[BOSS BD-2] -Comparing the original made in 1996 with one made in 2018-

Hello

This is sukuta takafumi (@sukutakafumi).
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sukutakafumi

Today, I would like to compare the 1996 BOSS BD-2, which is the original effector from the early days of production, with the 2018 BD-2, which is relatively close to the current one.

BOSS / BD-2 Blues Driver

The BD-2 is an effector with a rough sound, that was released in March 1995. This 1996 product is the second year of production. It is said that there is no change in the base and parts from the one made in 1995.

It's not uncommon these days for this to trade at premier prices, perhaps because the early ones have begun to attract more attention.

So I tried to verify if there was much of a difference.

I made a video on YouTube this time as well. I would be happy if you would subscribe to the channel.

○ Comparison of the appearance of 1996 and 2018 products (see the videos as well)

1. 1. Appearance

   They look the same, the print of the BOSS effector letters has not changed, and the size and shape of the casing have not changed. It seems almost impossible to judge only by the outer appearance.
   The difference is in the shape of the jack that connects the power adapter. Also, the printed details of the stickers on the back side are different. The earlier one made in 1995 has no CE mark on the sticker on the back side, and the serial number starts with ZH etc.

2. 2. Components

   The details are self-explanatory and different. Like other conventional BOSS products, the 1996 product has a large number of soldered components and they are tightly packed. However, the 2018 product is almost hollow and has small components built into a small base.
   The operational amplifier made in 1996 is a Mitsubishi M5218AL. Rumor has it the components inside did no change until March 1998. For the 2018 model, I wasn't very familiar with the base components, and the components are too small to tell which one was the operational amplifier.
   Of course, if the components are different so far, the weight will be completely different. The 2018 product is overwhelmingly lighter.

○ Difference in sound

To be honest, there is no difference in sound that can be heard immediately. In the case of overseas handmade effectors, the initial product and the current product may make a completely different sound, and the initial product is touted, but the BD-2 is almost the same.
But there is a difference. I think this is a difference that can only be picked up by a veteran player. Also, I thought it would be difficult to judge if the environment was not complete with an amplifier and guitar that had a certain level of playback capability.

What's the difference?

1. 1. Difference in the center of gravity of the sound

   This is true not only for BD-2 but also for Tube Screamers, but the early 1996 products have a low center of gravity. On the other hand, the 2018 product has a bright sound and a slightly higher center of gravity.

2. 2. Sound separation and balance

   The one made in 1996 has a better balance for each string, and the separation when playing chords is a little better. From this feature, it's easy to see that it was favored by rock-style players who wanted to carve rough, jerky chords. The 2018 product seems to be a rounder in both good and bad ways, but there is almost no difference.

3. 3. Thickness of the sound

   The sound of the 1996 model is thicker than the one made in 2018, which may be felt because the compressor is applied slightly differently. I get the impression that the 2018 version is a little more compressed. In 1996, the sound was a little softer and thinner, and it feels like it is easy to add nuances.

○ Author's general comment

First of all, more than 20 years have passed since the product was released, and despite the changes in the components, I felt that the reliability of BOSS products, which continue to produce sounds that are almost the same as when they were first released, is extremely high.
I didn't feel the need to stick to the original product, and even if I used the original product and it broke, I think that I would just buy the current product and use that.
When this becomes overseas handmade effectors, it is irreplaceable, so if you like the early ones, you should look for the early ones, but the BD-2 is still sufficient.
Rather, it may be a waste of time to buy it at a premium price or blindly believe that the originals are better and keep searching for one. I personally feel that the difference was too small.

▼ The following equipment is used in the review video.

guitar:
Kanji Guitar Stratocaster type
（https://twitter.com/KanjiKawabata）

effector:br /> BOSS BD-2 1996 version and 2018 version

Amplifier:
Fender Deluxe Reverb 1965年製

In addition, I, Takafumi Sukuta, am looking for manufacturers and individual builders who can loan me equipment for review videos and creating articles.