Let's Talk Boss BF-2s

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MrShake
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Let's Talk Boss BF-2s

Post by MrShake » Wed Sep 21, 2022 5:37 am

There's been some fair BF-2 talk around here lately, and I'll take partial responsibility.

But instead of us Purple Freaks derailing other threads, how about a place to reiterate our love of these oft-overlooked classics?

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MIJ, black label, March 1983
MIT, "dark grey" label, January 2000
Eno/EX "BF-2" flanger, December 2021

Pair of fresh batteries for the Boss ones, I'm gonna line 'em up later for some very unscientific testing and comparison. Will report back.

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Arthon
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Re: Let's Talk Boss BF-2s

Post by Arthon » Wed Sep 21, 2022 5:54 am

What's the difference with the BF3?

Does it do the jet engine sound?

I am trying a bunch of Flanger lately. I use the Catalinbred Point Zero, but I am not fix. I want to try the BF2. I use to have one some years ago. Didnt bound with it at the time, but only fools dont change their mind.
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(sorry for the spelling, I speak french)

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sal paradise
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Re: Let's Talk Boss BF-2s

Post by sal paradise » Wed Sep 21, 2022 6:02 am

Not that I copied MrShake (I did), here are my two:

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Late 90s pink label & the Eno clone

I’m not at home much right now, so have yet to test the Eno or do a side-by-side.
MrShake wrote:
Wed Sep 21, 2022 5:37 am
I'm gonna line 'em up later for some very unscientific testing and comparison. Will report back.
Yes please 8)
I have nothing to offer anybody, except my own confusion?

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Re: Let's Talk Boss BF-2s

Post by fuzzjunkie » Wed Sep 21, 2022 6:34 am

Black label, Dark Gray label, Pink label, what are you guys talking about?!? I don’t know much about Boss pedal history or characteristics, but the above don’t make any sense.

Labels are the name on the plate. They all look black too me in the photos, maybe one is dark gray, but certainly none are pink.

Now the knob caps are different. One is obviously black, one looks light gray and the last looks beige, but I guess could be a dirty light gray. Again, none are dark gray or pink.

So what’s up the terminology. Where’s the pink label on a BF-2?

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Re: Let's Talk Boss BF-2s

Post by Telliot » Wed Sep 21, 2022 6:59 am

fuzzjunkie wrote:
Wed Sep 21, 2022 6:34 am
Black label, Dark Gray label, Pink label, what are you guys talking about?!? I don’t know much about Boss pedal history or characteristics, but the above don’t make any sense.

Labels are the name on the plate. They all look black too me in the photos, maybe one is dark gray, but certainly none are pink.
The label is the serial number on the bottom of the pedal.
The cool thing about fretless is you can hit a note...and then renegotiate.

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Re: Let's Talk Boss BF-2s

Post by MrShake » Wed Sep 21, 2022 7:05 am

fuzzjunkie wrote:
Wed Sep 21, 2022 6:34 am
Black label, Dark Gray label, Pink label, what are you guys talking about?!? I don’t know much about Boss pedal history or characteristics, but the above don’t make any sense.

Labels are the name on the plate. They all look black too me in the photos, maybe one is dark gray, but certainly none are pink.

Now the knob caps are different. One is obviously black, one looks light gray and the last looks beige, but I guess could be a dirty light gray. Again, none are dark gray or pink.

So what’s up the terminology. Where’s the pink label on a BF-2?
Yeah, the sticker on the bottom of the pedal on the rubber backplate. I know I've ripped a few off over the years with Velcro tape, before any of us considered Boss pedals collectible.

For what it's worth, I kinda hate the way many Boss pedals' collectability and attendant price hinges on the color of the sticker. I only ever use it to distinguish when it was made.

The "black knobs" generally predate the kind of "color capped" knobs on the later pedals. It's a frustrating way the market is trying to make any factor collectable, but about a decade ago it was just a good shorthand as to whether the used one at your local shop was older or newer.

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Re: Let's Talk Boss BF-2s

Post by fuzzjunkie » Wed Sep 21, 2022 7:38 am

Telliot wrote:
Wed Sep 21, 2022 6:59 am
fuzzjunkie wrote:
Wed Sep 21, 2022 6:34 am
Black label, Dark Gray label, Pink label, what are you guys talking about?!? I don’t know much about Boss pedal history or characteristics, but the above don’t make any sense.

