Thanks for watching! Yes it's strange that they haven't really looked into addressing the noise issue. I understand the choice to use 022 op amps was it's low power consumption, and Boss wanting to keep it "battery user friendly." Glad you enjoyed the video!

@@arito Is that Waza version also that bad?

Noise is part of the sound

They did. Boss NS-2.

The noise was the reason I never used this unit after getting it. I got rid of it a while back. Always considered it a she it design.

Thanks for watching! Great to hear this video helped! Hope the mod works out for you!

Thanks for watching! Great to hear you enjoyed the video! Yeah, I was also quite surprised by the difference it made.

Thanks for watching! Glad to hear this video helped! I can only imagine that the noise would be an issue in the studio, hope you were able to work around it!

Thanks for watching! Thank you for the kind words, I hope the video was of some help for you!

Thanks for watching! Great to hear the video helped, and hope the mod works out for you!

Thanks for watching! Great to hear you found the video interesting. Hope the mod works out for you!

Thanks for watching! Glad I could help! The noise issue isn't that bad if you avoid really high gain pedals or don't use extreme setting on the EQ pedal. That said, it is kind of annoying for a pedal at this price point... Boss surely could do better.

Thanks for watching! Great to hear that the GE7 worked out for you without a mod! Looks like using it through the FX loop might be a good option!

@@arito Yes you are correct..I have been very lucky with my EVH high gain tube heads..no noise at all even at higher volumes..but I have heard some and read other people saying theirs are really noisy..so I am lucky !

@@arito I have a new GE-7 I love it . The noise I got was when you buy it there’s a green battery in the petal take it out use your power supply an put the petal in before your dirt hey it works great been using one for years this is my second one I wore my first out it lasted 38 years I do believe that’s great

@@wademarlar9616 Thanks for watching! That's amazing that your first pedal lasted so long! It sure is a great pedal!

Thank you!

Thanks for watching! And thanks for the kind comment, I really appreciate it!

Thanks for watching! Great to hear you modded your GE-7! Yes, with the noise reduced, you can now use it with high gain pedals. 😃

Thanks for watching! I'm sure you can do a search and find several places that do pedal mods. I would offer my services, but since I live in Japan, the added shipping costs would not be worth it...

Analogman does great also will sell. Has good rep if you ever sell it. Most guys can do good but with analogman 100 percent good job that people know

Just get a soldering iron, solder, flux, desolder braid (better than _solder sucker_ imho, but especially for newbies). Like 10-12 usd's I generally use chip sockets, saves remove/replace, and troubleshooting time. Just note Pin 1 dot on chip and install new one in same orientation (and not upside down). Easy peazy

Hi, thanks for watching! The numbers that you are referring to are just the production lot numbers, so no need to worry about them. But, I would be careful buying from "massive Chinese suppliers." I have heard that there are many fake op amps floating around on those places. If you live in the US or Canada, I would buy from reputable retailers like Digi-Key or Mouser. (I have no personal experience buying from them, as I live in Japan) Good luck with the mod!

Thanks for watching! There should be 2 more electrolytic caps left after the initial mod. Those are the two that need to be changed.

Thanks for watching! I chose the 5532 because it is sort of the industry standard as a "low noise hi-fi audio" op amp. Aside from some of the more exotic/expensive hi-fi op amps, the 5532 is found in a lot of hi-fi equipment for its low noise and audio performance. In the case of a distortion pedal, I'm not sure if changing the op amp will have a big affect on the noise, but it's definitely worth a try! Also, you might notice the distortion/clipping tones change, so that's another thing to consider. Good luck, I hope it works out!

Thanks for watching! Yes, I've also heard that Boss switched to surface mount sometime early this year, although I cannot directly confirm it. But any of the pre-2021 pedals can be modded so with close to 40 years of production, finding a used one in good condition should be pretty easy for now :)

Thanks for that info

Thanks! I'm not an op amp expert, so I can't say for sure, but my understanding is that the NE LM and JRC would all have similar basic performance if they're all 5532s.

@@arito I opened my pedal and it has JRC 022D op amps. I guess that would be the same as the TL7022 right? I’ll order those Texas 5532 and test to see if it makes any difference.

