Rangemaster Boost Question

[Liquid Ranger]

Hey Guys, I need some help here....I've been looking for the best sounding "Beano style "/ Rangemaster boost pedal out there. I know that both Analogman and Don Butler claim to use the same Germ as the original's and are both point to point, yet there are literally dozens of seemingly good varients available. Has anyone had direct experience with either of these pedals and or an opinion about other makes available? opinions and help here are greatly appreciated!! Bob

 

[cocheese]

Bob,

No help here, but I've been wondering the same thing myself. I'll be interested to hear the responses. I've got the Analogman SunFace and it needs company!

 

[tybone]

I get some amazing tones with the Scotts Crispy Cream. Most amps love this pedal. Just in case I also have a Java Boost. It is a little more versatile becuase of the tone controls as well as providing mid or full range boost as well.

Love em both.

 

[Phil M]

AM's Beano boost is an awesome unit. I had one for a while and it added some nice bratty sounding dirt when needed. I also had a Keeley Java Boost and that was a great one too. It was definitely a little more hi-fi or refined sounding, but the tone control was a great feature to have and made it work with more rigs.

My current treble booster is the vintage side of a Time Machine Boost. Though both were done with Keeley on board, I don't think it sounds identical to the Java, but similar. The Java had the tone control, but the intensity knob on the TMB does wonders for how saturated the effect can sound.

All three are recommended for what you want, but I think the AM is a great choice for simplicity. They can be had between $100-$120 on the used market.

 

[el34power]

Well. I have a Beano, a super Chili Picoso a Keeley BD-2, Keeley SD-1 and a Digitech bad Monkey.
My amp is a JCM800/2203. For the past two weeks or so i have been a,b,c,d,e ing them threw a 4 Loooper.
I wanted to run two pedals on my board. One "sparkly" drive to kick the input and make the signal "come alive" and then hit the second for leads and heavier tunes.
At the moment, the winning combo for me is the Keeley BD-2 as the primary light booster and the beano as the solo boost.
The beano i find "musical" and makes the high single notes "sing"
The SD-1 and Monkey are very simmilar and are good but "colder"
The picoso has a bit too much low end for my application but works very well..

I hope this helps

 

[cvansickle]

HomeBrew Electronics Germania works for me. I find it to be the GO-TO pedal for leads.

 

[Liquid Ranger]

Thanks for the reply's guy's, to refine this a bit, I'll be using it through a vinatge AC30. Anyone had chance to use the Don Butler Rangemaster?, the clips sound awesome. B

 

[fjs1962]

I recently picked up a used Beano Boost and it sounds great with my Dr Z and Germino. I've had a couple of full range boost pedals but they were always too bassy, especially on the neck pickup. The Beano Boost is just right.

 

[blueprint]

Hi,

I have two Beanos: one from Analogman, the other one by Retroman (with Mullards).
The AM has more punch.
I had an AC30, and if you plain to use a treble booster with it, you will have to use the normal channel. The bright one won't work fine, too trebly. You will also have to play loud! And I mean LOUD!
Actually, what kind of tone are you after?

 

[hogy]

Originally posted by Bob Stirner
Hey Guys, I need some help here....I've been looking for the best sounding "Beano style "/ Rangemaster boost pedal out there.

That will be hard, because there is no Rangemaster or any other boost on the Beano album.

Hogy

 

[Guinness Lad]

The BSM stuff. I had a HS awesome sold it though needed a little coin but I now have the OR excellent pedal also. The HS gobbled up the Keeley a spit it out leaving it crawing in a pile of cat hair and fish guts. Really no comparison. It's expensive stuff but the guy doesn't cut any corners, listen to the clips on the website, they are real accurate.

 

[khudson]

+1 on Keeley's Java Boost.

 

[jokerjkny]

i havent tried either you speak of,

but i dunno how anything can be better than my Time Machine Boost. love the fact that it has two settings, along with and intensity knob to vary to my liking.

 

[peacock72]

I had a Toneman Rangemaster and presently own a Big Tone Brewery Rangemaster clone w/Mullard CV7003. The Toneman uses reissue NKT-275 transistors like the newer Dunlop Fuzzfaces. I installed a NOS Mullard OC-44 in the Toneman and the Bigtone still sounded smoother and bigger. The Big Tone is no longer in production, but he does offer a $65 kit with a NOS OC-44. The BSM stuff is supposed to be amazing and bullet proof, but way overpriced IMHO.

 

[The Gainster]

 

[johnspeck]

Originally posted by hogy
That will be hard, because there is no Rangemaster or any other boost on the Beano album.

Hogy

Yep. I was afraid to mention that.

I have a ToneMan full-range (not treble) boost. It's cool, but I'd go for the Time Machine, you get the treble, the full-range, and a clean modern boost. It'll work with a wider variety of guitars, amps, pedals.

 

[trisonic]

Originally posted by hogy
That will be hard, because there is no Rangemaster or any other boost on the Beano album.

Hogy

Thanks, Hogy. I've been sitting on my hands on this subject lately.

Best, Pete.

 

[decay-o-caster]

Another BSM guy here - I've got the RM and it kills. Yeah, they're a bit spendy for what's actually in the circuit, but for a boutique pedal that gets a tone you can't live without? About average...

 

[cubba65]

I've had an early Diaz that had a switchable boost (lo-med-hi), an early Don Butler Rangemaster, and the Top-Boost from Pro Analog. The Diaz was the most flexible, but didn't have the sound I was looking for. The Butler had the old-school sound, but not enough gain (although he has since updated the pedal). The Pro Analog I kept. It has the vintage tone in spades, plus a lot of gain so I can push the amp as I wish.

The only other one I've tried which was really interesting isn't even out yet. It is the soon to be released Vox Cooltron Treble-Booster. Brian May in a box thru a Vox. Check that one out at Korg's website.

There's a bunch of Rangemaster-style builders out there now, since it is a very small circuit and a 'simple' one to build. But having so few components, you'd better know exactly how to source, test, and choose your tranny's, which is why I went with Pro Analog.

Otherwise, if you aren't stuck on it being a Ge-tranny circuit, the McBoost from Pedalworx.com is really sweet, especially with the toggle, and a good bargain for the zippy tone you get out of it.

 

[hogy]

Originally posted by trisonic
Thanks, Hogy. I've been sitting on my hands on this subject lately.

Best, Pete.

Funny how complete BS turns into a fact on the internet.
Now "Beano Boost" has become a term referring to a boost that was not used on the Beano album.

I would advice pedal makers not to use this referrence unless they want to prove they are utterly tone deaf, have never heard a real Rangemaster, or have never listened to the Beano album.

Hogy