & could tell what was doing what. Again, well done. You seem to have a knack for improving the sonic quality in effects. Wish you had mods for some of my other pedals. Crybaby perhaps? CE-1? It has been a pleasure doing business with you again - 20+ years later! I'm going to tell all my guitar tech friends about your mods. Barry Foy
TS9 — Dude, this is amazing! It's dynamic, it's tight, it's Stevie Ray. THANK YOU SO MUCH! I got to set it down beside my unmodded TS9...your TS9 to TS-808 mod is everything the TS9 isn't...Thank you so much. You've made my life! lol:) Robert Smith
TS9 — Thought that my TS9 was fine already, but I was wrong. NOW, after the mod, it's perfect. Vilho Meier
TS9 — Hi Monte, I want you to know you have changed the way I set up my gear. When I was disappointed with my sound, and always searching for something beyond the poor Boss or Ibanez standards, you gave me the chance to own professional equipment at an incredible low cost. No more searching for Electro Harmonix, Analogman or Keeley, you found the Holy grail of sound for everyone's pocketbook! Listen man, you won't believe it, after I tried the TS-9 Mod, I started buying Boss pedals just to have them moddded with your kits!! I installed the TS-9 and SD-1 kits, bought Strat Copper Pickguard shield, shielded the cavities also with adhesive foil you sell, changed the internal wires with the silver wire. I can tell I'm now a believer... I bought a GE-7 today and a CS3. I was looking at the keeley compressor, but when I read a review of a customer preferring it over the keeley I suddenly decided to buy this second pedal and make a comparison judging with my ears. Obviously I ordered the GE7 and CS3 kits... I installed the standard SD-1 mod, and it really opened the sound, but I heard about the SD-808 Mod as the best SD1 Mod available on the planet! Thanx! Pierpaolo Cianca, Italy
TS5 — Monte, just had to write you to tell you how great the mod has been on my TS-5! I also have a Keeley modded BD-2 and Ibanez TS-9 and the TS-5 has become my primary pedal for that rich overdrive sound. Makes a great addition to my Mesa Boogie amp. I was just about ready to get rid of the TS-5 before the mod but it is a keeper for sure - a world of difference. Just about the best $20 I've ever spent! Thanks for your great product and great service! Duane A Armstrong, Patterson, CA
TS5 — Hi Monte, just wanted to again tell you that your mod kits are everything you say they are and then some. It made my cheap TS5 sound better than most of the expensive original TS9 and TS808s. I will spread the word! kudos my friend. Alan Staniford, Burlington, WA
TS5 — Thank you for your excellent work in designs. You totally revamped my "beetle Bug" TS5 from extinction. Pretty much my favorite, I bought you're DS-1 mod kit... the better one, and that blows the Keeley out of the water!! Yours sounds great especially combined with and pushing a Keeley. I also did the GE7 mod. I have an old MIJ model. Now that sounds awesome as well. I've made a few believers in your designs including "BossModder" from eBay. Just wanted to say THANK YOU and happy holidays! Richard Puncsak
TS5 — T-Von, just want to say thanks; I've had my TS5 for several years, hated it, didn't want to pawn it off on anyone else. I did the mods and now I love it. No matter which guitar I use, I don't want to put it down. Keep up the good work. Edwin Goswick
TS7 — Hey Monte, did the TS-7 mod today and gotta say there is a definite improvement in note/chord definition and clarity. The overall sound is richer, less buzzy I would say. I think I'm going to find a Boss BD-2 and get your mod for that too. Steve Whitesell, Niceville, FL
TS7 — Just wanted to say thanks for the TS7 mod. I couldn't believe my pedal could sound sooo good. I'm blown away. Thanks! Richard Wolf, Orangevale, CA
TS7 — Hi Monte, Completed the TS7 Mod ... Superb through my MK50 an awful lot quieter and smoother... Widdled away for hours .. Much to the wife's frustration. I relented to lend it to a friend of mine (Boogie Stilletto) who was well impressed. Dave Wilkinson, United Kingdom
TS7 — Monte, I changed out the IC and resistors as well as the caps on my Turbo Tube Screamer. Not a tough job and the instructions as well as the inclusion of the copper braid and solder made things easy. It took a pedal that, frankly was kind of a dog, and turned it into a very useful and musical overdrive pedal. I especially notice the better tone at the higher drive settings and better response with picking dynamics. Thanks!
Dean Arnold, Grand Island, NY
TS7 — Monte, I just finished the mods to my TS7, WOW. I love it! I will definitely do more business. Kenneth Pine, Georgetown, TX
TS7 —Just wanted to let you know how much I'm enjoying the TS7 Mod. Very responsive. Funny, at first I thought...no big deal; it's not much different. I needed to use it on a gig in a decent sized room, that's when the difference became obvious. Also, the TS7 "hot" position really sings now. Howard Wooten
TS7 —You were quite right, I love this mod. I installed the TS7 mod kit tonight, and it sounds great, as good as and better than before. I must say the TS7 is a bit more of a pain in the butt to deal with than the Boss pedals. Harder to get to the parts, and the boards seem to be not as well made as the Boss boards. I could tell that it would be really easy to pull up the traces and ruin an Ibanez board. The factory soldering was pretty sloppy, in my opinion. I'd much rather mod a Boss pedal. One thing, on the printed TS7 instructions, the page with the black and white photo and the parts photos. I had to hold the photo up to a bright light, backwards, in order to see the printing on the chip correctly. I don’t know how it happened, but in the black and white photo of the main board, if you look closely, the printing on the chip is backwards, like a mirror image. The color photo in the zip file has the chip displayed correctly. FYI... I assume the metal film capacitors G and H do not have polarity? The ones I removed had polarity, but the replacements had no polarity markings. Hope it is ok. The pedal seems to work just fine, only better!! I am going to order the mod for the Boss tremolo TR2, then I'll be done. I'll get to that one evening this week. Gary Stephens
TS9 Tri-Gain — Hi Monte I have already installed your tri gain mod to my Ibanez Tube screamer and am very pleased with the results. I have now acquired a Boss Super OD, and wonder what the best mod you have for this would be, bearing in mind I have a modded TS 9 already, so turning the OD into a TS 9 is not really what I am after. What do you think. By the way, the Boss CS 3 mod I got from you is really quite excellent. The testimonials are correct, it makes the pedal up there with the best, it really does. I use a choker, a bi comp and a maxon, and now the cs 3 is back on the board - getting a lot more use! Thanks Monte and look forward to hearing from you concerning the Super OD mod. Dominic Brace
TS9 Tri-Gain — Just wanted to email you and let you know that how awesome your mods are. I've had 3 pedals modded with your kits, all of which bring the tone leaps and bounds above there out-of-the-box sound. The first mod I got was the DS-1. The pedal was instantly nastier. Now I don't use distortion as much as others so I'm in no way any kind of authority on 'em, but overdrive pedals are a different story. I've had a lot of overdrives. I've had to stay away from vintage overdrives as the price for any of the classics (a TS-808 for instance) can top 500 bucks. Your modded Boss pedals put them all to shame (Boss included). My second mod was the SD-1 and man I absolutely love that pedal!!! The sound was so much more warm and organic after the mod. My newest mod is the H2O.....Jesus Christ on a cracker!!! The response on this pedal now is unbelievable!!! I have never, NEVER, NEVER have been more satisfied with a pedal!!! I just did this one last night so I'm still a bit happy about it (I'm at work now and can't wait to get back to play on it). From the reviews I've read the Keeley mods don't have a bad track record but I'm 3 and 0 with you so please, PLEASE come up with a TR-2 mod (or maybe you could do one especially for me with the dual functions of volume and trem and true bypass.....I'll pay you :-)). Once again, great job, man. Grayson Anthony
Boss CS-3 Mods
Ultra Plus — Hello Guys, first, I have to say that I love the Boss pedal mods you have out. I have done three, one for another friend, and two of my own. I have the CS-3 Ultra Plus, and recently the TR-2 Plus. Hands down now the best sounding and dynamic compressor, bar none. The TR-2 is now so clean and sweet! One more mod I would like to see from you is for the Boss OC-2. I use mine with a Boomerang Phrase sampler real-time live for a bass guitar sound. There is not quite enough gain in the octave 2 output when mixed mostly to the octave side, also the sound could be a bit cleaner and closer to a bass guitar sound. I use the Boomerang as it is the only sampler that has a dedicated aux out, loop only, which is fed to a bass amp on stage. You the only folks I know who could make the pedal into what it could be. Of course I am open to suggestion on another pedal that might suit this application better. Keep up the fantastic work, the world's tone loves you! Mark Webb
Ultra Plus — Hi Monte, I have just received and installed the CS-3 Ultra mod. WOW!! What a difference. Just as described, no more "tone suction" and plenty of b*lls!! I decided to use only one opamp, as batteries are my preferred option and I am incredibly impressed. Please feel free to use these words in your testimonials. As an aside, I am still having problems with PayPal, but will re-order the OD 308 as soon as it is sorted. I can't wait for that either!! JULIE GODBOLD
Ultra Plus — Just a quick word to say that I've just completed the CS3 Ultra mod and it certainly lives up to its name. AWESOME mod my friend, thank you! Richard Lawrence-Day
Ultra Plus — Pedal fully modded, my lead stuff is sounding amazing, used it on recordings last weekend. Will probably order the BD-2 mod next! Frank Adams
Ultra Plus — I figured that would get your attention. What I should say is that I DON’T WANT to turn my Ultra Plus modded CS-3 pedal off. LOL! This pedal sounds fantastic! Very smooth and much quieter than stock. I love it. Combined with my H2O Plus modded Blues Driver, my Strat sounds terrific through my Blues Deluxe Reissue amp [with JJ ECC83S (12AX7) in V1, ECC81 (12AT7) in V2, balanced ECC83S (12AX7) in V3, and 6L6GCs in V4 and V5 (biased at 80 mV)]. For Blues, I find the best setting for me is with the level at 11:00, tone at 12:00, and attack at 10:00, and sustain at 12:00. With my Blues Driver set with the level at 8:30, tone at 12:00, and gain at 2:00, I can switch between the clean and drive channels of the amp with any combination of pedals and get fantastic tone. The use the tone and volume controls along with the 5-way switch to get the overall tone I want. The Fender SCNs in my Strat also work really well with the modded pedals. Oh, and I highly recommend the Roland (Boss) PSB-1U (9 VDC @2 amps) that I bought when I was having noise problems with the BD-2 as a power supply for these pedals. It has more than enough current capability and better filtering than the PSA-120S (9 VDC @0.5 amps). I am in tone heaven. Thanks again for the work you do designing the mods for these pedals. Bill Haegele,
Northern Virginia
Opto Plus — I bought your CS-3 Opto Mod Plus kit. I spent a few hours installing the kit (a very well explained procedure) then took it to play this evening. I was thrilled at how quite the pedal was. Compared to how it use to be, I was able to use much more gain and treble, but biggest improvement was the amount of sustain that can be used. Without the mod, the noise was unbearable. Now the pedal can be used as it was designed, to compress and sustain, which it does very well now. Thanks you Monte. Wes Banks, Calgary, AB
Opto Plus — I just wanted to drop you a line thanking you for the CS3 Opto Plus Mod. I installed it in about an hour and everything worked first time. Being a qualified electronics type, I did about 4 mods at a time to speed things up and was astonished at the difference just the 1st 4 components made at my 1st check! The final result is exactly what I was looking for. More clarity and detail and less noise. No need for me to lust after a 4 knob Keeley any longer. Now if you could just mod a MODERN MUFF to sound like a Pete Cornish P2 ... (I’m actually trying to do that to a GGG clone... but with little success) Alan Day
Opto Plus — I got the CS-3 kit today and popped it in. Wow, what a difference! I went ahead and turned on my little micro cassette and noodled a bit before I started, then recorded a bit after all of the mod except the chip, then after that one. What a revealing lo fi recording. At all knobs set to noon on all tests, the stock pedal sounds sort of muffled and muddy to me, and the sustain (makeup gain) on it is sort of abrupt and obvious and annoying. After all the component mods (save the Burr Brown) the tone is much more focused, detailed and dynamic. The sustain much smoother and musical. A way more hi fi pedal to be sure. After putting in the new chip, holy smokes, the damn thing sounds alive! Many thanks for your products! With a small investment in cash and time I've now turned two pedals (did your DS-1 recto mod last week) into expensive sounding tone machines! Way cool! David from Kentuckyland PS, Also picked up the little 13 size nut file thing. My Tacoma acoustic sounds amazing but showed up with action you could drive a truck under. I took 2 mm off the saddle which helped, but first position chords were wearing out my left hand. This little file is super handy and worked perfectly to take down my nut slots to create a perfect action. And to think I've paid nearly twice what your tool costs for a single gauge from a catalog. Well done, great product that works well! David Kep
Opto Plus — Lightning speed as always...and my ears are in tone heaven with the cs3 opto compressor mod and my new ts5 mod (already have the ts7 also) I've always looked at it as an overdrive toy pedal, but not anymore.. serious tone here!!!..I've already put your new stickers on all my 4 pedals (DS1,TS5,TS7.CS3) that I installed your DYI mods so everybody who asks me how do I get all my kick ass tones and I can show them who is the Maestro behind it... Muchas Gracias!! David Cornejo, Las Vegas Nv,
Opto Plus — The CS-3 kit arrived yesterday. I installed it and it works perfectly. I like it so much that I went ahead and bought the TR-2 kit as well. Sometimes I buy stuff on the internet that's not worth what I paid for it - your kit makes up for so many bad deals... ;-) Mathias Weil, Switzerland
Opto Plus — I just want to thank you for your cs3 opto plus mod. I got it in the mail today and installed it tonight. The difference is night and day, and my once brushed aside cs3 is now one of my favorite pedals to use. Testing after every mod not only helps to find mistakes but it also helped to me to hear how my pedal gradually changed. Once again thank you for your work, it is greatly appreciated. I can't wait for my next paycheck so i can try my hand at the 308. Will Hender
Opto Plus — Monte: I just got the CS-3 plus mod from you (thanks for letting me add the $5 after e-baying the ³non-plus² mod) yesterday and installed it last night. I cannot believe how good the compressor sounds?I¹ve always thought of compressors as a necessary evil needed to mellow out volume peaks when playing clean. I thought the Boss CS-3 pretty much sounded like crap, but got the job done and I got it cheap but I am amazed at how good it sounds now just a spectacular improvement. Well done, Amigo. I¹m keeping my eyes peeled for other pedals for which you offer mods so I can try out others. Thanks again, and keep up the good work! Ian P. Berger
Opto Plus — I've just finished my CS-3 ND GE-7 MODS, plugged in the mandolin and couldn't believe what I heard. The GE-7 has changed from being a choice of 'low hiss' or 'more hiss' and no graphic equalisation capabilities, to a much cleaner boost to the signal and I have gained a real equaliser out of the mod as well!. I just wish I had found your web site earlier. David Rountree
Opto Plus — My name is Kim Kanwischer. I just thought I would email you some praise of how much a like the DIY mod kits you offer. I have done the CS-3 Opto, DyanComp, GE-7, and the BD-2 H20 mods, all without problems and I love them all. My friends have all been asking me to do these mods for their pedals as well. Maybe I should open a modding service for Canada for you. ;) Just a thought (lol). Seriously though keep up the great work, can't wait to see some new mods in the near future. Oh by the way, I really appreciate the fact that you have included your faith on the website, your testimony is inspiring and really encouraging. I have been a Christian for as long as I can remember. I have had similar troubles with abuse of substance, but thankfully I have overcome that with the grace of God. Anyways, keep up the great work! I will be getting more mods from you in the near future! Kim Kanwischer
Opto Plus — Finally got the time to perform a few of the mods. I modded the DS-1 with the rectifier mod, the MT-2 with the MT-2 Mod and the CS-3 Opto mod. I found another DS-1 and have another MT-2 that are still stock but, not for long! Sustainia here I come! I was able to compare them side by side with the modded versions. I also did a side by side test prior to the mod. There is a definite difference in the sound! OMG The DS-1 sounds SO much clearer and punchier that I can't stand to use the stock one and same goes for the MT-2. The stock DS-1 is so dull and almost muffled at the exact same settings. Funny thing is, I liked the way it sounded before I heard the modded version! I want to get the next level of mod for the DS-1 but, can't decide whether to do the CMAT mod or the tri-gain one. It seems that the CMAT mod would allow me to bring the Rectifier mod up to a tri-gain mod and then I might just want to do the Plus mod on my other DS-1. I would like to jump in and do the Plus mod but, see that you don't offer an upgrade to it. I do see that you do sell separate chip adapter kits and chips but, I don't know which one I would need to get. Is there a way you could sell me just the Chip Adapter with socketed RC4558P and Burr Brown OPA2134PA Chips to increase this opto mod to the plus for the $6 price difference? (along with the Plus mod instructions, of course) I also recently acquired an SD-1 and am still deciding between getting the SD-1 or the SD-808 mod. I used to have an 80's TS-9 which, a sold to upgrade to an all in one pedal board. I am kicking myself for doing now. I loved the sound of it and should have kept it. I am leaning heavily toward the SD-808 mod. You say in the description of the SD-808 mod that you include the symmetrical clipping mod for those that prefer Ibanez TS808 clipping over Boss asymmetrical clipping. Is this the same as the SD-1 Symmetrical Gain Upgrade Kit without the switch? I know you don't have a kit for the OS-2 but, do you know of any mods for this one? I found a some DIY mods on a few forums but, am still not sure I want to try them. I gave up on the MD-2 and traded it for the OS-2. The OS-2 sounds pretty good already but, know there has to be better after experiencing what your mods have done so far. I can't go back now! LOL I am becoming a mod freak! OH Nooooooooo..... Gom Sirg
Opto Plus — The CS-3 dual chip mod is a real good thing!!! Definitely clearer, more transparent and quiet. Keep up the good work. Rick Deason
Opto Plus — I liked the opto compressor mod so much that I looked to see what good mods you made for overdrives and the H20 mod sounded good. So I went and found a used BD2 just to try one with the mod.. Chris Lewis
Opto Plus — Got the BB chip installed in my opto cs-3 this morning. It made more of a diff than I thought it would, even less noise and from what I can tell much more transparency, sweet! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Michael Hedden
Opto Plus — Thanks for your mod design. Sounds great, definitely more character present in my guitar sound...output is clean and transparent as promised. I used nearly .022" eutectic solder with ~ 2% silver (could not find 4%) which in my opinion produced mil spec solder joints; used some cool curved locking forceps as a heat sink to protect the components during installation. Subbed a 5mm clear blue LED as a personal choice...uber bright...lol! Thanks again, David W., M & G Studio, Niagara Falls, NY
Opto Plus — I finished the Opto mod on the boss Compressor and all I can say is wow. Best compressor ever. I just finished the tri gain mod on the Daddy O. Now the LED setting is AMAZING. Did I do something wrong or is there supposed to be that large of a volume difference. I followed the instructions to a tee and double checked. I have another Daddy O sitting around and am considering doing the TNT mod but substitute the stock LEDs for the ones sent in the tri-gain kit. I believe this would be a good mod, kind of like the tri gain LED switch without the diode setup. Should I just solder the 2 new LEDS in place where the stock ones are? CHRIS GRIFFITT
Opto Plus — I got my mods earlier this week and I've already completed them. They were easier than I thought due in large part to very clear directions. Nice job! I've tested the CS-3 and it's great. I just finished the DS-1 rectifier tri-gain last night and haven't had a chance to try it out at proper volume yet but it seems cool. The only thing I noticed, not until I had it all back together, was that I used two different colour LEDs in the switch set-up and put a red one in the box. It doesn't seem to matter though? Does it make a difference in the sound? Charles Gordon
Opto Plus — I jumped R32 and D10 as you advised and the pedal works as the only with the PSA! The level of support you have provided has been exceptional. I am very impressed with both of the mods I have done. The CS-3 and SD-1 now compete in quality with some far more expensive pedals I own. Until the next mod, Mike Morris
Opto Plus — CS-3 Opto Never liked compressors, still don't. But this mod really made a big difference in quality. Thought that as a professional, I have to have one compression unit, just in case. And life gets ya, I now have to use it for sustain in some songs live. And as i dislike a compressor, it has to be the best if any (keeping in mind the price etc.). Opto mod made it the best pick. Vilho Meier
Opto Plus — I got the chip yesterday and installed it today. What a difference in the overall clarity of the pedal, and the guitar, for that matter. Its now has a little more of a country sort of compression/sustain, rather than a pink floyd no pop endless sustain. Thanks again, James Snyder
Opto Plus — Monte, I want to thank you for the awesome Mod kits I bought from you recently. The CS-3 compressor is great just like you said it would be. I have a Maxon CP 101 optical compressor and the boss is just as quiet now and has a nice rich full sound. I also bought the Rat mod. The new chip and cap changes really opened it up. (I just replaced the two diodes like a stock rat. no mod switch) because I have a dozen other overdrives.
Fulldrive 2 Mosfet, OCD, Maxon D&S, Maxon OD 9 and so on. I also ordered parts from you for an SD-1, the germanium diode really sizzles like a single ended amp on full crank. Oh, by the way, you have better customer service than anyone I've ever dealt with on the internet!!! I order the stuff, get instant confirmation and it's in my mailbox in 2 days! WOW!!! I will keep buying stuff and recommending your mods. I've already mentioned you on the Rickenbacker forum. Thanks a heap for helping the toneless and doing what you’re doing. Dwight
Opto Plus — Greetings, Monte, I installed the Opto Mod yesterday on the CS-3. While I haven't had a chance to really put it through it's paces yet, I can already hear a difference. The installation went smoothly. I took my time and tested everything as I went. This was the first time I've done any pedal mods. With your instructions, it went smoothly. I'm going to pick up the TS-5 mod at some point. I'm glad someone has taken the time to help make the CS-3 a useful, toneful pedal. Good work mate! Paul Honeycutt, Fort Collins, CO
Opto Plus — I went ahead and did the complete mod, and all I can say is what a difference! The pedal was decent begin with, but now it's significantly better. I am able to get better tones and the overall clarity improvement is impressive. It's like going from AM radio to FM radio. As for the mod, it was straightforward and took about 1.5 hours overall. The instructions were clear and I had no issues with anything. Thanks for a great mod! I'm sure you'll be hearing from me again soon (to buy more mods!). Joe Macciotti
Opto Plus — Performing the CS-3 opto mod was a walk in the park, due to your instructions. The CS-3 was sounding better an better while testing each step of the mod. Please feel free to contact me, if somebody in Switzerland needs help with performing mods. Thanks for your electronic research, Best regards, Jochen
Opto Plus — I finished the CS-3 Opto + mod this AM and am so pleased. I swapped out all the parts short of the led and op-amps first. The reduction in noise was dramatic and the increase in sound quality from the mod at that point was worth the effort as your site says. Then I swapped the op-amps and LED (I am sure it was the LED) and the increase/addition of the transparency was again as dramatic as all the other components combined. My modded CS-3 is crispy clean and clear sounding. As your site says. It took a nice pedal and made it a great pedal. Also I really like taking everything I own apart at least once and the mod gave me GOOD reason to do both! Can't wait to do my GE-7. My CS-3 now sits in front of my OD-308. As an aside I am probably going to buy another of the GE-7 kits and get a few different caps for my GEB-7. I will probably try to trace out my LMB-3 to tweak it (like your dual chip etc) though I may just sell it and use the CS-3 for both bass and guitar as I have A B'ed them and did not see too much difference (bet I will now!). The boards are a little different but I am sure the functioning is not as much so. Robert Sawgwa
Opto Plus — Hey Monte, I was a BOSS pedal user however because of loss of tone I sold all my pedals and purchased the Line 6 POS Pro. However, I did miss the CS-3 and recently purchased it again...and then...I read about your MOD Kit. I purchased it immediately after reading the reviews. I received the kit and installed it yesterday. The difference is unreal man...thanks for allowing me to enjoy my compressor WITHOUT the wishy-washie sound and without the noticeable loss of tone. Now my Tele can really sing and my chickin pickin is for real. I wonder if Brent Mason is aware of the mod? Heck..now I need to purchase all the pedals again and refit them!
Orville Harris, Canada
Opto Plus — Hi! Just wanna let you know that I finished the mod and its an amazing pedal now. I compared it to the Keeley BD-2 Phat Mod and your mod rocked hardest! Great work. Olle Norin, Sweden
Opto Plus — Monte, I received the Boss CS-3 mod about a week ago and have carried out the mod ok. Your mod has certainly improved the sound of the pedal. Before the mod, the pedal was producing some very noticeable hissing noises, even with the knobs at the 12 o’clock positions. Now that it’s been modded, the pedal produces a stunning clearer sound, and the range is wider. I am impressed! Steve Nelhams, England, UK
Opto Plus — I also purchased the Boss CS3 Opto Plus mod and installed it per your instructions. It is everything that you say. I really like the range of sounds you can get with it and my country flavored licks really snap. I bought a CS-3 just to do your mod and I couldn't be happier with the results. The improvement is amazing the pedal is much more hifi, cleaner and quieter than before. Jerry Yachetta
Opto Plus — Hi Monte, Just finished the CS-3 Opto Plus mod and wanted to let you know a couple things. First, I'm an experienced solder iron jockey, and this thing took 4-1/2 hours to complete, including testing after each component, and a re-do on one of the op-amp adapter joints. Second, it was worth every minute! The CS-3 sounds MUCH better, sustain is definitely smoother, and is MUCH quieter. But I wish there was a better adapter for the dual op-amps. Your picture shows a 45-degree bend, and that doesn't work. It needs to be bent over about 75 degrees. I also had to bend a transistor and cap to make room (just a little). The first time I closed the case, it seemed to 'catch', so I reopened the case and somehow one side of the adapter had pulled out a little. I reinserted it, bent it over some more, and it worked. Put some electrical tape over the chips just to be sure. All in all an absolutely superb mod and it sounds incredible. Thanks! John Lerro
Opto Plus — Hi Monte, I ordered your CS-3 Opto Mod Kit about a month ago and performed the installation of your replacement components last night. What a dramatic difference in sound! This pedal went from a noisy and rather effect restricted device to a clear and defined powerhouse. Great work on developing and excellent upgrade kit! Thank you, Terry Miller, Cochrane, AB Canada
Opto Plus — I just wanted to drop you a line and tell you how impressed I am once again with your products! As you may remember, I tried the Blues Stack mod to my BD-2 a while back and was so impressed that I recorded a review for you and sent it to you. I'd been meaning to try the Opto-Plus mod for my CS-3 ever since then, but only recently got up the gumption to start the mod process. By the time I was ready to order it, the Ultra-Plus mod was available, so I thought I'd try that one. I finished the mod a few days ago, and of course, my CS-3 sounds better than ever! At the time that I ordered my Ultra-Plus mod, I also decided to order a 12x12 sheet of your 40 gauge copper shielding for my Godin LG. It's loaded with Seymour Duncan P-90s and sounded like a bee's nest any time I used it with the gain channel on my amp. I just finished shielding it last night and, honestly, I wasn't expecting a whole lot (based on everything I'd read about shielding before). As soon as I was finished, I plugged it in and cranked the gain up... Wow!!! What a difference!!! This guitar is now every bit as quiet as my EMG-loaded Strat! Thanks so very much for making the amazing products you make! Your loyal customer... Brandon Humphreys
Opto Plus — Hi Monte I have already installed your tri gain mod to my Ibanez Tube screamer and am very pleased with the results. I have now acquired a Boss Super OD, and wonder what the best mod you have for this would be, bearing in mind I have a modded TS 9 already, so turning the OD into a TS 9 is not really what I am after. What do you think. By the way, the Boss CS 3 mod I got from you is really quite excellent. The testimonials are correct, it makes the pedal up there with the best, it really does. I use a choker, a bi comp and a maxon, and now the cs 3 is back on the board - getting a lot more use! Thanks Monte and look forward to hearing from you concerning the Super OD mod. Dominic Brace
Opto Plus — Hey Monte, I recently purchased and self-installed your CS-3 Opto Plus kit. Oh My God!!!! Sick, Sick, Sick results!!! I'm finally happy with my CS-3. I used it for the first time this past Saturday night at a gig. I hated my CS-3 and was cursing it every time I stepped on it, but its now as quiet as my Yamaha rack unit's compressor. It gives me just the right amount of clean gain boost for my dirty channel and that nice smooth squashed clean tone that never detracted from the tone of my VHT Pittbull 50 CL. Thanks, Rob Perruso
Opto Plus — Hey Monte! I have a completed CS-3 which sounds phenomenal on acoustics, bass, and electric. Absolutely WONDERFUL mod! I use it as an “always on” type of thing and it brings EVERYTHING to life! I’m thinking about adding a second compressor for bumping up solos a tiny bit or for getting that more “spitty” type country sound. This would be used more as an “effect” rather than an “always on” kind of thing... I was curious how you would compare your CS-3 and Dyna Comp mods... Knowing I already own one CS-3 opto plus (and would happily own a second) – what would I gain or loose by going with a dynacomp for a second “boost” for solos? I was initially planning on doing a second CS-3 but figured I’d ask if there is any merit to considering the Dyna Comp... Thanks in advance for your help, and once again, your mods blow me away! I cannot get enough of that blues stack... WOW! Chad A. Johnson
Opto Plus — Hi, I received your Opto mod for the CS3 and put it together, Your instructions are very clear and was able to do the modification in no time. I have been playing for a long time (42yrs) and have gone through quite a list of amps and effects over the years as they developed. (funny how things go full circle) I am very impressed with this modification. The tone, transparency the compressor produces is awsome! Thank you for sharing your talents. Herve, Bluzplayer
Opto Plus — I ended up having someone local here install the CS-3 Opto Plus mod I got from you. This guy works at a Sam Ash store, and I tried the CS3 with your mod against a stock CS3 using a basic MIM strat and a deluxe reverb reissue. He and I both agreed there was a significant improvement in the modded pedal. I had the amp volume set at 3-4, so it was pretty loud in the store. Your mod cleans up the stock CS3 noise floor nicely, and I'm really happy with how it turned out. Peter Teipe
Opto Plus — Thank you for your quick response. Although everything's fine: I wrote: "...The ACA_CS-3 is REALLY bright now..." (compared to the PSA_CS-3) I had the jumpers added already. I had also noticed that I could not use ACA-power rating any more, because the ACA-pedal got noisy as hell & the led became extremely bright. (It's easy to switch to PSA voltage with a Voodoo Lab Pedal Power.) I used some very fine equipment, cables included. LEVEL: fully CW, Tone: noon, ATTACK & SUSTAIN: fully CCW on both pedals. And I COULD tell the two opto-modded CS-3s from each other blindfolded. I did a careful second check today. The "difference" was still there. But as soon as I noticed that the "enhancement" in the ACA_CS-3 was not only in the top end but ALL OVER the bandwidth, I recognized that yesterday left me totally focussed on the top end, because it's so crucial in a compressor and I wanted one so badly that DOESN'T COLOR MY SOUND. The ACA-mod has more output when engaged, that's all. I simply fooled myself with volume, shame on me. I created my very own type of "psychoacoustics", didn't I? Then I turned the level knob on the ACA-mod CCW for, let's say, 4 mm of travel and both pedals became the same. Hmm. At least you know now what it was. Here's something I did not want to write about yesterday, because you probably are tired of reading stuff like that. But OK, I'm in a writing mood today: CS-3 Opto Mod versus Keeley I did A/Bs with my Keeley Compressor too. The hardest part was to dial in comparable settings. I think the Keeley has a "frequency-tailored" sound. Some call it "sweet", which is a very good description I think. I love playing slide with my Keeley involved. One can simply crank sustain fully up on both pedals and compare the noise shape. The difference is obvious. I cannot hear any such "tailoring" in your opto-moddded CS-3 at all. From low to moderate sustain settings one could call this "invisible" or "inaudible" compression. If that is what one is looking for in a pedal (I was!!! See below.), one would probably rank a Demeter Compulator or a BJF Pine Green higher than a Keeley. The lowest street price for the Demeter I could find in Germany is 249 EUR = approx. 329 USD. The BJF PGC costs even more. I would love to try one of these, but in the whole capital of Germany isn't a single shop that sells them. The Keeley and the Demeter both use internal gain control to either prevent them from being overloaded or to preamplify. So in the very last test I tried to overload both CS-3s with a very hot P90-style pickup. Here is the other difference between the two. The ACA is more sensitive and distorts earlier than the PSA. This was just a test and of none importance to me. I did not expect to produce a clean sound by picking up the hottest guitar I own and hitting strings like a maniac. PARALLEL COMPRESSION: The Keeley Compressor I own inverts signal polarity when engaged. If you're familiar with parallel compression, you know you MUST then re-reverse polarity to get a proper sound. The CS-3 has correct polarity. Also: if the compressor "colours" the sound, you may notice it even MORE in parallel compression, because of that permanent back and forth from linear to "coloured". Well OK, when playing live with my band I would not give a single thought to such subtle nuances or make use of parallel compression. But on the other hand I perform with just one partner very often. Very small details stay audible. HERE I use parallel compression ALL THE TIME (on Nylon, Steel and Mandolin). I was never fully satisfied with my results. But you made the perfect tool available for me. I use different pedalboards on different occasions. They all are relatively small and those for electric guitar are what I call "stackable". One CS-3 will stay on my acoustics-board forever. The other CS-3 will go to my studio-board. Thanks for taking the time Yours sincerely Juergen PS.: Your BD-2 H2O soundfile is impressing! I gave my BD-2 to my daughter some time ago. Have to tell her. Juergen Ehle
Opto Plus — I installed your opto plus mod in a CS-3 this last weekend, and really like it. I can’t believe the sustain! I played my lap steel through it, (I also use a volume pedal), and it will sustain right into feedback! Haven’t fooled much with the attack settings yet. I have another CS-3 that I bought used a few years ago, and the guy sent a (Hackers?) mod with it. I played the pedal and installed that mod, which did help the noise problem, and gave it a bit more tone, but nothing like your opto plus mod. I’m thinking of buying your other CS-3 mod, and installing it in that pedal, just to hear the difference. My wife says the only reason I buy pedals is to take them apart, (I’ll buy most Boss pedals for $30-$40), and I’ve done a few Keeley mods, but really like your approach. The switch, and caps for the DD-3 work great! I’ve got an MT-2 I need to get to sometime, and see what we can do with it, but really looking now for a cheap BD-2 to install your mods to see how it compares with the Keeley one I have. Thanks again for having great products for us to tinker on our pedals with. Bill Moore
Opto Plus — I just finished up my CS-3 Opto Mod and my BD-2 Stack Plus and I've been thrilled with the results. I'm now about to start the GE-7 Plus Mod. I have the parts all laid out and I'm missing one 1uF capacitor. The gear checklist says there should be three but I'm only finding two in my kit. I check the envelope as well but there's no sign of it. I just wanted to write and see what we could do about it. Also, I wanted to do the CS-3 Opto Plus Mod to my current Opto modded CS-3. I think the only thing I'm missing is the chip adapter but I wasn't certain about how many of each item I needed (the picture on the site shows two socket extenders and I wasn't sure how that worked). Is it possible for me to order the necessary components to upgrade that mod, Paypal you their cost and shipping and have the 1uF capacitor from the GE-7 mod sent along with it? Thanks for the help, sir. I've been digging these old pedals of mine again. They've been sitting neglected for so long and you've brought them back to life. Josh Thomas
Opto Plus — Hello Monte, Just a quick note to say how absolutely satisfied I am with the Boss compressor mod kit. It's quiet, sounds better than anything I've sampled on the web, and best of all was the price: $50 for the used Boss on Ebay + the cost of the kit. Total time invested in making the mods was about 6 hours total because I'm a neat freak and obsessively paranoid about my soldering joints. I followed the directions and tips and the results are WOW!! The op-amp removal was the trickiest and I ended up destroying the old one. My recommendation to anybody else is spend the extra $$ on the Plus kit with the dual op-amps. Like I said, the removal of the old op-amp is the hardest part, but well worth the effort. I play an American Strat through a '63 Fender Super. My effects chain is (now), Monte Allums Boss CS3 Compressor, Fulltone FullDrive 2 Overdrive, Homebrew THC Chorus, Amp. Best Regards, Dan Tabaka, Davenport, Iowa
Opto — Once again you have blown me away. I previously have done your TS-9, BD-2 H2O and DS-1 Rectifier mods and was amazed by the quality of all three. I did the CS-3 Opto mod the other day and this is the best yet. I was never a big fan of compressors and used mine sparingly. Now I leave it on almost all of the time. It is so quiet and transparent. Before the mod it seemed like I threw a blanket over my amp every time I used it. Now the tone soars. The TS-9 I did was for a friend and he loves it. I A/B'd it the other day with my old Keeley TS-9 and was disappointed with how mine sounded. I have ordered the TS-9 Tri Mod (might as well go all the way) to bring my pedal back to life. Your mods sound just as good and many times better than any other mods I have been able to compare them to, for a lot less money. Plus, it is just a lot of fun to listen to how the pedal improves with each part that you change! Monte, you rule! Rob Kramer Columbus, Ohio
Opto — Thank you for transforming an $83 piece of caca into a useful and hip-sounding compressor pedal. Jason Terada
Opto — What a great mod! The value of your product is unbeatable. I was about to throw my CS-3 in the trash and now it does exactly what I needed it to do. I had a great time installing the mod too. Matt Bailey
Opto — Monte, after last nights gig I can honestly say the CS-3 is now my favorite compressor. I've always liked the boss but the lack or clarity drove me nuts. Now it's perfect. I couldn't believe how good it sounded. Great job on coming up with this mod. Billy Wagner
Opto — I am going to install the new chip mod with the double IC configuration in my CS-3 which has had the original full mod, can the single chip mod be used in one of the other locations using the same replaced IC? Would this help in any way in further improving the sound? The pedal sounds absolutely incredible with the mod installed, totally clean, tracks your playing dynamics extremely well. It has got to be the best sounding compressor I have ever used. Blows away anything else out there, boutique or otherwise! Thanks for being the best out there in mods! Mark S. Webb
Opto — Hello Monte! I have just received the parts for the cs 3 opto plus! I have installed them in about half hour. I can’t be more satisfied! This is not the same pedal at all! Is the best compressor in my opinion. The shipping was very fast, a week from the US to Colombia and cheap. I will buy more mods from you; I will save some to buy from you at least 3 kits for other pedals I have. Baquero Alvarez Miguel
Opto — Last year, I purchased the CS-3 Opto mod from you, and threw away (sold actually) my Maxon CP101 and Keeley Compressor - this was an awesome mod, and I used the Keeley $ to buy speakers I needed for my amp. Today I received the Opto Mod + kit from you, and modded another CS-3. Now I am really floored - this is one amazing pile of silicon & metal. This tops the list for me - I have never heard a better compressor in my 30+ years of playing - and I have heard a lot. This absolutely smacks of the classic opto-based compressors of the 70's - without the dust sensitive parts to worry about. The pedal is dead quiet, super responsive, and the attack control has to be the best thing I have seen on a compressor - because this one actually works! I just wanted to sound the alarm of joy at not having to spend $300+ on a compressor that is studio grade for guitar - and for making this available as a kit. Let's face it - there are a lot of us who wield a pretty mean soldering iron between guitar chops - and just because we haven't achieved Keeley fame, doesn't mean we cant do the job with a few simple instructions. Thank you for making these instructions, and the parts, available to us all. You're the best Monte - thanks a million. Tom Marshall
Opto — Dear T-Von, I received my cs-3 mod kit the other day. i swapped the parts myself with the problem at all and I wanted to tell you this is the best thing I’ve done for my tone yet. Thanks for everything. You will be hearing from soon when i get one have your ds-1 mod kits. Can you recommend one? So again, thanks for everything. talk to you soon. David Walton
Opto —I just did your boss CS-3 opto mod and have to say I love it, thanks very much. Chris Dowsett
Opto — I have made the modding. The pedal (CS-3) is now amazing. Very quiet. Like a said to you, I will buy more mods to you. Keep the good work. Ricardo Almeida
Opto — I modded a CS-3 with one of your kits a few weeks ago and am very happy with it. Looking forward to hearing the Daddy-O. Brian Solon
Opto — I'm already enjoying it. I modded it today and have a cheap guitar at work to play with on my lunch hour. What an awesome mod! The clarity and sustain are to die for! I can't wait to take it home and hear it on my Fender Twin! Carl Jackson
Opto —Hi Monte. I got the mod done: simply jaw-dropping. Where did all of the CS-3's noise go? Who cares? ! I honestly can't believe how much better my sound is now, especially clean with some chorus & delay. Beautiful. I can't imagine playing without the CS-3 now: it's brought my old HH amp back to life. The owner of the local guitar store asked me for details of your website, too. Thanks very much & all the best from Anthony Luke
Opto — I wanted also to compliment you on your Boss Cs-3 Opto Mod, which I recently ordered to try out - the results were nothing less than spectacular. I am a Professional Freelance and Session player in Sydney, and as such, need my gear to deliver exceptional results, and I feel that the Opto kit does that! In my Compressor collection at the moment is a Keeley, Boss Cs-2, Aphex Punch Factory, and a stock Dyna Comp. I'm ordering the mod for the Dyna, as I like to have two types of Comp on my board - one transparent, and the other with a bit more personality. The rest of the Comps are getting sold! I look forward to hearing your Metal Zone mod also, the mp3 samples piqued my interest - the idea of an EQ-able overdrive/high gain pedal that actually sounds good, got me a little weak at the knees!... Anyway, be assured that I am spreading the word to folks down here in Australia that may not have heard of your quality mods, and awesome customer service! Matty J Baker, Australia
Opto — I figured it out, I think. I had not cut off the posts of one of the capacitors and when I but the back of the pedal on, they seem to have crossed and touched. In any event, I trimmed everything better and now it is gorgeous. Thank you very, very much for this mod. I just played my Tele Plus through the CS-3 into a Klon into a Carr Mercury and the compressor was fantastic. The thing I noticed the most were the amazing overtones. Beautiful. Thanks again, Tom Lecky
Opto — Got the CS-3. It's definitely different than the squishy compressor I am most used to (Marshall ED-1). It doesn't squish as much (though still pretty thick) and is not as dialable (i.e. knobs are less responsive). However, I do like it. With the sustain knob at about 10:00, the tone knob at 2 or 3:00, and the attack knob cranked, I am able to get a relatively transparent tone with good dynamic attack. I also like the way when fingerpicking ringing chords, the sustain kicks in a bit later, bringing an almost orchestral strings-like effect underlying my picking, making it sound fuller. Very cool. The pedal is quiet and does have a number of settings built in there. Not plug and play for a "leave-on" type thing, but I like the effect I can get out of it. I'm going to hang onto it for a bit and see if I need the opto mod or not. I am going to play around with it a bit more and do some more tweaking (only had an hour with it last night). I'm sure I can use it to killer effect. It's very quiet, even when used with OD. There were a few negative things I noticed (e.g. slight clipping, though I believe that was with the sustain cranked, which I'll almost never do). Aside from these things, though, it's a great comp. I've never tried a stock CS-3, so I don't know how it compares. I prefer the ED-1 for squishiness, but I like how this works for transparency. It definitely keeps the natural tone of the guitar better (neither of these have to do with the mod, I believe, more to do with Boss and Marshall's bypass). I also like that slight orchestra effect, which I believe the opto mod will take away from (though in every other way, the opto mod would be optimal for my uses). Thanks for all your help, will get back to you if I decide on the opto mod! Moshe Tenenbaum
Opto — I finished the mod am think it sounds better that the higher end pedals such as the MXR dynacomp, if judging by online demos counts. I had just one problem with the op amp board pushing the foot switch out of it’s socket. The trouble was the flimsy “ears” that hold the switch in place. I fixed it by wrapping a piece of cut off lead wire around the “ears” near their base, thus spreading them and giving more hold. I have the older version of the CS-3 with d10 and r23 installed, perhaps newer versions of the pedal have a better switch. The mod, instructions and component quality are beyond reproach. Love the sound now. It makes a real improvement in all of my effects pedals when put in front of them. Jerry Collatz
Opto —Right on dude! That fixed my problem. The "opto-sqeeze", as I have dubbed it (and custom painted and labeled it) is back on the board and ready to go back out on the road. Cheers, Scott Holiday
Opto — Last week I sent you an email stating that I was having trouble installing the mod properly. You sent me to Chad to "fix it". I wanted to say first of all Thank you for responding so quick to my email. I sent the pedal to Chad and he completed the install and sent it back in a couple of days. I was very pleased that everything went so well. I left some strong positive marks on eBay for your excellent service beyond the sale. Thank you again and I will definitely do business with you again and tell all my friends you're the best! Tim Halbin
Opto — Thanks Monte. Once again, the mod went well and sounds great. Now I have a backup for my original modded CS-3. You are awesome. P.S. That blue LED looks so cool! I've got to get one for my other modded CS-3 :) Peace and blessings, Frank Silano, Tampa Bay, FL
Opto — My CS-3 finally came in and I was able to install the mod. Sounds great! I'd forgotten how great a compressor can be. I play a lot of clean or slightly dirty stuff, so the compressor really hits the spot. These pedal mods are getting addictive though. I plan on trying one of your SD-1 mods next. So don't be surprised to see another order from me soon. Also, I didn't get a sticker with the CS-3 mod and I like the idea of advertising for you (plus it adds panache to me board). Can I get an extra for it when I make my next order? Thanks again. Thomas Lhamon
Opto — I installed the mods today, including the sticker and the LED :) - That was a fun project and I went from knowing very little about soldering (how to make cold joints) to pretty darn good in a few minutes. Your directions were excellent! I checked the pedal after each step. Worked like a charm. I'm excited to play it tomorrow when I can turn it up loud! Brent Morris
Opto — I am completely blown away by the freakin' sounds I’m getting out of my cs-3. I've only soldered plumbing pipes before, never have done a circuit board before, watched two videos on youtube about how to do it and two hours later, I have a working, awesome cs-3. You, sir, are the man. It has inspired me to try other pedal modifications, particularly, my wah pedal, which is a crybaby 95 from about 1995. I didn't see any mod kits on your site for them, and i was wondering if you could recommend a kit for me. It would have to be just as easy as yours was, because although by the end of the mod, i got the hang of soldering the circuit board pretty well, i no nothing of resistors capacitors and the other stuff that goes along with it. I owe my killer tone to you.. James Hellican
Opto — I finally had a chance to upgrade the CS-3. It's working fine and I'm really happy with the mod! I plan to install a switch for the diode and toggle back and fourth between the original and the one from your mod until I decided which one to keep. Right now it's the one you provided. Zoltan Varga
Opto — I just got finished modding another one of my CS-3's, this time the Opto mod. I still love the original mod and I think that is my favorite comp of all-time but this one is squishier and fatter and gives a really nice sound as well. I bet it will be killer on bass tracks in the studio. Keep up the good work my brother. God bless you and yours and thanks for being a big part of my sound. Best Regards, Frank Silano, www.highergroundband.com, Tampa Bay, FL
Opto — Hey Monte, I just finished my mod and all I have to say is holy S*!%. The CS3 mod is unbelievable. I was playing with the stock one for 7 or 8 years and boy my rig has never sounded better, like I took a blanket off it. My tube screamer and big muff growl and my bottom sounds tight even on the higher frets where it used to sound flabby. Anthony Rodrigues
Opto — I've purchased a number of your excellent mod kits, and am quite pleased with the results. I've done your Opto-mod on the CS-3 compressor, and the modified pedal is great. I have a CS-2 that I would like to upgrade. Do you have any advice on parts replacement? One thing I would like to do is make it compatible with a modern 9-volt power supply, instead of the ACA-120 it calls for. Can I remove D2 and resistor associated with the DC power jack and replace them with jumpers, same as on the CS-3? Improving the CS-2's signal path is also one of my goals. I don't have a schematic, but the circuit board has component designations silkscreened on it. Is there anything you can tell me? I want you to know, I'm not in the pedal mod business, nor do I sell parts to do mods, do not expect to any time in the future, and don't want to cut into your livelihood. I'm simply a guitar enthusiast interested in improving my sound. If I had a schematic for the CS-2, I could probably determine the answers to my questions. Thanks for any help you can provide. It's much appreciated. Wayne Horner
Opto — Hi Monte. I have a compliment to pass on to you. I bought your CS-3 Opto mod and put it in a cheap Indonesian Boss that I got for $10. I took it to a studio and the engineer wanted to look at my pedals (that was the only one), and he picked up my Telecaster to try it out, and exclaimed loudly: "This is impossible! How can this be? I used to have one of these pedals and it was a piece of shit! I threw it away!" I told him of the mod, and he said it stood up to studio gear in the $300 price range, and maybe even better. I love it. Rob Sherman, Napa, California
Opto — I just wanted to thank you for your quick response to my phone call Saturday evening. I was able to complete both mods successfully, and am very pleased with the results. The GE-7 seems very clear now, and the CS-3 is quiet and free of the tone coloring that was so noticeable before Thanks for your great kits, and your advice. Jonathan Barnett
Opto — I received the parts and did the compressor mod already. It sounds really great. I'm not much of a compression guy, but I had the pedal sitting around and figured I'd try it. I'm sure it will now become part of my clean tone. The added warmth and fidelity reminds me of my Keeley modded BD2 and I wasn't expecting that. I can get a nice clean boost with it too that sounds good with my 5e3. This pedal was not used much but I notice now that I'm getting a little popping at times when switching on and off. I expect the switch is not worn out yet. Is there a resistor change I can make to the input of the circuit that may help eliminate this? Mike Colby
Opto — I just wanted to take a minute to thank you for putting the "CS-3 Opto" mod together. I was definitely more than a bit nervous about doing this mod, as my soldering skills are less than is desirable. However, I took my time and tested after each mod (as you suggested) and everything turned out great! I am very impressed with the difference, particularly in regards to how much less noise the pedal is generating. I agree with the other comments that the tonal quality of the guitar is now much more well preserved. Your mod has transformed this pedal for me, and I proudly display your decal on the back of the pedal. Now I understand why this is the mod that "put you on the map" so to speak. I would love to see more mods become available on your site; I will definitely be purchasing more mods from you in the future, and if you make some more available, I will certainly be a continued customer of yours. Thanks again, and keep up the good work! Brian Frierdich
Opto — I know you have heard it a million times already, but here it is again: I bought a practically brand new CS-3 from craigslist with the intention of installing the mod. However, I figured it couldn’t be too bad stock and tried to use it while the parts were being shipped. I couldn’t find a setting I liked, and I played with it for over two hours. It killed the tone on my strat and was way too noisy. I finally gave up and put it on the bench, hoping that the mod would straighten it out. Well, now that the mod is installed I can’t find a setting I don’t like. I love the transparency, and the effect is very subtle but definitely noticeable. The best way I can come up with to describe it is like the paint on a car that has just been washed: It looks very good, but really shines when the wax is applied. That might be a good name for it…the Wax Mod. LOL I almost forgot to mention noise, mainly because I forgot about the pedal being noisy. I only need one word to describe it: Gone! Thanks again for a fantastic mod. This is my second MA mod (BD-2 H20 plus), and both have been excellent. I also want to add this note: Another guitar player I know tried out the BD-2 H20 and loved it. He bought a BD-2, but for some reason purchased a mod kit from one of your competitors (IndyGuitarist) and asked me to install it. I did the work, but the instructions were not very clear, and I spent considerable time figuring them out. I wound up with an extra cap and no clue where to put it. I emailed and posted on their forum, and to this day have not received a response (4 months). My friend tested the pedal, and at this point only uses it as a clean boost because the overdriven tones were not very useful and (IMO) worse than stock. I’m not sure if this is how they normally operate, but it makes you wonder. Your directions are clear and concise, and your claims have been dead right. Although I have not had a reason to contact you for a technical issue, I feel confident that I will be taken care of. Thanks for that as well. Tad Johnston
Opto — I recently purchased your CS-3 Opto mod in the mail, and just want to THANK you for getting rid of that annoying sound and coloration it produced when it was on. I have always LOVED the pedal, but hated the noise and coloration. I did not have the money to buy an expensive "boutique" pedal which is basically the same circuit but with better parts. I paid $30 for my compressor used. $21 for your kit. That gave me a $51 dollar boutique pedal.
