Overdrive / gain boost suggestions

[AlexGlassLungs]

Hey I'm looking for a second overdrive or simple gain boost for my pedalboard. I have a Matchless Clubman and I love it so I don't want to manipulate the tone too much. Right now I run an Arc Effects Klone that I keep on all the time because I hate the effects Loop and a little dirt before all my pedals makes them sound better. I play live and I need a little extra umph in choruses and big bridges. I don't wanna mangle my tone like I said, I have a fuzz for that. I'm simply looking for a nice gain booster maybe a little extra volume in there. Oh, I also don't want another buffered pedal, my Klone is already buffered. Suggestions?

[MechaGodzilla]

"more oomph... don't mess with tone" - sounds to me like you want a booster at the end of your chain. SHO/micro amp/LPB type of thing

[AlexGlassLungs]

At the end? Interesting.... I would've put something before or after my OD, why at the end of my chain?

[MechaGodzilla]

Coz if you run a boost into an OD/dirt/whatever, kicking on the boost will increase the amount of distortion from your dirt pedal but not necessarily volume, and the increased distortion will possibly muddy things up enough that you'll actually sound quieter in a live mix. If your amp is clipping too much already, you could try putting a boost in the effects loop.

[Snufkino]

Might be worth trying or building an Electra distortion clone. They're a simple dirty boost. They're like a stripped down version of some of the 'Supro combo' dirt pedals out there. In fact, I think most of lovepedal's line of dirt pedals are variations of it, but I could be wrong. Anyway, I've built a version similar to the Greer Ghetto Stomp that I really like. The tone control could be better, but it's still on my board.

[AlexGlassLungs]

Yeah I'll def check that out!

[BoatRich]

DOD BiFets are really sick for this sort of thing, as are EP Boosters, and definitely put it at the end of your chain

[XIX tech]

It may be worth to try Way Huge Red Llama.

[coldbrightsunlight]

What's really great for making your amp louder is turning up it's volume

[ognoy]

Timmy.

[OldGeorge]

Love my Black Smoke Boost by Magic Pedals. Wasn't cheap but wasn't super expensive. She's LOUD but can get more than a little dirty. There's a trim pot inside you can tweak to get it cleaner but I've never messed with it. It does add a bit of bass nut other than that doesn't colour the signal too much.

[AlexGlassLungs]

If I have it at the end of the chain and I'm using delay at the same time won't it disrupt my Delay trails? The whole reason I'm not using my amps breakup but using an OD first in my chain is to help clean up my Delay and other modulation effects so doesn't another OD/ boost at the end of my chain oppose the whole purpose of doing that?

[MechaGodzilla]

A clean boost will just bring your delay repeats up in volume. Some light dirt might even make the reapeats pop out the mix a bit more.

[frigid midget]

Hotcake. Most un-coloring neutral volume boost I ever came across. Not counting the ones that don't have any actual overdrive capabilities.
Sound great, until you turn up the gain too much, than it becomes a dark medium gain distortion. Too dark even to max the gain imo, which is why I got rid of mine. Too muddy, like there's a thick blanket covering your speaker cabinet. But with the gain before noon and the tone dialed in for maximum treble = Awesome overdrive/boost.

[tremolo3]

Soul Food in true bypass with gain at 0 at the end of the chain.