To BOOST or not to BOOST?

[KailM]

It depends on the amp.

My EVH sounds better to me without one. No matter what, it sounds too thin and grating every time I try boosting it. They nailed the gain stage filtering on that amp IMO — without a boost it is still very tight but some sag can be dialed in.

My 6505 needs one to sound right to me, but I can get good sounds without it too.

I *always* run an EQ in the loop though. All amps I’ve owned sound much better with that.

 

[Kyle Jordan]

Been using an EQ before the amp since the last century. And I pretty much hate typical boosts. Tubescreamers in particular because they completely cut the balls off the tone, and add both a shitty coating on top of it and annoying mids.

As for how I use the EQ, it depends on the guitar and pickups. My general modus operandi is to cut lows, (mildly on 6s, more drastic on my 8 string) cut a very specific mid frequency, (this varies from both guitar/pickup and amp) boost some highs, (usually a mild bump in the 4k-5k range for some single coil goodness) and CUT the output. Overdriving the input is one of the specific reasons I dislike boosts, and cutting the output helps to get further away from that since I’m usually using humbuckers and active ones at that.

So as you can see, I’m actually cutting more than anything else. And the side bonus is that turning the EQ off works as a nice lead boost.

I view the EQ as a gigantic and ridiculously versatile external tone control for my guitar basically. And if things like the EMG VMC and BTC controls were a bit more versatile, I’d use those instead of an external device.

 

[MoJoToJo]

Just checking new posts on SSO & noticed your video after just watching this one, small world indeed Should say bit different as using boost into AXFX not toob amp in this video. And not any palm muted chugg from the old fella BK

 

[Gmork]

I use to boost everything and still do from time to time but im a stickler for pedalboard space so ill often go without and opt to just dial in a bit more mids/highs/gain on the amp or main gain source itself which has a similar affect (though the extra compression from a boost is really nice mind you)

 

[Gmork]

I use to boost everything and still do from time to time but im a stickler for pedalboard space so ill often go without and opt to just dial in a bit more mids/highs/gain on the amp or main gain source itself which has a similar affect (though the extra compression from a boost is really nice mind you)

 

[Emperoff]

When you did a boost comparison a while ago I vastly prefered the EQ. Second place was the Soul Food (transparent OD style).

I just don't like how boosts feel. They make everything sound "squishy". They even out the difference between wound and unwound strings, and even though I'm aware people love that, I don't. It doesn't equate to what I feel under my hands.

I used a Boss PQ3-B (parametric EQ) before the amp for years when I had my thrash/death band back in the day, and it worked a treat.

I also recently discovered other style of overdrive (much more natural and "amp-like"), which I'm very curious to try soon for a pedalboard build I'm doing:

 

[MatrixClaw]

I'm actually really surprised to hear that so many people on SSO don't boost. Usually when I tell people that I don't boost my amps and don't really like to, they look at me like I'm a nut job. I really don't understand why I'd buy a $2000+ amp just to have to use a $100 pedal to make it sound good. If you don't like the way the amp sounds, sell it and buy something else. All your boost is doing is squashing all the dynamics out of it and making it sound like every other boosted amp in existence. Thanks, you guys are okay in my book

 

[efiltsohg]

To me using a boost is the weirdest way to go about it when these amps have massive gain and you mainly want the effect for EQ so an EQ pedal would make a lot more sense. Is it just a cost issue?

I've never been much into boosting high gain amps as I always wanted the amp to sound great as is.

If the boost pedal already gives the EQ curve I want out front why bother fiddling with an adjustable one?

 

[cardinal]

I'm actually really surprised to hear that so many people on SSO don't boost. Usually when I tell people that I don't boost my amps and don't really like to, they look at me like I'm a nut job. I really don't understand why I'd buy a $2000+ amp just to have to use a $100 pedal to make it sound good. If you don't like the way the amp sounds, sell it and buy something else. All your boost is doing is squashing all the dynamics out of it and making it sound like every other boosted amp in existence. Thanks, you guys are okay in my book

In concept I don't like the idea of using a OD pedal to boost, but I've just not been able to the tones I like better from just an amp alone. The Marshall+SD-1 combo and the Recto+OD808 combo is just sorta That Sound to me.

 

[TheWarAgainstTime]

Nice video Jon!

I boost all of my amps, including the tight ones it's just a different type of tonal shaping before the gain stages, no different from using different types of pickups IMO.

