Dallas Rangemaster Treble Booster
- Thread starter Gr8Scott
- Start date
shredaholic
New member
Re: Dallas Rangemaster Treble Booster
The ones at http://www.buildyourownclone.com/tri.html look pretty good - I'd be interested to hear thoughts on that treble booster.
The ones at http://www.buildyourownclone.com/tri.html look pretty good - I'd be interested to hear thoughts on that treble booster.
Corbic
New member
Re: Dallas Rangemaster Treble Booster
I don't have one, but it's a pedal I really want. BBE is making one now, called the Freq Boost. Hardwire bypass, steel casing, but otherwise the same vintage Rangemaster circuit. http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product?sku=157034
I also need to check out the Build-Your-Own-Clone one...I guess building the pedal myself couldn't hurt.
I don't have one, but it's a pedal I really want. BBE is making one now, called the Freq Boost. Hardwire bypass, steel casing, but otherwise the same vintage Rangemaster circuit. http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product?sku=157034
I also need to check out the Build-Your-Own-Clone one...I guess building the pedal myself couldn't hurt.
DankStar
Her Little Mojo Minion
Re: Dallas Rangemaster Treble Booster
I made one off of general guitar gadgets' (www.generalguitargadgets.com) site. It was my first DIY pedal. I used their board. It's kind of cool. Definitely a vintage sound. I pull it out and use it with my single coil strat and tube amp with EL84s. It cuts the bass a lot and adds a cool vintage grit. Which is why I'm surprised BBE's said it "fattened" a guitar. Oh well. I don't get super singing sustain with it or anything like that. I probably would if I cranked my amp to the max, which is likely how its really supposed to be used.
Glad I did it, but not something I use all the time. It's subtle. I always feel like I'm Richie Blackmore off the early Rainbow albums when I use it, if that helps. If you have a bass-y amp it helps a lot too.
I wouldn't drop a lot on a clone. You can really tweak them up if you do it yourself, with different input capacitors and such. I may do another down the road to see if I can improve its sound for my needs. Then again, I'd probably just do a different booster, like ROG's May Queen: http://www.runoffgroove.com/mayqueen.html
Oh, mine ended up costing somewhere between $30 and $40 to make if I remember correctly. Most expensive thing was the germanium tranny from Small Bear (http://www.smallbearelec.com/home.html), and the case.
I made one off of general guitar gadgets' (www.generalguitargadgets.com) site. It was my first DIY pedal. I used their board. It's kind of cool. Definitely a vintage sound. I pull it out and use it with my single coil strat and tube amp with EL84s. It cuts the bass a lot and adds a cool vintage grit. Which is why I'm surprised BBE's said it "fattened" a guitar. Oh well. I don't get super singing sustain with it or anything like that. I probably would if I cranked my amp to the max, which is likely how its really supposed to be used.
Glad I did it, but not something I use all the time. It's subtle. I always feel like I'm Richie Blackmore off the early Rainbow albums when I use it, if that helps. If you have a bass-y amp it helps a lot too.
I wouldn't drop a lot on a clone. You can really tweak them up if you do it yourself, with different input capacitors and such. I may do another down the road to see if I can improve its sound for my needs. Then again, I'd probably just do a different booster, like ROG's May Queen: http://www.runoffgroove.com/mayqueen.html
Oh, mine ended up costing somewhere between $30 and $40 to make if I remember correctly. Most expensive thing was the germanium tranny from Small Bear (http://www.smallbearelec.com/home.html), and the case.
Last edited:
Gr8Scott
Wookieologist
Re: Dallas Rangemaster Treble Booster
The one thing BBE doesn't mention is the Germanium transistor. Very important peice of kit for this particular item. Without it, it wouldn't be the same. I wouldn't chance the BBE without knowing for sure what kind of transistor it has.
I've already been looking on Smallbear. Nice setup that way. I might just have to get the OC-44 from them and the remaining parts needed to make my own. I'll build my own enclosure as I'm planning on making an all-in-one enclosure anyway with my TS-5 etc. The TS-5 is gonna have to be rehoused because the existing housing won't accomodate a decent stomp switch. Making my own enclosure will also let me put a rotary switch on the rangemaster to give me a few different choices for the input cap and a bazillion switches on the TS-5 along with true bypass. I'll prototype the rangemaster on a breadboard initially so the bias can be determined before I solder in the transistor. I plan on arranging the stomp switches on the outermost effects to be placed as far into the corner as is feasible to give the other stomp switches a little breathing room. Maybe sandwich three or four effects in one relatively compact pedal that way.
The one thing BBE doesn't mention is the Germanium transistor. Very important peice of kit for this particular item. Without it, it wouldn't be the same. I wouldn't chance the BBE without knowing for sure what kind of transistor it has.
I've already been looking on Smallbear. Nice setup that way. I might just have to get the OC-44 from them and the remaining parts needed to make my own. I'll build my own enclosure as I'm planning on making an all-in-one enclosure anyway with my TS-5 etc. The TS-5 is gonna have to be rehoused because the existing housing won't accomodate a decent stomp switch. Making my own enclosure will also let me put a rotary switch on the rangemaster to give me a few different choices for the input cap and a bazillion switches on the TS-5 along with true bypass. I'll prototype the rangemaster on a breadboard initially so the bias can be determined before I solder in the transistor. I plan on arranging the stomp switches on the outermost effects to be placed as far into the corner as is feasible to give the other stomp switches a little breathing room. Maybe sandwich three or four effects in one relatively compact pedal that way.
