Today's Treble Booster Users

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Today's Treble Booster Users

I've got about half a dozen Analog Man pedals, but I don't have the Beano. For treble boosts, I've got the BSM OR and the Keeley Time Machine Boost. I've never tried the Beano -- would love to.

- Keith

I gotcha...I looked pretty hard at the Time Machine boost for a while but never pulled the trigger...Keeley stuff is well made but he and I hear things differently or something. I never seem to be able to bond with his stuff...that said how is the TMB???

 

[Pink Unicorn Horsey]

Re: Today's Treble Booster Users

I gotcha...I looked pretty hard at the Time Machine boost for a while but never pulled the trigger...Keeley stuff is well made but he and I hear things differently or something. I never seem to be able to bond with his stuff...that said how is the TMB???

The TMB is much quieter than the BSM OR, and it has more options. It's just that the OR is one more kind of treble boost that differs from the three boosts you get from the TMB. I can't say I like one more than the other. I'm particularly fond of the clean FET boost you get from the Modern side of the TMB.

The TMB was designed by Robert Keeley and another fellow, so it probably has less of the Keeley sound (whatever that may be) this his other stuff. I'll never sell it.

I'm becoming more and more a fan of the treble boost, and less and less a fan of the overdrive.

- Keith

 

[Dr.Mavashi]

Re: Today's Treble Booster Users

Is the BSM stuff MORE than a Beano?!

http://www.pedalgeek.com/cgi-bin/new_shop.cgi?config=&uid=RWrjbAAA1209844119&uzc=&command=link--bsm

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Today's Treble Booster Users

The TMB is much quieter than the BSM OR, and it has more options. It's just that the OR is one more kind of treble boost that differs from the three boosts you get from the TMB. I can't say I like one more than the other. I'm particularly fond of the clean FET boost you get from the Modern side of the TMB.
The TMB was designed by Robert Keeley and another fellow, so it probably has less of the Keeley sound (whatever that may be) this his other stuff. I'll never sell it.
I'm becoming more and more a fan of the treble boost, and less and less a fan of the overdrive.
- Keith

Right on...Im not trying to bash keeley or anything but the pedals of his I have tried just didn't do it for me so I decided not to get a TMB...not that I;ll never get one.

Im with you, a treble booster CAN be a great thing to have however I see a lot of guys using them and they sound terrible...same with fuzz pedals...nothing is worse that a guy that can't make it work trying to and sounding like a blizzard of nails!

There were a lot of other boost pedals around in the 60's and early 70's and I've looked into a few of them as well but I've not tried many new design TB's that really floored me...maybe I should look into the TMB...

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Today's Treble Booster Users

http://www.pedalgeek.com/cgi-bin/new_shop.cgi?config=&uid=RWrjbAAA1209844119&uzc=&command=link--bsm

WOW!

No offense intended at all but thats insane...NO boost pedal is worth that kind of green, no way, no how!

How do they try and justify that?? Do they use any NOS parts or any custom made parts??

 

[Dr.Mavashi]

Re: Today's Treble Booster Users

Dude, you are light year ahead of me on understanding the guts of gear, they say that they use some primo germanium stuff, I dont know. But yeah, maybe later in the future I will treat myself with one, but now, I agree with you, maybe some madulation pedals are worth such bucks but a boost??? on the other hand it is an import so ...

 

[Pink Unicorn Horsey]

Re: Today's Treble Booster Users

Im with you, a treble booster CAN be a great thing to have however I see a lot of guys using them and they sound terrible...same with fuzz pedals...nothing is worse that a guy that can't make it work trying to and sounding like a blizzard of nails!

I can make a TB sound good, but I have a heluva time with fuzz pedals. I had an Analog Man Sun Face NKT-275 for a while, but I just couldn't get it to work for me. I considered trying to trade it for a BC-108, but in the end I just decided to go a different direction. Maybe it's just me being impatient.

- Keith

 

[Pink Unicorn Horsey]

Re: Today's Treble Booster Users

No offense intended at all but thats insane...NO boost pedal is worth that kind of green, no way, no how!

I got mine off someone on The Gear Page at a MUCH better price. I agree that these prices are insane.

- Keith

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Today's Treble Booster Users

Dude, you are light year ahead of me on understanding the guts of gear, they say that they use some primo germanium stuff, I dont know. But yeah, maybe later in the future I will treat myself with one, but now, I agree with you, maybe some madulation pedals are worth such bucks but a boost??? on the other hand it is an import so ...

The thing is that in a TB theer are maybe 10 parts total...I just can't see 3 and 4 hundrred clams on something like that...The Beano ain't cheep IMO but at least there are high quality parts and a NOS tranny...

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Today's Treble Booster Users

I can make a TB sound good, but I have a heluva time with fuzz pedals. I had an Analog Man Sun Face NKT-275 for a while, but I just couldn't get it to work for me. I considered trying to trade it for a BC-108, but in the end I just decided to go a different direction. Maybe it's just me being impatient.