Kevin K.
Opto —This makes my 6th mod. No issues with any of them and they sound killer. I've never had so much fun. The only drag is now I need to buy more pedals to mod!!! You rock man. Thanks, Tony Baze
Opto — Hello T-Von, I installed your mods for my CS-3(Opto) and MT-2 (Sustainia) and I love them!! I had never soldered anything before but decided to go for it because those pedals were just useless otherwise: now they're back in my rig with a vengeance AAARGH! Thank you for giving me the DIY power, I'm so happy to have taken a part in this tremendous improvement!! Best regards, Laurent Aeschimann
Opto — Just wanted to add to the compliments... the standard CS-3 is almost pointless pedal (the older CS-2 was actually ok and more simple). The Opto mod kit came with the pedal I got on eBay. Previous owner had no time to install. So I had the pleasure to install the kit myself. The pedal sounds awesome... and I have used compressors for decades, and I have heard them just about all... this has a great clear sound, just wonderful. Probably the best I have heard yet. I will definitely look into doing more MA mods as time rolls on. But for now, thanks again for providing a great modification for the BOSS CS-3. Rick Cuevas, California (original member of ZruVogue)
Opto — One word for the sound of the CS-3 after the mod......AWESOME!!!! Everything that was good about the CS-3 has been amplified 10X and all the things I didn't like are gone!!! No more exaggerated pumping on the notes, just smooth sustain with a ton less noise, even with the knobs above 50%. I'll be looking for a DS-1 kit to upgrade my DS-1 that is collecting dust. You sir are the real deal and have earned a customer for life!!!!
Joshua Brewer, Brownsburg, IN
Opto — No doubt you here this often but I wanted to give you some feedback because I like your products. I have been gigging with the CS-3 OPTO and BD-2 H2O pedal mods for several months now. These two simple mods have resulted in some REALLY great improvements to my tone. Over the past three decades folks and players alike have always commented on my good tone but this has taken my sound to the next plateau. I bought the BD2 just to do this mod even though I was buying a pedal I’d never heard or played before. Perfect sound for me. As well the CS-3 mod is tremendous. I just bought some copper pick guard shields for my strat and tele. Not that I have experienced that much noise with my guitars but more so that I trust your recommendation about these products. Just another note about a recent jam session at my wedding reception which sums up what players hear and feel about your mods in general. My old guitar playing buddy, who is also an excellent player, was playing “stunt double” for me at my wedding reception so I could spend time dancing, etc. with my new bride and not get into trouble for jamming on guitar with all the musicians. However, after I played one set on my own rig my buddy refused to play his gear for the rest of the evening. His quote to me was, “Man!!! I want to play your guitar and amp. it sounds like a freaking studio recording”. HA! What complement could be better than this? Thanks again! Rick Deason, Carthage, IL
Opto — Compared to a Keeley: The MA is much more of a natural sound. More transparent in all the mids and highs. More of a smoother sounding, clearer, natural sounding take-the-blanket-off type of tone than the Keeley. Sounded less like a pedal and more like the pre-amp stage of an amp with master volume, or the distortion you get when you crank a tube amp. Very Marshall sounding when the gain was higher (not real high gain Marshall, but just right). When the Keeley was on it sounded like you were using a pedal. The Keeley has a Fat switch on his BD-2 mod. I have not opened it up yet but I read this online: He changes the value of capacitor on the Tone control to make it not so thin sounding when turned up. It evens out the response of the control. Now my little 5E3 57 Deluxe has alot of bottom, so it is noticeable when you kick a pedal on and you loose bottom. I know I could probably experiment with that cap but I really want your opinion. Should I try to change it? Even with that bottom thing, your modded BD-2 sounds much better than the Keeley. On another subject, I am a compressor freak. I have been using CS-3's for 20 years. Brent Mason is my guitar hero. You can hear a CS-3 on all his recordings until recently (he switched). As you get better gear and eliminate parts of your rig that hurt your tone and upgrade others, a stock CS-3 starts to be the weak link. I want to thank you. My CS-3 now matches the tone standard I have set. Amazing. EVERYTHING you said. I have an analogman Bi-comp, a Keeley Compressor, an octal BYOC compressor and a dyna comp. YOUR CS-3 Opto Plus IS THE BEST! Exactly what it should be. No words to describe what it improves. I could write a whole page on that. Too bad Brent Mason didn't get ahold of yours before he switched to something else. You have got it right when it comes to mods. I cant thank you enough. In a couple of weeks I will be all over the forums and Harmony Central letting everyone know. I'm gonna try to get ahold of Brent Mason and tell him. I know some guys that play with George Strait and they might be able to contact him. Cliff Tomerlin
Opto — I modded my CS3 using your kit last weekend. Everything went like a dream, thanks to your clear instructions. The difference is HUGE! Robert Cornelisse, Netherlands
Opto — Hi just wanted to tell you how great your cs3 mod is man it made a difference I play country and before the cs3 was good got the job done kind of thing but now i just get compliments every gig I play on my tone. i was gonna buy keeley compressor but now i don't need to. Thanx again, Samuel Sunderland
Opto — Monte, I love your CS-3 mod: Very clear and full, and all that murky honky mid-range colouring and over-compression is gone, it just sings out clean and pure. Makes my acoustic bouzouki, fitted with under-saddle piezos, sound magic! Great on electric too for fat clean leads. I'd frankly given up on my CS-3 before I added your mod, relegating it to a cupboard drawer, so thanks very much indeed for giving me a useable unit... I shall definitely have to invest in some more of your mods, and will advise my mates also check out your site. Wonderful stuff! Best wishes, keep up the good work! Regards. Mike Willoughby
Opto — Your Boss CS-3 mod worked great. The pedal sounds so much better with it. It's much quieter now and doesn't color the sound of the guitar at all. It's just my sound, a whole lot thicker...and thanks for making is so easy to install. Arthur Payson, Beverly Hills, CA
Opto — Hi Monte, Thanks so much for the mod kit for my Boss CS-3. The instructions were easy to follow, and everything worked perfectly. It's a big improvement. This mod greatly reduced the muddiness in the low mids which bothered me with this compressor, and also it reduced the noise. Thanks again for a great product. John Janetatos, Brooklyn, NY
Opto — YI just wanted to drop a line and let you know how great my Boss CS-3 sounds now. The "CS-3 Opto Plus" modification was simple and straight forward, if you are patient and follow the instructions. I had absolutely no problems completing it and I am totally satisfied. I did go to Radio Shack and purchase the "Solder Sucker" instead of using the supplied wicking material. I am ex-Navy so I did have some soldering experience. I have gone through a lot of guitars, amps, and pedals searching for the "elusive tone". It is sad so many parents and prospective guitar students are so easily disappointed after buying equipment that eventually gets shoved in a corner closet via frustration. "Compression" is the simple answer. What a shame guitar and amplifier manufacturers refuse to include this feature on a lot of their equipment. Thank you so very much for making this modification available. My CS-3 pedal is now invaluable to me and it will remain in my possession forever! David Daven
Opto — I just finished upgrading my CS-3 with your Opto mod. It truly is everything everyone said it would be. I'm very happy with the pedal now. Also, your instructions made the process completely painless. I have been looking for a mod for my CH-1, I'm just not happy with the sounds I'm getting out of it. Do you have, or do you know any mods that will help make it more like the CE-2? Thanks again for the great mod. I'm going to order your BD-2 H2O mod soon and am looking forward to seeing your TS9DX mod. Sincerely, Matthew Boyter
Opto — I got them today!!!! WOW!!!!!!!!! I will never use any other compressor! The Blues driver is awesome also. I have been using 2 keeley's side by side but I’m gonna switch one out with yours. This mod has a MUCH better high gain breakup and it’s a little dirtier also! Is there any way you could send me 2 more of the CMMAT MOD stickers? I want to use them to put identity on the pedals. Thanks, Joshua Scott, Ridgeland, Ms
Opto — Your CS-3 mod, OUTSTANDING!!!! I can't find a bad tone in that thing. Level & tone about 1 o'clock, attack at 2 o'clock, & sustain at 9 o'clock. It is the first pedal in my rig with my Marshalls and it keeps my tone smooth and consistent. It truly excels at the country twang as well!!!! A tone story for you. I recently sit in on a few country gigs. I ran me Tele into your CS-3 into a Boss LS-2 with 40% your TSs-9 and 60% your BD-2 (the secret!!!!) into a Line 6 MM4 & DL4 -->NS-2 to a 65 Deluxe Reverb Re-issue. I was getting some sick country tones!!!! If you don't have an LS-2, get one!!! You can get some killer tones mixing your pedals, the BD-2 at about 80 and the SD-1 at 20 can get some killer rock tones. I'm planning on investing in an MT-2, OD-3, and DS-1 so I can mod them and do some more experimentation!!!! Keep up the great work!!!!! Joshua Brewer, Brownsburg, IN
Opto — Hi Monte, just received your Opto-upgrade for my Boss CS-3 Compressor. I put in these two new Germanium diodes and the cool blue LED and it works fine, great, unbelievable good. I liked your "standard" upgrade for the CS-3 very much but your Opto Mod is even better. So thank you again for all your help, your very good instructions, the parts and everything! Jost Schilgen, Berlin Germany
Opto — First off I'd like to compliment you for an absolutely brilliant set of products ( I have a CS-3 Opto, and recently a purchased DS-1 Tri-gain mod). Both pedals have sounded great with any guitar-amp combination I've used them with. Pure tonal bliss! Anyways, I'm writing you to ask for your advise in modifying a wah pedal, be it a Dunlop Cry Baby,a Vox or whatever have you in your bag of tricks. I was looking for a true bypass mod or to just improve the overall harmonic structure of these pedals (the new re-issues have much to be desired as far as tone). Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks you in advance, God speed and more power to you. Raf Garcia
Opto — Monte, I just finished the CS3 Opto mod. Wow what a huge improvement. I'm going to take it to the gig tonight and compare it to my Barber TP. So far it smokes it. Billy Wagner
Opto — Hi Monte, Just wanted to add my voice to the chorus of amens singing praises to your CS-3 mod. Absolutely wonderful sounding! Did the Opto version - I am amazed at how useful this pedal is now. I've been playing thru it for the past two days, and am beyond impressed! I've got a nice strat with Fralin's in it thru a 5E3 that I built with a kit from Mission Amps. I've got a Celestion Blue in it, and this thing is absolutely a dream to take a little bit of the edge off it, and nor leave the tone behind. I'm a fingerstyle player, and like a lot of dynamics, and the CS-3 actually works like a real high quality compressor now! Just like you said it would! I haven't gotten this much bang for the buck sonically since my first RMC compressor! Thanks so much for putting in the footwork so a guy like me with a soldering iron and a dream can have the satisfaction of doing something so cool. Thanks, Monte - So glad I stumbled across your kit! Scott Waara, Malibu, CA
Opto — Hi Monte, I just wanted to say that my CS-3 mod arrived last Thursday. I am amazed at the difference! We had two gigs this weekend and the CS-3 was used far more than previously. No more tone-sucking and combining it with my overdrives really made a massive difference to my sound. I can't rate the mod highly enough - brilliant! Your instructions and PCB illustration were very clear and easy to follow. I was most surprised that I didn't un-solder at least one wrong pin though! I thought that being a big ham-fisted might mean the modifications were not easy to do. Wrong! A bit of patience and a good pair of long-reach tweezers and MINIMAL use of solder did the business. Next on the agenda will be your SD-1 to TS808 specs conversion. Absolutely delighted with everything in your kit, from instructions to components through to the final, vast improvement of the compressor. Cracking stuff. Many thanks and looking forward to doing more business in the future.
Richard Underwood Bourne, Lincolnshire England
Opto — Monte, Just did the mod to one of my CS-3's and it's great. Nice fat tone, it actually enhances the tone instead of sucking it out and the hiss is gone. Excellent mod my friend, be blessed. Frank Silano http://www.highergroundband.com
Opto — Hey Monte, Your mods work like a champ.... thought I was going to screw up putting the chip in but it turned out OK. All the resistors went in very easily with no surprises. I plan on touting your easy-to-do mods to some buds of mine. Who knows. they may become new customers. Ken Sheldon, Norwalk, CA
Opto — I've just got your CS-3 opto mod and immediately finished the job after X-mas. Just to let you know that you gained a true fan for lifetime here in Europe! The CS-3 just sounds absolutely brilliant. Thanks to the perfect instructions it was dead easy to install and I am quite inexperienced in soldering! Payment and shipping was easy and quick! Thanks again! Keep up the good work! Frank from Geneva, Frank Moser, Switzerland
Opto — I realize you probably get a lot of emails but I thought you might like some feedback on the (now) "old" Supra mod. First let me say that I am impressed with your dedication to your costumers.It is rare to see people take the time and effort to email their costumers about an update or change to their product. I was pretty impressed with the Supra mod after installing it into my favorite OD pedal. I was on the verge of shelling out for an OCD as I thought that would be the only way to improve my sound from the OD-3. I bought the OD-3 second hand about 8 years ago and thought it was the most transparent OD pedal I had heard up till then. It really lets the sound of the guitar through and responds well to dynamics, PU and volume changes. It was solely by chance I bumped into a message on a Danish forum about your mod and I checked out your site straight away. What was even luckier was that I was about to go into the studio to record and had just bought a Telecaster Baja for the gig (my main guitar being a Fender Starcaster 1975) and was looking for a quality compressor for some country twang. I then discovered your Opto mod and ordered it along with the Supra mod. This resurrected my CS-3 and both mods now feature heavily on the album which will be released independently in Ireland within the next couple of months. I did think the Supra mod was a clear improvement of the original OD-3. What I didn't like about the original OD-3 was the slightly nasal sound of the pedal. It is as if the extreme frequencies either ends of the band are slightly attenuated. I thought your mod dealt with that and brought out more bass AND treble. The gain structure is changed slightly and I think this is where most people will be skeptical about the mod. I happen to prefer the new more fizzy gain but as I can understand from feedback this has not been to everyone's liking. I suspect this is a very subjective area and there will never be consensus on what sounds good as everyone has their favorite OD sound. I think the immediate reaction to the mod is that the pedal looses some warmth and I thought the same when I had just done it. After a while I realized that this was down to better frequency response. I also think the pedal is much more sensitive to PU and dynamics. So all in all I don't think I will bring my pedal back to your new improved re-vamp. Especially, as I didn't retain the old components and would be too lazy to try and find replacements on radionics.ie....Claus Jensen
Opto — Just letting you know the mods went in flawlessly - your instructions are very clear and easy to follow. The Compressor sounds wonderful. More clarity and dynamics without any squashing or pumping. Exactly what I've been looking for. The BD-2 also sounds/feels great. I look forward to getting both in a band situation to see how it all comes together. I'm happy I came across your site - I'll certainly be recommending your mods to my peers.
Sean Borton
Opto — Today one of my good customers brought me a bag of parts and his Boss CS-3. This bag turned out to be your mod, and after I was done installing it I was impressed on how much better it was than the stock CS-3... To be honest I hated the CS-3 in its stock form. Its so harsh, digital and dead sounding I can't imagine even using it. Heck, after the mod, you can barely tell if its even on! After your mod is installed its much warmer and smoother. The bass loss was fixed and the harshness to the tone and attack knobs were also smoothed out. Good show! Joel Reed
Opto — Hi Monte. The CS-3 mod is great, I am very pleased with it. It's turned an unusable pedal into something I'll definitely get use out of now. Thanks again! Brian Solon
Opto — Hi Monte, recently I just received my mod kits..SD-1808 and CS-3 Opto. Finally with much patience I managed to fit in the kit. Wanted to say how shocked I am with the difference!! IT WAS A BLAST!!! The tone, sustain, .the bulb...THANX Much!!!! You really changed my guitar sound totally!! Really looking forward to other mods... Thx Again! Joey KOnsPirazy, Singapore
CS3 — Hello! I recently performed your CS3 mod and the MT2 sustainia mod. I was a little skeptical at first, wondering if changing a few components would make a real difference. Well, I'm very happy to say that your mods do exactly what they claim to do! My Metal zone now sounds thick and smooth, not buzzy at all -almost like a different pedal! The CS3 mod (not opto) was more subtle, but the improvement in clarity was very evident. It also seems to pulse or "pump" less on extreme settings, too. I highly recommend both. Not to mention the satisfaction of actually doing them myself. I recently bought a new ProCo Rat just so I can perform your FAT RAT 2 Tri-Gain Mod! I would like to request a couple of mods: I have a new Russian Big Muff I bought hoping to mod. Alas, you don't offer one that I can see. So I would like to see a Russian big muff mod that upgrades some of the components + adds a DC jack. I've seen pre-modded pedals on eBay, but I want to do it myself! Second, an oft-overlooked pedal: The Marshall Jackhammer. Tone -wise I think this pedal sounds pretty good out of the box. It's very similar control wise to a MetalZone. I actually think it sounds better than a stock MetalZone. However, its big, really BIG, drawback is that it is very noisy. I'd like to see a mod developed for that. If nothing else a "suggested" changes to reduce noise, and increase note definition. The Digitech Bad Monkey, Screaming Blues, and Hot Head distortion. These are highly rated pedals, and very affordable. The bad monkey seems to be of the Tubescreamer variety, the Screaming Blues of the BD2, and the Hot Head a nod to the DS1. All three are well build from an enclosure point of view, but price wise they are half the price of the equivalent TS-9 or BD-2. I think the Hothead and DS-1 are equally priced new. Anyway, thanks for the mods - I believe they are worth twice the price at which you offer them! Jeremy Johnson
Dyna Comp Mods
Monte, Just a quick note of thanks for the mod kit. Just finished Dyna Comp Mod last night and everything went smoothly, thanks to the great instructions. I can't remember the last time I got this much value for $20. The Dyna Comp was thin and dinky before the mod and now the improvement in tone is amazing. Great punch and fullness and much quieter as well. Thanks for a great design and foolproof instructions.
Tony Bolin. Fayetteville, GA
I wanted to tell you that I ordered the Keeley compressor just to try it out and I returned it the next day, your Dyna comp smoked it hands down way more punch and high end the Keeley sounded dead and killed the high end. I have done 11 of your mods and they never let me down, they are a critical part of my sound and i try to turn as many people on to your mods as I can. I have sound clips that I sent you before but you couldn't open them so is their any way I can mail you a cd of recordings I have done with your pedals? Chris Condon
I was a skeptic when I read your claims about the Dyna Comp mod. I have heard it all. I have music broadcasting constantly; have a studio full of killer gear, blah blah... But I put that kit in my MXR and can't believe the results. Very quiet, very punchy, real sustain, no mush, clarity...just like it should be. The LED is hilarious, I love it. Thanks again for the good work. I will certainly be ordering more from you when I get any other devices for which you offer Mods. Peace, Kevin Paez, Vashon, WA
Hi Tvon; It's me again, James Crenshaw (aka VintageToneGuy from GearPage). Just wanted to let you know that I just finished the Dyna Comp mod without any problems at all and it works and sounds killer. Greatly improved the pedal in many ways. I'm gonna do the SD 1 mod either tonight or tomorrow. I'm enjoying learning and honing my soldering skills. Just wish I had the knowledge of what all those parts did! Guess some of that might come with time. James Crensha
I got one of your T-Von mods and did my MXR Dynacomp 101. THANK YOU! It sounds Fabulous - even though it took me a lot more than an hour or two in the end. I was a studio player in NY, and Hollywood, and London for many years, and just started back into serious playing after a decade layoff. It's been a blast! Christa Ruth Bond
Monte, Hi. I wanted to thank you briefly for making the dynacomp mod available. I completed the mod last week and its exceeded my expectations. Aside from recovering the bass frequencies and eliminating the muddiness, which is what I was hoping to get from this mod, I got a transparent compressor. Thanks so much for making this thing live and breath, as it should. You've made good sound available to everyone by making these mods affordable. You just may take over the market. Thanks again, Chris Cavallo, Miami Beach, FL
I got the mods done, Monte. Sounds great - especially with my Fender amps. My Ceriatone 36 watt (Marshall-type amp) has lots of natural compression, so no need on that one. It took me a while to really figure out just how to use the solder braid (may want to add a tidbit in your instructions on how to best use it). Also, I ran out of it before replacing the chip in my Dynacomp.... Ross Jenkins
So I just installed the dynacomp mod and I am blown away by how good this thing sounds now. I like it better than any Keeley, analogman, Wampler, cmatmods, trex, or Maxon compressors I've ever owned. ...Yeah, I'm kind of a gear whore. This one is staying right where it is on my board. Jeremy Colas
Just thought I'd let you know that my Dead old Dyna Comp works great after installing the upgrade. I was able to use the old can. I tried both and liked the Can more than the chip. Though the Can is slightly more noisy. I sure wish the old DC's had a LED, is that a possibility? The GE7 improvements are phenomenal. Clean and clear tone and useful gain with very little to no noise. I will order the TS 9 upgrade tonight. Steve Taylor
The PCB for the rev B is very similar to the rev D picture you have in your kit, so it was cake putting the mod kit in. I honestly can't tell how good this pedal is now because it's that transparent compared to stock. Very good job on the mod kit, and that greed LED is blinding! Frank Consoli
Got all 4 mods installed and used them in a gig for the first time Tuesday night... WOW!!!! My OD-3 just went from being a clean boost to my MAIN overdrive pedal! I was happy with it before the mod, but now it's unbelievable. Almost NO coloration at all when I step on it... just smooth, colorless, practically noiseless overdrive. I'm glad I decided to go ahead and order it along with the others. The SD1 GT mod is great! So much better sounding than the original, and tons of versatility. I have it set up for an old tweed Princeton type sound and it's wonderful. Again, very much less noise and coloration. I have an old SD1 that sounded much better than the newer one I just bought. I modded the new one for comparison sake, and now it sounds even better than the old one! The Daddy-O mod turned a totally useless paperweight into a VERY usable pedal. I'm now using it for my solo boost with just a slight amount of OD and mid boost in it. It sounds great after the OD3 and/or the SD1, and surprisingly good by itself. Your mod got rid of the "nasties" and made it smoother and MUCH more controllable. I also went ahead and did the whole mod on the DynaComp and it helped it a lot. Even though I was very happy with it before, the mod made it smoother and more controllable in the lower compression settings where I use it most just like you said it would. Now I have 4 Monte Allums modded pedals on my pedal board and I am LOVING my tones. I've added a link to you on my websites and will be singing (playing) your praises to anyone who will listen. Keep up the awesome work and thanks for the great advice and the BEST pedal mods on the planet!!! John E. Flood
I am amazed that for $25, and a few hours, I was able to resurrect a pedal that sat dormant in the bottom of my gig bag for over a year. As I said, it is now virtually noiseless and does what I always hoped it would do in a completely transparent fashion. I might get a hold of a DS-1 and try one of your mods for that pedal as well. Michael Sarcinello
I got the mod kit in the mail yesterday afternoon. Thank you so much! This mod sounds great! It was really easy to do and I'm not good at soldering. I had no problems with it and it didn't take too long. I couldn't stop playing with this pedal last night. Brian Bowersox
I've just played around with the pedal for an hour or so, and it sounds super great! I've used it on both guitars, rhodes and on my AKAI EWI 4000S wind controller. It does wonders on all of them. Thanks! Jørgen Munkeby
Finished it and just wanted to thank you for the help. That was by far the hardest mod I have done. The design of that board is crazy. I have a couple pedals to get rid of if your interested. Dunlop Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face and a reissue, all nos parts Small Stone. Both in great shape. Take care. Tim Hebb
I was so happy with your support on my older model Dyna Comp mod. Was so good with its squeezieness. But, based on your writings, I bought a Boss Cs-3 I did your mods. I've finished them tonight and am having trouble going to sleep. They sing. I really really admire you're work. Thank you. Peter DeStaffan
I got them today!!!! WOW!!!!!!!!! I will never use any other compressor! The Blues driver is awesome also. I have been using 2 keeley's side by side but I’m gonna switch one out with yours. This mod has a MUCH better high gain breakup and it’s a little dirtier also! Is there any way you could send me 2 more of the CMMAT MOD stickers? I want to use them to put identity on the pedals. Thanks, Joshua Scott, Ridgeland, Ms
I have successfully completed all the mods for my ts's, comp, and DD-3. I can tell you that the difference raises the eyebrows. The tone and functionality of the pedals make me want to hurry home and play guitar. You Rock! Duncan Chaboudy
Hi Monte, just wanted to let you know I got your mod and it is sweet! Very easy to install and it sweetened the sound of MXR nicely. Jeff, Art Gallery of China, Canada
T-Von: I have no previous experience with soldering any electronics and I successfully modded my Dyna Comp Rev. D last night. The clarity and lack of noise is fully apparent in this mod. All it takes is some common sense and a little patience. Thanks! Joseph Shull
Hi Monte, I just wanted to commend you on your Dyna Comp mod kit. I am a boutique amp and pedal builder, and I have a pretty exclusive client list. I've done tons of Ross mods on the Dyna Comp pedals, and the jam band guys really seem to like them a lot, however most of my country players have been finding the Ross style compressor a bit dark sounding. I've noticed that the stock reissue Dyna Comp sounds almost unusable due to the lack of lows and mids. The .1uF cap on the output cures that problem instantly. The use of the germanium diodes is a terrific idea, and it really fattens up the sound. With your kit the tonal balance is completely restored, and the top end response is perfect. A great improvement over the Ross darkness. I highly recommend this kit to anyone with a stock Dyna Comp. And for the player Who's looking to add a compressor to his/her pedal board I recommend buying a new Dyna Comp and installing your kit. Your kit would be a bargain at twice the price. Now I have a quick and easy cure for my Dyna Csomp customers. Thanks so much, and God Bless. Clint Lawrence Logan Electronics, Omaha, NE
Hi, Just wanted you to know I got the Dyna Comp mod kit and installed it this Friday and was floored with the results! I'm not that big of a compressor fan, but after the mod, it sounds amazing! Quiet, full bodied, juicy and oh so warm! It took that horrible sterile stock sound and made it sound soulful! I actually think it makes my whole rig sound better (and I do use A LOT of pedals) thanks a lot! I've left positive feedback on eBay. Itay Libhaber, Israel
Hi, just wanted you to know I received the other cap yesterday and I put the Dyna Comp mod kit in and just tried out. Wow!, now I know why those country pickers use them. I plugged my Tele into the modded Dyna Comp straight into my Twin and wow what a tone! I will send feedback. Thanx! Jeff Comeau, Canada
Monte, I received the mod kit for my MXR Dynacomp yesterday and completed all the mods last night. The first thing I noticed right away was the sound of my guitar and amp with the Dynacomp turned on. All of the tone was still there. This pedal no longer affects the tone: BONUS! This pedal no longer adds unnecessary treble when turned on: BONUS! This pedal has a nice, smooth output now as opposed to what it had previously which I cannot recall, but I know it wasn't ear friendly: BONUS! Overall, I am more than pleased with this mod and it has inspired me to pursue more mods of yours. I've already received your Boss Blues Driver mod kit. I should be receiving the actual pedal tomorrow. I got it used on eBay. I'm very much looking forward to that mod. Shucks, after listening to the sound samples of the SD-1 mod I'm half tempted to buy one of those pedals just so I can modify it with your kit. Those samples really do sound great on the SD-1 mod. Thanks for providing these simple to follow mods for us tone questers. Pat Flowers, Front Royal, VA
Boss MT-2 Mods
Sustainia Tri-Gain Plus — Monte, Last night I installed the MT-2 mod and the GE-7 Mod, and all I have to say is WOW. I've had the MT-2 for years and I've always struggled with trying to get the right tone dialed in. I purchased an old GE-7 to help bring out and tame what I loved about the MT-2, but I just couldn't get that crisp gut vibrating tone that I wanted. Last night I FINALLY was able to get what I wanted out of that pedal. The MT-2 by itself now sounds awesome, but with the modded GE-7 after it. Wow.....just wow. It Roars! I have very minor (and I stress minor) adjustment on the EQ of the GE-7 after the MT-2 and I can't believe the sound that's coming out of my amp. The low end is so tight, the mid range is so crisp and the high end is so clear it's unbelievable. Mad sustain and you can hear every note in every chord played no matter how much gain you pump out of this pedal. Amazing, absolutely amazing. The mods were pretty easy to do, and I found that I really enjoyed doing them. I think I'm addicted now. I'm going to do my SD-1 next. Thanks Monte!! Richard A Reil, Los Angeles, CA
Sustainia Tri-Gain Plus — I just wanted to say thanks for your awesome kits!! Thanks to your DIY kits, I've got a new hobby. Just finished my MT2 mod this morning and I've really enjoyed learning how to solder and unsolder. There were a couple minor things that confused me a bit working on this. In the switch instructions, it mentions to cut the shrink tubing into 6 parts, then later says 8 parts. My own fault for not reading ahead first :P. Had to do some messing around to get the opamps to fit there.. by re-soldering a part or two to get a bit more clearance.. But other than that everything went pretty smooth and everything seems to be functioning fine... now I need to find more soldering projects :D Matt Ingram
Sustainia Tri-Gain Plus —I am waiting for the MT-2 Tri Gain PLus mod to arrive. Do I need to download anything like before when you would send attachments? By the way, your MT-2 kit is catching through our area. A friend of mine uses your modded MT-2 into an old Marshall JMP even though he has tons of amps. He runs the JMP on 1, essentially clean. It sounds carzy good. How in the heck does a pedal outdo so many amps? I know he is still getting lots of punch and warmth from the amp, but the MT is doing a lot. So, another band was hanging out watching and the drummer said, man that is the best tone I have heard in years. So, Mark explained about the monte modded MT. The drummer turned to his guitarist and said he should get one. That week he ordered one and now uses it into his Rivera head set clean. Un real tone. Rich, Philadelphia
Sustainia Tri-Gain Plus — What an excellent Mod, it totally transforms the pedal.. Tony Beer
Sustainia Tri-Gain Plus —I completed the Trigain Sustania Mod for the MT-2 with my 12 year helping me out. The pedal sounds terrific now. I used it at a band rehearsal the other night and it sounds better than my mega distortion pedal and is as hot as the Burn side on my Fender Supersonic. At any rate, thanks for a great product. With your mod, I was able to turn a useless pedal into something amazing. Great work! Chance R. Bush
Sustainia Tri-Gain Plus — The LED's sound amazing. They really have turned this into a whole different pedal. I bought the MT2 just to try your mod and I’m glad I did. Ill be ordering more mods shortly... Nathan Yeager
Sustainia Tri-Gain Plus — I took my modded MT-2 to practice last night and as a follow up to my previous e-mail all I can say is thanks. I now have a high gain pedal on my board that cuts through and I didn’t even explore the possibilities of the extended range of the EQ on the pedal, we learned a Thin Lizzy song last night and the tone that I got with my Dr. Z MAZ18 was perfect for the song. Awesome mods, thanks again. Overall the pedal sounds a lot less "Metalhead Kid like" and has a good range on the EQ. I liked what you did with the clipping diodes, very modded Marshall sounding, but I can still get 70's classic rock tones also. The pedal sounds like I can achieve 80's modded Marshall and 90's Mesa metal tone if I needed it.
