HM-2W Waza Craft Heavy Metal Distortion Pedal Review

Incredible Pedal!

What you have heard is true. The Waza version is what the original HM-2 was plus more. Yes, the chainsaw that many like is exactly what it was and or is. What's better is that it is not as noisy as the old one and the distortion knob isn't like a two way switch. This is a top notch pedal. Compared to my original MIJ 1985, HM-2 the Waza is just better. The only thing that I feel… read more is a negative is the custom mode. Custom mode seems to only boost everything. Meh. Seems like a missed opportunity. Overall, it's a great pedal that does way more than the, imo, tiresome chainsaw.

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A chainsaw dream come true

I have lusted after this pedal for near 20 years, when BOSS announced the WAZA CRAFT version I pre-ordered with Sweetwater immediately. I knew it'd take months, Sweetwater kept me updated to any manufacturer setbacks, it still arrived before FedEX said it would. Came well packaged and even had a battery in it from factory. I dimed the controls and plugged it into my Crate Shockwave… read more solid state 350watt stack and yeah, this is early 90's Swedish Chainsaw FILTH. 10/10 would buy again.

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Boss nailed it!

I've had a handful of HM-2s over the years, as well as a few clones. Every one of them had slight variations to the sound, as is the case with literally any given pedal, but all of them sounded like they should. This Waza HM-2 is, without a doubt, the best the HM-2 has ever sounded. If you dime everything it does "the sound" just like you would want, but with the added benefit of… read more less background noise, a touch more output volume, and surprisingly enough some additional note clarity (it's odd to refer to this as a more "refined" HM-2 but here we are) while still being that chainsaw death metal tone some folks swear by. I am not one of those folks, however, and have enjoyed the HM-2 more for its alternative and shoegaze history than anything. For those needs it's also a wild success and the new custom mode, which dials everything up to 11, is really going to be fun to dive into as I find my favorite settings, and I can only imagine the less traditionally minded metal heads will also really enjoy what the custom mode brings to the table for their needs as well. In short, it's great to see Boss listen to some of their most ardent fans and bring a cult classic dirt box back into production, making it better than ever in the process. The HM-2 is not going to work with every single rig for every single application, but it does some unique things really well and this new Waza edition successfully brings the circuit back with aplomb. While some "true believers" will swear their old 80's HM-2s still sound better and turn up their noses at this reissue, the more reasonable pedal nerds among us will see this as the triumph it really is. It's the truly great return of the HM-2, nothing more, but certainly nothing less either. If you've never had an HM-2 before, I can't guarantee you'll love what it does, but for those of us who do love it, it's never been better than the HM-2w.

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Revving up a brand new chainsaw \m/

I received my HM-2W right before band practice yesterday, which was perfect timing for testing this at loud volumes. I was using an OG 1983 Made in Japan HM-2 and have now retired it in place of the HM-2W. Most of the changes to this are more the circuit than it is cosmetic. There are some slight cosmetic changes to the pedal, just a steel thumbscrew instead of black, the Waza… read more Craft logo, and the addition Standard/Custom switch on the back of the pedal. This circuit is much quieter compared to my OG HM-2, which is a great thing. This pedal also runs on a regular 9v power supply compared to the 12v that was needed for the original, so I was able to switch this back on my pedalboard power supply. As far as sound goes, Standard sounds like the HM-2 with some slight tweaks and the Custom switch added a little more to it. Personally, I like the Standard mode more, but I'd have to play around with the Custom switch a tad more to see if I can get a sound I like. Overall, if you're a fan of the original HM-2, then I can't recommend this enough. It gives you everything you need for that Swedish chainsaw tone and you don't have to dime it out to get that tone (I know, blasphemy!).

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HM pedal

Had the original from back in 1983... Finally gave up the ghost years back... Great sound as I was rocking a Peavey Renound 400 at the time... Gives a great Metal sound... Will be investing again on this pricey pedal...

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