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Let's nerd out on clean boosts.
Posted: Tue May 29, 2018 6:31 pm
by marqueemoon
What do you all like for clean boosts? Maybe it's old age kicking in, but lately even transparentish overdrives seem like too much a lot of the time. If not for wanting a little more sustain and chaos at times I could probably be pretty happy with a clean boost as my only "drive" pedal.
Currently I'm using a Pigtronix Class A Boost (running at 12V) on one board and a Creation MK 4.23 on the other. I also have a ModKits DIY Piledriver I got for Christmas and built that I drag out sometimes.
Of the three the Pigtronix is the most neutral. It really just adds a touch of high end sizzle. The Creation has a ridiculous amount of boost on tap and seems to add a little more low mid girth. The Piledriver is somewhere in between.
Very curious about the Earthquaker Arrows, especially now that there's a V2 with silent switching. The One Control Granith Grey is another on the list of boosts I'd like to try.
Re: Let's nerd out on clean boosts.
Posted: Tue May 29, 2018 7:10 pm
by Embenny
I don't know whether this makes me cheap, or a hipster, or what, but I have an Artec DBT-1 Dual Clean Boost that has lived on my board for forever. I love it. It has two separate circuits that can be engaged, so you can have 4 total output levels (bypass, circuit 1, circuit 2, circuit 1+2). I've used it to drive amps, drive pedals, and even to equalize output between different guitars so that they could enter my pedalboard with the same gain when swapping guitars at a gig.
Looking it up now, I've found mention that it's apparently a clone of a zvex pedal. Didn't know anything about that when I bought it 10-ish years ago, but looking at it now, the control layout is just like the super duper 2-in-1, except 1/5th the price.
Anyway, if you want a versatile two-channel boost, it's tryye bypass and won't break the bank. The ones I see online are even visually identical to mine so I don't think they've changed anything about it in the last decade.
Re: Let's nerd out on clean boosts.
Posted: Tue May 29, 2018 7:51 pm
by marqueemoon
mbene085 wrote: ↑Tue May 29, 2018 7:10 pm
I don't know whether this makes me cheap, or a hipster, or what, but I have an Artec DBT-1 Dual Clean Boost that has lived on my board for forever. I love it. It has two separate circuits that can be engaged, so you can have 4 total output levels (bypass, circuit 1, circuit 2, circuit 1+2). I've used it to drive amps, drive pedals, and even to equalize output between different guitars so that they could enter my pedalboard with the same gain when swapping guitars at a gig.
Looking it up now, I've found mention that it's apparently a clone of a zvex pedal. Didn't know anything about that when I bought it 10-ish years ago, but looking at it now, the control layout is just like the super duper 2-in-1, except 1/5th the price.
Anyway, if you want a versatile two-channel boost, it's tryye bypass and won't break the bank. The ones I see online are even visually identical to mine so I don't think they've changed anything about it in the last decade.
Huh. How much coloration is there when running both?
Re: Let's nerd out on clean boosts.
Posted: Tue May 29, 2018 8:49 pm
by Shadoweclipse13
I mostly use my Catalinbread Naga Viper as a clean boost (and for every other type of boost). I agree that I like a little extra sizzle on the cleans, just enough. I've also really been looking at the EQD Westwood to use as a boost/low gain overdrive.
My favorite clean tones are never pristine: Mark Engles with his Dredg stuff, and the guys from As Cities Burn, all have amazing clean tones, which are just a tiny bit driven.
Re: Let's nerd out on clean boosts.
Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 10:53 am
by stevejamsecono
I've used the SD Pickup Booster, Super Duper 2 in 1, and the MXR Micro Amp. All of these things are pretty great. I'd been pretty curious about trying a Rangemaster-esque circuit like the Naga Viper for something a little different.
Re: Let's nerd out on clean boosts.
Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 11:36 am
by SY6655321
i use one of these. it sounds great, and only 1 knob!!!
Re: Let's nerd out on clean boosts.
Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 2:08 pm
by marqueemoon
I’d also like to try a Micro Amp.
Yeah, my “clean” sound isn’t very clean these days.
Re: Let's nerd out on clean boosts.
Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 5:13 pm
by hardtail01
I've got a SD Pickup Booster that i like a lot. They are inexpensive used, and they work well. I don't have any desire to try other clean boosts as this one sounds good to me.
Re: Let's nerd out on clean boosts.
Posted: Thu May 31, 2018 5:34 am
by NoiseNoiseNoise
What, no mention of the ORIGINAL "Clean Boost", the EHX LBP? Why not??? It's only been around for nearly 50 years!!!
Re: Let's nerd out on clean boosts.
Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2018 10:40 pm
by marqueemoon
Brought a different guitar to practice with a hotter pickup tonight. Turns out the clean boost didn't do so much as the pickup was already hitting the amp so hard. Overdrive worked better as it brought out some mids, giving the sense of a volume bump. I think I'm going to try backing the pickup down to see if I can get a little clean headroom back.
Re: Let's nerd out on clean boosts.
Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2018 11:07 pm
by loveinathens
I'm currently using an EQD Black Eye clone to help me with my lower output guitars and I love it.
Re: Let's nerd out on clean boosts.
Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2018 12:34 am
by pj
I had a Zvex S.H.O. that I used with a Trademark 60 solid state amp. It was a wonderful combination.
Re: Let's nerd out on clean boosts.
Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2018 5:20 am
by MechaBulletBill
I like the low gain side of the Broadcast as a clean boost to push an amp. The low-end cut is really useful.
Re: Let's nerd out on clean boosts.
Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2018 3:03 am
by Jestapali
TC Electronic Spark boost: Fat, Clean, Mid modes. Tweekable tone. Great and versatile pedal.
Re: Let's nerd out on clean boosts.
Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2018 3:20 am
by Embenny
marqueemoon wrote: ↑Tue May 29, 2018 7:51 pm
Huh. How much coloration is there when running both?
You know, I'll have to fire it up again to check. I typically used one side or the other, to match the input gain going into my compressor for a couple of different guitars when switching between them in a live set. I wasn't using it to really drive a pedal or amp hard, so I never needed more than one side at a time.