According to BOSS, “Waza” is a Japanese term for “art and technique”. What better way to describe BOSS’ most premium pedals that carry the Waza Craft badge? Let’s find out exactly what “WAZA CRAFT” means and why you might want to go Waza.
WAZ Up with WAZA?
BOSS Waza Craft pedals are the highest performance pedals that BOSS makes. They are designed to offer the highest level of quality and sound. BOSS equips all WAZA pedals with premium components and attention to detail, but that’s not the only thing that makes a WAZA pedal: In addition to being superior performing version of a standard pedal, WAZA Craft pedals also contain expanded features, in the form of switchable modes, that allow you to dial in new sounds on a familiar platform. Finally, WAZA Craft pedals offer “true bypass” operation, which differs from the BOSS buffer sound that we’ve come to know. Whether this sounds better to you is subjective, but it does contribute to the signature tone of Waza pedals.
The catch is that WAZA pedals are typically more expensive than their standard counterparts. Part of this is due to the fact that WAZA Craft pedals are crafted in Japan. But are Boss Waza pedals worth the upcharge? To help you decide if the WAZA upgrade is worth it for you, we compared five BOSS WAZA pedals to see how they differ from their standard line pedals.
Top 5 BOSS Waza Craft Pedals
1. BOSS DS-1W Waza Craft Distortion Pedal
The standard BOSS DS-1 is a pedalboard classic. The DS-1 has been featured anywhere and everywhere that people need a versatile distortion that can go from classic to heavy rock. At high gain settings the DS-1 offers a huge saturated, almost fuzz-like lead tone. The DS-1 isn’t intended to be overly transparent, and it hits your amp with its signature sound. It does overdrive at low drive settings, but the DS-1 is ideally suited to big time saturated drive. The DS-1 is the sound of rock, and both Steve Vai and Joe Satriani are well-known DS-1 users.
DS-1W WAZA vs. Standard DS-1
The BOSS DS-1 Waza Craft adds a “Custom” mode, accessible by a toggle switch on the top of the pedal. Custom mode increases the midrange of the DS-1 by increasing the output up to 6dB. This enhances the DS-1’s ability to push the front end of an already hot amp, giving the DS-1 more versatility than the standard DS-1.
2. Boss CE-2W Waza Craft Chorus Pedal
The BOSS CE-2W is a reissue of the famous BOSS pedal, and then some. The original BOSS CE-1 chorus pedal evolved into the CE-2, which went through a few iterations through the years, as well as changes in manufacturing locations. The BOSS chorus sound is probably the most well known non-rack chorus effect, and was extremely popular in the heyday of chorus effects. Having fallen out of favor recently, I have to say that it’s really nice to hear a lush, high quality chorus again, especially in pedal format.
CE-2W WAZA vs. Standard CE-2
The CE-2 is not currently available as a standalone pedal. Instead, BOSS decided to pack the WAZA version with both CE-1 and CE-2 sounds, accessible via the 3-way toggle switch. Position 1 is the Standard CE-2, Position 2 is the CE-1 sound, and Position 3 is the CE-1 Vibrato mode. Additionally, the CE-2W includes stereo outputs, which was a CE-1 feature but not included on the CE-2. As a bonus, the Vibrato mode in Position 3 is a completely different sound, and one that you simply can’t get on a standard CE-2.
Aside from the increased palate of sounds, the real benefit of WAZA construction in the CE-2W has to do with the nature of the chorus effect itself: More than any other effect, the BOSS Waza chorus benefits from WAZA Craft’s premium circuitry. I used a standard CE-2 as my chorus sound for many years and know that sound well; the CE-2W sounds both clearer and more lush than my old CE-2.
3. BOSS BD-2W Waza Craft Blues Driver Pedal
We’ve talked about the standard BD-2 before in our article on Best Overdrive Pedals. Compared to the DS-1, the BD-2 offers far less distortion, focusing instead on adding classic overdriven sounds to any rig. The BD-2 also excels at overdriving an amp’s front end.
BD-2W WAZA vs. Standard BD-2
Like all Waza pedals, the BD-2W offers a toggle switch not found on the standard BD-2. This 2-way switch toggles the “S” and “C” modes. Not surprisingly, the “S” stands for standard mode, and is identical to the standard BD-2 (run through upgraded WAZA components, of course). The Waza Blues Driver’s Custom mode adds noticeably more bottom end, making your guitar sound deeper, and bigger. I didn’t detect much of a change in output between the S and C modes, however. Another plus for the BD-2 is that the overall sound is slightly more refined, no doubt in part due to the reduced noise floor of the WAZA-quality componentry, regardless of the mode setting. The increased sound quality is subtle, but it’s there, and the BOSS Blues Driver Waza will make a Strat in the 2nd or 4th position sound that much more clucky.
4. BOSS SD-1W Waza Craft Super Overdrive Pedal
The BOSS SD-1 is sort of a big sibling to the BOSS BD-2 Blues Driver. Where the BD-2 is all about pre-saturation overdrive, the SD-1 is arguably more versatile in that it’s able to deliver overdrive but then takes things further down the saturation road into full blown distortion. We discussed the standard SD-1, as well as the BD-2 Blues Driver, in our article on Best Overdrive Pedals 2023.
SD-1W WAZA vs. Standard SD-1
Like the BD-2, the SD-1W offers two modes of operation—”S and C”—but with a twist: Apparently, the BOSS engineers redesigned the SD-1W circuitry to deliver greater fidelity and cleaner operation. As a result, the “S” mode offers the standard SD-1 sound, only better. The SD-1W’s “C” mode is supposed to add additional bass and gain, and the bottom end does increase slightly.
Like the BD-2, the SD-1W benefits from WAZA components, sounding clearer and more articulate throughout. However, the differences between the Standard and Waza versions are harder to pick out than the BD-2. This is not surprising given that the gain range of the SD-1 is higher than the BD-2, and subtleties can get lost in all that dirt. The case for buying the SD-1W is the upgraded circuit topology, but if I were going to insist on getting a standard version only, the standard SD-1 is the one I would choose.
5. BOSS DM-2W Waza Craft Delay Pedal
In today’s effects landscape that is awash with digital modelers and multi-effect units, you wouldn’t think that an analog delay pedal would survive, much less be granted Waza status. The fact that the DM-2W still exists is a testament to its iconic sound. Like the CE-2W, the DM-2W is not currently produced in standard, non-Waza form, and like the SD-1W, it has been redesigned for elevated sound quality.
DM-2W Waza vs Standard DM-2
One of the biggest reasons the DM-2 still exists is that many prefer the sound of an analog delay. In redesigning the DM-2 circuitry, BOSS eliminated the clock noise while retaining the darker, less precise tonal characteristics of analog delay. The toggle switch on the DM-2 doubles the delay time available to 800ms, and warms up the repeats. This sits well with players who already prefer the warmer sound of analog delays. The DM-2W also offers split outputs so you can output your direct and delay sounds separately.
The BOSS Waza delay fills a niche for players who enjoy the sound of analog delay but are unwilling to tolerate the noise of a vintage pedal. The DM-2W also accepts an expression pedal for further tone shaping options.
Can’t get enough WAZA? See our article on 5 other Waza pedals from BOSS.