Amp and Boosts stack yes, but accessories can also stack. Abilities take priority over equipment, so they can stack from two sources for a maximum of 100 boost. Skills like Fire Amp and Fire Boost take precedence over any accessories, so if you want to stack them, you can do so.
Single Amp skill and accessory do not stack, but Amp can stack with “Boost” whether by skill or accessory, and both can stack with Magic Ability Up and Tyrant’s Mind. The same skill cannot stack with itself, so 2 Amps cannot stack. An Amp, a Boost, and Magic Ability can stack, reaching the 100 boost limit. Element Boosts will stack with element Amps, and the same applies to Amp/Boost + accessory. However, you cannot stack Amp + Boost + accessory.
Shift Amp and Boost stack with each other. Elemental effects do stack, but stacking is limited to a total of TWO skills or accessories, and skills take precedence over accessories. In SMTV, the boost (Bloody Glee) was 3 while the amp (Murderous Glee) was 15. All damage boosts are multiplicative, so if you have something like Boost+Amp+Magic Ability, you would expect to have 2.34x damage (1.251.51.25).
Amp and Boosts stack yes, but damage bonuses cap at +200 in P5. Fire Amp stacks multiplicatively with other passive multipliers, such as Fire Boost or Red Band. The effects of a Persona 3 Reload Crit Crit Rate Boost +5 Crit Rate Amp +15 (Replaces Boost, No Stack) Apt Pupil x2 Skill can add up to 100. Passives like amps and boosts should be additive, and Auto and Race Skills like Magic should be additive.
📹 Would You Run Your Overdrives & Boosts Like This? (Three Gain Stages & The Truth)
Dan likes to run his drives and boosts waaaay loud. What about you? Welcome to the show! Dear Daniel is in the chair today, …
Do amps and boosts stack?
The statement is accurate and applicable to all users. However, it is important to note that counters do not accumulate or “stack.”
Do curse boost and amp stack?
Curse Amp is a passive buff that increases the power of a user’s Curse skills by 50, specifically damage-based skills. It stacks with other passive multipliers like Curse Boost or Black Band, but cannot stack past x2. In Persona 5 Royal, Curse Amp skill cards are rare to acquire due to itemization accidents during a Fusion alarm. Party members can learn Curse Amp by equipping certain accessories.
Does boost and amp stack p3r?
The supposition that a more robust IE Amp would be given precedence over Fire Bracers is predicated on their capacity for stacking. However, Fire Bracers are identical to Boost, and thus they are able to be stacked with Amp, but not with another Boost. Further investigation is required to ascertain whether Agni Bracers, fused weapons, and Vishnu’s Bow can be combined with Boost and Amp.
Does amp and boost stack in Persona 5?
In Persona 5, the Gun Amp can be combined with other passive multipliers, such as Gun Boost, but its effects cannot be stacked beyond a value of 2. Party members may learn Gun Amp by equipping specific accessories and utilizing Skill Cards, which can only be obtained through designated means. Nevertheless, it is not possible to combine passive bonuses beyond a value of two.
Does slash amp and slash boost stack?
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Does Nuke Amp and Boost stack?
It should be noted that Nuke Boost can be multiplied with other passive multipliers, such as Nuke Amp. However, it is not possible to stack these effects beyond a value of x2. It is not possible to stack this item with the Star Bracelet due to the presence of matching effects. Party members may acquire the Nuke Boost ability by equipping certain accessories and utilizing Skill Cards to impart it to their Personas. It should be noted that these skills can only be obtained through specific methods.
Can you run 2 different amps together?
The latest iteration of the front panel controls facilitates the secure interconnection of two amplifiers and a second speaker pair.
What wah did Slash use on appetite?
Slash used a rackmounted Roland SRV-2000 Digital Reverb during his Appetite For Destruction sessions, set to its “secret” delay mode for parts like the intro to “Welcome To The Jungle”. He also used an MXR Analog Chorus and a Dunlop Crybaby Wah for several parts on the album. To replicate Slash’s “Appetite For Destruction” guitar sound, it is recommended to use a Gibson or Epiphone Les Paul with lower output pickups, such as the Alnico II.
Does boost and amp stack persona 4?
It can be confirmed that the amplifier and boost configuration is indeed present.
Why do people stack amps?
Stacks are optimal for studio settings as they permit the user to hear the amplifier and speakers in addition to the microphones, thereby facilitating enhanced performance and mixing.
Is it OK to stack amps?
The amplifier is typically the heaviest component in most systems, which can limit the amount of equipment that should be placed under it in a stack. It is recommended not to have more than two units underneath an amplifier, as the bottom unit will support a fair amount of weight. If the amp can be stacked next to other equipment, this rule becomes less important.
If space allows, the best performance can be achieved by keeping equipment apart from one another. A separate equipment rack can provide more performance and remove restrictions on stacking height. Racks allow each piece of equipment to be isolated from one another, which is crucial for sensitive devices like turntables. This isolation ensures that each unit performs at its best, and cabling can be organized neatly and orderly. Rack-based systems are also easier to dust. Overall, using a rack can provide better performance and reduce the need for multiple units under an amplifier.
📹 Why You NEED Boost Pedals
Why boost? Do I even need a boost? Today we talk about a commonly misunderstood pedal, the boost and the history behind its …
There’s another way to use an overdrive/boost pedal I never hear anyone talking about. I bought a Mooer “Pure boost” mini pedal a few years ago, but I didn’t really like it, so just ended up shelving it cause I rarely sell anything. Later I was perusal a “Rig Rundown” episode with AC/DC. The player who took Malcom’s place, I forget his name, only used one pedal. It was this same Mooer pedal I had shelved. He just used it as a mid boost. The pedal has both a treble & bass knob, so you can turn them both down so it’s pushing the mids forward. This had never occurred to me. I pulled mine back out, tried it, & it works beautifully for this purpose. I’ve since noticed Eric Johnson does the same thing with his “Tube Driver”. Thought this may be useful information to other dummies like me out there that had never considered using an overdrive/boost pedal this way. Keep it up guys. Always look forward to the next show.
