Review Demo - Boss VB-2w Vibrato

Boss cultists covet the original VB-2 vibrato for it’s relative rarity. But unlike some Boss oddities that came up short on the musical side of the equation, the original VB-2 was ace—a striking and original sounding pitch wobbler that may not have successfully emulated a Leslie or unseated the ubiquitous CE-series chorus pedals as the ’80s stompbox modulator of choice, but became revered for deep, thick, and idiosyncratic pitch modulation. Now it’s back, in a more flexible configuration, as part of Boss’s Waza Craft series, and it’s as wonderfully rich and quirky as ever. The introduction of the excellent DM-2W delay last year suggests that Boss tapped into a reliable source of mass-produced bucket brigade BBD chips. It’s likely the same source is responsible for the chips in the VB-2W—so this is, indeed, analog vibrato done the old fashioned (or at least the early ’80s) way. If that induces worry among any original VB-2 owners who grappled with that unit’s noisier tendencies, they need not fret. Like the DM-2W, the VB-2W is a very quiet circuit. Apart from the relative silence, there are a few key differences between the Waza Craft version and the original VB-2. The Waza Craft version has a second jack on the right side of the pedal for an expression pedal, which controls the depth setting. There’s also a small, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it slider switch below the four knobs. It enables switching between the VB-2W’s “standard” voice (which replicates the original) and a...