Zvex Super Hard On

Depending on the rest of your gear and what kind of tones you're going after, you might possibly not like that fact that the SHO lacks a tone control. Not only are you unable to roll back the treble frequencies a bit (often desirable for smoothing out higher gain lead tones), but the SHO tends to add some extra high end sparkle, compared to when it's bypassed. That's because the circuit's super high impedance input (5 meg ohms, compared to the typical 1 meg or 500K of most pedals and amps) hardly loads down the pickups at all.

But the SHO might be just the thing if you like your leads and fills to have some edge to them so they cut through the mix, or if your rhythm tone is fairly dark.

 

I'd have to agree with this. It does add extra high end sparkle, but I found that its lack of tone controls left me with a loss of bottom end when engaged. Nice sparkle though!

 

also in agreement here. Not what I would use as a "lead boost" pedal. Its almost more of a pre-amp rape pedal. It just hammers the front end in a way that almost makes it a linear clean distortion pedal without a master volume. Besides the slight change in EQ, its mostly just pure gain and not just a simple volume boost.


I might look into the CAE booster pedal if i was just looking for a simple solo boost.

 

I love it as a general volume and clarity boost, but I use it when i want my rhythym parts to come up in the mix much more than i use it for leads.

 

for solos??

catalinbread would be my first inclination. Look at the voodolab sparkle drive as well. very fat and harmonic, and you can mix in a bit of tube-screamer depending on the application for a bit of added compression for leads.


the MXR CAE MC-401
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/MXR-Custom-Audio-Electronics-MC401-Boost-Pedal?sku=151127

is a good choice I think as well, especially for the money.

 

Klon or Durham Sex Drive

 

RC booster.. i would say the landy clean boost but , I've heard its based upon the SHO

 

I only use it as the first pedal in my chain to brighten up my bassman a bit. I have used it cranked a bit more with just guitar and amp and it was pretty mean. As far as being too treblely, perhaps if you set the amps EQ ahead to compensate everything would be cool? It can drive the hell out of your tubes. Good luck!
, Chris

 

Wouldn't the solution then be to put it AFTER dirt (or a buffered) pedal?
That way it would not be bringing over the pristing sound of the pickups...the pickups wouldn't be seeing that super-high impedance?

I actually have one, bought in a pedal-buying-bender so I haven't spent enough time with mine...I did like what it did directly after guitar, but not enough at the time...meant to try it further down the chain (maybe even after everything!) to see about exactly that.

 

I use and like mine best at the end of the chain as a volume and clarity boost. Like I said, I prefer it as a rhythym boost, but it may work for you as a solo boost. It adds volume and clarity. Some might not like that tightening of their tone on leads, others will find that to be exactly what they need. It just depends on what you are after. But it is phenomenal pedal at the end of the chain and a totally different beast than it is at the front.

 

Try the Super Duper :AOK

 

I have an RC Booster, and the SHO. The RC is what I use for a volume boost for leads. The tone controls are key. I want to roll off the highs and add lows when I kick on the boost (if you get too shrill the soundman will often turn you down in the house mix, which directly defeats the purpose of stepping on the boost).

The SHO is best used as a first-in-the-chain, always-on pedal. I don't currently have it on my pedalboard, but I'll carry it to any recording session.

 

I had the Super Duper and they definitly add a chime in the boost which can help darker sounding rigs from either the natural properties of the gear or long signal chains.

For the front it adds a nice bite with the signal boost and stacks pretty well for me when I had it.

For the end, it added clarity in the top end with the volume boost.

I ended up selling it because I wanted a boost that didn't add to the tone, in this case the top end presence. Even though it sounded great in most rigs and senarios I ran them through. Its a great pedal and there are tons of these kind of pedals out there.

I've demoed the Flying Dragon from Lizard Leg Effects that doesn't seem to color anything and simply gives you more of what you already got. Very simply too with only one knob. It worked extremely well anywhere I put it.

I have a Creation Audio MK.4.23 on the way that I can't wait to try...