This is how I learned to run pedals, and haven’t really gotten away from it. My first amps were a Peavey Valveking 100 watt head and 2×12 cab, and a USA made Hotrod DeVille 4×10. Neither of which could I ever unwind or get to edge of breakup in any situation I played. Running them clean, and using always on pedals and stacking them was the only option for my first decade or so of playing.
20w amps? I toured with a country band back in the day (circa 2000ish) and played over 300 shows in 52 weeks with a Peavey Classic 20 combo amp. I called it the “Little Sonofab*tch” because this little amp growled with the best of em. As for gain pedals, they all do essentially the same thing. Right now, I think Wompler has the best pedals on the market for the money. The man is a freaklin genius. Signal chain: guitar -> Original TS808 –> Wompler Tumnus –> TC Electronics Chorus –> Amp Why a chorus pedal? I used this pedal as a mid boost. I would turn off the settings for the chorus because there’s no need for Chorus in Country. But, the pedal had a small gain nob much like the bias setting on an amp that actually functioned more like a presence control rather than a gain control. But, it did both quite brilliantly. So, I’d push the signal through everything else and let the TC Electronics chorus pedal layer a big, thick helping of mid boost and if you’re hunting down that god-like country tone, this is it. I discovered this amp purely by accident. My original practice amp had finally given out and I needed a new one asap. I was in between shows and somewhere between Syracuse and Rochester, NY and not far from the legendary House of Guitars in Rochester. We swung in, I found this amp way in the back of a mountain of amps. It was exactly the right size, wattage and when I first plugged into it, I played one chord, looked at the singer, who also played guitar, and just smiled.
I do this with a certain orange pedal and a ddr, it is glorious. When I need simple small board it’s perfect, and integrates really well into the bigger rig. On a side note, I’ve recently picked up saxophone (sacrilege I know) on top of guitar, and was suprised to learn that there are a number of horn players who use pedals when playing, though their boards aren’t necessarily as decadent as a guitar player’s. Which also made me think of all the key players I’ve seen with pedals. And though maybe the most impractical and niche article imaginable, it would make an interesting episode of TPS to let other instruments have a rummage through the TPS inventory and build a rig. A “guitar pedals for non guitarists” article if you will.
I really hope this article leads people to reconsider an old myth – you CAN play with a clean amp and have killer tones from your pedals, even with a tubescreamer! It doesn’t require an already overdriving amp! Andy Timmons is the great example of that. Paul Gilbert too, a plexi set clean and stacked overdrives, all the distortion comes from the pedals. Has most recent rig rundown (on the Sweetwater website), he’s using Fender Twins!
Love the Christmas time articles. I bought a Roland JC Chorus based on your article 4 years ago during the holiday seasn. Would you ever consider bringing it back on the show using it in a full blown wet dry or stereo scenario? The worst pedal platform article barely scratched the surface of this fantastic amp.
I always have that wonderful, comfortable feeling of seeing good old friends when I tune in to TPS, and i really feel at home. And that tone and playing by Dan in the beginning OMG!!! Mick’s playing is superb, as well. Great informative show! The gains on one of my boards are: Blues Driver, Tumus, and Big Muff Pi Fuzz. Today I was blown away once again by the Blues Driver, when I was working on an original song I’m jazzed about. With an LP (both pickups on) into my beloved Keeley Compressor (1st in chain), the BD provided that perfect color of crunch, while the notes and chords retained that clear ringing tone (level, tone and gain of the BD all halfway up). And the combo of the Tumnus and the Fuzz through the clean website of my Fender Supersonic 22 head, into a Boogie Cab with a 1 x 12 G12 Celestion, and a bit of delay, yields a beautiful silky smooth endlessly sustaining lead tone (e.g. Santana) that’s all you could hope for. But the possibilities are endless…
Hey guys, love the show and this article totally hit home as this is what I currently do with my pedal board, except I use a combination of four pedals. Main use is with a Timmy (MXR) pedal in the front as more of a clean boost, followed by a East River Drive (Tube Screamerish) and then with the Sugar Drive (MXR) or sometimes I just kick in a normal boost with the Spark pedal. I feel, as both you demonstrated, that with a lower amp volume on my Blackstar JJN-20R, set to a clean website, provides lots of headroom and the pedal’s providing the volume boost, my playing dynamics are much better. This of course was all by accident looking for my own sound. All this with a Schecter Nick Johnston Signature PT guitar. Happy Holiday’s!!!!
This is very informative! I just had a super important gig and my sound just drowned in the venue the whole night. it sounded ok on stage but the damn sound guy didn’t care to fix it in the front of the house, so frustrating, lesson learned I will be pushing from the stage and let the sound guy figure himself. Also perhaps include P90’s for a show in a similar veine? thanks guys!
I’ve also discovered this this year and I use the exact same method with three gain stages (sometimes a fuzz at the end of the chain used separately). I am super glad y’all made a article about this, I personally feel like setting the amps to almost sound anemic and getting the character from the pedals produces a richer tone. I think it has to do with pushing the amps while they still have a lot of headroom left, but either way y’all are definitely on to something. I personally use a Fender Deluxe Reverb and Vox Ac-15 and get damn near the same results as shown in the episode. 🙂
Decided to try this method out and gigged with it last Saturday. I like it! The amp I am using is a Z Wreck Jr. and for overdriven sounds I am using a Hotcake, and for clean sounds I am using my Walrus Optical Compressor set for subtle compression and a slight signal boost. For solo boosts I use either a Keeley Katana Mini, a Thorpy Peacekeeper, or a Wampler Ratsbane, and use them according to how much gain/drive is needed for the solo. It worked out very good for the gig.
