In Memoriam: Boss’s Jeff Slingluff Passes Away at 55

Jeff Slingluff, Boss’s former strategic product manager for the U.S., passed away on Sept. 9, 2022, following complications from COVID-19. He was 55. Slingluff was extensively involved in product content and trade show booth design, dealer training and support, and video content for Boss. A statement from the company read, “His depth of knowledge and willingness to share his genuine excitement for gear, both new and classic, made him an industry favorite for content and interviews.”

Slingluff joined Boss in 2016, and he was quickly integrated into the product development process, including new product ideas, conceptual designs, visual and user interface design, and sound design. His unique philosophy in how to craft a product’s look and feel, combined with an intuitive user interface, contributed to the success of Boss products ranging from the Katana and Nextone Amplifier series to the WAZA-TAE Tube Amp Expander and RE-202 Space Echo.

“I loved Jeff’s smile, positive attitude and way of thinking,” said Yoshi Ikegami, who served as Boss’s president from 2002–2022. “I loved to talk to him — he was always optimistic. Conversations with Jeff gave me lots of inspiration and hints for new product ideas. He supported and helped me and Boss so much over the last six years.”

Slingluff was a graduate of the Musicians Institute, and before joining Boss, he lent his talents and vision to Alesis, Line 6 and Sound Machine LLC. Through his work on products like the POD series, DL4 Delay Modeler, and a vast library of algorithms and models, Slingluff honed the tones that became the foundation for gold and platinum-selling albums, world stadium tours, and countless home productions. Working shoulder-to-shoulder with Line 6’s engineers, Slingluff helped pioneer, evolve, and refine the techniques of modeling that have become the foundation of many modern guitar amplifiers, effects processors, and plug-ins. Slingluff’s sound design talents were also used in multiple plug-ins for Universal Audio, as well as the first digital pedals for Dunlop Manufacturing and its MXR brand.

Slingluff was a family man, musician, guitarist, sound engineer, gear tinkerer and animal lover.

The statement from Boss continued by saying, “He was exceedingly accepting, loving, and kind, and he embraced everyone for who they were without judgement. Jeff was also a great listener, no matter the person or situation. He made people feel heard, he made people feel valued, and his door was always open. In a world filled with challenges, Jeff had a heart full of joy.”

boss.info