# Suggestions for inexpensive boost pedal?



## reco46 (Jan 11, 2008)

OK someone suggested I put a boost pedal in front of my 6505+ to improve the sound. I am not too familar with boost pedals. What knobs are usually on them?
How do you tell if something is good for your set up in store.

What should I be looking for?

Thanks


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

People use boosts for different purposes. Some just want to be able to go from rhythm to solo levels, some want the boost pedal to be on all the time so as to elicit a certain tone from the amp. In some instances, the booster is intended to simply provide more level, where in others it is intended to deliberately shape the overdrive tone. Naturally, you will see more controls in the latter than the former.

"Clean" boosters like the Z-Vex SHO, EHX LPB-1, or the MXR Microamp simply raise the level without any tone shaping. Because they provide buffering, they can appear to provide more bite by permitting more of the high end in the pickups to actually reach the amp.

Other boosters like the Dallas Rangemaster are intended to interact with the amp and produce a certain quality of bite and overdrive. If you like Brian May's tone, then Rangemaster-type boosters are what you're after. There is no end to the number of Rangemaster clones and derivatives out there.

Still others, like the Klon Centaur, are intended to provide a mix of both cleanliness and dirt. Or rather, they are intended to drive the amp in a way that provokes pleasing overdrive from it without it being a pedal tone. If you read up on the Klon a little, you'll find that it is intended to be used with an amp that is already on the verge of breakup on its own. The pedal itself is intended to push the amp over the edge in a particular way that anticipates the amp's behaviour.

So, again, the booster to recommend depends on your needs and intent, and your amp as well Certainly, there is every reason for just about any player to want to have a decent clean booster at the start of your signal path, if only for buffering the signal and making proper use of whatever true-bypass pedals you might have after it. It does not *need* to be used for overdriving, but may well assist any overdrive pedals you have in performing better.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

It's tough to beat mhammer's advice at any time, but here's my 2 cents anyway.

Currently there's an MXR Boost/Line Driver in my rig for the purpose, but I've used other things like a Boss EQ, Marshall Compressor, or even a Boss Blues Driver turned down low. The MXR has them all beat for the specific purpose and bang for the buck. My tastes and ears seem to change with the weather, but I often come back to this chain: Planet Waves Tuner -> MXR Boost -> Seymour Duncan Lava Box -> Danelectro Cool Cat Chorus -> 2 amps, each with their own 2 way gain/channel switches (pair of Traynor tube amps, YCV50 & YVC20). 

[In and out of the chain might also be a Marshall Jackhammer or Guv'nor, BBE Crusher, Dunlop Crybaby Wah, Boss Loop Station, chorus and EQ.]

My point is that the MXR Boost works with everything (even all on its own) to push the front end of the amp a little harder, ie giving it more signal to work with. Notes seem more immediate, touch sensitive, more bloom, more spank, more colour, more character. A boost is especially needed at lower volumes when some amps sound a little anaemic, and with some guitars with low output, so it's a worthy addition to any rig. It's a bonus when the boost sounds great with both clean and dirty signals.

Fwiw.

Peace, Mooh.


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## devnulljp (Mar 18, 2008)

Xotic RC boost if you want a clean boost
Xotic AC boost if you want more of an dirty kinda boost
Analogman beano boost or Throbak if it's a rangemaster treble boost you're after
Not exactly cheap but all under $200.
axeandyoushallreceive has the xotic stuff
or you could get the BYOC multi-boost and save some cash.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Let me just add that just about ANY compressor can be used for a booster. Just dial the compression amount back and crank the volume. Voila! Clean boost. Back in the day, I used to use my Univox Volume Clamp (compressor) as a booster in exactly this way. I would control the output volume via an Electro-Harmonix Hot Foot pedal, so I could adjust the amount of boost. Worked like a charm.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

mhammer...Yeah, that's exactly what I did with the Marshall Compressor, but it meant that I couldn't get more compression without bending over (I'm getting old) so it wasn't a very gig worthy set up. Not that I use a lot of compression, I find it overused a lot. 

I hadn't had MXR effects in many years until this Boost, and I think I need to look at them again as it's pretty groovy. (Yeah, I know, I said "groovy".)

Peace, Mooh.


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## suttree (Aug 17, 2007)

i've heard a few people say the BBE boosta grande is quite nice for the low price point. i don't use a boost myself (might start doing so though) at this point, so no first hand advice to give.


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## Evilmusician (Apr 13, 2007)

Look for a used Catlin Bread Super Chilli Picosco pedal great boost !:rockon:


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

The brunt of the pedals on the market described as "boosters" are going to be single-transistor circuits that are distant or close relatives of the EHX LPB-1, Rangemaster, Alembic Stratoblaster, or Z-Vex SHO. Others are more than likely going to be dual-FET circuits of the "mu-amp" variety used in the Orman Minibooster (itself taken from an old National Semiconductor circuits book) and later in the Fulltone Fat-Boost, or else single op-amp circuits like the MXR Microamp. There will be slight differences in the circuit in terms of optimizing the circuit for a given transistor type, but the overall topography will be very very similar.