Hello guys loved you showing amp knobs and setup i think its a good reference as a starting point. I actually use 3 ods in my pedalboard. The 1st is a transparent od that i use only as a boost. Then i have a plimsoul that i use as my 1st gain stage kinda like ts ish. And then i have the archer that i use as my main gain stage when i need more crunch and bite. All my pedals are set in a way they are all at same volume level just the 3rd od is just a tinny bit louder but you hardly can notice it. So ussually they are stacked sometimes 2 at same time, others the 3. For me pedals you have to try everything and then let your ears decide whats best. I never tought my setup would end like it is. Thanks again for the knowlodge i have learn a lot on this website.
I love it when Dan gives Barber a shout out. I’ve been using David’s pedals for years and swear by them. I use a ‘65 Princeton Reverb reissue with a Weber speaker, volume on about 3.5-4 and use my Barber Gain changer SR into my DD v4, both boosting the amp slightly and the tone is absolutely monstrous. Leaving a bit of clean headroom to work with works wonders for me!
Great episode! I use my drive pedals (Lehle Sunday Driver, Vahlbruch Kaluna, Keeley AT) exactly that way! I think the rather complicated mission that many people are on is to find out which drive pedals actually combine well (also with the amp) and which don‘t – and that seems and everlasting journey… It‘s fun though 😅
Core sound should come from the amp! That’s a hill i’m willing to die on! Every time i’ve been impressed by a guitarist’s sound I found out their set up was minimal and got everything from the AMP. What’s the point of spending good money on amps if your not going to use them and cheap amps sound like crap with pedals. I’m a TPS follower since the beginning so by no means am I anti pedal, I just think they exist to add different flavours to your core amp sound, not replace it. I get and agree with your point of guitarists who’s tone disappears when they slap on a mid heavy pedal on top of a mid heavy amp sound —-MUD—- But that’s down to “know how” which is why we watch TPS. Loved the vid as usual 😊
When I was using a Victory V40, which sounds pretty anaemic but works brilliantly as a pedal platform, I found pushing the volume on the drive pedals yielded by far the best results. ‘Colour’ pedals (or ‘Amp In A Box’ to the uncouth 🤣) just sounded superb stacked between a drive/boost and a decent boost.
Many touring pros do this. Since they don’t know what kind of amp they will be using from show to show, venue to venue, they make the amp neutral and the pedals make all the tones. Paul Gilbert had a recent rig rundown on Sweetwater where he stated this straight out. Take the amp out of the equation. I’m not a touring professional but I like this idea. Pedals are way cheaper than amps, and easier to resell.
What a topic! Must have hit on something, because it made me uncomfortable. I lack the discipline to 1. Not use the amps distortion 2. Keep the drive volumes down enough to keep the guitar sounding like a firehose pushed through a pinhole. Yet the temptation to try again at my own peril is still there. I have a slightly darker burst DGT and every time I see Mick’s I get jealous. The shade of red in your burst is right on the money. Mine does have the rosewood headstock overlay though
How similar is this to the Rockman style set up of compression drive compression? Which didn’t cross my mind till the last explanation. I know Sholtz set his thing up to be more of a wall of gain, but the thick clean tones that came from it in the hands of other players… In the end the best thing about articles like this one are the questions & inspiration for future personal musical explorations.
Great show. I’ve been doing a similar version of this for quite a while, though slightly different than your approach. My version/formula is: GTR > Klone > (OD1= Blues Breaker or OD2 = Xotic BB – or – OD3 = Ramble FX Marvel – or – OD4 = JHS Angry Charlie) > TC Spark Mini > Amp. That’s four core tones from clean to mean (I only use core OD pedals one at a time) and a Klone to step each one up. That’s eight different sounds. Then I can take each of those eight sounds and boost them at the end with the TC Spark for a “louder” version of each. That’s sixteen different levels of gain and volume. I run the amp much like you are here. It’s not much to hear on it’s own, but I always have at least one pedal on and I like what each pedal brings to the mix. They hype up the amp into another level. And of course in each of those sounds you have your volume control on your guitar. Add chorus and Delay as you’ve done here and there you have it! This approach winds each pedal up to where there other pedal leaves off and there really isn’t any level of volume or gain that I can’t achieve. Cheers!
I feel like you may run into a lot of confusion setting things this way live….. prone to loads of volume jumps….. it’s not super sexy, but I find that I can control those volume jumps easier with a volume pedal……. When you are playing, you may want to pop up in volume for a solo, but it’s tough to find that balance between lead and rhythm
Boost/OD 101. I’ve been wresting with the fizzies lately from a DR. So, I’ve turned the DR down a bit (3.25) and increased the Boost->OD volume. Sounding much better. Additionally, rather than attenuating, I’m using G3 post to turn down a bit, reducing the DR fizzies but when post is off it is like a boost into the amp. You’ve answered my VCQ that I can’t ask due to schedule conflicts. Thank you gentleman.
MMMM….. like the concept, though when you want clean amp sound, it isn’t going to be loud enough to cut through. Always having to have a peddle on never allows the option to just hear the amp clean, almost like having a pedal on pedal board you never get to use, loosing a dynamic sound choice. 4 different tone options only allows for 3 different tones.
Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. Thanks again guys. Amazingly useful article 43:19. Loving playing today Maybe code for enjoy more, mess less? 44:40 Yeah, don’t worry about what pedals, again maybe code for just play more. Sure, loads to explore when playing at high volume. It’s definitely an art form, but perhaps stick to what you typically do at home or live. Sure, enjoy yourself, whatever that may be. Hire a hall, or go to church and get one for free, and play, play, play. I would rather that than worry that I haven’t got the right kit so need to spend hours researching and ultimately investing more time and money. You don’t have to be amazing to get good tone, think the Ramones solo on “I wanna be sedated” but the more you spend playing, the better you’ll get. Sure you need encouragement from good tools and experimenting, but not at the expense of getting better. That might be lessons, practicing or playing live, but one can easily spend far too long with choice overload. Don’t forget that there’s loads of interaction with an electric guitar played acoustically. Beware of the man, (or woman), with only one gun. He, (she), knows how to use it! Do what you can, with what you have, where you are
The gain sounds are great but I’m not convinced I’d be able to get the clean sounds that are punchy or bright enough for my needs on my Strat. I realise that Andy T has his Blues Driver on with his guitar volume down for his glorious clean tones but he has the treble bleed on his “S” type. Maybe that’s the trick?
I absolutely loved this article and your explanations, suggestions, and of course your playing. I now have to tear my pedalboard apart and rethink my pedal/volume decisions to this point (and that’s way overdue anyway). Quick question and apologies in advance if it’s been asked and answered; within the three pedals, can one of them be a compression pedal (i.e. Keeley compressor where one can blend the signal, etc., etc.) or does that create an entirely different issue? Appreciate your thoughts.
Now go apply this to your doom metal articles. Take whatever boutique muff you have and absolutely slam your amp with it. I appreciate this article. The concept is super cool and is well demonstrated… Only thing missing is doing this in a high gain situation so that we can see the pitfalls and how to avoid them. Overly compressed. All sizzle and no love. And of course angering your neighbors.
Humor me while I think out loud for a moment. It may be misleading when Dan says he gets two times the output when he is running two pedals. That implies that that the volume doubles. Which I believe it doesn’t. If pedal 1 and pedal 2 are set to similar volumes on their own, if you combine them, you would get a 3db increase in level, assuming they were exactly the same. In the grand scheme of things, this can be/feel like a large jump, and indeed, it’s plenty of a push forward in a band/mix situation. You can even see this in your db meter in the back of the room. it seems like you get a bit less than 3db, perhaps because your getting a weeeeee bit of compression happening somewhere? Said another way, if you have an orchestra with 12 violin players, and you invited another 12 to join the group, you don’t get twice the volume. You get a boost of 3db.
I’m glad Mick mentioned “can’t play at volume at home” because what this show is demonstrating is how to play with low volume but have feel. Amps on far too quiet, any gain pedal on bumping the output. Suddenly your down in the 60-80db range (which is still loud I’ll admit) and feeling it like its 90+db. Yes it’s squashier than if loud but low volume forgiveness is kinda nice. As is having it feel good & not sterile.
Would the same principle apply to a distortion pedal like a Keeley Filaments? Would setting the clean website low make a difference I find that if I put the amp volume anywhere past 3oclock the gain on the pedal cannot go past about halfway before it sounds flabby or muddy nevermind the vibrations in the speaker/headphones 🙄Keep up the great work🤘
I 100% agree gain boosted into an amp sounds better than unity gain . The gain stacking adds lower order (more musical) harmonics than getting all your gain from one stage. This is the EVH philosophy. Personally I like a 2 website amp so I can get loud cleans if needed and slam the second website with pedals running a bit quieter. Or run a second clean amp. Great show as always! 🤘
That red Tele has got “it” whatever “it” is, I call it Mojo I don’t even like red guitars normally but that one is special it’s got the looks and the sound. They both always sound good and are both great players but whenever Dan busts out the red Tele it’s just more magic mojo dripping off every note, and you can tell he loves it because he plays with even more swagger when he’s got it in his hands. Really proves pretty much Leo got it right from the jump the right Telecaster can do anything you could possibly ever need to do with an electric guitar.
Just wanted to share a quick hypothesis about running this setup: When your volume controls are turned up (pedal volume or guitar volume… or even amp volume!), there’s more resistance to ground and less resistance in series with your guitar’s signal. The result should be more top end. I think in a lot of circumstances the difference would be negligible, but I also think in this circumstance it’s a part of why this episode’s set up has a very different harmonic content and why it feels much more dynamic for the both of you.
Also, the order of the pedals will give you a different sound and response. For instance when they are is only one is on by itself, it will have it’s own sound, but if you put a HM2 into a Rat, it will sound totally different than if you do it the other way around when both pedals are on. You have to experiment with all the possiblities to see what works best for you.
i run a vox tonelab st into a klon clone, into a nobels that are on 99% of the time. before the vox i have a saffron squeeze (usually gain off) that i sometimes turn on. i also have a ts808 mini and a boss bass od 3, that sometimes get inserted/interchanged. i like to mix to go from ‘overdrive’ to buzzing fuzz.
Have been running mine like this for awhile now find it gives a deeper effect when stacked with room reverb stacked with a echo delay for leads and run them stereo through my oceans twelve into marshall haze 40 all tube and a marshall mg50cfx solid state so you get the crunch of the tube amp and the low end from the solid state
Nice show gents. It gives me more to experiment with. I currently run the Tumnus, Gunshot and Prince of tone as my OD pedal order with the Bad Bob Boost on most of the time as a buffer. I run wet dry into two amps set at lower level. I play a lot with the order and levels of the pedals mostly from what I learn from you. It keeps things fresh. Many thanks.
I immediately went in the studio and tried this idea. It worked from the standpoint of letting each drive pedal shape the tone more. But as far as combining them, it was crazy loud to the point where I was feeding back immediately! I noticed you guys didn’t really have a DB increase when combining pedals. I absolutely had another huge DB jump when combining two pedals. What am I missing??? My amps we’re basically quiet to the point you could talk over them and I used a klon clone, a bluesbreaker clone and the Dane from thorpyfx. Got the same results with any combination. 🤷🏻♂️
Ay, that’s how i do it more or less. JRad Blue note, Gladio SC, JRad Dude. Works in all combinations and all stand alone, but all add volume so can ramp up or down depending how hard the band is going. Curious to see how the HRM sounds when it comes up. Mick, if you happen to see this, how did you rate it compared to the Dude? I remember you saying at some point you are quite partial to the JRAD stuff.
