So what’s a Waza? It’s not what a sushi chef yells when he wants you to buy him a Bud, nor is it a rogue syndicate of the Yakuza. It’s a word that has no direct English translation, but rather has many meanings, including “skill” and “technique.” All you need to know is that the Waza Craft series currently consists of three impressive pedals—the BD-2W Blues Driver, DM-2W Delay, and SD-1W Super Overdrive. These figures will vary depending on the actual conditions of use. Accessories Leaflet ("USING THE UNIT SAFELY,""IMPORTANT NOTES," and "Information")

The new Boss Waza Craft BD-2W is a new take on this classic stomp-box, which faithfully recreates the sound of the BD-2 and adds some new features. Built using a refined, discrete, all-analog circuit, the BD-2W has 2 modes; ' Standard' and ' Custom'. Standard mode is the original circuit found on the BD-2 and custom mode features a new overdrive, rich in body and sustain. Waza Craft demo featuring BD-2W, SD-1W, and DM-2W in combination with a variety of guitars and amps. Nominal Input Level -20 dBu Input Impedance 1 M ohm Nominal Output Level -20 dBu Output Impedance 1 k ohm Recommended Load Impedance 10 k ohms or greater Controls Pedal switch Crafted with an ear for highly refined sound, the BD-2W takes the classic Blues Driver grit to a new level with all-discrete analogue circuitry. Standard mode captures the classic BD-2 tone while Custom mode delivers new body and sustain.

Main Features

All three pedals feature all-analog circuitry that’s designed to provide improved dynamic responsiveness and more natural overall tone. The Blues Driver is a drive pedal for blues. Incisive, eh? Of course, it doesn’t have to be limited to blues: it’s for anyone who wants tasteful levels of gain without the thinning effect of a Super Overdrive. Our Waza Craft version is exactly like the SD-1W, with the same Standard/Custom switch in the same little gap, but Drive is now called Gain. The DM-2W’s custom mode increases the delay time to 800ms, a full 500ms more than the standard mode’s 300ms maximum delay time. Side by side with the standard SD-1, it feels just a little more full and pure, with less wiriness in the high notes. It’s an improvement, but not a dramatic one. The gain range is moderate – you can crank Drive to full without being dragged into psycho country – but it’s aggressive enough for screaming solos and menacing power chords. In fact for some strange reason the Blues Driver has ended up as one of the world’s most modded pedals - key pedal-makers Brian Wampler (Wampler Effects), Josh Scott (JHS Effects), Mike Piera (Analog.Man) and Robert Keeley (Keeley Engineering) have all supplied modified versions at some stage, and Mike Piera still does.

A part of the Waza Craft line from BOSS, the BD-2W Blues Driver gives you iconic tube-amp overdrive with two distinct voices. Far more than a merely modified BD-2, the BOSS completely redesigned the BD-2W, using premium discrete analog components and adding a customized signal path that you can access with the flip of a mini toggle. In Standard mode, the BD-2W offers you the classically smoky and gritty Blues Driver tone, whereas Custom mode beefs up the low end and adds a healthy dose of sustain. No matter which mode you set it to, the BD-2W Blues Driver is bound to be an essential part of your pedalboard. The Japanese Boss manufacturers have developed a special breed of pedal that not only flawlessly reproduces all of that vintage, authentic tone of the older analogue circuitry, but also offers the razor-sharp benefits of modern technology, in one single enclosure. Carbon-zinc battery (9 V, 6F22) Option (sold separately) AC adaptor (PSA series) Size and Weight ( incl. battery ) Width 73 mmDiscover the differences between these three pedals. Explore how they sound, how they’re used, and which one might work for you. Read more… Donna Grantis Riffing Heavy with Prince & 3RDEYEGIRL This warm, amp-like, touch-sensitive overdrive is a fantastic all-rounder for not just blues players, but anyone who needs a bit of lovely grit (so, everyone). Boss have released the Waza Craftseries of pedals, giving you boutique brilliance with all the modern perks of guitar effects! If you need a more flexible tone from your Boss BD-2 the Waza Craft model is the one for you. Retaining the same original tone, the BD-2w adds another dimension in a second mode, offering buffed upbody and sustain.

Both pedals provide outstanding clean boost functions with the level control cranked up and the gain/drive control turned all the way down, with the SD-1W providing a greater range of midrange textures via its tone control. The BD-2W’s tone control has a less dramatic effect on the overall tone, maintaining more of your guitar’s inherent character. With the gain/drive control turned up, both deliver luscious, harmonically rich distortion with silky smooth sustain, particularly in the stellar custom mode, which pushes the front end even harder without ever sounding fuzzy or gritty.

Customer Reviews

In this article, we are going to highlight both the original Blues Driver BOSS units and the various mods, clones and evolutions, and also some similar-sounding drives based on a similar FET circuit. ORIGINAL BOSS BLUES DRIVER PEDALS As simple as an EQ pedal may initially appear, it’s a must-have for any pedalboard, large or small. Learn to use this essential effect. Read more… Pedal Partners: Combining Chorus with Other Effects This time there’s no drop in bass, and the overdrive is smoother all round. Any blues-minded stompbox should sound nice at low gain settings, acting as a booster for an amp that’s waiting to be pushed into overdrive, and the BD-2W handles that task like a pelican handles fishing. It still sounds surprisingly amp-like when you let the pedal do all the work, and there’s no loss of fatness with the dirty stuff cranked.

Country music uses pedals differently than other genres. Explore the style's effects history and learn to use stompboxes to get that twang. Read more… What’s the Difference Between a DS-1, SD-1, and BD-2? Both the BD-2W and SD-1W feature circuitry that consists entirely of discrete components (in other words, no op amps). As a result the tone of both is much more organic, dynamic, and responsive. This is particularly noticeable in standard mode, where the pedals have the same basic tonal personality of their classic counterparts but have an entirely different feel that responds to every nuance of your playing. May 2021. The following changes will bring consistency to all sales territories as currently there are local variances. So within my pedal chain I have 4 key low-to-mid-gain overdrives ranging from Klon Style, to Tube Screamer Style, to Dumble Style and onto Blues Driver type - the way I have it each gets progressively gainier, in fact I have a 5th medium gain overdrive - which used to be an OCD, but has now been displaced by the Hamstead Intergalactic Driver. The idea is to have the most suitable pedal in each slot - one that combines superb dynamics, tone, versatility and smart form factor and features.The mini S/C toggle switch selects a standard mode that sounds like the regular version of the pedals or a custom mode that greatly expands sonic versatility and performance. It’s too tight – you cannot access it without touching the other controls, unless you have tweezers for fingers. Surely side-mounting it would have made more sense. Still, there is plenty of resistance in all the knobs so you’re unlikely to mangle your settings by accident. This kind of circuit doesn’t color the tone with a mid-hump typical of the Tube Screamer, while also retaining the low end of the original tone and touch responsiveness. Also, unlike other transparent overdrives, the BD-2 can veer into distorted tones at higher settings. Flanger has been a swirling presence in music throughout the decades. Learn to combine it with other effects for incredible results. Read more… Pedal Partners: Combining Octave with Other Effects In short, this is the DS-1 grown up. It seems that, after years of seeing other companies clogging up the internet with mods and DIY kits to make pedals like the DS-1 sound less scratchy, Boss has decided to stop sulking and join the game.