Xotic vs. Cusack

[elationalways]

So, I don't really have a dirt section on my board at the moment. I have a Boss BD-2 and it's getting to the point where it just isn't really working out for me. I sold my tube screamer a little while ago and am regretting it terribly. I like the TS overdrive sound but want a little more. Maybe a little more low end, a little more tone control in general, etc.

I've been looking around for a little while and there are 477382194848282 awesome overdrive pedals out there. I realize that. But the two that caught my eye are the Xotic AC Booster and the Cusack Screamer. They both seem to sound great and have great options. Demos of the Cusack pedal seem more what I'm looking for but I could be wrong.

What do you guys think? Can I get a run down on these pedals?

Also, there are two more pedals from the same two company's battling for an even smaller spot on my pedal board. The Xotic EP Booster and the Cusack More Louder.

Any thoughts on either/both of those tiny boxes?

Thanks everyone!

[tdk8709]

The Screamer is an excellent tube Screamer pedal, the AC is muddy and lacking IMO. The boosters are both good pedals, but the EP will color your tone and the More Louder is a true clean volume boost.

[shayneallen]

The Cusack will be your TS with more gain, more output, wider tonal range.... and it will be a bit less compressed. I really dig mine.
I dug the AC... but only with humbuckers. It really layed there with single coils in my hands... and it is much grainier than the Cusack... not really screamerish at all to my ears.

[Heady Jam Fan]

So, I don't really have a dirt section on my board at the moment. I have a Boss BD-2 and it's getting to the point where it just isn't really working out for me. I sold my tube screamer a little while ago and am regretting it terribly. I like the TS overdrive sound but want a little more. Maybe a little more low end, a little more tone control in general, etc.

I've been looking around for a little while and there are 477382194848282 awesome overdrive pedals out there. I realize that. But the two that caught my eye are the Xotic AC Booster and the Cusack Screamer. They both seem to sound great and have great options. Demos of the Cusack pedal seem more what I'm looking for but I could be wrong.

What do you guys think? Can I get a run down on these pedals?

Also, there are two more pedals from the same two company's battling for an even smaller spot on my pedal board. The Xotic EP Booster and the Cusack More Louder.

Any thoughts on either/both of those tiny boxes?

Thanks everyone!

Wow, thats the same number I came up with with I counted ;)

There are a lot of great options out there! I love Tube Screamers and hate to stray far from Ibanez (I have 2 Silvers). I keep looking at clones and they all have 'improvements' that I consider drawbacks honestly - the most common is added bass. If you want that, there are plenty of options or mods out there, but I think the bass role off is key to a TS - without it, the mids don't stick out to make that great tone and you end up muddier at high volumes. The EQ makes a TS great IMO.

[gpro34]

So, I don't really have a dirt section on my board at the moment. I have a Boss BD-2 and it's getting to the point where it just isn't really working out for me. I sold my tube screamer a little while ago and am regretting it terribly. I like the TS overdrive sound but want a little more. Maybe a little more low end, a little more tone control in general, etc.

I've been looking around for a little while and there are 477382194848282 awesome overdrive pedals out there. I realize that. But the two that caught my eye are the Xotic AC Booster and the Cusack Screamer. They both seem to sound great and have great options. Demos of the Cusack pedal seem more what I'm looking for but I could be wrong.

What do you guys think? Can I get a run down on these pedals?

Also, there are two more pedals from the same two company's battling for an even smaller spot on my pedal board. The Xotic EP Booster and the Cusack More Louder.

Any thoughts on either/both of those tiny boxes?

Thanks everyone!

I've had both of these, but honestly the new BB Comp is their best pedal yet, IMO. I would get it without a doubt.

[Jeremy A]

You should check out the Cmatmods Signa Drive

[spfautz]

I have an AC plus that I love. If the AC is just like the overdrive side of my AC plus its a really good pedal. With the added boost side and channel direction button, the AC plus is incredibly versatile and is the foundation of my tone pedal-wise.

[cookedbutok]

I played the Cusack Screamer at a local shop the other day. It's the best TS pedal these ears have heard. I wasn't even in the market, and I almost took it home. Go Cusack.

