Rare and Collectible Boss Effect Pedals

Boss effect pedals have been the most popular brand for guitarists around the world since there inception in 1977. Collecting them all would be quite the task, but following are a few Boss pedals you may want to keep an eye out for at your local pawn shop or garage sale. Below is a list of the most valuable and collectible Boss effect pedals.
$7,000 to $8,000 Excellent Condition
Boss DS-1 Distortion Special Edition Gold. This special version of the popular DS-1 was produced in a gold finish to commemorate Boss building six million compact effect pedals. This DS-1 was a special limited edition sold in February 1998. The components on the inside are exactly the same as the original DS-1. The inscriptions on the input and output jack also enhance the box’s elegance.
$1,500 to $2,000 Excellent Condition
The MT-2 Metal Zone is one of BOSS’ most popular pedals. It provides the most over-the-top and insane distortion tones imaginable. In 2005 BOSS chose this pedal to be the one to commemorate the sale of over 8 million BOSS pedals since they were introduced in 1977. There were only a handful of these commemorative pedals made and distributed around the world. It has a bronze colored metallic finish and a plaque on the footswitch marking the event. It came with a hard shell case which has its own commemorative plaque as well.
$600 to $800 Excellent Condition
Eric Clapton, Brian May, Alex Lifeson, Randy Bachman, Joe Walsh… Should I say more? A slew of famous guitarists from the 1970’s made room on their pedalboard for the Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble. Released June 1976, the CE-1 was the first, in what has proven to be a very successful line of Chorus pedals, from Boss. The circuit had already been used in the now legendary Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus amplifier. Boss decided that it would be a great idea to take the chorus circuit out of the JC-120 and sell it as a separate unit. The result became the CE-1 Chorus Ensemble. The CE-1 is based around the Matsushita BBD MN3002. This circuit is originally developed by Philips but Matsushita was given a licence to make it from the mid 70s. Roland/Boss was their first customer and they soon found many applications for it in a wide range of products.
$600 to $700 Excellent Condition DM-1
Produced between 1977 and 1981, the Boss DM-1 Delay Machine was the first iteration in a long line of successful analog delay pedals.
$400 to $600 Excellent Condition SP-1
The short-lived Boss SP-1 Spectrum was a single band parametric equalizer pedal. Made in Japan from 1977 to 1981.
$400 to $500 Excellent Condition VB-2
Featuring the coveted “pink label” circuitry and design of vintage Boss pedals and built with simple controls over rate, depth and rise time, the Boss VB-2 Vibrato gives classic tremolo/vibrato sound with classic analog warmth. Able to go from a slight vibey hum to a full-on swollen wobble, the VB-2 sports enough texture to act as a natural companion for shoegaze, indie rock or garage. The Boss VB-2 has graced the pedalboards of such great guitarists as Andy Summers, Nels Cline and Prince. Boss Reissued the VB-2W in Waza form in 2016.
$400 to $500 Excellent Condition SG-1
The Boss SG-1 Slow Gear is one of the rarest boss pedals and was produced in Japan by Boss in the early ’80s. The effect replicates the sound of a guitarist rolling their volume knob to give a somewhat tremolo-like sound but with a dynamic all its own. Slow Gears are exceptionally rare when compared to other Boss pedals making them one of the most valuable to vintage pedal collectors.
$400 to $600 Excellent Condition OD-1
The founding pedal of the great Boss dynasty, the Boss OD-1 Overdrive is not only the first Boss pedal produced in their signature Compact Effector chassis, but also one of the very first overdrives ever made. The OD-1, in addition to all the warm, vintage, tube-like overdrive tones the pedal is known for, is built on a quad op-amp chip and features a simple two-knob interface. The 14 pin chip from the initial run in 1977 are the most valuable. Notable guitarists to use the Boss OD-1 included Pete Townshend, Richie Sambora, Billy Duffy and Eddie Clark.
$200 to $500 Excellent Condition FZ-2
The FZ-2 Hyper Fuzz by Boss packs two unique fuzzes into one compact unit while boosting gain. It can recreate a traditional fuzz sound, but it also has the capacity to generate a more modern distortion. With two tone controls, you can adjust to your heart’s content until you achieve the perfect, precise tone you’re looking for. Many guitarists look for the Boss FZ-2 Hyper Fuzz to try and replicate the sound of Pink Floyd and David Gilmour.
??? to ??? Zakk Wylde SD-1
With only 5 units produced for a store promo in Japan, this pedal is the rarest Boss pedal never to hit the market. It has never been for sale since the small run in 2001. The pedal is a standard Boss DS-1 in a cream white with Zakk Wylde’s signature bulls eye black graphic. Zakk Wylde is the lead guitarists for Ozzy Osbourne. The picture above is just the standard SD-1.