George Smith. Jim Thorpe, PA
Sustainia Tri-Gain Plus — Just put in the MT-2 Sustainia Tri-Gain mod and it sounds awesome!!!! Thanks Much! Jerry Vargas
Sustainia Tri-Gain — Hi Monte! I have installed the DS1 mod, CS3 mod and the MT2 mod. The DS1 mod is what everyone makes the Keeley mod out to be. I prefer this to the Keeley mod. When I got my DS1 Ultra Mod from Keeley I didnt like it from the start. I like the DS1 with your mods better, it has TONE! The CS3 is a better compressor than the Dyna Comp because with the Dyna Comp your signal breaks up and it colors your tone. I also have a Keeley Compressor and your CS3 Mod are very similar in sound but the Boss CS3 has more control, attack and sustain. I like the Boss better and I saved over $150!!! Your MT2 Mod made an unusable pedal into a monster. I truly love it now!!! I will do the SD1 mod this week and I plan to buy a BD2 so I can mod it. I have had a Keeley BD2 so I can compare the two. Thanks a million!!!!!!! Chad Matthews, Cookeville, TN
Sustainia Tri-Gain — I ordered another MT-2 kit from you today as one of my students heard the difference between my modded pedal and his stock when we A-B'd them. He requested that I order one for him and install it ASAP. On the order page I was unable to leave special instructions, so I called the number attributed to your paypal account. I apologize for the intrusion as it sounded like a personal voicemail. I would appreciate it if you would put masking tape on the legs of the blue LED. Trying to determine which LED is blue when they are all 3mm's is rather time consuming. Also, I only recently noticed the note for the instruction regarding the tantalum caps that the text should be pointing toward the bottom of the PCB's front. If I installed the previous kit incorrectly then I would know because it wouldn't function, is that correct? As a closing note, I am looking forward to installing the TS9 kit that I ordered previously as I am sure that the difference will be as remarkable a transformation as was the MT-2 kit. Thanks for your assistance, you have earned a client who will recommend and endorse your product to anyone in need. Thanks, Matthew Waltman
Sustainia Tri-Gain — I just modded my Boss MT2 with the Sustaina Tri-gain mod. You should be charged with 1st degree murder. My tone is Killing everyone! You are a very talented person. I can't wait to do another mod. Jeffrey Herbetko
Sustainia Tri-Gain — The thing sounds fantastic! I wish the stock mode had the same volume as the diode and LED modes but hey, it's always on the LED mode anyway. Something I did without realizing it until after I did it was place the blue LED with a red LED for the circuit. I assume there really is no tonal difference, correct me if I’m wrong. I just have a really bright red light instead of a blue for the ON light. I'm trying to think of some way to make those circuit LED's visible because it creates a pretty cool effect as they light when you strike a chord. Hey I'm a guitarist, pretty lights intrigue me! Anyway, great work, let me know if I should switch the red with the blue. Dustin Carleton
Sustainia Tri-Gain — My name is mico from the Philippines, i just want to say that you have great mods. I really enjoy your mt-2 sustania tri-gain which has now become an integral part of my sound. I discovered about your products last year, and when i visited my friend last March of this year, i told him about your mods, so we purchased, i think all of your mods (his ebay name is litoljon). The hardest mod to do was the GE7, it took awhile because it was a lot of parts to do. He modded my mt-2. You got excellent products. Oh by the way, the pickguard shields are excellent, my strat is so quiet, i didn't know that shielding would make a difference. I remember you sent me the shield via a large envelope with a "don not fold, baby pics". When i got it, i was actually wondering who would send me baby pics, until i read monte allums on it. Michael Ong
Sustainia Tri-Gain — I've managed to do it! took some jigging around with the tone pot (to squeeze in the switch) and resoldering of the Duel Stacked NE5532 Adapter Assembly at an angle, while also turning the jack input at an angle - real squeeze! - but it's together. Managed to replace the LED too - didn't see a screw holding it in place. The pedal sounds brutal and awesome all at the same time. Really looking forward to using it in properly in my bands. Dead pleased I bought the mod from you. Thanks for the assistance on the earlier question. Kind regards, Death Podal
Sustainia Tri-Gain —Tried the pedal last night through an Egnater Rebel 20, '63 Blond Bassman, and a Mesa Stiletto. WOW! It's a totally different pedal. It ain't a harsh tinny MetalZone. If anyone want's a better MT, I don't think this is it; it's a whole different can of worms. 10 times better in my books though. As I get older I play with less and less gain. The old MT had the gain on 0, now I can crank it up all the way to....1! LOL I'd advise anyone who has a MetalZone and uses it as a hammer to put up pictures as I have for the last 15 years to spring for the mod. It's better than throwing it away or eBaying it. Only prob I had was vision. Damn, those things are small! Fortunately I'm a dentist and I did the whole thing under my dental microscope. Slam dunk. Bruce Murphy, Bartlett, IL
Sustainia Tri-Gain — I'd just like to say the pedal arrived safely on Thursday night and my son and I haven't stopped playing with it since! The sound is truly greatly improved, and I can't thank you enough for your faultless work! Gary Ledingham, UK
Sustainia Tri-Gain — Hello Monte, I purchased the 4 kits below from you and I know it was a while ago. I was finally upgrading the last pedal which is the Boss mt-2. I was saving the tri-gain mod to do last. All was going excellent until I realized I connected a blue diode with the red. No big deal I thought I’ll just unsolder it and redo it. Well, unsoldering from the switch I managed to melt the switch. I don't know what the hell I was thinking. Can I purchase a new switch from you. The diodes are all ok. Will you let me know and I can send you the payment. Thank you, Joe P.S so far all these mods have been totally awesome. Joseph Capua
Sustainia Tri-Gain — Thanks for a great kit, I have a really nice sounding pedal now! I did the "full monte" and thought I'd give some input. You are right about trying the pedal after each part is installed, mine stopped working after I installed the chip, I quickly traced the problem to C21 or R29 shorting the legs on the chip adapter, that would have been game over if I had put all the parts inthere before trying the pedal! It is all very tight in there... Just slightly moving the C21 and R29 solved it. Also I had a problem with the Tri-gain switch, the legs were corroded and wouldn't take the solder well, I overheated the switch and ruined it trying to get a good connection. I got another from radio shack and all is well, plus I love the different sounds you can get with the switch. I used the two red LED's for the mod but I don't know what the third blue LED is for? Is it just cosmetic to replace the stock red on/off LED? Thanks also for the solder and desolder braid and the complete instructions, you do a hell of a job! That was fun and I hope to try another one soon. Eric Schellenberger
Sustainia Tri-Gain — Hi Monte!! I had fun doing the mod, took me 5 hours though but had a wonderful time and experience doing it. It's pretty much after each mod I played the guitar for about 15 minutes or so. So by the end of it took me that long but had a GREAT TIME!!!. My only concern was, since we are changing of course the components to high quality ones will it give a certain hiss on the sound when I past the LEVEL knob at 9'oclock I know it should because you can't really compensate a higher GAIN sound without suffering the HISS. I just wanted to know if I did anything wrong, should it be really quiet? (Which I don't think so.) Just jot me an email so I could be informed. By the way It's way good!!! I've never felt a pedal like this! The CHUNK, the CLARITY like what everybody was saying "it is so musical!" Not the typical BUZZ the MT-2 does plus its nasally sounding crap that it's spits out! I LOVE pedals like what you have said YOU can’t have just ONE!! I only like BOSS pedals never really digged other ones since 1987!! Whew 20 years!! Ha ha ha! Anyways this is the best thing that ever happened to the BOSS pedals... MODS!!! KEEP them coming man!!! We share the same FAITH!! JESUS CHRIST is GOD!! Thank You!! LORD DENNIS DE CASTRO
Sustainia Tri-Gain —I just wanted to thank you for the bonus Tri-Gain Sustainia mod for the MT-2. I can appreciate your approach to keeping your mods from being copied and sold by other unscrupulous techs that don’t know how to do what you do. I can appreciate all of the hard work that goes into what you do because I have been working with people doing custom guitar pickups that I wind by hand myself and what takes me hours to complete can be ho-hum to the next tone seeking clown. People don’t understand the amount of work that goes into learning a skill and developing a quality working product like a pedal mod or set of custom humbuckers etc. I would never share or use your details or mod instructions as my own. I am trying to get people to buy the mods by telling them their pedal could sound like mine. J I have offered to install them for free for a couple of friends but you know how it is with the economy these days. I am so busy playing in the band I don’t really have time to do too much work for other people. I have my hands full. Thomas Ochoa
Sustainia Tri-Gain — I have purchase 4 mods from you; DS-1 Rectifier Tri-Gain, MT-2 Sustainia Tri-Gain, CS-3 Opto Plus, and BD-2 H2O Plus. Although I am not a sound aficionado, all of your mods definitely are improvements and I really like the new sounds. I almost wrote you a few times during my mod attempts. Took my mt-2 completely apart and had no power after the 1st capacitor change. I read your troubleshooting guide and found out to not completely disassemble the pedal for the lack of ground. People really read it. I also was questioning the sound discrepancy between LEDS and Diodes. Again, I read it and there it was, stating this is normal. REALLY, REALLY READ THE MOD TROUBLE SHOOTING. This was my first REAL attempt at soldering and it was a short and easy learning curve. I went from about 4 hrs. on the first mod to just over an hour on the last. Thanks again, and I look forward to hearing and possibly purchasing what I assume is your first original pedal. The OD-308. Kevin Horton
Sustainia Tri-Gain — YEEEAAAAH!! Mister ALLUMS! Lots of great sound in this Tri-Gain MT-2. First, no problemo to install the mod. . . as easy as it can be :-) Then I put it in front of a small Peavey amp => not as terrible as I wanted BUT I put it in front of my Hugues & Kettner tube amp and waooooh a kick in the butt and a punch in my face ;-) A real presence, and what an incredible clear sound . I really hear my guitar (Ibanez JS1200 ), at low or high gain settings! I think I'm gonna try the DS-1 tri gain and the BD H2O mods. See you soon !
Jean-Philippe, France
Sustainia Tri-Gain — Hello. I just wanted to drop you an e-mail for 2 reasons. I know you must get a lot of mail so I’ll keep it short. First, I just got a boss mt-2 metal zone with your first mod and WOW does that thing sound great. The second reason is, I would like to get the mt-2 tri-gain upgrade kit with the 3 way switch installed and would like to find out how much you charge for that service. I 've been playing for 24 years and this is the best sounding distortion pedal I’ve ever played. 2 weeks ago i discovered your website and your pedals. I’ll be back to try some other pedals in the near future. God gave you a pretty cool talent. Thank you very much. Gene Cunningham
Sustainia Tri-Gain — I got your Sustainia mod for MT2 a while ago and also recently purchased a Keeley modded MT2. I just wanted to say that your mod is so much better than the Keeley it’s unbelievable. The Keeley is a box full of useless tone. I was wondering whether seeing I already have the instructions whether I could just buy the parts of you again so I can do the same mod to the Keeley pedal. Chris Paynter, Australia
Sustainia Tri-Gain — Ok she's all installed. Sounds great when it's switched towards the leds. Pedal sounds awesome on the leds setting though man. Real thunderous distortion!!!! Thanx man. Also it seemed much easier to install the switch on the opposite side of the case rather than what you had suggested in the diagrams. Much more breathing room over there. Snowdog Folsin
Sustainia Tri-Gain — Hey monte! I finally got my mt2 with sustainiac tri-gain and my cs3 opto pedal. All I can say is OMG! I can't believe these are the same pedals. I was getting a little frustrated since I bought a new amp and a couple of pedals in order to improve my sound. Who would have thought that the solution is a mod kit for my boss pedals. ever since I got these, I can't stop playing. I was planning to replace the speakers on my vox ad50vt but now, I’m contented with the sound I have. I live in the Philippines, and I’m actually expecting a blues driver and a danelectro daddy-o in the mail. Once I get these pedals I’m gonna mod it right away, and I’ll give my feedback once again after countless hours of playing :) btw, can u post sound clips of the new chip adapter you have, maybe for the mt2, ds1 and cs3? Thanks a lot and more power to your business! Jasville Dela Pena
Sustainia Tri-Gain — Hi Monte, just wanted to let you know how much I enjoy the MT-2 Sustainia mod. I am not a metal player, but I do like thick distortion and this pedal now has the tone and versatility I was looking for. The difference is quite amazing to me, and to the musicians who have heard it so far. I have a closet full of pedals, boutique brands, modded Boss & Ibanez ODs & distortions, but your mod has given me the TONE I have been looking for for a long time. Sasha Brusin, Glenview, IL
Sustainia — About six months ago I purchased your original MT-2 mod. I can tell you that six months down the line I still love it. It really just sounds fantastic. There's not much left to say really, it's just fantastic.
Daniel Simmons, United Kingdom
Sustainia — I finished modding my MT-2 today and wow, that was good and straightforward, after all. I wished all my past experiences with electronics had been this good. And that sound, so heavy. Had that pesky little fella done that sound 14 years ago, (yes, they ARE built like a goddam tank) when I accidentally bought it, I would have probably formed a metal band. The opamp installation changed the sound dramatically, I'm happy I got that too, it's good. Gianmaria Pedrini
Sustainia — Hey! Just finished the mod, SOUNDS AWESOME!!! I am sure that you get a ton of feedback, but here is my experience: 1) The instructions are definitely well done!! 2) I use this pedal mostly for metal type of music, I definitely preferred the overall sound when the 2 capacitors left in. I did notice that when they are left in, scooped mids on the middle toggle setting, causes some odd breakup. But outside of that, it sounded great! 3) I made a silly mistake a mounted my toggle left and 1/2 inch lower than my input jack, bad mistake, my PCB would not fit :-) So, I made a new hole directly to the left of the jack (which the instructions said to do) and all is well :- Well, thanks again for this great mod!! It definitely adds a ton of clarity and warmth to the pedal and does so without taking away the aggressive sound!!
Sustainia — Just writing to say that I've truly enjoyed using your mod kits! I skeptically started with the Ds-1 tri-switch mod and I was blown away by what I heard! Since then, I've also added a SD-1, BD-2, GE-7, and MT-2 to my pedal board and they are all modded with your outstanding kits! I was using a GT-6 as my primary effects unit, but that has now been relegated to a supportive role as the tone from your kits are so superior to anything the GT-6 could offer. Many thanks and I may add yet another couple effects gems of yours to the signal chain...! Anyway, the questions I had are as follows: 1-I bought an MT-2 off Ebay that had already been modified w/your sustainia kit. I was considering ordering the tri-switch for it, but I want to be sure that if I add it, I won't lose the sound of the pedal the way it is now (it's so good, I would cry if it was altered)! But adding a couple variations would be awesome! 2-I also bought a BD-2 off Ebay that had been professionally modded with the H20 kit. This pedal is unbelievable! My only complaint is that I've maxed out the tone for full treble, and would still like a little more. Is there a way to get more treble from the tone control without killing the great sound of this pedal (BTW, the seller didn't send me any of the original parts from the circuit board, so I don't have anything to use...I'd need to buy something from you...) 3-Can I use your LED replacement lights in any stock BOSS pedal? I have a DC-2 and a EH-2 that I might like to replace! (And just as a side note, I find that when the LED is the same color as the pedal, it makes for easy intuitive recognition in dark environments of what pedal is actually on. Maybe you could consider packaging some of your kits that way as some do not match up as well as they could. eg the SD-1 kit needs a yellow LED-I already did that to mine and it works fantastic!)Glenn DeGeer
Sustainia —Hello, I can totally relate with that bogus transaction there that you mentioned. No worries for me. I finally did the two mod kits you sold me around 2006! The MT-2 Sustainiac/whatever and the SD-1 GT. Both are Great. I love 'em both! In fact I have been trying the pedal after most mods and almost wanted to quit without finishing on the SD-1. I am about to install the Germainium transistor, haven't changed to the Burr-Brown IC yet- but The pedal already sounds awesome for what I desired: which is clarity and sharpness (rather than fizzy muffles- ;) for lack of better words. I have been making pedals for a while now and built a mission kit 5E3 deluxe so I know a little. (just enough to sound great. Cheers, you the man! Thanks, John Chimenti (I also love the fact that you have a page on the Gospel of the Lord) great again, John Chimenti
Sustainia —I finished installing the MT-2 Sustainiac Mod three days ago (in the end I decided not to remove the Capacitors A and B), and I've been playing with it a lot since then; the manual is perfect, and the pedal's really awesome now!!! It sounds 100 times better than before, much much clearer and with smoother mids! It's like I bought a 1000$ brand new distortion pedal!! In the beginning I was a bit confused, because the knobs act quite differently, but once understood how to set it up it really kicks ass!!! The only downside I can notice is that the pedal loses quite a lot of volume: before the mod I used to have the "Level" knob set to about 9 - 10 o'clock to balance it with the clean (bypass) sound; now I have to set it at about 2 - 3 o'clock... Not that it's a big problem, but I'd like you to tell me if it's normal. The same thing happens to my friend's pedal too (he bought the same kit with me). Thank you, please let me know what do you think about the volume issue. Dario Giovannetti, Italy
Sustainia — Just wanted to say I finished my MT2 and GE7 mods last month and they have totally transformed the pedals. The MT2 in particular is unreal! Amazing clarity and chunk its 100% better than stock. I’m thinking about the DS1 mod next. Also thanks for shipping the mods out to me in South Africa. It’s amazing how weird some retailers get about sending things out this way. Thanks! Chris Webb
Sustainia — Hi Monte! I just did my Boss MT-2 mod and all I can say is WOW!!! I really love it and I really enjoyed putting it in. Thanks again. I want to do a SD-1 now. Thanks very much for everything!!! Chad Matthews, Cookeville, TN
Sustainia — Hello! I recently performed your CS3 mod and the MT2 sustainia mod. I was a little skeptical at first, wondering if changing a few components would make a real difference. Well, I'm very happy to say that your mods do exactly what they claim to do! My Metal zone now sounds thick and smooth, not buzzy at all -almost like a different pedal! The CS3 mod (not opto) was more subtle, but the improvement in clarity was very evident. It also seems to pulse or "pump" less on extreme settings, too. I highly recommend both. Not to mention the satisfaction of actually doing them myself. I recently bought a new ProCo Rat just so I can perform your FAT RAT 2 Tri-Gain Mod! I would like to request a couple of mods: I have a new Russian Big Muff I bought hoping to mod. Alas, you don't offer one that I can see. So I would like to see a Russian big muff mod that upgrades some of the components + adds a DC jack. I've seen pre-modded pedals on eBay, but I want to do it myself! Second, an oft-overlooked pedal: The Marshall Jackhammer. Tone -wise I think this pedal sounds pretty good out of the box. It's very similar control wise to a MetalZone. I actually think it sounds better than a stock MetalZone. However, its big, really BIG, drawback is that it is very noisy. I'd like to see a mod developed for that. If nothing else a "suggested" changes to reduce noise, and increase note definition. The Digitech Bad Monkey, Screaming Blues, and Hot Head distortion. These are highly rated pedals, and very affordable. The bad monkey seems to be of the Tubescreamer variety, the Screaming Blues of the BD2, and the Hot Head a nod to the DS1. All three are well build from an enclosure point of view, but price wise they are half the price of the equivalent TS-9 or BD-2. I think the Hothead and DS-1 are equally priced new. Anyway, thanks for the mods - I believe they are worth twice the price at which you offer them! Jeremy Johnson
Sustainia — Just a quick email to tell you how happy I am with the MT2 Mod. Here is my experience. This is my first mod and it was successful. The stock Mt2 is a bit out of control. There is too much top end hash like distortion, as a result, the e.q. capabilities are limited. Your mod dramatically changes this pedal. There is: Much more control over the distortion. A Significant drop in noise. Round full tonal definition. Violin like sustain. Rich harmonic overtones. Better string definition. Superior pick articulation. Greater control over the parametric sweep. The stock MT2 is not known for its ability to cut through the mix. Your mod turns this pedal into a double edge sword! The only thing left to do is to spend some time with this pedal. Thanks for your work. Kevin Hill, Florence KY
Sustainia — This pedal is siiiiiiiiiick. I got the stock pedal for free, and 20 bucks got me the mod and it sounds like a $200 pedal. It's soooooo worth it. I screwed up the traces after making the hole for the diodes too big. But I made a couple of jumpers. Then I was getting no signal, but I found a wiring diagram deep in the depths of the internet and realized the guy who gave me the pedal had switched it around. I put everything back, and finished modding the pedal and realized that this thing is awesome. I cranked it up loud this morning (did the mod in the wee hours, 1-3 am, haha) and it sounds like I was playing through a mic'd Marshall stack, feedback and all. I can't wait to dive into the CS-3 mod and put together my pedalboard. Great job man! Nana Sarpong
Sustainia — Hey guys, I've had some time to play around with the Sustainia mod, and I really like it a lot! I compared it to both my modded DS-1s, and it beat them both in versatility and clarity, it just sounds better. Then I tried it next to the big guns, my Tonebone Hot British. The HB is a better pedal, more organic and more warmth. However, the difference between the 2 is surprisingly small! In fact, I could probably use this pedal instead of the HB and not even miss it, that's how good this thing is! In fact, I wish I'd come across it first, it would have saved me 100 bucks! Thanks so much, this is the backup/practice-rig pedal I've been searching for! I still love the SD-808. It's especially useful as a pedal for stacking, makes all my other distortion pedals sound fuller and more organic! It also rocks on its own! I can see why it's one of your favorites..... Moshe Tenenbaum, Canada
Sustainia — Hey man, I just wanted to thank you for developing these killer mods!! I just installed all the parts & my MT-2 has gone from harsh and blah, to warm and tubey. And it still has tons of gain I like for over-the-top shred. I was surprised at how simple the process was. And I look forward to taking this thing with me on the next gig!! Thanx. Jason Gearhart, Santa Clara, CA
Sustainia — I received the kit and just installed it in my MT-2. Just had to write and say WOW! What a difference. Definitely worth the money. Jeremy Schultz
Sustainia — Hello T-Von, I installed your mods for my CS-3(Opto) and MT-2 (Sustainia) and I love them!! I had never soldered anything before but decided to go for it because those pedals were just useless otherwise: now they're back in my rig with a vengeance AAARGH! Thank you for giving me the DIY power, I'm so happy to have taken a part in this tremendous improvement!! Best regards, Laurent Aeschimann
Sustainia — Just a note to let you know the mod was incredible!!!!! its a whole new pedal... I had no idea it was missing the control it now has!!!! Dean Wright
Sustainia — I just wanted to let you know that I think I found the "problem" with the MT-2 I modded. I e-mailed you asking about a very slight dropout when I switch the pedal on. I went back and checked everything, but I could only find 2 places that looked a little suspicious. I fixed it up, but it was still there, so I was quite frustrated. I then went and listened to the samples on your website. On the first one (not the one by Michael McGlenn) you played a clean chord and then turned on the pedal (0:04 in the clip). That is what I'm hearing! I didn't listen to this clip before because my internet connection is really slow and this clip is quite large. So it seems like what I thought to be a problem was just what the pedal does normally. To make sure I didn't try to fool myself, I set up the same kind of sound and recorded it. My pedal does exactly what the pedal in the clip does. I just wanted to let you know that the mod sounds amazing. I have been jamming away for the last few days and I can find just about any sound I need in there. It really blew me away. The pedal is nothing like the stock MT-2. To think I almost threw this pedal away! Jo Ellis
Sustainia — Hey Monte, I just completed my first "Monte Allums" pedal mod on my MT-2 and I absolutely love it. Thanks for the great instructions. I have several Boss pedals. I can't wait to mod them all. Keep on Rockin'. Steve Masters from Maine
Sustainia — Hello from down under! I just wanted to say thanks for your service, I received the MT-2 mod yesterday & fitted it last night - what a difference it has made! You turned a pedal that I thought was just for laughs into something that actually sounds great! Paul Sarno, Australia
MT-2 — I received my MT2 mod package and installed it yesterday. Wonderful! Thank you very much. I love the sound of this pedal now. The tonal options are fantastic. I performed someone else's mod on another MT2 and yours definitely is better! Kevin Little
MT-2 — Your pedal mod for my MT-2 is awesome. I just got done playing, I didn’t want to put my axe down!!! It transformed my pedal from one I was thinking of selling to one with a regular spot on my board! Jason Lighthall
Boss GE-7 Mods
Boss GE-7 Plus — Monte, Last night I installed the MT-2 mod and the GE-7 Mod, and all I have to say is WOW. I've had the MT-2 for years and I've always struggled with trying to get the right tone dialed in. I purchased an old GE-7 to help bring out and tame what I loved about the MT-2, but I just couldn't get that crisp gut vibrating tone that I wanted. Last night I FINALLY was able to get what I wanted out of that pedal. The MT-2 by itself now sounds awesome, but with the modded GE-7 after it. Wow.....just wow. It Roars! I have very minor (and I stress minor) adjustment on the EQ of the GE-7 after the MT-2 and I can't believe the sound that's coming out of my amp. The low end is so tight, the mid range is so crisp and the high end is so clear it's unbelievable. Mad sustain and you can hear every note in every chord played no matter how much gain you pump out of this pedal. Amazing, absolutely amazing. The mods were pretty easy to do, and I found that I really enjoyed doing them. I think I'm addicted now. I'm going to do my SD-1 next. Thanks Monte!! Richard A Reil, Los Angeles, CA
Boss GE-7 Plus — I just want to thank you for a great mod. I ordered the GE-7 Plus Mod Kit recently. Found the kit in the mailbox today. Three hours later the job was done thanks to excellent instructions and explanations. I’ve only had a quick check so far, but it’s obviously a huge improvement to the original GE-7. Money well spent. Cheers, Per Lundberg, Sweden
Boss GE-7 Plus — I just wanted to thank you for a few successful pedal mods thus far. My GE-7 Plus is perfect. Whenever I hear tell of a GE-7, I loudly and histrionically endorse the Plus mod. I'm happy with the Tri-gain TS-9, though of late, tubescreamers are failing to move me. I didn't do your Dynacomp mod, but I supplemented another DIY mod with some of your ideas. I A/B'd the mod with a stock unit, and the stock unit sounds like mush by comparison. I eagerly await my CS-3 Opto Plus mod. Oh boy oh boy oh boy. I also must compliment you on the new emailing of the instructions. Much easier for me. And I spilled water on one of the printouts from a previous mod, which made the remainder of the modding process more stressful. So now I can reprint it. :) Nathan Curry
Boss GE-7 Plus — Thank you for your discovering all this mod I'm very happy with the outcome. First I started with GE-7 with Mod Plus Kit, I was surprise with the result after a very challenging installation. But its worth it...Now I bought a second hand DS-1, BD-2 and CS-3... and I ordered those mods on your website... Its addicting bro, I think these modded BOSS pedal will replace my boutique pedals...jovel_5150
Boss GE-7 Plus — I wanted to let you know I bought a Monte modded PLus Boss GE7 EQ and WOW! I use it in the loop of the Egnater for leads and man is it nice! You are a geneous. I'll be coming to you for future pedals, LOL! I am spreading the word on the Egnater forum about your stuff. Hey, my parallel loop is only supposed to work with line level gear (4db). How can this GE7 be working in the loop??? Do you mod them to make them handle higher dbs?? Rich
Boss GE-7 Plus — I wanted to take more time with my newly modded pedals before giving feedback and, all have been overwhelmingly positive results, here it goes; I ordered two GE-7 plus mod kit from you and used to mod a newer GE-7 and a GEB-7. Wow!!! Noise is virtually gone, though, the GEB-7 stock was not noisy at all and an amazing pedal already. Both pedals now can be cranked without the noise and hiss holocaust most specially when connecting to other distortion pedals. I don't really boost when using equalizers, I just cut. Both EQs are very2 usable now in any way that I think to sculpt my tone. Limitless possibilities!!!! Pristine signal indeed, no coloration of tone. I also had BD-H2O, SD-1 GT, DS-1 RTG Plus mod carried out and the changes are overwhelming. I only have a tranny amp (an Ibanez TBX 65 R), now it seems I have a 2000 $ tube amp at home!!!!! I can definitely feel the difference whatever guitars I plugged in. The wood, the kind of pickups are all well presented with these pedals, and not just ODs, the BD-H20 can also be used from OD to Hard Rock and can also pass as a heavy metal pedal. So warm, organic, so much life, tube like, note definitions are awesome, sustained for days even the gain is zeroed out. All really react as an amp now, not pedals anymore. Before, it all sounds the same whatever guitars I plugged in. Considering it all comes out from a 65 watts solid state amp. With the DS-1 mod, I can achieve everything with the switch and playing with the gain. From OD to all out heavy metal. Very versatile indeed. I still have to install a Burr Brown chip in my GT mod because that was missing in the original package, no worries Monte, I'll just wait for it to arrive. No complaints considering the way you change my life. I had a horrible and funny story with the MT-2 STG plus mod, after changing all the components in the PCB, while drilling the hole for the switch, I forgot to secure the pedal because no one is holding it for me. After penetrating the pedal, the pedal rotates along the drill as it is slowing down, completing around 4 to 5 turns then spit fire several feet from me, hit the wall, and rolled several times in the floor. With the back cover removed and the guts sticking out!!! By the way, I had drilled from the outside. I imagined my face turned bluish at the sight of the disaster. I almost cried. Oh my........then I tried to connect the switch assembly and test the pe.........!!!!!!*@&%)@*_(!*(*#$@(_ it worked!!!!!. Boss chassis, excellent soldering skills and Monte's mod, what a lethal combination. This MT-2 modded, was the heaviest with the diode engage that I heard, but still, it has all the warmth, note definition, i really don't try but the harmonics screams and jumps out so easily, infinite sustain, and heavenly feedback. Still coming out from my tranny amp. I have an RG 7321 7 string from Ibanez and I can nail the most thunderous, earth shaking, murderous downtuned riffs from this pedal, not muddy. The amp can't take it sometimes though. Don't forget the versatility of the pedal now from the switch that toggles from clipping LEDs to Germanium diodes or no clipping. Same versatility as the DS-1 RTG plus above, can nail all genres. Not a Metal zone anymore, "ANY ZONE" now. Also, don't forget that the parametric mid eq is still there. I had carried out all the mods for the MT-2 and the equalizer are all flattened out, no shrill and thin highs anymore. Nasal mids are gone and now are balanced out. Highs are warm, lows are not for the faint hearted anymore. Heavenly, shimmery lead tones. Little to no noise from this massive gain!!! I really can't stop praising this pedal but I need to stop. CS-3 opto plus mod is also a very positive change, in fact a heavenly positive change. Perfect 3D boost, like I heard from a review from HC, it adds a 3d feel in your tone. I usually put all the knobs at noon and leave it on all the time. Perfect for me, I just need a subtle compressor and now I can maxed out the knobs if I need to really squashed my tone with hiss and noise that is not annoying anymore. Before modding this, every settings seems like it was all maxed out with all the horrible noise and tone sucking that you cannot dialed out. So far all are winners. For the DD-3 hi cut, I need to play more with this thing as this pedal was bought new and we really don't have any much bonding for me to decide whether its good or a bad result. But I definitely can feel the large capacitor is warm, not much perceive change in the smaller capacitor though except the feedback cannot go on forever anymore. I'll update you Monte. I've been playing for 18 years, in and out of bands, I recently became a solo musician at home, I just got married, and playing in bands was not my bread and butter but playing and making music is a passion for me always since I was 11. I almost quit in music due to my marital status and mainly due to the crappy Taiwan Boss pedals that I have for years. Still I endured from the cold lifeless tones, noisy and feedback galore I could get from these pedals. I feel that I am not getting better even practicing for hours with these pedals or just plugged straight from the amp. Luckily I had stumbled in your site and now I have so much reasons not quitting on music. Thanks Monte for drastically changing my life. Like what you did in my pedals, you had brought back the life in me. Lemuel Sacop
Boss GE-7 Plus — No, no, I have just bought the VooDoo Lab Pedal Power 2 Plus...I will plug the GE-7 into one of the outlets with, I think, 300mA. I absolutely don't want to touch the pedal, is awesome, transparent and it sounds great with your mod. Guido Pelati
Boss GE-7 Plus —The Mod worked beautifully. I will be ordering more of your products real soon. Neal Jaxx
Boss GE-7 Plus — Hello. Just wanted to let you know that I have performed the vintage BOSS GE-7 equalizer mod. I got the pedal through a trade. When I first plugged the EQ in it made a horrible hissing sound, especially when I turned up the highs in the pedal. I was very disappointed with the pedal, but I had heard of your mods and that they work wonders on Boss pedals. Sure enough, the instructions and parts you supplied were perfect for a smooth sailing, easy project. It was my first electronic/solder job and it took about 2.5 hours to complete (I checked the pedal after each part was changed). The pedal now sounds amazing. I have a VOX Valvetronix tube amp and a Fender American Strat Deluxe hooked up with monster cables. I thought my setup sounded great before I started using this modded pedal, now the sound is literally jaw dropping. All of the people that I play with were simply AMAZED with the change. Worth every penny. Peter D. Rotus
Boss GE-7 Plus — First - The GE-7 Plus Mod sounds awesome!! Here's my set-up: Jackson Soloist or Fender Strat (Eric Clapton) through a Boss Tuner, the GE-7 Plus Mod, Ibanez Tube Screamer Reissue (TS808), Boss SD-1, Boss CH-1, MXR Carbon Copy and a Lee Jackson Mr. Springgy. This runs straight into a Marshall Plexi Reissue (1987XL) with a 1960BX cabinet w/ 25 W Greenbacks.....I haven't experimented with putting the delay and reverb through the FX loop...for a another day. The reason I tell you this...because I'm very concerned about my sound and don't like any pedal that colors the tone, particularly when the pedal is off. I'm extremely pleased with the GE-7 Mod. It tightens up the sound as I hoped and I can cut some mids and highs to provide a stronger bass without affecting tone. Fantastic! Chad - I can't believe I got the pedal back in 8 days! Thanks for the great communication and fast turn-around. The mod reduces the hiss a lot, so I won't be needing the ISP Decimator now! Now I'm saving money too! Monte and Chad - I would like to write up a great review on Harmony Central for both the mod and the service provided. Please let me know where the best place to do this is. Others need to know how much they can improve the Boss GE-7 with your mod!! Darryl Preziosi
Boss GE-7 Plus — Good morning. Sorry to hassle you, but I used the modded GE7 at a gig last night, and I'm compelled to write. The bypassed tone was such an improvement even my singer noticed, and commented on how much fatter it during soundcheck. I hadn’t played five minutes but it was that apparent. Thanks again. Best money I've spent on gear in awhile. Ron Whiggs
Boss GE-7 Plus — I just finished up my CS-3 Opto Mod and my BD-2 Stack Plus and I've been thrilled with the results. I'm now about to start the GE-7 Plus Mod. I have the parts all laid out and I'm missing one 1uF capacitor. The gear checklist says there should be three but I'm only finding two in my kit. I check the envelope as well but there's no sign of it. I just wanted to write and see what we could do about it. Also, I wanted to do the CS-3 Opto Plus Mod to my current Opto modded CS-3. I think the only thing I'm missing is the chip adapter but I wasn't certain about how many of each item I needed (the picture on the site shows two socket extenders and I wasn't sure how that worked). Is it possible for me to order the necessary components to upgrade that mod, Paypal you their cost and shipping and have the 1uF capacitor from the GE-7 mod sent along with it? Thanks for the help, sir. I've been digging these old pedals of mine again. They've been sitting neglected for so long and you've brought them back to life. Josh Thomas
Boss GE-7 Plus — Monte, I just wanted to send you a note to thank you for your generosity. I was overwhelmed by the extra stickers and LEDs that were included in my package.Thanks! Your mods have renewed my interest in effect pedals. The difference in the BD-2 is mind-blowing. I liked the stock pedal, but only found a few settings that I listenable. With your mods, this pedal sounds good in every possible combination! I just finished the GE-7 mod last night but haven't really experimented with it, although I noticed a difference right away. I'm old school and play my stock '67 SG through a 70's Twin Reverb. Now I can get sounds at low levels I could only achieve by overdriving the amp. Unfortunately (for me), now I have to purchase every product you offer. Your service is outstanding and prices phenomenal. I will be pointing all my guitar buddies to your site! Brian Pogar
Boss GE-7 — Monte, absolutely great mod! My GE-7 is so quite now you have to look at the on/off light to see if it's really on or not. I'm ordering the CS-3 mod kit today. Alan Lovejoy
Boss GE-7 — Monte thanks you so much for your prompt service. I have received and installed my upgrade parts and all is well again, the birds are churping the sun is shining and there is no noise in my GE-7. Sally Holmquist
Boss GE-7 — I wanted to share this with you... Thanks for sending the missing parts (so fast)... My guitar tech did the mod on the GE-7 EQ and I have to tell you that you are a genius. I have another BOSS EQ pedal and I am definitely getting another mod kit from you. Amazing work. I just wanted to thank you and tell you that I appreciate the hard work you put on this mods. Jose Lozano
Boss GE-7 — Just some feedback. Mod works great. Major hiss reduction and a cleaner sound. All worked the very first time. But with the next mod maybe I'll read the recommendations first and do a one-in one-out and test after each step instead of taking out all the old parts first then replacing them and hoping for the best (and getting lucky that it worked!) Now I'm going to have to get rid of a couple of my "boutique pedals", mod some "cheaper pedals" and take some pride in my tone. Mitch Gittelman
Boss GE-7 — The mod worked great, it got rid of all the noise, and I am still playing with it. It was very easy to do, I think I spent more time doing the testing, it took about a 1.5 hours, Thanks again! Russ Sutcliffe
Boss GE-7 — Got it done last night, sweet. The noise is gone! I can't believe how quiet this thing is now. Have you looked at the HR-2 at all? Thats another noisy one.. Anyway thanks man, this kicks some ass. I had been using this for a clean boost and as an eq, it sounded terrible with all that hiss, now it rocks. btw that desoldering braid rules! keep up the good work, Señor Gato
Boss GE-7 — Greetings, I cannot wait to buy a few old Boss Pedals so that I can order your kits to make them sound as the designers had intended. You truly have an ear for great tone, and a gift that allows the simple home repairman like myself to follow your instruction and also achieve great tone! I can tell from your thorough descriptions of your kits that the instructions will be easy to follow, and that I will have a new and functioning tonestack with little time and money. I already thanked the anonymous ebay user that pointed me to your site, as I had never heard of it in 10 years of tonequesting the Internet. Well, enough ego stroking (not that I mind), I have a favor to request. Have you ever though about upgrading/modding a Boss NS-2? That pedal has gt to be the second most popular boss pedal that I can think of, and everyone I have studied just puts up with its 'tonesuck' in order to gain from its usefulness. Now, I haven't had one in years, so I don't remember what chips and parts it uses, but if there were a way to get rid of the 'famous' Boss sound, it would surely be the most useful and desirable noise suppressor available. That's my 2 cents, can't wait to crack open my Rat, my GE-7, my DF-2, and my FT-2 and see if they have any parts that I can purchase from you to make them the tone delicious boxes I thought they were when I got them. I am already surfing the eBay boards for an MT-2, a CS-2, and any other thing from Boss that you currently offer kits for. Crank on, ToneMeister! Jonathan Wiedl
Boss GE-7 —Just wanted to say how excellent your mods are to this pedal, you're right! It's like removing a blanket from it's tone! I question the change of the 0.056uF for 0.1uF, as in my ears, this shifts the frequency range of the sliders up a tad, and maybe loses some of the bass... But it does give it a more shimmering sound, that I will agree! But the sound clarity is so so SO much better, and those new op-amps are an awful lot less noisy! And the capacitors are definitely better quality. All in all extremly happy with this mod kit, and I shall recommend you to my audiophile friends! =) Very proud to place the Monte Allums seal on my stompbox! Many thanks, Jean-Christophe Wear
Boss GE-7 —Same kudos for the GE7 mod. I just finished modding my GE7, and it sounds AWESOME! I'm running a MIA Fender Strat with Noiseless, Tone Zone, and Cool Rail pickups into a Mesa 5.25 Express amp with Weber and Tone Tubby alnico speakers. Everything sounds really great now. The nice thing about these mods is it makes me want to keep the pedals and quit trading on ebay looking for better tone. I have the best tone now! Thanks for the excellent improvements! I have modded the CS3, BD2 and GE7 now with your kits! I love it! Gary Stephens, Lincoln, NEB
Boss GE-7 —I will now have 3 pedals on my board with your name on them. DS-1, GE-7 and TS-9. The DS-1 sounds great with just one chip in it actually, I didn’t run it for long but I can’t wait to hear my Fender doing Marshall tones. You turned my GE-7 into the sweetest clean boost pedal ever too! I really appreciate what you do and how much time it takes. Thanks for getting that new chip out quickly. If you are ever in Austin check us out: Trial By Fire! Don Cathey
Boss GE-7 — Just to say im very happy with the Boss GE-7 Mod, blimey! Those annoying hiss sounds are gone! It’s just warm and clear to use, no more grumps :) its staying in my setup now :) wonderful to use with your modded overdrive/distortion pedals, so many good sounding choices :) keep up the good work :) Mike Jones
Boss GE-7 — I finished the mods for the GE-7 yesterday evening. Much improved. With the changes to the Blues Driver, Equalizer and the Compressor it's like I have a whole new rig! All the pedals are much quieter and have a much better sound. I play in a church worship team and am concerned about tone and quality. Now I have it! (you can post that on your website if you wish) I would like to point out there is a discrepancy in the documentation. The docs visible from the internet only describe Mod F as replacing the one resister, the ones emailed in the zip file go into greater length about the two options under Mod F: 9 vs. 12 volts. This caused some confusion for me. You may wish to make them agree. Do you know anyone who has mods for the PH-2 and CH-1 pedals? David Coffey
Boss GE-7 — Monte, WOW! I've always liked what my GE 7 had the potential to do, but was discouraged by it's fatal flaw of the hiss it made when the sliders were advanced very far. For a clean player doing jazz, this just made it totally unacceptable. When I popped in the new ICs I was so relieved to hear sweet, clear equalization without the slightest hint of hiss! The transparency of the pedal and the extensive palette it will now give me is going to be a permanent part of my toolbox for sure. Can't wait to do the BD-H2Os mod, and will probably order the DS1 mod as well. You've found a way to make these rugged, well made pedals live up to their potential! Alan Mille, Renton, WA
Boss GE-7 — Monte, I did your GE-7 mod and the results were impressive. I haven't used the stock pedal for quite a while because I really wasn't that impressed by it. The only problem I have now is that I have to rearrange my pedal board to find a permanent spot for it. It's just that good - Hi-Fi clarity and completely transparent. It's a great tone shaping tool after your mods. David Blackburn
Boss GE-7 — Hello Monte, I just wanted to thank you for doing what you do. LOVE the GE-7 MOD! Brian Hunergardt
Boss GE-7 — Hi, I just installed the mods on my GE-7 and had to drop you a line about it. It does everything you say it does. It is very rare to find a product that performs as advertised. The Peterson Virtual Strobe, Analog Man, and Fulltone pedals come to mind. I was a little skeptical at first, but after I was done I went, "wow". It is much quieter than stock. I was going to sell it because of the noise level when engaged, but now it is on my pedal board. See attached pic. Thank you for the excellent work. Sincerely, Robert Hurless
Boss GE-7 — Wow!!!! I love it! Even cranked 15db it's almost completely quiet. Huge improvement on the noise floor. Now that I've heard the difference I'll recommend you and the mod kit to every musician I know. Outstanding! Please pass this on to Monte Allums. Excellent work, Gentlemen. Mark Scola
Boss GE-7 — Thanks for the help, I now have the pedal working, looked as if the wire had been poorly tacked on at the factory. I now have both of my pedals modded, thank you so much the difference is unbelievable, my ge-7 now not only is completely hiss free it also sounds so much clearer and sweeter. My bd-2 is now a completely different animal, I haven't done the tube screamer mod yet as you advised but I am so much happier with both pedals now. James Richardson
Boss GE-7 — I broke out my pedals and plugged them all in together for the first time this week. They rock! My buddy couldn't believe it. I did however have an issue with the EQ pedal. It sounded great. So I think all the circuitry is fine, but the light was sporadic and I’m not too sure what the deal is. I moved the foamy that covers the ribbon that connects the 2 boards and it seemed to effect the problem positively. It seemed to burn nice and then blink...I think it's a short – only involving the light? Since the tone is not effected by it. Is this a pretty common problem? I haven't repointed the soldering points with a quick pass of the soldering gun yet...Robert M DeSutter
Boss GE-7 —Greetings from Sweden. I’ve had a GE7, DS1 and a MT2 pedal. After putting your mods on these, those three beat the crap out of most my pedals. I did record a sample of these pedals while they were stock and compared them afterwards. Least to say i was blown away. Def going to recommend you to all my music buddies. Good stuff, thanks a million! Best regards: Vadim Jonsson
Boss GE-7 — Hello, just thought I would let you know that I got the GE-7 mod finished. Now, I was pretty skeptical about this sort of thing, and for the price you sell them at I thought, "why not", boy am I glad I did, the mods are stunning, the description of removing a blanket from my amp is spot on, the bass is now tight, and not boomy as before, trebles are smooth and not harsh, my amp now seems more responsive. I am absolutely delighted, and I intend to let as many people as I can, know about you. I am now going to go for the BD2 H2O mod. Many, many thanks. Jon Roberts, United Kingdom
Boss GE-7 — Hey T-Von, I installed your mod on my Boss GE7 and it transformed from a hissing p.o.s. into a powerful tool that goes where ever my axe goes. I have started and will continue to recommend your kits to my clients. Thanks much! Sean Thompson www.stguitarworks.com
Boss GE-7 — I've received the hi-fi GE-7 mod and installed it successfully (though I didn't use the soldure braids, I have a sucker pump for that). Thank you so much for the kit and instructions, it sounds beautiful! Etienne Blythe
Boss GE-7 —You proudly display customer testimonials on your page, so I thought you might like some feedback regarding the mod kits I brought. Firstly I brought a GE-7 mod kit. eq pedals have always been my favorite effect, and I’ve tried a lot of them. Your modified GE-7 is by far the best. So, it might sound incredible, but in my opinion the monte allums ge-7 is the best guitar effects pedal ever. I was so impressed with the kit and your fast delivery I ordered three more mod kits: Your cs-3 opto mod does to the cs-3 what boss should have done in the factory. The standard cs-3 is surely a below average pedal. I only brought one to try out your mod. No regrets about that ;) I never tried other compression pedals, but your opto mod is very transparent, and logical to use - complete opposite to the standard pedal. Apart from a little treble loss with some extreme settings I can just forget its there. The ds-1 recifier mod is a good mod. The standard ds-1 might be a classic, but its hardly nice sounding. i like the way your recifier mod keeps the good things about the ds-1 and makes it sound good too. Maybe it can use a Little bit less gain - but I don’t care. the classic ds-1 sounds good about with about 20% of the possible settings, the rectifier mod is more like 80%. with the standard, you have to look hard for the good sounds - with the mod, you have to look to find a bad one. Finally your basic sd-1 mod kit. i was less impressed by this one. after the mod the sd-1 was very transparent, this wasn't quite to my taste. I liked the way the standard pedal coloured the sound. I looked around online and found some more mod ideas. I thought you might be interested in my changes to your mod: I changed the opamp to a TL072 (spare from the ge7 mod), which put a bit of
The upper mid smoothness back. I also changed R2 to 680K (you should really change the mod kit to include this change in my opinion). Finally, I made C2 0.047uF which gives back a little more of the standard sd-1 flavour. I don’t think I could have worked out these mods, without the inspiration you gave in your detailed instructions. I will surely be buying more mod kits from you in the future - next on the list will be your TS5 kit! I posted a review of your ge-7 kit on the bare knuckle pickups forum. the modded ge-7 is still my favorite, you need to include a white LED for pride :) all the best - you're doing a great job, Gareth
Boss GE-7 — Hi Monte, Ordered your mod recently on the strength of great reviews on-line, and they were all bang-on-the-money. My GE-7 is now a beast: awesome gain with no hum, much more sensitive sliders with huge response, and it looks ice-cool with the white LED. It's tamed the nasty-sounding passive pickup on my acoustic Guild and turned it into a beautiful thing. Clear highs, full mids and a phat bottom end. We should all be so lucky... Great service, got the kit within 7 days and I'm in New Zealand. Thanks mate! D. B. Grant
Boss GE-7 — Hi Monte, I purchased your Boss GE-7 mod a few months ago. The level of noise is greatly reduced and the pedal makes my amp sing. I use it to boost the front end of the amp, rather than putting it in the effects loop. I've given up on OD and distortion pedals and just use this now. Thanks for your help.
