Best clean boost DIY ?

[iknowjohnny]

Anyone know of a good transparent DIY clean boost pedal circuit? i bought a tele a while back with pickups a really like, but the output is just too low. I've been using a OD pedal with the OD all the way down and volume up for a clean boost. It does a decent job, but it's not transparent of course. So i want to build a clean preamp circuit for it instead of trying hotter pickups. I already tried 2 highly recommended ones and i just cannot do w/o the stock p/u tone, i just love it too much aside from the low output.

[selloutrr]

does your amp have an FX loop? you could put a volume put across the send and return, boost your volume on the amp and then use the fx as a volume reduction.

I've gone down this route for years with players. To date the answer is NO! Nothing that alters the tone/volume is completely transparent. so far the carl martin is pretty decent, but it's not without it's color.

[iknowjohnny]

No, thats not what i'm trying to do. I'm talking about a clean boost to give the guitar more output to drive the input harder. Just like you'd have with hotter p/u's, but i don't want to get hotter p/u's.

On a side note, i've been doing the volume trick you described for decades with a pot and relay.

[jaysg]

What did you try?

A lot of people like the AMZ mosfet booster. It does color the tone by adding some zing, but I don't see anyone complaining about it. The BYOC TriBoost has that, a Rangemaster and an EH LPB1/2 circuit inside. The Rangemaster can be run flat. hth

[d95err]

Boosters basically fall into two categories: Variable gain or fixed gain/variable output level.

Typical variable gain boosters are the AMZ Mosfet Boost, and the MXR Microamp. Typical fixed gain/variable output level boosters are the Rangemaster, LPB1, etc.

Fixed gain/variable output level boosters will usually distort the guitar signal (depending on how hot your pickups are). So if you want a really clean boost, you need variable gain.

I have built an AMZ Mosfet boost and I like it a lot. I will probably modify it or build another with some kind of variable EQ though, because most of the time you want to cut a some bass when pushing your amp harder.

[selloutrr]

have you tried watching Youtube video's to help get idies of what you like, then visit the manufactures websites for a higher quality demo clip. once you find what you like search for a schematic.

[iknowjohnny]

Well, now that you mention it i recall the mosfet booster and that it's always mentioned when the subject comes up. So i guess that will be the one, thanks.
As to watching videos or listening to mp3's of gear, to me thats impossible. There are things that are so subtle that you couldn't hear them in a file if they were 10 times as obvious, yet i can tell if I'M playing nas tho it's nite and day. A lot of it if not the majority of the *tone* in various gear isn't tone at all, but feel. And changes in my tone and/or feel between for example that pedal i've been using (which has bass/treble controls) is real obvious to me, yet i couldn't hear that in a file if my life depended on it. In fact, i couldn't tell standing in the same room as it's being A/B'd unless it's ME doing the playing.

[selloutrr]

lucky for you you're in LA i suggest you hit the strip and start playing some pedals.

[Andy Le Blanc]

You can use nearly any kind of gain stage transistor, FET, op amp, tube etc...

Pick a 12au7 or even a 12av7 put it in a box with simple power supply
foot switch and volume pot. You can try as many simple configurations that a
a couple gain stages will allow, even distortion...

I build a dirt pedal into cake pan once, any basic circuit will do....

[daydreamer]

Anything at all before the amp input will change the way it sounds. It messes with the impedance and the way the pickups interact with the first gain stage of the amp. You would be better off building a pedal that mimics the circuitry of the first stage of your amp, as I think that is what you are hearing,.. does the tele sound as good though other amps? My strat sounds great through my traynor, but the explorer sound like it is being choked to death!

[ToneMerc]

so far the carl martin is pretty decent, but it's not without it's color.

I always go back to 80's model TC Booster/Line Driver for transparant boost and my modern fav is the NOC Firefly setup with a light boost.

[sliberty]

AMZ MOSFET Booster. Killer, transparent, a touch of extra sparkle - love it.

[KindaFuzzy]

Another mosfet booster I like is the SHO, simple, sparkly and good amount of boost.

[billyz]

I like the AMZ mini booster, uses two transistors and is the basis for most of the boosters out there. Like the RC boost , fat boost etc.

Circuit boards are available from AMZ or General Guitar Gadgets. But it is easy enough to build without one.

[johan]

If you want to build from a kit try the BYOC TriBoost, it's a really good booster, three of them really.