Labels are the name on the plate. They all look black too me in the photos, maybe one is dark gray, but certainly none are pink.
The label is the serial number on the bottom of the pedal.
Thanks. I didn’t think of that. It’s been so long since I looked a Boss pedal that I forgot there was a label stuck on the bottom. Certainly didn’t know they changed colors. If you asked me I would have thought they were all black lettering printed on a silver sticker.

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Re: Let's Talk Boss BF-2s

Post by thenewromance » Wed Sep 21, 2022 7:45 am

Telliot wrote:
Wed Sep 21, 2022 6:59 am
fuzzjunkie wrote:
Wed Sep 21, 2022 6:34 am
Black label, Dark Gray label, Pink label, what are you guys talking about?!? I don’t know much about Boss pedal history or characteristics, but the above don’t make any sense.

Labels are the name on the plate. They all look black too me in the photos, maybe one is dark gray, but certainly none are pink.
The label is the serial number on the bottom of the pedal.
My BF-2's serial number is in the battery compartment though, on a yellowed paper sticker. Boss - supplying forum confusion material since 1977.

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MrShake
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Re: Let's Talk Boss BF-2s

Post by MrShake » Wed Sep 21, 2022 7:59 am

A picture is worth a thousand forum posts:
Image

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Re: Let's Talk Boss BF-2s

Post by cestlamort » Wed Sep 21, 2022 8:43 am

Probably obvious but: The labels are interesting only in that they differentiate/indicate the different eras and place of manufacture.

Half-remembered evaluation: the black knob ones we had sounded a bit better than the white topped one. Cycled through a number of them (on bass) due to malfunction/abuse, as it was cheaper to buy another one than get one repaired.

I'm maybe in the minority, but I like the MXR flangers more on guitar than the BF-2.

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Re: Let's Talk Boss BF-2s

Post by Fozzie Guillen » Wed Sep 21, 2022 11:28 am

I bought a Julia Chorus/Vibrato and traded an extra Vox wah for an EXH Small Stone earlier this summer. All this chatter, starting with that in the earlier threads, sent me back to fiddling with my old BF-2 for more Chorus and Leslie tones rather than the jet-engine sweeps I'd previously used it for.

Now I'm wondering whether the Julia will live on the vibe settings, if not just go back to ebay, and whether I'll use Small Stone at all (tho I'm thinking about of maybe making a small board with one drive, one modulation, and one delay – maybe one or the other would be a fit for that).

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Re: Let's Talk Boss BF-2s

Post by stevejamsecono » Wed Sep 21, 2022 2:28 pm

cestlamort wrote:
Wed Sep 21, 2022 8:43 am

I'm maybe in the minority, but I like the MXR flangers more on guitar than the BF-2.
Nah, I think most people tend to agree with you. My understanding is that the BF-2 is fairly similar circuit-wise to the MXR Flanger as well.
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Re: Let's Talk Boss BF-2s

Post by MrShake » Thu Sep 22, 2022 3:39 am

Never really tried the BF-3, but I seem to have read that it's settings have a wider range than the BF-2.

Cestlamort, I'm impressed. Even though I hate hearing about destroyed BF-2s, that's commitment right there. It's funny how they were so cheap and available even until a couple years ago, then everybody realized they weren't growing on trees anymore.

Flangers are funny. I like a few different ones, but it's like painting where there are different schools or families of them.

I don't know much about what's under the hood to compare to an MXR, so that's interesting to learn about the similarity.

I only had a little time yesterday, but the Eno certainly lacks a special magic the BF-2 brings. Sounds just a bit flatter, less nuance to the movement - maybe it's just that it doesn't seem to have the same kind of boost when activated. Seems to do a passable impression, though. Will A/B test some more and report back.

Seems slightly subtler, but knobs are there to be tweaked. And it still feels very much of that metallic/swirly BF-2 school/family.

How do you use your BF-2? What do you apply it to?

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Re: Let's Talk Boss BF-2s

Post by Plumerai » Thu Sep 22, 2022 4:17 am

I'm a bassist & keep a BF-2B on my board. It's just one guitar & one bass live, so having extra textures to add keeps the extended parts of songs interesting (for me at least).

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Re: Let's Talk Boss BF-2s

Post by Futuron » Thu Sep 22, 2022 4:39 am

BF-3 also has tap tempo, dedicated guitar/bass input, stereo out and some modes to capitalise on that

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