@Toxic Potato it doesn't make it bad either. From my pov it's about the infamy it got, and basically everyone was saying that you couldn't get a usable tone from a Metal Zone. It certainly fulfills what it was designed to do, but Boss did a shit job at communicating it.
they're good for what they are... the thing is most of "us" kids, buy them because they're cheap, and plug them into our CHEAP combo amps, and it sounds like shit. Same with the line 6 amps, they okay practice amp, the problem is when someone tries to use it at a live gig with every knob on 10.
@@sonnic1995 ok but like i hope you dont mean the L6 Spider bc those suck. i had a 75 watt model and loved it until I picked up one of those Marshall 15 watt mini heads. I immediately sold my Spider. They'll WORK, but they wont deliver something that respectable
Tom Seckel Yeah man, totally. It’s interesting to think about this when looking pros pedalboards, there’s a Boss pedal everywhere. People just need to use it right.
As an owner of one of these, tool tip for xt-2's, crank the volume, contour at 11 o clock, roll the punch and gain all the way off and it turns almost any tube amp into a blackface fender
@@rockmovieswithtyler1989 It is this was supposed to replace the Metal Zone the HM-3 came out same year to replace the HM-2 both didn't last long. XT-2 came out during the 7 string nu-metal revival which this was meant sound like a mesa give that korn/Bizkit sound with a 7 string. I think Boss would a wazacraft xt-2 with metal zone knob features with custom switch would give it more defined sound maybe.
@Leon Todd Hey Leon, glad you're here- there is an amplifier company you should check out. They're called Marshall, and I dunno it's just a hunch but I think you might like 'em...
probably because the notes that he was playing at this timestamp were the same notes as Everlong 😆 your brain got tricked into thinking it was the tone
@@TheOneAndOnlyJell_O sure; I don't want to be disrespectful or lead this to a pointless conversation, but if you have all those effects, you are making an effort to sound different; if you play those chords with the majority of the distortions, it would still sound like Everlong; specially because it is not a palm-mute riff, so it doesn't really matter if the distortion is mud or chug-friendly (to me this is the major difference between distortions) or other characteristics like that;
Given the treble control of pretty much every Boss dirt box feels like an icepick in your eardrums beyond about 11 o'clock, I'm not sure that's a bad thing.
That's straight up disclose tone then! Kawakami was known to use an xtortion, a dod eq pedal, and a dod thrash master pedal; it works very well in that specific niche
I used to glue myself to one of those giant Boss displays back in the day. Right next to the Danelectro pedal display. 😂 I always liked the low end of the Xtortion. Great video!
4:23-4:26 ....it just made my day!!!! reminiscing literally any and every modern rock nu metal post grunge album made in the late 90s to early 2000s....i could play the whole FILTER album "TITLE OF RECORD" and it would still kick ass, love this.....wish zoom went all out and promoted single effect pedals like this in late 90s/early 2000s the way DIGITECH did......imho I'll pick this over all the new age stuff
Boss makes amazing pedals, and I'm sad I can no longer find Boss pedals everywhere on the used market for $20-$30 like you could back in the '90s & '00. Boss pedals have creeped into the "boutique pedal" price range. Thanks to your excellent review, these XT-2 pedals are now $150 and up with "mint" in the box pedals over $200! Great job! Lol! Liked and subscribed.
I was in a band in the early 2000s and this was my main drive. Which is funny because we weren't a heavy band, I just didn't know anything about gear back then. I bought it from a friend for very little, and sold it for a heck of a lot because of its rareness in the UK. I'm back at this video today because I've just found one on eBay for a decent price and bought it for old times sake. From what I remember it sounds great in one or two settings.
I made similar experiances in my ages of 15 in music stores with the Boss pedals on display. One more of that fits in the line was the power driver. Controls are „fat“ and „muscle“. As always: great job!
I used to use one these with a stock MIM strat into a first version blues jr. and it got an awesome metal sound. Even with single coils! that was a great small rig for jamming with my buddies.
