...and now let's nerd out on dirty boosts

[garyfanclub]

My “always on” pedal is a Land Devices EP-5, basically an Echoplex preamp with a couple tone settings. It’s my “base” cleanish sound with a Jazzmaster, slightly thicker than straight in, with a bit of hair when you dig in. Also helps get some responsiveness going when we can’t turn the amps up, or, I wind up plugging into a stupidly loud back line amp for the room I’m playing in (usually a Twin of some sort in a smallish NYC venue......)

I find that with Jazzmaster, and Fenders in general, a slightly darker boost that emphasizes the mids works really well. Depending on your live amp, additional treble content can get unmanageable pretty quickly, usually to the detriment of the sound guy and audience.

So yeah, dark boost, manage the treble at either end of the chain with the tone knob and amp EQ.

[Shadoweclipse13]

Y'all have got me very interested in getting a treble booster. I think I'm gonna start with the Greer Moonshot or EQD Bows to dip my toe in the water. Since I now have a compressor at the start of my chain does it need to go before or after that?

The Bows is not happy with a buffer before it, so it depends on what compressor you have.

I've not messed with the bows, but I also remember reading something where you'd said that someone had recommended boost into compressor, and I've been wanting to try that.

[marqueemoon]

Y'all have got me very interested in getting a treble booster. I think I'm gonna start with the Greer Moonshot or EQD Bows to dip my toe in the water. Since I now have a compressor at the start of my chain does it need to go before or after that?

The Bows is not happy with a buffer before it, so it depends on what compressor you have.

I've not messed with the bows, but I also remember reading something where you'd said that someone had recommended boost into compressor, and I've been wanting to try that.

Boost into compressor is for bass. Not my original idea. It was suggested by someone else here. Works great though.

[Shadoweclipse13]

The Bows is not happy with a buffer before it, so it depends on what compressor you have.

I've not messed with the bows, but I also remember reading something where you'd said that someone had recommended boost into compressor, and I've been wanting to try that.

Boost into compressor is for bass. Not my original idea. It was suggested by someone else here. Works great though.

I thought you'd said that it was for bass. Ever try it on guitar?

[marqueemoon]

I've not messed with the bows, but I also remember reading something where you'd said that someone had recommended boost into compressor, and I've been wanting to try that.

Boost into compressor is for bass. Not my original idea. It was suggested by someone else here. Works great though.

I thought you'd said that it was for bass. Ever try it on guitar?

I don’t like it on guitar. In fact I don’t like compression on guitar generally.

[Shadoweclipse13]

Boost into compressor is for bass. Not my original idea. It was suggested by someone else here. Works great though.

I thought you'd said that it was for bass. Ever try it on guitar?

I don’t like it on guitar. In fact I don’t like compression on guitar generally.

I don't always use compression, but I usually play at such low volumes (apartment living ) that it always make my straight clean tone sound really good.

I just got a couple Boss LS-2 switchers (one for gain pedals, one for delay pedals) and I'm thinking of having the compressor in A channel and my overdrives in B channel, to make it like a drive channel and clean channel. Unfortunately, if I don't like boost (treble booster) into compressor, there no other way of routing that with the LS-2...

[cestlamort]

dirty boo(s)ts

[HH1978]

I have a Jam Rooster. Very nice sounds, but too much hiss for my taste.

I breadboarded a Naga Viper recently, it sounded very nice. I haven't found the time to build the pedal yet, but once it will be done, I think it will replace the Rooster on my board.

[marqueemoon]

I have a Jam Rooster. Very nice sounds, but too much hiss for my taste.

Good to know. That would not fly with me.

[JVG]

Let me know if you want to sell the Rooster

Pretty much all germanium treble boosters come with a bit of hiss, and often some radio noise. Seems to come with the territory,

On this topic, i received my Fulltone Ranger, and have given it a quick run. Initial thoughts are good, and the rotary tone switch gives a bunch of options so you can make it work with pretty much any guitar. The tiny Level knob is annoying though - a bit too small. At this stage, i’m still thinking my old Java is maybe a bit creamier in the mids, but to be fair i need to spend more time with the Ranger.

So at this stage my thoughts are that it is very nice. Is it awesome? I’m not sure yet.

Cheers!
J.

