Recommended overdrive/boost pedal

chrisj1602

I got one of these Klon clones off eBay and it works great.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/115689299335?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=o9I6saMNQrq&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=hyIfLKwFTie&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Lestratcaster

rze99 said:

Unit67. 

Pete Thorn demo of it.
It's replaced my boost, EQ and compressor pedals simplifying my setup and it sounds just fab into all my amps.
Only thing, the little knobs are useful but are quite small, but I like compact pedals.

Oooh I like the look of this! 

But not the price tag. Haha.

Fez

Lestratcaster said:

Following with interest. I find when using single coil guitars into my small 5w Marshall DSL it lacks a bit of punch for stuff like solos and cleans. 

Thinking of getting either the MXR Micro Amp or the TC Spark one mentioned above. Anyone tried those?

TC spark. Boosts are great I have the mini and the other guitarist in my band has the full size one. He also has my peacekeeper at the moment which is a great low gain drive pedal.

Revolutions

I’d say go for a Klon clone- although you’ll hear a mid shift. Friedman Golden Eagle is my fave.

Maybe Keeley red drive would be good, too. Give you lots options from boost to drive pedal.

Lestratcaster

Fez said:

Lestratcaster said:

Following with interest. I find when using single coil guitars into my small 5w Marshall DSL it lacks a bit of punch for stuff like solos and cleans. 

Thinking of getting either the MXR Micro Amp or the TC Spark one mentioned above. Anyone tried those?

TC spark. Boosts are great I have the mini and the other guitarist in my band has the full size one. He also has my peacekeeper at the moment which is a great low gain drive pedal.

There doesn't seem to be much difference in price between the full size and mini, apart from more knobs to fiddle with what would be the advantage of getting the full size?

timbuk02

^ I havent tried a mini, but with the full-size spark

- gain means it can be a low gain overdrive if you want it to be (in mid and full setting, it has more gain than any of the demos show) not just a clean boost

- bass/treb + eq mid/clean/full toggle means you can get it to suit variety of guitars/amps

- eq also means you can compensate for other pedals tone if youre boosting other pedals

- takes a 9v battery if you don't have a power supply (also a handy backup option if your power fails)

Lestratcaster

I saw in a YouTube review one criticism of the mini is the flimsy in/output jacks and the screws on the bottom to take off the cover, its not a normal phillips cross screw its some weird hexagon allen key type one.

But having more options with the full-sized one is good, I think I'd be using it as different types of boost, one for solos to bring the level up and one on a clean sound with a single coil guitar to kick in more input before the amp.

Although I do get confused with too many knobs lol so the least amount of messing around with twiddling about the better.

Fez

Lestratcaster said:

Fez said:

Lestratcaster said:

Following with interest. I find when using single coil guitars into my small 5w Marshall DSL it lacks a bit of punch for stuff like solos and cleans. 

Thinking of getting either the MXR Micro Amp or the TC Spark one mentioned above. Anyone tried those?

TC spark. Boosts are great I have the mini and the other guitarist in my band has the full size one. He also has my peacekeeper at the moment which is a great low gain drive pedal.

There doesn't seem to be much difference in price between the full size and mini, apart from more knobs to fiddle with what would be the advantage of getting the full size?

The mini is just a boost but it has a non latching mode on the footswitch which I like. The full size one has tone and gain as well level controls. 

Fez

Lestratcaster said:

I saw in a YouTube review one criticism of the mini is the flimsy in/output jacks and the screws on the bottom to take off the cover, its not a normal phillips cross screw its some weird hexagon allen key type one.

But having more options with the full-sized one is good, I think I'd be using it as different types of boost, one for solos to bring the level up and one on a clean sound with a single coil guitar to kick in more input before the amp.

Although I do get confused with too many knobs lol so the least amount of messing around with twiddling about the better.

They are Torx screws I have come across a few pedals with them absolute pita if you don't have a set of Torx drivers.

Like on a lot of mini pedals the connectors could be better it helps if the pedal is well secured to your board.

Lestratcaster

Fez said:

Lestratcaster said:

Fez said:

Lestratcaster said:

Following with interest. I find when using single coil guitars into my small 5w Marshall DSL it lacks a bit of punch for stuff like solos and cleans. 

Thinking of getting either the MXR Micro Amp or the TC Spark one mentioned above. Anyone tried those?

