Boost

[stewblack]

I'm new to the world of boost pedals, but I'm keen to learn. From what I've read they make your instrument louder. Guitarists can therefore drive their amps into overdrive by turning on a boost pedal.

My questions:

1) How is this any different from turning up the gain on the amp? (Aside from being able to do it with your foot)

and

2) What uses do bass players have for boost pedals?

Thanks bass hive mind.

[Salt on your Bass?]

In my limited experience of boost pedals, there isn't any difference to turning up the gain on the amp....assuming there's no other eq shaping associated with the boost.

You could also use it to boost the signal into your overdrive/ fuzz etc and take the pedal to another level. This is quite an interesting vid (albeit guitar based)

https://youtu.be/svZ2Mhh6wUU

I use a TC spark with my valve amp sometimes and it just pushes the front end harder into break up or further. With the TC, I add a bit of additional bass and roll some treble to shape it a touch and the spark is brilliant in this imo. (See the spark thread).

Edited November 30, 2020 by Salt on your Bass?

[stewblack]

2 minutes ago, Salt on your Bass? said:

In my limited experience of boost pedals, is that there isn't any difference to turning up the gain on the amp....assuming there's no other eq shaping associated with the boost.

You could also use it to boost the signal into your overdrive/ fuzz etc and take the pedal to another level. This is quite an interesting vid (albeit guitar based)

https://youtu.be/svZ2Mhh6wUU

I use a TC spark with my valve amp sometimes and it just pushes the front end harder into break up or further. With the TC, I add a bit of additional bass and roll some treble to shape it a touch and the spark is brilliant in this imo. (See the spark thread).

Cheers!

[Salt on your Bass?]

16 minutes ago, stewblack said:

Cheers!

Have you got an application in mind or just trying to work out if there's any value in one for you? 

I've never used one with a hybrid or as head.

.I've learnt more towards overdrives in that set up, but something like the TC can get you to a nice 'transparent' drive from the gain on the pedal, so not really functioning as a boost. 

I tried my guitarists treble booster a couple of months ago and that was wonderful - again on a valve amp, but brought out the highs and crushed the front end. 

[stewblack]

3 hours ago, Salt on your Bass? said:

Have you got an application in mind or just trying to work out if there's any value in one for you? 

Not really, just looking to educate myself. 

[pbasspecial]

I use my TC spark at the end of the chain so it doesn’t effect the other pedals tone/sounds, just the volume level and have an eq pedal near the front as a mid boost too. 

[Doddy]

Like has already been mentioned you can use a boost to drive a valve amp for a bit of break up but I generally use one to either bring up my level when using pedals that have a volume drop, or to stand out a little more when soloing (usually in a rock situation). 

My HBE Hematoma has an independent boost channel on which sounds really good clean on it's own, but really makes the overdrive channel stand out. Sometimes I use the EMMA OnoMATOpoeia, which you can get a good clean boost out of, but you can also drive it a little to add a touch of grit. They are both great pedals.

[stewblack]

I like the guy who makes JHS pedals, his YouTube channel is full of great pedal tips and fascinating history too. 

He suggests running one boost into another for an ubër tweakable overdrive effect.