Boss DS-1w Waza Craft VS Regular DS-1
Our pick: The DS-1w
The Waza Craft pedal makes some dramatic improvements over the DS-1, with far more versatility and an analog circuit that lends itself better to the pedal's vintage tone profile. While it can still work in conjunction with amp distortion, it does a better job on its own. It's more of a true overdrive/distortion.
It is our humble opinion that a lot of the Boss DS-1's success has been due simply to a low price tag. Back in the day we'd often find it in the $35 range. Perhaps that's not a popular opinion, but take it for what it's worth. We're just not a fan of the original, in which case the Waza Craft version is extremely interesting to us.
As with most of the Waza Craft series, the DS-1w takes the origin pedal and expands it to sound far better and be far more usable. It no longer relies on a lower price tag to keep it going.
The DS-1w is an easy choice for us, over its predecessor.
Read the full review: Boss DS-1
Compare the Boss DS-1 and DS-1w
Use the compare buttons to put the two DS-1s side by side. The table includes updated pricing as of Sun, December 03rd, 2023 and the most relevant guitar pedal specs.
DS-1 | Title | Rated | Browse |
|---|---|---|---|
| DS-1w Waza Craft | n/a | |
 | Regular DS-1 | n/a |
Live Pricing for the Boss DS-1w and DS-1
Accurate as of Sun, December 03rd, 2023.
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Demo Comparisons
You get broader range of sounds with the DS-1w. Subtle tones sound particularly good, while higher gain settings don't seem quite as harsh as the DS-1, which is probably due to the newer analog circuit in the DS-1w. The DS-1w is a more controlled sound with less noise.
The DS-1 almost has more of a fuzz quality. To me, it just sounds cheaper and not as full. You get what you pay for and the DS-1w is clearly worth the additional cost.
It's pretty clear from the demos that the DS-1w sounds vastly better than the original DS-1.
Detailed Comparison Table and DS-1 Circuit Argument
I have heard over and over again that the DS-1 is actually an analog pedal, which it probably is - albeit with a much older analog circuit. There's certainly a significant difference in quality between the two pedals, so I think it's reasonable to assume the two analog circuits are not created equal.
As Aion FX puts it, "The circuit itself is a good one - it just suffers from cheaper components."
Read more: The Comet (Legacy PCB)
My guess - and I emphasize guess - is that the buffered bypass in the two pedals is also not the same.
I find all this very odd, because an analog circuit is not something a guitar pedal manufacturer would hide, even if it's a cheaper analog circuit. It's a desirable feature, which is why it's easy to spot with any of the Waza Craft pedals.
In the DS-1 there are likely some significant differences in the quality of the circuit design. The DS-1w isn't 2x the price for no reason.
Header | DS-1w | DS-1 |
|---|---|---|
Type | Gain (distortion/overdrive) | Gain (overdrive/fuzz) |
Circuit type | Analog | Not listed |
Bypass switching | Buffered | Not listed |
Knobs | Tone, level, and distortion | Tone, level, and distortion |
Switches | Standard and Custom mode selector | None |
Style lean | Classic rock, blues, punk, pop, single coil pickups and humbuckers | Classic rock, blues, single coil pickups |
Power supply included? | No | No |
Battery | Yes, 9-volts | Yes, 9-volts |
Current draw | 15 mA | Not listed |
Final Call
I don't love beating up on the original DS-1, because Boss is a solid brand overall and there's no questioning the DS-1's historical success. But if you're comparing pure quality between that and the DS-1w, the DS-1w is clearly the better pedal and better value, even at a higher price.
We'd recommend it for those wanting a natural-sounding flexible overdrive, with a blues and classic rock lean.
Grunge is a good fit as well.
If you have questions about our recommendation, his me in the comments section below.
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Written by Bobby on Pedals and Comparisons
Written by Bobby on Pedals and Reviews
Uhhuh…you are not serious. Internet is chock-full of DS-1 circuit diagrams, function analysis, mod instructions, PCB pictures, history, videos etc. etc. Regular DS-1 has always been analog. That is not the point of Waza pedals.
You don’t need links to stuff anybody with google and few seconds can find, even if they don’t know anything about guitar gear.
Thanks. I reworded the article to reflect this.
I think the bigger issue is whether or not the two circuits are created equal. Given the price difference, I’d have a hard time believing that’s the case.
Plus, I’m tired of people blowing smoke up the DS-1’s ass. It’s not that great of a pedal, in my humble opinion.
The DS-1X is the digital model of the DS-1. It costs considerably more. I modded a recent DS-1 earlier this year. I assure you that it is analog.
I need some kind of documentation though. I believe you. Just need to cite something to make it official.
Thanks for the help with this!
Lol. You do absolutely no research for your article, straight up guess that it’s digital, and then when someone with actual experience tries to help you out, you insist on seeing hard evidence? Ridiculous.
You “straight up guessed” that I don’t do any research and decided to be a dick for a dumb reason. Ridiculous.
All that aside, I never said that the DS-1 was digital.
Would just like documentation that I can link to.