Anyone knows a good clean booster?

[F2HF2H]

Hey
i need to build a very clean boost..
I heared about the AMZ, and the Tonemender.
I don't want it to be gainy at all, and there souldn't be even a gain pot.
And i want it to have a boost pot, to control the boost level.
anyone has any idea?
Thanks

[railhead]

MOSFET boost

[96ecss]

MOSFET boost

+1 for the Mosfet Boost.

Dave

[F2HF2H]

MOSFET boost

+1 for the Mosfet Boost.

Dave

isn't it gainy?

[the_random_hero]

MOSFET boost

+1 for the Mosfet Boost.

Dave

isn't it gainy?

You've got a gain control for a reason, you realise?

[F2HF2H]

MOSFET boost

+1 for the Mosfet Boost.

Dave

isn't it gainy?

You've got a gain control for a reason, you realise?

sure, but i dont want any gain control.. i want it to have only a level pot and maby a tone pot..

[GibsonGM]

F2, your use of the terms "gain" and "level", or the word "Gainy", may not be the right choice of words in this situation, LOL...I know what you mean, though.   To boost, you need to increase gain.  You don't have to increase DISTORTION, though.  The volume boost comes from operating in the linear part of a device's curve.  When you exceed that curve and cause clipping, in any number of ways, you get DISTORTION.   

The AMZ Mosfet Boost has a nice linear range of gain....it allows you to dial up gobs of increase in dB, without a whole lot of DISTORTION.  Now, if you use any booster to push tubes, or another circuit, you may in fact end up causing some distortion (like turning up a tube amp all the way....eventually, it WILL distort, and sound "gainy", no matter what, due to the tube's characteristics and what the speaker can handle). 
The mosfet boost is the cleanest booster I have ever heard, try it out! ;o)

[F2HF2H]

F2, your use of the terms "gain" and "level", or the word "Gainy", may not be the right choice of words in this situation, LOL...I know what you mean, though.   To boost, you need to increase gain.  You don't have to increase DISTORTION, though.  The volume boost comes from operating in the linear part of a device's curve.  When you exceed that curve and cause clipping, in any number of ways, you get DISTORTION.   

The AMZ Mosfet Boost has a nice linear range of gain....it allows you to dial up gobs of increase in dB, without a whole lot of DISTORTION.  Now, if you use any booster to push tubes, or another circuit, you may in fact end up causing some distortion (like turning up a tube amp all the way....eventually, it WILL distort, and sound "gainy", no matter what, due to the tube's characteristics and what the speaker can handle). 
The mosfet boost is the cleanest booster I have ever heard, try it out! ;o)

Ok, i didnt know that!
Thanks for the help

[cheeb]

Beginner project boost. Don't be fooled by the name. You can do it in less than an hour, but it'll change your world.

[jayp5150]

Beginner project boost. Don't be fooled by the name. You can do it in less than an hour, but it'll change your world.

x2. I loved that thing!

[96ecss]

The mosfet boost is the cleanest booster I have ever heard, try it out! ;o)

+1 again. I like it better than the Zvex SHO I used to own.

Dave

[PerroGrande]

The AMZ Mosfet boost is most certainly a great place to start.  It has a low part count, and is fairly easy to build.  Plus it doesn't use anything esoteric or expensive parts-wise.  So, in the unlikely situation that it isn't to your liking, you aren't out a lot of cash. 

[Hiwatt25]

Since you're asking, I'd say, build the Gus Smalley "beginner project" boost.  It was my first project and I still use it.  I think it's a great boost.  I've actually made a couple of them for friends and they are all crazy bout them.  Heck I even modded one so that I can switch between treble and full boost. 

It's a quick, simple and good sounding pedal that won't cost much to make.  How can you go wrong.

[MikeH]

SHO, AMZ MOSFET, The Beginner project, LPB.  I'm a fan of all 4.

Build them all.  Each board costs around 4 bucks in components(maybe?).  Build them all and box up the one(s) you like best.

[shredgd]

Of the cited ones, I only built the AMZ Mosfet Boost.
It does its job exactly, but beware its level pot is not very user-friendly, as it actually should be a reverse log type (a rare and expensive kind of pots, which vary the resistance in an "uncommon" way). For simplicity the schematic indicates a linear pot, which will give you most of the available volume at the beginning of its range of movement, making small volume adjustments a little difficult. One possible fix to this is to use a log pot (the type usually implemented for volume pots) wired backwards: the only down-side of doing this is your volume will increase by turning the pot counterclockwise, instead of clockwise. But you can surely live with it!

In my personal experience, however, I found completely clean boosts less pleasant for the ear than boosts which add a little compression/overdrive, like a compressor or overdrive pedal set for minimum gain and maximum level. This is because, if you use the boost for your solos, you might want to tame some peaks of volume, which might be too strong and annoying with a clean boost. Also, compression and overdrive pedals often have a tone pot, which is useful, for example, to tame the highs a bit in your solo and make it sound smoother (less shrill): always remember, every time you increase volume, your ear will perceive an increase of highs and lows more than of mids, so a little cut of highs and lows is desirable in a booster. This is probably the reason for the success of the Tubescreamer used as a booster.

Hope this helps,

Giulio

[MikeH]

In my personal experience, however, I found completely clean boosts less pleasant for the ear than boosts which add a little compression/overdrive, like a compressor or overdrive pedal set for minimum gain and maximum level. This is because, if you use the boost for your solos, you might want to tame some peaks of volume, which might be too strong and annoying with a clean boost. Also, compression and overdrive pedals often have a tone pot, which is useful, for example, to tame the highs a bit in your solo and make it sound smoother (less shrill): always remember, every time you increase volume, your ear will perceive an increase of highs and lows more than of mids, so a little cut of highs and lows is desirable in a booster. This is probably the reason for the success of the Tubescreamer used as a booster.

Totally.  One of my favorite things to use as a booster is a TS with the clipping diodes taken out.

[petemoore]

  Yes, lots of them, I have 3 boost types I consort with regularly, they are on my pedalboard.
  Make that 4.
  One box has Ge or Si or Mosfet, the other one is a MiniBooster w/TC, I recommend it but it's more of a slightly distorted 'clean-ish' serious boost.
  "clean' and "distortion' are silly words a good bit of the time, and can mean many different things to different people, and in various circumstances...ie there is always 'distortion' [in the clinical/technical use of the word] in electric guitar, therefore, technically there is no 'clean'.

[mojotron]

A Vibin Champ or something similar gives you clean boost with some fendery shimmer as well, not sure what the definition if clean is in all cases.

[boogietube]

as it actually should be a reverse log type (a rare and expensive kind of pots,

Not so rare.
You can easily and cheaply get them here:
http://www.smallbearelec.com/Detail.bok?no=612

[nebucanazza]

Why don't you build Dragonfly's crunchy JFET boost? They sound wonderful...nice sparkly tones with a hint of grit .