Boss DD-20 Delay Pedal Product Review

Boss is not known for creating the most advanced, professional guitar pedals. Somehow, though, they have managed to make possibly the most functional, professional, user-friendly delay pedal on the market with the DD-20 Giga-Delay. One of Boss's "dual pedals," the DD-20 has all the basic features of a delay, including bypass, tap tempo, saved presets, and looping.

The dual pedal idea by Boss works especially well for the purpose of delay effects, as it allows immediate adjustment and bypass options without bending down during a live performance. And if you do wish to be precise, the tempo knob allows you to make small or large adjustments to the tempo, all with fine precision for studio quality recording. The layout of the knobs and buttons makes it very easy to use. You can adjust tone, feedback, and echo level, and there are four preset slots that allow you to create your own custom delay and then save it, then switch between them with a push of the pedal. I would recommend going to your nearest guitar retailer and playing around with it some to see if it feels right to you.

In addition to ease of use, The DD-20 also features many different types of delay including standard, analog, reverse, ping-pong, and loop. Whether you're going for the ambient Coldplay/U2 sound or you just want a subtle delay over bluesy leads, there are plenty of options here.

Of course, I would be remiss if I left out the loop function, one of my favorite things about the DD-20. The loop delay allows you to record up to 23 seconds, loop it, and then play over it. You can record infinite loops, and if you are good enough at keeping tempo, you can practically create a song with it. It is a very nice function to have. The only complaint I would have is that for the first loop, you have to hold down the pedal as you play, which prevents you from doing anything else with your foot (such as switching effects on another pedal). If this is a bother, I could recommend the Line 6 delay instead.

So overall, the DD-20 is a great product, transcending Boss's reputation as a middle-of-the-road effects producer. It is user-friendly enough that you'll be creating basic delays in no time, but has enough features that you can experiment with different sounds for a long time and still not get bored. If you need a delay and are willing to invest a decent amount of cash (about $220), this is the way to go. It is the only delay you'll ever need.