Where Do We Stand On Rangemasters?

[Chistopher]

I think they are an excellent tool for live use that kinda gets over shadowed because they don't work that great for bedroom playing and are kinda overpriced

 

[jeremy]

this is my rangemaster, and it does its trick great.

 

[Securb]

There are so many Rangemaster clones out there, and since the circuit is so simple, there is no reason to buy an original.

 

[jeremy]

yep, aint much to em.

 

[Mincer]

I think they work for a specific kind of amp, at loud volumes. I don't particularly like what they do for modern amps at lower volumes.

 

[jeremy]

no, thats not a good use of them. you really need an amp thats at least at the edge of breakup to get the best out of one. i use mine most frequently with small amps that are running hot. ive used it into big amps and it sounds fantastic, but they are also LOUD so i dont use them as often.

 

[Sam SG]

this is my rangemaster, and it does its trick great.

View attachment 6325932

That is WICKED!!
Do you step on the alarm puller to activate the switch?

 

[jeremy]

yep! it is pretty badass. obviously a custom one off. my buddy is a union electrician and was updating the fire alarms at a school years ago so snagged a few of these enclosures

 

[Securb]

I use mine as another gain stage for a cranked dirtbox.

 

[jeremy]

works well for that. driving a clean amp with a rangemaster can cause some ear piercing stuff. running into something driven softens that a lot

 

[Chistopher]

^^But you know you aren't getting lost in the mix

 

[zizyphus]

I love treble boosters!

I'm a basement player these days - haven't had time to be in a band / play live in over a decade - but I do love a good rangemaster clone. I have a Fulltone and two (slightly different) Analogman Beano boosts

I've never played one live... I'd imagine they're a noisy mess?

 

[Coma]

I've been GASing for this one for years, simply because it looks badass. I have absolutely no need for it though.

 

[zizyphus]

I had one for a while. It was good, not great. It didn't quite capture the... "sonic expansion" of the rangemaster style treble boosters I've used, so I didn't like it as a way of boosting an amp that was already breaking up.

I remember it working well for the metalzzz, as a way to tighten things up

 

[jeremy]

i use my treblebooster live without issue

 

[Sam SG]

Never tried an actual dedicated treble booster. But I sorta curve my Boss GE7 like a treble boost sorta sonetimes. Most a light scoop in the 200 and 400 boost the 1.6 and a little 3.2 and a little bit of level. Seems to react against my amp setting kinda rangemasterish....or atleast as close a rendition as i can approxinate having only heard a real one on recording. But I do like what im getting.

 

[Coma]

I had one for a while. It was good, not great. It didn't quite capture the... "sonic expansion" of the rangemaster style treble boosters I've used, so I didn't like it as a way of boosting an amp that was already breaking up.

I remember it working well for the metalzzz, as a way to tighten things up

I use a Mooer Yellow Comp for that. Comp know just past noon, volume set to neutral and then EQ to cut tighten up the bass while kicking up the high end a notch. It was totally a happy accident, not at all what I intended to use it for, but it really helps to counter the massive tone suck I get from my pedal board and all the cables running between it and the amp.

 

[jeremy]

the rangemaster circuit has its own flavor of dirt when you start rolling the volume up, the germanium transistor gets a little crunchy. there is very little compression in the pedal, but it can smash the front end of an amp or pedal to the point that will compress. i really like the high/mid/low options, but the high is the original rangemaster sound.