# Boosts for Lead Volume?



## scottomy (Sep 20, 2006)

Does anyone have any suggestions for a boost pedal I could get for solo level volume? 

I had one (a great sounding one from Solid Gold FX) but sold it because it did not affect my dirty channel at all on my Boogie (which I also sold) and same for a dirty setting on my modelling amp. It worked fine on the clean channel.

I recently picked up a Bogner Alchemist but still need a boost for solo level. I tried a Barber Direct Drive with the drive turned way down and it too does not affect the dirty channel....

The guy I bought the Alchemist from suggested that I put a boost into the effects loop for solos. I tried the Barber DD but it had no affect.

Does anyone have any solution? Am I doing something wrong?? I thank you for any suggestions!
Scott


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## bagpipe (Sep 19, 2006)

scottomy said:


> The guy I bought the Alchemist from suggested that I put a boost into the effects loop for solos. I tried the Barber DD but it had no affect.
> 
> Does anyone have any solution? Am I doing something wrong?? I thank you for any suggestions!
> Scott


I used to do this exact thing on my Marshall. I put a Electro Harmonix LPB-1 Booster (or , actually a clone of this pedal, but same thing) in my effects loop and used it for a volume boost for solos:

http://www.ehx.com/products/lpb-1

The fact that you tried it with the Barber makes me think this technique may not work for the effects loop on your particular amp. Did you crank the volume and reduce the gain on the Barber pedal when you were trying it?


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## EL34POWER (Jan 16, 2007)

Well. If you are trying to gain volume in the dirty channel by putting a pedal at the input. Not going to work. You don't have any headroom. THe preamp section is already saturated. I have a JCM800 2203. And i have the same problem. So until i find a good 3 channel head that sounds as good as my 800... I use an MI audio Tube zone as my main tone, and an OCD as my solo boost. Or a Goodie Crystal, or Gregs LPB clone. all this in the low input of the amp witch makes no sens to do this to such a tone monster but i really need the volume boost for my band.

And btw a good booster like the Goodie, or one of Gregs boosters in the effects loop should work


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

I've been more than pleasantly surprised with the MXR Boost/Line Driver. It has idiot proof operation, built like a tank, accepts singlecoils and humbuckers equally, and has no tone colouration to my ears. I used to use Boss EQ pedals to boost and still recommend them, but I'm between EQs currently.

Peace, Mooh.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

One of the more interesting boosts I have come across in the last 30 years is not in a pedal, but in the amp itself (courtesy of an old article in POLYPHONY magazine by Steve Morrison, currently webmaster of the Music Electronics Forum).

A few words of explanation. The traditional Fender/Marshall tonestack doesn't really boost treble or bass. Rather, it essentially loses a lot of midrange, and the treble/bass controls either keep or lose the remaining top and bottom end to create the *illusion* of treble/bass boost. You can see many examples of that tonestack here: http://www.schematicheaven.com/index_HTML.htm but we'll pick one for discussion, a classic Super Reverb: http://www.schematicheaven.com/fenderamps/super_reverb_aa763_schem.pdf

Note that the Vibrato channel has a 10k midrange control, which in the Normal channel is replaced by a 6800 ohm resistor: essentially a midrange preset. Making that resistance smaller bleeds mids to ground, leaving only top and bottom. If you wanted, you could make that 10k pot a 25k pot to keep even more mids.

Now here's the thing. _The less you bleed to ground, the hotter the signal hitting the next stage_. So, this is NOT a change in the gain structure of the amp, and not even a boost, really. Rather, it is a reduction of signal loss; i.e., counteracting something that normally happens. The end result is that it _functions like a boost_.

Steve's Fender-amp mod was essentially to install a jack so that one could either break or make the connection between the midrange control (or resistor, for instances like the Normal channel shown), resulting in a change in both EQ and level. I installed this on an old blackface Tremolux I used to have, and I can attest that it worked like a charm. Provides a nice level boost and a sound with more meat to it. The treble control continues to work though with a bit less effect than before, and the bass control does very little. That EQ change may or may not be to everyone's liking or needs. For instance, the player who prefers a nice snappy Tele bridge tone is not going to find the boost all that great. The player who likes a thick syrupy sound from a bridge humbucker, on the other hand, may like the thickness it creates.

Note that there are plenty of things *in between* a mere 10k to ground and an open circuit in that schematic. For example, there could be 100k to ground instead, to provide a not too objectionable mid-bump (not to be confused with a Tube Screamer mid-hump), with a 2-3db volume boost. Then, when you hit the footswitch, the midrange control is added on in parallel to that basic 100k resistance. In other words, you play off degree of boost vs EQ/tonal qualities.