I can highly recommend the Stratoblaster circuit and Jack Orman's MosFET Booster. Both very clean, lotsa gain, and minimal current drain. Simple and cheap to build too.


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## sproul07 (Jun 23, 2007)

Hmmm well I guess I'll throw my 2 cents in for what its worth. I use the Throbak Overdrive/Booster for most my clean boost needs. I also use my Tube Driver as a boost for my Big Muff but thats more of a dirty boost. Based on the Colorsound Overdriver, its quite possibly the best clean boost ever made. I would also recommend the VintageFX Colordrive, another Colorsound clone. Its only about $100 and has the exact same sound. I've never played one but I have done my research on these and I hear nothing but good things, and if you're straped for cash then this is the one I would go for.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

The nice thing about the Colorsound clones is that they have treble and bass controls, which is nice for preshaping your tone to produce a more desirable overdrive from the amp....assuming that's what you want to use the booster for.

People set and use price-point for different purposes in the boutique market. Because of that, when the purpose and circuit is pretty straightforward (as it often is with boosters), there may often be little difference in quality between something selling for under $100, and something selling for over $300. I'm not badmouthing anyone, merely pointing out that the price may be used to imply (or respond to) many things other than what's in the pedal. Some folks include lifetime after-service in the price. Some folks can only produce a certain number of pedals in a month and still need to make their overhead, so the price goes up. Others assume YOU will take care of any servicing after purchase, and pitch the price lower to offset that.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

www.bodenhamer-electronics.com

TS7ovChaos. you get vintage (TS808) mode which is great for smoothening things up and adding just a touch of grit. both modes with the drive knob at 0 still provide a boost. Hot mode is what i use - it thickens up the tone while still smoothing things out, I run the pedal with the drive at 0. It also provides a nice crunch when you're using it with a clean channel.

$85 shipped to your door. Joe will tweak the mods to your taste, and he's very helpful and quick with his responses.

or you could get an SD-1ovChaos, which is a souped up super overdrive (different circuit then the TS). Joe also makes his own custom overdrive pedal, the Bloody Murder. despite the name, it's good for all applications. I plan on buying one in the future to compare with my TS7. that'll run you $120.

for the 6505, i'd get the TS7ovChaos, run it in hot mode with the drive at 0, tone at 5 and level at 8. that's what i use with my jsx, and it's great for all the sounds i use (from barely broken clean, to classic grit, to skatepunk, to metal rhythm and lead)

considering the TS7ovChaos is about the same price as a stock TS7 brand new, it seemed like a pretty easy choice to me. I love my TS7oC!


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## monochocke (Mar 26, 2007)

*boost*

just get the mxr microamp . so cheap and is good , i've try some of the expensive ones and i just like better the microamp. you can get it for even 45 bucks


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

and what were you running it into?

"so cheap" would have me worried. the guy probably wants to boost his *6505* for *metal* and the TS7ovChaos is gonna be pretty top-notch for that, among other things.

heck if he was closer to london, i'd invite him to test out mine.


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## Wheeman (Dec 4, 2007)

mhammer said:


> I can highly recommend the Stratoblaster circuit and Jack Orman's MosFET Booster. Both very clean, lotsa gain, and minimal current drain. Simple and cheap to build too.


+2 on the MosFET booster or the JFET minibooster.

I've used a DOD 250 Overdrive as a boost with another [identical] overdrive right after it to cut back the volume. Crank up the volume, crank up the gain on the first one. Crank the gain and level the volume to something bearable. Its not clean, but who says rock'n'roll is?

Just like everything else, theres more than one way to skin this cat. You have to experiment with different styles of boosters to find the easiest way to get that cat skinned.


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## Twanger (Mar 21, 2008)

...


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

Depends on what you are trying to boost. I use an EQ to boost lows and low mids with a single coil guitar. You can not only boost your signal, but you can shape what you boost. I use a cheap Danelectro Fish 'n Chips 7 band EQ.


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## devnulljp (Mar 18, 2008)

Budda said:


> and what were you running it into?
> 
> "so cheap" would have me worried. the guy probably wants to boost his *6505* for *metal* and the TS7ovChaos is gonna be pretty top-notch for that, among other things.


I guess it depends on the type of metal, but in the 80s I knew a lot of top notch pro & semi-pro hair guys that were using the MXR microamp--usually into Marshalls--and it sounded pretty good for what they were doing. It is quite cheap, but like someone else already said price doesn't need to be much of an indicator in a perception-driven market.
For what you describe, I'd try the MXR micro first and punt it on ebay if it doesn't work for you.

I was going to suggest a Fulltone Fulldrive2, which has a nice boost channel, but for metal you probably don't want the tubescreamer thing (FD2 is basically a TS).


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