My first guitar pedal was a simple tuning pedal from Boss. The fear of losing a tuned guitar while performing outweighed any desire to manipulate the tone coming from the axe itself. So, I ran to Guitar Center and nabbed the Boss Chromatic Tuner, and it is indeed a faithful friend. Fast forward many years, and while my skills aren’t where I’d like them to be, I’ve learned a thing or two about pedals. Primarily, they are a heck of a lot of fun. However, I’m not sure any pedal has given me the hours of joy that the Boss Harmonist PS-6 has.
I’ve been borrowing my son’s new Fender Player Plus Stratocaster and messing around quite a bit with the sound. He’s been saving for months in order to jam with this thing, and I’ve enjoyed listening so much, I am considering getting one for myself. He’s only twelve and has insane natural talent (feel free to follow him here). He has far surpassed me when it comes to soloing, but that’s what makes playing guitar great. I don’t have to be amazing to simply love playing. This is why I absolutely love Boss and the variety of sounds they allow me to kick out with their pedals. The Harmonist PS-6, of course, is no different. Though I will say, it is a bit more complex.
Boss Harmonist PS-6: Features and Modes
The Boss Harmonist PS-6 pedal has four modes: Harmony, Pitch Shifter, Detune, and S-BEND. Each of these modes offers an insane variety of sound. I’ve had to research each one to make sure I get the full potential out of this thing as there is a steep learning curve. I encourage anyone excited to try this out to look at plenty of others who have mastered its capabilities.
Sweet Harmony Mode
My favorite mode is simply the Harmony mode where I can get 2-voice and up to 3-voice harmony. Sorry but not sorry – this is the coolest freaking sound for straight rock. There is nothing like listening to a talented player stomp on this box and hearing the beautiful harmonies that can ring out from it. All kinds of creativity can now be unleashed.
S-Bend Mode
My son tends to love messing around with the S-Bend mode, which allows for some crazy whammy effects. I can control the Rise Time and Fall Time knobs to control the length of time it takes for the note to reach pitch. Pressing down on the pedal shifts the pitch of the notes, and releasing, the notes climb or drop to the actuals. This one takes a bit of getting used to. However, once I find the right use for it, it’s hard not to keep playing around. I’m not sure how practical this setting will be in the future, but it certainly makes for some crazy bends.
Detuned Mode
Finally, the Detune mode gets effects I just didn’t expect from the Harmonist PS-6. As a matter of fact, I didn’t realize what detuning did until discovering this pedal. Detuning essentially brings out some incredible chorus effects that in some cases replace my need for the cheap chorus pedal I have. The Shift control options allow me to find the right style for my sound. It still isn’t my favorite, though.
Summary: Why I Love the Boss Harmonist PS-6
I keep finding myself heading back to harmonizing. Why? Honestly, it’s like adding a new member to the performance. It is truly as if another guitar player decided to hop in and start jamming. Combined with Boss’ loop pedal, the Boss Harmonist PS-6 is hard to walk away from. For those looking to learn a lot and practice as if another player is joining them, I highly recommend giving the Harmonist PS-6 a shot. It’s more fun than I expected to have, and the possibilities for new sound feel near endless.
Boss is just killing it with their high-quality products, and the Harmonist PS-6 is just another reason I’m such a huge fan.