Sorry if this was already answered, but isn’t the last pedal in the chain going to limit the level output to the amp? For example, if you had your last boost in chain set at 8/10 volume, then into delay, wouldn’t the boost just push the input of the delay and the amp receives whatever output level the delay is set?
Why would I use a clean boost into a barely on amp rather than just turning up the amp gain? Is the boost pedal doing anything really different from the front end of the amp? Is it just that you like the sound of the pedal more than the sound of the amp and only want to use the power stage of the amp? I’d love to see a show about overdrive pedal gain vs amp gain.
As a bedroom player, things get really loud very quickly. I am playing through a Hughes and Kettner Tubemeister 18 with the clean and lead website being equal in terms of volume, but adding quite some gain to the lead website. Then I stack the D&M drive on top of that. For some reason a drive or boost pedal on top of a clean sound doesn’t sound as punchy in comparison to me.
I’ve settled on a four-pedal line up with the high gain pedal first, then a low gain/slightly fuzzy one, then two different high-headroom boosts. The distortion at the front, set near unity, does big rock tones by itself with the guitar volume on 10. Crucially, it also sounds epic with the gtr vol rolled off – kind of like a good fuzz roll off; so then I stack one or both boosts with that sound, to bring the volume back up to unity and give various stages of low gain / higher volume. Either of the boosts obviously also works as a lead boost, or as an always on fat clean tone. Both amps set clean.
hate to say it but the DB meter behind you kinda disagreed with everything you were saying? you kept saying that the stacking of pedals lead to a ‘huge boost of volume’ but the DB meter consistently showed that it was exactly the same. single pedal was between 100 and 103, stacked pedals were around 100 to 103, every time. not saying that they didn’t sound good, but there was no volume increase, only gain/fuzz increase?
Hi guys. Thanks for another great take. I’ve gotta say however, I’ve spent far too much time and money on my amp to have it be sort of “inconsequential”. Pedals off = unusable? Around 30:00 or so Mick says that all 3 pedals on is probably “unusable”. You’re carrying two unusable sounds to gigs, thus effectively doubling the “suck button” phenomenon. I’m sure someone, somewhere finds it ok. A bit impractical to me. Just my 2 cents… Carry the hell on!
Mick: An overdrive of my own, of a sort – I believe we’re of an age (I’ll be 50 in July) and just this week I had a professional diagnosis of adult combined ADHD. Yes, this late in the game, I know, right? Anyway, proper help and meds will hopefully, slowly, begin to right the ship. I’ve been a fan of and subscriber to TPS since That Pedal Shed, a very long time anyway, and I’ve always appreciated the tones and gear (and GAS), but also your philosophical and mental health meanderings and insights. I simply wanted to say thank you, in this meagre YouTube comment, for everything you guys do – the tones, the humour, the community and goodwill, and the thoughtfulness. Here’s to an improved and tone-full back nine of this existence. It’s never too late to figure things out and, for me, probably about time I got my first actual tube amp, eh? Cheers to you both.
Drat! I used to run my pedals hard into my amp which was set clean & get all the tone from the pedals. Than I started perusal That Pedal Show (& others) who always set the amp just on the verge of breakup & added dirt pedals in a way that didn’t boost the volume much. I assumed I must be doing it wrong, and changed my setup accordingly. Now I’m not sure which way to go. Think I’ll go back to the old way(the way Dan’s showing here) As it sounded better – only downside is that you can’t use the clean sound of just your amp, because it’s not loud enough. All part of the fun, I suppose! Anyway, thanks for all you do & keep it coming!
Hi, Josh. I joined Decca Records in London in 1967 at age 16. Being as how the John Mayall/Eric Clapton so-called “Beano” album (and their performances at the time) made me take up guitar seriously, one of the first things I did was ask Decca publicity Dept. if I could check through the photos taken at the Beano sessions. Guess what? No sign of any pedal! Yep that’s not conclusive, right? Within six months I had met and became friendly with Mike Vernon – who produced the Beano album (along with a lot British Blues Boom stuff to come). He told me that Eric never used a pedal, in fact he first came up with the phrase that has been heard many times since: “Eric just turned the Marshall up until it started sounding good!”. Yes, well there’s another thing he reminded me of when we were inside the actual studio – it had a beautiful sounding tube desk designed and built by Decca themselves – “Tone controls were tinkered with, ha!” What reminds me most of the old Rangemaster Treble Booster is in fact old T-Rex stuff like “Telegram Sam” – Marc did use the Rangemaster….. Back to Eric, he did use a pedal pre Disraeli Gears but usually only at radio studios when they did live sessions it was the engineers there (er, BBC) who did NOT like high volumes. The myth has turned that into the Decca engineers, not true. Mike later explained how to record large (at least 100 watts) Marshalls at full tilt in the studio – that is down to mic placement and another story….. Anyway I’ve been a subscriber of your website for a few weeks and like it a lot.
Rory Gallagher always deserves at least a mention when discussing the Rangemaster – if it weren’t for him we wouldn’t have the amazing Queen that we were so lucky to have, for it was after seeing Rory play that Brian May asked him how he got his sound and he told him he was just playing a Dallas Rangemaster into a Vox AC30, and so May went out and got himself both of those things and thus another incredible guitar sound and band was born. That’s not even to get into all the great music the incomparable Rory G made with that set up!
