Boss TR-2 Tremolo Settings Guide
The Boss TR-2 is the standard compact tremolo pedal — volume-based tremolo (amplitude modulation) with Rate, Wave, and Depth controls. The Wave control moves the LFO shape from triangle (smooth, rounded tremolo) to square (choppy, rhythmically abrupt). One of the most popular tremolo pedals on any budget, widely used in country, surf, blues, and indie rock.
The best Boss TR-2 Tremolo settings start with: Rate at 5/10, Wave at 4/10, Depth at 6/10. Adjust from there based on your amp, guitar, and room volume. For Country / Vintage: Rate 5/10, Wave 3/10, Depth 7/10.
⚡ Start Here — Recommended Settings
| Control | Starting Position | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Rate | 5/10 | Slow → Fast |
| Wave | 4/10 | Triangle → Square |
| Depth | 6/10 | None → Full |
These are universal starting points. Adjust based on your amp, guitar, and room. Scroll down for genre-specific settings and artist-documented positions.
What Each Control Does
Recommended Starting Settings
Safe starting positions for any style. Adjust from here based on your amp and room.
All values on a 0–10 scale. These are starting points — fine-tune by ear.
Settings by Genre
Triangle wave at moderate Rate with generous Depth — the smooth, pump-like tremolo that Fender amps built in from the 1950s onward. Wave at 3 (just below centre, toward triangle) produces the rounded, musical oscillation that vintage tremolo fans prefer. Depth at 7 makes the effect clearly audible.
Fast Rate with centred Wave and deep Depth — surf tremolo is fast and dramatic. At Rate 7 and Depth 8, the TR-2 produces the rapid, stuttering tremolo effect of classic surf recordings. Wave at 5 (centre) provides a balance between smooth and choppy.
Slow Rate with moderate settings — slow tremolo adds movement to clean or lightly overdriven chord playing without dominating. Wave centred produces a smooth but present oscillation. Used in indie and shoegaze as a subtle rhythmic element beneath sustained chords.
Square wave at high Rate and Depth — the choppy, rhythmic stutter tremolo. Square wave means the volume snaps abruptly from on to off rather than smoothly oscillating, producing a gated effect. At high Rate the notes chop in a rapid rhythmic pattern useful for rhythmic interest in post-rock and experimental contexts.
Tips & Common Mistakes
- The Wave control is the TR-2's most distinctive feature — it allows the tremolo shape to be dialled between smooth triangle (like a vintage amp tremolo) and choppy square wave (like a gated effect) continuously. Most vintage amp tremolos are fixed at triangle wave; the TR-2's flexibility covers vintage through to modern rhythmic stutter.
- The TR-2's volume-based tremolo (amplitude modulation) means it creates volume oscillation rather than pitch oscillation. True vibrato (pitch modulation) is different — Fender's "Vibrato" channel on vintage Fenders is actually tremolo; true vibrato is rarer. The TR-2 is amplitude-based, as are most tremolo pedals.
FAQ
Boss TR-2 Tremolo — Common Questions
Best starting settings for Boss TR-2 Tremolo: Rate at 5/10, Wave at 4/10, Depth at 6/10. Adjust from there based on your guitar, room, and playing style.
For Country / Vintage: Rate 5/10, Wave 3/10, Depth 7/10. Triangle wave at moderate Rate with generous Depth — the smooth, pump-like tremolo that Fender amps built in from the 1950s onward. Wave at 3 (just below centre, toward triangle) produces the rounded, musical oscillation that vintage tremolo fans prefer. Depth at 7 makes the effect clearly audible.
For Surf: Rate 7/10, Wave 5/10, Depth 8/10. Fast Rate with centred Wave and deep Depth — surf tremolo is fast and dramatic. At Rate 7 and Depth 8, the TR-2 produces the rapid, stuttering tremolo effect of classic surf recordings. Wave at 5 (centre) provides a balance between smooth and choppy.
Rate: Tremolo speed — how quickly the volume oscillates (Slow to Fast). Wave: LFO waveform — triangle = smooth; square = choppy (Triangle to Square). Depth: Tremolo depth — how much the volume oscillates (None to Full)
The Wave control is the TR-2's most distinctive feature — it allows the tremolo shape to be dialled between smooth triangle (like a vintage amp tremolo) and choppy square wave (like a gated effect) continuously. Most vintage amp tremolos are fixed at triangle wave; the TR-2's flexibility covers vintage through to modern rhythmic stutter. The TR-2's volume-based tremolo (amplitude modulation) means it creates volume oscillation rather than pitch oscillation. True vibrato (pitch modulation) is different — Fender's "Vibrato" channel on vintage Fenders is actually tremolo; true vibrato is rarer. The TR-2 is amplitude-based, as are most tremolo pedals.
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