Having created an enormous wave of buzz with the announcement of the project last November, Boss has finally unveiled the HM-2W Heavy Metal Waza Craft pedal.
The HM-2W is an enhanced reissue of the legendary HM-2 pedal, which was in production from 1983 to 1991 and featured a legendary "chainsaw" tone that made it a favorite not only of Swedish death metallers, but shoegaze guitarists and even David Gilmour as well.
The reissue was created with the help of a Boss HM-2W Facebook group, where fans discussed what they'd like to see in the new version of the pedal, and shared feedback with the company.
For starters, the HM-2W features a premium craft buffer – which aims to improve bypass performance – a reduced noise floor, and a maximum output level that's been increased by +3dB.
The pedal also features a mode selector switch, which allows users to choose between a Standard or Custom voice. Boss promises that the Standard mode will deliver the tones and feel of the HM-2 with “100-percent authenticity," while the Custom mode features a drive stage with increased gain, and tweaked low and high-mids, for extra sharpness, fullness, and depth.
Elsewhere, the control setup is faithful to the pedal's HM-2 roots, with Level and Distortion controls, and a Color Mix EQ section. The latter's H knob helps users tame tones at around the 1kHz frequency range, while the L knob does the same in the 100kHz range.
The Boss HM-2W Heavy Metal Waza Craft pedal will be available in the US starting in August for $179, with preorders going live across the brand's dealership network today.
For more info on the pedal, stop by boss.info.
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