@@felipevsw My GE-7 had the JRC022D as well. I don't know of the TL7022, but if you meant TL022, then yes, my guess is that those two op amps would be of similar performance. Good luck with the mod, and I hope the NE5532 does the trick!

Thanks for watching! lol, I have no idea how the PitchFork works or its schematic, but I would assume an op amp won't solve the noise : )

Thanks for watching! That's interesting to hear that the frequency range changed...

@@arito don’t take it as “gospel” though. When I did side by side with the modded and original, they seemed to affect differently and I felt like it was the range of frequencies or rather that the bands weren’t the same. The Wampler mod changes out the op amps, but also some caps, and a few other components if I recall correctly. It was back in the 2000’s, so a long time ago. Maybe more of a thing to watch for, not certain I’m right.

@@shader26 Interesting, thanks for the info. Maybe the extra components had different values than the stock parts and shifted the frequency response of the pedal?

Hi, thanks for watching! I am no expert with soldering, but my advice is patience, patience, patience. I used a braided solder wick to remove the old solder. Going through the 8 pins of an op amp, you can't spend too much time pressing the soldering iron against the wick, as it will heat up the op amp too much and damage it. Although if you don't plan to save the old op amp, that's not a concern. Anyway, I do short bursts of pressing the wick against the pins, removing the majority of the solder, then let the op amp cool for several minutes, then do some more short bursts with the wick, then cool again. After about the third time, all the solder should be gone, and the pins loose. If it's still stuck, I will sometimes slide a thin/sharp flathead screwdriver under the op amp and wedge it loose as I heat the pins directly(no wick) with a soldering iron. Hope this helps, and good luck!

@@arito thank you very much!! Keep up the good work. Let us know if you're planning on modding some other pedal :)

@@lovecraftmusic8717 Thank you! I have a bunch of pedals that I have modded, or plan to mod, and will be making videos of those soon.

Hi, LOVECRAFT MUSIC! I learned the desoldering from this video (in Japanese). kzfaq.info/get/bejne/l6p7epCLqcnakn0.html . I think you can find similar videos in your language. Solder blotting line is cheap and easy to use. This was my first Mod and I successfully swapped the Op-amps and 3 capacitors in GE-7. The result was successful and great.

Thanks for watching! Yes, the capacitors are 1uF. The voltage rating can be anything above 16v (or 25v to be safe) if you're using a regular 9v battery or power supply. Hope that helps!

@@arito Thank you so much for your kindness.

@@Chonism Thank you! Good luck on your mod, I hope it works out well!

Hi, thanks for watching! Most likely yes, the op amps can be replaced. But, it is preferable that your EQ pedal uses "through hole" components, as opposed to "surface mount" components. Surface mount chips are a little difficult to de-solder and the swapping process can be tricky. That said, if your pedal uses 4558 already, I'm not sure if you'll hear a noticeable improvement by swapping the op amps. I have a video comparing the Ibanez GE10 to the Boss GE-7 stock/mod, with the Ibanez having 4558 as stock op amps, and there is a slight difference in noise, but it's not huge. Hope this helps! Link to the video: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/fb9yepdhldq9f30.html

@@arito thank you very much for your reply. AHH ok, I thought perhaps the op amp swap out might be the answer I need. The hiss from the Biyang EQ-7 is excessive when used as a front end boost for a little extra distortion. Even when the sliders are all at zero. I will watch your other video. Perhaps I need to find a different a eq pedal 😔 which is a shame as the Biyang is fantastic. Edit and yes it's surface mount PCB.

@@RabidGerry Although I don't know what the schematic of the Biyang looks like, I'm assuming it is similar to the GE-7. If that's the case, and the op amps are 4558s, I'm not entirely sure if the cause of the hiss is the Biyang, especially since you have the EQ sliders at zero. Before you spend any more money and buy another EQ pedal, try boosting your amp with other pedals, like if you have an overdrive pedal that can be used as a boost when the gain/drive is at zero and level at max. Hiss is one of those things that is really hard to nail down, and it could be that that's "normal" for your rig, but it just gets noticeable with the boost.

Thanks for watching! I totally agree, it's such a versatile pedal once you get into the habit of using it, it's hard to be without one. I still don't understand why Boss hasn't made changes to the op amp while some of their other pedals have gone through minor updates over the years. Maybe they'll do a Waza version...

