Two new pieces of gear from Roland/Boss caught my attention at summer NAMM.

First, the CE-2 Waza craft version, aka CE-2W, is an all analog updated version of the sought after Chorus pedal from the 80s. It sports the regular CE-2 mode but also a CE-1 mode, a vibrato mode, and it has got stereo outputs which the original CE-2 didn’t have. At the time, it prompted Boss to release the CE-3 which did not encounter the same success but was stereo.

Secondly, Robben Ford, who is known for using one of the most elusive and probably expansive amps out there, a Dumble Overdrive Special, has collaborated with Roland to produce a “Tone Capsule” for its Blues Cube series of amps. This capsule gives the Blues Cube a Dumble type of sound which is very accurate according to Robben Ford himself, despite it having no tube at all. I must say the sort demo on this video sounds pretty good, but then it’s Robben Ford playing…