Recommend good boost for dirty channel?

S

sheedbg

Member
Messages
64
I'm talking to add gain AND volume on already somewhat dirty channel (drive already set at a little over halfway on a Orange RV50 head). I should pre-face that I am a through-and-through "rock" player so I am talking a large amount of gain...

I recieved a BBE Green Boosta, but it sounds terrible through the loop, and in front of the amp it does not boost the volume at all.

Speaking of, if I do want a volume boost for a dirty channel, I will have to run it through the loop correct?

Thanks for any help, I'm fairly new to effects in general, now that I am into them I am developing a serious problem.

- Chris
 
rob2001

rob2001

Member
Messages
16,938
I'm not sure how it would work with an Orange but I know a modded Boss SD-1 is really good with a JCM 800. Tough to beat actually for a hard/heavy rock. The volume boost will depend on how high you have the amp gain. If the pre is maxed you won't get much volume. Gotta leave a little room in the preamp for a volume boost. Otherwise a true clean boost in the loop should be good. Super chili piccaso, MXR micro amp are a few. My SD-1 is modded by Indyguitarist... Blues mod... huge volume boost in front. Many will say bass loss. I'll say low notes don't flub out under high gain. Signal bleed is another issue but most mods take care of that.
 
fr8_trane

fr8_trane

Silver Supporting Member
Messages
6,896
The BBE Green boost (aka frequency boost) is a transistor based treble booster. That's a VERY acquired taste and is more of a retro pedal in the fuzz vein. I would expect that pedal would sound horrible in the loop as you discovered. The BBE pedal you want to try is the Boosta Grande (blue) which is a CLEAN, full frequency boost.

For a volume boost you MUST put the boost in the loop especially with the amount of preamp gain that an Orange amp puts out. Keep in mind that a clean boost in the loop will push your power tubes harder, not the preamp tubes. If your master volume is high enough the loop boost should add power tube saturation. In other words you may not need a pedal that adds volume and its own gain. In fact I find that OD pedals in the loop usually sound pretty bad. I would would stick with clean boosts in the loop.

I would go to musicians friend and search the guitar pedal inventory for clean boosts. And then order like 5 of them. Keep the one you want and send the rest back. Use that return policy for all its worth.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/navigation?q=boost

Some suggestions all available at MF:

Hao rust booster (adds gain as well)
Voodoo labs Sparkle Dive (clean boost and blendable Tube screamer)
MXR microamp
MXR CAE MC-401
Boosta grande
Carl Martin Hydra boost
Keely Katana
Tone Bone Big shot PB-1 power booster
 
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