I am not familiar with that particular Bogner amp, but a quick peek at a Bogner Ecstacy and Triple Giant schematic shows a very similar tonestack, or at least something amenable to the same mod and boost.

Again, this is not something that will work for everyone and everything, but it is as simple as having a tip/ground footswitch and a jack on the rear skirt (in my case, I simply used one of the two input jacks on the Vibrato channel), and it works great, introducing boost a stage or two into the preamp, rather than simply slamming the first tube with a hotter signal.

Something to consider.


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## mdroberts1243 (Feb 27, 2009)

mhammer said:


> Note that there are plenty of things *in between* a mere 10k to ground and an open circuit in that schematic. For example, there could be 100k to ground instead, to provide a not too objectionable mid-bump (not to be confused with a Tube Screamer mid-hump), with a 2-3db volume boost. Then, when you hit the footswitch, the midrange control is added on in parallel to that basic 100k resistance. In other words, you play off degree of boost vs EQ/tonal qualities.


This mod is a feature of Dumbles called pre-amp boost or PAB... sometimes just a switch, other times a relay. A lot of players seem to always use the overdrive channel with PAB on. It gives you a huge boost, and like you suggest, I found 72k (instead of open or 22M) gave me a nice solo boost in my Bluesmaster build... on the order of 9dB or so. There is a mid-hump characteristic to the resulting 'clean' tone before distortion.

The Bluesmaster is the dumble model that had a fender-like stack so PAB just lifts the mid pot connection to ground.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Hmmm...looks like I should get to know you!:smilie_flagge17:


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## Guest (Feb 27, 2009)

Helllllooooo mdroberts1234 -- another Ottawa-ian and a pedal builder to boot. This town is becoming a mecca for pedals.


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## mdroberts1243 (Feb 27, 2009)

mhammer said:


> Hmmm...looks like I should get to know you!:smilie_flagge17:


I feel like I already know you from your legacy of posts! :bow: I mostly hang out on ampgarage and just discovered this forum due to David Henman's link to our site... looks great so far!


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## Jeff Flowerday (Jan 23, 2006)

mdroberts1243 said:


> I feel like I already know you from your legacy of posts! :bow: I mostly hang out on ampgarage and just discovered this forum due to David Henman's link to our site... looks great so far!


Mark head over to our Dealer Emporium and do some self promotion.

:smilie_flagge17: :food-smiley-004:


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Jeff Flowerday said:


> Mark head over to our Dealer Emporium and do some self promotion.
> 
> :smilie_flagge17: :food-smiley-004:


Well thanks for the nod, Jeff. I'm one of those guys who has a family, a decent *secure* full-time job, and no real need to run a side business. Hard enough as it is to find time to actually make music instead of just stuff for making music. Maybe in a decade or so, if I ever semi-retire, I'll head over there if its still around. For now, I'll just post and help out where I can. But again, thanks. :wave:


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## Jeff Flowerday (Jan 23, 2006)

mhammer said:


> Well thanks for the nod, Jeff. I'm one of those guys who has a family, a decent *secure* full-time job, and no real need to run a side business. Hard enough as it is to find time to actually make music instead of just stuff for making music. Maybe in a decade or so, if I ever semi-retire, I'll head over there if its still around. For now, I'll just post and help out where I can. But again, thanks. :wave:


:smile::smile: I see there are 2 Marks in this thread. I had actually quoted the other other one, but, everyone is welcome in the dealer emporium.

Sorry, not everyone, the asshats trying to sell shoes and phones aren't welcome.

:smilie_flagge17:


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## davetcan (Feb 27, 2006)

mdroberts1243 said:


> I feel like I already know you from your legacy of posts! :bow: I mostly hang out on ampgarage and just discovered this forum due to David Henman's link to our site... looks great so far!


Whoa, you're the guy making the FET Dream???

Great sounding pedal. I'll be PM'ing you. :smilie_flagge17:


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## sproul07 (Jun 23, 2007)

I would recommend the Throbak Overdriver which is a clone of the old Colorsound. It is the best clean booster ever made


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## scottomy (Sep 20, 2006)

Hey Guys,
Thanks for all the suggestions! Although some of them scare me
Since my amp is new, I'm not too inclined to go the modification route just yet. I have been in contact with Greg at SGSL and I think the use of 2 boosts set at different levels - one for each channel might be the best option for now. Hopefully it won't be introducing too much noise though!


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## ajcoholic (Feb 5, 2006)

Mooh said:


> I've been more than pleasantly surprised with the MXR Boost/Line Driver. It has idiot proof operation, built like a tank, accepts singlecoils and humbuckers equally, and has no tone colouration to my ears. I used to use Boss EQ pedals to boost and still recommend them, but I'm between EQs currently.
> 
> Peace, Mooh.


This is what I have also been using for over a year now and it works really well.

AJC


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