TC spark. Boosts are great I have the mini and the other guitarist in my band has the full size one. He also has my peacekeeper at the moment which is a great low gain drive pedal.

There doesn't seem to be much difference in price between the full size and mini, apart from more knobs to fiddle with what would be the advantage of getting the full size?

The mini is just a boost but it has a non latching mode on the footswitch which I like. The full size one has tone and gain as well level controls. 

Ah yes that's the feature when its momentarily activated whenever you press the button and then deactivates when you take it off right?

Lestratcaster

Fez said:

Lestratcaster said:

I saw in a YouTube review one criticism of the mini is the flimsy in/output jacks and the screws on the bottom to take off the cover, its not a normal phillips cross screw its some weird hexagon allen key type one.

But having more options with the full-sized one is good, I think I'd be using it as different types of boost, one for solos to bring the level up and one on a clean sound with a single coil guitar to kick in more input before the amp.

Although I do get confused with too many knobs lol so the least amount of messing around with twiddling about the better.

They are Torx screws I have come across a few pedals with them absolute pita if you don't have a set of Torx drivers.

Like on a lot of mini pedals the connectors could be better it helps if the pedal is well secured to your board.

Hmm, I have a power supply I can use with it, and it'd be mostly used as a stand-alone pedal at home, don't really have a board anymore as I don't use many effects. Just a tuner and some form of overdrive unless doing something specific like delay/reverbs on clean sounds etc.

Signman62

G2D Cream-Tone -  Austone Millennium or cheap and cheerful Red Llama

Fez

Lestratcaster said:

Fez said:

Lestratcaster said:

Fez said:

Lestratcaster said:

Following with interest. I find when using single coil guitars into my small 5w Marshall DSL it lacks a bit of punch for stuff like solos and cleans. 

Thinking of getting either the MXR Micro Amp or the TC Spark one mentioned above. Anyone tried those?

TC spark. Boosts are great I have the mini and the other guitarist in my band has the full size one. He also has my peacekeeper at the moment which is a great low gain drive pedal.

There doesn't seem to be much difference in price between the full size and mini, apart from more knobs to fiddle with what would be the advantage of getting the full size?

The mini is just a boost but it has a non latching mode on the footswitch which I like. The full size one has tone and gain as well level controls. 

Ah yes that's the feature when its momentarily activated whenever you press the button and then deactivates when you take it off right?

Correct

Lestratcaster

I plumped for the full-size Spark Boost and it was delivered earlier today so once I get a little gap between lessons I'll be giving it a good go. Interested to see how much gain it adds through a clean amp on a single coil guitar.

JD50

How about the  Boss GE7?......  it boosts and you can eq it to cut through for solos

Neilybob

Digitech Bad Monkey all day lonnnnnnngggg! 

LionAquaLooper

Nux Ace of Tone

Dontgiveupyourdayjob

Lestratcaster said:

I plumped for the full-size Spark Boost and it was delivered earlier today so once I get a little gap between lessons I'll be giving it a good go. Interested to see how much gain it adds through a clean amp on a single coil guitar.

A surprising amount considering the pedal is solid as a 'boost', if my experience was anything to go by. Especially in Fat mode 

snowblind

And here's where the nature of the amp becomes critical. I've got the spark and into my HiWatt all that happens is everything gets louder and louder. Doesn't really add much in the way of break up unless there's something after the boost that gets flattened by the input levels. Something without the headroom of the HiWatt would behave very differently.

Here's a suggestion. There's a bunch of King of Tone clones around for very reasonable money (bought one because yes I am on the waiting list) that do a pretty good job. I've got the Demon FX version although I suspect they are all the same regardless of whatever moniker is on the front. Anyway it's a good, cost-effective way to play about with a dual boost/OD and the internal dip switch options give quite a range to play about with.  

Lestratcaster

Dontgiveupyourdayjob said:

Lestratcaster said:

I plumped for the full-size Spark Boost and it was delivered earlier today so once I get a little gap between lessons I'll be giving it a good go. Interested to see how much gain it adds through a clean amp on a single coil guitar.

A surprising amount considering the pedal is solid as a 'boost', if my experience was anything to go by. Especially in Fat mode 

I had a quick go earlier, the clean mode is pretty good for general rhythm playing. Mid is great for soloing as it brings the guitar forward in the mix. Used my Tele to test it with as its my only low output single coil guitar and it works a treat. Kicks a lot more input in the amp. Really pleased with how it sounds so far.