DankStar
Her Little Mojo Minion
Re: Dallas Rangemaster Treble Booster
Sounds like you're set! The article below really got me pumped up to make one. It's a great read about the history, if you haven't read it. Just click on "And how to build one."
http://www.geofex.com/Article_Folders/Rangemaster/drm.htm
Gr8Scott said:
Sounds like you're set! The article below really got me pumped up to make one. It's a great read about the history, if you haven't read it. Just click on "And how to build one."
http://www.geofex.com/Article_Folders/Rangemaster/drm.htm
joelap
Red&Goldologist
Re: Dallas Rangemaster Treble Booster
The tribooster is great, but you're gunna find one setting you like and stick with it. The clean boost on that is what I used and it kicked major donkey balls! (That's a good thing). The silicon linear power boost wasn't my bag. The Germanium boost was clearly NOT a rangemaster. It wasn't nearly squishy enough (I've always considered the rangemasters to have a certain squish to the notes when dimed). That said it was still close, and sounded good. But wasn't the same as the rangemaster clone I built.
I really want to build another rangemaster, since I sold the first one I built. It's such an easy build, and the Rangemaster on full blast into my cranked Sound City 50+ was tonal HEAVEN. Money sucks man, I wish I was rich and I wouldn't have had to sell so much gear to be able to afford gas back and forth to school since I cant get a job during the semester. blows bigtime! I miss some of that gear sometimes.
My advice would be to try your hands at building a rangemaster, its SO EASY to build. I'd offer to do it for you if you dont feel like doing it, but I literally have 35 dollars to last me into the second week of June, I wouldnt be able to front the money for parts
I had a Tribooster and sold it to someone here on the forums. I also had their rangemaster clone as well. Here's my take.shredaholic said:
The tribooster is great, but you're gunna find one setting you like and stick with it. The clean boost on that is what I used and it kicked major donkey balls! (That's a good thing). The silicon linear power boost wasn't my bag. The Germanium boost was clearly NOT a rangemaster. It wasn't nearly squishy enough (I've always considered the rangemasters to have a certain squish to the notes when dimed). That said it was still close, and sounded good. But wasn't the same as the rangemaster clone I built.
I really want to build another rangemaster, since I sold the first one I built. It's such an easy build, and the Rangemaster on full blast into my cranked Sound City 50+ was tonal HEAVEN. Money sucks man, I wish I was rich and I wouldn't have had to sell so much gear to be able to afford gas back and forth to school since I cant get a job during the semester. blows bigtime! I miss some of that gear sometimes.
My advice would be to try your hands at building a rangemaster, its SO EASY to build. I'd offer to do it for you if you dont feel like doing it, but I literally have 35 dollars to last me into the second week of June, I wouldnt be able to front the money for parts
ErikH
Well-known member
Re: Dallas Rangemaster Treble Booster
I've built one as well from the schematic at www.diystompboxes.com. However, mine is negative ground rather than positive ground since all I had was NPN Ge transistors. It's a great booster, one of my favorites.
I've built one as well from the schematic at www.diystompboxes.com. However, mine is negative ground rather than positive ground since all I had was NPN Ge transistors. It's a great booster, one of my favorites.
hellatone
New member
Re: Dallas Rangemaster Treble Booster
I'm the guy who bought Joelap's byoc rangemaster clone -- with a humbucker and in front of a Spina-modded ts9, it is absolute tonal nirvana, though I guess YMMV. He built it and did a great job. Thanks again man. (With my strat though i prefer a clean boost like a bad bob) :smokin:
I'm the guy who bought Joelap's byoc rangemaster clone -- with a humbucker and in front of a Spina-modded ts9, it is absolute tonal nirvana, though I guess YMMV. He built it and did a great job. Thanks again man. (With my strat though i prefer a clean boost like a bad bob) :smokin:
ErikH
Well-known member
Re: Dallas Rangemaster Treble Booster
Sho is. His was pretty much always on. It's a pretty simple circuit and does a wonderful job of pushing the front end of low gain tube amps. The only issue with them is/was the instability of the Ge transistors due to temp changes.Sune said:
Corbic
New member
Re: Dallas Rangemaster Treble Booster
This thread has made me really want to build a Rangemaster. I found Erik's circuit on the DIY Stompbox site, which seems simple enough. But I have no experience building anything with electrical circuits, so I think I might start with that beginner's stompbox project on the same site. But other then schematics, I can't get a definite list of the components needed. Erik, how hard was it to build that pedal?
This thread has made me really want to build a Rangemaster. I found Erik's circuit on the DIY Stompbox site, which seems simple enough. But I have no experience building anything with electrical circuits, so I think I might start with that beginner's stompbox project on the same site. But other then schematics, I can't get a definite list of the components needed. Erik, how hard was it to build that pedal?
ugrkoglu
New member
Re: Dallas Rangemaster Treble Booster
http://www.robertkeeley.com/product.php?id=3
One really highly regarded Rangemaster clone is Java Boost by Robert Keeley.Gr8Scott said:
http://www.robertkeeley.com/product.php?id=3
joelap
Red&Goldologist
Re: Dallas Rangemaster Treble Booster
Bada-bing: http://www.buildyourownclone.com/rangerinstructions.html
First part, checklist. Then step by step instructions follow.
I'd dive right into the rangemaster. IIRC, the board that buildyourownclone sent me had I think 6 holes in it. It's such a small circuit it doesnt even need a circuit board, a simple epoxy board is all that's needed. The instructions are still up on buildyourownclone.com too, step by step. Actually, buildyourownclone.com should have in the first couple pages of the instructions for the rangemaster a complete parts listing.Corbic said:
Bada-bing: http://www.buildyourownclone.com/rangerinstructions.html
First part, checklist. Then step by step instructions follow.