[tune_link]

dirty boo(s)ts

Hell yes! I've been thinking about this song every time I read the title of this thread hahaha,

[somanytoys]

Pretty much all germanium treble boosters come with a bit of hiss, and often some radio noise. Seems to come with the territory,

On this topic, i received my Fulltone Ranger, and have given it a quick run. Initial thoughts are good, and the rotary tone switch gives a bunch of options so you can make it work with pretty much any guitar. The tiny Level knob is annoying though - a bit too small. At this stage, i’m still thinking my old Java is maybe a bit creamier in the mids, but to be fair i need to spend more time with the Ranger.

So at this stage my thoughts are that it is very nice. Is it awesome? I’m not sure yet.

Cheers!
J.

I would tend to agree with that, you have to really love germanium to deal with all of its quirks, but I do.

I remember there was a music store quite a while back that was right across the street from a great high school here that has a radio station (for a media curriculum). Certain amps in the store would pick up the station, it was kind of cool, but irritating at the same time.

Interesting about the Ranger, hopefully it grows on you. But if not, maybe you can make (at least most of) your money back selling it, and try something else. JT makes some really nice ones with lots of different versions, and the AM Beano is really great. Not sure how many versions he’s made over the years, but I really like mine.

I imagine the Java with the OC44 is very nice, probably very similar to some of the Jext Telez models - I’m guessing most similar to the black glass model with no writing.

I bought some of the Black Glass fuzz pedals from Keeley years ago, 2 with an OC44 and 1 with an OC81 (I think it is), and they’ve got really nice sounds, creamy to heavy, splattery Velcro. I keep one of the Keeley OC44’s first on my small board, and a JT Range Lord (yellow jacket) first on my big board.

Regarding boosts, I just broke down and bought an EQD Westwood and a Greer Lightspeed to try. Probably a little cleaner than a dirty category, and it’s not like I don’t already have quite a few very similar pedals, but I thought I’d give them a run with all of the good things I’ve read about them. The Westwood arrives tomorrow, and the Lightspeed should ship out today, so should get here Friday.

I guess I’m going to have to put them with all of the other similar pedals in a chain, and do my own “shootout” comparison, using different amps. Maybe it’ll make me sell off one or 2, but knowing myself, probably not...

[nanamour]

I've fallen head over heels for a Boss FA-1 FET Preamp clone I threw together a few weeks ago as an always on dirty boost that excels equally as a clean boost/EQ depending on how you set the knobs.

Generally these are advertised as a "clean" boost, but with the level past noon and flirting with breakup it has a wonderful dirty quality that can go from laser beam slice to juicy, saggy sponge depending on where the low cut switch and (incredibly powerful) treble and bass controls are set. A note of caution, though--the FA-1 gets VERY loud with the level control cranked into clipping territory (over 30dB of gain on tap IIRC); I've been using a Super Duper or Fairfield Barbershop later in the pedal chain as a sort of master volume to keep things at sane volumes.

The FA-1 is just a great sounding workhorse for clean/dirty boost and EQ duties, and for ~$30 in parts I highly recommend building one or maybe trying the Retro-Sonic Preamp clone, which is apparently quite faithful to the original but with a handy added internal switch that dirties the boost up a bit.

[JVG]

Ranger Update...

I’ve had the Fulltone for over a month now, and have given it a fairly solid workout. The result of this is that I still think it is a very nice pedal. It gets classic rangemaster sounds, and has good flexibility.

Yesterday, just for comparisons sake, i took the Ranger off my board and subbed in the Java. The Java instantly blew it away. Obviously there was an element of familiarity that made me feel at home with the Java, but there was also that beautiful creaminess i spoke about in a previous post, which the Ranger just didn’t quite get. This was especially evident with single coils, which is what i use 90% of the time.

On the positive side, the Ranger’s more attacking, slightly edgier sound does work very well with humbuckers, so it really depends what you are looking for.

Anyway, that’s my experience. I don’t want to trash the Ranger, because it’s definitely a good pedal. It just can’t compete with my old Java.

Cheers
J.

[marqueemoon]

Good to know re: the Ranger.

Anyone played around with the OG Suhr KokoBoost? From the demos I’ve watched/ listened to it doesn’t seem like the mid boost side adds any dirt of its own, but if it pushes the amp the right way maybe that’s ok?