Just got myself a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. It's really loud, almost too loud for what I need. I don't really want a full-on overdrive pedal as I think they're usually an all-or-nothing kind of effect. I just want some nice crunch and a bit of sustain for solos.

I'm looking to get a treble boost pedal which, I'm told will overdrive the amp without having to crank the volume way up. (The amp does have an overdrive channel but it doesn't sound great that's why I'm looking to invest in a pedal)
Any thougts and advice much appreciated.

PS I'm using a Washburn guitar with humbuckers, sounds kind of Gibson SG-ish.

I bought a Ibanez Tube-screamer recently. Works great. Have been using a Fuzz Face for some years. Also great. But if u only want a treble boost, just kicking on the wah-wah will work too. Will be slightly louder and more treble.

You could try a Blackstar boost pedal, it's a real 300V tube device and was designed to add boost to the input of an amp.

Before adding a Line Booster maybe you should take a look at the volume pots.
the volume pots on the Hot Rod DX and Blues DX are squirrely because they are linear tapers while they should be logarithmic tapers.
it means that you only turn up the volume a micro notch, and it just blasts away at a rediculous low setting.
this is a small soldering job but it goes a long way.
you could do it yourself or have it done by your local tech.
this is what you'd need:
[www.banzaieffects.com]

Some guys switch to a 12AT7, or 12AY7 (or even 12AU7), in their V1 position.

after that, a line booster is a great thing to have.

My advice: sell your HRDL en get a real amp instead. You'll be paying a fortune on mods, tubes and pedals to get a decent sound out of it, and you'll never get it. Been there, done that. Try looking at a small tube amp such as the Blues Jr or DRRI (both Fender). And if you're not afraid of the soldering iron, build your own one. I build a Tweed Deluxe (5E3) last year, and I never looked back. What a sound.

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DandelionPowderman
I bought a Ibanez Tube-screamer recently. Works great. Have been using a Fuzz Face for some years. Also great. But if u only want a treble boost, just kicking on the wah-wah will work too. Will be slightly louder and more treble.

go with the ibanez tube screamer

A treble booster boost the input level by boosted treble and dropped bass frequencies. It introduces lots of hiss as well. Treble boosters are great for wild solo's, but they are quite useless for regular rythm guitar jobs unless your names is Jimi Hendrix of Jeff Beck. And you need a well built tube amp like an old Vox or Marshall to really benefit.

Tube screamers are great, but limited in sound and sound bad with humbuckers. I personally find the Barber Electronics LTD the best ever overdrive pedal, with the Fulltone Fulldrive II Mosfet a good second.

Mathijs

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Mathijs
with the Fulltone Fulldrive II Mosfet a good second.

Mathijs

I love Mike Fuller's pedals! They're expensive, but are second to none in my book. I have the Fulldrive, 69, Deja Vibe, and Clyde Wha. Superb pedals, and the hold their value.

RC booster is a great clean boost, interacts with volume knobs very well,EQ adjustment so you can tweak the treble. I use it with great success in front of
fender style amp

Or are you looking for something more like a vintage Dallas Rangemaster?

I think there are several clones out there.

link to RC booster check out AC booster as well

[www.xotic.us]

To be honest I thought it was a Blues Junior I was getting! (it was all done through a friend of a friend)
So you reckon a BJ sounds bettter than a Deluxe?

Yes, I think it does sound better, although I played the BJr only once in a blues jam in some bar. But I cannot judge for you, you'll need to do that yourself.

Mathijs is talking outta his bum when he says treble boosters are only good for wild solos.

The D*A*M Red Rooster is a seriously good and versatile pedal!

I did the sound clip you'll hear at this page with a les paul and a small Fender combo:

[www.stompboxes.co.uk]

...

Also, the led zep heartbreaker clip here features the Red Rooster in to my Vox Supreme:

[www.myspace.com]

I avoided the term Treble Booster and said Line Booster - as you can adjust the tone to more treble or more bass, ha.
I use a Ibanez Micro Teacher, since I've had it forever (late '70ies, early '80ies)
it works great. you can really drive the amps input, it's hard to describe but it clears up the sound, more depth more bass, more treble more compression more sensitivity.....yadayada...did I mention that it's hard to describe?

btw, Keith uses a Zinky Master Blaster as clean boost [www.iorr.org]

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His Majesty
Mathijs is talking outta his bum when he says treble boosters are only good for wild solos.

The D*A*M Red Rooster is a seriously good and versatile pedal!

Luckily for me you then play a Beck/Hendrix style of rythm part! And to add, while it sounds excellent what you play it's not really something typical for a treble booster...