Ian Logan, Aberdeen, UK
I just wanted to thank you for your quick response to my phone call Saturday evening. I was able to complete both mods successfully, and am very pleased with the results. The GE-7 seems very clear now, and the CS-3 is quiet and free of the tone coloring that was so noticeable before Thanks for your great kits, and your advice. Jonathan Barnett
Boss GE-7 — Hi, A quick note to say how good this mod is. I use my GE7 for Overdrive/Boost as well as EQ - sounds great but the noise was horrible. Your mod has made it noiseless on low gain and on high gain so low as not to be noticed playing live. Instructions were clear and easy to follow - you need a little experience with soldering. Thanks - This was my 1st experience with your (or any DIY) mod. I will not hesitate to do another. Cheers, Shane Easton
Boss GE-7 — T-Von, I bought the GE-7 mod kit from you a month or so ago, simply put AMAZING!!! I've been using it for a nice smooth overdrive on the clean channel on my Marshall and I've had other guitar players come up to me and ask me if I'm using a TS-9 or 808, they can't believe I'm using an EQ pedal. It's amazing that you're only charging twenty bucks for these kits, I tip my hat to you. Thanks, Dan Newell (Seahawks Season ticket holder). Dan Newell, Seattle, WA
Boss BD-2 Mods
Boss BD-2 Blues Stack — Hi there, I bought this mod from you last week and it arrived today. I have a lot of experience with circuit boards and repairing PCBs, so I found it no problem, except that I did remove the small PCB with the 2 pots on for C100. It made it a lot easier to replace the cap without the soldering iron getting too close to the other wires. Apart from that, the instructions were first class and made the job very easy. I recorded the BD2 at different settings before and after the mod, and I must say that I am extremely pleased with the result. Especially the removal of unwanted distortion and fuzziness. I can wholeheartedly recommend this mod, and I have no hesitation in giving it full marks. Thank you very much. Regards Stephen woodbridge-Smith Tavistock, Devon, UK
Boss BD-2 Blues Stack —I installed my BD-2 Blues Stack and SD-1 GT mods the other day, they are both epic!!! But man, the SD-1 mod deserves serious praise, it's phenomenal. It makes me want to throw all my other dirt pedals away, it's just great. Vann Betzel
Boss BD-2 Blues Stack —Thank you again for your extra help! I swapped out "L" to the .1uf cap as suggested and am absolutely floored! It opened up the tone in my rig (which tends to need a little extra "help" with presence at times anyway - not your mod's fault at all...) and this pedal sounds AWESOME! I couldn't be happier with it. In fact, I'm so happy with both the CS3 opto plus mod and the TS9DX Dual drive mod that I've actually got plans to sell off a pedal that has been on my board for YEARS over my lunch break so that I can give your newest BD-2 mod (the blues stack?) a try. I did have one question regarding the tone - and I think I may know the answer already based on the video clip of the mod... After the blues stack BD-2 mod is completed - what is the "minimum" gain available? I used to use my older BD-2 set up with the gain waaaaaay down so that it sounded essentially the same as my clean tone unless I really really "dug in" on a multiple note chord or something... I sold the thing because of the splatty gain characteristics... With the TS9DX mod, the "minimum gain" is still a bit "more" gain then what I'm hoping to accomplish with the new BD-2 stack mod... In you video, you state that the pedal can be used as a clean boost. That would seem to suggest that I could essentially get to "zero" gain with the pedal on... If that is the case, I'll be able to get to the low gain range I'm thinking about no problem as I'd simply add the "hair" as needed... Like I said earlier, the stock BD-2 had the lower gain range I was looking for but not the tone I wanted... The clips on your website prove that the new mod has the "tone" I want in SPADES... I just want to quadruple check that the gain range (ultra low) that I use periodically is still in the pedal. Alternatively, I am considering the OD-308 although based on the web clips, it sounds more "rough" than the BD2 mod. Anyway, it sounds like the BD-2 stacked mod will get what I'm looking for, just wanted to quadruple check on the gain range... Thanks again for your advice! Your products are spectacular and I couldn't be happier with the TS9DX and CS3 with the mods. Absolutely wonderful. God bless! Chad Johnson
Boss BD-2 Blues Stack — Hi Monte, Thanks for the encouragement. I just discovered that the Danelectro "Zero Hum" 9.6V 200ma adapters I use on my work bench will not work with a BD-2, even though they power every other Boss pedal I have just fine. When I put the pedal on any other power supply (even a 100ma Furman pedalboard supply), it works fine. I'm happy to have it back. Your chip adapter mod is remarkable in the BD-2. I could tell the tonal difference and increase in transparency within two seconds of plugging it in! Cheers, Josh Bradshaw
Boss BD-2 Blues Stack — Monte, finished the Blues stack mod on the BD 2 and it sounds amazing, I had no idea these pedals hid tone like that in them. I've got one last question tho, I managed to fry the led in the kit so I just put the original back in, does the led in the kit make a tonal difference or is it just for brightness? If its tonal I need to get another led, otherwise, I'll just live with the original. Steve Loftis
Boss BD-2 Blues Stack — Hi Monte, Just installed your Blues Stack mod for the BD-2. Very nice sounding, bluesy and a little dirtier than my BB Preamp. Gives me some variation to the BB Preamp which is somewhat more compressed IMO. The BD-2 is more transparent than the BB now and has a different base sound. Both are very useable. I use the BB Preamp for warmer sounds on the bridge (HB), more like Brett Garsed and alike. Together with the CS-3 Ultra mod I can get some nice sounds with my Tele and my custom HSS equipped Variax. I do get some noise from the modded BD-2 and the CS-3 when cranking up the gain and sustain which is normal I guess? I have two adapters now (including a new T-Rex fuel tank junior with isolated outputs) which both give 9v or a little above. Btw, I'm interested in some more of your mods. I'm thinking about buying a used DS-1. I saw on your website that you need a certain PCB for your Roxx mod. Do you know when this PCB type was introduced? Or what the minimal serial number should be? If I buy a second hand DS-1 it's handy to know what to ask for. Harry Maes
Boss BD-2 Blues Stack — Hey Monte just wanted to drop you a line and tell you I am really diggin the blues stack mod. I did add 1 extra mod to C101 but other than that this is no doubt the best bd2 mod i have played and i have played a lot of them, this pedal is great, i dont even know when its on its so clear and the "splatty" decay really is gone, thats why i always hated the bd2. I run it after my gain pedal with the bd2 set to low gain and it does not compress or get fizzy, and by itself it give a perfect edgy tone with out coloring the signal great work monte this thing is a keeper thanks for such great products. Chris Condon
Boss BD-2 Blues Stack — Anyone who says this mod is just another gimmick does not have good ears. I received my H20 Blues Stack Plus mod kit from Monte. I played my stock BOSS BD-2 for 10 minutes and then got started doing the H20 Blues Stack Plus mod. All parts fell off the board nicely using the solder wick. A good and steady hand and eyes are required for a nice clean job. All I can say is WOW! / This pedal is alive and wants to dance on the floor with you as you play. The mids are much better and adjustment is much more noticeable along with a better range. The gain can go from on the edge of breakup to an all out house growling roar that is smooth and not grainy, buzzy or fuzzy The pinch harmonics are awesome and the notes do not decay or buzz out. They sustain for a much longer run out than the stock pedal. The two OP amps definitely make this pedal as quiet as your going to ever get and it is just pure bliss to play I have to have the pedal that Monte is using along with the BD-2 in his MP4 video. I forgot what it is called but it adds a great enveloping effect and delay. Thanks for one of the best sounding pedals I have ever owned. Dave Murphy, triodeamplification.com
Boss BD-2 Blues Stack — So smooooooooth. I compared the original BD-2 to a couple of byoc pedals I built and in comparison it sounded harsh. With your mod it is so much smoother, it now sounds how it should have in the first place. Paul Neil
Boss BD-2 Blues Stack — I just finished up my CS-3 Opto Mod and my BD-2 Stack Plus and I've been thrilled with the results. I'm now about to start the GE-7 Plus Mod. I have the parts all laid out and I'm missing one 1uF capacitor. The gear checklist says there should be three but I'm only finding two in my kit. I check the envelope as well but there's no sign of it. I just wanted to write and see what we could do about it. Also, I wanted to do the CS-3 Opto Plus Mod to my current Opto modded CS-3. I think the only thing I'm missing is the chip adapter but I wasn't certain about how many of each item I needed (the picture on the site shows two socket extenders and I wasn't sure how that worked). Is it possible for me to order the necessary components to upgrade that mod, Paypal you their cost and shipping and have the 1uF capacitor from the GE-7 mod sent along with it? Thanks for the help, sir. I've been digging these old pedals of mine again. They've been sitting neglected for so long and you've brought them back to life. Josh Thomas
Boss BD-2 Blues Stack — I just wanted to drop you a line and tell you how impressed I am once again with your products! As you may remember, I tried the Blues Stack mod to my BD-2 a while back and was so impressed that I recorded a review for you and sent it to you. I'd been meaning to try the Opto-Plus mod for my CS-3 ever since then, but only recently got up the gumption to start the mod process. By the time I was ready to order it, the Ultra-Plus mod was available, so I thought I'd try that one. I finished the mod a few days ago, and of course, my CS-3 sounds better than ever! At the time that I ordered my Ultra-Plus mod, I also decided to order a 12x12 sheet of your 40 gauge copper shielding for my Godin LG. It's loaded with Seymour Duncan P-90s and sounded like a bee's nest any time I used it with the gain channel on my amp. I just finished shielding it last night and, honestly, I wasn't expecting a whole lot (based on everything I'd read about shielding before). As soon as I was finished, I plugged it in and cranked the gain up... Wow!!! What a difference!!! This guitar is now every bit as quiet as my EMG-loaded Strat! Thanks so very much for making the amazing products you make! Your loyal customer... Brandon Humphreys
Boss BD-2 Blues Stack — Man! I think you are better than keeley's=) I really love the mod I bought from you I have the killer tone mate! So full sounding =) Andrew Solis
Boss BD-2 Blues Stack — To Whom it may concern, Holy Crap, what an incredible mod. Just got it back from Merv. Instant Stratisfaction, and my Les Paul is starting to like it as well. Thought about a Keeley, thought about an Analogman, I am so glad I went with a Monte! This thing is now the king of my pedalboard. Compliments on your circuitry, compliments to Merv (polite, prompt, top-notch). YEAH! John Leonard, New Haven, CT
Boss BD-2 H2O Plus — Hi There, I ordered the kit on Saturday night & it was here on Monday morning (WOW that was fast!). The mods are done, and the pedal REALY sounds great. I'm floored....I A/B'd it with my Bluesbreaker pedal for hours in my Goodsell with my Greco Les Paul, and it's honestly one of the best pedals I've played... In the last week I've been playing a Klon, a KOT, the Bluesbreaker, and several others. This one and the Bluesbreaker are staying on my board. Great Product. Thanks! Damion Puluse, San Jose, CA
Boss BD-2 H2O Plus — I received my order for the Blues Driver Mod yesterday and installed it this evening, and it is wonderful! I followed your instructions exactly, taking my time, and checking each and every step with the guitar and amp, and everything works perfectly. Thank you for your great work, I really appreciate it! I have an old Ibanez TS-9 that I bought new about 10 years ago or so, and at the time the guitar tech at the store did a Mod on it, and told me he exchanged the TS-9 chip for the TS-808, because it would sound better, and before tonight, it was my favorite pedal, but now your Blues Driver Mod is one of my favorites. My question for you is; If I take a digital picture of the control board of my TS-9, would you be able to tell what Mod he did, and make any additional suggestions that you would add to it to make it sound even better? I love the sound, which is definitely different than the Blues Driver, but after hearing the Blues Driver Mod, I can tell there is more that could be done. I'm going to order a mod soon for my DD-3, and whatever you may suggest for the TS-9. Thanks for your time and help. Roy Couser
Boss BD-2 H2O Plus — I finally got my mod kit, assembled it in 3 hours, had a lot of fun desoldering and soldering) I'm totally amazed by the transformation of my BD-2, It so transparent, and the drive is so smooth and creamy. Thank you, great product, Vitaliy Tkachuk
Boss BD-2 H2O Plus — Did your H2O plus Mod on my BD2 and let me tell you.... It sounds " AWESOME" what a difference this mod makes from the original sound. I just ordered a TS9 Tube Screamer mod kit and hoping that this will sound as good as the first one. Thank you for the great work!! Cheers. Yours truly. Oscar Lacroix, SSGT (Retired) Canadian Armed Forces. Halifax Nova Scotia, Canada.
Boss BD-2 H2O Plus — Hi Monte, I like to order some extra mod kits: BD2-H20 plus, OD3-Supra plus and TS9 Tri Gain. I have a question: my TS9's are already equipped with the JRC4558D chip, can you ship a different chip or give me a discount without a chip? My experiences up to now: I have installed the kits for the BD2 H2O+, SD1 GT, OD3 Supra+, DS1 TriGain and TS9 TriGain. In general, they made a huge improvement to the pedals!! The blanket-off-your-tone story is definitely true and they kept their original characteristic sounds! I like to play with my guitar volume knob to vary between a clean and overdrive sound, so I really like the modded BD2, OD3 and TS9 - they clean up really well. My favorite is the TS9 mod: the tonal range is incredible now. I usually could only use the treble pickup of my ES-335 otherwise it got too muddy and wasn¹t clear-sounding at all. Now I can use both pickups and even roll down the tone knobs as well. Perfect! Same goes for the OD3 and BD2 mod. Great mods, different bite. Thanks!! I didn¹t like the stock SD1 and still the modded version isn¹t right for me. The sounds are fine but I miss the feeling and it doesn¹t clear up well. The DS1 mod gets way more versatile, but I found that the TS9 together with the OD3 and BD2 covered all my needs. If you want to use this for your testimonials, please use what you need and omit what you can't After all you did a great job with your mods! Additional notes: I could do with a bit more wire for the two switch mods. I found out that there isn¹t that much space, therefore longer wires will give you some choice of where to put the components. Therefore the components started to fail (they were bended too much) and I had to redo things (go to the shop, get new wires, etc). Furthermore, maybe it is a good idea to annotate in your guides that you may turn all the original pots to make space for the switches. It would have saved me quite some time, because I had to find out myself that it was a better idea. This is not criticism, but notes to improve ;-) Regards, Mark van Drogen, The Netherlands.
Boss BD-2 H2O Plus — Thanks for the research and work/play. The BD2 H2O+ is awesome, as I'm sure you know. It was a fun way to spend an afternoon. Played it twice (so far) with the band and it was soulful, clear, smooth and responsive to touch, all the guys love it. Our other guitar player wants one. Hearing is believing. I have it set so I can't even hear it turn on. Seamless in the mix. Huge tone. It's great! Thanks again Monte. Regards, Gerald Swiney
Boss BD-2 H2O Plus — Just got your Blues Driver today. Love the Blues Stack mod! I had your H20 mod in one a while back that someone permanently borrowed, but I like this one even better. Great for that just breaking up clean sound. Thanks for getting it to me so quick. I'm impressed. Dennis Fancher
Boss BD-2 H2O Plus — On another note, I have not put my guitar down since I got home from work. I can't believe that I sound like SRV. I've always wanted that sound. Thank You. Louie Alfaro
Boss BD-2 H2O Plus — I received the chip updates (burr browns) to convert my CS3 Opto and BD2 H2O mods into "plus mods" yesterday. Absolutely fabulous. Although the original mods were excellent, swapping out those chips simply made the pedals more "transparent". When I turn on the compressor - there is no coloring of the tone, just the compression I dialed in. Having played professionally as a country guitar player since 1984, compression has always been my Achilles heal. Not anymore! It is the exact same with the BD2. These chip replacements put a smile on my face from ear to ear last night at rehearsal. I CAN NOT BELIEVE HOW GREAT THESE PEDALS SOUND! My entire live pedal board is Monte Allums enhanced. (Compressor, Blues Driver, OverDrive (SD1), Tremolo, Chorus and DDL). Each pedal proudly displays the Monte Allums sticker. Thanks again for your great R&D then delivering a top notch, "do-it-yourself", inexpensive solution that just works! All the best, Sean Borton Winnipeg Manitoba, Canada
Boss BD-2 H2O Plus — Words cannot describe how pleased I am with your mods! I just purchased a BD-2 H20 Plus mod and a GE-7 mod. I use a Les Paul and A Fender Srat thru a Fender Twin. The sonic clarity has made it difficult to want to put the guitar down. The GE-7 mod was impressive as it was however the BD-2 is now a tone machine! I mostly use the BD-2 as a clean boost that is left on all the time to give the Twin a kick in the butt. I use this for almost all of my cleaner setting songs and you can feel the punch and sonic clarity! Thank You!!! My clean boost setting is this: Level high at 3:00 and Gain low at 9:00 and it pretty much stays on most of the time. Try it playing something like Jumping Jack Flash :> And now for a major tonal discovery.... I do not know if you have tried this but place the BD-2 (H20 Plus) *before* not behind "your choice of distortion" pedal in the chain. Now play your Overdrive or Distortion as you normally would... Now kick in the BD-2 using the *exact settings *I previously mentioned and prepare for tonal bliss. Just thought you should know! Anyway I just bought a Daddy-O off of ebay. It was used, nicked and cheap! Tomorrow I am getting your Daddy-O TNT Tri Gain Mod per your recommendation! And maybe a few other things but first.... A couple questions: 1. I want to know what you recommend for my Strat to help quiet it up some. It is a MIM but I have upgraded to some GFS 64 Staggers Texas Grey Bottom. No other mods yet. 2. Also I want lights for all my other pedals. Do I get 3mm or 5mm to get them close to the brilliance of my new BD-2 H20 modded pedal? And do I just simply change the light out in all my other pedals? 3. Also I am thinking about getting your mod for my old DD-3 what do you think about that? I love David Gilmore type delays but cannot get it with my current DD-3. 4. Now do you recommend anything for my old Dunlop Crybaby. Or even a link.. I love my wah but cant decide where to go with it. Thought you might have a hint or two. :> I love this stuff! Thanks and God Bless! Barry Steindel
Boss BD-2 H2O Plus — Hi Monte, Just want to drop a tone here. Got a Keeley BD-2 Phat Mod about a month ago, and a few weeks back I also acquired your modded BD-2 H2O+. And WOW...Keeley was thrown out of the window! No kidding! Even my wife, who don't know much about effects and stuff, just by hearing, pointed out the your H2O+ won the selection! Yours is much more responsive and dynamic - and the sustain blows me away. Well, I've sold my Keeley and your H2O+ is staying...! thanks for making such a great mod! Felix Setyadi
Boss BD-2 H2O Plus — I have done the H2-O Plus, MT-2 Tri-Gain, and TS-9 Tri-Gain mods from you, all are outstanding. I think I really like the tone from the LEDs, seem to add a lot of headroom and a little warmer, just different. Just out of curiosity, is the BLINDING! LED on the H2-O part of the actual tone circuit? Talked to Griff Hamlin (Playing Thru The Blues instructor), he is not real satisfied with his Keely modded BD-2 so I sent him my H2-O to try out for a while... I will give you his responce. He uses his for the "SRV" kind of rythem, and stacks another Keeley TS-9 in front of it for solos, but can't dial out the shrills /highs on the BD-2. He was familiar with you, but too busy teaching, gigging , and not to mention keeping up with his on-line lessons. The guy is an un-real soulful player. Check him out if you ever time for anything else but work! Sorry to talk you ear off! Peace, Tony Fleming
Boss BD-2 H2O Plus — Just wanted to email you and let you know that how awesome your mods are. I've had 3 pedals modded with your kits, all of which bring the tone leaps and bounds above there out-of-the-box sound. The first mod I got was the DS-1. The pedal was instantly nastier. Now I don't use distortion as much as others so I'm in no way any kind of authority on 'em, but overdrive pedals are a different story. I've had a lot of overdrives. I've had to stay away from vintage overdrives as the price for any of the classics (a TS-808 for instance) can top 500 bucks. Your modded Boss pedals put them all to shame (Boss included). My second mod was the SD-1 and man I absolutely love that pedal!!! The sound was so much more warm and organic after the mod. My newest mod is the H2O.....Jesus Christ on a cracker!!! The response on this pedal now is unbelievable!!! I have never, NEVER, NEVER have been more satisfied with a pedal!!! I just did this one last night so I'm still a bit happy about it (I'm at work now and can't wait to get back to play on it). From the reviews I've read the Keeley mods don't have a bad track record but I'm 3 and 0 with you so please, PLEASE come up with a TR-2 mod (or maybe you could do one especially for me with the dual functions of volume and trem and true bypass.....I'll pay you :-)). Once again, great job, man. Grayson Anthony
Boss BD-2 H2O Plus — Well, I modded my BD-2 with your H2O mod kit yesterday & couldn't put my guitar down. What a fantastic improvement. Thanks, Bob Stockton.
Boss BD-2 H2O Plus —A side note. I have completed a few of your mods. They are cool. My favorite so far is the BD-2 H2O PLUS mod. Makes a very versatile pedal! I am an Engineering Technician for a living and am fairly new to modding pedals. Your instructions & kits are put together very well. I have hi quality tools & work patiently. All your mods have worked fine. So this next project is the MT-2. We'll see how it goes. Thanks for the great communication. It puts a lot of trust in you & what you do. By the way, I always share what I do with all the other players I can. I hope it helps in building good quality tones! Robert P.
Boss BD-2 H2O Plus — I just wanted to let you know that I was able to finish the mod completely tonight with one of my Ultra Bright Blue LEDs, using the jumper. I'm a worship guitarist, playing weekly, so I really appreciate bright LEDs with full stage lighting. Anyway, it's late, but I have run it through the paces a bit and am so far extremely pleased with what I hear. Or, should I say - with what I don't hear! This sounds nothing like a stock BD-2 to my ears and lives up to the H20 name. Very smooth and indeed transparent! I love the way the Tone control works also - very usable now. I'll get more play time on it here at home and am looking forward to using it live. I appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions below. Thanks for this awesome mod! God Bless, Ray Killough
Boss BD-2 H2O Plus — I put the original Boss BD-2 opamp back in the PCB just to see how it would sound? I thought that it might sound a bit better than it did before modding it? I guess that I was wrong; it sounded really bad. (Maybe because I was now spoiled with the new modded sound?) I even tried taking one of the NE5532 opamps out and putting a JRC4558D opamp on the dual stack with the NE5532 and it didn't sound any better. I got a little nervous and wasn't sure if I had messed something up while trying to do all of this? But I was glad to hear the excellent sound come back after I put the dual stack with both NE5532 opamps back in. What a difference! It was very clear to me! The guys at Visual Sounds did a myth buster on the Tube Screamer opamps trying to prove that "all opamps (JRC4558D,P & RC4558D,P, etc.) sound the same." While I have great respect for the guys at Visual Sounds, I have to disagree with them; especially on this one! My first mod was a TS-9 which supplied both JRC4558D & RC4558D opamps. The original TS-9 already had the JRC4558D opamp in it, so I thought that I'd try the RC4558D opamp. I thought that the mod made a huge difference! So, I thought that I'd try out the other (JRC4558D) opamp just for the fun of it. I thought that it sounded like the TS-9 did before I modded it. I am just an armature and I can clearly hear a difference! So, for whatever it's worth? I just thought that I'd share this with you! Thanks again for your mod kit & "All" your patience & help! May the Lord Bless you & Keep you & cause you to prosper! Shane Ball
Boss BD-2 H2O Plus — I have completed all of the mods I received- and they sound incredible! The Boss BD2H20 is just so much warmer and brighter, the SD1s are great and the MT2 Sustainia is beautiful, perfect. They work great on their own for a direct recording- i ALWAYS had too much static noise before the mods. They are already envied, and I have told everyone about the great service as well as the sound, thank you so much. Are there mods for other Boss BASS pedals, other than the CE2B? Could I put your GE7 mod into a GE7B? I would buy the pedals just to put your mods in them- seriously, I would... The sound and the service was too good not to thank you again, Josh
Boss BD-2 H2O Plus — Just wanted to drop you a line and thank you for the great Mod projects and the fact that I can order parts from you to try my own mods here at home. You are the person that got me introduced to world of modding and I have done many of your mods and found that they are well thought out and very well done. No reply is necessary to this email.... thought you should know that there is one person out there that really digs what you are doing and admires the fact that you are willing to sell regular people the parts they need to experiment. Also the fact that you are willing to share ideas and are not secretive like other mod service companies! Thanks again and keep up the good work. Parker Shultz
Boss BD-2 H2O Plus — Hi Monte - just a note of thanks and congratulations concerning your fine H20 mod. It went way above my expectations with the results. I went against your advice and put in every mod without checking, confident of my soldering prowess and for once in my life I got it right! The only thing I did different is I anticipated the LED would be brighter than I wanted to. I did not remove the LED voltage resistor and I was pleased with that result - it is plenty bright with the stock resistor. Also enclosed is a picture of my board showing the BD2 and me giving credit where credit is due! Thanks again and best to you & yours, Greg Reszel
Boss BD-2 H2O Plus — Monte, I purchased a Blues Driver H20 mod from you a few weeks ago, installed it and loved it when I played through an amp at the house. I took it out on a gig last night where I had to play lap and pedal steel. I obviously didn't need the BD for pedal steel but the lap steel was a wall of sound with the pedal engaged. The guitar player that was playing asked me about it and I sang your praises (and mine for doing it myself LOL). Just wanted to thank you again for the Mod product. I'm truly enjoying it and glad I got to hear it in a live gig situation. I'm just sorry that I had to wait so long to put it through it's paces. Thanks again. Scott Neubert
Boss BD-2 H2O Plus — Hi there, just thought you might be interested, I've been using your mods for quite a while now & just bought another BD2, which I think is my 4th or 5th , which I use with my Jazz bass, fantastic ! I'm a UK based guitar tech & carry the BD2 with my tools , every time I work for a new band ,out it comes & onto the pedal board it goes never to leave , as a result among others , Gaz from Supergrass & Matt White ( guitarist with James Morrison & many more ) are using them. Thanks a bunch as it always makes me look good when I have great toys for people to play with, cheers, Dave Smith.
Boss BD-2 H2O Plus — Well, after an electrically competent friend of mine discovered that I had shorted the LED, and replaced it with the original, I have discovered the old dusty useless pedal that was lying on the shelf in my garage, is now the BEST pedal I own. I cannot believe the full rich sounds that push the clean channel of my Fender Blues Deluxe practice amp. It's had to believe that just a few components can change a mediocre pedal that has not been in my pedal board, let alone used, for years, into a boutique-sounding pedal that will replace the pedal I currently use. I can now solely use my clean channel and forget about switching channels on my amp. This pedal now has more drive than the "drive" channel on my amp. Thanks Monte!! Todd Bardell, Sound Engineer
Boss BD-2 H2O Plus — Hello Mate. Just writing to thank for the fantastic mod kit for the Boss BD2. I have just completed the H2O mod and am now sitting knee deep in my own drool. Kind Regards, Rob Neil, Australia
Boss BD-2 H2O Plus — Did this mod last night in about 2 hours. Works Great! Sounds Great! I'll be keeping this pedal now! AWESOME! And easy! Thanks! I'll do the GE7 mod tonight. Gary Might
Boss BD-2 H2O Plus — Hey Monte, I just installed the H2O mod into my Boss BD-2. What an amazing mod. I played the pedal for about 30 minutes before the mod, and there was a drastic increase in tonal quality, sound, and sweetness after it became an H2O. The white LED was a nice touch as well. I am so glad you offer these DIY pedal mods. Thanks again, and now I will look for my next pedal to mod, lol. Tony Alonzo
Boss BD-2 H2O Plus — Installed the BD-H2O Mod Plus kit last night. Awesome! I couldn't believe my
ears when I heard it for the first time - it's just what I've been looking for. The
smooth, driving tone is killer with my Gibson SG / Marshall setup - no more fizz like you get with the stock BD-2 straight from Boss. And the response from the Gain, Tone, and Level controls is sooo much better! Just wanted to let you know - great mod! No more pop, pop, fizz, fizz.oh what a relief it is!
Boss BD-2 H2O Plus — Monte - I just finished doing the BD-2 H2O mod and all I can say is WOW!!! It sounds awesome!!! I may actually mod my other BD-2 as well. BTW, do you have any stickers with your name you can send? I have 2 other pedals I installed your mods in earlier this year and would like to put a sticker on them. Thanks again, Roberto Cerini, Open Sky Studios
Boss BD-2 H2O — Great BD-H2O Mod Monte, Your instructions were perfect and the pedal sounds absolutely incredible, not to mention the new night light I have now :) Rick Celia, Halifax, MA
Boss BD-2 H2O — Just did your H20 mod on Boss BD2. AMMAAAZZING. Blew the old one out the water!! I now want a compressor, and want to know if you think, the Dyna Comp or Cs-3 is a better buy (I'm planning on doing your mod after I get either.) A good long sustain time is important, and I'm also planning on using it in front of your BD-2. Finally, I play a lot of rock/jamband/blues stuff. Please let me know your opinion when you get a chance. Thanks! Can't wait to get new mod! David Close
Boss BD-2 H2O — Hey Monte, didn’t get back to you for a while but that was the problem. Thank you so much. You are a very genuinely good guy. On another not I just picked up and ocd today. It was only 75 bucks so I figured I better snatch it up. So on my way home I’m thinking well this is it I scored the holy grail of od pedals. I’m gonna sell my bd2 h20 that I modded with your kit. Well I’ve been ab ing them EXTENSIVELY today and I gotta say yours sounds EVERY bit as good. This ocd is going on eBay to fund my next tattoo :) Peace Damian Sommer Pezzi
Boss BD-2 H2O — I got them today!!!! WOW!!!!!!!!! I will never use any other compressor! The Blues driver is awesome also. I have been using 2 keeley's side by side but I’m gonna switch one out with yours. This mod has a MUCH better high gain breakup and it’s a little dirtier also! Is there any way you could send me 2 more of the CMMAT MOD stickers? I want to use them to put identity on the pedals. Thanks, Joshua Scott, Ridgeland, Ms
Boss BD-2 H2O — I have done the mods on both the GE-7 and the BD-H2O. This is actually my second GE-7 and it's as quiet as the first. The BD is an awesome mod. It's so much fun that I almost didn't want to do the SD1 GT. I'm almost finished the SD1-GT and I wanted to tell you that I think I found an important typo in the instructions. Mitch Gittelman
Boss BD-2 H2O — The BD H2O mod is what really freaks me out! That must be the best sounding overdrive I've ever tried! So transparent and so much punch! Makes my G&L Special sound even better! I can nuance my playing like never before. Makes me want to play and play. I like it a bit more than your SD-1 GT mod, but that is a matter of preference, cause WOW that is also really one amazing pedal that offers MANY overdrive and distortion possibilities. I haven't got your DS-1 mod but I have a Keeley DS-1, which is a really great pedal to, but I must say, that your mods beats it! Esben Madsen
Boss BD-2 H2O — Your BD-2 / H2O modded pedal is incredible and transparent as you said. I can't wait to find more pedals to mod. It was fun! There were some challenges which made it more work than necessary. For first timers like me, here is a list of the challenges I had: First, I found myself rushing the soldering iron. Patience was my biggest problem and it took a little time figuring out how to use the copper braid (I stripped off one of the printed circuits taking out a piece of wire from the wrong side of the PCB. And I took out a couple caps that were the wrong ones and had to solder them back in. Other than that, I think with this one under my belt, I can do more of mods like this in a lot less time. Jim Greene
Boss BD-2 H2O — Dear tvon, I got the bd-2 h2o mod today and I have to say thanks. my blues driver sounds great now. Before it was sitting around collecting dust. I wasn't very happy with the sound before but now it's unreal. Your kits are so easy to do. I’m sure you will be hearing from me again. David Walton
Boss BD-2 H2O — The mods came today and I installed them without incident LOL
On the BD-2 mod the germanium thingy wasn’t the same as was pictured on the instructions. The pic had 2 black bands but this only had 1 green one. Maybe that was a change you incorporated or maybe a replacement part? I installed it anyway and everything is good. So here is my testimony on the mods: Wow! I knew the mods would be good but these are fantastic. My Dyna Comp never sounded so good and is very quiet. The Blues Driver rocks! You've managed to get rid of that high-end garbage that was there before. You've gained a client here Monte as Ill be installing your mods in everything I can get my hands on. Simply the best thing going! FWIW, I’m going to be picking up 2-DS1's and a GE-7 this week from the pawnshop so Ill be ordering the mods for those in the near future. In instructions were great and the install is very easy. Dickie Fredericks
Boss BD-2 H2O — I purchased your H20 BD2 mod and installed it....Wow...I now have what I wanted in tone and no more dirt....I had been considering a Keeley mod...but for my money, I will suggest your mods to my friends... note: I did not install the LED portion of the mod...I did not want a flashlight personally.. but keep up the good work on these mods...you made my Telecasters proud. Chris Taylor
Boss BD-2 H2O — Sorry that it has taken me so long to let you know how my H2O kit turned out. As a matter of fact I loved the result and was so happy with is I sold my Jekyll and Hyde unit which I think is pretty much hard to beat. Anyhow, thanks for everything and a special thanks for the two cool mod kits I bought from you. Brian Kelly
Boss BD-2 H2O — Thanks again for all these great pedal mods! I started my first mod on the Boss Blues Driver Pedal and from there I purchased every modable Boss pedal made and have completed the mods on each pedal. My first mod was a struggle as I had never held a soldering iron let alone used one. I stripped the PCB and had to install small jumper wires to complete the circuit. Little secret...make sure ALL solder is wicked up into the desoldering braid, before you pull the part off. Believe it or not, despite my screw ups, the pedal worked great when I was done and gave me motivation to try another. These mods were all really great fun to do and the rewards are incredible. They make a standard Boss pedal almost useless without doing these mods. For all of you just starting out, be patient, take your time and follow Monte's great instructions. If you screw up, with a little patience, it is fixable....trust me. Jim Greene
Boss BD-2 H2O — I have just finished my first install of one of your kits, the H2O mod, in my Blues Driver. It was a little nerve racking for a first timer, especially since, due to time, I choose to ignore the advise about changing one mod at a time and them checking, but about four hours later (okay, I'm slow) It works great. I'm down to putting on the signature label, and I haven't seen any photos or instructions as to where you put it. I know it could go almost anywhere, and it's a really small detail, but I would like to put it the same place you do as sort of a pride in doing it right kind of thing. Could you send a photo or a description I can't misunderstand as to where the label should go? Thanks! I have two more of your kits on hand to install, and plan to be buying at least two more soon for the CS-3 compressor and the SD-1 overdrive. I am thrilled with the way your kits work. I do wish all the instruction sheet were printed in color though as that would be a huge help over the black & white. Paul Coombes
Boss BD-2 H2O — Monte, I would just like to let you know that the man you have over here across the pond (eastbound ... UK) is basically a genius! He fixed my Boss BD2 H2O and I got it back in two days! Simply stunning!! Think about modding the BIG MUFF mod! There are millions of them across the world and if anyone would get modded with Monte's mod = you would be a millionaire!! Well, is not about money, the thing is your mod are somehow from above!! There is something weird about your mods. The sound is just beyond. Yesterday I did an audition with a signed band and when I hit the BD2 (H2O) .. gosh... I got the bloody job. Paolo Kralj, UK
Boss BD-2 H2O — I have been using your blues driver (H20) for over a year and love your mods. I recently noticed that your a christian and do some music!!!!!! I just wanted to let you know that I am a full time worship pastor in Jacksom Ms and use your mods excluslively! I even took my keeley blues driver off my board to use yours! Check out my music at "www.myspace.com/joshuaheathscott" . I would love your coments and know that i use your mods in the studio too! I am a well-traveled guitar player in the alternative Christian worship scene and have really spread the word about your mods. I use the dyna comp-ds1 and bd2 mod live and in studio. I was amazed that after using your mods for a year I just saw your music and really was blessed that you are serving the lord in such a great way! Let me know what you think about my music and god bless. My full album is coming out in June. I am still in the studio. What you will hear on my page is really demo material but it sounds pretty good. Joshua Scott
Boss BD-2 H2O — OK, I finally figured it out, and thanks, Chad, for helping me break out of the mental circle. All along it was the power supply I was using. It just happened to pick right that moment to go bad. I put the pedal back onto my pedal board just to see, and it worked with the power supply I use on the board. I finished the mod, and I have to report that it is just awesome. With high gain setting and the tone rolled off I can get a great "woman tone" thing, and it works better with my wah than any pedal I've ever used. Very articulate, notes are separated even at the highest gain and very musical. I'm very pleased. And the super bright LED looks so cool on that blue box. Well done. I thought the DS-1 mod was great, but this is way beyond great. On another note, I see you have the Boss-style DC Power Jack for sale, and I am wondering what you think of installing it on a Vox Wah 847. I'd like to not have to unplug the input every time I'm done playing because the truth is I usually forget. I use a Godlyke daisy chain power supply to all my pedals (most don't even have batteries installed) and it's very handy to just turn off the power strip and walk away. One last question: What are your recommendations for jumper cables between pedals? I only have about 4 or 5 and the wah in my chain, but of course I want to keep the noise and signal loss as little as possible. Thanks to both of you for the help and advice. This BD is so great now I can't imagine what others I could possibly want. Mark Walker Rhodes
Boss BD-2 H2O — Hi Monte just letting you know that the mods I have done on my pedals are unbelievable. The BDH2O is exactly the overdrive sound I like. I have placed another order for some parts for the guitar looking forward to working on the guitars. Monte I wan't to thank you for your professional service and I feel very fortunate to have come across your web site, although I am not a professional player the love of music and the guitar has been the anchor through the many down times of my life. So thank you again for sharing your knowledge and your love of music and the guitar. I appreciate the trouble free transactions. Brian Bongetti
Boss BD-2 H2O — Compared to a Keeley: The MA is much more of a natural sound. More transparent in all the mids and highs. More of a smoother sounding, clearer, natural sounding take-the-blanket-off type of tone than the Keeley. Sounded less like a pedal and more like the pre-amp stage of an amp with master volume, or the distortion you get when you crank a tube amp. Very Marshall sounding when the gain was higher (not real high gain Marshall, but just right). When the Keeley was on it sounded like you were using a pedal. The Keeley has a Fat switch on his BD-2 mod. I have not opened it up yet but I read this online: He changes the value of capacitor on the Tone control to make it not so thin sounding when turned up. It evens out the response of the control. Now my little 5E3 57 Deluxe has alot of bottom, so it is noticeable when you kick a pedal on and you loose bottom. I know I could probably experiment with that cap but I really want your opinion. Should I try to change it? Even with that bottom thing, your modded BD-2 sounds much better than the Keeley. On another subject, I am a compressor freak. I have been using CS-3's for 20 years. Brent Mason is my guitar hero. You can hear a CS-3 on all his recordings until recently (he switched). As you get better gear and eliminate parts of your rig that hurt your tone and upgrade others, a stock CS-3 starts to be the weak link. I want to thank you. My CS-3 now matches the tone standard I have set. Amazing. EVERYTHING you said. I have an analogman Bi-comp, a Keeley Compressor, an octal BYOC compressor and a dyna comp. YOUR CS-3 Opto Plus IS THE BEST! Exactly what it should be. No words to describe what it improves. I could write a whole page on that. Too bad Brent Mason didn't get ahold of yours before he switched to something else. You have got it right when it comes to mods. I cant thank you enough. In a couple of weeks I will be all over the forums and Harmony Central letting everyone know. I'm gonna try to get ahold of Brent Mason and tell him. I know some guys that play with George Strait and they might be able to contact him. Cliff Tomerlin
Boss BD-2 H2O — Monte, I just wanted to let you know that the installation of your BD-2 H2O mod went fine and I couldn't be happier with the results. It corrected everything that I disliked about the stock pedal. It got rid of the splatty decay, smoothed out the gain, made the tone control useful, and best of all preserved the tone of the guitar and pickups. I guess that's why you called
Boss BD-2 H2O — Hey just want to drop you a quick line on the H2O mod. NOW THIS is the mod!! Fat, warm and tube-like are certainly apt descriptions of how this sounds now. Definitely out of the 3 I tried DS-1 to rect. SD-1 to TS808 and now this, It is easily the best. I do like the SD-1 mod a lot too, but that has so much sustain, at times I feel like I am cheating!! Haha! But the H20 blues driver delivers man! Thanks again! Eric Bauer, Hanover Park, IL
Boss BD-2 H2O — I was wondering if you were able to suggest something for me. I have purchased the BD-2 H20 and DS-1 Tri gain rectifier kits from you a couple of years ago (which I really love), but recently I have also acquired a DS-2, which I really liked the sound of. Overall though, it has a different character to the DS-1 and I do like it because it has a creamy, compressed, and mid-rangey sound to it that DS-1's don't have (I guess maybe it's the transistors used in these units instead of opamps?). Anyway, compared to your DS-1 mod it was lacking a little clarity, bass, volume and gain. So, I jumped onto your website and found that you don't have a kit for this pedal! Dismayed, I turned to eBay and found a kit from some guy claiming his mod for this DS-2 was great, so I purchased it and installed it... Well, let me just say his instructions were vague, but I sill managed to do the install successfully. However, I don't really think the changes made any "improvements". I'm finding that to get the volume I want out of this thing I have to crank the gain and volume all the way up to be comparable to the DS-1, but unfortunately it just squeals way too much (in a bad way). Josh Howe
Boss BD-2 H2O — Monte, I received the H2O mod kit the other day and just finished the installation and testing. Excellent, my friend, excellent. I was playing my Gretch G5129 through the pedal and into my Marshall JCM900 100w combo and had to stop as my 10 year old was watching Shrek and couldn't hear it! Just your friendly Daddio cranking up, and acting up, again! In a while I'll try it with my Strat, but I don't want any trouble now, so...I wait.I would say your description is dead-on: The mods make a good pedal much better. Thanks for the good service and the good deeds... T-Von, I finally had a chance to tear into the GE7 project last night after receiving the kit on Monday and thought I'd update you! I just set up a work area at my computer desk in the "music room", started the tunes on the computer (Jimi, SRV, Setzer, Straitjackets, etc), pulled up the detailed instruction sheet on the screen and got to work. It took me some time but I was following your missive about checking the pedal operation after each mod and usually got to playing more guitar each time! Anyway, the entire process went well and I did notice a serious decrease in noise through the pedal. Your friend in the search for tone.
