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Thread: Recomend a clean boost for me

  1. #1
    Forum Member tbone14's Avatar
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    Recomend a clean boost for me

    What do you recomend for a clean, transparent boost. Ive always just used my TS9 with the drive really low and the level turned up, but now i'm looking for somthing different. So what do you guy's use?

  2. #2
    Forum Member Toneseeker's Avatar
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    Re: Recomend a clean boost for me

    You could try an amp simulator like Boss FDR-1 or Boss FBM-1 (DRRI and Bassman in a pedal), or Tech21 Sansamp.

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    Forum Member Kap'n's Avatar
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    Re: Recomend a clean boost for me

    Quote Originally Posted by TONESEEKER View Post
    You could try an amp simulator like Boss FDR-1 or Boss FBM-1 (DRRI and Bassman in a pedal), or Tech21 Sansamp.
    All of those are going to be pretty colored, especially the Boss pedals.

    I, and some other folks around here, like the RGW Bad Bob Boost. Right now, it stays tucked in the back of my amp, with a short cord up to the input, so I don't need anything on the floor to step on.
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    Forum Member FrankJohnson's Avatar
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    Re: Recomend a clean boost for me

    Not sayign this is any better than anything else, but I am borrowing a BBE Boosta-Grande from a friend and using it with my Valve jr. I actually have some clean head room with that amp now - and have a Jeckyll and Hyde to get rude with.
    Kenny Belmont
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  5. #5
    Forum Member telecustom's Avatar
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    Re: Recomend a clean boost for me

    I use a Seymour Duncan Twin Tube Classic as a two-channel boost with a Fulltone OCD in front of it...both true bypass. So basically I can go "loud--louder--loudest"....When i first bought the twin tube classic for distortion, i thought it was garbage...but as a boost and just to had some fatness to the OCD, I love it. Those two pedals are the only thing in my chain most of the time. They really work great together.

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    Re: Recomend a clean boost for me

    Xotic RC Booster. This is one I'll have forever, it can do no wrong. Love it!

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    Re: Recomend a clean boost for me

    I tried a BBE Boosta Grande at that local GC a couple weeks ago I liked it. Not enough to actually buy it, though. I'm sticking w/the trusty MXR Micro Amp for now. If I ever decide to use something else it will either be the Boosta Grande, or the Bad Bob (based on Fezz's earlier recommendation).

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    Forum Member Rickenjangle's Avatar
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    Re: Recomend a clean boost for me

    I like the EH LPB1 Nano that I have on my pedalboard. It's not totally colorless, though - but I like the way it works for me.

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  9. #9
    Forum Member yankeerob's Avatar
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    Re: Recomend a clean boost for me

    Hey TBone - nice piccy of Rory - I use a BlackStar HT-Dual DS-2 - probably for the same reasons that Kap'n and Fezz use their Bad Bobs - I really don't want to change the tone of the amp - I just want a bit of boost for solos - I've never seen or heard a BB but am guessing it's pretty good if it gets their endorsement - the BS (and BS it ain't!!) can be virtually neutral or change the tone a bit - nothing too radical, has a true bypass and you have the choice of clean boost or crunch on ch 1 / fairly variable amount of filth on ch 2... I use mine to just pump the clean up a little (ch 1) or get a richer distortion for solos (ch 2) - if you see one it's worth a try... way works for me and it behaves like a good amp when you turn the guitar vol down... has a 12AX7 running at a proper HT voltage and is built like a tank - about the only down side about it is the size and weight of it compared to an ordinary pedal... I mean it's not massive bu it ain't dainty either - and welcome aboard
    Last edited by yankeerob; 04-16-2008 at 08:29 PM.
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    Forum Member curt1lp's Avatar
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    Re: Recomend a clean boost for me

    Marshall Blues Breaker 2. It is dual mode: 1. Boost and 2. switch to classic pedal overdrive. Boost just increases the signal from the pedal without at all colouring the tone (that I can tell), it disconnects the drive and tone controls on the pedal, so basically it will give you more amp overdrive and volume.

