BEST BOOST OR COMP/SUSTAINER PEDAL (ed: to use with express)

[matstrat]

Little information on the net on this topic.

I want to basically boost signal for solo's, keeping sound and clarity. Trying to find a way around using volume on the guitar as the boost.

Flying Dragon? Keeley Comp? MI Boost? Hot Cake?

Any ideas?

f@ m@

 

[matstrat]

****...can I post this thread here? or should it be somewhere else?

 

[iohanr]

I haven't tried any of those pedals... but I do have a Pigtronix Philosopher's Tone which is incredibly great for sustain. If you dial it in right, it is almost endless sustain (I mean... really, like 10 seconds of sustain is pretty much "endless" for me...).

Also, you can use it as a clean boost if you turn up the volume knob and back down on the sustain knob.

 

[soundchaser59]

I've tried several, and most are acceptable but noisy.

The cleanest of the good compressors I've used are the Allums modded CS3 and the Barber Tone Press. I thought I was going to test both and then sell the one that lost, but both are excellent and I ended up pinching pennys so I could keep them both. Both will be cheaper than any Keeley pedal.

The Dyna Comp can be modded with an Allums kit to be an excellent pedal, but it is not quite as transparent or as versatile as the Allums mod CS3. The Barber stock pedal (unmodded) is as clean as the modded CS3, but does not have a tone control and does not hve quite as much gain.

A clean boost is another option. Allums has a mod kit for the TR2 Tremolo that includes installing a clean boost knob. But the BBE Boosta Grande is completely transparent, quiet, and adds 20db to the signal. 5 yr warranty and comes with a power supply for under $100 bucks. The LPB from EHX is just plain noisy, I wouldn't bother with that one.

 

[Newysurfer]

This one's been asked here a few times this year.

First up - what do you want - a clean booster or a coloured one. I got both.

For clean boost - a good EQ pedal is by far the best option IMO. The 2 best EQ pedals are made by MXR.
They'll give you up to 18db clean boost on any freq you choose. Stick one in the loop and it'll boost for solos, plus change the tone to anything you want, or keep it the same, without adding any gain to the signal.

A coloured boost will add volume, gain and change the tone. Having tried many my preferred pedals for this are classic Tubescreamers. Can't go worng with an Ibanez or Maxon TS-808 or OD-9 or TS-9. There's heaps of em. I keep the gain low & crank the volume on the TS and stack it into the Mesa's burn channel. That'll blast your solos into the stratosphere. Pedals like the Fulltone Fulldrive 2 Mosfet are also great for that but my all time fav is the Analogman mo'ded Maxon TS-808. Great tones by itself, fantastic booster and true bypass.

I don't like compressors for live use at all. They ruin picking dynamics and most Boss pedals will tone suck your Mesa :mrgreen:

 

[gezza]

Hey guys what's up,

I Agree with Newysurfer 100%.

I bought a 7 band EQ, one with 7 bands plus an overall volume.
I tried is all over the place, but found in the effect loops is the best for boosting a solo, step on the pedal -Boost, it works great. I also love the control of the sound, flat boost, smile boost scooped.

Second Boost for a slightly colored tone, I use the MI Boost N Buff, as it has gain and Volume, it can be used for a flat boost, Treble Booster as well as a buffer, again I also placed this in the Effect Loop.

I you put any type of Boost Pedal before the front of the amp, it just drives the amp harder, with not much of a volume boost.

On the Clean Channel it's all different, you can hear the boost.

I also use a Barber Tone Press, it's on all the time and gives a little kick. Don't know about using it for a Boost, a do know it can, but Compressors are general a bit noisy.

I also use a BB Preamp very similar settings to Andy Timmons, for a slight drive for the Burn Channel.

Hope this give you some starting points,

You really need to work out what you want the pedal to do, then go and try them.

I bought all mine on the Net without hearing any of them, only made 2 bad buys. Just not the sound I was looking for.

Cheers,

Gezza.

 

[matstrat]

In have a thing with knobs...too many and I start losing it...ho ho ho....seriously...if there are too many things to tweak I start losing focus. I like one knob at a time thank you. The MXR EQ's would drive me nuts! I am an incoherent musician most of the time...(and proud of it!)...and more 'things with knobs' in my line up drives me nuts. Guitar - wah - amp. that's it. But I need something else....a boost.

In fact the express put me off a little with all the 'knobs'...having used mainly on/off vol, tone and gain amps for years. Hence the new tube swap making my life very simple indeed.

I have done much reading on this boost,comp topic over the past few days and have made a decision.

I wanted one knob....and NO tone loss. So have settled on the Lizard Leg Flying Dragon...if it's good enough for Andy Aldort, it's good enough for me!

I live a long way from any guitar shop...and don't have the ability to test drive anything really. My decision was based on what others have said and the youtube demos I found.

Anyway......will let you know if it does the trick...

Love you all - m@

 

[soundchaser59]

I forgot about the EQ pedals, good one, I agree. Unfortunately, I found the MXR to be extra noisy, even after the Sniper mod it was noisier than the Allums modded GE7.

Stock Boss pedals are so-so, hence the mod kits. They are drastically improved by the mods. I did Allums to all of mine, and they are all keepers now.

The modded CS3 is pretty good, and surprisingly quiet. Same with the modded Dyna Comp.

The only thing as quiet as the modded CS3 is the Barber Tone Press, and it doesn't have to be modded at all. Plus the Barber wont ruin your pick dynamics because it has the famous clean blend knob. It costs a bit more, though.....

 

[Newysurfer]

I forgot about the EQ pedals, good one, I agree. Unfortunately, I found the MXR to be extra noisy, even after the Sniper mod it was noisier than the Allums modded GE7.

Chaser - don't know what you were using but I've got this MXR pedal.

http://www.jimdunlop.com/index.php?page=products/pip&id=249&pmh=products/p_and_e_detail

It's dead quiet on 3 different tube amps I've plugged it into unless you boost those frequencies which produce amp or white noise from other pedals. All EQ pedals will be noisy if you do that. Use MXR pedals right and they are noiselesss. So are the new MXR 10-band EQ pedals. These pedals do not need any mod's at all.

The stock Boss GE-7 though is another story - that is a noisy pedal.