- Keith

Fuzz boxes are a different beast...I really have to work at it and I've been using some kind of fuzz for years no...truth is the BC108 version ain't a lot easier to use! A good Big Muff is a lot easier to use than a FF by comparison...

 

[Dr.Mavashi]

Re: Today's Treble Booster Users

The thing is that in a TB theer are maybe 10 parts total...I just can't see 3 and 4 hundrred clams on something like that...The Beano ain't cheep IMO but at least there are high quality parts and a NOS tranny...

I am sold.

 

[nebucanazza]

Re: Today's Treble Booster Users

Guys, if you are really short of cash I strongly suggest trying to make your own TBs. The Rangemaster is the simplest circuit you could possibly attempt and the 'full range' and 'treble' boost options are just switchable capacitors.As for the NOS Ge transistor, it is definitely the key to the RM sound....but you can get a good Mullard OC44 off sites like Small Bear Electronics($8).This guy caters to DIY builders and the parts you get are tested and ideal for the circuits. Get a kit from BYOC or GeneralGuitarGadgets and substitute the Ge transistor if required.

And BTW, a Rangemaster into a Fuzz Face sounds really heavenly! These two effects(if built to vintage specs) should always be first in your effects chain. Any buffer before them screws up their sound totally.So even your buffered tuner needs to be moved after them.

 

[Pink Unicorn Horsey]

Re: Today's Treble Booster Users

And BTW, a Rangemaster into a Fuzz Face sounds really heavenly! These two effects(if built to vintage specs) should always be first in your effects chain. Any buffer before them screws up their sound totally.So even your buffered tuner needs to be moved after them.

You can, however, put your wah first if it's true bypass, like a Teese. That how I do it.

- Keith

 

[Dr. Lo]

Re: Today's Treble Booster Users

You guys are making me feel inferior. I got a lowly BBE Freq Boost from Santa last year.

Why would you feel inferior? I've got a BBE Freq Boost and a Keeley Java Boost. The JB is twice the price but not twice the value/sound. I personally think the Freq Boost is really cool sounding little pedal. It certainly does the treble booster thing, and I would say it's a little bit thicker than the JB, but not by much.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Today's Treble Booster Users

And BTW, a Rangemaster into a Fuzz Face sounds really heavenly! These two effects(if built to vintage specs) should always be first in your effects chain. Any buffer before them screws up their sound totally.So even your buffered tuner needs to be moved after them.

You can, however, put your wah first if it's true bypass, like a Teese. That how I do it.
- Keith

Pretty much any true bypass pedal in front of a Fuzz or Rangemaster (any old school tranny driven unit really) or even a hard, non true bypass (like a stock old school Wah pedal) is fine but a buffered bypass unit (Boss, Ibanez, etc) will create an impedence mismatch and cause a nasty "effect" even if both pedals are switched off...if you run a Boss tuner for example first then a Fuzz Face after it your tone goes down the tubes...nice scratchy high end...it's just nasty...try it and see!

 

[Brow]

Re: Today's Treble Booster Users

I have a Sharp FX Rangemaster Clone and a MI Audio Buff N' Boost on various pedalboards.

The Buff N Boost is set with gain at about 1 O' Clock, which is just about engaging the TB effect (anything lower than half gain and it's a standard all freq booster). It really pushes the amp hard, and when used on my clean Carlsbro 50-top head, it starts to break up into a very nice crunchy drive. With my Orange, the sound fuzzes up a little too much imo, but it's just the thing for that early Iommi/Sabbath tone.

 

[Diego]

Re: Today's Treble Booster Users

Anyway I can 'simulate' a treble booster with a Boss GE7?

What frequencies usually treble boosters bump? I'm interested.

 

[Pink Unicorn Horsey]

Re: Today's Treble Booster Users

Anyway I can 'simulate' a treble booster with a Boss GE7?

What frequencies usually treble boosters bump? I'm interested.

Well, the thing about a treble boost is that it doesn't just shape the tone of your signal. It's adding a good amount of gain as well. An EQ isn't going to make a very good substitute for a treble boost.

- Keith

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Today's Treble Booster Users

Anyway I can 'simulate' a treble booster with a Boss GE7?

What frequencies usually treble boosters bump? I'm interested.

Not really...

A treble booster like is being talked abotu here actually produces some distortion of it's own as well as changing the sonic footprint of the base tone...

Her is a short clip, I know it's on bass but Mike playes wiht it off then on and you can see what all it "adds" to the tone...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lETqChAmsGk

 

[Diego]

Re: Today's Treble Booster Users

Ahh, so it's an OD and a freq booster 2-in-1... sort of.

Got it. I'd love one of these, because the Vox model on my amp sounds too gentle... sounds Vox in a U2, Beatles way. I'd like it to sound Vox in a Brian May, Blackmore way. It could definitely get there, I'm sure of it, but it needs more bite!

Any of the big pedal makers like Ibanez, Boss, Digitech, etc. make any decent treble boosters?