I picked one of these up for really cheap (€20 together with a small Squier 15 amp and Ibanez SC10). Didn't really like the sound of it for my guitar, so it's now on my bassguitar pedalboard. Great for some breaks or just dirty bass riffs.
Isnt it nice to hear something from your past thru different, wiser ears? Makes me wish i had my old Dano Fab Metal from high school and my Wylde Overdrive
I mowed so many lawns for this pedal and the metal zone in the summer of 1997. I picked it out for the red color without ever hearing it. I haven't seen my xt-2 pedal since 2006, its buried somewhere at my parents house.
I use this as my go to distortion pedal all day every day, sometimes mix it with a ZVEX mastotron but always back it up with an overdrive pedal to add some bottom end, band just recorded first EP using that pedal as my main dist with a 2020 player Mustang
Nice review Fluff. The pedal sounded great from the offset but totally agree about the tone. Add in an EQ pedal or fiddle with your amp profile and this is a great piece of kit.
I used one this weekend in the studio to record a dirty guitar track for overdubs using a Peavey 6505-212's clean channel. This pedal is not as bad as it is described in other videos and articles, thanks for clarifying it!
Thanks so much for this video. It piqued my curiosity enough to buy one for $30 from a local musician. I plugged it in and right away it blew me away. I really think i got a bargain. I too think it is smoother than the Metal Zone with not quite so piercing high end. This pedal is much warmer but no less powerful. I put it behind a Mesa Boogie Flux drive if I need to boost the highs and get a little more fizz. Thanks again. Now, you've also inspired me to hunt for an HM3. :)
I had this pedal back when i was 14, a friend traded it with me for a boss fuzz considering he was into more the doom kind of music, I used it for one song, but that one song (a sepultura cover, h8red aside, full dist, full punc, full contour) made such an amazing impact on the audience watching that I started using it (with lower gain and more "punch") as a bass pedal (way better on bassguitar, believe me!)
I think you have a Wazza Craft DS-1 there by accident, almost MT-2w. Sounds great to me, probably for Hard Rock and some Alternative Rock sounds (Grunge or Fuzz)
Doesn't sound bad at all. This and Ola's video about the Metal Zone makes me realize they weren't bad pedals, we just used them wrong.
Using them with world class power amps and cabs definitely doesn't hurt.
I always said the MZ's biggest problem was too much flexibility!! Gave people the freedom to dial in the bees!!
@Toxic Potato it doesn't make it bad either. From my pov it's about the infamy it got, and basically everyone was saying that you couldn't get a usable tone from a Metal Zone. It certainly fulfills what it was designed to do, but Boss did a shit job at communicating it.
they're good for what they are... the thing is most of "us" kids, buy them because they're cheap, and plug them into our CHEAP combo amps, and it sounds like shit.
Same with the line 6 amps, they okay practice amp, the problem is when someone tries to use it at a live gig with every knob on 10.
@@sonnic1995 ok but like i hope you dont mean the L6 Spider bc those suck. i had a 75 watt model and loved it until I picked up one of those Marshall 15 watt mini heads. I immediately sold my Spider. They'll WORK, but they wont deliver something that respectable
Boss, makers of underrated and misunderstood guitar pedals since 1976
Tom Seckel Yeah man, totally. It’s interesting to think about this when looking pros pedalboards, there’s a Boss pedal everywhere. People just need to use it right.
I have SD1 OD3 DD3 on my board and they are winners.
only their distortion is misunderstood. Everyone loves boss
Yep, but also many mega popular and best seller pedals.
As an owner of one of these, tool tip for xt-2's, crank the volume, contour at 11 o clock, roll the punch and gain all the way off and it turns almost any tube amp into a blackface fender
I just tried this, and you couldn't be more right! It's uncanny. Thanks for sharing, I'd never have discovered it on my own.
Completely changed the way my ac15hw breaks up :) never would have imagined i'd have such a nice, smooth tone from something called the xtortion lol
Amazing tones can one get with this setting. Thanks for sharing!
