Solo boost for Marshall Jubilee

dystrust

dystrust

New member
As the title says, I'm looking for a different overdrive or boost pedal to use with my Marshall Jubilees. I've been using a Maxon OD-9 since roughly 2004, and it sounds good if a bit thin. Unfortunately these days I play through my Mini a lot more often than my 2555 and the OD-9 just isn't cutting it.

After searching through this forum and elsewhere, I've come up with a list of pedals to check out. If anyone has feedback regarding any of the pedals below or others I should consider, I'd love to hear it.

I'm considering:
Boss SD-1
MXR OD (Classic / GT-OD / ZW)
Xotic RC Booster
Timmy
J. Rockett Archer
Others???

I'm looking for volume and sustain primarily, and I'd like the tone to remain as close as possible to the amp's base tone. I'll be using the pedal for solos only; I don't need an always-on boost. It also needs to be Boss / Ibanez / Phase 90 sized; I don't have room on my board for something like a Fulldrive or Barber LTD. If it makes a difference I play with humbuckers 95% of the time (both vintage and high output), and I run the input gain of the Jubilee on 7. I'd also like to keep the cost under $200 if possible, so no Klon Centaurs or King of Tone please.
 
Re: Solo boost for Marshall Jubilee

The Archer and some other klones work really well as boosts by leaving the gain all the way down but they do add a little bit of color (which is the appeal). It's like a little more of your amp so it's still pretty transparent. With the gain up though, it may not be what you are looking for. Also, the Archer is buffered bypass as are most of the klones, but not all.
The Xotic RC would probably be more of a true clean boost and the bass and treble is nice rather than just a single tone control.
For a small footprint, check out the Keeley Katana mini if you just want a really transparent boost. No tone or any other knobs, just a level control.
I like what I hear from the Timmy on demos as far as a transparent OD, but never owned one or got to play with one. I think it would be on my short list based on your decription of what you are looking for. But I cant help further.
 
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Re: Solo boost for Marshall Jubilee

I'm going to suggest either:

The Bad Money, or better yet the Duncan 805

If sculpting the tone + boost is what you need, the three active EQ channels are going to give you exactly what you need.
 
Solo boost for Marshall Jubilee

Xotic BB Preamp
I'm using this with my Quickrod and it's absolutely breathtaking.
 
Re: Solo boost for Marshall Jubilee

Aceman said:
I'm going to suggest either:

The Bad Money, or better yet the Duncan 805

If sculpting the tone + boost is what you need, the three active EQ channels are going to give you exactly what you need.
Click to expand...

Bad Money is always on the monkey.
 
Re: Solo boost for Marshall Jubilee

An oldie but a goodie is the MXR microamp - it's fairly neutral, but does impart some character. Keep in mind though, anything you put into the front end of your amp isn't going to make it much louder more than it will push it into overdrive sooner. Once your signal is bouncing off the supply rails, that's it, there's nowhere left for it to go.
 
Re: Solo boost for Marshall Jubilee

Joey Voltage said:
An oldie but a goodie is the MXR microamp - it's fairly neutral, but does impart some character. Keep in mind though, anything you put into the front end of your amp isn't going to make it much louder more than it will push it into overdrive sooner. Once your signal is bouncing off the supply rails, that's it, there's nowhere left for it to go.
Click to expand...
I'm not worried about running out of headroom. The Tube Screamer I'm using now has an adequate volume boost, it just cuts the low end too much.

Aceman said:
I'm going to suggest either:

The Bad Money, or better yet the Duncan 805

If sculpting the tone + boost is what you need, the three active EQ channels are going to give you exactly what you need.
Click to expand...

I'll check those two out, though I'm not sure the Bad Monkey will fit in the space that I have available on my board.

Gtrjunior said:
Xotic BB Preamp
I'm using this with my Quickrod and it's absolutely breathtaking.
Click to expand...

I've heard that the BB Preamp is the gainiest of the Xotic boosts, which is why I'm looking at the RC Booster. Going into the front of the amp is going to give me more saturation as it is, and I'm afraid the BB will have too much.

Darg1911 said:
The Archer and some other klones work really well as boosts by leaving the gain all the way down but they do add a little bit of color (which is the appeal). It's like a little more of your amp so it's still pretty transparent. With the gain up though, it may not be what you are looking for. Also, the Archer is buffered bypass as are most of the klones, but not all.
The Xotic RC would probably be more of a true clean boost and the bass and treble is nice rather than just a single tone control.
For a small footprint, check out the Keeley Katana mini if you just want a really transparent boost. No tone or any other knobs, just a level control.
I like what I hear from the Timmy on demos as far as a transparent OD, but never owned one or got to play with one. I think it would be on my short list based on your decription of what you are looking for. But I cant help further.
Click to expand...

More of the amp plus maybe a little color is pretty much what I'm looking for; two-band tone control is a plus though I can live with just a treble control as long as the low cut isn't too aggressive. I've used pure clean boosts in the past, and they're not quite what I'm after. I definitely want some color, I just need something fatter than a TS.

Is anyone familiar with how a klone interacts with humbuckers? I've heard they're the bees knees if you're playing a Strat, but that isn't a situation I frequently find myself in. I've also heard similar about the Timmy, though I've never had a chance to play either.
 
