Treble Boosters?

JohnnyGuitar

JohnnyGuitar

New member
Hi all.

I'm GASing for a treble booster lately, but there are so many options and all of them by small manufacturers that I'm not sure about what I should try... basically I'm looking for Blackmore's warmer tones (Machine Head...) and Rory Gallagher's Irish Tour tones... and anything that could go for Brian May or Clapton when playing a different guitar (I'm mostly a Strat player).

Now I know that I listed Hornby Skewes and Rangermaster boosters here... I'm not trying to "nail" anyone's tone, just trying to get a certain vibe.

I'm using a custom amp, which could be compared to a JTM 45, I guess...

Got any experience with any TB models? any ideas?
 
Re: Treble Boosters?

Is volume an issue? Cause getting any hair using a TB will make your amp LOUD. I own 5 boosts at the moment and am looking at a 6th.

My recommendation would be the Catalinbread Naga Viper boost. Very similar to the RM but with more versatility and a bit more hair.
 
Re: Treble Boosters?

BSM has lots of different treble boosters, and I've heard that they're all pretty good. Don't have any personal experience with BSM thought
 
Re: Treble Boosters?

The TB has a strange quality of being bright and searing and nasty, but not unpleasant. I have the JMI rangemaster, and it is an amazing treble booster. It will brighten up the entire sound, but its also really tightens things up and adds a lot of grit. I find its pretty versatile too, and can be used for many different styles. Will clean up with guitar volume too. Now considering that you have a JTM45 style amp:

Good News: Treble Boosters seem to work great for a marshall style amps. Especially in the darker, more vintage tone variety (i.e. not a plexi).

Bad news: TB doesn't sound too good with a clean amp, so your going to have to have the amp breaking up, which is probably pretty loud in your case. You can use the TB to boost another pedal, or another pedal boosting the guitar input to the TB, but either way its going to be loud.

The TB is a cool sound that I never thought I would like until I tried it and, and now I love the rangemaster. Its really gritty and nasty, but somehow is not piercing or ice-picky. Most times once I turn it on, I leave it on. I usually boost it with a EQ and then feed into an 18W clone (TMB style). I definitely recommend trying out some rangemaster (or clone) or any TB. Based on the artists you list, you likely won't be disappointed.

Tim
 
Re: Treble Boosters?

I modded my Screaming Bird (fairly new to me), and I really like it for the money ($40 or so new). What I did is to add a switch that lets me use the stock input and output caps, or a set of different-value caps that I added. The added caps change the tones that are filtered and that are boosted, so 1) you don't cut as much low end when you use the booster, and 2) you boost treble starting at a lower frequency. It gives a richer boost, as opposed to the "lo-fi" sounding boost that it gives you as stock. But at the same time, I wanted the option of using the stock caps, which do sound good for a lot of things (e.g. when used with an extremely saturated and "muddy" amp setting, or when wanting that super-wiry lo-fi sound).

In other words, it is probably not the greatest treble booster in the universe, but it does the job for cheap, and has some easy mod possibilities that will improve it a lot.

Looking inside the Bird made me realize that one of these things would be horribly cheap and simple to build from scratch as well.
 
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Re: Treble Boosters?

I have this one.
IMG_5509.jpg


It gives 35dB boost and gets the vibe of Brian's late 70s into the 80s tone when he used the Cornish TB83. I love this thing, it's a permanent part of my rig - I play through a Marshall AVT50 combo, and needed something to push the amp to give me sustain and beef at bedroom levels. I don't like o/d pedals so this seemed just the ticket.

Back of the guitar volume for sparkly/punchy grit or clean, wind it all the way up for gobs of sustain and smooth lead tone.
 
Re: Treble Boosters?

Well I got a BSM HS. It does what it should on a Strat. It is utterly useless with a Les Paul. Not sure about the investment.
 
Re: Treble Boosters?

Took me some time to get back to this thread - it was a busy day...

My JTM 45 clone get distorted pretty quickly, it's internally jumped and I never played a humbucker that couldn't drive it to AC/DC territory at any volume level.

The Analogman model is something that is actually in stores here so I can try it...

But how big is the volume boost from the average TB? is it just a small boost that would make you better heard on riffs and solos? or something that really makes things very loud?

And how different are the Rangemasters from the Hronby Skewes models?
 
Re: Treble Boosters?

I have a 65 Amps Colour Boost. I am wanting to try it with my 4xel84 voxesque amp to see what that sounds like when I get the chance.
 
Re: Treble Boosters?

I have the Analogman Beano Boost and love it. It has a permanent spot on my pedal board. My rig is run through a mid 70s Marshall Super Lead, and I find that I like the Beano at around the 9:00 O'clock position. I just want some treble boost, not any gain from it. I also like the mid boost position switch clicked on. My main guitars are Strats. I have one Strat w/Brian May Burns Trisonics, wired just like The Brian May guitar, and the Beano Boost makes this really a wonderful sound.
 
Re: Treble Boosters?

Strat111 said:
I have the Analogman Beano Boost and love it. It has a permanent spot on my pedal board. My rig is run through a mid 70s Marshall Super Lead, and I find that I like the Beano at around the 9:00 O'clock position. I just want some treble boost, not any gain from it. I also like the mid boost position switch clicked on. My main guitars are Strats. I have one Strat w/Brian May Burns Trisonics, wired just like The Brian May guitar, and the Beano Boost makes this really a wonderful sound.
Click to expand...
I am so glad to read you're getting great results with the Beano and your Strats because I've not tried the Beano with my Strat yet and according to Analogman's own literature, it's really meant to be used with humbuckers.
 
Re: Treble Boosters?

I wouldn't say meant to be used with humbuckers but that is the norm for most RM users.

That said Rory used his with a Strat to GREAT results. I use mine with a Strat a lot and do just fine.

Much like fuzz boxes a treble booster of any kind is really dependent on the rest of the rig being used!
 
Re: Treble Boosters?

Strat111 said:
I have the Analogman Beano Boost and love it. It has a permanent spot on my pedal board. My rig is run through a mid 70s Marshall Super Lead, and I find that I like the Beano at around the 9:00 O'clock position. I just want some treble boost, not any gain from it. I also like the mid boost position switch clicked on. My main guitars are Strats. I have one Strat w/Brian May Burns Trisonics, wired just like The Brian May guitar, and the Beano Boost makes this really a wonderful sound.
Click to expand...

Gosh, 9 o'clock...thats about unity gain!

I use mine in one of 2 ways...just above unity (like you) or cranked pretty high...say 2:30 or 3 o'clock.

All depends on the rig and the setting!
 
Re: Treble Boosters?

I use a BYOC tri-boost with the 2nd channel of my 3120. Sounds quite nice with both single coils and humbuckers. The germanium circuit is noisy when using a power supply but i use the middle circuit which is much quieter yet still has a nice tone.
 
Re: Treble Boosters?

the guy who invented fire said:
Gosh, 9 o'clock...thats about unity gain!

I use mine in one of 2 ways...just above unity (like you) or cranked pretty high...say 2:30 or 3 o'clock.

All depends on the rig and the setting!
Click to expand...
Totally!

3:00 and beyond in my rig using low output humbuckers (Lollar Imperial and Bare Knuckle Riff Raff).
 
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