That's literally how I use it. Always on.
Sounds 90's that's for sure.
For sure, gives off early Silverchair vibes.
Grungy. Reminded me of Soundgarden. It also has a parked wah vibe.
Nek minnit XT-2 Waza Craft
Agreed though I wonder if that circuit is in the reissue metal zone 😞
@@rockmovieswithtyler1989 It is this was supposed to replace the Metal Zone the HM-3 came out same year to replace the HM-2 both didn't last long. XT-2 came out during the 7 string nu-metal revival which this was meant sound like a mesa give that korn/Bizkit sound with a 7 string.
I think Boss would a wazacraft xt-2 with metal zone knob features with custom switch would give it more defined sound maybe.
@Leon Todd Hey Leon, glad you're here- there is an amplifier company you should check out. They're called Marshall, and I dunno it's just a hunch but I think you might like 'em...
Interesting, and yes for sure!
Nek minnit, that's funny. chich chick boom lol
I remember the XT-2. Such a forgotten classic
Definitely can hear that 90's action in the tone.
Almost has a Green Day when I come around sound to it.
I agree
This is probably by far the best sounding distortion pedal you tested on this channel! Well done!
I would try a guitar in standard B in this thing... almost sounds like early Crowbar albums.
Funny enough crowbar used metal zones
I feel like with all controls at noon, it kinda gives an Everlong vibe to the pedal. Like at 4:47 it just sounds spot on tone-wise.
Angelo Martinez good spot man you’re not far wrong there
all EQ's at noon, just a bit of reverb
probably because the notes that he was playing at this timestamp were the same notes as Everlong 😆 your brain got tricked into thinking it was the tone
@@RodrigoAndrion i mean if you play the same notes with a wah pedal, envelope filter, or flanger I don’t think it’ll be quite there though just saying
@@TheOneAndOnlyJell_O sure; I don't want to be disrespectful or lead this to a pointless conversation, but if you have all those effects, you are making an effort to sound different;
if you play those chords with the majority of the distortions, it would still sound like Everlong; specially because it is not a palm-mute riff, so it doesn't really matter if the distortion is mud or chug-friendly (to me this is the major difference between distortions) or other characteristics like that;
My ears kept wanting to hear more high frequencies that never came.
No need for high frequencies, that's where the cymbals go!
@@professorpancakes6545 It was still cut pretty low. Sounded very dark and flubby to me.
Given the treble control of pretty much every Boss dirt box feels like an icepick in your eardrums beyond about 11 o'clock, I'm not sure that's a bad thing.
It needs like an od boost or sumn
What if paired with a treble booster
Nice review, no silly blues solos like most guys. Power chords all the way
I remember these, I rocked one of these with a metal zone, DOD equalizer and DOD death metal.
Shipping container full of angry Japanese hornets right at your feet lmao.
Hahaha i still have my DOD deathmetal
That's straight up disclose tone then! Kawakami was known to use an xtortion, a dod eq pedal, and a dod thrash master pedal; it works very well in that specific niche
I used to glue myself to one of those giant Boss displays back in the day. Right next to the Danelectro pedal display. 😂 I always liked the low end of the Xtortion. Great video!
Danelectro Fab Tone! I loved that thing back in the day
ruclips.net/video/Mgk_LZbpfpA/видео.html
Has a nice grunge tone to it
Had one back then... bought from my old local mom and pop music store and loved it!
4:23-4:26 ....it just made my day!!!! reminiscing literally any and every modern rock nu metal post grunge album made in the late 90s to early 2000s....i could play the whole FILTER album "TITLE OF RECORD" and it would still kick ass, love this.....wish zoom went all out and promoted single effect pedals like this in late 90s/early 2000s the way DIGITECH did......imho I'll pick this over all the new age stuff
Boss makes amazing pedals, and I'm sad I can no longer find Boss pedals everywhere on the used market for $20-$30 like you could back in the '90s & '00. Boss pedals have creeped into the "boutique pedal" price range. Thanks to your excellent review, these XT-2 pedals are now $150 and up with "mint" in the box pedals over $200! Great job! Lol! Liked and subscribed.