 

[Werecow]

I boost everything when i'm playing as "me". If i'm going for a specific band or song tone that isn't boosted, then i don't.

 

[Screamingdaisy]

Long time Recto user. I’ve never liked boosting. For me the solution was more volume with less gain.

When I was younger, boosting high gain sort of implied you were a wimp and people would make fun of you for it. Then one day I woke up and I was the weirdo for not using a boost, and people made fun of me for it. Kind of funny how fast that can change.

Best I can figure out, it happened around the same time that EMGs fell out of favour and people started using alnico pickups for some reason. I always felt that if people would choose the the right pickups they wouldn’t need to fix their EQ with an overdrive.

IMO/YMMV

 

[odibrom]

Long time Recto user. I’ve never liked boosting. For me the solution was more volume with less gain.

When I was younger, boosting high gain sort of implied you were a wimp and people would make fun of you for it. Then one day I woke up and I was the weirdo for not using a boost, and people made fun of me for it. Kind of funny how fast that can change.

Best I can figure out, it happened around the same time that EMGs fell out of favour and people started using alnico pickups for some reason. I always felt that if people would choose the the right pickups they wouldn’t need to fix their EQ with an overdrive.

IMO/YMMV

I started using Alnico 5 pickups about 3 years ago but still have guitars with ceramic, all passive though... and it's nice to change once in a while, I refreshes the memory, which is what we are.

 

[Boris_VTR]

It depends on the amp.

My EVH sounds better to me without one. No matter what, it sounds too thin and grating every time I try boosting it. They nailed the gain stage filtering on that amp IMO — without a boost it is still very tight but some sag can be dialed in.

My 6505 needs one to sound right to me, but I can get good sounds without it too.

I *always* run an EQ in the loop though. All amps I’ve owned sound much better with that.

What about EVH blue channel? Also sound like it is already boosted?

 

[død]

Came here to say this. I actually use RAT as the "clean" sound and then get gain stages from a Longsword V3 in front of the RAT, but that's into a super clean amp. Gets filthy enough that I don't have a fuzz on my board anymore. Would surely melt faces/steel beams through an already-dirty amp.

I borrowed my friend's vintage square button toob screamer and for my tastes it didn't hold a candle to the humble rodent.

RATs are incredibly useful tools, man. I’ve gigged with only a RAT in front of an amp many, many times, and while it requires me to stop being lazy and doing some knob twirling mid-song whenever I need fuzz, it always sounds awesome.

 

[Emperoff]

Long time Recto user. I’ve never liked boosting. For me the solution was more volume with less gain.

When I was younger, boosting high gain sort of implied you were a wimp and people would make fun of you for it. Then one day I woke up and I was the weirdo for not using a boost, and people made fun of me for it. Kind of funny how fast that can change.

Best I can figure out, it happened around the same time that EMGs fell out of favour and people started using alnico pickups for some reason. I always felt that if people would choose the the right pickups they wouldn’t need to fix their EQ with an overdrive.

IMO/YMMV

Yeah, at some point people started to say EMGs were compressed and lifeless and decided to use mid output passives and slam the amp with a boost. Apparently that kind of tone is not compressed

 

[KailM]

What about EVH blue channel? Also sound like it is already boosted?

To me it does. It is quite tight enough anyway. I do boost that one sometimes, but I find that I really have to change the settings on the amp. Again, it thins it out quite a bit and I have to turn the bass up quite a bit to compensate. For some reason I am not as impressed with the blue channel as everyone else is. I use the red channel with the gain down quite a bit and roll off some guitar volume a little if I need a milder gain, and then set up the other channel purely for cleans. Maybe that would change if I had the concentric knobs.

 

[CanserDYI]

For those using a helix, what EQ do you use to cut out mud? Honestly the parametric one, and really anything other than the simple 10 band really confuse the shit out of me.

Like i was saying before there is this "squish" that happens with a ts that I have a love and hate relationship, as it makes fast runs, legatos and tremolos nice smooth and amazing, but chugs and chords lose their definition.

 

[thebeesknees22]

@CanserDYI - I literally use the the Low/High cut EQ block. Set the low cut to 172Hz, and done! I sometimes put the minotaur or heir apparent or whatever after if i want extra grit or color (colour?)

I don't do the above all the time, but I do sometimes!

 

[Thrashman]

I've just grown accustomed to having a ts-style boost in front. It doesn't have to "boost" per se, just be there as I like that feel.