GIGS BOSON GB-1V

GIGS BOSON GB-1V

GIGS BOSON GB-1V
Model GIGS BOSON GB-1V
Type OVERDRIVE
Manual GB-1V Manual
This is the result of guitarists’ quest for higher expression power not obtainable just from clean tone. The FREE THE TONE GB-1V “GIGS BOSON” has overwhelming expression power that can reproduce the pick angle when the string is plucked and sound changes produced by the touch of the left hand. All of these things are necessary to transform the overtones produced by the strings into sounds and music. The “GIGS BOSON” will provide guitarists with a higher expression ability and new stimuli.
On July 4, 2012, a new particle was discovered. It was the “God particle”, an important part of the Big Bang or the creation of the universe, and the factor that gave mass to subatomic particles that were without mass at the creation of the universe. It was named the Higgs Boson after Peter Ware Higgs who advocated its existence. This discovery has completed all of the hypothetical particles and is estimated to be the first step toward the investigation into Dark Matter. Hoping that the encounter with this effects unit will become a new step toward the evolution of the GIG (performance) world, we named our new overdrive pedal the “GIGS BOSON”.

Amazing coincidence between GIGS BOSON and HIGGS BOSON...

Amazing coincidence between GIGS BOSON and HIGGS BOSON...

As many of you have probably realized, the name “GIGS BOSON” was derived from the Higgs Boson particle, which was predicted in 1964 by Prof. Peter Higgs, a British theoretical physicist and emeritus professor at the University of Edinburgh. The Higgs boson is often called “the God particle” because it’s said to be what caused the “Big Bang” that created our universe billions of years ago. The Higgs boson is believed to be what gives mass to matter. Evidence of the existence of the Higgs Boson was announced in the summer of 2012 and the news of this discovery was transmitted all over the world.

At the time, Free The Tone was developing a new effect which became the first effect pedal produced under the Free The Tone brand after we became independent and we wanted to make it our flagship product and set out to achieve an overdrive pedal that would become a reference for great tone. Yuki Hayashi, the owner and development engineer of Free The Tone, was very successful in designing this pedal, and we wanted to find a good name for the new pedal to give an image of the universe, nature, sky, forest, etc. At that time, the news of the Higgs Boson was very big in Japan, and it was from the Higgs Boson that the name “GIGS BOSON” was born. When we named the pedal “GIGS BOSON” we hoped, in the same way that the discovery of the Higgs Boson is a first step in elucidating the structure of the Universe, that the GIGS BOSON overdrive pedal would become musicians’ first step into discovering a world of new tones.

In February 2013, we received a message from a British guitarist Jonny Higgs. He said…

"I have just received a link to your website detailing the Gigs Boson Pedal. At times it seems somewhat bizarre to me that the influence of my father-Peter Higgs has been quite so far reaching. As well as predicting the existence of an elementary sub-atomic particle,apparently there also exists Skateboard wheels, Beer from Barcelona and now of course -boutique effects pedals. As a guitarist myself I have high expectations and look forward to trying one of your pedals out!”

We were very surprised and pleased to receive this message from Jonny Higgs, the son of Prof. Peter Higgs. We never imagined that word of our product the GIGS BOSON, would reach Prof. Peter Higgs himself. We take great pride and pleasure in introducing here Prof. Peter Higgs, who would more suitably be on the cover of a science magazine, and his son, Mr. Jonny Higgs.

After Jonny tried the Gigs Boson, he sent us the following comment on the pedal.
"I have been really enjoying using the Gigs Boson pedal!
I have found that when using the Gigs Boson,it manages to retain the dynamic response and sensitivity to my playing throughout the wide range of gain it has on offer. Unlike many of the other overdrive pedals on the market which often sound mid-heavy and compressed,the tone remains balanced and true to the original signal.This is a great sounding pedal and will be the primary source of overdrive within my setup!
Cool name too! “

We are very honored to have been able to make the acquaintance of both Prof. Peter Higgs and Mr. Jonny Higgs. We sincerely hope that the GIGS BOSON will be the pedal that many musicians have been seeking, just as many scientist has been searching for the Higgs Boson for a long time.