Around 07-09 it started getting bad
Boss has at least a dozen of hidden gems in their line-up. And XT-2 is one of them for sure!
I just bought one of these 2nd hand. I love it! You can download a PDF of the instruction manual which will explain how the controls work. :)
Really enjoying your look at the old pedals we used back in the day - keep em coming!
I was in a band in the early 2000s and this was my main drive. Which is funny because we weren't a heavy band, I just didn't know anything about gear back then. I bought it from a friend for very little, and sold it for a heck of a lot because of its rareness in the UK.
I'm back at this video today because I've just found one on eBay for a decent price and bought it for old times sake.
From what I remember it sounds great in one or two settings.
Love the old discontinued pedals videos..
I made similar experiances in my ages of 15 in music stores with the Boss pedals on display. One more of that fits in the line was the power driver. Controls are „fat“ and „muscle“. As always: great job!
I own both.
Love them.
I used to use one these with a stock MIM strat into a first version blues jr. and it got an awesome metal sound. Even with single coils! that was a great small rig for jamming with my buddies.
I got one with the box.... I didn't know for ages that they only made them for a short time. I love it ! A friend of mine also has one..
LOVE the 90's vids. Keep em' coming Fluff!
I picked one of these up for really cheap (€20 together with a small Squier 15 amp and Ibanez SC10). Didn't really like the sound of it for my guitar, so it's now on my bassguitar pedalboard. Great for some breaks or just dirty bass riffs.
Congratulations. You just made Boss consider a reissue. And me wanting to buy one.
Isnt it nice to hear something from your past thru different, wiser ears? Makes me wish i had my old Dano Fab Metal from high school and my Wylde Overdrive
I mowed so many lawns for this pedal and the metal zone in the summer of 1997. I picked it out for the red color without ever hearing it. I haven't seen my xt-2 pedal since 2006, its buried somewhere at my parents house.
It’s an awesome bass distortion pedal.
Well now that you’ve said it’s great, expect to pay $150-$200 lol
There is a clone of this pedal,is a behringer distorsion x xd300
Just saw one on ebay for like 300 lmao
@@patricio97 damn, they cloned even this one?
I use this as my go to distortion pedal all day every day, sometimes mix it with a ZVEX mastotron but always back it up with an overdrive pedal to add some bottom end, band just recorded first EP using that pedal as my main dist with a 2020 player Mustang
Do you have a link/socials?
Would really love to hear your band!
4:23 Listen to those bar chords, dude this thing is so gnarly. Kinda reminds me in a way of the SLO-100.
Nice review Fluff. The pedal sounded great from the offset but totally agree about the tone. Add in an EQ pedal or fiddle with your amp profile and this is a great piece of kit.
The only decent demo of this pedal on youtube
Just loving the retro pedal videos,keep em coming.
Can you do a budget distortion pedal shootout?
Sounds great!
Not to shabby. . Good crunch .
I should be receiving one of these today, I'm excited!
My first pedal! Now vintage... Makes me feel old.
I used one this weekend in the studio to record a dirty guitar track for overdubs using a Peavey 6505-212's clean channel. This pedal is not as bad as it is described in other videos and articles, thanks for clarifying it!
I still have mine XT2 👍🤘😁🎸
XT2 supposed to mix with the others:
HM3, MT2, XT2
👍🤘🔥🎸
Awesome sound!!!!
Thanks so much for this video. It piqued my curiosity enough to buy one for $30 from a local musician. I plugged it in and right away it blew me away. I really think i got a bargain. I too think it is smoother than the Metal Zone with not quite so piercing high end. This pedal is much warmer but no less powerful. I put it behind a Mesa Boogie Flux drive if I need to boost the highs and get a little more fizz. Thanks again. Now, you've also inspired me to hunt for an HM3. :)
I have one of these in my pedal collection. I'll have to get mine out and plug her in. Sounded great.