@@arito I agree completely: it's almost embarrassing to sell a pedal where so many corners were cut. You're completely right they've been rereleasing pedals and I hypothesize it's in their best interest to sell the "regular" versions along side the more expensive upgrade version. Peace to you and looking forward to more vids. :)

@@jinjxmusic Thanks for the support! I've been busy recently, but hope to get back to making some more videos in the near future.

@@arito what's really hilarious is that there isn't a EQ Waza yet but there's a Chromatic Tuner Waza lol. Some are deserved Waza...like the Dimension C one.

@@AvnerRosenstein-ULTRA-LXV Thanks for watching! Yeah, when the Waza Tuner came out, I was like WTF!? It seemed like such an oddball, I never understood the reasoning behind it. That new fuzz looks cool though.

Thanks for watching! Does the pedal work with a power supply? The battery snap is simply connected to the power supply jack and ground, so if it works with a power supply, the only thing I can think of, is that the battery snap has gotten disconnected somewhere. Also, you can't have anything plugged into the power supply jack, it disconnects the battery from the circuit. Hope this helps.

Thanks for watching! I can't really say without looking at the actual pedal, but if all the connections look fine, I think that might be "normal" for that pedal. There are many pedals out there that have low output volume. Changing the op amp probably won't fix the issues you mentioned, as there are so many other causes for problems in pedals.

Thanks for watching! I hope my video helped!

Thanks for watching! I've never tried that, but I can see how stacking the two would widen the range of tweakable frequencies and make it more versatile. Don't know about the noise, but would imagine that it would also stack up and increase a little.

I've used a ge-7 and a geb-7 in my rig for over twenty years now. Get a noise suppressor (mine is an ns-2). It will sound like your amp is off when you are not playing.

Thanks for watching! The stock op amps should be some variant of the 022 family. Yes, the NE5532 should work, although I have never tried it myself, so can't speak from experience. Good luck with the mod!

Hi, thanks for watching! Yes, I made another video where I didn't max out the knobs and used a more "reasonable" setting, and the noise is far less noticeable. Great pedal!

Hi guitar_string, thanks for watching! I've never used the older version, but I believe the schematic is the same, as well as the main 3 op amps. Although the MIJ version has a JRC4558 for its 4th op amp, which in mine has been replaced with a JRC2068. Not sure if that will make a difference in the noise issue, but if you do find your pedal noisy with overdrive, changing those 3 JRC022(or M5218) op amps should definitely help.

@@arito My MIJ has one JRC4558 and 3 TL022CP chips

@@kylebollendorf329 Thanks for watching! And thanks for the info! So, looks like it does use the 022 chips, which leads me to believe the noise would be very similar. I just recently acquired a MIJ version, but haven't gotten around to opening it up yet...

Thanks for watching! I changed the capacitors because they are in the signal path, and I had some extras in my parts box. But to be honest, I don't think they have any effect on the noise.

Thanks for watching! The original op amps were JRC 022.

@@arito I typed in JRC022 on google and I'm guessing they don't make JRC022 anymore must be discontinued

@@waynegram8907 Didn't know that... I'm sure there is a similar substitute out there.

Thanks for watching! I don't know the schematic of your pedal, but if it's an EQ I would assume that it's something similar. So if the cause of noise is coming from the op amps, this mod would definitely work. Good luck!

Thanks for watching! Yes, just the op amps are necessary. I only changed the capacitors because I had a bunch in my parts bin.

Thanks for watching! Hope it works on your rack unit as well!

Thanks for watching! I've never used the EQuator, but it's a slightly different pedal since it's not a graphic EQ. Wampler makes great pedals so I'm sure there are no noise issues with their stuff.

Hi, and thanks for watching! I don't know much about the bass version, but a quick search on the web shows that the schematic is pretty much identical, except for the resistor and capacitor values for the different frequency bands. Although, it seems that the bass version uses a M5218P op amp instead of the JRC022 found in this model. Still, I'm pretty sure you can safely swap them for a 5532 without any issues. Good luck!

Yes it can, as long as the pedal is older than 2021 as the newer ones are surface mounted

Thanks for watching! I have never worked on the newer surface mount GE-7s and couldn't find any images online of what the circuit looks like. I would first check the numbers on the op amps to identify the chip models. If only 3 are the same, I would assume that those are the 3 to replace. If all 4 are the same, I really can't say, but it might be a good guess to assume that the 3 grouped together are the ones to replace.

