Description
The legendary "chainsaw tone" that built an entire genre, back from the dead. Produced from 1983 to 1991, the original Boss HM-2 was one of the first "amp in a box" pedals ever made, designed to replicate early-'80s British stack amp tones. But near the end of its production run, a handful of Swedish death metal bands — most notably Nihilist, whose members went on to found Entombed — discovered that dimed-out HM-2 controls produced something the pedal was never designed for: a buzzsaw wall of mid-focused distortion that became the defining sound of Swedish death metal, heard on records from Entombed, Dismember, and Bloodbath to this day. After decades of fan requests, Boss brought it back with full Waza Craft treatment.
Two modes, two eras of heaviness:
- Standard Mode reproduces the original 1983 HM-2 circuit with 100% authenticity — same tone, same response, same DNA that built the genre. Boss added modern refinements without touching the sound itself: a lower noise floor and 3dB more headroom than the original. Crank Distortion, Low Color, and High Color all the way up and you get the classic chainsaw grind; back them off and there's a surprisingly wide range of heavy rock tones hiding in here too (it's shown up in shoegaze and mainstream rock, not just death metal).
- Custom Mode takes the same core character and pushes further — more gain in the drive stage, more of the guitar's fundamental tone coming through for extra attack and pick sharpness, with reworked low and high-mid response for a heavier, more defined low end. This is where the HM-2W reaches into modern and extreme metal territory the original circuit was never built for.
Controls:
- Level — output volume
- Distortion — gain/saturation amount
- Low/High Color Mix — dedicated tone shaping distinct from a standard EQ, letting you dial the classic HM-2 midrange focus in or out
Features:
- All-analog circuitry, true to the original HM-2 topology
- Premium Waza Craft buffer for clean, uncolored tone when bypassed
- Standard/Custom mode toggle for two distinct eras of the HM-2 sound
- Classic orange HM-2 aesthetic
- Boss 5-year warranty
Why Buy From Arkansas Musicworks
We stock genuine Boss pedals sourced directly through authorized distribution, backed by our team's own setup expertise if you have questions.