Boss adds DS-1W Distortion to Waza Craft line

July 2, 2025 · 3 sources

Boss announced the DS-1W Distortion on October 6, 2022, as the latest addition to its Waza Craft family of premium compact pedals¹². The pedal is based on the DS-1 Distortion, which Boss introduced in 1978 among the earliest models in its compact series¹. Boss says the DS-1 has sold over 1.5 million units to date¹.

The DS-1W has controls for tone, level and distortion, plus a switch to select Standard or Custom modes³. Boss says Standard mode delivers the original DS-1 sound through its two-stage gain circuit, while Custom mode provides a thick, mid-focused tone with the tone control tuned for richness and presence¹². Boss states that Custom mode increases available level by 6 dB and adds more input sensitivity¹². The tone control affects low and high frequencies, boosting and cutting each end of the spectrum as the knob turns¹². Like other Waza Craft models, the pedal has a premium buffer for clean tone when bypassed and carries the standard compact series five-year warranty¹².

Guitar Player's review describes the Standard setting as a faithful replication of the post-1994 DS-1 rather than the original DS-1 with the Toshiba TA7136AP preamplifier³.

The DS-1W was available in the U.S. in October 2022 for $149.99¹².