I never used boost pedals. What i realized after perusal this article is that it’s not just about boosting your signal it can also sweeten your sound. Two of my duel overdrives has boost on one side. I used them together and got a really sweet John Mayer kinda tone. Now, i love using one with a low gain overdrive and also with my orange amp’s dirty website. It’s like i’m getting new sounds without buying new pedals. Thanks Josh 🙂
You can even use a Boss LS-2 “Line Selector” as a booster. This will allow you to select two different boost levels using just one footswitch. How to set it up: 1. Connect your guitar to the LS-2 input. 2. Connect your LS-2 output to your amp (or to your overdrive pedal). 3. On the LS-2, use two short patch cables to connect “Send A” to “Return A” and “Send B” to “Return B”. 4. Set the LS-2 mode selector to “A –> B –> Bypass” 5. Set the green pot to 2 o’clock. This will give you a slight boost. 6. Set the red pot to 4 o’clock. This will give you more boost (which is more good 😉 You can now use the footswitch to cycle through “no boost”, “slight boost” and “more boost”. How cool is that.
1) I love using boost pedals. You omitted one of my favorite boosts, the MXR Micro Amp. I also have a JHS Mr. Magic and a boost pedal from Dirt Garden. 2) Great guitar albums: “Buddies” by Buddy Emmons and Buddy Spicher which features some terrific guitar work by Lenny Breau and Bucky Barrett and “Solo Guitar” by Ted Greene. 3) Keep making these great article, Josh!
Over the Lock Down I have decided to take up the guitar to play in my Churches Praise Band. Now being a Rocket Scientist, I try to understand things in there entirety. Now I have been trying to figure out a baseline for what pedal goes where in the pedal train. From my research I have a base of Pitch, Tone, Modulation and Time. Which I eminently found to be inadequate. My first problem was which pedal goes to which category. Now I added a category of Utility which goes at the front of the train (Utility, Pitch, Tone, Modulation and Time). Utility covers Power, Signal, Tuner and Volume. Pitch covers Wah-Wah, Octave, Boost, Compression, Buffer and Harmonizer. Tone covers Distortion, Overdrive, EQ and Fuzz. Modulation covers Chorus, Flanger, Phase, Tremolo and Vibrato. Now I am not sure what category Preamp falls into. I don’t know if I have been perusal to many of these articles or what, but now I am confused as to what the difference is between a Preamp, Boost and Overdrive? Now I understand that there are no steadfast rules about the order in which you line up your pedals and what I described above is a general rule of thumb and where a novice such as myself should probably start when building their first pedal board. I have been shopping the used section for my first pedal for the most part. I have pick up a couple so far but this is what I have designed so far: Cioks DC7, D’Addario Tuner, Zeppelin Design Labs VPM-1, Boss FBM-1, Boss CS-3, Boss BD-2w, MXR Ten Band EQ, TC Electronic Alter Ego X4.
I discover this chanel recently, and i love the way you talk about the pedals, most of the other people most of the time talk “you need this” and “you need that” bla bla bla, and they don´t talk about the sound and the taste and colour of the sound i the real deep and the guitar player who search for new tipe of sounds without knowing the real deal… Keep on doin the excelent work 🙂
normally id be skeptical of any pedal company YT website saying “you NEED this kind of pedal,” because obviously its in their best interest that you buy all of their pedals regardless of whether or not theyd actually benefit you but here i cant argue. when i got my Moore Pure Boost it was basically a “make my guitar sound better” switch. nothing quite like driving an amp with a nice preamp and having it respond so directly to your playing dynamics.
I know this article is a couple years old now, but I actually use a diamond compressor as a “pre” booster for my overdrive section. I set the compress on a low to medium setting but leave the volume above unity to hit my drives harder. I have an ep booster after as well that I use for more volume for leads when I need it. Super useful concept for anyone working on a board! Boost before a gain stage gives more gain, and a boost after a gain stage gives more volume. You can also use a bunch of pedals with different labels (boost, preamp, overdrive, eq, distortion, etc or in my case a compressor) as a boost pedal.
Offering my love to the TC Electronic Spark Booster (full size). I’ve tried many boosts including the EP Booster and Super Hard On, which are indeed are very cool, but the Spark Booster sent those pedals to Craigslist. It has really become my favorite pedal in the board. It’s hard to find a bad setting on that pedal.
Great article. I owned a early JCM800 for years before I learned how to make it sing. Yep, boss GE7 boosting only the level. True beauty. I’ve eventually switched to a TS808 style booster for a creamier more uncontrolled crunch sound. It’s the secret to making the older Marshall crunch tone. I love your articles. Your teaching these kids truth. I had to figure this stuff out on my own. You have a new fan. Thanks
As usual, a learned and detailed presentation. My Xotic RC never fails me, as well as your Prestige. I use a very simple set up with my electric guitar: a valve amp (a Swart, sometimes paired with an atenuator) and a boost. Sometimes I like to “visit” my Maxon pedals (TSs, of course, and some of Maxon’s larger pedals), for sheer nostalgia. I also have enjoyed playing your Double Barrell — all those overdrive/distorion pedals at minimun gain setting. Playing a nylon string classic guitar I use a clear amp with just a touch of delay or chorus when necessary.
I had a 1990s Dunlop Univibe and with the depth and speed down, I could use it to “thicken” everything going into the Univibe. If it was in the chain, the volume knob on the Univibe was my “master volume” and though I liked using the “vibes” it was great even with the “effect” dialed down. It made my signal sound “more expensive”
Just started perusal your articles and not only are they informative, making a guy question everything he thought was correct about pedals. But also you don’t just plug your own product (which is amazing, I’ve used and personally own a ton of your gear). That speaks volumes to your character and your product. Great articles man, keep it up!
