zack_j's Reviews
5 reviews Back to zack_j's Equipboard
990
Don’t Listen to the Haters
Like many other beginner guitarists, I needed a distortion pedal to rock out with my new, electric guitar and amp. Otherwise, I’d be stuck playing Ventures with only a clean sound! Not knowing anything about signal chains, this was the first-ever pedal I picked up, and when I got home, I immediately plugged my 9-volt adapter into the wall, hooked up this pedal, and thrashed away with this raw tone!
Nowadays, I don’t use it as much anymore, due to the fact that I’ve found some better distortion/fuzz boxes to mess around with (ProCo Rat 2, Behringer Super Fuzz, Op-Amp Big Muff, etc.).
A major complaint people have with this is that this works more in line with other Boss products like the Super Overdrive SD-1 and Blues Driver BD-2, unlike most distortion pedals. But, because of that overdriven quality, I believe it offers more versatility and almost works like an OVER-overdrive.
Being one of the cheapest Boss pedals in the market, you can instantly achieve guitar tones like Kurt Cobain, John Frusciante, and even Prince! In fact, my used DS-1 was manufactured on September 2004, around the time Green Day released their album, American Idiot, which happens to use the same exact pedal!
Even though this pedal receives some backlash from pedalheads, this served as the stepping stone for me to dive into the world of guitar effects!
Preferred Settings + Usage:
As always, the “Level" knob should be dialed in the same volume your clean or slight overdrive’s at.
Depending on your amp’s settings, you may have to play around with the “Tone” knob so it is not too treble-y sounding, but for me, I set it around 11 to 12 o’clock.
If you're into playing with thick overdrive, I would suggest leaving the “Dist” knob around 12 o'clock or to the left a bit more. But for that iconic, grungy sound, CRANK THAT SUCKER TO THE MAX!!
990
Pure Aggression
"It's the most aggressive guitar I've ever heard." - Oz on Anderton's Youtube video, "What is the Ultimate Pedal for Doom Metal? | Winner Stays On: Fuzz Pedals!"
I originally bought this pedal based on a recommendation from Eric of NirvanaGuitars (on Youtube) who was trying to recreate Kurt Cobain's guitar tone from his demos on a tape he created called "Fecal Matter" back in 1985. Since the Behringer Super Fuzz is cheap, I decided to just get it for fun to also recreate that tone, yet I still use it till this day and do not regret my decision in buying it.
This pedal has three main modes: Fuzz 1, which offers a "wubby" mid-range fuzz tone, Fuzz 2, which is more nasally and treble-based, and a boost option which I now use all the time to add more richness and crackly gain to my current, beginner LT25 amp, sort of like a temporary band equalizer/tube screamer.
I should also mention that it has two secret modes, one in between Fuzz 1 and Fuzz 2 which combines the features of both fuzz tones, and one in between Fuzz 2 and Boost which gives off a loud, fuzzy boost to the amp's current tone. Note that the more expensive Boss Hyper Fuzz FZ-2, the pedal the Behringer Super Fuzz is based off of, does not have these modes, automatically making this superior in comparison.
I understand that this pedal may sound too harsh to some people and is not applicable in every music genre, as suggested by the critic reviews on Equipboard who prefer more polished fuzz tones like that of the Electro-Harmonix Big Muff for softer forms of rock and metal. I can definitely see where they are coming from, hence why I gave this four stars.
But if you like crazy, in-your-face fuzz tones, then look no further to the Behringer Super Fuzz!
Preferred Settings + Usage:
I prefer playing on Fuzz "1.5" or 2, since they both provide a raw, nasally fuzz tone, similar to that of Electric Wizard's Dopethrone album and Kurt's Fecal Matter tapes, maxing out the gain and bass while turning up the level until loud enough and setting the treble somewhere between 1 o'clock and 5 o'clock. But, when playing on Boost mode, I prefer to leave the level knob where it is (does not affect the tone at all), treble and bass at 5, and play around with the gain until I feel I have enough of it.
990
Classic, Yet Timeless Chorus Pedal
I was in search of a chorus pedal and came across the Ibanez CS9 when researching which chorus pedal Kim Thayil used on "Hunted Down" by Soundgarden.
After further research, I found out two things:
The CS9 was famously used on "Don't Dream It's Over" by Crowded House and "Purple Rain" by Prince, which have two of my favorite guitar tones.
The Ibanez Chorus Mini is the newest clone of the CS9 with a smaller, compact design and a new level knob.
Needless to say, when I immediately plugged this into my amp, it replicated the sound of the CS9 perfectly with its shimmering, sharp chorus effect.
Although this is well known for its vintage, 80s tone, some can get a modern, indie rock tone out of this. Some could use this to get a stellar, galactic sound, or add to the chaos of their stack of distortion/fuzz pedals.
Whether you're into classic, 80s pop or a grunge fan like me, this is one of the most versatile chorus pedals out there and I highly recommend adding this to your pedalboard.
Preferred Settings + Usage:
When playing with a clean input, I like to crank the level all the way, like on a CS9, but is helpful to lower it down a bit whenever using a distortion pedal. When covering Prince, I like turn the depth and speed to around 10 o' clock; but with Soundgarden or my own music, between 1 and 2 o' clock. Feel free to turn the depth all the way to 5 o' clock when covering darker songs like "Come as You Are" by Nirvana!
990
Solid beginner guitar!
Like many beginner guitarists, I only got this since it came with its own 10W practice amp, particularly the black one because it was the cheapest color they had available. Now that I have better cables, pedals, and a 25W Fender LT25, I decided to test out playing it just like I would with my current Fender Strat. Turns out, it has some great low-end when played with a basic distortion pedal like the Boss DS-1, and when I play with a clean preset, it has a surprisingly warm tone to it! The only problems I have with it come to its physical design, there being only one tone knob, a cheaply-made headstock and fretboard, and the frets seem to be farther apart than my Strat, perhaps to help beginner guitarists become more flexible with their playing. There is also a minor drawback where its whammy bar does not seem to function, despite me spinning it in properly. Other than that, this is still a worthy investment to help anyone learn to play the electric guitar!
Preferred Settings + Usage:
Pickup switch dialed right, volume and tone knob dialed all the way.
990
Boomy and Bass-y (Previously: The Quintessential Fuzz Pedal!)
I’ve been longing to get this pedal, and it sounds like an absolute beast! It’s much louder than the classic, nano Big Muff Pi and adds in the bass the other one lacks! This is what a TRUE fuzz pedal should sound like, and is perfect for grunge, doom metal, and stoner metal!
UPDATE 10/3/25: I do not use this pedal as much as I used to, since I like the treble and fizz the classic, Nano one has, but I’m still giving this five stars since it still sounds awesome.
Preferred Settings + Usage:
The current setting I like to play with is “volume” at 10 o’ clock, “tone” in between 1 and 2 o' clock, and “sustain” at 3 o’clock!
UPDATE 10/3/25: The volume knob depends on our signal chain and amp setup.