Boost pedals
A boost pedal is a pedal that increases the gain of the signal that your guitar produces; out of all of the types of pedals on the market today, boost pedals affect your guitar’s tone the least. Booster pre-amp stages were created to boost the signal of the guitar before it reaches the amplifier without adding any special effects like distortion or fuzz.
What Is A Boost Pedal?
Boost pedals do not change the guitar’s frequency range or tone, as the purpose of the boost pedal is only to increase the signal level. Overall, the intended result of using a boos pedal is to produce an entirely clean sound that’s completely transparent, with only a noticeable increase in sound resulted from the boost pedal.
EarthQuaker Devices Special Cranker
Caline Mini Guitar Boost
While this is the difference that a boost pedal theoretically makes, many boost pedals actually enhance the treble. If you plan on pairing your boost pedal with a tube amp in order to drive your amp harder, you should expect a certain level of distortion to greet your ears.
Even if you’re not attempting to distort your sound with your boost pedal, if you are looking for an unchanged volume lift from your pedal, gently adjust your amp’s preamp stage. All boost pedals change the sound produced from your guitar; more expensive boost pedals just happen to be sneakier at changing the sound.
JOYO American Sound Boost
Sabbra Cadabra Boost
While your expensive boost pedal may be described as a clean boost pedal, manufacturers have just adjusted the pedal so that it’s highly effective at tempering a tube amp to producing distorted sounds at lower volume levels.
Some of the circuit boards on booster pedals are very simple, as the purpose of the boost pedal isn’t anything too complex. However, the more expensive the pedal, the more complex the circuit board is.
Harby Centauri Overdrive / Boost
How Do Boost Pedals Sound?
In simple terms, a boost pedal takes the sound that your guitar produces and transforms it into a larger and louder sound, almost as if it was a volume knob on your instrument.
The Big Orange
Wampler Tumnus V2 Overdrive & Boost
Think of the volume knob on your guitar only having the ability to take your guitar’s volume to a seven out of ten; using a booster pedal will allow your guitar’s sound to surpass that level and will give you a fifteen out of ten sound.
A boost pedal is a very simple unit that only has two working ways to use. Using a boost pedal allows you to:
Increase the volume of your instrument
Add a bit of bite to your overall sound
ZVEX Effects Channel 2 Boost
Caline CP-516 Orange Burst
The increase of volume happens when you put your boost pedal in front of your amp. If you are using a distorted channel, you will find that your boost pedal won’t provide you with any extra volume boost, but will provide you with more distortion and more sustain.
The other option that a boost pedal will provide you with is using it to put into an effect loop; by putting your boost pedal on your amp first before any other pedal, you will boost the signal of your instrument without creating any distortion.
Caline Orange burst
Joyo Roll Boost JF-38
The boost pedal is the simplest pedal of all of the different guitar pedals and is one of the most obvious pedals out there. There can be many complications to the boost pedal you are buying, depending on the manufacturer, price tag, and purpose of your boost pedal.
Recommended Boost Pedals
Orange Two Stroke EQ/Boost
The Two Stroke Boost EQ is our take on the essential ‘clean boost’ pedal, but with even more versatility. Combining an active dual-parametric EQ and up to 12dB of output boost, the Two Stroke is the perfect tool for fine-tuning your sound or pushing your amp’s front end with unsurpassed control. Subtle Two Stroke tweaks can add an extra dimension to solos, whilst more aggressive use of the pedal’s EQ can sculpt entirely new sounds.
pigtone Boost
Quality electric guitar effect pedals with true bypasses provide a transparent tone that minimizes tone loss to maintain optimal sound quality
TC Electronic SPARK BOOSTER
Kick your playing into high gear with SPARK BOOSTER, the stealthy stompbox that rocks a completely clean boost with heaps of extra features for your tone palette.
SUNDANCE SPECIAL Boost
Caline DCP-06 The Sundance Special Overdrive+Boost. Our customers enjoy our Orange Burst Overdrive and Recluse Boost pedals so much we decided to combine them! Tame your sound or add a bunch of wild grit to your tone, whatever the job may be… Sundance will brighten up your rainy day!
Electro-Harmonix Metal Muff
The ultimate metal distortion pedal. Three powerful EQ bands sculpt the midst and 6 controls shape the sound precisely for your groove from slithering mercury to lead belly blast furnace dross. Its unique Top Boost adds serious bite with its own control knob and footswitch so you can kick it on for searing leads.
