Boss BP-1W | Waza Craft Booster/Preamp

The vintage BOSS CE-1 Chorus Ensemble and RE-201 Space Echo are revered not only for their iconic effects but also for their variable analog preamp circuitry, which imbues any guitar tone with character, body, and richness. The BP-1W pedal allows musicians to access these two classic preamp tones within a premium Waza Craft pedal, while also offering a natural, clear voice functioning as a standard clean boost.

The BP-1W is a testament to Waza Craft innovation, delivering a premium analog tone experience. This booster and preamp pedal features analog circuitry derived from the legendary BOSS and Roland effects. It offers a versatile design with three selectable modes: CE, RE, and NAT. The CE mode replicates the bright, bell-like preamp sound of the BOSS CE-1 Chorus Ensemble, while the RE mode reproduces the warm, fat preamp sound of the Roland RE-201 Space Echo. The NAT mode provides a natural clean boost with minimal sound colouration. Users can control the amount of saturation introduced into the signal with the Gain knob and adjust the overall volume with the Level knob. The pedal also includes a selectable standard or vintage input buffer, each offering different tone and response characteristics. Made in Japan, the BP-1W comes with a BOSS five-year warranty.

For generations, savvy guitarists have relied on key pieces of analog gear to enhance their core tone. Despite being discontinued over 30 years ago, the CE-1 and RE-201 remain widely used by many players for their characterful preamps as much as for their famous analog effect sounds. These "secret weapons" make the sound richer, fuller, and more satisfying to play, even when their effect processing is bypassed. The BP-1W integrates the magical tone-shaping properties of these legends into modern rigs without the need to seek out rare and expensive vintage originals.

The BP-1W stands out as one of the most flexible boost pedals available, offering three unique operation modes in a single compact stompbox. Alongside the vintage CE and RE modes, a third mode provides a pristine clean boost, perfect for pumping the volume without added colour. The Gain knob allows for a range of saturation and drive tones unique to each mode, while the Level knob helps balance the effect/bypass sound or push downstream pedal and amp inputs for further tonal enhancement.

In CE mode, the BP-1W reproduces the CE-1 preamp tone, renowned for its bright, bell-like character and tight low-end response. The Gain knob can be tweaked to produce an array of pleasing tones, from mild to aggressive. In RE mode, the pedal emulates the unique colour and response of the RE-201 preamp circuitry, adding fatness and warmth even at the lowest Gain settings, with increasing saturation as the knob is turned up. This mode allows for powerful driven sounds with rich analog compression characteristics, providing foundational vintage colour to feed pedals and amps. The NAT mode delivers a punchy, natural voice with minimal colouration, using modern analog Waza Craft circuitry to offer a wide boost range, making it ideal for any standard clean boost application.

The BP-1W features high-quality buffer circuitry with two selectable types. A rear panel switch allows users to choose between the pure signal of a standard buffer or a vintage buffer with lower input impedance. The vintage type produces a warmer tone and a smooth dynamic response, especially effective when connecting a guitar with passive pickups directly to the BP-1W's input. The standard buffer is always engaged for signal conditioning when the pedal is bypassed, regardless of the buffer switch setting.

BOSS engineers have always been dedicated to achieving the finest guitar tones, whether through old-school analog circuits or high-tech DSP. This spirit is embodied in the Waza Craft series, which offers exceptional tone and touch response through carefully selected analog components, refined circuitry, and meticulous attention to detail. In Japan, Waza signifies art and technique, and these special edition pedals proudly carry the Waza symbol, representing the pinnacle of BOSS design and craftsmanship.