Boss VB-2W Vibrato Waza Craft

The Boss VB-2W Vibrato is a vibrato pedal in Boss's Waza Craft series of premium special edition pedals, built as a modern version of the original Boss VB-2 from 1982¹²³. Where the original is now one of the rarest of all Boss pedals and highly prized on the used market, the VB-2W recreates its true pitch-shifted vibrato with 100 percent analog circuitry, using a BBD (bucket brigade) vibrato line¹²⁴.

It debuted at NAMM in January 2016⁵. Beyond reproducing the original, it adds a Custom voice, a Rise Time knob, an unlatch mode and an expression pedal input for real-time depth control³.

What it does to your sound

Vibrato is true pitch modulation, and the VB-2W's analog BBD circuit produces it directly rather than as a byproduct of a chorus. Guitar.com described the original's appeal in concrete terms: the pedal enables fretless-like vibrato, chord vibrato without a whammy bar, and warble sounds at extreme settings⁴. Premier Guitar's reviewer noted that at lower rates and intensities it can serve as an interesting alternative to the common sweeping Uni-Vibe-and-fuzz lead tone¹.

The pedal is also quiet. Premier Guitar found it "a very quiet circuit" and "quiet for an analog vibrato," comparing it to the Waza Craft DM-2W delay¹.

The controls

The VB-2W carries four knobs and two small switches, matching the original's control set and adding to it¹⁷.

The Rise Time knob is the control that made the original VB-2 unusual: instead of the vibrato starting instantly, you can set how quickly it swells to full intensity, which allows anything from an instant wobble to a slow, hand-like swell into the note¹⁴.

Below the input jack there is a 1/4-inch Depth jack for an optional expression pedal, which controls the depth setting in real time. The same jack can also be driven by the Boss ES-8 Effects Switching System⁷⁴. There is no expression control for rate; Premier Guitar's reviewer listed that as a drawback, saying he would have liked a way to control speed from an expression pedal¹.

Standard and Custom voices

The small slider switch beneath the knobs selects between two voices¹.

• Standard: A true reproduction of the vintage VB-2's warm, BBD-driven analog tone¹⁴.
• Custom: A new vibrato sound with a unique filter wave, which Premier Guitar's reviewer described as "deeper, darker, and more intense" than the standard voice¹³.

Guitar World's reviewer compared the two directly: in standard mode the pedal "sounds unmistakably identical to the VB-2," but he preferred the Custom mode, which he said adds body and punch that makes the overall effect deeper and more dramatic⁷.

Latch, Bypass and Unlatch modes

The fourth knob selects how the effect engages¹.

• Latch mode: The pedal behaves conventionally. Press the footswitch once to turn the vibrato on, press again to turn it off.
• Bypass mode: The signal bypasses the bucket brigade chips entirely when the effect is off, eliminating the latency the BBD line would otherwise add to your dry signal¹³.
• Unlatch mode: The effect is active only while you hold the pedal down, ideal for adding vibrato to specific notes and chords, in the manner of pressing a whammy bar¹³.

Premier Guitar's reviewer called the latch and unlatch modes and the expression pedal input the pedal's standout features, writing¹:

Where it came from

The original Boss VB-2 Vibrato debuted in 1982 and was ahead of its time, rediscovered by modern players after it left the catalog³⁵. Boss describes it as one of the rarest of all Boss pedals, highly prized on the used market, and the VB-2W is its Waza Craft equivalent². The VB-2W was announced in January 2016 and debuted at NAMM that month⁵, with UK availability from mid-February 2016 at an RRP of £159⁸.

The Waza Craft line itself is Boss's series of premium special edition pedals, developed under the "Waza" concept of pursuing the ultimate tone through unconventional craftsmanship⁹⁴³.

What reviewers said

Guitar World gave the VB-2W a Platinum Award in October 2016, concluding that it "accurately reproduces the original VB-2 sounds while adding cool new features and improved sound quality"⁷. Premier Guitar's review praised the build ("stout, sturdy, and streamlined as a river stone," like any Boss stompbox), the quiet circuit, the latch and unlatch modes, and the expression pedal option, while listing the lack of expression control over rate as its main drawback¹.

At the announcement, gearnews was more reserved, saying the demo video sounded promising but was hard to judge until heard through a decent amp, and hoping Boss would stay true to the original '80s analog character⁵.

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