This was my first "real" distortion that wasn't a Dano fab tone I think someone just gave it to me. These were not prized posessions in the 90s-00s
Still have it, still love it... I will never sell it!
3:03 for sound demo, thank me later
that tone is so good
Imagine a waza version
Boo
Hey! I remember when that was released! ... I feel old now.
I had this pedal back when i was 14, a friend traded it with me for a boss fuzz considering he was into more the doom kind of music, I used it for one song, but that one song (a sepultura cover, h8red aside, full dist, full punc, full contour) made such an amazing impact on the audience watching that I started using it (with lower gain and more "punch") as a bass pedal (way better on bassguitar, believe me!)
Der is gut , solider Bau .
This series should be renamed: "Hey! We're old!"
That was the most nu-metal tone I've heard.
then you must not listen to much nu metal
Limp Bizkit/Wes Borland tone in a box.
I have one and I really like it.
I was expecting to come and laugh at a garbage pedal from the time of "Xtreeeeeme!". Color me surprised that it sounds pretty good.
That thing is incredible
i've been tryna find one of these forever and if this video spikes the price of them i swear to god
Really nice sound in this demo 👌🏼
It sounds rad AF, not gonna lie. It was ahead of its time?!
Fluff, you like the smashing pumpkins. Use this pedal as a boost/eq after a fuzz. Trust me bro.
Yeah, distortion/OD after a fuzz can be a whole other level of awesome.
This feels like STP "Wicked Garden" territory, not bad!
I was surprised too, it really doesn't sound bad!
Sounds better than the Revv demos I've been hearing lmao
Would love to see you try a Boss Power Driver pw-2. There's a pedal with tone buried so deep only dads with patience can find it haha.
I remember my friend had one and I really liked it. I went to guitar center to buy one but they had stopped selling them. Boo
Now can you make people finally realise that the EHX Metal Muff is actually a good distortion so I'm not alone over here?
I love the Metal Muff!
It's a good one but only if it's the full metal muff with the adjustable boost.
I have one. I love it. It's definitely fun.
The Metal Muff is my GoTo pedal. Its sounds so damn good running in the front of a DSL40 clean channel with just a hint of dirt.
Better than I expected
that sounds pretty cool i quite like it
Felt like I was teleported back in the 90s at Daddy's Junkie Music :)
Not Bad! Never heard of this before. Kinda has an HM-2 vibe to it, especially with the Punch cranked.
Cool never heard of this pedal
This was my first pedal!
your clean tone is actually pretty clean for once :D
Sounds surprisingly cool.
I think you have a Wazza Craft DS-1 there by accident, almost MT-2w. Sounds great to me, probably for Hard Rock and some Alternative Rock sounds (Grunge or Fuzz)
Quality sound. I’d buy one. Sounds better than a metal zone.
at noon on the pedal that was a perfect tool tone
could play some Bush with it
Hey! I want this pedal! Very surprising : )
I am getting excited thinking about that with a CH1
that actually sounded really really good
Pretty cool. Kind of reminds me of Albatross, from Corosion of Conformity.
This sounded way smoother than I remember
Fluff only responds to his boyfriend Glenn Fricker lol
*HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH*
HE LOVES US
Fluffer and Frick
awesome.
90s radio rock pedal
"Boss has threatened to release my nudes unless I make a good review of this pedal. So anyway, here's the Boss Extortion"
After the input jack troubleshooting, the first few notes Fluff played sounded a lot like Core-era Stone Temple Pilots. I was impressed.
My favorite album of theirs, so kickass
I thought it sounded a but like the superunknown
Sounds like Silverchair, I like it.
Man that 1st tone you had was a delicious snarl, ala ac/dc.
Solid pedal 👌 thanks for your in depth review, I wonder how it would sound with a bass 🤔
sounds really really good!
I still have mine!
Power Driver next!