The Boss SYB-3 is a monophonic bass synthesizer pedal: it takes a bass guitar's signal and transforms it into a synth sound, complete with a resonant lowpass filter with cutoff, a decay control and a hold function. Boss launched it in 1996, and Vintage Synth Explorer describes it as having simple controls but a genuine analog synth bass sound1. It has since been discontinued2.
Synth modes, wave shapes, and T-Wah
The pedal's 11 modes split into three groups1:
- 7 Internal Sound Modes, in which the bass guitar triggers and controls the built-in synth sounds
- 2 Wave shape modes, which tweak the actual bass sound into something synth-like rather than replacing it
- 2 T-Wah modes, which give a wah-wah bass sound
Under the hood, the sound engine is an analog modeled DSP with one oscillator, offering saw, square, PWM, lower octave mode and a noise generator mode, filtered by a lowpass filter with resonance and cutoff1. There is no LFO, so movement in the sound comes from playing dynamics or from a pedal plugged into the EXP jack12. A HOLD function sustains a synth-y note while playing over top of it, which Pedal of the Day's reviewer highlighted as a standout feature2.
The SYB-3's modes split into two kinds. The two Wave shape modes tweak your actual bass sound into something synth-like, while the two T-Wah modes give you a wah-wah bass sound1. On top of those, Boss lists 2 wave shape and 2 autowah effects for external sound1. The pedal also has a HOLD function, where you can sustain a synth-y note while playing over top of it2. Reviewers found it remarkably versatile: Pedal of the Day's reviewer wrote that you could play it every day for a year straight and probably never hear the exact sound twice2.
Power, jacks, and levels
The SYB-3 runs from an AC adaptor jack at 9 V DC or from a 9 V dry battery (6F22 type), drawing 80 mA2. Its input impedance is 1 M ohm and output impedance is 1 k ohm, with nominal input and output levels of -20 dBu. Dynamic range is listed at 102 dB (Direct) and 95 dB (Effect), IHF-A, typ. at 100 Hz2.
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Power | AC Adaptor Jack (9 V DC) or 9 V dry battery (6F22)2 |
| Current draw | 80 mA2 |
| Input impedance | 1 M ohms2 |
| Output impedance | 1 k ohms2 |
| Nominal input level | -20 dBu2 |
| Nominal output level | -20 dBu2 |
| Dynamic range | 102 dB (Direct), 95 dB (Effect), IHF-A, typ. at 100 Hz2 |
Two outputs allow the synth signal and the direct bass signal to be sent separately, which is useful for blending or processing them on different paths1.
The SYB-3 is discontinued. Boss's later SYB-5 Bass Synthesizer is its successor in the lineup.
The SYB-3 and the SYB-5
Boss followed the SYB-3 with the SYB-5, and the two pedals differ in voicing. Vintage Synth Explorer compared them directly: "The Square waveform is fatter, but the Saw waveform is far better in the SYB-3"3. The SYB-3 also has no LFO1, so players wanting programmed modulation movement look elsewhere or use the EXP jack with an expression pedal2.
MusicRadar, reviewing a later Boss synth pedal, noted that Boss "launched the SYB-3 Bass Synthesiser a whole 25 years ago," placing its release in the mid-1990s4.
Videos
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Questions
Is the Boss SYB-3 still made?
No. Boss launched the SYB-3 in 1996 and the pedal has since been discontinued, as Pedal of the Day noted in its 2014 review. Boss later offered the SYB-5 Bass Synthesizer, which carries the same idea forward with a different circuit, so players looking for a current Boss bass synth pedal would look there instead of hunting the original.
Is the Boss SYB-3 polyphonic?
No. The SYB-3 is monophonic, meaning it tracks and synthesizes one note at a time. Vintage Synth Explorer lists its polyphony as monophonic. Played lines and single-note riffs work naturally; chords and double stops fall outside what the pedal is built to reproduce, which is typical of bass synth pedals of its generation.
Does the Boss SYB-3 run on a battery?
Yes. Alongside an AC adaptor jack for 9 V DC power, the SYB-3 takes a 9 V dry battery of the 6F22 type, the standard rectangular 9 V battery. Its current draw is listed at 80 mA, so a mains adaptor is the practical choice for regular use, but a battery will run the pedal.
How many sounds does the Boss SYB-3 have?
The SYB-3 has 11 synthesizer modes: 7 Internal Sound Modes in which the bass triggers built-in synth sounds, 2 Wave shape modes that reshape the actual bass signal into something synth-like, and 2 T-Wah modes that produce a wah-wah bass sound. There are no presets to store, so sounds are dialed in from the controls.
Can I use an expression pedal with the Boss SYB-3?
Yes. The SYB-3 has a dedicated EXP jack, so an expression pedal can be connected to control parameters as you play. That makes the filter and other elements of the synth voice playable in real time rather than fixed at whatever the knobs are set to.
How does the SYB-3 differ from the SYB-5?
The SYB-5 is Boss's later bass synthesizer pedal, and the two differ in voicing. Vintage Synth Explorer compared the waveforms directly, finding the square waveform fatter on the SYB-5 but the saw waveform far better on the SYB-3. The SYB-3 also has no LFO, so modulation has to come from playing dynamics or an expression pedal.
Sources (4)
- BOSS SYB-3 Bass Synthesizer, Vintage Synth Explorer, 2026
- Boss SYB-3 Bass Synthesizer, Pedal of the Day, 2014-04-19
- BOSS SYB-5 Bass Synthesizer, Vintage Synth Explorer, 2026
- Boss SY-200 review, MusicRadar, 2022-03-26
