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Boss FRV-1 Review
Joined: Jul 29, 2009 Posts: 2605 Boss Angeles, CA 
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Posted on Feb 15 2014 12:52 AM
Matt22 wrote:
Thank you, Matt. Let the truth finally be told! —BOSS FINK "R.P.M." available now from DOUBLE CROWN RECORDS! |
Joined: Jan 25, 2007 Posts: 1568 Brighton UK
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Posted on Feb 15 2014 01:59 AM
When your tank dies on you at the sound check, you'll be very glad to have the FRV1 with you. I know, because this happened to me. And no one in the audience knows the difference, or cares about it. —Last edited: Feb 15, 2014 02:00:51 |
Joined: Jan 04, 2011 Posts: 1588 Berlin L-Berg 
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Posted on Feb 15 2014 02:06 AM
djangodeadman wrote:
This pretty much sums it up, I guess. Although my emergency pedal is a Strymon Flint (sounds better than the FRV-1...to my ears) we should always keep in mind that really noone of the regular audience will ever notice a difference or miss the reverb crash |
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Joined: Jan 25, 2007 Posts: 1568 Brighton UK
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Posted on Feb 15 2014 09:48 AM
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Joined: Jun 11, 2012 Posts: 17 Luxembourg, Europe |
Posted on Feb 16 2014 04:25 PM
I couldn't agree more if I tried...! Thanks, guys! So here's to us geeks! |
Joined: Oct 05, 2011 Posts: 744 France
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Posted on Feb 16 2014 04:56 PM
Perry_Rhodan_SMUS wrote:
Amen to that! Old punks never die... They just become surf rockers. |
Joined: May 25, 2012 Posts: 39 |
Posted on Mar 20 2014 05:38 PM
+1 on the amateur endorsements. Nothing to add, just wanted to bump the thread. killbabykill34 wrote:
That was the comment that finally made up my mind. And the fact the unit has the same controls with the same markings as the real thing. Plus it has the genuine Fender® warning label on it. Going price seems to be $139 these days. The local Guitar Center didn't have any in stock so I got mine from American Music. No sales tax, and w/ free shipping it arrived in (less than) 48 hours. |
Joined: May 10, 2012 Posts: 492 |
Posted on Mar 20 2014 08:35 PM
Ok. I posted to this somewhere in this thread. I dunno who else chimed in.. The pedal is great, reliable, and better than you may think. I am not a pedal person at all, but i needed one for the Vibro Champ. Actually..the only pedal i use (outside of the occassional DOD overdrive 250..). I got a used one from a member here. It's been flawless. Plug in, instant surf. If you can afford a tank, then by all means. I'd go with Billy Zoom's Big Kahuna. |
Joined: Dec 11, 2013 Posts: 2537 Akron, Ohio 
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Posted on Mar 26 2014 06:15 PM
I read this entire thread. Ok, I had some extra time. I'm curious if anyone is using this in conjunction with there onboard springs and "hybrid" a close stand alone drip sound? This is my Twin with the verb maxed out and the return going through a boost then into my normal channel. The dwell goes on forever to get the drip. I'm wondering if I added the FRV to the front and try to spank some drip and turn the onboard down I can drip without sounding like it's in a blimp hanger. Anyone try this? —The Kahuna Kings https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Kahuna-Kings/459752090818447 |
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Joined: Nov 16, 2013 Posts: 4536 Wisconsin
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Posted on Mar 26 2014 10:09 PM
Don't have a 2-channel amp but before I got my tank I did that exactly with an FRV-1, which I still have as a backup. Found the pedal had to have its tone knob quite a ways down (otherwise it gets too shrill). With an already excellent reverb on-board it did add that extra bit I need. I could turn the on-board back a bit and get smooth tailing out of the two together. (Sound clip in the gear samples download area for my Blues Jr.) —Wes DISCLAIMER: The above is opinion/suggestion only & should not be used for mission planning/navigation, tweaking of instruments, beverage selection, or wardrobe choices. Last edited: Mar 28, 2014 12:42:01 |
Joined: Mar 13, 2014 Posts: 21 Thessaloniki 
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Posted on Mar 28 2014 08:21 AM
Imho the problem with this pedal is that although it is good to play it home or in a rehearsal, it cannot stand so good playing live. I have tried it twice, and I couldn't enjoy my sound cause it got lost in the mix (and I play in a trio). The sound was weak with strange dynamics and an overall "digital" sound. Of course you get what you pay, according to how much it costs and I believe it is a good pedal for its cost. Here are two videos where I use the FRV. The sound is recorded from the camera, so it is not the best but you get the idea of how the guitar sound is "Weak". —Surf Rock from the Northern Greece seas |
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Joined: Jan 04, 2011 Posts: 1588 Berlin L-Berg
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Posted on Mar 29 2014 01:09 AM
Mmmh, sounds more like a weak amp to me. Which amp are you using? — |
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Joined: Dec 11, 2013 Posts: 2537 Akron, Ohio
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Posted on Mar 29 2014 04:54 AM
Badger wrote:
So you ended up getting a tank which does tell me a lot but then again the Blues jr like the HR Deville I had are not tube driven reverb circuits so they really don't drip at all. I guess I will keep searching for a good price on the tank but if a FRV comes up on CL for a good price I'd like to try one. Every demo I've heard of the FRV left me doubting I wanted one. No warmth but then again nobody had blended the pedal with any tube driven reverb which may warm the pedal up a bit. —The Kahuna Kings https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Kahuna-Kings/459752090818447 |
Joined: Mar 15, 2011 Posts: 8528 Back in Piitsburgh, Pennsylvania, where I grew up.