Anywayzzz....if you plan to play Stones style rhythm guitar: don't listen to Philip James Johnston: don't buy a treble booster.

Mathijs
ps if you want to play the "I Wanna Be Your Man" solo: buy a treble booster! If you want to play the main riff of Hand of Fate: don"t buy a treble booster.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2009-06-19 10:49 by Mathijs.

I have a Mojohand copperhead twin boost pedal which will give you a great Fender blackface sound. As afr as treble boosters, I have no experience although one of the most famous would be the Dallas Rangemaster (which I understand are relatively easy to build). Clapton used this to drive his marshall combo on the Bluesbreakers album. Not a Stones sound but like I said I have no experience with treble boosters.

FWIW, I have a Bad Bob Booster - it kicks the bejezus out of my Tweed Deluxe.

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Mathijs
while it sounds excellent what you play it's not really something typical for a treble booster...

What you deem to be typical treble boost tone and what the effect is capable of are two different things then.

Perhaps it's the pedals you have tried, but my experience with treble boosters has been that it is capable of helping you achieve a whole variety of tones, from subtle fuzzy overdrive, sustaining leads, thick riffing, tight and crunchy guitar sounds.

From I feel Free thick clapton woman tone to Keith like Can't you Hear Me Knocking? raunch.

...

Getting back to what the original thread was about, a well made and good sounding treble booster will easily help you achieve "...some nice crunch and a bit of sustain for solos.".



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-06-19 17:31 by His Majesty.

check out the new cheapo's by Danelectro. I have a chorus and a fuzz. Both are great and I paid 35 each.

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His Majesty

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Mathijs
while it sounds excellent what you play it's not really something typical for a treble booster...

What you deem to be typical treble boost tone and what the effect is capable of are two different things then.

Perhaps it's the pedals you have tried, but my experience with treble boosters has been that it is capable of helping you achieve a whole variety of tones, from subtle fuzzy overdrive, sustaining leads, thick riffing, tight and crunchy guitar sounds.

From I feel Free thick clapton woman tone to Keith like Can't you Hear Me Knocking? raunch.

...

Getting back to what the original thread was about, a well made and good sounding treble booster will easily help you achieve "...some nice crunch and a bit of sustain for solos.".

I absolutely agree with you that a treble booster is a great piece of kit, and the Homebrew Electronics Germania is part of my pedal train for years now. But in my opinion it's just not really fit for Stones type of music (even though there's quite some treble booster on BtB and Beggars), I just tend to think of it more in LP through Marshall Led Zep and Jeff Beck Group style stuff, or creamy Queen kind of stuff, and hard rock like Black Sabbath.

By the way, thanks for the link to that Differential Audio Manifestationz website, they got some great stuff! Are you in any way affiliated to them?

Mathijs

My affiliation is via buying some pedals, doing sound clips, getting some custom stuff made for me and becoming friends with the guy behind it.

I luv fuz!

www.myspace.com/damsoundclips

I've went through a good few pedals, but have ended with just a custom made MKII Tone Bender.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2009-06-19 20:11 by His Majesty.

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His Majesty
My affiliation is via buying some pedals, doing sound clips, getting some custom stuff made for me and becoming friends with the guy behind it.

I luv fuz!

www.myspace.com/damsoundclips

I've went through a good few pedals, but have ended with just a custom made MKII Tone Bender.

The clips do sound fantastic, this guy seems to know what he's doing. And expensive on Ebay!

Mathijs

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Mathijs


The clips do sound fantastic, this guy seems to know what he's doing. And expensive on Ebay!

Mathijs

His pedals, especially the rarer ones go for crazy amounts on the used market.

I used to be in a floral-stomp band called the Treble Boost Pedals.

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phelge
To be honest I thought it was a Blues Junior I was getting! (it was all done through a friend of a friend)
So you reckon a BJ sounds bettter than a Deluxe?

Musiciand Friend is selling the Fender Super Champ XD for $199 right now.

[www.fender.com]

with free footswitch. Thats not much more than a pedal! I tried one of these out at Sam Ash ealier in the year and thought it was a cool little amp for for $399 let alone $199. Some cool built in effects. It's not going to replace any of my amps but it's still a cool little toy.

You have to call to get the deal

Phelge

I have a Fender Blues Deluxe, and I play with a Tele, Gibson SG, Les Paul Junior TV and a Music Man. Sometimes I found that the distortion is not enough, specially when I need a warm sustain in blues solos. So I tried with the Marshall Bluesbreaker II; it is a cheap pedal but I found that the boost jointly with the overdive channel of may Fender works really well for the kind of sound that I was looking for. It does not change the tone of my amp. However, I am not really happy with the sound of the pedal`s distortion.