When I was a teenager(late 70’s early 80’s) my guitar instructor erroneously told me to set the level on an overdrive such that it doesn’t increase the volume above what the amp was giving with the pedal turned off. Thanks for clearing up that bad information. I use a Marshall Govn’r pedal for boost/overdrive. It is a gem, so glad it still works after 30 years of faithful use.
All kidding aside, I agree with the other guys that your articles are fun to watch because you review PEDALS not just your own and you come across unrehearsed, just saying what you think, and seem like a really honest trustworthy guy. I can’t afford your pedals – I use beringer – but I’m going to buy one anyway just because I like you- keep em coming!
Love the idea with EQ before od-Pedal… for me: playing Fender US Strat –> Vol-Pedal (Lehle) –> selfmadeBoost –> RockBox BoilingPoint—> StereoDelay—> 2x PALMER EINS head (each only 1W). It’s my fav valve-sound for home! Thx for sharing (MorningGlory V4 & the ‘AT+’ on my wishList… I’ll be happy in 2019)
The ZVEX Super Hard On (More Specifically the Super Duper) has been on my board since 2007, I haven’t ever shut it off! There’s nothing like a naturally boosted overdrive, especially if you have a great sounding amp. In 2003 I heard the In Reverie album by Saves The Day, and it changed my life. I never heard chords with such clarity, absolutely beautiful. I went to their show in Philly and live in front of me I was even more moved. My jaw was on the floor, I realized he was simply using a boost, a few delays and running it through a Bad Cat Amp. 15 years later I still have my SHO and Bad Cat and wouldn’t change it for the world. I’d love to try out some of your boosts as Well! Cheers CJ
I ordered a custom built EVH type of strat in January with push pulls, so I am using a MXR micro amp to boost the single caps mode, and I am using a behringer overdrive until buy my next booster, whhich is an EarthQuake Arrow. For my Style of playing, boosters are absolute vital. And you article is amazing, great selection
Hey Josh, I really never got the Klon till I used it as a boost in front of a Marshall style amp. I use an Ep booster and a Klone clone the most with my Friedman amp. I sometimes use a BB pre and a Timmy as well to hit the front of the amp but am more pleased with the tones from the klon and Ep. Sleeper album. Supergrass Road to Rouen or well any Supergrass album for that matter. Cheers!🎸
The Barr Brothers used to be called The Slip, the record I recommend is The Slip’s “From The Gecko”. You probably won’t find it on vinyl but it’s an absolute gem. These guys have changed their sounds a lot over the years and From the Gecko is like a jazzy poppy masterpiece that sounds timeless and sophisticated yet approachable and catchy
The 1st pedal I ever bought was an Ibanez 7 band eq and I’ve not looked back since. I have more boost pedals of every shade than I have overdrive, distortion, and fuzz pedals. If you were to buy just two pedals for signal boosting, I would wholeheartedly recommend that a 7 band eq pedal be the one of the two that you buy. You can shape your clean and dirty tone and isolate frequencies to create new soundscapes. Equally useful with your gigging acoustics. Drop 400hz by 15db and most all feedback dissappears. I could go on, but I know you get the picture. The most useful pedal I have. Oh, BTW if the hiss/noise does your head in, then pay less and get yourself a Danelectro 7 band eq.(the green one) It has noise cancelling as standard..
Another great episode, thank you! As far as obscure records that no one knows about, I don’t know if it’s obscure or just because it’s from the 70’s but how about Be Bop Deluxe – Shine ( Live In The Air Age – 1977 ). This live version is the only one that does it for me and specifically Shine. It has such a great feel to it. It did come from the era of live albums that were sweetened in post production. I’m not saying it was but either way I don’t care LOL. I have to mention another record from that era that I’m sure you already know about. Little Feat’s Waiting for Columbus. I hold this record in the highest esteem possible. Featuring the great Lowell George RIP.
Yes! Representing my hometown with The Barr Brothers! You have FOR SURE never heard of Horsedog (the album) by Horsedog (the band)! I may or may not be involved in the band, but if you’re asking for something no one’s ever heard of, I can’t help but to plug my own stuff! Couldn’t be more on topic as we also founded in Montreal and there’s a bunch of JHS pedals on the album, including the fist gen. Panther and a Mini Bomb boost! The album is on all streaming platforms, and I also have guitar play-throughs on my website.
I use a Wampler Tumnus (mini) in front of my Blues Driver, Wampler Dracarys and old Boss Heavy Metal (highly underrated pedal) with the gain low/volume high. Like your comments on the “Gold Horsie”, the Tumnus really can add awesome grit into them. When used in front of my Mesa V-Twin, it turns the green (clean, both 12AX7’s on) website into a massively thick overdrive. It turns the red high gain website into thickest, nastiest Mesa recto distortion you’ve ever heard.
I got introduced to boost inadvertently through the FZ-2 Hyper Fuzz. My dad bought the pedal back in the mid-late 90s for the two of us to play with together, and I thought the “Gain Boost” knob was kinda useless. Why would I want to make the signal not just louder, but too loud? The gain boost through an old solid state amp was shrill and intense. Years later, I dusted off the pedal to use on my AC15, and wow, it’s actually pretty cool! And now, I’ll probably end up with more boosts. I’m getting into the DIY stuff lately, so maybe I’ll build one.
Thanks Josh, for saving Me from thinking I needed another Pedal ! 😉🙂👍 👍 Paul Gilbert’s, “What’s on your Pedalboard”, had Me thinking I should pick up a JHS Prestige . 🤔 But, your honest forthright style, informed Me that I’ve already have what I need . I’ll just have to try my Boss GE-7, & Klon Klone in front of my Bonsai or my PG-14 ! 😊 Thanks again, Cheers ✌️ #jhspedals #pg14 #bonsaipedal
Thanks for the explanation! I see so many different ways people use them now. From just a guitar solo, to an always on color shaper, to a hitting the amp stage on a tube amp harder. I’ve seen some just leave them on, and I guess that’s where the XP and more colored ones come in that add a sparkle. Been trying to wrap my head around one for my Fender Tube amp. I’m not one to boost for solos and all that. I’m more interested in driving pedals and tonal change.