  11. #11
    Forum Member tbone14's Avatar
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    Re: Recomend a clean boost for me

    Thanks for the help everyone I got a chance to try the BBE Boosta Grande and I think it will work for me, I will still use the Tube Screamer for more drive, I just wanted something else that wouldn't color the sound, like that push in the mids, that TS has got - Yankeerob, I had to look a long time to find a pic of Rory that no one else was using for an avatar, He's an incredible player. I've only been aware of him for the past couple of years, and I've been playing for about 25 years, If it wasn't for places like TFF I still woundn't be aware of him or a few other greats that I never had a clue about. The internet is a great thing... most of the time

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    Forum Member bignote's Avatar
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    Re: Recomend a clean boost for me

    Keeley Java Boost. Very Transparent and can really warm up a lame amp.
    Remember! It is the indian, not the arrow! Although the arrow can help.

  13. #13
    Forum Member sting7777's Avatar
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    Re: Recomend a clean boost for me

    Katana


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  14. #14
    Forum Member Wilko's Avatar
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    Re: Recomend a clean boost for me

    MXR Microamp is a clean very simple box for a decent price on ebay all day long.

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    Re: Recomend a clean boost for me

    Quote Originally Posted by Wilko View Post
    MXR Microamp is a clean very simple box for a decent price on ebay all day long.
    Another MXR. this one sounds really good, too.

    http://www.jimdunlop.com/index.php?p...p_and_e_detail

    They also make one with an overdrive built in, but that sounds horrible!

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    Re: Recomend a clean boost for me

    Quote Originally Posted by Wilko View Post
    MXR Microamp is a clean very simple box for a decent price on ebay all day long.
    Out of sheer boredom I took mine & put a bright blue (the one they call "Water Blue" ) LED in it. It doesn't sound any different, but it looks really cool when I turn it on!

  17. #17
    Forum Member Wilko's Avatar
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    Re: Recomend a clean boost for me

    that's a cool little detail. very nice.

    My old one from BITD that I used forever got lost at a gig, was made before the LED was added. I had to get a new one it has an LED. Kinda handy. I was always stepping on it to see if it was on or off.

  18. #18
    Forum Member Don's Avatar
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    Re: Recomend a clean boost for me

    I bought a used OCD recently and one of my favorite things about it is how it sounds with the drive control set all the way down.
    It works as a fairly transparent boost that way.

    I never set the drive on it above 9 o'clock. At that point I'm using it for more of a cranked AC-30 type of rhythm sound.

    I also have a BMF Fat Bastard which is a clean boost that fattens the sound slightly. It's great with single coil guitars, too fat with humbuckers.

  19. #19
    Forum Member Raven's Avatar
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    Re: Recomend a clean boost for me

    Xotic Rc Boost is extremely nice. Once you try it you will have it on all the time.
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  20. #20
    Forum Member rudutch's Avatar
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    Re: Recomend a clean boost for me



    good = $30
    bad= eats 9v batteries
    do I look like I know what I'm doing?

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    Re: Recomend a clean boost for me

    Clark Gainster. HAO Booster, Stephenson FMD, ZVex Super Hard On, OCD with gain set to "off", Bad Bob.
    I havent tried the first four I mentioned, nor the bad Bob. They come highly reccomended. I have got a OCD, but havent tried it as a clean boost yet.I also have a Boosta Grande, but I didnt like it-it thinly veiled the sound IMO.

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    Re: Recomend a clean boost for me

    Quote Originally Posted by sting7777 View Post
    Katana
    I'll second the Keeley Katana as my first choice. Almost anything Keeley is first rate in my books.

  23. #23

    Re: Recomend a clean boost for me

    Quote Originally Posted by telecustom View Post
    I use a Seymour Duncan Twin Tube Classic as a two-channel boost with a Fulltone OCD in front of it...both true bypass. So basically I can go "loud--louder--loudest"....When i first bought the twin tube classic for distortion, i thought it was garbage...but as a boost and just to had some fatness to the OCD, I love it. Those two pedals are the only thing in my chain most of the time. They really work great together.


    I tried the Twin Tube and found that it sounded and responded exactly like my Fender preamp. That wasn't a bad thing, but I wanted something different. Looking back, I can see the value in having those extra channels.

    So - +1 on the SD Twin Tube

  24. #24

    Re: Recomend a clean boost for me

    Quote Originally Posted by rudutch View Post


    good = $30
    bad= eats 9v batteries

    Does anyone know how much of a boost this EQ is as compared to the Boosta Grande?