@@arito The 3 that are grouped together are the same

@@dincorcelles Then, I can only assume that those are the 3 to replace. Good luck!

@@arito thank you

@@arito Unless you are an experienced professional solder technician, I would NOT attempt to replace surface mounted op amps, even the company's that offer the kits will tell you NOT to attempt surface mount, you WILL destroy your circuit board.

Thanks for watching! Yeah, I wasn't able to get rid of all the noise... The mid frequency op amp was changed, so maybe a deeper dive into the design and schematic might be necessary.

Cranking any of them to max is way more than you ever need to do with this pedal, so under normal circumstances the noise will be negligible.

Yes, under "typical" use, the noise would be pretty much inaudible, I think.

By virtue of how an equalizer works, if there is any noise in your rig, and there _always_ will be, it will be boosted along with your guitar signal, since most noise exists in the mid-high frequency bands, boosting those frequencys boosts the white noise as well.

Thanks for watching! Yes, most likely. I first tried testing the noise into a clean amp, and basically couldn't hear any. But, with a good amount of overdrive, you'll definitely start to hear it.

Thanks for watching! Yes, it requires de-soldering the old parts, and soldering the new parts.

Hi, thanks for watching! Yes, JRC is the manufacturer, and on paper the NE/SA5532 should be of similar performance. I don't have any first hand experience with the NE5532, but the internet is full of hot debates about how the same chip model will sound drastically different by manufacturer...

Thanks for watching! Unfortunately the GE-7 is the only eq pedal I've played. Some people have commented that the MXR is good, but I've never tried one, so have no idea on its noise. Hope you're able to find a good alternative!

Thanks for watching! I've never used the MXR EQ so can't comment on it's noise compared to the GE-7. Also, the GE-7 is 7-band + Gain, but MXR is a 6-band only. Or, you can go with the large box 10-band + Gain. I think you have to choose depending on how you want to use an EQ pedal. Hope this helps!

@@arito Thank you for your input! Much appreciated! I've decided to go with the MXR 6-band due to apparent lower noise floor.

@@alexoja2918 Glad I could be of some help! I'm sure the MXR is going to work out great! Hope you enjoy the pedal and have fun!

Thanks for watching! Yes, several people have commented about the new SMT GE-7s, but I'm hearing mixed reviews. Would love to see a direct comparison video.

Thanks for watching! Yes, the NE5532 would work great as well!

@@arito it has low noise op amp

Thanks for watching! All three caps are 1uF!

Okay.. thanks a lot..😊

@@user-kg2rl7hz3v Glad I could help! Good luck!

Yeaay.. my GE7 mod done with great result.. the noise reduce significant.. thanks again brother🤘🏽🎸 😁

@@user-kg2rl7hz3v Congratulations! That's great! Glad I could help! 😃

Thanks for watching! I thought about it, but with this pedal I didn't see myself swapping op amps like I would with an overdrive, so ended up soldering directly.

Thanks for watching! Someone posted a link or a shop name that sells mod kits in the comments here. Hope you're able to get it worked out!

Thanks for watching! Yes, wah pedals with the DPDT footswitch can definitely get noisy!

Thanks for watching! It could very well be my room/environment, but I have 3 tube amps and the results are pretty much the same. That said, the GE-7 is somewhat known for its noise issue which is why several mod kits and modding services, along with numerous blog articles can be found online.

@@arito It's not a ge7 but I just bought an eq pedal last night and I noticed with that being the only thing in the chain and placing it before my distortion created this same issue, but after my distortion there wasn't much noise if any. Maybe it's just eqs? I thought it was strange I'd get noise placing it before a distortion with a built in noise gate

@@Ayyem93 That is pretty normal behavior for your setup. I can't comment on the noise gate, as each noise gate is different in its threshold/design. But, to explain what's going on, a distortion/overdrive takes the incoming signal, amplifies everything, then clips/distorts anything above a certain level. That is an oversimplified explanation, but more or less what happens in most amps and pedals. So, if the EQ pedal is creating some noise, then the distortion after it, is going to amplify everything the EQ pedal gives it, including the noise. But, with the distortion before the EQ, the signal has already been amplified before reaching the EQ, and whatever minimal noise from the EQ stays at that level. Hope this helps clarify the issue :)

Thanks for watching! Yes, I believe a noise gate/suppressor should cut the noise down quite a bit, although I can't say from experience, since I've never owned or used one.