[jccpraznman]

I had the cusack screamer fuzz v2 for a while..phenomenal sounding pedal. I also had the RC booster which I used primarily for a clean boost. Solid, but not super impressive. I'm sure the EP booster would have satisfied my needs more than enough.

I'd say cusack all day. Great stuff.

[mcdes]

I think the first question would be what amp and guitar are you using?

[telepunk]

I am using a Vox AC15C1 and with both single coils and humbuckers (both teles) I love the Cusack Screamer. I HATED the stock tubescreamer I played. The Cusack is exactly what you're describing. I am sure there are other modded versions that do similar things, but I can't imagine they would be any better. The Cusack is clearer, has MUCH more gain range, and it has a very useful wide ranging tone knob. I have the V1, but I'm sure the 2 is even better.

I used to have an AC Booster as well. It was awesome, but it's not a tubescreamer to my ears. Less compression, more open...sounded more like my amp cranked naturally through my rig (so maybe it's Voxy or just more transparent). I really liked it, but I liked the Kalamazoo more so I sold it. Then the Blackstone OD knocked the Kalamazoo out. The Blackstone + the Cusack Screamer is more than I would ever need for drive. Love them both.

If you want a screamer, you should get the Cusack.

[mcdes]

I've always loved the mix of an Vox AC? amp and a tele with the AC booster. Just creamy!

[NHBluesMan]

+1 on the Cusack, great pedal!

[Vintage]

Cusack is a great pedal, cheaper alternative would be the Green Rhino.

[Cuthbert]

AC booster with a real vox ac15 is great for me. I don't need to look any further. For a blackface Fender I sometimes prefer my tube screamer though. I'm sure Cusack is great, haven't tried it though.

[tdk8709]

AC booster with a real vox ac15 is great for me. I don't need to look any further. For a blackface Fender I sometimes prefer my tube screamer though. I'm sure Cusack is great, haven't tried it though.

That's funny, because I thought the AC Booster sounded TERRIBLE through my '93 AC15... The pedal had no clarity, no matter how hard I tried to like it because of what it's supposed to be. I like every other Xotic pedal though.

[elationalways]

I think the first question would be what amp and guitar are you using?

I'm playing a Tele with humbuckers into a Silverface Twin.

When I had my TS, I was playing into a DRRI. I really loved that it was smooth and lush. It was chunky or anything. Just felt like the amp opened up and started singing.

Sounds like more people like the Cusack. I was kind of hoping you guys would point me in that direction. Definitely leaning towards the Cusack.

Any other thoughts on the EP booster vs. More Louder?

[elationalways]

That's funny, because I thought the AC Booster sounded TERRIBLE through my '93 AC15... The pedal had no clarity, no matter how hard I tried to like it because of what it's supposed to be. I like every other Xotic pedal though.

I'm definitely looking for clarity. I don't want to be restricted by muddiness (I have a Silverface twin - I need something to cut through and mix well with the warmth).

[tdk8709]

What do you want the "clean boost" to do? They are very different types of boosters. The EP Booster is based off of the old echoplex booster and has a distinct tone to it. The more louder is just a 20-something db volume boost. I prefer the Cusack for a true booster.

[telepunk]

:agree

I leave the EP Booster on all the time to get a fatter, rounder tone. I use a T1M Mini Solo Boost (which would be more like the Cusack More Louder) for actually boosting solos.

[elationalways]

:agree

I leave the EP Booster on all the time to get a fatter, rounder tone. I use a T1M Mini Solo Boost (which would be more like the Cusack More Louder) for actually boosting solos.

I like that idea. I recently sold my mxr dyna comp because I wasn't into it that much. I don't miss that pedal too much but I have given some thought to picking up a diamond compressor to fatten things up and to give my signal a little push (I think it needs it).

It sounds like you're achieving that with the EP booster. I really want a solid all-purpose clean boost though and what I really like about the Cusack ML is that it has that switch on it which changes the bypass mode from true bypass to buffered bypass. That seemed like a sweet little option and yet another way I could give my guitar signal a little more push (most of my pedals are true bypass).

The problem with that is that I'd want the clean boost to go after the overdrive pedals so I had the option to be louder and keep the same overdriven tone. If you use some sort of buffer in your signal chain, does it matter where it is? Like, does it have to be in the very beginning?