Ed "Daddio" Lindell, Des Moines, IA
Boss BD-2 H2O — Hi Monte Greg here, A Huge thanks for the Quick reply and for the help. I completed the Blues Driver H2O Mod today and the difference is just Unreal. Simply Awesome. Neck pickup, tone to the left and we are in Pure Blues Tone Territory, very very nice and so so Transparent. The Difference is like Chalk and Cheese. I left the Daddy O Tri gain switch to another time, as the Tone now produced by the TnT Modded Daddy O is just Phenomenal, and the screaming Harmonic's with my trusty Laney AC15 and Ibanez RG are just so sweet. I will definitely be back for more and Love the New Mod sticker's, nice touch, I will be getting 4 or 5 of them with my next order, That's for sure! Thanks again for all the help Keep up the great work and have a most excellent day. Phil Rayner, Australia
Boss BD-2 H2O — I just ordered my third H2O mod. I love mine so much that I’ve bought two more for friends. I also bought the SD-1 GT, DS-1 Tri-Gain, and Dyna Comp mods just for fun. I run a Keeley Comp, so I’ll give you an A-B review to post when I finish. I’ll try to take the time to compare your BD-2 and SD-1 clean boost settings to my Katana so that you can have an A-B review for that as well. I’m a North Texas grad and full-time musician, so hopefully my professional opinion will look good for you. I’ve owned Keeley’s DS-1 Ultra mod, but hated it and sold it immediately. I somewhat liked his SD-1 mod, but it never even made it to my board. I honestly felt guilty for reselling his mods to other people when yours are so affordable. I play through a 6W Class A, point to point amp from Mike Yankie of Texas Tube Amplifier Co. (www.texastubeamps.com). Remember this guy’s name! I absolutely swear by this amp. Coming from a guy who’s used to true boutique Class A break up, you’re right to claim that your H2O mod is similar. My favorite pedal (besides my Strobostomp, of course) is my Keeley Katana because it preserves my amp’s tone. Granted, my pure amp tone is much smoother than your H2O, but I love the BD-2 when I want a little harsher break-up in the highs, especially when a compressor is engaged in front of it. I’m banking that your DS-1 Tri-Gain will satisfy my occasional Marshall/Mesa tooth. I’ve not tried, but other guys who own my amp say it’s very capable of achieving Mesa thump with the right pedal. I’m getting the SD-1 mainly to be able to recommend it. I think I read somewhere that you’re working on a Big Muff mod. I look forward to that. I get asked all the time about my tone. I’m hoping that these other mods will give me affordable options to recommend to my students and friends. I admire you very much for working hard to make boutique tone affordable for the average player. God is using your generosity as a testimony to His goodness. I always tell people to check out your faith link when I recommend your DIY mods and eNut. Thanks again and God Bless! John Moore, Worship Pastor Idlewild Christian Church, Memphis, TN
Boss BD-2 H2O — Monte, thanks so much for all of your assistance with the H2O mod. (I actually found the connection and completed the rest of the mod) the kit supplied was very high quality, and the instructions easy to follow. The mod has definitely opened up the sound of this pedal! It got kicked off of my board, but most certainly is going to find it's way back on there very very soon. Awesome customer service, awesome product! Thanks so much! Gregory Bajbus, Lakewood, OH
Boss BD-2 H2O — Hi Monte, I got a chance to try out the BD2 H2O mod last night, WOW! Just what I was looking for, I mostly play clean andwanted a little boost in volume and a little gravel thrown in for good measure, perfect. Have a good weekend and I,ll talk to you soon. Pete Cavano
Boss BD-2 — Hey Monte! I just finished the BD-2 mod, and let me tell you, I'm floored with the new sound of it. Great work on that! Zach Booher
Boss BD-2 — I just installed the BD-2 mod and I could not be more satisfied. I cannot believe how smooth the drive rolls up. Another big plus is that this mod actually made the pedal much quieter. You have transformed an unusable pedal into one that has found a permanent home in my pedalboard. Johnny Marks
Boss BD-2 — Installed the mod last night. Brilliant! The transparency is remarkable. I'll make a post the Fender page. Thanks for the prompt service and great sounding pedal. Frank Martin
Boss BD-2 — What a breeze! What a difference! Why anyone would pay over a hundred bucks for a "boutique" overdrive when they could have this?!! Martin Adams
Boss BD-2 —Just like to say thanks for the 4 mods I have had off you in the past. They are all brilliant. My bd-2 still sounds immense, the chorus, compression and delay mods are all spot on. well done, your a top technician and soundster. Much love, Pieces Mary
Boss BD-2 — A couple of weeks ago, on an impulse and since I like messing with my gear, I bought one of your BD-2 DIY kits. I finally got around to putting it in today. I have to say I am absolutely amazed at the improvement it makes in the pedal. I had gotten bored with it and it was collecting dust in my closet. Makes me wonder why Boss didn't do some of the same mods. And the instructions are nothing short of superb. I also have bought and used your copper shielding materials to shield my Strat (a la GuitarNuts) with great success. The precut copper pickguard sheets are very reasonable and make the job a lot easier. The results were so striking that my quitar instructor has asked me to do the same for his old Strat - maybe I'll swap him for a free lesson or two. Anyway, thanks for the great products. Buddy Marshall, Houston, TX
Boss BD-2 — I have installed your mod kits on my TS7 and BD2. The TS7 mod improved the pedal markedly. The BD2 mod is dynamite. Wow. I am very impressed. I did not install the tantalum capacitor, and I busted the germanium diode by handling it incorrectly, but I'm really very pleased with the results. Nice work. I'd pretty much given up on both those pedals before the mods. Now, the TS7 will get another chance and the BD2 is permanently in the line-up. Thanks! Marty Boner
Boss BD-2 — Highly recommended Boss BD-2 mod. Awesome sound. Do yourself a favor and give it a try! Bryan Santos, Australia
Boss BD-2 —BTW, I installed a BD-2 mod from you about a month ago. All I got to say is WOW! it's my most favorite freakin pedal now - and I have a lot of [quality] pedals. Victor Guadalupe
Boss BD-2 — Monte, I did the rest of the mods! I think the tube screamer emulator is really good. Still has the transparent BD-2 sound but with more crunch!! I had a Keeley Phat mod BD-2 and I actually like this better!!! This was my first time to try modding at all, but the directions were easy to understand and it was a lot of fun!!!! Thanks again!!! Jarrett Bailey, Campti, LA
Boss BD-2 — Monte, just a note to say how impressive your mods are. The BD-2 and CS-3 mods are especially stunning. I have a Way Huge Orange Squeeze compressor that is suppose to be the bomb and the modded CS-3 performs head and shoulders above it! The instructions and photos made the installations a breeze. Thanks for investing the time and energy into developing these mods. Robin Riggs, Oak Park,CA
Boss BD-2 — I really can't believe how truly "smooth" the break up is on your sound samples. From clean boost to mid to maxed, it's perfect. I'm saving my pennies right now to add the BD-2 to complement this SD-1. I've got to buy the pedal first of course which for whatever reason is much more expensive. I just purchased a Gilmore Jr. 1/2 watt amp kit from Guytronix. I'm combining that with a 15" Vintage Series Weber speaker. The two pedals and your mods are going to be the final pieces of the set up. Final I guess is a strong word. Nothing's ever final with guitar gear is it? Anyway, thanks again for the great service. Nicholas Neilson, Washington DC
Boss BD-2 — Thanks, the mod rocks - what a difference. I was about to toss the BD-2 as unusable. It's a keeper now. John Arrison, Oro Valley, AZ
Boss BD-2 — Hi Monte, I just did the mods on my Boss BD-2 and I must say the pedal is now awesome... what a sound!!! Thanks a lot this... the kind of sound I've been looking for for quite a while now. Steve Lewis, United Kingdom
Boss BD-2 — Monte, thanks for all your help. Tonight I was able to get to my main amp at our studio and work it out... wow! Oh, yes, your BD-2 Mod is just great. All I expected and more. I'll recommend your mods to everyone. I had a great time getting the growl that my modeling amp couldn't produce. I'm gonna do the eNut mod this week... I'll keep you posted... the guitar farm the band has may need this fertilizer. Edward Edwards, Catonsville, MD
Boss BD-2 — Hi! Thank you for the BD-2 Mod Kit! I nearly didn't use my BD-2, it had been left in the corner for some years already... but it's going to be my main pedal since I installed your mod! I always had in mind that I gotta have a pedal like your modded BD-2, especially when cranking up my Fender isn't possible! I think it should have a diode that shines "T-Von" or "Monte" when it's on :) I'll certainly do more business and try out some other Mods! Vilho Meier, Estonia
Boss BD-2 — Hope your business is thriving. What recession? Just wanted to let you know I did the "final" mod to the Blues Driver, the 1uF Tantalum cap for the "Tube Screamer" sound. I played with the pedal for a month after doing all the other changes as you recommended, and decided I did want to take the final step. Now I carefully read the instructions, which said to orient the cap so the printing on it faced the left "out" side of the board. Looking at the leads and at the board I realized this would have me installing the long, positive lead into the unmarked hole, and the negative lead into the hole marked with a circle around it. In 40 years I've always seen that the + leg of a diode or electrolytic cap goes into the hole marked with a "+" or a square or circular outline. Hmm. Well... I doubted it would do any harm in this part of the circuit, so I followed the instructions. Buttoned it up and plugged everything in. Yep, there it is -- The unmistakable "putt-putt" sound of a backwards cap! Resisting the urge to try to sell it as the first prototype of the Boss MS-1 Motorboat Simulator, I simply pulled the board and flipped the cap. Kudos to you! This is the best sounding BD-2 I've ever heard, and it's only your basic mod, not the one that costs a whole Starbucks Crappacino more. I don't think I ever played an old small-button Tube Screamer that sounded as nice as this. Thank you. Rick Bezouska, CA
Boss BD-2 — Your mod kit for the Boss Blues pedal is great, it really made this pedal sound awesome, thanks! Mark Wood, Bryant, AR
Boss BD-2 — Hello Monte, I hope the Holidays were good for you and your family. Now that I,ve been using my modded BD2 for a few months I’m growing to love it more and more. Thanks for making such a hip product. All the best, Pete Cavano
Boss BD-2 H2O — Monte, I recently picked up your Blues Driver H2O pedal, and it is phenomenal. The transparency of the pedal is amazing, and it has actually created a problem for me. I'm leaving the H2O on all the time and adjusting it from clean to a little gain with my guitar volume. I've been using a Kelley SD-1 after it to kick in a little more gain, but the problem is the lack of clarity with that pedal really messes up the tone I've got with the H2O. I was wondering what pedal you would suggest after the H2O that would be just as transparent and have some good gain & sustain for a lead tone while also staying clear with chords. Thanks and keep up the excellent work! Jon Rayer
Boss BD-2 H2O — Dear Monte, from today, I am the proud owner of Your bd2- AND the h20-mod. They are great, You know it Yourself, and in addition, I still like the misbehaving original, too. I have a custom-built 3watt amp by John Truba from Ireland and it's in the vox ac-30 direction. Both mods do a great job in adding some additional ac-30 grittle which f.e. a sd-1 or od-1 can't do. In the bd-2 mod, the position "o" is the germanium diode.
what would happen if i did that in the h20-mod, too? I am a germanium junky and really would like to know whether You had tried that... Many thanks! With the kindest regards, Franjo
Boss BD-2 H2O — Monte, Wow! I just finished my first pedal mod - a Boss BD-2 upgrade -- and I must say it is unbelievable the difference I am hearing in my tone. Prior to purchasing your kit, I experienced this mod first-hand, thanks to a friend that had the BD-2 mod installed on his pedal. He let me borrow his to hear what a difference your enhancements made. Boy, what a difference. I couldn't order your kit fast enough. And the BD-2 is only the beginning, as I have two other Boss pedal mods awaiting your magic - the DS-1 and CS-3. Even though I am only 8 months into learning to play the electric guitar, I already sound a lot better than I am because of your pedal enhancements. It's amazing. Just as important, thank you for the great, easy to follow instructions. This was my first attempt at desoldering/soldering and everything went off without a hitch. With a little patience (and reading), I was amazed at how straightforward the whole process was. David Starck
Boss BD-2 H2O Plus — Monte, I installed the H2O mod today for my Blues Driver. HUGE IMPROVEMENT! I can't believe how transparent it is now, and it reacts just like I thought it would. From tube amp overdrive to smooth searing gain! Perfect. I will highly recommend it to my friends. Also, I wanted to ask you something about the DS-1 mods. I recently picked up a Boss DS-1 used, and I would like to order a kit from you. Because I now have the Blues Driver H2O, I want to know which of your DS-1 kits would sound different enough from the H20 to be worth doing. I have a hunch it's the CMAT Tri-Gain, but your opinion here is much appreciated. Jeff Orlando
Boss BD-2 H2O Plus — Hi Monte, I know you have a ton of these already, but I just had to let you know you have another satisfied customer. My BD-2 sat on the shelf for over a year because even though it is a decent pedal I could never get what I wanted out of it. I stumbled on your website while browsing back in June, and read some of the reviews, but still debated about whether or not the H20 Plus mod would make any difference. Then one day I was considering trying a different brand of pedal and decided that for the price it was worth a shot. I ordered and installed the mod in October, but I waited a while to write this so I could try it out at band practice and let some friends give their opinion. Bottom line: I can’t imagine NOT having this pedal on my board. I’m using a SRV Signature Strat with Texas Specials, and this pedal makes it sing. I’m no SRV (ha!), but with this mod I can get close to his sound through a solid state 40W practice amp! Absolutely incredible! Then I plugged in to my Blues Jr…heaven. I am a professional soldering tech (yes, we do exist) so installation was a cakewalk, but as others have said even an amateur could perform the mod without too much trouble. If anyone reads this and is debating about it like I was, wait no longer. I wish I had done it the first day I found the site. As for opinions from player friends, I think one comment I got at a gig says it all: “I closed my eyes and for a minute there Stevie was in the room with us.” WOW! Thanks a million, and Happy New Year! Tad Johnston, Douglasville, GA
Boss BD-2 H2O Plus — Hey Monte. Just wanted to give you a mail to encourage you with the work that you're doing. I bought a H20 mod kit from you, some months back, and have been using it for a while now. Not that I'm any authority on overdrives or anything, but this pedal, after the mod is unlike anything I've heard before, or since. In some ways, it's a bit disappointing to hear what other overdrives sound like in comparison. Let me explain: A friend of mine recently bought me a Fulltone Fulldrive 2, as a gift. Now since this pedal is rated as one of the top overdrives of all time, and also in the top 100 stomp-box effects of all time (now that's saying something) I was expecting something pretty phenomenal. After plugging it in, and playing with it for a while, I was rather impressed with it's dynamic sensitivity, and clarity. Naturally, I wanted to see what it would sound like in an a-b comparison with the BD H20. I was initially expecting the H20 to sound inferior by comparison, but to my absolute amazement, the H20 out - performed the Fulldrive in every respect, with the exception of the true bypass system (not an aspect of the mod anyway!) The transparency of the H20 is simply amazing! I noticed WAY more coloring of the sound with the FD2. The response of the volume, gain and tone controls of the H20 are FAR more smooth and responsive than the FD2. Although the FD2 does have some more flexibility when it comes to clipping circuit selection, the basic overdriven tone of the unit delivered, was inferior to my ears, regardless of the setting used. I've ended up using the FD2 as a clean boost into the front of the H20, to push it into further drive at the same setting. That seems to be an expensive way of getting a clean boost ;) Don't get me wrong, the construction of the FD2 is the best I've ever seen, but when it comes to pure overdriven tone characteristics, the H20 beats it hands down, IMHO. I doubt that I'll ever find a more transparent overdrive anywhere. Even an 808 sounds dull by comparison, although I know they're not necessarily meant to be the same thing. I've gone back several times, and made comparisons between different overdrives/distortions, and EVERY time, the H20 is head and shoulders above the rest. I look forward to doing some more mods in the near future. Keep up the good work! Any chance to get a Visual Sound Jekyll & Hyde mod out soon? Now THAT pedal would be MONSTROUS if you had to work some of your magic on it. Please let me know. Brent Quinton, Producer/Recording Engineer
Boss BD-2 H2O Plus — Monte, Put in a bid of $60 on two Boss BD-2's on ebay not expecting to win any but landed them both. Anyway put your H2O mod in one and thought I'd hook both up in line to see if I could hear the difference. Twisted the knobs around to full on both blues drivers and switched each BD-2 on separately without changing amp. Both buzz with noise, yours slightly less and expect it would be just measurable with a decibel meter or electronic device. If you were blindfolded, you'd be able to pick the difference in buzz level. Waiting on your plus mod, should arrive next week and will redo comparison. You probably already know this and have tried this. Wound the gain back to around 3 o clock, tone to 12 o clock and volume around to 9 o clock to do back to back sound comparisons. I can't pick the difference to be honest, must be tone deaf. However the big surprise came when I tried playing with both blues drivers on together. What a magic sound and sustain. Unbelievable. Totally unexpected, 5 second sustain on top e, 10 second sustain on bottom E. Think it's much better than using a compressor. Still have feel and control which the compressor seems to take away. One thing is I got a Seymour Duncan stack plus fitted to my strat bridge pick up and it normally sounds real harsh and twangy without a pedal. With the double BD-2's it sounds fantastic. Bottom line is without having read your add for a BD-2 H2O kit I would never have bought a single blues driver pedal. The fact that I ended up with two is pure luck. Even luckier still is the trying both together. It's a tone and sound you'd walk over broken glass and a bed of hot coals for. Many thanks and all the best from Alligator Creek Bob Kotmel, Australia
Boss BD-2 H2O Plus — Wow - the BD-2 has become a MONSTER! The gain is off the charts, the tone control is usable throughout its entire range rather than between off and 9:00 - 10:00. My PRS thru a Blues Junior sounds like Santana - no joke and no exaggeration! I decided on this mod because I liked the tone on one of your mp3 samples (Georgia). That's the tone I wanted, that's the tone I got. I did leave a phone message but I needed to elaborate in the email. There is so much push to this pedal that I have the level set a 9:00 and it's almost too much at that point. :] I am one happy guitarist and after playing for going on 47 years (!!) I have THE TONE! Best wishes & thanks for all your efforts! Frederick Centrella
Boss BD-2 H2O Plus — Hello, thank you very much, I have modded my bd-2 it's great. I liked the original bd-2, but with this mod it's even better. George Mulder
Boss BD-2 H2O Plus — Good morning Monte, Well, you did it again. The BD-2 H2O Plus mod is nothing short of amazing! I have an old school, point to point, handmade "Fender" Pro style amp with a 12" speaker that I built.That amp LOVES this pedal. Combined they produce the most amazing Blues & Country/Rock tones I think I've ever heard! My buddy was drooling on himself when he heard it. In fact, his response was, "I would pay ANY price for an amp that could make THAT tone without a pedal!" The modified BD-2 totally unlocked the amps tone. Thanks for yet another incredible pedal! Thanks again! Andy Browning
Boss BD-2 H2O Plus — Hello T-Von, I bought a used BD-2 on line as an economic move. Even though it was always my intent to mod the pedal, upon it's receipt I was so disappointed with the unit that I started to have major doubts that any mod would make it in to a useful tool. Well that's just not the case. After the H2O Plus kit arrived I found the mod instructions easy to follow and the results were an extraordinary improvement over the stock configuration. Thank goodness for your well-engineered upgrade kit, I was really beginning to think I'd bought myself a quaint blue door stop. Kris Ringlee, Tucson, AZ
Boss BD-2 H2O Plus — Hello Monte, I just installed your H2O mod. Sounds great, very warm and musical. The controls react in a more logical manner also. P.S. the bright led was A nice touch! David Glencoe
Boss BD-2 H2O Plus — Hey Monte, I installed the opamp you sent for the BD-2 pedal, sounds great. Seems like the guitars full frequency range is coming through now. Perfect companion for the H20 upgrade! Thank You, Dave Glencoe
Boss BD-2 H2O Plus — Monte, I just wanted to send you a note to thank you for your generosity. I was overwhelmed by the extra stickers and LEDs that were included in my package.Thanks! Your mods have renewed my interest in effect pedals. The difference in the BD-2 is mind-blowing. I liked the stock pedal, but only found a few settings that I listenable. With your mods, this pedal sounds good in every possible combination! I just finished the GE-7 mod last night but haven't really experimented with it, although I noticed a difference right away. I'm old school and play my stock '67 SG through a 70's Twin Reverb. Now I can get sounds at low levels I could only achieve by overdriving the amp. Unfortunately (for me), now I have to purchase every product you offer. Your service is outstanding and prices phenomenal. I will be pointing all my guitar buddies to your site! Brian Pogar
Boss BD-2 H2O Plus — I finished it up and, boy, does the BD-H2O rip!! The tone is dynamic, aggressive, yet very smooth. The thing honestly sounds like my old Bandmaster jumpered and dimed. No solid state splat or fart to be found. Robert Keeley, eat your heart out: Monte is the man! This is just about the best sounding OD pedal I've played in 35+ years of pickin. The new BD is the perfect mate for my '65 Airline amp (which I just finished tweaking and doing a cap job on). The tone of this pair for slide is just plain monstrous! It will definitely go to the gig next Saturday night. Ya done good son. Richard Gordon, Charlottesville, VA
Boss BD-2 H2O Plus — Hi! I just put your BD-H2O mod in my Blues Driver and it's really awesome!!! Even with my Marshall Valvestate solidstate amp this little wonder shines now. Really smooth and warm now, no more buzzy-fuzzy tone with this mod! I can't wait to play it out loud with my band (my roommates don't like loud guitars...). Now I would like to mod my DS-1, but I don't know which mod to choose between your "standard" one or the rectifier. The standard seems to sound really nice but I would like to have more infos about the rectifier one. When you say rectifier does it means that it has more gain like a Mesa for example? Thanks again and keep the good work! :-) Jonathan Veillette, Québec, Qc
Boss BD-2 H2O Plus — Thank you, thank you, thank you for this mod! I have never heard my BluesDriver sound so good. Thanks again! Rick Battenbough, Lincoln, England
Boss BD-2 H2O Plus — Hi Monte, I finally had time this week to install the BD-2 H2O mod. The H2O mod sounds terrific! Since I had an already modified BD-2, I had to revert some cap values, but I decided to keep the caps from the previous mod that were the same value as stock but a different type (silver mica instead of ceramic, tantalum or metal film instead of electrolitic). I didn't think it would have a negative effect on the H2O mod. The BD-2 now really sounds and reacts like an amp rather than sounding like a pedal. This is the same thing I heard with the Sustainia mod as well. The BD-2 sounds great set to any amount of drive, and because of its clarity I can use it with any of my amps and cabinets and dial in the tone I want whether the amp has a brighter or darker clean tone. Sasha Brusin, Glenview IL
Boss BD-2 H2O — Hi, I've just completed the mods on my Blues Driver, and wanted to drop you a line to thank you. I'm quite impressed, so much so that I'mgoing to be re-tracking some guitar parts on my next upcoming CD, just because of how much I like the "crunch type" tone now, as opposed to before. Thanks again. Robb, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Boss BD-2 H2O — Hi there. I received my bd2 mod kit in the mail today. I took a few hours and did all of the mods, and it sounds great. I mean fantastic. I recently switched from playing through a nice Fender Deluxe, in which my stock bd2 sounded good, to a Vox AC30, and found the bd2 to be lacking in bite and adding in color, so I thought I had nothing to loose by trying your mod. This thing is now sweet. Very nice, transparent, and soulful. I couldn't be more happy with the sound. However, I did have an issue with the LED. I'm not asking for a replacement, I'm just trying to figure out what I did wrong. After installing it, the LED only had a very faint blue light. I thought this was strange, but I thought it might have something to do with the step of adding the jumper at r39, after completing that step, I still only had a very faint blue light. So I went back and installed a spare red led, and I had a a very bright red light. Swapped that out with a green led and had a very bright green light. So I thought I had a busted LED. I put the white led in a simple circuit I made to check LEDs and it came on bright and clear, almost blinding white light. Put it back in the pedal and I had a very dim blue light. I swapped the white LED out several times with the red and green ones and I had with the same results every time, and each time it still worked very well in my test circuit. I ended up just leaving the red LED in and finishing the pedal. (I eventually accidentally snapped one of the legs off the white one anyway, so I had to go on). Any thoughts on why this might be? I'm sure I didn't get a bum LED, since it worked so well in my test circuit. I'm going to order a GE7 mod in a day or two, and I might throw in an extra LED to try again. The pedal sounds fantastic though, thanks a lot. Eric Nichols
Boss BD-2 H2O — I used the BD-2 with the H2O mod I snagged on line last night for the first time and it KILLS!!
Richard Rutledge, Birmingham, AL
Boss BD-2 H2O — I'm a guitarist from San Antonio, TX that has been playing for almost 20 years. After reading over your website today, I was moved to email you. I, too, suffered from the bane of crappy stock tone and didn't want to spend hundreds of dollars on boutique pedals. Through my own internet research I realized they were all just clones of already-existing pedals with upgraded components. That's when I started researching pedal mods. Again, through my research I found 2 companies that seemed the most legit. Yours and Mr. Robert Keeley. Having not personally played either company's pedals, I searched YouTube and other Internet sites that would give me a glimpse into what the new tones would be like. My twin brother called me from Germany one day asking me about tone and what I thought about pedals, tubes, speakers, etc. I just happened to be on your website when he called and I told him the main difference between you and Keeley is that you provide the mods and they are performed by the purchaser instead of shipping off your pedal and paying triple the price. Based on my recommendation, he bought your Blues Driver H2O mod. Mind you, I still hadn't personally used your mods yet. A few weeks later, he called me. He already had his guitar ready. Even over international phone lines, I could tell the tone was leagues better. That convinced me. Since then I've modded my TS-9 and a DS-1 I purchased specifically for modding. My brother has also done one of your Metal Zone mods as well. The purpose of this email is to thank you for providing quality product and great tone. By modding my TS-9 I solved the incredibly annoying feedback problem I was having when I used it as a boost after another overdrive pedal. Also, my bandmates have affectionately nicknamed my Allums modded DS-1 "Thor" because of the god-like gain that comes from it. I plan on adding stacked Burr Brown's into it to further enhance its already great tone. Just yesterday I purchased the SD-1 GT mod and I can't wait for it to come. I've recorded with the Super Overdrive before but never actually owned one. I tried it stock last night with the rest of my rig and it sounds pretty good stock but I know that after the Allums mod it's going to sound amazing. I wanted to let you know, you've got a customer for life and thanks again for your hard work in designing these mods and making them available to working guitarists such as myself. If you get the chance, please check out my new band's website. The heavy rhythm guitar on the song "Take" features your Rectifier mod on the DS-1. I'm pretty sure I used the TS-9 stacked with it as well. Thank you, again. I will continue to recommend you in the future. Chuck Costello
Boss BD-2 H2O — Hello my good man, this is the most I ever got out of any pedal of this type, thanks to your Mod. I will never play without it, ever, as it is now part of my main sound. Gretsch 6119 >> into Modded BD-2 >> into my RE-301 echo unit >> into my 70's Fender Twin Reverb. Ouch!!! The Sound is completely insane....Very transparent. Good work on your research, when I get me a second BD-2, I will get another kit from you. This is sound from heaven :o) Thanks again. Johnny from Quebec. Johnny Perreault, Maria, Quebec
Boss BD-2 H2O — it "H2O", because it is perfectly clear, no coloration of the tone. Thanks for a great mod! Thanks! Kenneth Bibbins, Simsbury, CT
Boss BD-2 H2O — Monte - Jeez, what have you done?! You've transformed a pedal I've had for almost 15 years into something else. Thank you! I have been using the BD2 and a Blues Junior for a long time and it sounded great to me. In the studio a few weeks ago, I forgot the Junior and plugged into the studio Vibrolux re-issue. I sounded like crap. Brittle, shrill and processed. The engineer unplugged the BD2 and ran me thru a re-issue TS808. Not bad, but, not quite enough gain for me at such a low volume. I went home very disappointed with everything I had done. On reading your description of the changes in the BD2 sound with H2O mods I realized that was everything I was hearing out of my stock pedal. I ordered and just installed the kit and my jaw is on the floor. Even thru my Hot Rod Deluxe on 1 the sound is amazing. Warm, musical, sensitive to attack, the best of SRV or Jimi. I can't wait to get to the gig and turn it up at a live show. Thank you for a wonderful product. I'll be ordering a kit for my backup TS5 next. Brian Ready
Boss BD-2 H2O — Monte, thank you so so much for your help! I really love your blues driver mod. It's hands down the very best I have ever heard and I played a lot of em. I will be telling all my friends about your website. Worship at full volume! Richard Bonnell, Loveland, CO
Boss BD-2 H2O — Hi Monte, the parts for the BD2 H2O arrived this morning and after an hour the mod was successfully carried out. I have to tell you that in comparison with a stock BD-2 the difference is very big. This pedal can stay on a permanent base between my guitar and my Laney tube amp! It has a lot more dynamics, even when the gain is down. Paul Acket, Belgium
Boss BD-2 H2O — Just wanted to let you know your pedals are still the best. I stumbled onto a Radial ToneBone Classic Distortion Tri-Mode and am ready to eBay it after only an hour! This thing just doesn't come close to your H2O and DS-1 Recto mods! Your mods are just so much more transparent & quiet. The ToneBone website has a quote from Eric Johnson saying he couldn't believe how quiet the Classic was, but your mods even blow that away! Guys at church are dying to get my tone now! Even non-guitarists are gushing on and on about it! Keep up the good work and keep the faith! You're an inspiration! Jonathan White, Overland Park, KS
Boss BD-2 H2O — My pedal arrived today! I plugged in my Strat and.... WOA!!! TERRIFIC INCREDIBLE SOUND!!!! Thanx Monte and Thanx Chad! I'll do my best to make your mods known all around! Bruno Ballardini, Italy
Boss BD-2 H2O — No doubt you here this often but I wanted to give you some feedback because I like your products. I have been gigging with the CS-3 OPTO and BD-2 H2O pedal mods for several months now. These two simple mods have resulted in some REALLY great improvements to my tone. Over the past three decades folks and players alike have always commented on my good tone but this has taken my sound to the next plateau. I bought the BD2 just to do this mod even though I was buying a pedal I’d never heard or played before. Perfect sound for me. As well the CS-3 mod is tremendous. I just bought some copper pick guard shields for my strat and tele. Not that I have experienced that much noise with my guitars but more so that I trust your recommendation about these products. Just another note about a recent jam session at my wedding reception which sums up what players hear and feel about your mods in general. My old guitar playing buddy, who is also an excellent player, was playing “stunt double” for me at my wedding reception so I could spend time dancing, etc. with my new bride and not get into trouble for jamming on guitar with all the musicians. However, after I played one set on my own rig my buddy refused to play his gear for the rest of the evening. His quote to me was, “Man!!! I want to play your guitar and amp…. it sounds like a freaking studio recording”. HA! What complement could be better than this? Thanks again! Rick Deason, Carthage, IL
Boss BD-2 H2O — Hi Monte, I wanted to take some time before getting in touch again. I have now done three gigs since I fitted my BD-H2O conversion to my pedalboard. It has been used with both my Hiwatt tube top and a Marshall tranny combo. The results are genuinely amazing. More importantly I want to tell you how the three T-Von mods on my board have not only changed my guitar sound but my approach to the instrument. The CS-3 mod was my first excursion into pedal mods. All I can say is that it is at the core to my rhythm sound. Clean, chunky parts regardless of Strat, Les Paul or Hamer P90 at the front. However kicking in the SD808 after it adds a nice richness that sounds a bit Steve Cropper-ish. The SD808 on its own is something else. But using the 808 to boost the BD-H2O is simply incredible. Individually or in combination the T-Von modded pedals are light years ahead of their original tonal quality. I simply cannot put into words the difference they have made. I feel that because my sounds are so good my playing has moved forward as a result. I met a guitar player last week who I had not seen for over twenty years. His first words were "Nice sounds you got there, Mate!" so I wasted no time in telling him that three of the Boss pedals have Monte Allums conversions. I explained how straightforward the conversion work was and the sound quality resulting he had heard with his own ears. Many thanks indeed for your research work. You have made an old guitar player VERY happy indeed. My very best wishes and sincere thanks! Richard Underwood, United Kingdom
Boss BD-2 H2O — Hi gang, FYI, I bought your H2O kit for Blues Driver not too long ago. It worked out amazing and really cleaned up the sound of the stock pedal. You want to put a little hair on your sound, this is it. I have let a number of pros play my Strat & Tele through it into a Twin Reverb and we all tend to settle on the same settings with level, gain and tone at 10-11 o’clock. We compared the modded pedal with two other well known mods which sounded heavily colored and less hi-fi. My chum who played slide through a Gibson 335 pushes the gain to 1 o’clock and gets gritty texture, rounder tone and fluid harmonics. Smokey, sour and sweet all at one time. So, now we’ll try the TS9 mod. Can’t wait. After that maybe the Daddy-O. Thx guys. Ray Majury, Toronto Ontario
Boss BD-2 H2O — Hey Monte! A big thanks to you for my pedal mod kits. I've installed the BDH20, DynaComp, TNT Daddy-O and GE7 kits. They all sound great, massive improvements on the stock tones. Thanks again! Brent Quinton, South Africa
Boss BD-2 H2O — Hi there, put in the mod. It was easy and it sounds great! Thanks. Scott Francisco, Buena Park, CA
Boss BD-2 H2O — Hey, First of all, I just had my H20 mod for my BD-2 installed and it's fantastic! I use it with a DOD 250 to drive a Vox T-60 bass amp in a two-amp setup and it just sounds so full and clear. Even when I pile on a Mercer Box fuzz the definition is still super clear with tons of harmonics. Thanks Monte! Scottie Walker, Lawrence, KS
Boss SD-1 Mods
Boss SD-1 SD-808 — Hi, I mounted your mod yesterday evening when delivered, 2 hours and a half of duty, slowly with a beer, and it's sounds really big. I was about to sell my SD-1 but since your mod I'm not thinking this way anymore because I'm really enjoying your mod. Sebastian Henssien, Warsaw, Poland
Boss SD-1 SD-808 — Got the SD1 back, many thanks for the quick turnaround. I took it to Ireland this week for a show, and 4 people asked me afterwards what OD pedal I was using! Thought you would be glad to hear that. I used it in front of a Fender Supersonic combo, and it sounded superb, both as a ts808 type drive on the Bassman channel, and also to boost and compress the high gain lead channel, it's a winner! I passed on your details to the guys concerned, so you may get some business out of it. Damon Chivers
Boss SD-1 SD-808 — Hi Monte, just wanted to let you know that I did your SD-808 mod tonight, took me about 2 hours. It was easy with your very clear instructions. I functioned the pedal after every part change and call me crazy but I could hear the effect getting better with each new component added! This SD-1 was a previously modded pedal but his "Pro Mod" just wasn't doing it for me, maybe it was the 4559 IC he likes to use, I do know that the pedal was pretty much a mess inside and it sounded lifeless. I didn't use it very much despite the fact that I paid pretty good bucks for it. Anyway, after doing your 808 mod I think this might be the best OD I've ever heard! I can't describe in words how it sounds, all I know is the pedal sounds so good that I had to put my guitar away before I ended up getting lost in the tone and playing all night long! Thanks for putting the fun back into my OD. Best regards, Ted.
