EarthQuaker Devices Aqueduct vs Boss Vb2w

Everyone needs a stompbox.
Post Reply
User avatar
Brock the Mod
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 2828
Joined: Tue Aug 28, 2007 7:28 pm
Location: Santa Ana, CA
Contact:

EarthQuaker Devices Aqueduct vs Boss Vb2w

Post by Brock the Mod » Tue Jun 29, 2021 9:52 am

Anyone got experience with either or?

They both sound and look good.

User avatar
shoule79
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 1963
Joined: Mon Sep 16, 2013 11:57 am
Location: London....the one in Canada

Re: EarthQuaker Devices Aqueduct vs Boss Vb2w

Post by shoule79 » Tue Jun 29, 2021 12:19 pm

I have the VB-2w, and am a big fan of it. Specifically I like the latch feature and how it seems to add a bit of sparkle to my signal overall. It does the worn out VHS sound too, but the wave form is consistent. I have two typical uses for it; 1) subtle slow vibrato on my clean signal to add some movement to chords and such, and 2) keeping it on latch mode and adding vibrato when I need/want it by pressing down on the switch. This is fun with fuzz.

Its probably not going to go as slow as a newer vibrato, if that is something you are looking for. Its fully counterclockwise speed is my Julia at about 9 o'clock. Its also just one wave form, where the Aqueduct appears to have several (the Julia even has 2). The Aqueduct is also digital vs the VB-2w, if that matters to you.

User avatar
Brock the Mod
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 2828
Joined: Tue Aug 28, 2007 7:28 pm
Location: Santa Ana, CA
Contact:

Re: EarthQuaker Devices Aqueduct vs Boss Vb2w

Post by Brock the Mod » Tue Jun 29, 2021 3:11 pm

I mean the VB2 is on countless albums I like.

But the aqueduct seems to over more wave forms and i saw a video of it and it sounded good.

Distortion wise though you like it with the VB2w?

User avatar
bubba899
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 829
Joined: Mon Jan 25, 2010 10:22 am
Location: Chelmsford, UK

Re: EarthQuaker Devices Aqueduct vs Boss Vb2w

Post by bubba899 » Wed Jun 30, 2021 2:37 am

I've played both and went with the VB-2w. I really liked the random mode on the Aqueduct, thought that was the main benefit of it over the VB-2, but the overall sound wasn't as good for me, felt a little less fluid ironically, Might just be how I had it set up though. There's not really much in it, but that's my two pence.

I may also be just too set in my ways as before the wazza VB-2, and even since it, I've had a Behringer UV on my board so it's just what my ear wants to hear.

User avatar
Brock the Mod
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 2828
Joined: Tue Aug 28, 2007 7:28 pm
Location: Santa Ana, CA
Contact:

Re: EarthQuaker Devices Aqueduct vs Boss Vb2w

Post by Brock the Mod » Wed Jun 30, 2021 8:26 am

bubba899 wrote:
Wed Jun 30, 2021 2:37 am
I've played both and went with the VB-2w. I really liked the random mode on the Aqueduct, thought that was the main benefit of it over the VB-2, but the overall sound wasn't as good for me, felt a little less fluid ironically, Might just be how I had it set up though. There's not really much in it, but that's my two pence.

I may also be just too set in my ways as before the wazza VB-2, and even since it, I've had a Behringer UV on my board so it's just what my ear wants to hear.
Thanks for the input my man

User avatar
tdbajus
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 1057
Joined: Fri Mar 14, 2008 5:09 am
Location: Back in Brooklyn
Contact:

Re: EarthQuaker Devices Aqueduct vs Boss Vb2w

Post by tdbajus » Wed Jun 30, 2021 9:31 am

The VB2W is awesome and I love it.

The buffer on it seems to be a cut above the usual boss stuff. There's very little documentation on it, which is weird. I wish my guitar sounded as good going through my old DD2. I love those echos, but boy it is a tone killer.

I'm half convinced that my guitar sound better going through the VB2W [edit: even with it off].
Last edited by tdbajus on Sun Jul 04, 2021 8:50 am, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
shoule79
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 1963
Joined: Mon Sep 16, 2013 11:57 am
Location: London....the one in Canada

Re: EarthQuaker Devices Aqueduct vs Boss Vb2w

Post by shoule79 » Fri Jul 02, 2021 1:07 pm

Brock the Mod wrote:
Tue Jun 29, 2021 3:11 pm
Distortion wise though you like it with the VB2w?

I do, but I’ve mostly used it for leads with a muff or Rat type pedal. I’m always at least running an overdrive though.

Like someone else said, my guitar seems to just sound better with it in my chain.

User avatar
kingmedicine
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 178
Joined: Wed Jul 14, 2010 9:45 am
Location: Detroit, MI

Re: EarthQuaker Devices Aqueduct vs Boss Vb2w

Post by kingmedicine » Sat Jul 03, 2021 5:20 am

I’ve owned both, but kept the VB-2w. Sounded more “natural” to me and more in line with the vibrato sound I hear in my head. The Aqueduct was very versatile (the VB-2w seems like a bit of a one trick pony…but it’s a very good trick), and the random mode was a lot of fun for wall-of-sound type stuff, but I didn’t like the more standard modes much. I also thought the Aqueduct had a little bit of latency that I did not care for either (although I’ve seen conflicting reports of this online).

Post Reply