And while MDP may well be the future
of the brand, the introduction of Waza
Craft has unequivocally created more
buzz.
Carefully selected and developed by a
hybrid team of veteran and young
engineers—so as to build an important
succession of knowledge and
technique—the Waza Craft line debuted
at Summer NAMM 2014 and takes the
next step toward exceptional tone and
responsiveness via a refining process
that focuses on the artistic nature of
sound design.
The Waza Craft label now includes six
pedals and a versatile amplifier platform
that Yoshi calls “the supreme assimilation
of digital and analog technology.” But
don’t be misled—the concept is
complete breakthrough, without
limitation.
“People assume that Waza is just a
modification, but for us, it’s a challenge
of tone and technique. Mods are just
changing parts—we can change
everything, even the basic circuit design.
We will make any change if there is a
reason we should.”
This line of thinking—the intermingling
of decades of experience and maniacal
attention to detail—is evident
throughout the Waza Craft process.
From the near obsessive selection of
individual components to the
comprehensive overhaul of circuits, Boss
has gone far beyond mere modification,
to the level of complete customization.
16
INTERVIEW //
Which is exactly the point. Waza Craft is
the intentional collision of superior
design and craftsmanship. And digital or
analog, Yoshi doesn’t care—just so long
as it sounds good.
“We want to expand a meaning of Waza.
We don’t care how, we just want to
create good tone.”
And though Waza Craft has brought such
favorites as the DM-2 Delay, VB-2
Vibrato and the just-announced CE-2
Chorus back out of retirement,
tempering expectations for similar
resurrections is advised.
“For some pedals, we can’t get the
original device so we don’t [have a plan
to bring back all the cult favorites],” says
Yoshi. “I don’t have any interest in
primitive revival.”
What he is interested in is big new ideas.
During the first three years of his tenure
as president of Boss, Yoshi has lead the
charge of invention, doing so with an
unswerving commitment to quality and a
player-first approach. In his words—and
true to the team nature of his culture and
industry—he has only “triggered the
story and concept,” while the Boss team
has expanded the idea for new products.
Such expansions have produced the ES8, a groundbreaking approach to
programmable effects switching.
“Over the last 30 years, we’ve frequently
discussed a switching system like
Bradshaw,” Yoshi says. “Boss pedals
visibility was decreasing, so we discussed
The Boss of Boss: A Tone Report interview with Yoshi Ikegami