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Posted on Mar 29 2014 07:59 AM
stratdancer wrote:
It's old news, but even BOSS demo the FRV-1 paired with their FDR-1 '65 Deluxe Reverb pedal. I did, and it definitely adds warmth the FRV-1 is missing. It's a night and day difference. Jake pointed out there are other, maybe better, ways to achieve this. After I got my Texotica, the FDR-1 went to a buddy of mine and he says it changes for the better every guitar/amp combo he owns. —This is Noel. Reverb's at maximum an' I'm givin' 'er all she's got. Last edited: Mar 29, 2014 08:00:56 |
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Joined: Dec 11, 2013 Posts: 2537 Akron, Ohio
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Posted on Mar 29 2014 08:15 AM
Noel, so you are saying mixing it with the Twin would be a good thing and worth the few bucks for the FRV. —The Kahuna Kings https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Kahuna-Kings/459752090818447 |
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Joined: Mar 15, 2011 Posts: 8528 Back in Piitsburgh, Pennsylvania, where I grew up.
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Posted on Mar 29 2014 08:44 AM
stratdancer wrote:
Worked very, very well for me. It's still not a substitute for a Texotica, but the pairing brings the FRV-1 a lot closer. Like I said, even BOSS don't demo the FRV-1 without the FDR-1. —This is Noel. Reverb's at maximum an' I'm givin' 'er all she's got. |
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Joined: Dec 11, 2013 Posts: 2537 Akron, Ohio
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Posted on Mar 29 2014 09:44 AM
Sounds great Noel! I may give it a try. I could go several directions right now. A Texotica, an FRV for the twin or the expensive build of a custom Deluxe Reverb with as close to the G-15 as possible built into the amp. I might push the button on the FRV-1. Who knows maybe the boss might work in the reverb loop that goes into the normal channel. I doubt anyone has played with that. —The Kahuna Kings https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Kahuna-Kings/459752090818447 |
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Joined: Nov 16, 2013 Posts: 4536 Wisconsin
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Posted on Mar 29 2014 11:45 AM
stratdancer wrote:
My BJr reverb isn't stock in that I swapped out a MOD tank as well as put an audio-taper pot in for the reverb. It's pretty nice all the way through the range; especially nice for a non-tube reverb from 9-12. The FRV-1 (which I don't regret having) was an interim measure, but the outboard tank was always a goal. The on-board on the BJr is now VERY good, the FRV was just to jangle things up a bit. Unfortunately, more than 2 on the pedal's tone knob returned it to just plain shrill which was my objection to the stock BJr reverb setup. The tank is simply a completely different sonic experience. I can't speak for earlier BJr owners because one of the things the III did was move the reverb to right before the power section (in this amp a good thing). An analog delay & the tank are before the pre-amp now. Lots of options. My FRV came to me from an ebay auction I won for $80, so they can be had for not much. If I'd had the coin to drop right then for a tank I'd have dispensed with the FRV probably. But now having a very nice on-board reverb and the FRV makes for a pretty quick grab & go package w/o hauling the tank along. The cost of either solution is a pretty wide difference; if you'd like a tank & are in a position to get one I'd go for it. And even though I ended up with a pre-owned Fender, I think Texotica's is pretty much the ticket from listening to various ones while shopping (again, what I could drop $$-wise at the time). Plugging into my own tank for the first time was just Wes DISCLAIMER: The above is opinion/suggestion only & should not be used for mission planning/navigation, tweaking of instruments, beverage selection, or wardrobe choices. |
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Joined: Mar 15, 2011 Posts: 8528 Back in Piitsburgh, Pennsylvania, where I grew up.
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Posted on Mar 29 2014 11:47 AM
If you play through a Texotica, Gomez G-Spring or good Vintage Fender Reverb, or even a well-setup Fender Reissue Reverb tank, you'll find the FRV-1, even combined with an FDR-1, to be imperfect. I guarantee, once you've heard the real thing at its' best, there's nothing its' equal. Having said that, reverb junkies try everything else first and then end up with the best tank they can get. I did. This is Noel. Reverb's at maximum an' I'm givin' 'er all she's got. |
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Joined: Dec 11, 2013 Posts: 2537 Akron, Ohio
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Posted on Mar 29 2014 04:44 PM
That's what I have suspected all along. I'll keep combing. —The Kahuna Kings https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Kahuna-Kings/459752090818447 |
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