Boss SD-1 SD-808 — Hey, What a snap!! Put the 808 kit in my super OD, the biggest complaint I had was the lack of gain. The 2x gain mod was worth the price alone. The other stuff was icing on the cake! I will be modding my Daddy-O, my rat, and my old orange distortion... Thanks a Million! Ian Merill
Boss SD-1 SD-808 — I have done many of your mods... just like you, searching for that tone/sound you hear in your head... I think your 808 is one of the best at any price, I REALLY love it. Also, the BD-1 Tri really grew on me, extreme clarity (coming from a pedal that is unbearable to hear stock!) You are so very true that all pedals, no matter how good, may not jive with different amps, soo much of a variety out there. Tony Fleming
Boss SD-1 SD-808 — Just thought I would send you a note to say thanks for the great service and the quick responses to e-mails. It's nice to deal with someone like yourself. Also wanted to let you know that I found the problem with the SD-1. It seems that a buffer capacitor ( .018uF ), just before the tone control failed for some reason. Not sure why but I found it none the less. Finally, these mods ( BD-2 H2O Plus and SD-808 ) are phenomenol. I haven't had much of a chance to run the SD-1 through my complete rig as I just found the problem tonight but the BD-2 is amazing and frankly is every bit as clear and transparent as my Fulldrive 2 but it carries a different sound which make sit a great complement to my board. In quick tests the SD-1 sounds evey bit as good. Thanks for the great service and great mods. Peace, Al Forget, Midland, Ontario, Canada
Boss SD-1 SD-808 — Just wanted to tell you that my first mod went great. I got the ts808 mod for my SD1 and noticed a huge difference. I have two SD1's so I was able to A/B them. WOW!!!!! Not bad for a total of $60 in it. :) Really looking forward to the next mod on my other SD1. Thanks for what you do. You're the best!!! Mitch Fewell
Boss SD-1 SD-808 —Thank you very much for the SD-1 808 Mod. It sounds "AWESOME". Chandavone Panasy
Boss SD-1 SD-808 — Hey, I wrote a couple of days ago regarding my SD-1 808 mod-had a chance to a/b it against a Maxon OD808 as well as a re-issue TS-9. Blew the both of them off the amp!!!! Transparent gain, maxed out with the 2x gain mod. I took your advice and didn't jumper the middle diode; I like the sound better with the Boss style. You rock (even more than the other day!!!!) Can't wait to A/B it against an unmodded pedal ;-) Ian Merill
Boss SD-1 SD-808 — Hi Monte, your SD-808 conversion kit arrived yesterday. I chose the symmetrical clipping option i.e. two diodes plus jumper - but forewent the 2X gain option. The difference between the stock SD-1 and the converted version is chalk and cheese. I am truly impressed with the results. Obviously it's going to take time to discover all the options now available, but initial tests with a Strat and my Hiwatt revealed a wonderfully smooth overdrive. Neck pickup was nicely woody, the middle had its bell-like quality enhanced and the joint neck/middle combination clucked like a good 'un! Bridge pickup was razor-sharp but without harshness. I guess you can't ask for more. Combining my T-Von modified CS-3 with the SD-808 was way beyond expectations and they were pretty high to begin with, it must be said. Both of these kits are an incredible value but their changes to stock stompboxes makes your selling prices ridiculous. I am most grateful I found you and your products. I hope you don't mind but I downloaded your signature logo from your website and used it to make up a logo to fit on my SD-808. Photograph attached. If anyone wants to know what my overdrive is they can ask or read for themselves. I'll be posting a review on Harmony Central by the way. Richard Underwood Bourne, Lincolnshire England
Boss SD-1 SD-808 — I'd just like to add that I bought your SD-808 Plus Mod a couple of weeks ago and I'm simply blown away by how good it is This modded SD-1 makes my Fulltone OCD seem way overpriced, and frankly I'm using the SD-1 a lot more than it now... its just perfect...so thank you so much for producing an excellent product in a market that's full of rubbish right now. Thanks for your help and wicked products. Samir Khan, United Kingdom
Boss SD-1 SD-808 — Hi, just did the SD-1 (808) kit and the CS-3 kit. They are amazing, sure glad I didn't put them on eBay. Larry Hill, Boulder, CO
Boss SD-1 SD-808 — Monte, first off I want to say THANK YOU for sharing your knowledge with all of us through these effects mods. I did the SD-808 mod and absolutely love end result. Stephanie Faulkner, San Antonio, TX
Boss SD-1 SD-808 — Thanks a lot for the quick reply and for putting my mind at rest. I used your kit on a dapon E02DS that only cost me 20 pound (it even has a extra hole in the metal casing that makes putting the switch in easy and now it sounds absolutely amazing I mean unbelievable my mates at church wont believe they’re ears I’m falling in love with your kits and can't wait to mod my E02OD (an sd-1 copy) with the sd808 kit I’ve got waiting for me God bless, Matthew Wilson
Boss SD-1 SD-808 — Hi Monte! I just finished installing your SD-808 mod kit and it made a huge difference to the stock SD-1. Your directions were incredibly detailed and complete - this is my first mod and after reading your instructions, I had no hesitation about modifying a brand new SD-1. The instruction to test after each part replacement is what gave me the confidence to go ahead with the project since it would be obvious if anything went wrong. As it was, I had absolutely no problems getting everything installed and it was actually interesting to see what difference each modification made. I usually play a Standard Strat through a solid state Marshall MG30DFX (I installed the 2x gain options as the Strat sounded really great with the extra boost) but I occasionally switch to a Les Paul Studio. Thanks for an incredible mod and the clear instructions for installing it - after this experience, I'm sure I'll be installing many more of your kits as I accumulate more pedals... Phil H., Acron, OH
Boss SD-1 GT — Thank you Monte, I’ve just finished the boss sd-1 gt mod. WOW! The difference is just night and day, I couldn’t put it any better, it's sounding exactly as you described. I Love the GT! Philip Phylaep
Boss SD-1 GT — Well, I ordered the GT-1 mod, against your advice. You said it would be too complicated for a first mod, but I got a friend to help me. He works in electronics and is a former amp tech, so he knows his way around really well. Anyway, I learned how to solder and unsolder and even did the switches, though my friend drilled the holes. I'm stoked and ready to do some more. It's a tossup between the DS1 and the CS3 for next mod. I've only played the new pedal a few hours, but all I can say is WOW. First, it sounds great on every setting I tried. Second, it is so versatile that it will take me weeks to really learn what it can do. I love the 2 switches -- the 2X is something I'll probably just leave on, and the clipping switch helps me keep that aggressive tone the stock SD1 had but also use the smoother Ibanez clipping on this pedal as well. It works great as a boost too. I play blues, and my Jimmie Vaughan strat sounds great through this into my Pro Junior: everything from almost clean to near distortion, smooth, aggressive, great note definition... all the things you promise on your website are all there! Since I play mostly at blues jams, I need a grab and go pedal for quick setup, and this one just rocketed to the top of the list. Thanks again. A very satisfied new customer, Bob Irving, Lancaster, PA
Boss SD-1 GT — I received the GT kit and modded my SD-1. In one word, wow! The pedal woke up, grew tubes and NOW sounds great! I've spent a couple of hours with it so far, and it is very impressive. I especially like how it cleans up with guitar volume manipulation, and the variations available with the symmetrical/asymmetrical clip as well as upping the gain. I now have to hunt down a Plexi to pair it up with (unfortunately, my old ones were traded away for guitars in a few moments of weakness). I will also have to build a second one for a back-up. Great job voicing this pedal! Best! George Bunimovich
Boss SD-1 GT — I just wanted to say that the SD1_GT mod is great. As a point of reference, My other 2 distortion pedals are old original B.K. Butler "Tube drivers" that I have owned since the 80's & the SD1 (Which I have had since 1990) And since the GT mod the SD1 isn't the "Red headed stepchild" anymore!!! Great mod/great tone Thanks, Mark Cheshire
Boss SD-1 GT — Thanks for you answer :) and I am very happy with the GT mod :) the SD-1 still remains on my board as my fav overdrive :) Mike Jones
Boss SD-1 GT — Thanks, that was the ticket. Slapped it together and plugged it in. Lots of good stuff, big variety of tones and gain level, very tube-like now, especially on the neck pup, with a searing lead tone on the high gain setting that'll make any drummer tremble! Hard to believe this is the same pedal, was so tinny and weak sounding before. Thanks again for the great mods, Monte! Dave Lowe
Boss SD-1 GT — Hello Again Monte, This is the second mod I've done from you, and I just wanted to drop you a line and let you know about the GT mod, and also ask you a few questions. First, it sounds great! I mean, really great! I happen to own 2 SD-1s, and after completing the mod, I AB'd the two to see the difference. Words cannot describe the difference, and I'm sure you've heard it so there's really no point in me attempting to describe it. Let me just say that I'm very pleased with the outcome. Now for the questions: 1. I noticed that the SD-808 mod has a lot more cap replacements. Why doesn't the GT mod need these? 2. I haven't done either of the switch mods due to the fact that I don't own a drill. So let me ask you: a. For the dual gain switch: if I just replaced the resistor, to get the higher gain, am I correct in assuming that this would just allow my gain pot to "go to 11" so to speak? In other words, the pot would just be more sensitive and have a higher top end? b. For the clipping switch: how would you go about just changing the clipping to Ibanez-style without using the switch? Would you just swap out the current diode with the replacement? Also, what are your thoughts on the difference between the two? As you can see, I'm trying to avoid having to use the switches since I don't own a drill. Let me know what you think, and take your time, no hurry on a reply. And thanks again Monte. It's great that I'm able to save money by doing these mods, but more importantly, I'm having fun doing them. I think I'll try one of your DS-1 mods next. Oh, and I also wanted to thank you for the prompt shipment. Both mods I've ordered from you have arrived within 2 days of the e-mail that said "your order has shipped". You are running a fantastic business here, and the promptness of the shipping is the icing on the cake. Brian Frierdich
Boss SD-1 GT — I recently purchased the SD-1 GT mod and CS-3 opto plus and I'm really impressed with both Mods, in fact I've found myself favouring the sounds of the SD-1 GT over the Mesa Boogie V-Twin pedal I have on my pedalboard which is insane when you consider the price difference! Simon Hill, UK
Boss SD-1 GT — I finished three of your mods CS3 Opto, DS1-Rectifier and SD-1 GT. Pedals that were sitting in the box with the stuff I don't use or like are now back in business. Thank you! CS3 opto is really impressive sounding mod. This pedal is now ON all the time! Fred Terbovc, France
Boss SD-1 GT — Thank you for making this mod. It has greatly improved my SD-1, and actually made it usable with some settings that many would consider ridiculous. I did mess up a few times, using a 100W soldering gun because it was either that or the 10W pen and the 10W wasn’t cutting it. When doing the Dual Gain switch I had soldered it before mounting it and like an idiot tipped the pedal to drill the holes and ripped the two traces clean off the PCB L. I fixed it though, making a jumper like your site suggested. I drilled the holes a bit differently than you recommended too. The pedal works great though. It has gone from being a clean boost that thins up my tone to a very transparent boost. Chunk and crunch combined a la Metallica through my Peavey’s Lead Channel. On the clean channel it’s even more versatile. I’ve found running the tone control at 0 with the Level and Gain Maxed on Symmetrical Gain with the 2X gain engaged yields a nice fuzzy woman tone through my Bill Lawrence neck pickup. Enough of my ranting though, here’s some pics. P.S. When you said super bright LED mod, you weren’t kidding. My rig(I know it’s weak L haha) Overhead shot of the SD-1 Close-up of switches with my cheesy sharpy labeling. Bill Rose
Boss SD-1 GT — I know (well, have an idea anyway) how much e-mail you get on a daily basis, but whenever I do a good job, it makes my day to hear someone appreciated it. I'm trying to return the favor. I recently put the GT mod in my old SD-1. I couldn't justify the cost of a high-priced overdrive, especially when most of my playing is for my own entertainment, and I couldn't justify the time I would need to go try them all out. The GT mod is just what the doctor ordered. If it didn't work out the way I wanted, I'm back to a pedal I wasn't satisfied with anyway, and I'm only out a quarter of what I would have spent on a new pedal. It was a pretty low-risk investment. What I did not really expect is the versatility that would magically show up in the pedal. This pedal has dynamics now! Before the mod, the guitar's volume knob mattered a little, but not a lot. The pick attack mattered a little, but not a lot. Before the mod, the pedal would fatten up the overdriven amp a little bit, but not much. The pedal was very one-dimensional. I would set it for one specific type of sound over which I had very little control, and I would forget about it. Now, it is extremely versatile, with multiple fantastic tones and the ability to dial in the sound you want. Now, I'm hearing what I wanted to hear, and to any serious tone freak, that's worth the price of dozens of these mods. It's not all good news, but experience would have solved that problem. I pulled out the pots to drill through the enclosure because I had no idea how sensitive they were to placement and how tightly they were packed inside. Rotate the tone pot 3 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise, and the signal flows straight past the tone circuit. I did see in the instructions somewhere that you're not supposed to do that, but only after I had already pulled the components. For the sake of other first-time modders, I would suggest that you post that instruction a bit more prominently. Again, it's not going to matter to me in the future, since I plan to learn from my mistake, but that's the only constructive criticism I can give. Thanks for such a great product and service. Will Lewis
Boss SD-1 GT — Hi T-Von, I have been using my SD-1 with your GT mod for nearly two years now, and I must say, it is mind blowing. I’m a big fan of tube amp distortion, but your pedal in front of that adds so much to it. You’ve made my tone knob useful. I like to run it a little higher now to add more crunch without a lot of nasally high end. I also like the smoothness of the symmetrical clipping with the added presence and harmonic scream of the 2X gain switch. I had been using this pedal into a Peavey Valveking, which isn’t exactly a high end amp, but a good little combo nonetheless. Recently, I acquired a 1989 Laney Pro Tube AOR 50W. After realizing how many amazing tones I can achieve when combining your pedal with this amp, I was inspired to buy a DS-1 used, and order your Roxx Tri-Gain kit to mod it with. I also feel much more comfortable with a soldering iron, as I finished my first year of honors computer engineering at Ohio State this past year, and had a Weller pen iron in my hand nearly 8 hours a day for 2 months while working on an autonomous robot, which I also programmed. I get a lot of compliments on the tones I get out of your pedal, but realized I lost the instructions for the pedal, which told me what parts I changed. Long story short, I would like another set of instructions if possible. I would like to see if putting the stock diode in instead of the germanium transistor would give this pedal a more aggressive overdrive sound, as the germanium transistor tends to clip early and flatten out, like a big muff. I don’t believe that I’ll like the tone better without the germanium transistor, but I’m curious and enjoy tinkering. Bill Rose
Boss SD-1 GT — Well, I did the full GT mod yesterday, with the dual gain and the clipping mod as well. Overall I like the outcome. The GT mod alone really improved the tone of my pedal dramatically. I believe the opamp made the biggest improvement. Before the mod I seldom used my SD-1 for anything other than for a slight boost when using my valve junior setup (vj head into 2x12 cab with texas heat & red, white & blues). To me the pedal always sounded to "brittle" or sterile at any gain setting past 9:00. And the tone control...I could never find a setting that didn't complete change the tone of my guitar. (I play a strat with holy grails, a stock tele, a music man axis with Dimarzios, and a Carvin H2 (love this guitar). With the GT mod, my guitar tone remains constant. I can now get the warm over drive from the neck pickup, and the crunchy drive from the bridge without fussing with my eq pedal. The tone control acts almost like a presence control now, adding additional clarity and separation the notes. There also seems to be a little added compression, and the harmonics have pleasantly increased as well. The magic mentioned in the mod description while playing in the upper registers...it's there, and it is sweet. God Bless all of you there... As far as the clipping, and don't know why, but I expected a little more dramatic difference. Personally, I can hardly tell the 2 settings apart. The symmetrical setting seems a tad bit warmer, but it's only noticeable at increased volume. The dual gain mod, I here no change whatsoever. I don't know what's up with that, I guess I'll have to do some experimenting...gee what a shame...any thoughts. Overall, I am very pleased with my "new" pedal. I have found some very useable settings, and at least one really sweet spot. (you know, that "this is the sound I've had in my head for years" sound...) By the way, this was my first pedal mod. I've done a lot of guitar work, pickup swaps, tone pots etc...but this was my first pedal. I didn't really like the fact that the instructions seemed to be for all 3 SD-1 mods. I got lost a couple of times, especially on the dual gain work. I don't remember if it was the dual gain or the clipping instructions, but one of them doesn't say what to do with the removed component. Anyway, Thank You, God Bless, and Happy New Year. In Christ, Doug Mahoney, San Diego, CA
Boss SD-1 GT — I first of all wanted to say that I bought the SD-1 GT mod kit and it has changed my life and I recommend your products to all my friends!!!! I was actually emailing to ask if you have, or if you would consider doing some kits to mod amps like Fender Hot Rods and such. There are a lot of inexpensive amps out there that could be boutique sounding amps with the knowledge of what parts to replace and such. I would just like to get some of the cheap parts out of my amp and get some good stuff in there to improve my tone. You've got what I need for boutique pedal sounds, my amps are next. I have an epiphone Valve Junior (super simple amp) with a Jensen Neo 10" mounted on the back baffle, and it has a mod with a couple caps for brightness. I use JJ tubes. I also have a Fender Hot Rod deluxe with a vintage 30, JJ 6L6s and 12ax7s. HELP ME PLEASE!!!! I can't find anything like this anywhere!!!!!!!!!!! Worship Pastor, The Crossing: Kirksville, MO
Boss SD-1 GT — I finally had the time to do the GT mod to my SD-1. A few problems along the way, but I finally figured it and have it working. What a great mod!! This was the fifth pedal I've modded with your kits (TS-5, TS-7, TS-9DX, and DS-1), and this one definitely sounds the best. I love the clarity and note definition! Exactly as you described! Unfortunately, it has a way of revealing the weaknesses in the other pedals... Doing an A-B test with my TS-9DX, the "like removing a blanket from over the amp" description aptly applied. My SD-1 turned out to be a "Made-in-Japan" version, so I did have to remove the diode and resistor at D-3 and R-31, as advertised, to get the LED to work. Now, here's an additional question: In your PCB picture of a newer SD-1 board, there is a jumper in the slot between R-8 (?) and R-17 (just above the letter "G" for the mod part). My Japanese SD-1 has a resistor in this slot rather than a jumper - do you know what affect, if any, this will have? Finally, an LED question from my Boss CE-3 chorus. We had an e-mail exchange about a year ago after I tried to install one of the super-brite LED's in my pedal, but it did not work. I think, at the time, you were initially thinking CE-2, but my pedal is a CE-3. Now I see, looking at your CE-2 mod and the SD-1 mod, one likely needs to change a resistor to get the brighter LED to work. My CE-3 is also Made-in-Japan, so I wonder if it may also require removing some things (like the MIJ SD-1) to get it working. Any ideas? Would you like to develop a mod for the CE-3? I would gladly let you use my pedal for prototyping. Thanks for another great mod, Fred Darling, Highland Village, TX
Boss SD-1 GT — I invited my dad over for a little father-and-son quality time and we just finished the GT Mod. Although I haven't had any time to really put the pedal through its paces, at first blush the SD-1 has turned into an effect that I actually want to hang on to instead of sell at the first opportunity! The GT circuit keeps that great high-end scream for leads, but the "dirt" has lost its harshness and it has a more balanced, tube-like tone. "Thin and fizzy" has turned into "rich and biting". In short, it no longer sounds like a toy, but rather like a proper musical instrument. For warmth and transparency it might not quite have reached BD-2 territory (my next likely project), but it’s getting close! On top of the great sonic results, I must say it was a very enjoyable 4 hours doing the build. Your instructions couldn't be clearer, and with the EPE Soldering Guide linked to your website, all the wicking and joining went as smoothly as an amateur electronics builder like me could expect. You delivered the products that you promised in a timely fashion, you offered helpful advice on everything that I asked about, and really what I'm trying to say is that Monte Allums Mods is the complete package. Quality, courtesy, results; what more can you ask for? Jeff Hamacher, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
Boss SD-1 GT — Well, I got the SD-1 GT mod finished. That was the most involved mod I've ever performed because of the toggle switches, but it turned out great. I'm truely very satisfied. I had seen a guitar player in a live band with a version of your SD-1 and thought it sounded very good, so when I started looking for a mod for an SD-1 that I acquired, I checked out your web site and made the purchase.(Your site is quite well arranged as well and buying was a cinch.) I have been playing with it all weekend and one of my good friends played it yesterday and he may have me do one for him, so I may order another. Anyway thanks for sending the missing parts so quickly and again the mod is AWESOME!!!!! Albert Murr
Boss SD-1 GT — Finished the mod on the SD-1! OMG! What an improvement! I typically get experienced with a pedal before I mod it and I honestly thought I blew $40. Now this is the only pedal I want to play! What tone! Your designs improvements are fantastic! I have one question - why wasn't the D5 diode put into the switch circuit similar to the R6 resistor? Is this how asymmetrical clipping is produced? Ted Reynolds
Boss SD-1 GT — I also wanted to email you again personally today to tell you about the SD-1 GT mod that I just installed. Let me tell you, it sounds amazing. It far surpasses what I expected when I ordered it. Finally, I have the biting rich overdrive I've been hearing in my head. As soon as we get some recordings done with it, I can forward the links to you. Thanks again for all your hard work you do for us, the working musicians, so we can have amazing tone at a reasonable price. Chuck Costello
Boss SD-1 GT —Turned ut it was fine...some kind of electrical interference in the room, as I noted it with the next mod I did. Sounded fine later when I hooked them up to my board in my sound room. The Boss Overdrive has been my 2nd favorite OD to the Voodoo Labs Sparkle Drive. I thought the Sparkle Drive just sounded better. Now the Boss pedal blows it away! Scott Bennett
Boss SD-1 GT — So after a few hours of being hunched over my soldering gun and Boss SD-1, I came away with your GT Mod fully installed and working! I took your advice and checked the pedal out after each component's installation. When I installed the first switch i found that the metal casing was touching one of the tabs of the "Drive" pot and the problem was quickly solved with a small piece of electrical tape. After it was all said and done... wow! That’s all I can say. I’ve played numerous overdrive pedals and this one blows them all away. I only own and play tube amps and I’d go to this thing over a cranked amp any day. I’ll be sure to pass along my success and the amazing quality of your pedal mods to other guitar players I know. Thanks a million, ...and if I win an eBay auction ending soon I’ll be ordering yet another mod! Adam Langdon
Boss SD-1 GT — Hey Monte, i got my SD-1 GT Mod Kit today. Ok, get this: I’m 15 years old. The most soldering I’ve ever done is put new pickups in my guitar. I had no problems. It was THAT easy. Sounds magnificent!!!! I will be buying a MT-2 Tri-Gain Sustania kit soon!!!!!! James Baker
Boss SD-1 GT — Please let me finish by saying that this SD-1 mod is another superb and ultra fine improvement in my tone. I thought I was doing good with my Allums modded BD-2, but after hearing this modded SD-1 I have moved the BD2 to my "mobile" pedal board for playing out, and I am now using the SD-1 on my studio pedal board for recording. It sounds absolutely positively AWESOME! I love it! I now have my recording guitar running into the CS3, SD1, and GE7 all with Allums mods installed, and into my Mesa amp. Best and cleanest tone I've ever achieved! If you ever come up with any mods at all to clean up or improve the sound of the GEB-7, let me know. It's not bad the way it is, but it could be a bit cleaner and quieter sounding at high gain. I am experimenting with using the GEB7 on my Ibanez hollow body guitar, it actually sounds pretty good. The bands are similar enough to the GE7 that it is very workable. (I like to keep my modded GE7 with the Strat in the studio!) THANK YOU!! My new SD-1 is now a great sounding keeper! Total cost: $55 bucks. Gary Stephens
Boss SD-1 GT —Wow! I've never been a featured artist on anyone's website before! Thank you to both you and Chad again! I'm waiting for my Earcandy Sovereign Cab to arrive before I do a SD-1 GT demo. :) Rock On. BTW, this is the testimonial I sent Chad about the SD-1 GT mod, if you want to use it on the website: WOW, what a killer mod! Night and day difference from the stock Boss SD-1. I will eventually do a review on Harmony Central, but for now I want you to know my discoveries: As the gain knob increased I heard the following: Lunatic Fringe-Red Rider, to La Grange-ZZ Top, to Power Of the Night-Savatage, to Texas Flood-SRV, to all the way up...War Pigs-Black Sabbath. Whew...what a Range! The tone control is FULLY USEABLE now! My current favorite setting is Level 11:00 Gain 1:00 and tone at 3:00, with both switches to the right (gain/presence boost on and asymmetrical Boss clipping). If I had to give 1 word to describe it...SMOOTH! The touch sensitivity is phenomenal, not really clean when I back off but crunchy as hell when I dig in! I LOVE the tight, punchy instant response when I hit it hard :) Michael D. McGlenn
Boss SD-1 GT — I just did your SD1 GT Mod and it sounds amazing. Absolutely fantastic. Kevin Miller
Boss SD-1 GT — I recently purchased your SD-1 GT Mod and I really had a blast putting it together. I followed the instructions to the tee and made sure to test the pedal after each alteration. Luckily I was successful with each new modification. The pedal sounds amazing by the way. I am really happy with the way it turned. Thanks, Tim Treweek
Boss SD-1 GT — I just completed my SD-1 GT install, and I'm blown away by the results. The sound is far more dense than the stock model, but crisp and clear at the same time. I run my Explorer through a Epiphone Valve Junior, and with the GT it simply roars. I also love having 4 tone options just with the flick of a couple of switches. Installation was easy, even though I was approaching this mod as a complete newbie. Once I got pastfiguring out how to use the soldering pen the rest of the project went together without a hitch. All in all, I'm very pleased to have access to tone of this quality for around $65. Given the ease and results of this project, I plan on installing the DS-1 and Dynacomp mods next. Keep up the good work! Ben Baron, Frisco, TX
Boss SD-1 GT — Hey I just put together the GT mod kit for the SD1 tonite. Sounds great and the instructions were well detailed. Saves me from buying that Tubescreamer now! Thanks again! Scott and Eddie NolanVaughn
Boss SD-1 GT — Finished the GT mod on my SD-1 this weekend and I am amazed at the difference! I would find it hard to believe that there's a better and more flexible overdrive pedal out there than this. There are so many great options on it and different tones you can dial in. Great job! This thing will be on my pedalboard forever. Ryan Elliott
Boss SD-1 GT — The other night, I soldered the SD-1 GT mod. (Didn't install the switches. Stock gain is all I need - and I made symmetrical a constant solution.) I am VERY impressed. A N D the H2O mod is great too!!! It's so much 'in your face'. Having them both is even better. They make such a versatile couple! There's one main difference between the two, I think: The H2O input stage seems to be very sensitive. If it get's too much, there's a little sawtooth shining through. Am I wrong? The GT doesn't show this behavior at all! So I put the H2O in front of the GT and - you know it already: I have a ton of overdriven sounds available and all of them make sense to me! BTW: Having a little piece of gear that you could improve so much with the work of your own hands... you'll always make a different "connection" to it, won't you? I like it so much more than buying an already modded pedal or to send one in to have all the work done by somebody else!!! (Is this correct English?) Thanks again from Berlin, Germany, Juergen
Boss SD-1 GT — I'm a guitarist from San Antonio, TX that has been playing for almost 20 years. After reading over your website today, I was moved to email you. I, too, suffered from the bane of crappy stock tone and didn't want to spend hundreds of dollars on boutique pedals. Through my own internet research I realized they were all just clones of already-existing pedals with upgraded components. That's when I started researching pedal mods. Again, through my research I found 2 companies that seemed the most legit. Yours and Mr. Robert Keeley. Having not personally played either company's pedals, I searched YouTube and other Internet sites that would give me a glimpse into what the new tones would be like. My twin brother called me from Germany one day asking me about tone and what I thought about pedals, tubes, speakers, etc. I just happened to be on your website when he called and I told him the main difference between you and Keeley is that you provide the mods and they are performed by the purchaser instead of shipping off your pedal and paying triple the price. Based on my recommendation, he bought your Blues Driver H2O mod. Mind you, I still hadn't personally used your mods yet. A few weeks later, he called me. He already had his guitar ready. Even over international phone lines, I could tell the tone was leagues better. That convinced me. Since then I've modded my TS-9 and a DS-1 I purchased specifically for modding. My brother has also done one of your Metal Zone mods as well. The purpose of this email is to thank you for providing quality product and great tone. By modding my TS-9 I solved the incredibly annoying feedback problem I was having when I used it as a boost after another overdrive pedal. Also, my bandmates have affectionately nicknamed my Allums modded DS-1 "Thor" because of the god-like gain that comes from it. I plan on adding stacked Burr Brown's into it to further enhance its already great tone. Just yesterday I purchased the SD-1 GT mod and I can't wait for it to come. I've recorded with the Super Overdrive before but never actually owned one. I tried it stock last night with the rest of my rig and it sounds pretty good stock but I know that after the Allums mod it's going to sound amazing. I wanted to let you know, you've got a customer for life and thanks again for your hard work in designing these mods and making them available to working guitarists such as myself. If you get the chance, please check out my new band's website. The heavy rhythm guitar on the song "Take" features your Rectifier mod on the DS-1. I'm pretty sure I used the TS-9 stacked with it as well. Thank you, again. I will continue to recommend you in the future. Chuck Costello
Boss SD-1 GT — I just tried your SD1 GT and CS3 Opto Mods. I ordered these based on all the testimonials on your website. I was skeptical due to a few over-hyped amp mods and tube changes I tried in the past, but I was pretty dissatisfied with these pedals and was considering canning them. Well, I just completed the mods and tried them out with my Strat through a Blues Jr. I am impressed! This is tone that inspires! I'm getting a killer sound even at bedroom volumes. Can't wait until I get somewhere where I can really turn it up. Great job of the mods Monte, and I highly recommend to your fans, the combination of the CS3 compressor driving a SD1 overdrive pedal. Man, that's some tone you can use! Bob Sims
Boss SD-1 GT — My modded SD1 has been with me for almost a week. I think Ricky did a swell job. The soldering was clean and he showed me all the parts that he changed before assembling back the pedal. I had all the components installed except the 2x gain switch. I haven't played in a band setting for several months now and so I have really no way of knowing how the SD-GT mod sounds at loud volume settings but so far at room acceptable volume levels, it sounds great. I've been twiddling with the drive knob set from around 7 o'clock to 9 o’clock. One characteristic of this mod that really stands out at this drive level is the clarity of notes. You cannot get any cleaner than this. I'm using a Strat and the notes on all strings are clean and sparkling, very nice and satisfying to the ears. I haven't compared the SD-GT with a stock SD-1 unit but I've noticed that my pedal now has a bit more sustain. I have yet to explore the overdriven territory in-depth since my amp is quite anemic (solid state MG15 with a 10-watt speaker) and I can't really wait to get my hands on a mid-size tube amp. Ton Dolor
Boss SD-1 GT — Hi, I just received my Boss SD-1 that had the GT mod installed on it by Chad Matthews. He did a great job and the tone is outstanding. This is my first pedal that I have ever had a mod done, so I have a question regarding the two new switches on it (Asym / Sym & Presence / Gain). Can you tell me which one is which? I'm pretty sure the Presence / Gain switch is under the drive knob just by the tone but I want to make sure. I will admit I am a bit overwhelmed with all the different tones you can get. If you could give me some guidelines regarding the two switches and which direction is Aym & Sym along with the presence and gain which direction is on/ off I would greatly appreciate it. I am learning more about effects pedal and tones so I just want to be able to understand this one because you can get so many tones. The pedal is outstanding and I absolutely love it. I play an American Strat and Tele with a Fender Blues Jr. amp. Rick Lopez
Boss SD-1 GT — The GT mod has gone splendidly well. The SD-1 sounds great... I haven't yet spent too much time with the RC4558P chip, since the Burr Brown sounds so good. The pedal has turned out to be a great compliment to my TS9 and Sparkle Drive on the pedalboard. I'm now looking at ways to re-house it (I may need another sticker from you at that point to stick on a new box). In the process, I learned the hard way about how much heat a toggle switch can handle from a soldering iron. Had to pick up a new one. I've just placed an order for the DD-5 hi cut instructions. This is next on my list, and I’ll pick up the components here. I also had the thought I could perhaps "mod your mod" and see how a pot could be used instead of the switch once I see the instructions. By the way, Paypal used a .94 exchange rate on my Canadian credit card for the $9.99 purchase. Our Canadian dollar is higher than the US at the moment (exchange rate is approx. 1.02), and has been for several months. This is a rip-off and a nasty cash grab they are putting directly in their pockets. This isn't your fault and this is too small an amount for me to take it up with them, but if I were placing a large order with you, I would ask for a different way to pay. Dale Anaka
Boss SD-1 GT — Mate, I picked one up a week ago, and it KILLS! I think it beats the pants off of the eternity, easily. I haven't had the chance to try the jetter blue, as of yet, but EJ violin tone is NO prob with this. of course, you & I know that given any # of peds, we could dial in that tone; I do it with my dirt royale w/cheez, which btw, is an awesome ped. Nothing has knocked it off my board in 2 years now. your's is now the only other one i have (I happen to have a GREAT amp that barely needs, if at all, an od/dist). also, I now KNOW why you wouldn't trace that offset onto the nut; you didn't USE that nut that's in the pick. you'd file through to the other side if ya did! methinks it's be better if it was wider, or at least as wide as a Gibson nut. That shape is GREAT for a 24 3/4" neck with the 1st (low E) string tuned down to a D. anyway, like I said, great ped! Michael Lawrence http://www.broadjam.com/Mick
Boss SD-1 GT — I’ve found my "crisp crunch element" thanks to you. This has been the sound I’ve been wishing for, which I thought that only a 1000$ Orange amp or Fender Twin with a Tube Screamer would help me attain. So clear and well defined and sparky and blurred in all the perfect places. Yesterday while jamming my other guitarist was so impressed by my beautiful crunch that he just had to try out my new set up. You are a mad brilliant sound Chemist Monte, I tip my hat to you and your exquisite sense of hearing. I mean it. (HEY feel free to use that for your testimonials, it reads likeone, and I love testifying to awesomeness). Philip Phylaep
Boss SD-1 — Hey Monte. I ordered an SD-1 mod from you last week, and I completed it this weekend. I'm absolutely floored! It's hands-down the best overdrive stompbox I've ever used. This one is permanently on my board. :) Thanks Monte, and thanks for a great mod on the SD-1. I'm very happy with it. I don't have a lot of money to spend on music equipment, and I appreciate someone like you who puts great sounds in the hands of players on a limited budget, without compromising quality. Based on sound clips from others who offer SD-1 mods, yours were by far the most impressive, and the real-life results were better than I'd hoped. For $20, I feel I've turned my $40 SD-1 into a boutique-quality overdrive. Ben McCombs, Oak Park, IL
Boss SD-1 — Chad, after playing the SD-1 for a couple days I’ve come to realize it’s better than the Keeley mods. I had a friend over tonight to play for awhile and he commented on the quality of the sound when the pedal is engaged. Great overdrive, but with very distinct notes too. Great bass response and no tubbiness. How much do you charge to mod a SD-1 to the Mod+?? If you get another SD-1 to sell let me know. Thanks! Tim Leinen
Boss SD-1 — Monte, I just completed your SD-1 mod and all I can say is that it is nothing short of amazing from what it used to be. I just cant believe the difference in the overall clarity and how much "warmer" it sounds. This now combined with my CS-3 (with your mod of course) has become an integral part of my tone. Keep up the great work! Tony DeRosa, New Jersey
Boss SD-1 — Have just got round to installing the SD1 mod I ordered last month - it's staggeringly good! Matt Sargent
Boss SD-1 — Your Kit arrived yesterday and I throw the parts in my SD yesterday night. Thanks a lost this mod is awesome - I love it! Thanks for the fast shipping - on Friday I play a Gig and I can use my new Pedal! Marco Kendal
Boss SD-1 — Hello, I have recently purchased and installed the SD-1 MOD and am absolutely blown away. I knew immediately that this had done something great to this pedal. I let my friends in another band try it for a couple of days and they couldn't believe it. They said it blew away their Maxon overdrives and had much more gain. That says a lot considering how much more they paid for their Maxons. Thanks much! Highly Recommended Mod! Scott Neis, Fond Du LacC, WI
Boss SD-1 — Hi Monte, I finished the mods for my Boss SD 1 and I'm really impressed! I should've done that before! Thanks a lot for sharing your experience! I'll blow my friends' minds with this "new" pedal and show them your ad on eBay. Thanks again and keep up the good work. Adriano Reis, North Brunswick, NJ
Boss SD-1 — Monte, Thanks again for the BD-2 and SD-1 mod kits. I really enjoyed getting in there and tweaking the pedals. But perhaps the greatest thing is that I turned two average, run-of-the mill stompboxes into a couple of boutique killers. In fact, I just sold a couple of boutique boxes since these two modded pedals sound just as good at a fraction of the price. Thanks! Thomas Kissick, Beaver, PA
Boss SD-1 — Hi Monte, I finished the pedal mods and WOW! This modded SD-1 KILLS my other pedals... It sounds so much like an amp I just cannot believe it. The character of the guitar and amp still come through. And NO OTHER pedal I know of will do this. I WANT MORE!!!!!! Ok, I see your offer to buy 3 kits and get 1 free. Would this apply to chips as well? Say if I order 2 SD-1 kits and 2 808 SD-1 kits with 4 burr-brown chips, would I get the 4th burr-brown chip for free as well as the 4th mod kit? Do you think the 808 sd-1 mod would need the bur-brown chip? I noticed a HUGE difference between the stock chip and the burr brown chip.... Let me know what you think and best regards to you. Kevin Walker
Boss SD-1 —My brother bought a black gibson custom les paul, paid 600 bucks for it then new.... I bought a black fender strat non tremolo for 200 bucks new... wish we still had these guitars but we sold them, big mistake and a good learning experience for all you young players... keep your guitars... 30 yrs. goes by fast... but anyway, back to the story... these guitars sounded awesome... awesome tone we both had a stack amp called an EMC....great tone took for granted the tone we had also... well to make a long story short.... haven't found that tone from back then and never thought it was ever going to come back into our lives.... My brother and I just settled for what we have now, and our sons have no clue, they play and just settle with what we gave them, we tell them how we miss our old guitars and the sound that came out of them, they just shrug there shoulders and keep on playing... until monte allums came into the picture... I was surfing Google for pedals and came up to his site.... went to all the other catalog sites and listened to there samples but they just didn't have the sound... the tone. The tone that's been missing for 30 years... Custom Guitar
Boss SD-1 — Hey Monte, MAN O MAN what a sound... I love it, I have to next to my Modded Boss Blues Driver from Keeley and I think I like the sound of the SD-1 better. More control and not as edgy, I like the Kelley a lot but this may be a new fav. I just wanted to tell ya , I took the SD-1 into my friends music store and he was blown away. We cranked one of the humbuckers guitars he had there and ran the amp loud and WOW, it was awesome. He was stoked, he said "Oh no not another pedal to buy", he has about 20 pedals and all high end stuff. He couldn't believe the raw tone and power. Thanks again! Dick Reed, Somers, MT
Boss SD-1 — Monte, I finished the mod. All I can say is wheeewww!!...incredible sound. Thanks again, very pleased. Next I think I will do the MXR Dyna Comp mod. Talk to you soon. Phil Grabmiller, Mission Viejo, CA
Boss SD-1 — Thanks for the fast shipping on the SD-1 kit. I installed it tonight and WOW!!! - I can't believe the difference it makes. When I thought I'd try the mod I never thought a few caps, a resistor, and a diode would make that much difference. The modded pedal sounds amazing! The instructions were great too. Art Okarski
Boss SD-1 — Monte, Hey just want you to know that I love the SD-1 mod! Also I am a fellow believer in a Christian Rock band. Thanks! Rob Hepler
Boss SD-1 — Hi Monte, Man am I glad I discovered your site. I recently purchased and installed the SD Mod and I cannot believe my ears!!! This old pedal has come to life! Nice transparency, note definition and sustain. I also note the drastic changes on the tone circuit for the better. Roll up the tone knob and it’s like bringing in more presence. I can’t wait to find a cheap old CS-3 to do your Optic mod on. Thanks again Monte, you’ve really got something going here!! With appreciation. Kai Corns, Colorado Springs, CO
Boss SD-1 — Wow! I finally got around to the SD-1 today and what a difference! It just sounds incredible! Thank you! Rob Evans, Pepperell, MA
Boss SD-1 — Hi Monte, mod done, BIG difference. During work found 2 abysmal joints, real doughnuts with wires connected almost by accident (one was black ground wire !!), geeze get behind the hype and boss stuff is pretty suspect. Thanks again for you prompt responses, service has been outstanding. Jim Harris
Boss SD-1 — Hi Monte, I just finished modifying my SD-1 and it sounds GREAT! The clarity is stunning! The overdrive is tight and smooth. In fact, my wife (who HATED my stock SD-1) walked by shortly after I finished the mod and said, “Now THAT sounds good. You need to ditch that other nasty sounding pedal and use that one.” She was stunned when I told here the two pedals were one in the same! Anyway, I’m running the SD-1 in front of a Fulltone OCD. Those two pedals really play nice together. Thanks again for a GREAT pedal. This one’s staying on my board from now on! Best regards. Andy Browning
Boss SD-1 — Monte, I just wanted to drop you a line to tell you the SD-1 upgrade kit is awesome. When I first heard it on you site, I purchased an SD-1 on eBay. I used to own one years ago, but gave it away. Now it is my favorite distortion pedal! You have a great web site. Take care. Jim Bell, El Segundo, CA
Boss SD-1 — Hi Monte! Today I got two presents in the mail - a brass eNut for my ESP Hybrid II and the SD-1 mod kit. I had lots of free time and so I was able to do both. I am very impressed with the improvement in my intonation on cowboy chords, and the pedal sounds great. So, a question about my next purchase: I have a stock BD-2 and a DS-1. I want all three pedals to sound as different as possible. What mods do you recommend Ishould buy for those two pedals? You tell me which, and I'm buying! Hopefully before you leave for vacation, but if not, I understand you're busy and I will buy them after the 19th. Thanks so much for your ear and knowledge. Ian Kaplan, San Diego
Boss SD-1 — Just finished the SD-1 mod. OH MY GOD!!! This thing is such a smoking pedal now!!! The tone is unbelievable. I totally totally love it. I played my Tele through it with DiMarzio pups and it just howled. I absolutely can't wait to see what my distortion will sound like. I'll let you know when it gets here. Thanks! Anthony Grayson, Vail, AZ
Boss SD-1 — Hello Monte, I performed one of your SD-1 DIY modifications a couple of months ago. I used your modified pedal until a friend asked to borrow it. I gladly let him borrow my pedal. I play with a couple of local bands in town and needed an SD-1 for a performance. I asked a friend to borrow his unmodified SD-1 since I did not have mine available. I was shocked at the difference in sound. I had grown accustomed to the great sound of the modified pedal without realizing how much until I used the unmodified pedal. Monte, great job. Keep up the good work for those that appreciate your hard work and the difference if makes. James Lemelin
Boss SD-1 — Hi Monte, The sound samples for the SD-1 Mods on the website, were they done with or without the 2x gain mod? They sound fantastic ! Anyway, I just finished all the mods and you were absolutely right, the difference is like night and day. The jury is still out on the 2x gain mod though. I'm just not sure which version I like best. Anyway, great job as usual....next up is my OD-3 ! Thanks for your help and your never ending patience. Jim Arndt, Erie, PA
Boss SD-1 — Just finished building two SD-1’s with the standard mod. Number two I installed the dual gain switch and replace C4 with a .047. All I can say is “WOW! Can’t wait to build the DS-1 with the ROXX mod!! Phil DREES
Boss SD-1 — I just completed your SD-808 mod, and I just had to tell you that you guys are fricking geniuses. I have an analogman silver modded sd-1, and I compared them side-by-side as soon as the mod was complete, and frankly your mod blows the doors off the analogman. It's more transparent, brilliant, natural, dynamic, organic, harmonic, and best of all, more FUN. This was my first crack at DIY, and I loved the experience. Plugging in the pedal after each step, I could hear the pedal getting progressively better and better. Cheers on a really superb product, and a phenomenal value to boot. I'll be ordering your BD-1 and DS-1 mod in the coming weeks. Barry J. Zamer
Boss SD-1 — Monte - I dug the SD-1 mod so much I just ordered another pedal off eBay and another one of your mod kits for my brother. Thanks! Brent Bouwens
Boss SD-1 — Mr. Allums, This modification is absolutely WONDERFUL! I was contemplating wasting my money on a Fulltone '69 or '70. Instead I decided I'd spend $20 on your mod kit and see how it worked on my SD-1 DISTORTION pedal. It worked out wonderfully and now it's the OVERDRIVE I've been wanting (or pretty darn close to it). I really appreciate the great deal! You guys have a good thing going on there. Orion Trotter, St. Louis, MO
Boss SD-1 — Hi Monte, I am using it in conjunction with a your SD-1 Mod and really enjoy the clear but fat tone this pedal (GE7) pushes out of the amp. (Fender HRD and GE7 set as a camel's hump). With the SD-1, I have fluctuated between the extra gain mod and stock and have settled on the 2.2k resistor - it is really meaty and fat, but the part that really impresses me is the gritty focused sound from the bass strings. Doing your mods has really inspired me and I am now in the process of totally remodeling my crybaby on a Vox schematic and am building a germanium booster and a fuzz tone. Anyway, thanks heaps for your time and expertise. I am recommending your mods to all my students and colleagues. All the best. Cameron Kinsey, Australia
Boss SD-1 — I completed the SD-1 mods. The 2X Gain mod sounds terrific! What a remarkable change. This is now the best pedal I have. I couldn’t be more happy with the mods. My Strat sounds awesome with it. God Bless. Blair Mirrlees, Owen Sound, Ontario
Boss SD-1 — Hi Monte, Well the SD-1 mod was so good I'm going for round two. This time it's the Boss DS-1 Rectifier Tri-Gain Mod Kit. After hearing a friend from work playing with one of these modified pedals I had to have one. In fact, I'm not even going to bother hooking it up until I get the kit. :-) I just placed the order tonight (2/8/2007) using Pay Pal at about 8:30 PM Mountain. I didn't see a place to make a request with my order, but I wonder if you could replace the green LED with a blue one. Being somewhat red/green color blind it makes it MUCH easier for me to see. Thanks a million! Andy Browning, South Jordan, UT
Boss SD-1 — I am LOVING the SD-1 that I modified with your kit!!! I originally did the 2X gain with it but last week I put the original resistor back in. Chuck Slack, Michigan
Boss SD-1 — Just writing here to tell you how pleased & filled with gratitude I am for my Boss SD-1 Mod Kit. So awesome. You are a kind and good person.Let me know if you ever do one for the HM-2 or Big Muff pedals. Best wishes! Oliver Hill, United Kingdom
Boss SD-1 — The sound of the SD-1 is unbelievable now. You weren't kidding that this could be the best sound OD anywhere for any price. Now here's my dilemma. I initially bought it to be the pedal I use for a little hair and I was going to chose between my Keeley Modded DS-1 or my RAT for my heavier OD/distortion. After modding the SD-1, I'm probably going to get rid of the DS-1 and the RAT because the SD-1 does that heavier OD/Distortion better than those two pedals do. So, I'm looking for a pedal that will give me a "little hair". Do you think the SD-1 808 mod, without the 2X gain and with using the symmetrical clipping would be the way to go for that? Thanks again, the SD-1 is fantastic! Craig Motasky, Torrington, CT
Boss SD-1 — Monte, just want to let you know the gt mod sounds great! one hour of tinkering for note clarity that now rivals my trusty 1977 mxr dist + the lows and highs are perfectly voiced as is the volume and gain taper. The instructions were the easiest I’ve ever encountered [too bad i cant find auto repair by numbers! the thing that really got my attention was the killer sensitivity to pick dynamics; soft touch and its clean, dig in for overdrive, just like my fender musicmaster bass and champ amps! might be the perfect low gain overdrive for a strat into a fender tube amp. killer country clarity for popping the low strings and transparent blues tone .my sd-1 was an old black label japan model and I appreciated you mentioning the very slight difference in the mij pedal mod. I didn’t even get to the toggle switch options as the tone tells me I’m at a stopping point! And yes, it does actually sound just like the mp3 clips. You are to be commended for a job well done. KPAINTA
Boss SD-1 — Good evening, Monte. I just wanted to drop you a note and thank you for the SD1 modification instructions. One reason I ordered it was because the SD1 sound files on your web site sounded too good to be believed. I got that exact tone with my pedal after it was modded per your instructions. As good as the pedal sounds through a clean amp, it sounds orders of magnitude better as a Marshall boost/overdrive (crank the output volume to 10 and barely crack the drive control). The high end restored to the SD1 with your mods perfectly complements the mids and highs of a Marshall, better than any overdrive or EQ I have used in 25 years of playing. I also used it as a boost/overdrive with a Yamaha T100 (the Soldano design, basically a SLO100) gigging this weekend and it worked as well with that amp as with the Marshall 1987 clone. The bass boost is perfect, and the highs are chewy but sweet. It worked great with a 335 and Telecaster. I have been building and modding pedals for many years, and can appreciate the time and experimentation you used in these mods. It is hard to find that synergy, but you have nailed this one exactly. Mark Bridges, Hickory, NC
Boss SD-808 — Hi Monte, I finally got around to modding the SD-1 to the SD808. Sounds fantastic!! I bought the SD-1 new and I didn't play around with it too much prior to modding it, so I really didn't have a good baseline for comparison. I do, however, hear that it is smoother and sounds fuller and less "raspy" than before. Jeff Vickery, Magnolia, TX
Boss SD-808 — Do you still send out the zip files that include the detailed and color instructions? You sent us those for the BD2 H20, SD1 808 and OD Supra Mods we did last month. The order I just received this week was for the CS-3 Opto mod and the standard $19.99 TS9 mod. I REALLY enjoyed having those detailed instructions where you documented the effect of each individual mod. If they are still available, please send if you can. An update on the BD2 H20 mod…. after researching pinch harmonics and learning what they were, I decided to go ahead and put the Germanium diode back in. I thought the pedal could use just a tad more bass and perhaps a bit less bass (I use a Fender Deluxe Reverb). Since I had an extra 104 .1uF cap laying around I put that in C18. Same value as what was there before but better quality cap. PERFECT! Wound up the Tele…kicked in the neck pick-up…and sounded like I was in the Delta!!!! I noticed the SD808 mod uses the JRC 4558D op amp while the TS9 mod will use the JRC 4558P. Can you tell me what the difference between the two is? Thanks in advance for many great hours of fun! Mark A. Schaffer
Boss SD-808 — Hi Monte, greetings from Melbourne Australia! I recently purchased your SD-808 mod plus the symmetrical and dual gain upgrades. I bought a new SD-1 for $40 and I successfully completed the mods. There is absolutely no doubt that this thing is now a boutique pedal killer at a fraction of the cost!!!! Very satisfying to build yourself too. Such natural sounding overdrive, lots of bite and 'feel' that I just can't live without it. I really enjoyed the refined sounds and flexibilty this pedal has brought to my rig whilst using my Strats and Les Pauls through my Marshall, but boy, was I soon to get a HUGH surprise. A couple of days ago I purchased a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe mainly for the clean channel, just to compliment the Marshall. Boy howdy, I just cannot believe how much better the pedal sounds through the HRDX!!!! That clean channel just seems to bring out the best in the mods. I know some of your mp3 sound demo's were recorded using a HRDX and I was suitably impressed with what I'd heard, but I wasn't prepared for the sound and feel of the real thing'!! Thank you so much for all your hard work researching, developing and offering the mods. Gonna have to look at modding some of my other pedals now. By the way, could I get your opinion and help on another matter? I have an early 80's Boss CE-2 which has served me well since buying it new. Gigged with it relentlessly. Love this thing, but because its a bit of a collectable now I'm afraid to mod it! Anyhow, I recently completed re-building my pedal board and plugged everything in to get things fired up again. I noticed that although the circuit of my CE-2 works (and sounds) fine, the LED will only light when using battery power. It will not light whilst using an external power supply. Powered by a battery, as soon as I plug in a power adapter which normally overrides the battery , the pedal works but the LED goes out. No problem with any other pedals or power leads etc. What do you think the problem is? Did I cause a spike and fry something in the CE-2 when I was fiddling about re-connecting the power? Any feedback on what I should check and look for and how I can repair the problem, would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again for your service and I look forward to your response. All the best to you and your family. God bless. Jim Racicos.