Thanks for watching! Yeah, I totally understand your frustration, hopefully someone will chime in with some good advice.

I actually stumbled onto a solution myself, as even with a noise gate toward the end of the chain, which did help to a degree, the issue was not completely rectified.

Thanks for watching! I've heard the MUSES name before somewhere, as a high end op amp, although I don't know anything about them... I can imagine that it was a big improvement over the JRC022s!

@@arito Thanks for your comment. Yesterday I knew that some old MIJ GE-7s use 4558 and noiseless (or less noise). My current understanding is that GE-7s with JRC022 are noisy, but GE-7s with fewer noise Op-amps (4558, or Mod to 5532, MUSES, etc) are not.

@@nobup7 I didn't know that! Thanks for the information. I thought that they always used the JRC022, but that's interesting to know that they used the 4558 in the earlier versions.

@@arito I am unsure... Quite unsure. That is a rumor.

@@nobup7 I just checked my MIJ GE-7 and it had the JRC4558 and the noise level is acceptable but not nearly as silent as @Arito Suzuki after his mods

Hi, and thanks for watching! Yeah, I vaguely recall reading somewhere about the JRC022 and their lower power consumption. But, just as you have suggested, I don't see myself using this with batteries, so it wasn't an issue. Although, just for fun, it would be interesting to see a comparison of how much the battery life changes with the op amps.

similar with cd players around 2000, they compromised fidelity of headphone op amp to gain battery life

Ahh yes, I remember those pre iPod days... portable CD player and headphones. "3 second anti-skip protection!" Had no idea about the op amp though, thanks for the info.

Thanks for watching! I'm sorry, couldn't quite understand your question, are you asking about why I changed the capacitors? There was not much of a reason for it, just that it was part of the main signal chain, and I had the parts lying around.

10uf16v

Thanks for watching! I don't have either of the specs, but I'm sure you can find their datasheets online.

@@arito i mean the item that you replaced.. is it the op amp or something.. i just want to know the model

@@Feitan0123 The op amp that I replaced were three "JRC022." The capacitors were the same value "1uF" just a different brand.

@@arito thank you so much for this

@@Feitan0123 No problem! Glad I could help!

Thanks for watching! I'm preparing to sell modded pedals on ebay. Problem is, new off-the-shelf GE-7s are made with surface mount components, so I need to find "clean" used pedals to mod.

Thanks for watching! And thanks for the suggestion, several people have also commented about the MXR, it might be a good alternative to the GE-7.

Thanks for watching! Changing the power supply will not improve this specific noise. I've used a battery here to avoid any power supply issues creeping in. Unfortunately, it does seem like changing the op amps is the only solution in this case.

Thanks for watching! I'd definitely like to take a look at the MXR... Maybe if I can find a used one for a good deal.

Thanks for watching! I bought my chips from a reputable shop here in Tokyo. I've heard that many of the cheap chips from China have a risk of being fake, so just to be safe, I stay away from sketchy sellers.

@@arito thank you for your reply 🙌🏾

@@guitarste Happy to help! Hope you're able to get things worked out.

Thanks for watching!

Hi, thanks for watching! Yes, there were several comments in the past suggesting that it's only a power supply issue on my end, but as you have pointed out, I used fresh batteries, which would be the quietest option in this case. But, in Boss' defense, unless you push the knobs really high/low while having a high gain pedal or amp come after the EQ, the noise won't be too noticeable.

​@@aritoa bad power supply cap could make it noisy even with batteries. I have a video on my channel running this pedal on a battery and there was no noise. If you're in there changing op-amps, may as well shotgun all the electrolytic caps too. The frequency range of each slider can be changed as well by swapping out caps. I take the 100hz down to 80hz so it can be used as a good low-cut. Hope this helps a bit~

@@Archlegan Thanks for watching! Thanks again for sharing your modding experiences! Gyrators are really fun!

Thanks for watching! Yes, a noise gate would be a great way to avoid any noise issues.

Thanks for watching! I think I'm good for now. 😃

Thanks for watching!

