Modified Boss TR-2 Tremolo

Standard

This is a pretty good tremolo pedal, which will do just fine for most of us. But as always, it has weak spots too... The biggest one is the lack of volume compensation. Like with any tremolo, the level drops slightly when you activate it. This is perfectly normal, and is actually a side-effect caused by the way the tremolo effect works - at the top of the sweep/wave, when the signal is at its loudest, the gain factor is 1:1 (same level in/out), and in between the tops the level is reduced. This creates the impression of a lowered overall volume, which can be irritating enough when the effect is located in the power amplifier (like in a Fender amplifier). But when the effect is placed in front of the amp - which is where this one usually ends up - this perceived volume loss not only affects the signal level, but also the feel of the attack. The guitar loses punch - like when you accidentally turn the volume control down a notch... Not good. But thankfully, this flaw is possible to fix!

Update summer 2007: Boss has changed parts of the TR-2 circuitry (possibly to conform with EU regulations requiring lead-free components) and while they were at it they also raised the output volume a tad. So, for brand new TR-2 pedals (look for a green triangular sticker with the letter "R" on the box) the need to correct the ouput level may not be quite as big. However, the different output levels provided from the switch might still be nice to have, so the mod might be worthwile anyway.

The modification

First off, I install a bigger, superbright yellow LED (it was bright enough to confuse my camera... ). Besides looking cool this also makes the pedal easier to spot among others. This pedal sticks out!
Below the "depth" knob I add a switch, with which you can select three preset output levels. In the center setting, the gain is adjusted to give the impression of 1:1 gain with a normal tremolo. The left and right positions provide two additional boost levels, for the occasions when you need more (when you use hard/deep tremolo settings, for instance).
I have heard some complaints of the stock pedal being a bit noisy. I haven't really noticed it myself, but will still tame the treble a tiny bit, to help keep any hiss as low as possible.
And finally, I check the entire pedal over - the circuit board is machine soldered, and sometimes have solder joints that need strenghtening. I also do up all the nuts and bolts, to make sure the pedal will stand up to abuse.

...and the result?

After the modification, the on/off levels are much better balanced - the guitar no longer disappears in the mix when you step on the tremolo pedal. With the switch, it is dead easy to select the appropriate output level for your particular needs, and you will not have any problems finding the setting you had yesterday - the three modes will always stay the same!

Center	Good level for a standard tremolo effect. It is a little bit more powerful than with the pedal bypassed, but not a huge volume jump. This is your starting point, level-wise.
Left	A little more output than the center position. This setting is useful when you need to compensate for deeper/faster tremolos, or for simply moving the guitar a bit forward in the mix.
Right	Yet another notch louder, which really brings the guitar forward. Great for clean, open chords with deep tremolo settings - you will not be drowned by the band!

And there's a bonus too... you can also use the modified TR-2 as a clean boost pedal - just set the "depth" knob to zero, and you'll have three levels of fat full-range boost to choose from!

Price:

350 SEK / 32 EUR

Prices do not include shipping

But hey - why no volume knob?

Back in early 2004, when I first started planning this mod, I thought long and hard about this, and finally decided to go with fixed presets instead. Here are the four principal reasons why:

Accidental adjustments - a volume knob is very easy to bump out of position, especially during transports etc. In the heat of the moment (on stage, when you have half a bar to reach down and make an adjustment) it's very easy to move the volume pot too far, or the wrong way. The switch offers three distinct settings, which are much easier to find.
Ease of use - the volume knob or switch has to be easy to get at, and it has to be just as easy to find the same settings over and over again. With presets, you'll always find your way back to your favourite setting, and it is much easier to remember which setting (out of three) works with which song, as opposed to noting knob settings.
Durability - my first draft for thist mod included a small volume control that were going to stick out of the side of the pedal. That arrangement proved to be much too vulnerable, though, and it was also hard to make adjustments "on the fly". The switch - due to its location - is much more protected, and is nowhere near as hard to break.
Cost - at the end of the day, this will always be a pretty important piece of the puzzle. I did look into the possibility of using a dual concentric pot (with two knobs on top of each other) or sticking a pot out the pedal's side, but it ended up too costly and complicated for my taste. The switch is a relatively simple solution, which still - with the right component choices - provides the flexibility needed.