Boss SD-808 — Benoit A quick note to let you know I received my sd-808 mod kit. Performed the mod in less than a couple of hours. Followed the instructions, tested the pedal after each mod (even recorded myself after each mod). Things could not be simpler. I didn't do the high gain mod, as I will be using the pedal in front of a modded Marshall which already sounds great, but still needs an extra kick. I tried the pedal in a couple of amps. Also compared it with a few other overdrive pedals (stock sd-1, sparkle dire, wylde overdrive). All other pedals sounded very thin compared to this. This mod is great. Real full, thick and hi-fi sound. One question (may be a dumb one) : from an hearing point of view, what is the difference between the symmetrical and asymmetrical diode clipping? I have never heard/tried the tubescreamer, so I have no reference... I will probably be ordering a few other mods... I have an old DS-1 sitting around. Regards, Benoit Bolduc, Quebec City, Canada
Boss SD-808 — The CS-3 Opto sounds beautiful. I can hardly wait till I try recording some vocals with it. I can use the SD-1 808 Plus kit now. Best regards, Fred Brown
Boss SD-808 — Monte, Today I integrated my modded SD-1 (SD-808, Dual Gain, and Symm Gain mods) into my pedalboard (everyone loves the black o-rings and colored caps I put on the toggle switches). Up until now I've only been testing/playing directly through the SD-1 only. For the first time I have an overdrive pedal that boosts my gain and tightens my sound without coloring my amp's tone. I'm a metal player and play a couple of EMG-loaded Jackson SLH2s and a Zakk Wylde Sig Les Paul through a Marshall JCM200 TSL100 and my SD-1 finally delivers what I always thought it should. The Symm Gain mod is very subtle on my crunch channel, which I use 99% of the time, but sounds good with either symmetrical or asymmetrical clipping. But the Dual Gain is my absolute favorite and turns my rig into a beast. Thanks again for all of your help. My next project is going to be figuring out how to wire an LED in my 535Q wah to tell me it's on. Emil Hamady
Boss SD-808 — Yo Monte!! Praise Jesus!!!! Maui Mike says Mahalo and Aloha for a Superior SD-808 Mod. It was Heaven sent, Took ma a while, but I completed it. The voicing, tone and breakup is like playing Pool! Right in the Pocket. I have a few other drive pedals but this one with your Mod takes the stock pedal to deeper Territory. Yes, it's that good. If you don't have the bucks to buy a Bou-Tique pedal and have a little soldering experience, then you should consider this SD-808 Mod Kit. Aloha Mahalo! Mike Rollins, Maui, Hawaii
Boss SD-808 — Just installed my DS-1 Recto mod--that plus my SD 808 mod are so stunningly fantastic that I have never sounded better--smooth, creamy and sweet (DIY pedals or cheesecake???) Thanks again--worth every penny!!! I have been recommending your site to anyone I can find!!!! Peace, Tranquility, and a Bean Burrito!!!! Ian Merill
Boss SD-808 — I did the SD-808 mod for my nephew and man did it make it a wonderful pedal. He sold all his Fulltone and BB pedals and uses his SD1 exclusively. I also did the DS-1 CMAT Tri-gain mod to my DS1 and it made a useless pedal useable again. Sold my Fulltone OCD because of it. When I get the answer about the SD1 question, I am also going to order the TS9 kit. Love the products and the instructions. Take care. Laurence K. McLeod, Jr
Boss SD-808 — Many thanks for the SD-1 808 and CS-3 OPTO mods. They are both excellent. Thanks for all the research! Best wishes, Basil Dales, United Kingdom
Boss SD-808 — I just wanted to say that a year on from my first T-Von pedal mod, all three of my modded Boss pedals are really producing the goods. The penny finally dropped that I should follow your example and put the BD-H2O before the SD-808. I did not fully realize quite how signal sensitive the BD really is and it was being overwhelmed by the SD-808 in front of it in the signal chain. Reversing the BD and SD has made a massive difference to my sound. Ironically I wanted the BD because I was playing in a blues band, but now it's a conventional rock-verging-on-metal outfit. The BD really works incredibly well in that context. Just goes to prove its versatility. As a matter of interest, on your demos which include a modded CS-3, how much volume drop do you tend to use on the guitar? I am finding my T-Von CS-3 works best with a Strat around the 4~5 mark on its volume whereas a humbucker-powered guitar needs to be dropped to 3~4, sometimes even lower. Would I be correct in assuming that too great a signal level into the Boss compressor produces a muddier, more cluttered sound? My daughter [26 y.o.] witnessed a recent gig and reckoned my Hamer P90 Special through the SD-808 and/or BD-H2O into my Hiwatt half stack sounded phenomenal. Such praise does not come lightly I can assure you! Best wishes for continued success and many thanks for your sonic liberation, Richard Underwood
Boss SD-808 — You weren't kidding about the Burr Brown Chips in the Boss SD1 TS808 Mod. Huge improvement on top of a huge improvement, especially cranked through my Satriani head! I'll be ordering another mod kit soon, and will be sure to add a chip or two; not sure if I will get the GT or another 808 kit though. Guess I'll have to ask my son which one he prefers because I like the 808 for myself. I'm just waiting for UPS to deliver the other Boss SD1 and the order will be placed. Thanks. Jerry L. West
Boss SD-808 — I'm intrigued over the thoughts of these pedals, and considering the FDR-1 paired up with the SD-1(808) modified with your kit. Have you had the chance to try out either of the Boss/Fender pedals or even considered improvements on them? I am LOVING the SD-1 that I modified with your kit!!! I originally did the 2X gain with it but last week I put the original resistor back in. Chuck Slack, Michigan
Boss SD-808 — Hi Monte, recently I just received my mod kits..SD-1808 and CS-3 Opto. Finally with much patience I managed to fit in the kit. Wanted to say how shocked I am with the difference!! IT WAS A BLAST!!! The tone, sustain, .the bulb...THANX Much!!!! You really changed my guitar sound totally!! Really looking forward to other mods... Thx Again! Joey KOnsPirazy, Singapore
Allums OD-308 OverDrive
Hi Monte, I've finished the kit OD-308 and sounds amazing, My Epiphone valve standard sound great (blues) now. I love it. I also wanna do some experiments with the pedal, what do you think? What opamps are compatible? Agustian Kneifel
Just said I'd fire you a quick email to say that after many studio and band changes I got reacquainted with my OD-308.
I'm writing to thank you for the excellent service you provided during my recent purchase of your OD-308. I hooked it up earlier today and it works as advertised. I use a '73 Strat with an Alembic blaster and found the preamp to be a nice compliment to your product. I also hooked up a compressor before the OD-308 as you suggested and was quite pleased with the increased sustain it provided. I use an MRX Dyna Comp but unfortunately it can't be modified (it's an REV F.3). On thing that has always bugged me about single coil pups is that the 60 cycle hum they produce really gets loud when I use effects such as the Dyna Comp. I did install your copper shielding but of course that wouldn't be expected to quite single coil noise. I've been thinking about purchasing the Suhr SSC Backplate to see if that will do the trick without sacrificing overall tone. Please let me know if you have any thoughts on the matter. Joseph Cunniff
I received the email yesterday and coincidentally my components for assembly of the OD-308 also arrived yesterday. Today, when i built the pedal, i saw that it did not work. As I had already read the emails reporting the problem, i reversed the wires in the stereo input jack, leaving the ground of jack without moving and the pedal went to work. Great pedal! Great sound, very well defined. Congratulations, Monte. Luciano Brito Querido
yesterday. I ran it beside many other top custom built pedals and wow it really is something special. The range is the best to the point where I'd nearly call this the Versa Drive because it's so versatile! On the Boost setting with EQ at 10/11o'clock it delivered a lovely chimey treble to my les paul and marshall combination - really brightens up what can be a darker sounding combination. The Fat is Fantastic and the Fine is Really Fine Sounding! I could go on about touch sensitivity, dynamics, cleaning up when backing off Guitar volume etc... It’s got all those bases covered in spades! So thanks again for an awesome pedal - I have two so I should thank you twice! I have the mod parts for your vintage mod specs for the OD308. Could you tell me what the tonal differences are with this mod? I'm planning on modding one of my OD308's to the vintage Rat specs. Also any news on the Versa Drive? How is that coming along? Any idea when we might see the kit available on your site? Thanks Again & Keep Up the Good Work! If I had created the OD308 I’d be very pleased with myself, hope you are! Stephen Doyle
Thank you very much for your OD-308. It's amazing how it sounds equally GREAT on tube or solid state amps.
I would like to know if it is possible to improve the gain or sustain. The reason that I'm asking is because solid state amps usually doesn't have the push of tubes, so it will be nice to get some more if needed. I travel playing in every place of my country and I have to use the amp that is available at these gigs (no always a good one). Thank you very much for your TONE and time. Fernando Doize
First off, the DS-1 Roxx mod I did a couple of weeks ago... at first thought it was a bit too much more me, and a bit noisy. Well, if you plug it into a quality power supply the noise goes away, and the tonal range is quite extreme, very clean and transparent. I have really grown to love this pedal (stock, I still can’t believe they make make it! total piece of crap!) You really did a great job fixing all that is wrong, and making it outstanding. And well... your OD-308... what can I say? It is better than you describe, I am more than stunned. I can't decide what mode sounds better... they are all way above and beyond! Never heard a pedal that did not change your amp tone, this one really does not! Totally transparent, this is the best thing out there by far! Sent the word to my good friend Grifff Hamlin, he said will send an order in... Like Right Now! www.bluesguitarunleashed.com The cool thing here is, he has thousands of students and followers, and at times will pass on really cools products out there, here it is! Thanks Again Monte! Tony Fleming, Anchorage, AK
Just got the 308 today (that was fast!) and all I can say is WOW! What's really sweet is how well it works with my Xotic BB Preamp. I love that pedal as a light OD/blues tone, or as a boost. But when you need more dirt, it doesn't always stack well with other pedals. With the 308, I'm running that pedal in the fat or fine mode, and keeping the drive down about 2:30. That's a great rock rhythm tone on it's own, and when I kick on the BB it goes into a nice singing lead tone. I'll put it on the board for friday's gig and we'll see how it does. Initial tests are extremely impressive! Tony Fleming
Hello! Just finished putting together my od-308 yesterday. Plugged it in for a light test drive. This thing rocks! There’s -a lot- of drive on tap for an overdrive. All the modes really have their own voice (I have a TS-808 clone with a Si - Lift - LED clipping arrangement and there's a difference but it's hard to tell when the amp is on full blast) and this thing is dead quiet. Very intuitive build too! It’s not often a piece of gear makes me go wow, but you've done it. Congrats! And thanks for such an awesome pedal. Keven Lemieux
This is a DIY kit and it IS the sweetest overdrive I have ever heard, the Monte Allums OD-308. Robert Ransley Zell
Spain
Hi, It's Nick Dallas Sydney Australia. I got my OD-308 today and have finished assembling it. It worked straight away. It sounds excellent and it keeps the natural tone of my 1979 Strat intact, which no other OD I have played through has done. Thank you, a sign of a good guitar pedal technician. My only guitar has a beautiful natural sound. Nick Dallas, Sydney, Australia
j just completed the OD-308. I connected it to my Strat and wow!!!!!! What an incredible holy grail distortion. How did you do this man? It is unbelievable what a big wall of sound. Fulltone, Boss and line6 are definitely beaten by your talent to design high quality guitar stomp pedals. I have an OCD of Fulltone and a Boss DS-1 mod but those pedals are for sale now! Because of the OD-308!! Ruud Wagenaar
Netherlandsy
I just finished the OD 308- kit and wanted to let you know that it is an absolute beautiful sounding pedal, a piece of gear you must have. I had so much fun to build it, imagine the smile on the face of a boy with a new toy. Thank you so much. Romano Burini, Osimo, Italy
Monte, Just wanted to drop you a line and tell you how much I'm enjoying my new OD-308! It's bumped the Crowther Hotcake off my board and that's hard to do! I really like the fine mode, very harmonic and stacks great with my Allums Tri-Gain modded DS-1. The other modes are equally great. I'm a tech guy and tweak things a lot in my quest for tone so I notice some things that others might not notice. I really like the way you made the power supply cap a 220uf. It really helps reproduce the bass notes which require a good reserve of "juice." Well done! Michael Dombrowski, East Aurora, NY
Hey Monte, I've now used the OD-308 at two rehearsals, with great results. At the risk of sounding a bit too enamored with the OD-308, I was playing in FAT mode at louder volumes last night and suddenly thought, "Wait a second, where have I heard that tone before?" Turns out the tone I was thinking of came from a cranked boutique Bad Cat head/4x12 cabinet I auditioned in a local music store recently. It sounded amazing, and I thought "Well, I guess that's the kind of tone you get when you drop $7,500 on an amp." Since I can't afford that kind of investment, I resigned myself to settling for much less. Until last night, that is. Somehow (to my ears, at least) the OD-308 produced just as exciting and rich a tone through my more budget-conscious set-up: CS-3 w/ Opto Plus mod -> Digitech Bad Monkey -> OD-308 -> Line6 Pod X3 -> 18W Atomic Amp. Amazing. I love how the Bad Monkey stacks with the OD-308, too. You rock, man! Keep up the great work! Jeff Wat, Canada
Dear Monte, Just to say that I got the OD-308 assembled. I love this pedal! Thanks for everything. Basil Dales
United Kingdom
Just finished my OD-308. Thanks for making it so easy. I used my multimeter and took my time and it works great. Sweet sounding pedal. It has very wide range of sounds. I am looking forward to using it on stage. Thanks again. Scottie Cable, Dawson, PA
Hey Monte, all I can say is WOW!! What an amazing pedal! Shipping was fast and the instructions were super clear. I took my time putting it together, triple checking everything before soldering and it worked perfectly right off the bat! I play your pedal with a Fender Telecaster and a Fender Esquire through a Fender 65 re-issue Twin Reverb. Super sweet in all settings! From boosted twang to blues to good 'ol rock 'n roll! You aren't kidding when you say “sustain for days”! I can dial in any sound I'm looking for. My guitar jamming buddies are ecstatic about your pedal and you can expect a few more orders from north of the border! Thanks, Monte and keep up the amazing work! Kevin Coleman, British Columbia, Canada
Hi Monte, I finished making your OD-308 yesterday. I just want to say that the tonality of it is brilliant. The EQ control gives my Telecaster a nice overdrivey warm tone & I can tell there's plenty of space for a Les Paul. For example, to brighten up - well done! Darren Hampton, United Kingdom
Fabulous work on this overdrive Monte. This pedal could not sound anymore rich, the distortion is amazing. It sounds better than anything I've ever played through before. I'm ditching my modded Monte Allums Rat2 for this thing. Jake Nonweiler, Tulsa, OK
I just built my OD-308 (box painted Sea Foam Green) and I can't crank it up because it's late and my girlfriend is asleep. But I can already tell that I'm going to love it. Wow! Thanks Monte! Josh Bradshaw, Pekin, IL
Hi! I just did the the pedal today and... WOW! Just love it! great tone and the instructions were very clear. Benoit Cyr, Canada
Hi Monte, Got the pedal yesterday. It came fast! Built it up today and it's an incredible pedal. The sound is what I've always dreamed. No noises even when increasing Overdrive and volume. GREAT! Thanks for creating it. Patrick Lepleux, France
Hi Monte, I'm just writing to let you know how great I think the OD-308 is. My father built it and gave it to me for Christmas and ever since it's been my go-to gain box. I'm an audio engineer (for film) in NYC, play in a couple bands, and even do a fair amount of musical-electronics tinkering (I introduced my Dad to modding amps, he's introduced me to modding pedals). I've also got a decent selection of overdrive pedals and I feel like I've played yours enough to confidently say that it has not only officially kicked my vintage Rat off my board, but also that it's the only distortion pedal I carry with me to rehearsals anymore (sorry Fulldrive, pedal boards and subways don't mix). Its clarity, note definition, and ability to control gain with the guitar's volume are extremely musical. Earlier this week I even ordered your Opto Plus mod for the CS3 and am really looking forward to giving it a go. Anyway, thanks a lot for an awesome pedal. Ryan Hullings, Brooklyn, NY
I just recently installed the buffer circuit in my 308 with great results. It can be a little tricky to get the buffer board installed to the switch cause you've already heated the switch once to get the original larger wires installed. Now you have to heat it again to remove those wires then, heat it again to solder the board to the switch. I have to admit I was a little worried that something would happen to the switch but I took my time de-soldering the wires from one or two terminals as quickly as I could then let it sit and cool for a bit before moving on to a couple more. After getting the wires removed I used solder braid to clean the terminals as well. It all went well for me and I had no problems at all. Just take your time and make sure you clean the iron and tin it a bit with some fresh solder just before applying the iron to remove the wires. I have to say that the 308 with the buffer circuit is my pedal of choice now and I have quite a few OD/Distortion pedals. Tony Leach, Syracuse, OH
Now that I have had a few shows and a couple rehearsals with this new pedal, I feel I am qualified to give full opinion on this pedal beyond, "sounds great - in my home studio"! Let me start with: This is definitely the nicest OD/distortion pedal I have ever played. It not only sounds great but it cuts in a mix (very important to me) and it inspires me every time I kick it in! Even our drummer came over after our first gig with this pedal and said "what have you added to this board now that sounds so good? WOW - This pedal does not disappoint! Everything Monte has claimed about this pedal is deadly accurate. It is responsive, has incredible note clarity and oozes with tone. Although I play many styles of music, my main gig is in a country/rock group. With that said, I find this pedal has more than enough gain. In that gig I tend to set the pedal to "boost" and run the gain around "noon". This seems to provide a great 70's rock sound, similar to Van Halen's earlier "brown sound" (which doesn't' have near as much gain as you may think). When I am practicing in my home studio on some Satch, Vai or Santana music, I set the pedal in FAT mode and don't have to crank the gain past 1 or 2 o'clock to get enough. I don't run high gain pickups - these are generally standard fender, or PAF humbuckers with between 6k-8k of resistance. WOW..." Keep up the great work Monte - I'm a believer! Sean Borton, Winnipeg MB, Canada http://www.wpgumbo.com/seanborton/index.htm
Hi Monte, I am really impressed with the OD-308 for three reasons, there's no muddiness at the bottom end, it gives a wide range of sounds and it's response to the guitar volume is brilliant. Many thanks for all your hard work and research. Basil Dales, United Kingdom
Hi Monte! A Happy & Prosperous New Year to you. What does the 308 sound like? Nothing short of jaw-droppingly amazing. I never thought I would replace my mid 80's Rat but your Overdrive wins by a quite a margin. I love the FAT sounds which are very Rat-like but with more warmth, presence and body. Through the Lab Series L7 it sounded very impressive indeed but through the Hiwatt.....Wow! I have never heard crunch quite like that before. Even if the 308 only had this option it would have replaced the Rat on my pedalboard. I doubt I will use the BOOST mode as I have the SD-808 to cover that area. But the FINE mode is something else. Fullness with dirt and clarity. However did you manage to achieve what seems like a contradiction? I am torn between the FAT and FINE options but now understand why you have two OD-308s on your board. This is a seriously good pedal. Both the FAT and FINE modes have a wide range of usable and very musical sounds. Of course I still have to explore it further... Whilst I really enjoyed the pedal building process the final product is what this is all about. The OD-308 on its own is a very impressive kit, but with your CS-3 mod, BD-H2O Plus and SD-808 capable of driving it, the sonic options are enormous. I really cannot rate this pedal too highly. It makes me want to play. Monte, your pedal mods are brilliant but your 308 is superlative. Strat, P90s or humbuckers it delivers better than any other distortion/overdrive I have tried. Can't see anything coming close — and at an almost ridiculously low price to boot. Many, many thanks for developing this remarkable overdrive Richard Underwood, United Kingdom
Monte, Just wanted to drop you a line and tell you how much I'm enjoying my new OD-308! It's bumped the Crowther Hotcake off my board and that's hard to do! I really like the fine mode, very harmonic and stacks great with my Allums Tri-Gain modded DS-1. The other modes are equally great. I'm a tech guy and tweak things a lot in my quest for tone so I notice some things that others might not notice. I really like the way you made the power supply cap a 220uf. It really helps reproduce the bass notes which require a good reserve of "juice." Well done! God Bless! Michael Dombrowski, East Aurora, NY
Hello! Just wanted to let everyone know that I just finished the OD-308 with no problems and it sounds great! Once I master how to set the controls it will sound even better, but playing at a gig it sounded quite good! My guitar has never sounded so fat before! It has wonderful sustain and is also great for soloing. I had some people, who knew I had just finished this pedal (and also don't know anything about music), come up to me and said even they could tell a tonal difference! With three different switch settings, the versatility of the pedal is great too. Once I start using the pedal more I am sure it will continue surprising me. Thanks to all who were involved in the development of this pedal, it is greatly appreciated. I look forward to others! Nick Rosales, Huntington Beach, CA
I put together the OD-308 kit last night and it was a lot of fun to build. The instructions were clear and the process went pretty fast. Now to test it out. I have a Victoria 45410 which is a fairly expensive hand wired Fender Bassman Clone. It's a very nice amp, but I could never get it to sound as good as I wanted. However, as soon as I hooked up the OD-308, the thing sounded amazing. I now a have a very responsive, rich, beautiful sounding amp. This is the tone I've been looking for. I really think the OD-308 is something special — nice work Monte! Jack Donaldson, Los Angeles, CA
Hi, built the pedal over a couple of evenings and finished last night. I've done a couple of mods in the past but that's about it. Even so, the kit and the instructions made sure the build was pretty straightforward. Luckily it worked first time. But then I did take my time with the build, and as others have said, triple checked everything before soldering. I guess it paid off. I am fortunate to own a few boutique and vintage pedals and so far this new addition is certainly holding it's own. It's gonna take a bit more tweaking to find the perfect settings for my overall set-up, but it's already on a very short list of my fav' OD pedals. And far more satisfying to have built it myself rather than to have just bought it. Monte - Thanks for a quality kit and a nice pedal. Oakley Martin, Hong Kong
Fabulous work on this overdrive Monte. This pedal could not sound anymore rich, the distortion is amazing. It sounds better than anything I've ever played through before. I'm ditching my modded Monte Allums Rat 2 for this thing. Jake Nonweiler, Tulsa, OK
I just built mine (box painted Sea Foam Green) and I can't crank it up because it's late and my girlfriend is asleep. But I can already tell that I'm going to love it. The OD-308 doesn't get splatty at low volumes like other pedals do. I'm really loving the tones from this thing. I've already had two guitarists ask to "borrow" it. I'd never see it again! A+++ Monte! Josh Bradshaw, Pekin, IL
Hi, was having lunch today and the door buzzer went. Australia Post here! Delivery from the States, It took me a solid 2 hours to put this box together. The instructions were very clear and detailed. Plug it into my DRRI with my Strat and boy this box is a winner. It's a rich and warm sounding OD box. Beats the MI Blues Pro I was about to get. Tried my ES 339 and boy! The humbuckers really drive this thing crazy. Will be trying out different settings and will post later. Thank Monte for a great product! Heading down to the hardware store to find a nice paint job for it. Dennis Goh, Adelaide, South Australia
Hey Monte, just wanted to drop you a line and tell you how much I am enjoying my new overdrive. This was my first pedal making challenge and it was seriously so much fun. I worked on it in three sessions before I had to go to work in the morning. Every night was like Christmas eve, so hard to sleep with the excitement of working on that thing in the morning. You’ve gotten me pretty psyched about other mods and i have friends just handing my old boss pedals to play around with. The tone on the OD308 is exactly what i was hoping it would be. I've been a die-hard BD-2 w/keeley mod guy for years now and although I won't be bumping this from my board, my OD308 is right beside it sharing the dirty duties. The morning I finished it I went straight to the studio and used it for most of the dirty stuff. The thing really does sound great. Nice work man. And thank you so much for the personal phone call response. That really put my mind at ease about the grounding thing. So I just ordered the SD1 mod. Can’t wait to get that thing in good sounding order too. Thanks a lot. Tyler Rogers
Allums VersaDrive
I recently built both a VD and a 308. Even though the 308 has more parts, they both seemed to take about the same time... for me about 2-1/2 hours each. Tone wise, I'm a bit of a rookie. I have a lot of musical experience (mainly acoustic guitar) but only got into electric guitar recently... so I'm learning. Setup wise, I have Seymour Duncan SM humbuckers playing into a Vox VT15 modeling amp, set for a clean tweed setting. My pedal board goes CS-3 Ultra -> VD -> 308 -> BD-2 Blues Stack -> Amp. The BD-2 Blues Stack is currently my absolute favorite pedal, great overdrive tone... so that is my reference point when comparing it to the VD and 308. The VD has less gain than the Blues Stack, but that's not it's purpose. It is a bit smoother than the BD2 as a whole. The tone switch (vintage/boost/modern) seemed to be rather subtle - I could tell a difference at times, but it wasn't that noticeable. One surprising thing about the VD was how much range the Tone knob has... much more range than any other pedal I've used. I found I was using the tone knob to shape my tone more than the gain. In conjunction with my 3 pickup settings, I had a whole host of tonal options by just messing with the tone knob... very nice. While the VD is considered low-med gain, it has a lot of boost in the Volume switch. Using the VD as a straight overdrive works great, but I found using it as a boost for the BD-2 or 308 was just as good for some stuff. The 308 is a completely different pedal than either the Blues Stack or the VD. Monte calls it an med-high gain overdrive/distortion pedal... I'd call it a distortion pedal with overdrive ability... definitely med-high gain. Honestly, it's not my cup of tea so I probably shouldn't comment on it much. Great pedal, but distortion is not what I'm looking for tone wise. The YouTube demo on Monte's site for the 308 - Ralph from France... says gain set at 10 o'clock into a Vox AC15. I couldn't get that type of overdrive from the 308 gain at 10 o'clock, maybe it's my amp. Not sure. I also found that I didn't feel the need for the CS-3 as much when using either the VD or 308... as if they have their own compression, more so than the BD-2 does. Ryan Schultz
WOW Monte! I received the versa Drive today, and when I sat down to play for awhile, I lost track of 2 hours because I was so absorbed with it. It truly is exactly like you describe it on your website, with amazing clarity. I don't know how else to describe it other than it is as if it is another instrument that adds a musical tone to your playing. The big thing I noticed was after I started playing for about 10 minutes, and my tube amp fully warmed up, it was like the notes became alive through the amp. Also, I could bend and sustain a note forever, it just kept going! Very, very cool! I'm really thankful I was able to get the one you had in stock.
Thanks again, Roy Couser
Well the VersaDrive is really good with the opamps you sent, thanks. And it all took to a new level using it with my new amp Egnater Renegade head, spesh in the clean channel as a dirty boost... with tri switch in mid 2nd boost pos with just a little OD on the Versa, really sparkles a pleasant bitey edge. The tone knob is unusually useful on this pedal, really works. More gained with Tri switch forward 3rd pos seems a little more mid edge and back 1st pos a more normal tone. Sounds like some interesting harmonic distortion early on the gain knob on these 1st & 3rd... but here it really starts to shine when Versa gain is extended over 50% on a clean channel ... chording clarity still possible, really still hear the true note tones (but nicely blended in the gained OD) after a healthy attack and lush ringing smooth sustain... dig it man! So I know your an amp traditionalist, and you just got a cool new Fender, but if you're next standing anywhere near an Egnater Renegade, turn it up! (2nd ch, no FX at 2m40s, not me ha). This thing will really send a strat into a clarity and ping I've never experienced, but not harsh. Very nice as is, but I've just ordered new power tubes for it (little tighter and more headroom).... SED "Winged C" KT88 nice price and cryo too. During that search i just uncovered a new EL84 release that's all a rave, good as nos tubes, for my Peavey Delta Blues... Genalex - Gold Lion EL84 ... everything matters lol :-) Cheers and keep up the great work Monte, regards, JJ.
Sheilding Testimonials
Monte, Just did a real quickie install. Took maybe 90 seconds to slide the metal eNut into place and retune, then 20 minutes to re-intonate. I used both your suggested 2nd and 14th, but found by checking again at 5th and 17th to be even more precise. I was surprised to find your offsets different from Buzz Feiten's yet they seem to work just as well...anyway, I would like to install eNut on my other three guitars, thanks for a great improvement!
Charlie Todd, Walnut Creek, CA, no_spam_ctodd@astound.net
Mr. Allums: I wanted to tell you that I finished installing two of your Strat pickguard shields this weekend. I previously installed a Tele pickguard shield. I have SCN tele pickups so hum wasn’t a problem, but static electricity was. The shield killed the static electricity. I didn’t even ground it or adhere with spray. As to the Strats, one had stock Mexican “vintage” pickups and the other I upgraded to Texas Specials. The stock Mexican pickups still sound terrible, but most of the noise and extraneous buzz is completely gone. As to the Texas Specials, I didn’t change out the internal cabling as you suggested (that might be for another day), but the shield made a huge difference. It also helped to lower the pickup height. The guitar sounds great and I can probably live with what remains, especially if I’m playing with other instruments. Thanks for your product. Lee E. Armstrong, Sidney, Montana
I just wanted to drop you a line. i was installing the copper shielding this evening on my strat. And everything was moving along, just fine. I first put the pickguard on then i began to make a minor adjustment to my tremolo. after restringing, i put my tremolo bar in and snap it breaks off in the block. i almost cried, literally. after messing with for a bit, I decided to go ahead and tune it up, by this time, i had forgot all about the shielding, no joke. my mind couldnt get past the fact that i broke the bar off in the block of my pride and joy. so finally i connected it to my amp, and guess what, the best sounds this guitar has ever made came out of my amp. then i remember the copper. it really brought a smile to my face. Unbelievable. I have been using an old 1 ply, 57' reissue guard on it for some time, with a very little shield on the back as I am sure you know. the copper made the biggest difference, so clean and pure, almost no noise for the first time I can remember. Anyways, I just wanted to thank you. I will get that piece out of that block eventually, if you have any suggestions please send them to me. Thanks again and I am sure I will do some business with you in the future. Ben Wilson
If you need a testimonial on your shipping speed or product, feel free to call on me. Received my telecaster cut-out today and the one extra piece of foil today, Friday. My son and I threw it on the tele along with a cap upgrade to get rid of those ^%$#^% ceramics Fender uses. It's a Baja Tele, by the way. Even without doing the cavity shielding, it does seem quieter. I have one of the blackheart 5 W amps and I notice I still get a little background noise, but that's with both the tele and the amp's volume cranked *all* the way. So works for me. I'll do the cavities later, I just want to enjoy it now! Alan Eldridge
I just wanted to drop you a line and tell you how impressed I am once again with your products! As you may remember, I tried the Blues Stack mod to my BD-2 a while back and was so impressed that I recorded a review for you and sent it to you. I'd been meaning to try the Opto-Plus mod for my CS-3 ever since then, but only recently got up the gumption to start the mod process. By the time I was ready to order it, the Ultra-Plus mod was available, so I thought I'd try that one. I finished the mod a few days ago, and of course, my CS-3 sounds better than ever! At the time that I ordered my Ultra-Plus mod, I also decided to order a 12x12 sheet of your 40 gauge copper shielding for my Godin LG. It's loaded with Seymour Duncan P-90s and sounded like a bee's nest any time I used it with the gain channel on my amp. I just finished shielding it last night and, honestly, I wasn't expecting a whole lot (based on everything I'd read about shielding before). As soon as I was finished, I plugged it in and cranked the gain up... Wow!!! What a difference!!! This guitar is now every bit as quiet as my EMG-loaded Strat! Thanks so very much for making the amazing products you make! Your loyal customer... Brandon Humphreys
I have just finished fitting the copper foil to my cavities and the copper plate for the back of my scratchplate. I took my time and did the job well. I must say that I am blown away by the difference. The guitar is Soooooooo Quiet now. This might sound silly, but I feel that my ears are picking up a slight tone improvement in my guitar also. I genuinely cannot thank you enough for solving this problem that has blighted us strat players for so long. I initially tried noise cancelling pickups, but I do not care what anyone says, they do NOT sound as good as the proper vintage style pickups. Many many thanks, Don Cowie, Scotland
Hi, I just wanted to say thank you for the copper sheets and the instructions that went w/ it. My guitar sounds so much better now. It's actually fun to turn her up again! Randall Bowman
Hi T-Von! I just finished wiring and shielding a new guitar that I built using your Silver Shielded Wire and Copper. The Copper you provide is very thick, not like the ultra-thin copper foil you get from the hobby shops and other places on the net. Thick, but easy to manage. The feeling of quality is there. When you shield your guitar with your copper, you feel it will last a thousand years. Plus, you can solder a ground wire to it without being anxious about burning the wood under it. Your silver wire is a delight to work with. It's obvious it's high quality coaxial wire, with a full silver inner wire already braided and a full silver shielded braid around it. Easy to use, and easy to solder. The wires literally absorb the solder. And the jacket around the wire resists the temperature of the soldering iron without melting. All the hot wires have been shielded with it inside my guitar. The result: I finished the guitar and plugged it in and I have not a hum. I mean, I really have no hum! I can now hear the breath of my amp like never before, but with no hum! I tried turning the guitar in all directions, I switched my TV on, but still no noise at all. It's a SSH model with 2 single coils too! Great!! I really recommend your products, and want to thank you for providing them.
Antoine Carolus, Paris, France
I received the Tele copper shield. Thanks for the super fast shipping. I installed it today and it completely eliminated the snap-crackle-pop that I was getting because of my unshielded pickguard. GREAT PRODUCT.. One thing that I did differently: instead of running a ground wire from the pickguard screw and soldering it to a pot per your instruction sheet, I just cut a piece of plain copper ground wire about an inch long. Then I loosened the end of the control plate closest to the pickguard and slid the wire about 1/2 inch under it and retightened the screw. Then the other 1/2 inch of wire went under the pickguard and made good contact with the copper sheet when I tightened down the pickguard screws. Works fine. Bobby Chandler
Hello Monte, I finally finished shielding my guitar. Used copper on the main cavity, on the pickguard cavities, the lead routes, and of course the pickguard. Plus used the star ground. Wow. Silent guitar. At first I thought it wasn't working since before I put the pickguard back in, I plugged the guitar cord into the jack, just to make sure everything was working before putting the pickguard into the guitar. I didn't hear anything, and thought "oh no, I have a short." But no, I simply didn't hear any static or buzzing. Quite amazing. Thanks again, Cheers!
Richard Boubelik
no_spam_mrboubel@gsb.uchicago.edu
Hi Monte, I received the copper shields for my Teles and my buddy's Strat. I got them about a week ago but didn't install them til yesterday. The guitars play much quieter and no more static from finger to pickguard contact. These shields are a very inexpensive and easy way to make a big improvement in the sound of your expensive guitar. I have a 72' Tele and a '52 Reissue and there is a big difference especially with the '72. My friend's '56 NOS Strat is now a very quiet guitar. Many Thanks.