I have a Wiggler from Zephyr FX that is a take on the Rangemaster with controls for filter, bias, and boost plus a toggle switch for full range boost, mid boost, and high boost. Made in Russia and $99 new straight from them. I like using it in front of fuzz pedals with the mid boost selected and the gain cranked. Fun stuff.
I have some pedals, an example is my Blue Noe by J. Rockett, that boost the character of my guitar. Yes, a bit of volume increase accompanies it but the character of the pickups really is the focus that I hear…..it makes the tone richer. He mentions the Echoplex and a drum machine in the beginning of the article and I can relate as my Catalinbread Echorec does exactly that. However, I still feel the best boost really is an EQ with volume. Edit: I had not watched in while and then just heard the part at 13:03 when he mentions the Boss GE-7 equalizer. I find that an EQ can boost the natural character of the pickup plus shape the tone with greater specific functionality than just an amp’s low/mid/treble controls.
Yes, boost pedals. Absolutely! I mean, if you’re a metal guy, you presumably bought that Peavey 6505 or Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier for a reason, right? I’m guessing it wasn’t because it has a spectacular clean website that you can stick a distortion pedal in front of. Use a boost and make that amp do the work – that what you got it for!
He is SO selling the Haunting Mids short! The sweepable mid is the coolest thing a boost could possibly have. In fact, before I found this, I wished someone would put one in an overdrive. Anyway, all four controls are awesome. Many uses. Right now it’s my favorite lead pedal. It sidelined all my much loved overdrives at least for a while.
Hi. I really enjoy your vids. I just watched the one on buffer pedals. What is the difference between a boost pedal and a buffer pedal? Some websites show them as the same. I play and perform prepared guitar pieces and love playing with different pedal set ups. On my board i now have an. Overdrive pedal at the start of my chain. You were right…what a killer sound. Thank u.
Better late than never. I love to comment from record time… One night, going down the YT wormhole, I came across this Filipino band from the 90s called Eraserheads, yeah like the movie +s. Their song “Julie Tearjerky” is hypnotic pop. Reminds me more of britpop really but with a charming ultra lo-fi sound (likely out of necessity rather than trend). I don’t remember the name of the album. I just remember agreeing with myself that paying SO MUCH for shipping just didn’t seem worth it since I can just listen online.
Relating to the need for a treble booster around the 4:30 mark: Another aspect, I believe I read in Craig Anderton’s “Electronic Projects for Musicians,” was that some pedals removed the upper frequencies from their sound. The need for the treble booster was needed in these cases. Maybe it was in one of his later books. I cannot check right now.
J., Thanks you answered most of my questions. But I wish for a bit of clarity, is there any advantage to just a booste pedal, compared to specialized potential booste pedal (for instance a OD used as a boost, A compressor with the compression knob off used as a boost, An EQ pedal with a boosted volume)? Many of us have a crap tun of old pedals. Wouldn’t an EQ functioning as a boost, or a compressor or OD functioning as a boost be superiour to a boost due to the same function and sound of a boost plus an added feature of the pedal if needed (EQ, OD or compression). My favorite booste pedal is my compressor and my EQ pedal, I also love mini pedals. Am I correct in this or did I miss the boat and it was a oil tanker? Also do you ever get enough sleep? Meaning actually you look like you need a few more usually. That being said you are the Rocket Scientist of pedals yet you dummy it down for us. Thanks.
Big drummer fingers hitting send prematurely again-soorrry- anyway the album suggestion for me is the ‘Fabulous Rhinestones’ self titled early 70s gem. Kal David, Marty Greb, and- wait for it-Harvy Brooks. Great songwriting, tight, really tight,in the pocket so deep the lint,picks,and extra screw left over from when you tried to fix your lawnmower are levels above where these guys are laying it down! The production is kind of flat but right out of the gate “nothing new” sets the r&b meets crunching r&r
What about the Whitey Tighty as a booster (with the blend-knob down if compression is not necessary)? I think of getting one but I wonder how much DB is added at maximum setting of the volume knob. I bought an old Silvertone 1448 which has very low output from the lipstick-pickups. Thx and keep up the great work!! Kind regards Tim
Just discovered your website. I have been fumbling around in the pedalboard darkness for decades now, and I have learnt so much in the last few weeks. Thanks for these vids. I had a ehx graphic fuzz, and loved it, now I am on the lookout for a graphic eq to see what happens to the mountain of fuzz and distortions I have been using for years. Happy days
I got a couple of weirdos sitting around and I wished I used them more. One is a random ass Krank Amplification Cheetah Scream treble booster in a airbrushed box that I bought at the 1999 Namm show right before they closed. The other is a Multivox Big Jam Space Driver in the original box I purchased on eBay in 2007. It’s a boost with added fusion jazzy compression. I was attracted to the graphics and already loved the Big Jam Distortion (of which I own two for some reason).
I was encourage to leave a band that you possibly haven’t heard of in the comments. One of my top bands is… Mineral And the album is called Endserenading. I like all their music but that record has the best “quality” recording. Keep up the simple informative and inspiring articles and pedals please! I am thankful God made you to help change the course of musics history.
The DOD FX10 is amazing for something that “-” does nothing. I never thought of myself needing an always on boost, but the crisp tone and clarity really sells itself, even to a grug metalhead like me. I used to have no boosts, now I have a GT500, SF300 (killer!), FX10, Boneshaker and my Switchbone. SLAYER! No mids, all the B O O S T !