Re: Solo boost for Marshall Jubilee

The BB can get gainy...if you set it to be. It can be set up as an effective clean boost too. I have the "Comp" version which allows you to adjust the amount of compression from the pedal There are 3 preset amounts. One of which Is no compression.
I've never personally tried the RC or AC boosts but they are super popular. I don't think you can go wrong with any of them.
 
Re: Solo boost for Marshall Jubilee

I haven't played out in years, and I've never used a klon live so I cant offer an opinion in that context. But, I like the klon/klone as a colored boost with humbuckers. I go easy on the gain knob, maybe 9 or 10 o'clock. It's still pretty transparent, it just pushes a little bit of the klon mids.
 
Re: Solo boost for Marshall Jubilee

Of course check out the 805 Overdrive, which has 3 band active EQ. It solves the 'missing bass' and 'too many mids' problem of most TS pedals. Another option is the Killing Floor, which is a straight up boost with gain.
 
Re: Solo boost for Marshall Jubilee

The 805 sounds like it's worth trying, I'd also throw out the TC MojoMojo, it's Paul Gilbert's pedal of choice just for that.

 
Re: Solo boost for Marshall Jubilee

I've had the Maxon OD-9 and the Boss SD-1 (standard, not the Waza). If you thought the Maxon was thin-sounding, then you won't like the SD-1. It's brighter, and it cuts more bass than the OD-9.

I also have the MXR Classic OD. It's great. It's heftier in the bottom than either, but with a similar vibe to the SD-1.
 
Solo boost for Marshall Jubilee

Since you're tight on space and considering a klon, I'd recommend a Wampler Tumnus. Small footprint, perfect as a clean boost (as I used it), and interacts well with humbuckers. Pretty dynamic, responds well to adjusting guitar volume and pick attack. Will color your tone slightly. Klon mid range hump, but it pushes a good deal of low end too. *As with Darg1911, I have mine set to about 9-10 ish on the volume & gain.

That pedal show has a shootout of several klones. Most comments favor the Tumnus, as did I. I believe it gets played around 23:00 mins in


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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Re: Solo boost for Marshall Jubilee

If space is a problem, try a Mooer Flex Boost

And as much of a Micro Amp fan as I am, I'm not feeling it for this.
 
Re: Solo boost for Marshall Jubilee

Rex_Rocker said:
I've had the Maxon OD-9 and the Boss SD-1 (standard, not the Waza). If you thought the Maxon was thin-sounding, then you won't like the SD-1. It's brighter, and it cuts more bass than the OD-9.

I also have the MXR Classic OD. It's great. It's heftier in the bottom than either, but with a similar vibe to the SD-1.
Click to expand...

I have the SD-1W Waza version and generally recommend it. I like the stock SD-1 setting, but the new "Custom" setting is a warmer, bassier voicing that could work well for some applications.

If you like the Tube Screamer voicing, but want more BMT controls, the 805 seems to be the ticket. I haven't tried it, though, as Tube Screamer is not my go-to OD voicing.

I also have the Wampler Tumnus, and recommend it as a milder mid-hump boost than a Tube Screamer. As Klones go, I've only had the Tumnus and the Soul Food. They're voiced similarly, though the Tumnus is slightly warmer and has a touch more low end. I am currently running that as my main OD into a Marshall-in-a-box pedal and like it.
 
Re: Solo boost for Marshall Jubilee

Full disclosure - at the moment;

My mini-board is using a Mooer Pure Boost.

My main board has a Nose Pedals Mean Green Clean.
 
Re: Solo boost for Marshall Jubilee

stratguy23 said:
If you like the Tube Screamer voicing, but want more BMT controls, the 805 seems to be the ticket. I haven't tried it, though, as Tube Screamer is not my go-to OD voicing.

I also have the Wampler Tumnus, and recommend it as a milder mid-hump boost than a Tube Screamer. As Klones go, I've only had the Tumnus and the Soul Food. They're voiced similarly, though the Tumnus is slightly warmer and has a touch more low end. I am currently running that as my main OD into a Marshall-in-a-box pedal and like it.
Click to expand...

After reading the comments here and in a couple other threads, I think I'm going to pick up a JRAD Archer first, probably followed by an 805. I don't really want a clean boost w/EQ, so that rules out the RC and I think the 805 is more versatile than the BB.

I was thinking last night that what I'd really like is a pedal that makes my Jubilee sound more like the overdrive channel on my Jet City 22H since I typically either use that or an SLO model for leads when I'm recording demos. Matt42 had remarked about the smoothing and thickening effect Warren Haynes gets from the Klon in front of his SLO, and that's pretty much what I'm after.
 
Re: Solo boost for Marshall Jubilee

The BBE Boosta' Grande is a great CLEAN boost. If you want a little bit of dirt, hard to beat an E-H Soul Food. Or get a Boss GE-7 or other EQ to shape AND boost.

Bill
 
Re: Solo boost for Marshall Jubilee

YeRedHouseOverYonder said:
Since you're tight on space and considering a klon, I'd recommend a Wampler Tumnus. Small footprint, perfect as a clean boost (as I used it), and interacts well with humbuckers. Pretty dynamic, responds well to adjusting guitar volume and pick attack. Will color your tone slightly. Klon mid range hump, but it pushes a good deal of low end too. *As with Darg1911, I have mine set to about 9-10 ish on the volume & gain.

That pedal show has a shootout of several klones. Most comments favor the Tumnus, as did I. I believe it gets played around 23:00 mins in


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Problem solved, The problem is solved, We solved the problem, Problem solved.
 
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