Grant Ruffle
no_spam_guitarman5000@rogers.com
Monte, I bought and installed your pickguard shield and copper shielding material for my Warmoth fretless Strat project. This was my first time putting a guitar together. The guitar is absolutely free of hum. None whatsoever. I'm currently running Carvin Ap11 single coils and have it rigged so that I can have all three pickups on at once. Even in this position, no hum. This stuff is great. Thanks a bunch.
Andrew Call
Alfred Station, NY
no_spam_alcall@eznet.ne
I recently install Monte's copper guitar shield and silver guitar wire with amazing results! I now have a much quieter guitar with more clarity, less noise and more present harmonics. I search the web everyday trying to find new ways to improve my guitar tone and running across Monte's site was a great find. I'm a professional guitarist and I've tried just about everything out there. So take my word for it, try the copper guitar shield, and silver guitar wire...you won't be sorry.
Peace and Blessings
Dani Robyns
no_spam_stranobelo@aol.com
Hi Monte, having used your shielding in the past on 2 other Strats I can honestly say that it is excellent, I have used it in conjunction with Fender Vintage Noiseless pickups and the results are outstanding. You can quote this in your testimonials. All the best from England.
Gary Haigh
no_spam_g.haigh@ntlworld.com
Hey Monte! I purchased a copper sheet and silver wire from Monte for my Jazzmaster.. what a difference it has made! The humbuckers I put in now sound spectacular, even with the single-coils tapped. The clarity is where it should be. The guitar sounds better than ever! I had to rewire it after my first try, since I didn't leave one end of the silver wire shielding unconnected (using it for the ground wire). Later, I made sure that the silver wire's shield was only soldered to one side, and the circuit ground was then star-grounded with insulated wire. Do this to every one of your guitars, even if it's only for the electronics/pickup cavities. Your ears will thank you!
Peter Urso
Los Angeles, CA.
no_spam_purso@juno.com
Monte, shield arrived in good order, fitted today - and the difference is remarkable - no discernible noise (I have tried TV remotes, dimmer switches, PC's etc - just for fun!).
Jon Isaacs
United Kingdom
no_spam_jon@isaacs.screaming.net
Got it, finished, works great! Made a Tokai Strat a work of art. SD Custom 5 HB in the bridge, and a pair of 57/62 Fender reissues. I wired it like a JV Strat with tone control in the bridge. Lots of nice tones! Thanks for the help, I'll be posting about my success with your product! Take care, until the next project!
Joe Janasov
Duluth, GA
no_spam_jkjana@bellsouth.net
This is my 2nd order from you. I shielded a jazz bass using your foil and shielding paint and it is approx. 75% quieter. I'm still trying to nail that other 25%. I will be happy to provide a testimonial. Any suggestions on the other 25% would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Andrew Rothstein
Woodbridge, NJ
no_spam_arothstein@ureach.com
Thanks Monty These are the best thing since Sliced Bread! Heck maybe even better than the wheel.
Peter Siekierski
Staten Island, NY
no_spam_vsnrocks@yahoo.com
Shield received and installed and sounds incredible!!!! 10 times more shielding properties of the standard aluminum fare. I had my pickup cavities already copper shielded, and now this totally cancels out any noticeable interference. Glowing feedback has been posted. It has surely been a pleasure. Will see you around eBay. Thanks again.
Michael McWeeney
Spring Valley, NY
no_spam_wizardcable@earthlink.net
Received the shield I ordered just before leaving for Daytona, (I work the race there). Took the guitar with me and did all the work in my motel room at night. When I got home, I plugged in and was amazed at the sound I got. I have worked on many guitars of various makes and models and your product sure simplified things.You can expect to hear from me the next time
someone brings me a problem guitar.
Michael Morris
no_spam_fess@epix.net
Hi Monte, I installed the Tele shield this weekend and I am delighted to report it totally eliminated the scratchy sounds I was picking up from the pickguard. I just ordered a Shield for my Strat based on the improvement your shield did for my Tele. Someday, when I have the time, I'll be sure to check out your Shielded Wiring. Thanks for Sharing!!
Mark Cooper
Ann Arbor, MI
no_spam_mwcoop53@earthlink.net
I am very impressed with Monte's copper shields. I recently installed one in my main studio guitar, and I will be recording the rest of my guitar tracks for Zyllion's debut CD using it. It makes quite a difference.
John Pollard
Providence, RI
no_spam_Jpollard12@aol.com
Hi Monte, Yes, I received your shield and finally got to install it as directed on my '62 Tele this past weekend. It made a world of difference!! My noisy old axe is now very quiet. The only noise to be heard is the noise the I'm makin' with it :^) Thanks for a great product!
Jim Gosselin
Des Moines, IA
no_spam_goslinks@mchsi.com
Hi Monte,
The shields came yesterday and in 15 minutes I installed the first one in my '83 Tele (Strat Shield looks like it will take a lot longer to install). The static noise problem I had is completely gone! Thanks very much!
Forrest Trenholm
Weymouth, MA
no_spam_ftrenholm@attbi.com
Monte, just installed your Strat shield in my favorite Strat. I was having a problem with static noise when my fingers would scrape across the pickguard. But no more! Your shield allowed me to properly ground the pickguard and the attached components, and now there's no more noise! Thanks!!!
Peter M. Jagielski
no_spam_peterj@insight.rr.com
Just tried out my strat after swapping in Tex-Mex pickups, a better switch, quality pots and one of your copper-shielded pickguards. I also completely shielded the pickup cavities and jack cavity with some scraps I purchased at your site. Got some self-adhesive copper tape at a stained glass supply shop and that worked really great for shielding the cavity sides. Man, this guitar is so quiet now that I can hardly believe it! What an improvement: buzz and hum are history! Definitely worth doing, Thanks.
John Redell
USA
no_spam_Torr66@aol.com
I just put a Strat Shield on a new pickguard that I put on a Reissue 57 Strat. The tone stayed great and the output is Hotter. It Rocks...and looks pretty cool with the updated pickguard .
Bob Smith
no_spam_bob.smith@films.nfl.com
I received and installed the pickguard I purchased from you last week. If you recall, I also obtained the copper shielding, which made a huge difference in reducing (almost eliminating) noise.
Regards,
Verle Winningham
no_spam_vvvvman@chartermi.net
Michigan
Monte, I installed the shield last night (fairly easy). Wow, what a difference! The shield really works! Only way my Strat clone could be quieter is putting in a set of blade type pickups like Bardens. And we know how expensive those are plus not the same tone. Thanks a bunch, Joy Rathnam
T-Von, I used one on my Son's Tele before, and it did help. Your shield fit on just fine. I soldered a Ground wire braid to it and attached it to the Main ground of the Tele. I am now doing another Tele for one of my Son's friends. Like I said, "it definitely made a difference"!! I like the thickness of the shield. It is just right. Thanks, Philip DiEgidio Glen Moore, PA
Hello, I got the shield yesterday in good condition. It'll be a few weeks before I put it in, but I'll let you know how it worked. I bought one of your alum. shields a few months back. Anyway, I used it with some Lindy Fralin blues specs. and I hear no hums. So, I expect the same with this one. Thanks for the quick shipment. Left positive feedback.
Clark Sudduth
Bay Minette, AL
Hi Monte!! I feel so nice right now, I really have to write this... I have shielded some Strats and a Tele for friends of mine since I'm quite good at fixing things and have a rather good knowledge of electronics. Up to now, I only used the "foil and glue method" for the pickguard and 5 cm wide adhesive backed aluminum foil for the cavities (non-conductive adhesive). When the time came to finally shield my own Strat I bought a pickguard shield from you on eBay. Having in mind the mess and effort the whole process used to take, I postponed it until Christmas when I would have the time to actually do it. After I did it, I only have one thing to say: It's so much easier! I am really sorry that I didn't buy the adhesive foil too! I would have finished in seconds rather than minutes it took me and the hours it used to take me. Now my Strat is dead quiet, quieter than any I have shielded up to now! There is no better way for a beginner (like most of the guitarists, is there anyone making a living out of shielding guitars?) than a precut pickguard shield and adhesive copper foil that you can actually use your soldering iron on! Thank you very much for the Christmas present! Seasons greetings and happy new year! PS: I have my eye on a nice MIA Tele that I'll probably buy within the following month and I'll get the chance to use all the shielding solutions you have on a Tele too.
Lambros Panagis, Greece, no_spam_lpanagis@hotmail.com
Hi T-Von! I just finished wiring and shielding a new guitar that I built using your Silver Shielded Wire and Copper. The Copper you provide is very thick, not like the ultra-thin copper foil you get from the hobby shops and other places on the net. Thick, but easy to manage. The feeling of quality is there. When you shield your guitar with your copper, you feel it will last a thousand years. Plus, you can solder a ground wire to it without being anxious about burning the wood under it. Your silver wire is a delight to work with. It's obvious it's high quality coaxial wire, with a full silver inner wire already braided and a full silver shielded braid around it. Easy to use, and easy to solder. The wires literally absorb the solder. And the jacket around the wire resists the temperature of the soldering iron without melting. All the hot wires have been shielded with it inside my guitar. The result: I finished the guitar and plugged it in and I have not a hum. I mean, I really have no hum! I can now hear the breath of my amp like never before, but with no hum! I tried turning the guitar in all directions, I switched my TV on, but still no noise at all. It's a SSH model with 2 single coils too! Great!! I really recommend your products, and want to thank you for providing them.
Antoine Carolus,, Paris, France no_spam_mkebir@freesurf.fr
I received the Tele copper shield. Thanks for the super fast shipping. I installed it today and it completely eliminated the snap-crackle-pop that I was getting because of my unshielded pickguard. GREAT PRODUCT.. One thing that I did differently: instead of running a ground wire from the pickguard screw and soldering it to a pot per your instruction sheet, I just cut a piece of plain copper ground wire about an inch long. Then I loosened the end of the control plate closest to the pickguard and slid the wire about 1/2 inch under it and retightened the screw. Then the other 1/2 inch of wire went under the pickguard and made good contact with the copper sheet when I tightened down the pickguard screws. Works fine.
Bobby Chandler, no_spam_bobbo71075@yahoo.com
Hello Monte, I finally finished shielding my guitar. Used copper on the main cavity, on the pickguard cavities, the lead routes, and of course the pickguard. Plus used the star ground. Wow. Silent guitar. At first I thought it wasn't working since before I put the pickguard back in, I plugged the guitar cord into the jack, just to make sure everything was working before putting the pickguard into the guitar. I didn't hear anything, and thought "oh no, I have a short." But no, I simply didn't hear any static or buzzing. Quite amazing. Thanks again, Cheers! Richard Boubelik no_spam_mrboubel@gsb.uchicago.edu
Hi Monte, I received the copper shields for my Teles and my buddy's Strat. I got them about a week ago but didn't install them til yesterday. The guitars play much quieter and no more static from finger to pickguard contact. These shields are a very inexpensive and easy way to make a big improvement in the sound of your expensive guitar. I have a 72' Tele and a '52 Reissue and there is a big difference especially with the '72. My friend's '56 NOS Strat is now a very quiet guitar. Many Thanks.
Grant Ruffle no_spam_guitarman5000@rogers.com
Monte, I bought and installed your pickguard shield and copper shielding material for my Warmoth fretless Strat project. This was my first time putting a guitar together. The guitar is absolutely free of hum. None whatsoever. I'm currently running Carvin Ap11 single coils and have it rigged so that I can have all three pickups on at once. Even in this position, no hum. This stuff is great. Thanks a bunch.
Andrew Call Alfred Station, NY no_spam_alcall@eznet.net
I recently install Monte's copper guitar shield and silver guitar wire with amazing results! I now have a much quieter guitar with more clarity, less noise and more present harmonics. I search the web everyday trying to find new ways to improve my guitar tone and running across Monte's site was a great find. I'm a professional guitarist and I've tried just about everything out there. So take my word for it, try the copper guitar shield, and silver guitar wire...you won't be sorry.
Peace and Blessings, Dani Robyns no_spam_stranobelo@aol.com
Hi Monte, having used your shielding in the past on 2 other Strats I can honestly say that it is excellent, I have used it in conjunction with Fender Vintage Noiseless pickups and the results are outstanding. You can quote this in your testimonials. All the best from England.
Gary Haigh no_spam_g.haigh@ntlworld.com
Hey Monte! I purchased a copper sheet and silver wire from Monte for my Jazzmaster.. what a difference it has made! The humbuckers I put in now sound spectacular, even with the single-coils tapped. The clarity is where it should be. The guitar sounds better than ever! I had to rewire it after my first try, since I didn't leave one end of the silver wire shielding unconnected (using it for the ground wire). Later, I made sure that the silver wire's shield was only soldered to one side, and the circuit ground was then star-grounded with insulated wire. Do this to every one of your guitars, even if it's only for the electronics/pickup cavities. Your ears will thank you!
Peter Urso, Los Angeles, CA. no_spam_purso@juno.com
Monte, shield arrived in good order, fitted today - and the difference is remarkable - no discernible noise (I have tried TV remotes, dimmer switches, PC's etc - just for fun!).
Jon Isaacs, United Kingdom no_spam_jon@isaacs.screaming.net
Got it, finished, works great! Made a Tokai Strat a work of art. SD Custom 5 HB in the bridge, and a pair of 57/62 Fender reissues. I wired it like a JV Strat with tone control in the bridge. Lots of nice tones! Thanks for the help, I'll be posting about my success with your product! Take care, until the next project!
Joe Janasov, Duluth, GA no_spam_jkjana@bellsouth.net
This is my 2nd order from you. I shielded a jazz bass using your foil and shielding paint and it is approx. 75% quieter. I'm still trying to nail that other 25%. I will be happy to provide a testimonial. Any suggestions on the other 25% would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Andrew Rothstein, Woodbridge, NJ no_spam_arothstein@ureach.com
Thanks Monty These Shields are the best thing since Sliced Bread! Heck maybe even better than the wheel.
Peter Siekierski, Staten Island, NY no_spam_vsnrocks@yahoo.com
Shield received and installed and sounds incredible!!!! 10 times more shielding properties of the standard aluminum fare. I had my pickup cavities already copper shielded, and now this totally cancels out any noticeable interference. Glowing feedback has been posted. It has surely been a pleasure. Will see you around eBay. Thanks again.
Michael McWeeney, Spring Valley, NY no_spam_wizardcable@earthlink.net
Received the shield I ordered just before leaving for Daytona, (I work the race there). Took the guitar with me and did all the work in my motel room at night. When I got home, I plugged in and was amazed at the sound I got. I have worked on many guitars of various makes and models and your product sure simplified things.You can expect to hear from me the next time someone brings me a problem guitar.
Michael Morris no_spam_fess@epix.net
Hi Monte, I installed the Tele shield this weekend and I am delighted to report it totally eliminated the scratchy sounds I was picking up from the pickguard. I just ordered a Shield for my Strat based on the improvement your shield did for my Tele. Someday, when I have the time, I'll be sure to check out your Shielded Wiring. Thanks for Sharing!!
Mark Cooper, Ann Arbor, MI no_spam_mwcoop53@earthlink.net
I am very impressed with Monte's copper shields. I recently installed one in my main studio guitar, and I will be recording the rest of my guitar tracks for Zyllion's debut CD using it. It makes quite a difference.
John Pollard, Providence, RI no_spam_Jpollard12@aol.com
Hi Monte, Yes, I received your shield and finally got to install it as directed on my '62 Tele this past weekend. It made a world of difference!! My noisy old axe is now very quiet. The only noise to be heard is the noise the I'm makin' with it :^) Thanks for a great product!
Jim Gosselin, Des Moines, IA
The shields came yesterday and in 15 minutes I installed the first one in my '83 Tele (Strat Shield looks like it will take a lot longer to install). The static noise problem I had is completely gone! Thanks very much!
Forrest Trenholm, Weymouth, MA
Monte, just installed your Strat shield in my favorite Strat. I was having a problem with static noise when my fingers would scrape across the pickguard. But no more! Your shield allowed me to properly ground the pickguard and the attached components, and now there's no more noise! Thanks!!!
Peter M. Jagielski
Just tried out my strat after swapping in Tex-Mex pickups, a better switch, quality pots and one of your copper-shielded pickguards. I also completely shielded the pickup cavities and jack cavity with some scraps I purchased at your site. Got some self-adhesive copper tape at a stained glass supply shop and that worked really great for shielding the cavity sides. Man, this guitar is so quiet now that I can hardly believe it! What an improvement: buzz and hum are history! Definitely worth doing, Thanks.
John Redell, USA
I just put a Strat Shield on a new pickguard that I put on a Reissue 57 Strat. The tone stayed great and the output is Hotter. It Rocks...and looks pretty cool with the updated pickguard .
Bob Smith no_spam_bob.smith@films.nfl.com
I received and installed the pickguard I purchased from you last week. If you recall, I also obtained the copper shielding, which made a huge difference in reducing (almost eliminating) noise.
Regards,
Verle Winningham, Michigan no_spam_vvvvman@chartermi.net
Hello, I got the shield yesterday in good condition. It'll be a few weeks before I put it in, but I'll let you know how it worked. I bought one of your alum. shields a few months back. Anyway, I used it with some Lindy Fralin blues specs. and I hear no hums. So, I expect the same with this one. Thanks for the quick shipment. Left positive feedback.
Clark Sudduth, Bay Minette, AL
Monte, I installed the shield last night (fairly easy). Wow, what a difference! The shield really works! Only way my Strat clone could be quieter is putting in a set of blade type pickups like Bardens. And we know how expensive those are plus not the same tone. Thanks a bunch,
Joy Rathnam
T-Von, I used one on my Son's Tele before, and it did help. Your shield fit on just fine. I soldered a Ground wire braid to it and attached it to the Main ground of the Tele. I am now doing another Tele for one of my Son's friends. Like I said, "it definitely made a difference"!! I like the thickness of the shield. It is just right.
Thanks,
Philip DiEgidio, Glen Moore, PA
eNut
Hello T-Von - I received my 2 bone eNuts and nut file set today (quick!) and installed one on my home-built kit Tele in a flash. I immediately noticed a HUGE improvement in tone, and the guitar sounds so much more ALIVE and responsive - those 1st and 2nd inversions are in tune finally! Thanks for going through all the trouble to make these available to DIY'ers like myself. Skeet Myers, way down in McComb, Mississippi. Skeet Msyers
I installed the brass nut and re-intonated the Ric-12. Still need to set the string height, but the guitar is very playable as is. I programmed this into my Sonic Research Turbo Tuner. I'm very pleased and will eventually get around to cutting the string slots in the brass nut to optimize the string height. Thanks for a great product. Jeff Hart
Thanks for your eNut kit! I got it cause I can't stop tinkering with my guitar setup and tuning, and I just wanted to experiment a bit... but it turned out better than expected. I installed the metal eNut on my Universe, and the bone one on my Jem, and they have never sounded so good. I can finally play open E, G, A chords *with distortion* and they ring completely clear. Wonderful invention! Josh Maher
One of my Guitars with your method of 2nd fret and 14th fret but I also checked some strings that I thought might have been raising there pitch at the 2nd fret with the 3rd and15th frets. I then applied your offsets into my Peterson Strobe II stomp. The one I used was the preferred because the instrument I was working with was 25.5 in scale. Anyways the results were astounding. " I have never played a Guitar that sounded that good" I'm very excited about applying the E-Nut which will take care of any sharpening of pitch from my lower frets, but the way it sounds now is absolutely incredible. I can't thank you enough as you've solved a problem that's been haunting my ears for years. I was wondering if you could answer a couple of questions I have. If I was to intonate a Guitar for a 1/2 step down would it be better to change the tuners frequency from 440 Hz to I think it would be 435 Hz, (please correct me If Im wrong) and then just apply the same rules as I did for 440Hz? Also does your offsets work the same with a half step down Guitar.( I imagine they would because the pitch has been evenly brought down). Or should I leave the tuner at A440 (equal) and tune and intonate the Guitar to Eb then apply the offsets to a new save location on my Peterson making my adjustments too the flattened counter note. IE (putting E back to zero and making Eb minus 2 cents along with the other changes)? Also my last question is, I noticed on your site that you prefer to tune to the 7th fret harmonic wouldn't you have to change the offsets in the tuner, because from say High E the notes that register from those harmonics are (B,Gb,D,A,E,B). Over the years I've read many conflicting ways of intonating and using offsets, but yours blows them away! Wayne Cooper
I used your nut files on an Epiphone Alleycat I own that just never sounded right. Before ordering your file kit, I struggled mightily with that guitar to get the intonation right and failed every time. After filing the nut slots to make them deeper and tweaking the truss rod a bit, it's sounding so much better I can hardly believe it myself. Best $8.99 I ever spent. Thanks for the tip on your website and thanks for the tool. Sincerely, Kevin O'Rourke
Monte, I just wanted to drop you a note and thank you for your eNut. I've used other products of this type and haven't been satisfied. in fact, I bought the eNut BECAUSE I was unsatisfied with the other product! It installed in 1/2 hour with ease and my guitar (short scale ES335) plays great all up and down the neck....Thanks again! Robert Pavich
Hi Monte, I just got the eNut in the mail today and installed it. It's a great idea that really works, thanks for making this available at a much more reasonable price than you-know-who, all of them... It's such a simple idea I don't know why it hasn't been done before. It really makes a wonderful difference! My new Korean Lite Ash Telecaster is a great guitar, and I thought I had it set up pretty well - fairly true at most positions, very sweet sounding. So I said what the hey, I'll try this even though I'm pretty happy with what I've got. But it works so dramatically, it's like a whole new guitar, playing truer and better than any guitar I've ever had! And that's just tuning with an old Korg GA20 that doesn't really do cents, and even just tuning by ear it still results in an amazing, wonderfully satisfying change with the strings really in tune for the first time! Your simpler system seems to me so much better than spending big bucks for the other systems, I'd bet the eNut gives 95% or more of the benefit of the more "sophisticated" and expensive systems out there that require much more work and changing the guitar parts permanently. I hope you sell a lot of them! It was really easy to install, I had to lower the strings at the nut only a tiny amount. I left the eNut plain, without any string grooves and it works just fine. Thanks again Monte! Tim Chandler, Memphis TN
Hi Monte, I would like to thank you for such a simple, yet effective, guitar improvement. I've installed it on my '81 B. C. Rich Mockingbird (24.75" scale) and just the eNut alone made one hell of a difference! I recently purchased a Boss TU-2 Tuner, and I don't plan to switch to a Peterson just yet. (I recently sold my Conn Stroboscope, just not portable enough!) Right now I've installed the eNut, intonated at the 2nd and 14th. A million thanks for all your efforts my friend, kudos. Carl Lasnier, Montreal, Canada
Firstly, the eNut. Received, started to install and when I reached to the final step, I couldn't believe that this is it. Damn, it can't be that simple, I must have missed something. As the English being not my mother-language and as I had/have no time to get into this matter, I though that there was meant to be offsets filed into new nut. But no :) And it works, really does. Ordered 3 eNuts. I installed it on my Japanese handmade 58' Flying V and local craftmen-made Tele. Works perfectly. Going to install it on my Fender '54 RI Strat too. And made it clear to my bandmate, that he has to have it on his Rickenbacker. Vilho Meier
I received my eNuts today (4) and it took 30 minutes to install them on 4 guitars. 1 Tele, 2 Strats, 1 Takamine Acoustic. I have always been familiar with zero frets as my father has a great Mosrite collection, and they all use zero frets. I never realized you could actually do that with any guitar :) After a quick re-intonation, I cannot believe how accurate these guitars are now! Along with your offsets I purchased a couple years back even my 3 saddle tele is near perfect! Go figure. Thanks again for your relentless quest in improving the little things! Sean Borton, Winnipeg MB
Monte, I finally installed the eNut and it has given my Strat good-sounding first position chords for the first time! I was already using a good strobe tuner. First, I added your offsets - much better. Then, I installed the eNut. Fantastic! This is on an instrument which had been set up by a professional luthier, someone I trust to work on my best instruments. Installation was simple, as you said it would be. Just a bit of patience. The little set of slotting files REALLY helped a lot. Those are a fantastic bargain and work as well as expensive slotting files. I'm really wondering when Fender will get its act together and sell instruments which are properly shielded and intonated. Probably never. Regardless, I now have a quiet and properly intonated Strat that is everything I need. Thanks again! Karl Hoehn, Seattle, WA
Monte, this is a little late in coming, but I wanted to thank you for your innovation in a product like this and your genuine kindness in our brief discussions. Your eNut resolved the sharp tuning of a favorite Tele of mine perfectly. It now not only sounds better, but stays in tune and is a pleasure to play. Thanks for all of your help, your ideas and kind words. Truly a great product. Grant Mader, Pleasant Hill, CA
I took a chance and purchased your ETS tuning offsets since it was so inexpensive and I figured I might as well try them. I'm happy to say I'm pleased so far with the results. I tried them on my Grosh Bent Top Custom and I could definitely hear an improvement in tuning over standard equal temperament tuning and Peterson's proprietary sweetened temperament. Btw, I use a Peterson VS-II to tune. I also tried the alternate offsets but just as you mentioned in the email I too thought the preferred offsets were a better match for my strat style ax. I currently don't own a LP style guitar but when I do I'll make sure and try out the alternate. Now, my results were not optimal due to the fact that the frets on the Grosh are pretty flat in some areas and it needs a dress/refret. From what I've read, guitars just won't intonate properly with worn down frets. I'm going to have it refretted with stainless soon anyway. I didn't opt for the complete eNut system because Grosh (as well a few other high end makers) already incorporate nut compensation and have the correct nut-to-first-fret distance built in. Even with the shortcomings my guitar has I could hear a definite improvement in intonation all over the neck - I can just imagine what it will sound like once it's refretted! I do have one question though - which method do you suggest using to intonate a strat style guitar to acheive the best possible results with the ETS offsets? I know Peterson recommends using the 5th and 17th frets to intonate instead of the usual open string 12th fret method. Is this a good method or are there other methods that work better? Thx for providing a great inexpensive way to achieve better tuning :) Peter Freck
Monte, Your eNut (silver) saved me $230 on a Luthier repair and perfected the guitar's tuning! Thanks! Now I'm back for more! This time a bone eNut for another guitar. Niche Publishing Co., Colorado Springs, CO
Monte, just got the metal eNut installed, re-intonated and tuned. The intonation and tuning took longer than the "installation". :-) What a difference! I don't have perfect pitch by any means, but even I can hear how much more pleasant the chords sound. Wow. Great product! I'm hooked. Next is the bone eNut install and I've still got 5 more guitars that will need it. :-) If you ever do alternate tunings, I would be very interested in any offsets. I use open-G, dropped-D and double-dropped-D are used quite a bit, but whatever you come up with, I'd love to see. Chris Ecks
Hi T-Von, I've got my Peterson Strobostomp programmed with your offsets - my PRS sounds great with them, as does my Earvana nutted strat. Thanks! Hayden Minett
Hey Monte, this thing is bloody great!! SO much better tuned AND sounding than the Earvana!!! And the tuning is VERY sweet mate! You wuz right, it is better than the Peterson "sweetened" tuning. And for only $16!!! Oh, that tool you sold me is KILLIN'! Thanx heaps mate! Michael Lawrence
Hi Monte, well, I picked up my guitar Tuesday night. I had given the tech at my local store your instructions to follow and the results are that visually it looks like something I might have done, certainly not as clean as in your illustration. However, he didn't charge me much and most importantly what a difference. With the addition of your Tuning Offsets the guitar is in tune everywhere! I think I have pretty sensitive ears and the guitar has never sounded this good. It is indeed a pleasure to play. You sir, are a genius! Many Thanks, Frank Balash, Bellmore, NY
Monte, so I tried your solution and at first I thought, "well, it'll be better than not having anything." I had tried various other methods of nut compensation (which companies I will not disclose) never being satisfied with the outcome. Now for the, "I strung it up and "wow!" Nope. I strung it up and "eh... better than without", but still not completely satisfied... UNTIL I grabbed my Peterson VSII tuner and for the first time used the off-set function using Monte's off-set suggestions. Now, I can say, "WOW!" I would spend so much time tuning and making sure that my fretted notes weren't sharp, compensating by making it a little flat open. This takes the guess work out of tuning and it also takes the second guessing out of my tuning as well. It literally cut my tuning time in half, if not more! Let me add, I have NEVER in my life wanted to rely on a tuner for tuning. BUT, if I've learned one thing about tuning it's this - you can tune all the open strings perfectly, but when fretted they'll be slightly out of tune. So I'd go back to retune to the chords making slight adjustments so my D, E, G, and A open chords were okay. I had to bring myself to the conclusion that for me, a tuner is not a device that replaces my ear, but one that meets the standard of my ear. Thanks again Monte for the eNut and ESPECIALLY for the off-sets! Eddie Choi, Chicago, Illinois no_spam_eddiechoi@gmail.com
Hey Monte, got the Bone eNut on Saturday and installed it. I am very pleased. With the Floyd Locking Nut it is very easy to cut the string slots by using the V-shaped nut as a guide. In fact, for the low E and A I just folded the sandpaper and used its edge to cut the slots. I left them a little bit higher and the guitar plays great, but I may cut them to match the original nut after I play it a bit more. I tuned the guitar to pitch and did the intonation, then tuned to your offsets. Right now the guitar plays very nicely in tune. I strongly recommend this product to everyone I know in real life as well as in cyberspace. I am partners in a recording studio and am exposed to many guitarists. I will surely recommend the eNut to them. With my own music (both band and solo) we independently release our own CD's and I will put your information on the insert. If you haven't already, you should see about getting this product reviewed by the various guitar magazines. It makes way more sense than the Buzz mod, especially for those who don't want to carve up their prized axe. I wish you much success... you deserve it. Nick Sassano, Kings Park, NY no_spam_Nick.Sassano@equitysettlement.com
I gave the eNut the business at the last Nitro Express gig & was pleased with how open chords on the first few positions stayed in tune, not to mention up the neck...& this is before investing in a programmable tuner. So far I'm happy to say it performs as advertised. E major sounds like it's S'POZE to, the G string no longer stands out like a sore thumb, my thumb no longer stands out like an out-of-tune G string & installation is easy as Georgia peach pie. Monte is helpful, responsive, & a SUPER nice cat to boot, so take it from ol' Buddy, you can't lose; it's one of the best modifications you can make for under $20! Buddy Woodward, " Buddy Woodward & the Nitro Express" no_spam_buddy@buddywoodward.net www.buddywoodward.net
Hey Monte, I just installed the metal e-nut on my 71 Les Paul Custom and even with some fret ware on the lower frets it plays more in tune than ever before. I had the original low frets replaced in 1975 with what they called jumbo frets back then, probably medium or medium high by today's standards. I guess I'm going to have to replace some or all of them someday soon. Setting the intonation on the second and 14th frets was a snap and sounds great. The link to the stretch tuning offsets didn't work, but even tuning normally with a Boss TU12 worked wonders. I have a Korg DT7 but didn't get it out for this yet. This time I just bought the metal nut but I have purchased a bone e-nut tuning kit a couple of years ago, shipped Monday 4-17-2008 but never got around to installing it. I have the tuning offsets from that purchase; are they still the same or have you changed them? Jerry Yachetta
Monte, the metal eNut and tunings worked like a charm on this Strat. This Strat sings sweetly now. I had been tracking and retracking a tune with it in my studio and could not get a get one I was happy with. Once I tracked post the eNut install the tune gelled and my playing was even better because I was trusting the chords to ring true. Needless to say I'm a happy camper. The Strat sounds so dead on solid now, I can't stand the idea of not dialing the rest of my babies it too. I want to put a metal eNut on a bass and 4 other guitars now. One of the guitars is a classical. Ross Elliott Weatherford, TX
Hi Monte, Just a quick note to tell you the eNuts arrived yesterday and I installed one in my PRS Custom 22. What a difference in sound! The notes sounded immediately rounder and fuller, the chords are in perfect tune all the way thought the length of the neck, and the overall result is a big WOW! I'll be installing the other one on my Ibanez S540 this week and will be ordering a couple more for my Other guitars. Thanks for making such a simple to install and great add-on piece! Rene Bradshaw, Italy
It arrived, and I was FINALLY able to program in the offsets (rather than settling for Peterson's "sweetened" tunings!!! YES!!! it sounds SO lush!!!! your offsets are MAJORLY happenin', Monte! of course I knew that already, but now I don't have to stop & dial them in every time I fire up! again, Thanx, & you ARE da man! Michael Lawrence, Brooklyn, NY
Monte, I tried your alternative offsets on my Les Paul even without the eNut. A noticeable difference! Regards., Michael J Hill, Miami, FL
Hi Monte! Today I got two presents in the mail - a brass eNutfor my ESP Hybrid II and the SD-1 mod kit. I had lots of free time and so I was able to do both. I am very impressed with the improvement in my intonation on cowboy chords, and the pedal sounds great. So, a question about my next purchase: I have a stock BD-2 and a DS-1. I want all three pedals to sound as different as possible. What mods do you recommend Ishould buy for those two pedals? You tell me which, and I'm buying! Hopefully before you leave for vacation, but if not, I understand you're busy and I will buy them after the 19th. Thanks so much for your ear and knowledge., Ian Kaplan, San Diego
Hello T-Von - I received my 2 bone eNuts and nut file set today (quick!) and installed one on my home-built kit Tele in a flash. I immediately noticed a HUGE improvement in tone, and the guitar sounds so much more ALIVE and responsive - those 1st and 2nd inversions are in tune finally! Thanks for going through all the trouble to make these available to DIY'ers like myself. Skeet Myers, way down in McComb, Mississippi.
Skeet Msyers
http://www.skeetmyers.com/
no_spam_skeetmyers@yahoo.com
Monte, I just wanted to drop you a note and thank you for your eNut. I've used other products of this type and haven't been satisfied. in fact, I bought the eNut BECAUSE I was unsatisfied with the other product! It installed in 1/2 hour with ease and my guitar (short scale ES335) plays great all up and down the neck....Thanks again!
Robert Pavich
no_spam_rpavich123@yahoo.com
Monte, WOW! That did the trick! The tuning and sound are unreal! I had to prep the original nut as it was not quite right (used feeler gauges and the Fender spec) then tried it. Still off. Added the bone enut, filed it to same spec and then intonate. Just perfect! I can't believe the difference! I'm going to play this one for a while and enjoy the improvement!
Donald Hamm
Carrollton, TX
no_spam_hammdo@hotmail.com
Hi Monte, I just got the eNut in the mail today and installed it. It's a great idea that really works, thanks for making this available at a much more reasonable price than you-know-who, all of them... It's such a simple idea I don't know why it hasn't been done before. It really makes a wonderful difference! My new Korean Lite Ash Telecaster is a great guitar, and I thought I had it set up pretty well - fairly true at most positions, very sweet sounding. So I said what the hey, I'll try this even though I'm pretty happy with what I've got. But it works so dramatically, it's like a whole new guitar, playing truer and better than any guitar I've ever had! And that's just tuning with an old Korg GA20 that doesn't really do cents, and even just tuning by ear it still results in an amazing, wonderfully satisfying change with the strings really in tune for the first time! Your simpler system seems to me so much better than spending big bucks for the other systems, I'd bet the eNut gives 95% or more of the benefit of the more "sophisticated" and expensive systems out there that require much more work and changing the guitar parts permanently. I hope you sell a lot of them! It was really easy to install, I had to lower the strings at the nut only a tiny amount. I left the eNut plain, without any string grooves and it works just fine. Thanks again Monte!
Tim Chandler
Memphis TN
no_spam_tchandle@midsouth.rr.com
Monte, I finally installed the eNut and it has given my Strat good-sounding first position chords for the first time! I was already using a good strobe tuner. First, I added your offsets - much better. Then, I installed the eNut. Fantastic! This is on an instrument which had been set up by a professional luthier, someone I trust to work on my best instruments. Installation was simple, as you said it would be. Just a bit of patience. The little set of slotting files REALLY helped a lot. Those are a fantastic bargain and work as well as expensive slotting files. I'm really wondering when Fender will get its act together and sell instruments which are properly shielded and intonated. Probably never. Regardless, I now have a quiet and properly intonated Strat that is everything I need. Thanks again!
Karl Hoehn
Seattle, WA
no_spam_khoehn@comcast.net
Hi Monte, I would like to thank you for such a simple, yet effective, guitar improvement. I've installed it on my '81 B. C. Rich Mockingbird (24.75" scale) and just the eNut alone made one hell of a difference! I recently purchased a Boss TU-2 Tuner, and I don't plan to switch to a Peterson just yet. (I recently sold my Conn Stroboscope, just not portable enough!) Right now I've installed the eNut, intonated at the 2nd and 14th. A million thanks for all your efforts my friend, kudos.
Carl Lasnier
Montreal, Canada
no_spam_xplanet@aei.ca
Monte, Your eNut (silver) saved me $230 on a Luthier repair and perfected the guitar's tuning! Thanks! Now I'm back for more! This time a bone eNut for another guitar.
no_spam_billcory@earthlink.net
Niche Publishing Co.
Colorado Springs, CO
Monte, this is a little late in coming, but I wanted to thank you for your innovation in a product like thisand your genuine kindness in our brief discussions. Your eNut resolved the sharp tuning of a favorite Tele of mine perfectly. It now not only sounds better, but stays in tune and is a pleasure to play. Thanks for all of your help, your ideas and kind words. Truly a great product.
Grant Mader
Pleasant Hill, CA
No_spam_gmader@mail.esignal.com
Monte, just got the metal eNut installed, re-intonated and tuned. The intonation and tuning took longer than the "installation". :-) What a difference! I don't have perfect pitch by any means, but even I can hear how much more pleasant the chords sound. Wow. Great product! I'm hooked. Next is the bone eNut install and I've still got 5 more guitars that will need it. :-) If you ever do alternate tunings, I would be very interested in any offsets. I use open-G, dropped-D and double-dropped-D are used quite a bit, but whatever you come up with, I'd love to see.
Chris Ecks
no_spam_ceckssprint@earthlink.net
Hey Monte, this thing is bloody great!! SO much better tuned AND sounding than the Earvana!!! And the tuning is VERY sweet mate! You wuz right, it is better than the Peterson "sweetened" tuning. And for only $16!!! Oh, that tool you sold me is KILLIN'! Thanx heaps mate!
Michael Lawrence
no_spam_law.belowcanal@verizon.net
Hi T-Von, I've got my Peterson Strobostomp programmed with your offsets - my PRS sounds great with them, as does my Earvana nutted strat. Thanks!
Hayden Minett
no_spam_H.Minett@leeds.ac.uk
Hi Monte, well, I picked up my guitar Tuesday night. I had given the tech at my local store your instructions to follow and the results are that visually it looks like something I might have done, certainly not as clean as in your illustration. However, he didn't charge me much and most importantly what a difference. With the addition of your Tuning Offsets the guitar is in tune everywhere! I think I have pretty sensitive ears and the guitar has never sounded this good. It is indeed a pleasure to play. You sir, are a genius! Many Thanks,
Frank Balash
Bellmore, NY
no_spam_frank.balash@ssa.gov
Monte, so I tried your solution and at first I thought, "well, it'll be better than not having anything." I had tried various other methods of nut compensation (which companies I will not disclose) never being satisfied with the outcome. Now for the, "I strung it up and "wow!" Nope. I strung it up and "eh... better than without", but still not completely satisfied... UNTIL I grabbed my Peterson VSII tuner and for the first time used the off-set function using Monte's off-set suggestions. Now, I can say, "WOW!" I would spend so much time tuning and making sure that my fretted notes weren't sharp, compensating by making it a little flat open. This takes the guess work out of tuning and it also takes the second guessing out of my tuning as well. It literally cut my tuning time in half, if not more! Let me add, I have NEVER in my life wanted to rely on a tuner for tuning. BUT, if I've learned one thing about tuning it's this - you can tune all the open strings perfectly, but when fretted they'll be slightly out of tune. So I'd go back to retune to the chords making slight adjustments so my D, E, G, and A open chords were okay. I had to bring myself to the conclusion that for me, a tuner is not a device that replaces my ear, but one that meets the standard of my ear. Thanks again Monte for the eNut and ESPECIALLY for the off-sets!
Eddie Choi
Chicago, Illinois
no_spam_eddiechoi@gmail.com
Hey Monte, got the Bone eNut on Saturday and installed it. I am very pleased. With the Floyd Locking Nut it is very easy to cut the string slots by using the V-shaped nut as a guide. In fact, for the low E and A I just folded the sandpaper and used its edge to cut the slots. I left them a little bit higher and the guitar plays great, but I may cut them to match the original nut after I play it a bit more. I tuned the guitar to pitch and did the intonation, then tuned to your offsets. Right now the guitar plays very nicely in tune. I strongly recommend this product to everyone I know in real life as well as in cyberspace. I am partners in a recording studio and am exposed to many guitarists. I will surely recommend the eNut to them. With my own music (both band and solo) we independently release our own CD's and I will put your information on the insert. If you haven't already, you should see about getting this product reviewed by the various guitar magazines. It makes way more sense than the Buzz mod, especially for those who don't want to carve up their prized axe. I wish you much success... you deserve it.
Nick Sassano
Kings Park, NY
X_spam_Nick.Sassano@equitysettlement.com
I gave the eNut the business at the last Nitro Express gig & was pleased with how open chords on the first few positions stayed in tune, not to mention up the neck...& this is before investing in a programmable tuner. So far I'm happy to say it performs as advertised. E major sounds like it's S'POZE to, the G string no longer stands out like a sore thumb, my thumb no longer stands out like an out-of-tune G string & installation is easy as Georgia peach pie. Monte is helpful, responsive, & a SUPER nice cat to boot, so take it from ol' Buddy, you can't lose; it's one of the best modifications you can make for under $20!
Buddy Woodward
" Buddy Woodward & the Nitro Express"
no_spam_buddy@buddywoodward.net
www.buddywoodward.net
Monte, Just did a real quickie install. Took maybe 90 seconds to slide the metal eNut into place and retune, then 20 minutes to re-intonate. I used both your suggested 2nd and 14th, but found by checking again at 5th and 17th to be even more precise. I was surprised to find your offsets different from Buzz Feiten's yet they seem to work just as well...anyway, I would like to install eNut on my other three guitars, thanks for a great improvement!
Charlie Todd
Walnut Creek, CA
no_spam_ctodd@astound.net
