BF-1

I use an Epiphone Custom Les Paul with Seymour Duncan JB's going through a slew of vintage effects. Ampwise, I run these in stereo through 3 heads going into 2 cabs. The effect itself, I was disappointed at first using a 9 volt Boss adaptor. It was a significant volume drop and it just seemed weak. However, after purchasing a 12 volt adaptor, holy crap! The thing became alive and warmer. The difference was amazing! Get the 12 volt adaptor and you will treasure this forever. I only play original music but, if I tried, I am sure you could play any artist from Pink Floyd to Tool to any progressive band you could think of. The sound is totally original and not very noisy compared to later Boss flangers (I've tried them all). It gets a 9 because nothing is perfect.

From the CE-1 to the AD-50 to the Phase Five to any early Boss/Roland product...They are built like tanks and would (and have) used it without any backup. Makes me wonder why they don't make more of everything that originally sounded amazing? Time and place I guess.

There are 4 knobs, pretty self explanatory for flangers. It doesn't require a manual. You can get some pretty, subtle chorus sounds and then some spaceship, taking off to other dimension sounds.

Support for vintage pedals is pretty nonexistant (through the original company) but go find a local tech in your area if you need something worked on.

I've been playing since I was 5 and I own a hellofalot of vintage gear. This addition to my chain enhances my sound in a very peculiar way. I play very spacey, heavy music so this is perfect for me. A few people would have problems using this if they played, say top 40 or other genres that didn't necessarily require you to be able to play your instrument. It's a true texture adder, and in the right hands can make you stand head and shoulders above the pack. I would definitely buy this again if it were missing. My favorite feature is the resonance knob cranked to the right and using the manual knob to make a siren sound. The only other flanger that has worked for me is the original MXR grey box. This is more of a crisper sound. A true original if you use it with a 12 volt adaptor. Having to switch from a 9 is the only annoying thing, but well worth it.

It's as old as I am and works better than I do, I all ways have a multi effect with me in case any pedal has a moment but it would take a pounding before you would even scratch the case

Very easy to use, four knobs, one big stomp

never dealt with them

I play a mix of music from accoustic solo gigs, to full on stoner gigs, to experimental noise, and it gets used in all 3 setups (the only one of my pedals that does) If I lost it then I would be searching for one the next day

My set up couldn't be more irrelevent to this review and so I return to the topic - people want to know how this baby sounds, right? This pedal has a zero noise factor and no tone loss when engaged - there is a perception with modulation effects like flanger or chorus - and I have heard this with other pedals - that you lose some volume, but this is due to the nature of the effect. So there is some small perception of a slight volume drop when engaged but it is very minor and nothing to worry about at all. Ok, I have two other awesome vintage Flangers and am a bit of a flange-head so I can compare this unit to two of the best out there, an A/DA 70's original and an 80's Yamaha FL-01. This unit doesn't get as whacky as the Yamaha or as deep and trippy as the A/DA - nothing does actually, but this unit really holds it's own in analogue flange terms and at first I thought I was a little underwhelmed until I started playing with it a bit more - there are allot of lush vintage sounds in this box. It will do the jet swoosh thing, not as extreme as other pedals but it's a good sort - it will then do all manner of chorus/flanger tones as well as lovely leslie and vibrato-ey tones in the flange realms. With the resonance knob maxed you get into some nice bell and chime tones in the sine wave also. Bottom line I was really enchanted by this Flanger - it has very cool mojo and allot of vintage charm - the tone of this thing is sublime and totally unique and I was unable to stop playing with it once I got it home. Definately a keeper and not something I plan on selling - ever! I would place this in terms of flange intensity as the mildest of the three listed above but this does not mean the effect is weak at all - that would be unfair - the effect is thick, lush and vibrant but it just doesn't do the self oscillation of the FL-01 and doesn't do some of the unique DEEP SPACE flanging of the A/DA ... make no mistake though this flanger is sweeeeeeet and not to be bettered in it's class. For a pedal this old the sound was pristine from my unit.

I give an 8 for age but this unit is a brick, big chunky early Roland/Boss case ... won't find better. For a unit this old the sound and the switch are solid as are the controls. This will hold up for many years without error.

Ok, here we have an original Boss BF-1 Flanger, essentially Boss' first foray into Flange - they should have stuck with this design and left everything that followed on the drawing board. If that wasn't a big enough give away I'll spell it out - I love analogue flange and have a particular loathing for the Boss Flangers that follow this unit. This particular model is a cinch to fire up and get going - from left to right you have Manual - Depth - Rate - Resonance - twiddle to taste, hit the switch and let the jet scream overhead or ... This unit doesn't take batteries and runs with either 9 or 12 volts power pack; though the word is that 12 volts is preferable - I am currently running mine on 9 and it sounds fabulous.

NA

All you need to know is this is a killer vintage flanger, if you can get one at a deal grab it and you'll have an awesome bit of history and something that sounds way cooler than the modern units by far. If you can't find a deal you need to know it's worth getting at twice the price. Some people complain about the no battery vs adaptor issue but for me it's better as I hate having to buy and replace/worry about betteries dying on me. There is no better in it's class ... a classic!