Thanks for watching! I haven't tried any other EQ pedals, sorry I can't be of any help. Would be best if you can find a local store with a good selection.

Thanks for watching! And thank you for sharing your advice! My cables are all DIY using Belden 8412 with Neutrik plugs. The cable to the left of the pedal is a DIY patch cable since there is an OD pedal just outside of the frame. For short patch cables, I just use generic plugs and cables. From the OD to the amp is another 8412 cable.

Thanks for watching! I'm not familiar with the Sniper Mod in particular, but it seems like this is the most common/popular mod to do.

Thanks for watching!

Thanks for watching! Yes, the quality of the power supply unit, and other factors like ground loops and cable quality/length will definitely cause noise issues & hum. Which I why I use batteries and short cable runs for these videos.

Hard to get more isolated than the 9v battery used in this video.

Thanks for watching!

Thanks for watching! I think they really want to keep this "battery user friendly," hence the op amp choice, although not many people use their pedals with batteries anymore. Definitely keep that modded GE-7!

Thanks for watching! The question has been asked numerous times in the comments here, but the common consensus is the op amp was chosen for: low power consumption = acceptable battery life. The newer surface mount GE-7 is rumored to be quieter, but again, no one in the comments has confirmed this by testing them side by side.

@@arito I have the new one and it is indeed quieter. Silent when subtracting and basically the same as the mod when adding.

Thanks for the comment! I was able to grab mine used for $25, so it's not a big deal, but I do wonder why Boss hasn't addressed this issue. Would be great if we could get someone from Boss to comment :)

@@arito That is a good deal and worth doing the mod at that price. Not at the full price of $124 and expect better from a company such as Boss. That being said, I have a few other Boss pedals and they are still going strong after 30 years.

@@mr.s5333 I agree. Boss makes tons of great pedals, and it seems they could make this one great as well. Maybe a WAZA version!?

What are the other pedals you’d recommend looking at?

Thanks for watching! Yes, everything you suggest is correct. Boss make amazing pedals, and I'm a huge fan. Although the DIY gain pedal I used was an overdrive and not a heavy noisy distortion, alone into a clean amp, you'd probably only notice the slightest hint of noise with the knobs at extreme setting. Modding pedals is one of my hobbies, and this was a fun experiment for me :) So, even if you'd most likely never notice the noise, if the mod improves it, why not?

@@arito cool :) i use 2 boss n 1 crybaby for my pedals..... because they r so simple n sound good.... but as all guys in am chasing tone everyday!!!!! do you take work in ? do you have any mods for my trusty boss distortion1.... the orange goddess!!!! the other one is a boss delay3.... no tap tempo needed, just pick a setting..... cheers... lemme know if u wanna do a peddle and make a lil money.... i love supporting small shops like your :)

@@SanFranciscoFatboy Yes, Boss pedals are built like tanks with a no frills simple control layout! Thanks for the offer, at the moment I'm not doing mods for a living, but either way, I live in Japan, so shipping costs alone wouldn't be worth the mod :) As for the DS-1, there are so many mods you could do! Change the tone circuit to your liking, and/or change the clipping characteristic, but it's also a great pedal as is!

Thanks for watching! And thanks for the advice, very much appreciated!

Thanks for watching! I apologize for leaving out the process, this video was mostly aimed for folks who have some experience modding pedals, since it's quite easy to cause damage in the process and these pedals are not cheap. But yes, you have to unsolder the components to remove them, I use a desoldering braid/wick, but there are other methods as well. Hope this helps.

@@arito thanks for getting back to me and sorry if I seemed less than polite. I shall find a friendly electrician and ask their help. It’s a great pedal but very noisy and this modification seems to be the answer. Best wishes.

@@owentuckett938 No worries, I totally understand your frustration. Anyone with some soldering experience should be able to perform the mod for you. The 3 op amps are what's important, the capacitors will have little to no effect on the noise, I only did it because I have tons of those green "hi-fi" capacitors lying around. Good luck, I hope the mod works out for you.

Thanks for watching! The general consensus is that Boss has design parameters on current draw/power consumption so that under battery use, it will last for a decent amount of time. The 022 op amps are probably the best choice in that case. With the mod, you kinda have to use a power supply, or swap batteries quite often.

Thanks for watching! Great to hear the new versions are quieter and worked out for you!