Newbie Looking to build a pedal.

[BBQLS1]

I need some advice on building a pedal.  I want something that has a creamy lead sound, but reacts to the volume knob (cleans up).  I'm kind of thinking some kind of booster to work with my 18 Watters.  I'm not sure if that will work well because I need to play a little more quiet than  what I'd think the booster + 18Watt would need to get me there.

I've built amps, but this will be my first pedal.  What do you suggest?

[Crunchewy]

Try a Rangemaster. I just built a couple and they work great in front of my AC30. Complex, classic sounds. VERY simple circuit, too.

[petemoore]

  As much as anything i'd say 'mess with it', try voicing it with different value capacitors for input/output. This'll probably prove to your advantage in the long run, unless you're good and lucky and find someone with the same speakers and pickups that likes the same tones you do.
  Alotta guys use breadboards, but for a simple boost circuit, a socket [maybe an 8 pin IC socket, [one side for input cap, the other for the transistor] lets you choose tones and have a finished tweek that can be made permanent with a little glue or hot glue to tack the socketted components in.
  The RM for example is very trebly, a larger input cap let's more bass in, socket prevents overheating the transistor with soldering iron.