Rangemaster/Treble Booster with a Master Volume?

[traynor_garnet]

I owned an MJM Treble Booster and loved it except for one thing: it was ungodly loud to use. I would step on it and just about go deaf with the volume boost.

I realize part of why these pedals sound great is because they slam the front of your amp, but they also have a great "fuzz" sound to themselves. Does anyone make a version with a master volume so you can crank up the gain, hit the transistors hard, but also back off overall boost to avoid the massive volume increase?

TG

 

[jay42]

Look at the BYOC TriBoost.

 

[todaystomorrow]

Maybe the Addrock Boostmaster. There is a drive control and an output level. The drive control is an input trim, so it may only limit the input. I haven't tried this pedal, but I've wondered the exact same thing as you.

 

[zenfreud]

Does anyone make a version with a master volume so you can crank up the gain, hit the transistors hard, but also back off overall boost to avoid the massive volume increase?
TG

But it's the sheer amount of boost hitting your amp's front end that makes up a key ingredient of the sound. I've tried at least three Rangemaster-inspired boosters and found them to be unworkable with my non-master volume amps. I can't picture how a RM booster could be used for portions of a song since you have to dial in the whole signal chain to account for the boost.

 

[Skreddy]

The classic Rangemaster circuit's single knob IS the volume control; it has no effect on the gain or bias of the transistor. There are only two ways to get a cooking sound: 1, hit it hard with your guitar pickup; 2, hit your amp hard with it. If you don't want the volume boost into your amp, then you can't use the #2 method at all. If the #1 method isn't enough, then you don't want a classic treble boost at all but something completely different like a fuzz (Fuzzface) or a multi-transistor booster (Colorsound Powerboost/Overdriver)...

 

[traynor_garnet]

The classic Rangemaster circuit's single knob IS the volume control; it has no effect on the gain or bias of the transistor.

Dam, so as I feared the volume boost is essential to the sound. Too bad as it is a great sound . . .

I've been digging old Sabbath tones and hoping to get that without going deaf. With my big amp, I guess it's a no go.

TG

 

[Blues Jr]

Check out the Plum Crazy Squawk. I think it has a volume control on it.
Look at gearmandude's YT page, he did a vid for it.

 

[Skreddy]

Dam, so as I feared the volume boost is essential to the sound. Too bad as it is a great sound . . .

I've been digging old Sabbath tones and hoping to get that without going deaf. With my big amp, I guess it's a no go.

TG

That fuzzed-out Laney is most of his sound; the RangeMaster in front just gives it a biting attack. A Big Muff Pi can do a close approximation of a cranked, fuzzy amp into a clean amp. If you find you're lacking that certain germanium treble-boost attack, you could try a RangeMaster into a Big Muff Pi (or some other appropriate cranked-amp style fuzz).

 

[carltonh]

A Pedalworx McFuzz (aka Tonefactor Hellbilly) can do the Rangemaster tone about as well as any non-clone pedal can. Also consider the Lovepedal BBB if you can tolerate incompatibility with daisy chained power. I love the Hellbilly for Black Sabbath tones.

 

[thesjkexperienc]

Most TBs have a volume control on them. My Swart and Beano you can go below unity to a huge boost. It is also important to use the volume knob on your guitar to get the most flavors out of the pedal. Seems to be a lost art among the younger guys.

 

[moodog]

Master volume, we don't need no stinking master volume. I thought everyone used these wide open. Check out the Baja Tech Custom Baja Boost or Analogman Beano Boost. Both have volume knobs and I think the Baja Boost has the Sabbath mods.

 

[gaspedals.net]

I owned an MJM Treble Booster and loved it except for one thing: it was ungodly loud to use. I would step on it and just about go deaf with the volume boost.

I realize part of why these pedals sound great is because they slam the front of your amp, but they also have a great "fuzz" sound to themselves. Does anyone make a version with a master volume so you can crank up the gain, hit the transistors hard, but also back off overall boost to avoid the massive volume increase?

TG

This is one of the "problems" with the stock rangemaster design and yes a master can be added. You need to change some things around but Ive had very good results with doing this. Not making them right now but Im sure there is some products out there that do something similar.

 

[utterhack]

I've been digging old Sabbath tones and hoping to get that without going deaf. With my big amp, I guess it's a no go.

TG

Nah, just stick a friendly OD in between. BOR and DLS are both great for this.

Here's a link Purple posted in the DLS thread that should help answer your Sabbath question:

http://www.soundclick.com/util/getplayer.m3u?id=7411183&q=hi

Keely Java Boost > Catalinbread DLS > Fender PRRI (clean)

 

[imguitardan]

Agreed. TBs are the best. I have a handmade clone and a Lovepedal BBB (that Sean put a hole in so I can run it from a PPII+ with the battery snap cord. The BBB has a volume knob that works well but it doesn't sound as mean as the clone TB.

If you want a simple solution, get an amp-like pedal to run after it (the new Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret seems made for this) and set the volume on the OD after the TB to yr liking.

You could also talk to Soul Sonic about building you a dual pedal like his Four Banger but with a TB into another pedal of your chosing (OD or Fuzz) and you could use the toggles to have both pedals on so they work in conjunction but can be turned on and off with one foot switch.

 

[drewl]

I put a master in one I made and you can get some grind at a lower volume but it sounds best with the master cranked.

 

[traynor_garnet]

Guys, I know that Rangmasters have a volume control but this isn't what I'm talking about. Please read the OP carefully as I don't want this to simply become a post about all the available boosts out there.

Thanks for the replies so far,
TG

 

[vegetablejoe]

Yes a treble booster is loud. I like to put one of 3 preferred od's after my BYOC Triboost: either a OCD v4, 808 clone, or Dano CTO-1, to use for chunky/dirty rhythm and as a "gate" for the booster's volume.

 

[ruby7829]

I love the treble boost sound as well, and like you, TG, I have the same issue, too loud. Solved the problem by putting an RC Booster after the Treble Booster. Just crank the treble booster and lower the volume on the RC Booster and let it act as a master. Sounds unbelievable.

 

[kludge]

I've taken to running a treble booster into an amp-like OD (Rumble Mod). I get the same basic effect as slamming the amp, albiet not quite so rich and elegant, and the volume control is saner because the pedal compresses more than the amp.

 

[Shredtrash]

Guys, I know that Rangmasters have a volume control but this isn't what I'm talking about. Please read the OP carefully as I don't want this to simply become a post about all the available boosts out there.

Thanks for the replies so far,
TG

I had the exact same problem when I first got mine. Sounded great but the volume was ridiculous in the real world. I tried a few things with mixed results until I found my solution. Here are some of the things I tried:

1. Tried putting an overdrive (TS and an OCD) after it. Sounded great but I couldn't clean up with my volume knob like I wanted. This didn't work for me because the volume-knob clean up thing was a major part of the attraction. BTW, I use a Les Paul so that had something to do with it. If I used a single-coil guitar, I'm sure this would have been more workable.

2. Does your amp have a master volume? If so, get the preamp to break up a little and then hit it with the Rangemaster. That should be fine if your amp is smaller. If it's a more powerful amp, this may or may not work because you still might be too loud.

3. Get an attenuator. Currently, I run my Rangemaster-type pedal through my Vox and Marshall clones. I get the tone I want and then attenuate (I use a Bad Cat Leash but any good one will do). This has been a great solution to the problem and I can get great tone at workable volumes. My amps are 18 watters so I only have to shave about 4 dB or so. If your amps are more powerful, of course, you'll have to attenuate more but it's still very workable and it should sound great. To me, this is the best solution.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

Tom