What would you recomend? Boost or od?

[syndromet]

A friend of mine, who plays in a metal-band asked me to build him a peddal he could use for solos. He want a slight volume-boost, and even higher gain. He is running a Marshall mode 4, maxed out on gain, and plays trash-metal. Do you think a booster would do the jobb, or should I make him something that distorts by itself (TS, dist+...)?

[nunocaldeira]

Joe Davisson's JFET Vulcan...

It's my favorite.... Very sensitive and has a lot of gain... (with the recomended j201)

I didn´t try Aron´s Designs but I know he likes big amounts of gain...

Maybe a boost will do the work but you can allways overdrive a bit sooner...

Nuno Caldeira

[syndromet]

Joe Davisson's JFET Vulcan...

It's my favorite.... Very sensitive and has a lot of gain... (with the recomended j201)

I didn´t try Aron´s Designs but I know he likes big amounts of gain...

Maybe a boost will do the work but you can allways overdrive a bit sooner...

Nuno Caldeira

I have been thinking about the Vulcan, but I think I will build thatone for myself, and not him.  Saw your build the other day, and it looked great.

I don't think he realy needs that much gain, since the mode 4 is an extremely high gain amp. I realy think a booster would be enough, if it pushes the tubes harder than the clean signal, but I have yet to try a booster into a tube amp.  So I guess what I'm realy is asking, is what can I expect if I boost a fully overdriven tube amp? Will it distort even more? Or do I need something that clipps by itself?

There is just to much to choose from....

Marius

[petemoore]

  If a signal is distorted, boosting it before where the distortion takes place will almost invariably increase the distortion amount...whether this is noticable with ultra gain distortion going on already is ?able.
  I used to use a Boss Compressor to cut signal, then, leaving it on for 'general' use, and turning it on for 'boost', I could get a nice, adjustable lead boost...
  I'm not saying a shoelace'll fit a boot, or a compressor is the way to go, [actually a pot with a bypass switch might turn out to be as good a solution as any]your setup is different than mine, and my Familiarity with a mode 4 extends back 2 minutes...
  It is nice that you ask, and I hope these results help, but A/B testing may reveal more than can be typed on this particular subject, through those particular 'items' in that particular application.

[brett]

Hi.
A rangemaster gives lots of boost, with some nice distortion and low output impedance.
Very cool in a wide range of conditions.
cheers

[jonathan perez]

youre not going to get a volume boost with any booster pedal. cant help you there!

i like my JSX alot because when you turn the effects loops levels on the back all the way up and leave all the effects in front, step on the "FX" button on the channel switch and youve got an INSTANT ear-shattering clean boost.

heres my gain trick.

i run the amps gain about half, or where the sweet spot is. usually around 6. ill use either a TS808 tube screamer or John Landgraff Dynamic Overdrive with the following settings:
level-DIMED!
tone: 1 oclock
gain: 8 or 9 oclock.

basically i use the OD for extra hair and "girth". and i use an Overdrive (either of the aforementioned, depending on whats being used) for lead/gain boosts. also keep in mind I TOO am in an old school metal/thrash band.

i think a tube screamer should be on everyones pedal board/in everyones rig. but thats just my opinion. the "mid hump" is useful in a metal band as well, as it totally gives a to-die-for metal tone when used in conjunction with a good high gain amp.