Looking for Good Clean Boost Pedal

S

Struong57

Member
Messages
41
Thanks for your input so far. Does anyone have any experience with the Oddfellow Napoleon boost pedal?

What's the difference between all these pedals? How do you choose one over another?
 
R.C.Moran

R.C.Moran

Gold Supporting Member
Messages
2,439
Wait....no Timmy so far :O I'm shocked! Seriously though, the Timmy works as an excellent clean boost, along with pretty well everything else mentioned here. No experience with the Napoleon though.

The biggest thing in choosing a clean boost is what needs you have. If all you need is something that takes exactly what you have and makes it louder, any transparent one knob boost will do. There is a difference between a lot of boosts out there because some will color your tone simply by virtue of the circuit. For example, I find the MXR Micro amp to be very neutral, and in contrast the EHX LBP-1 bumps mid-range frequencies a bit. Now, if you want the ability to also adjust the tone, maybe boost or cut some frequencies, then something with an EQ may be more of what you need, such as the TC Spark.

Lastly, like the Timmy there are many good overdrive pedals out there where you can keep the gain from minimum to slightly above that, and it will act as a clean boost. If I need a clean boost I use my Rivera Blues shaman (favorite OD/Boost pedal), because I can set it with the gain at 9 and volume at 12-2, tone around noon, and set to stack (bumps lows through lower mids, and makes the sound much bigger overall), and what that will do is still give me a clean boost if I play normally, but then if I dig in a bit on the bridge pickup, I'll get just the right amount of breakup. Runner up to the Blues Shaman for boost would be the Vox Flat 4. It looks ugly as sin, but it's a tube pedal, and sounds gorgeous with a variety of eq options, and can also be used as an overdrive with the gain cranked.
 
triviani

triviani

Silver Supporting Member
Messages
3,019
Both Timmy and CAE Boost are as transparent as it gets. The micro amp is not transparent, really.
 
S

shayneallen

Member
Messages
547
Don't overlook the new fulltone. That "feel" knob (or whatever it's really called) makes that one of my favorite boosts ever, and I've been through most of them. (and still own several).
 
Barnzy

Barnzy

Member
Messages
4,327
shayneallen said:
Don't overlook the new fulltone. That "feel" knob (or whatever it's really called) makes that one of my favorite boosts ever, and I've been through most of them. (and still own several).
Click to expand...
Are you refering to the 2B? (...just making sure...I don't know my Fulltone stuff too well....)
 
Turi

Turi

Member
Messages
11,818
Your volume knob.

"Clean Boost Pedals" need to piss off and die a terrible death.
They're a freaking scam, I swear.

If you lower the volume on your guitar to like 7 for your "main" sound, and up your amps volume to accommodate this change, you can use your volume knob to get the cleanest, most transparent "boost" possible.

What's the point in a clean boost pedal?
You can use an EQ pedal to achieve the exact same thing - just up everything and voila, "clean" boost.
 
Barnzy

Barnzy

Member
Messages
4,327
Lithsp said:
Your volume knob.

"Clean Boost Pedals" need to piss off and die a terrible death.
They're a freaking scam, I swear.

If you lower the volume on your guitar to like 7 for your "main" sound, and up your amps volume to accommodate this change, you can use your volume knob to get the cleanest, most transparent "boost" possible.

What's the point in a clean boost pedal?
You can use an EQ pedal to achieve the exact same thing - just up everything and voila, "clean" boost.
Click to expand...
I don't necessarily disagree. But "foot switchable" is easier. And there is a difference in amptone between 7-10 on my guitar volume vs volume 10 plus a "boost circuit" before preamp. I promise it's true.
 
don550

don550

Silver Supporting Member
Messages
406
R.C.Moran said:
Wait....no Timmy so far :O I'm shocked! Seriously though, the Timmy works as an excellent clean boost, along with pretty well everything else mentioned here. No experience with the Napoleon though.

The biggest thing in choosing a clean boost is what needs you have. If all you need is something that takes exactly what you have and makes it louder, any transparent one knob boost will do. There is a difference between a lot of boosts out there because some will color your tone simply by virtue of the circuit. For example, I find the MXR Micro amp to be very neutral, and in contrast the EHX LBP-1 bumps mid-range frequencies a bit. Now, if you want the ability to also adjust the tone, maybe boost or cut some frequencies, then something with an EQ may be more of what you need, such as the TC Spark.

Lastly, like the Timmy there are many good overdrive pedals out there where you can keep the gain from minimum to slightly above that, and it will act as a clean boost. If I need a clean boost I use my Rivera Blues shaman (favorite OD/Boost pedal), because I can set it with the gain at 9 and volume at 12-2, tone around noon, and set to stack (bumps lows through lower mids, and makes the sound much bigger overall), and what that will do is still give me a clean boost if I play normally, but then if I dig in a bit on the bridge pickup, I'll get just the right amount of breakup. Runner up to the Blues Shaman for boost would be the Vox Flat 4. It looks ugly as sin, but it's a tube pedal, and sounds gorgeous with a variety of eq options, and can also be used as an overdrive with the gain cranked.
Click to expand...


+1 Timmy
 
R.C.Moran

R.C.Moran

Gold Supporting Member
Messages
2,439
Lithsp said:
Your volume knob.

"Clean Boost Pedals" need to piss off and die a terrible death.
They're a freaking scam, I swear.

If you lower the volume on your guitar to like 7 for your "main" sound, and up your amps volume to accommodate this change, you can use your volume knob to get the cleanest, most transparent "boost" possible.

What's the point in a clean boost pedal?
You can use an EQ pedal to achieve the exact same thing - just up everything and voila, "clean" boost.
Click to expand...

While I do agree the volume knob needs to be utilized a lot more and is key for versatility, I can't agree that it is the cleanest boost as you say it. Most of the time rolling off volume a bit will cause a bit of high end roll-off as well (without a good treble bleed), and even if that's not an issue, the guitar is the source so you are hitting everything after with a stronger signal, which will change gain wherever applicable. Likewise, say you want to hit the amp with more of a signal without adding EQ, that's what clean boost is, no added gain, just volume, and that's perfectly valid. Personally, I like to do this with overdrive with the gain at minimum, but the concept has been around since the earliest of line drivers, and it works.

Now, where I think they are misused, and where the volume knob should be used more, is when a player wants to use clean boost as a volume boost to stand out more at a gig. I find it unnecessary, if you need some extra volume there, sure, use your knob, but if your base tone is well EQ'd and the band has an appropriate mix of parts, you'll be very present without dominating everything else.
 
mad dog

mad dog

Silver Supporting Member
Messages
11,213
It's been TIM for the longest time for me. Nothing beats it. I do like the TC Spark too, the original size, not the mini.

+1 for the merits of guitar volume knob. I use mine all the time. But guitar volume adjustments do not replace or make irrelevant the utility of a good clean boost. Far from it. Use a good clean boost AND adjust volume for the best of both worlds.
MD
 
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