The GIGS BOSON that Prof. Peter Higgs signed for us will be our most treasured item forever, and we would like to express our sincere thanks to Prof. Peter Higgs and Mr. Jonny Higgs for making this possible.

FEATURES

  • By implementing the HTS (Holistic Tonal Solution) Circuit that manages signals comprehensively from input to output, the effected sound and bypassed sound will always have the same sound quality, which solves a problem that has plagued players for years.
  • Wide dynamic range and excellent Signal-to-Noise ratio unimaginable from a 9 VDC power supply.
  • Wide gain range that can handle broad musical genre including blues, jazz, and rock.
  • An input impedance select switch (1 MΩ/100kΩ) is implemented (this function works even when the effect is turned off). This switch allows the player to change nuances in high frequencies that cannot be adjusted by the tone circuit only.
    The TONE control adjust not only timber but also reproducibility of picking nuances.
HTS (Holistic Tonal Solution) Circuit
The newly developed FREE THE TONE’s Holistic Tonal Solution (HTS) Circuit brings a brand new concept to effect pedals.

The HTS Circuit mainly handles the interface section of an effects unit (input and output). This circuit solves not only the problem with a True-Bypass circuit and weak points in a combination of a general buffer circuit and an electronic switch, but also totally and effectively manages the relationship between devices connected before and after the effects unit and the operation of the effects circuit implemented in the HTS Circuit.

The compatibility of pedals when they are connected together will be influenced by the signal level and the characteristics of the input and output impedance. Signal characteristics may change each time you switch effects units on some combinations of effects units using a true-bypass circuit. These changes in signal characteristics will have a drastic influence on the sound quality and/or sound image. You may have felt a fundamental difference in sound quality or a feeling that something just isn't right in the past. This is a major problem of effects units that is relatively unknown.

The HTS Circuit consists of three separate circuits: Input Circuit, Noiseless Effect On/Off Circuit, and Output Driver Circuit.

The Input Circuit receives the signal properly according to the conditions of the signal source, eliminates noise from unnecessary frequency bands and then sends the pure guitar signal to the effect circuit. The FREE THE TONE effects units have a very low signal-to-noise ratio thanks to the HTS Circuit.

The processed signal is sent to the Noiseless Effect On/Off Circuit. This circuit transfers the guitar sound faithfully without any feeling of dullness or distortion that is often unique to electronic switching circuits, because no switching element, such as an FET, is used.

The processed or bypassed sound signal, selected by the Noiseless Effect On/Off Circuit, is sent to the Output Driver Circuit and then to any other equipment connected after the effector in the signal chain. Regardless of whether the effects unit is on or off, the signal output impedance remains fixed so that a stable signal is provided all the time. And when the effects unit is turned off, the HTS Circuit outputs a signal that remains true to the original natural guitar sound.

HThe effected sound and bypassed sound managed by the HTS Circuit will always have the same sound quality, which solves a problem that has plagued players for years.

DEMO

SPECIFICATIONS

Input impedance 1MΩ/100kΩ
Output load impedance min. 10kΩ
Controls GAIN, TONE, LEVEL, INPUT Z switch (input impedance 1MΩ/100kΩ switching), GAIN BOOST switch
Terminals 2× 1/4" phone jack (for input and output), 1× DC9V input jack (for AC adapter)
Power supply 9-volt battery (PP3/006P), AC adapter
Current consumption approx. 9 mA
Dimensions 72W × 115D × 50H mm (incl. protuberances footswitches, jacks, etc.)
Weight approx. 230 g (excl. battery)
Accessories warranty card, manual, battery (PP3/006P), 4x rubber feet

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