  25. #25

    Re: Recomend a clean boost for me

    I broke out the Fish n Chips yesterday and it is a really good clean boost.

  26. #26
    Forum Member stratcat62's Avatar
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    Re: Recomend a clean boost for me

    I used an MXR Microamp for awhile and thought it was fine until I got a Keeley Katana. The MXR is now history. Love the Katana and totally agree with the gent who finds all the Keeley products to be good. I'm also using the Keeley modded 808. Between the two I can get anything I want in the overdrive or gain sounds.
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  27. #27
    Forum Member ziess's Avatar
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    Re: Recomend a clean boost for me

    Quote Originally Posted by General Specific View Post
    I broke out the Fish n Chips yesterday and it is a really good clean boost.
    Is it? Eeeeenteresting. I've got one kicking about that'll I'll try.

    Tommy.

  28. #28
    Forum Member curt1lp's Avatar
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    Re: Recomend a clean boost for me

    Easy: Marshall Blues breaker 2 pedal in Boost mode

  29. #29
    Forum Member jeru's Avatar
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    Re: Recomend a clean boost for me

    Quote Originally Posted by Don View Post
    I bought a used OCD recently and one of my favorite things about it is how it sounds with the drive control set all the way down. It works as a fairly transparent boost that way.
    I never set the drive on it above 9 o'clock. At that point I'm using it for more of a cranked AC-30 type of rhythm sound.
    I actually tried this a couple of weeks ago at a rooftop party/gig. It was the first time I tried the Valve Jr head and 1x12 cab playing out with folks, wanted to see if it could keep up. It was almost enough. The OCD set as a clean (ish) boost helped, a lot.

    Postscript: (EDIT - I'll start another thread, don't want to hijack)

  30. #30
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    Re: Recomend a clean boost for me

    I vote ZVEX Super Duper 2-1 or just get a Box of Rock which has a boost and distortion circuit in one pedal. The greatest thing about the Box of Rock is that you really have three different settings which allows you to achieve that loud-distortion-face melting kind of thing.

  31. #31
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    Re: Recomend a clean boost for me

    FX-Engineering Moab ( Mother of all boosts), very transparant and efficient.

  32. #32
    Forum Member Mikey's Avatar
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    Re: Recomend a clean boost for me

    Hmmmmm,
    used to be everyone on here extoled the virtures of the Reverend Drivetrain II
    Did everybody dump theirs?
    I still have mine and still think its a great pedal.
    Maybe y'all just got sidetracked by the new stuff and forgot how the Drivetrain was.
    Dig em up and bring em out and be amazed again.
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  33. #33
    Forum Member Kap'n's Avatar
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    Re: Recomend a clean boost for me

    I used to have a Drivetrain II. It's not really a clean boost - it's a tubescreamer variant. It was very similar to the sound of my Fulldrive, so I sold it.

    I sold the fulldrive too.
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  34. #34
    Forum Member Rickenjangle's Avatar
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    Re: Recomend a clean boost for me

    Yep, when I'm just using a couple simple pedals, my DTII is set to give a clean boost to the sound of my Jackhammer...

    "I'm gonna find myself a girl
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  35. #35
    Forum Member Dale's Avatar
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    Re: Recomend a clean boost for me

    I do not use a clean boose. I use the Keeley Java Boost and like it a lot.
    Guitars: Teles, Strats, LP, VW Wormoth, others. Amps: Bassman LTD, Richter 5e3, 5e3 Head, Taynor Bassmaster II, Gretsch 6150 (Supro), others. Board: Guitar>Java Boost> Huckleberry>Fuzz Head>Top Fuel> SFX-03 >Keeley 4 knob Comp>EH Clone Chorus>Flanger>DD-6

  36. #36
    Forum Member stratcat55's Avatar
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    Re: Recomend a clean boost for me

    Try out one of these http://www.seymourduncan.com/product...x01_pickup_bo/
    Pretty transparent.

  37. #37
    Forum Member Totally bored's Avatar
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    Re: Recomend a clean boost for me

    I used a Boss GE-7 EQ for the longest time and was quite satisfied. Decided to spend the big bucks for a RC Booster because of the True Bypass and I'm happy with it. I leave it on sometimes because it just seems to give my sound a little extra goodness but most of the time I use it as a clean boost for solo's

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