Boost

Express, Liverpool, Rocket, Dirty Little Monster, etc.

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lpd
Posts: 204
Joined: Fri Nov 14, 2008 1:45 am

Boost

Post by lpd »

Anyone here recommend a good boost to use with a Rocket? I love the Rocket's ability to produce harmonic textured cleans, and grit up nicely when pushed but sometimes I just want to go over the edge.
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M Fowler
Posts: 14036
Joined: Wed Jan 16, 2008 2:19 am
Location: Walcott ND

Re: Boost

Post by M Fowler »

Even a cheap $30 EH LPB works well as a clean linear booster.

Currently I'm using the limited run Small Hadron Collider by Wesley K. at Resonant Amps. It is so transparent and also can add some grit if you want to.

My EH Soul Food is also a good pedal because it can add boost but also get the great lead distortion without taking your original tone away.

There are so many booster pedals out there so naturally I haven't tried them all.

Mark
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NickC
Posts: 1814
Joined: Fri May 14, 2010 1:05 pm
Location: Upstate New York

Re: Boost

Post by NickC »

I have the Exotic EP Booster on one pedal board, and the Keeley Katana on another. Love both, but if I had to choose between them ..... the Katana gets the nod.
redshark
Posts: 822
Joined: Sun Dec 07, 2008 12:42 pm
Location: Veracruz, Mexico

Re: Boost

Post by redshark »

If you want the best tone, and you like the sound of Brian May then a germanium transistor treble booster will be your best option. My favorite one is the D*A*M red rooster. That one is AWESOME!!!
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Blackburn
Posts: 1765
Joined: Tue Feb 05, 2013 8:39 pm
Location: Texas

Re: Boost

Post by Blackburn »

Pop a hole for a jack in the chassis and use a footswitch for bypassing the second stage's cathode with a 22uf/25v cap... Or just a mini toggle. :)
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rooster
Posts: 1622
Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2008 8:50 am
Location: Pacific NW

Re: Boost

Post by rooster »

I have the Nitro booster by SolidGoldEfx and it is remarkable. Many options, very transparent, a lot of gain if you want it. I also have the Secret Preamp by Chasetone efx which is slightly variable tone-wise not particularly transparent, and with only a slight db boost in gain. It's actually a more exact clone of the EP3 preamp (EchoPlex version 3) than anything else out there and, well, it's pretty crazy in front of the Rocket, the Express, and probably anything you want to put it in front of. But crazy in a different way, more rounded, more warm, more feel, more Pagey.

Blackburn had a good idea, BTW. There is more gain to be had from the circuit, I agree. For my tastes, I would just use a 1uf cap here. But sure, try a booster, you might like it. Remember,too, that B May used the Rangemaster on the Normal channel, the channel without all the gain, not the TB channel.
Most people stall out when fixing a mistake that they've made. Why?
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M Fowler
Posts: 14036
Joined: Wed Jan 16, 2008 2:19 am
Location: Walcott ND

Re: Boost

Post by M Fowler »

Blackburn wrote:Pop a hole for a jack in the chassis and use a footswitch for bypassing the second stage's cathode with a 22uf/25v cap... Or just a mini toggle. :)
I have that on my Reverb Rocket but was thinking one should go with TRS cable/stereo jack so you can put in a two stage gain boost 10uf & 25uf or even more. :)
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cbass
Posts: 4401
Joined: Sat Jul 23, 2011 6:17 pm
Location: Between Pomona & Bakersfield

Re: Boost

Post by cbass »

Rangemaster. not exactly a clean boost but it sounds killer with a rocket
Markusv
Posts: 393
Joined: Wed Dec 21, 2005 3:16 pm
Location: Toronto, Canada (yes it's friggin cold!)

Re: Boost

Post by Markusv »

Rangemaster +1

Heaven with AC30 or Rocket

M
.........Now where did I put it?
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sliberty
Posts: 1324
Joined: Fri May 26, 2006 5:03 pm

Re: Boost

Post by sliberty »

AMZ MOSFET Booster
Teleguy61
Posts: 1000
Joined: Sun Mar 07, 2010 7:26 pm
Location: Eastern Mass USA

Re: Boost

Post by Teleguy61 »

We build things here, right?
Check out:
http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/
http://buildyourownclone.com/
http://www.guitarpcb.com/
http://www.freestompboxes.org/index.php

I've built pedals from General Guitar Gadgets, and Guitar PCB, and they came out well.
Lots of options.
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M Fowler
Posts: 14036
Joined: Wed Jan 16, 2008 2:19 am
Location: Walcott ND

Re: Boost

Post by M Fowler »

The LPB kit cost more then factory built EH LPB I know I built one and used it until I got my Collider. :)
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JoeCon
Posts: 632
Joined: Thu Aug 30, 2012 3:06 pm
Location: Manch-Vegas NH

Re: Boost

Post by JoeCon »

I built and use the Zenith drive from Mammoth. It rocks!!
In theory, theory is the same as practice. In practice it's different.
Teleguy61
Posts: 1000
Joined: Sun Mar 07, 2010 7:26 pm
Location: Eastern Mass USA

Re: Boost

Post by Teleguy61 »

JoeCon wrote:I built and use the Zenith drive from Mammoth. It rocks!!
I agree. I built one also and I like it.
I also have a MKC (Mini Klon Clone) from Guitar PCB which is also a very interesting overdrive.
I built a Marshall Blues breaker pedal from General Guitar Gadgets and it works well too.
All different.
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Plexified
Posts: 108
Joined: Fri Apr 22, 2005 4:22 am

Re: Boost

Post by Plexified »

Way back in Vintage Guitar days Ken spoke of liking the Klon Centuar and he was always playing around with the Hotcake in his shop . Not a clean boost , but more of a fuzz face hybrid but he loved em and until I heard it I wondered why . Sounds great in front of any Wreck and tube amp from my experience . Is it me or is it a wierd feeling putting a pedal in front of a real good sounding amp ? Like too much sugar in your coffee or iced tea , not in a bad way but a guilty thingy :) FWIW I picked up a DOD FX60 Bi FET clean boost that I really like alot , very natural , organic and uncolorized despite having a small tone control along with level controls . David
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