Need education on booster pedals

[aaronmcoleman]

For playing non-master volume amps at lower volume, I kinda prefer attenuators to boosts on lower settings.

You asked about JFET and MOSFET boosts (versus IC and transistor boosts). JFET and MOSFET have high input impedance (a good thing) and preserve the highs, so most of them seem to have kinda hyped highs, think SHO. Most transistor boosts have low input impedance (generally not good) and lose some of the highs giving a perceived bass/mids boost, think EHX LPB1. So for what you're doing that JFET boost is probably a good choice. But, if the volume on the amp is low, the bass might be kinda flubby...if I were trying to do what you're doing I might get a used LPB1 for $40 and see if it evens out the low end and gives you good bedroom volumes and tone.

 

[rayc]

NEW DESIGN! Brownie Classic Distortion Classic "Marshall" tones
The Brownie is really very good. I bought it to push my Marshall into OD at lower volumes but discovered that the Superbass MkII simply won't go there.
That said, the pedal is dirt cheap, very flexible and the gain can be turned down & the volume turned up for excellent boost.

 

[antichef]

awesome guys - I'll check those out

 

[antichef]

Dunno if I should start a new thread, because I'm going a little OT, but the KT77s came in today.

Here's pretty much the same clip with KT77s instead of the EL34s. I can't tell you that the volumes where at precisely the same positions, because they're so touchy below 1, but they're close:

The low end is more round and firm and pert, which is good. It's still not exactly where I wanted it, but I may just run with this (or trying to find something that sounds like it, that is). I also tried an EQ pedal flat with the level up, and that was cleaner, but dirtier than the clean boost from the trem pedal.

Here's the amp with the KT77s dry on 2/4 (Channel I (bright) at 2 and Channel II (dark) at 4 - it's real broke up. I didn't make a similar clip with the EL34s, so you'll just have to trust me - the low end is better:

 

[WDI]

Been playing through a JTM45 clone built by a friend of a friend last couple weeks and had the same problem. Really sounds good cranking up the amp but way to loud for most situations. My buddy who is an electrical engineer built an attenuator which really helps. Made it with two transformers. And another I got built by guy who made the amp which uses resistors I think. Both work well. Not exactly the same sound as dry but close enough to make me happy without making deaf.

 

[Greg_L]

Dunno if I should start a new thread, because I'm going a little OT, but the KT77s came in today.

Here's pretty much the same clip with KT77s instead of the EL34s. I can't tell you that the volumes where at precisely the same positions, because they're so touchy below 1, but they're close:

The low end is more round and firm and pert, which is good. It's still not exactly where I wanted it, but I may just run with this (or trying to find something that sounds like it, that is). I also tried an EQ pedal flat with the level up, and that was cleaner, but dirtier than the clean boost from the trem pedal.

Here's the amp with the KT77s dry on 2/4 (Channel I (bright) at 2 and Channel II (dark) at 4 - it's real broke up. I didn't make a similar clip with the EL34s, so you'll just have to trust me - the low end is better:

I like the second clip best. The spongebox doesn't do much for me. Too flabby.