Page 1 of 2
Boosts for high gain amps?
Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2018 8:58 pm
by BoatRich
I’m having a hard time finding the right boost with higher gain stuff, I’ve tried a RAT, HM-2, SD-1, TS-9, OCD, and A couple of others that I’m blanking on right now. I’m trying to tighten up the front end of a JCM 900 SLX. I’m going for the late 90’s hardcore/death metal thing. What else should I try?
Also I need to put an EQ in the loop and trying to decide if the Mesa one is worth it?
Re: Boosts for high gain amps?
Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2018 9:04 pm
by Casavettes
EQD Arrows

Re: Boosts for high gain amps?
Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2018 9:06 pm
by BoatRich
Casavettes wrote:EQD Arrows

Are these similar to an EP Boost? I have a clone and an Xotic I could try out!!
Re: Boosts for high gain amps?
Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2018 9:59 pm
by BetterOffShred
It's a Klone isn't it?
Try that shit Meshuggah uses.. Everyone loves that. I heard it's based off the TC preamp
Re: Boosts for high gain amps?
Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2018 10:17 pm
by jrfox92
BoatRich wrote:Casavettes wrote:EQD Arrows

Are these similar to an EP Boost? I have a clone and an Xotic I could try out!!
AFAIK, they're both Echoplex based, so yes.
Re: Boosts for high gain amps?
Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2018 10:27 pm
by BoatRich
BetterOffShred wrote:It's a Klone isn't it?
Try that shit Meshuggah uses.. Everyone loves that. I heard it's based off the TC preamp
Dude if that thing wasn’t 500 dollars used I totally would. That channel switching jack thing is fucking genius.
Re: Boosts for high gain amps?
Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2018 5:17 pm
by coupleonapkins
LPB-1?

Re: Boosts for high gain amps?
Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2018 5:31 pm
by whoismarykelly
A lot of what you have listed are pedals that have lots of their own gain. Those will just narrow the tone of the amp and add noise and extreme compression. My favorite clean boost is the Mesa Tone Burst. If you turn the bass control down you'll tighten things up quite a bit.
Re: Boosts for high gain amps?
Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2018 6:06 pm
by BetterOffShred
I've had good luck on my rectumfryer turning the bass down on the amp and goosing upper mids on pedals..
Re: Boosts for high gain amps?
Posted: Sat Oct 27, 2018 7:55 am
by Dapper Bandit
I read somewhere that Crowbar (so probably just Kirk, then) uses a Metalzone with the distortion on 0, using it as a sort of parametric EQ'd boost. Also the FZ2 has a cool boost but is not available for $22.
Re: Boosts for high gain amps?
Posted: Sat Oct 27, 2018 9:50 am
by ck3
I have gotten tizzight boosting results with cheap Klones when using gainy, Marshall-voiced amps, e.g., Mosky Golden Horse, Caline Pegasus, and Xinsound Sky Overdrive. The Xvive Tube Squasher also isn't too shabby and is sometimes $19 prime'd through Amazon. The Joyo Ultimate Drive (OCD clone) is another option worth mentioning for these types of applications, as is the pricier Lovepedal Kanji Eternity, which can be scored for under $150 during SNS sales.
Re: Boosts for high gain amps?
Posted: Sat Oct 27, 2018 10:08 am
by Gone Fission
Maybe check out the MXR Custom Overdrive, the gold one. Cheap AF used, a knob and a switch for low-end tuning. It’s basically a TS with asymmetric clipping and the extra eq.
Re: Boosts for high gain amps?
Posted: Sat Oct 27, 2018 11:36 am
by frigid midget
Hotcake. Sucks at high gain settings, but as a clean boost or low gain od, it rules.
Ever tried a microamp? Super clean, contrary to the stuff you tried

Re: Boosts for high gain amps?
Posted: Sat Oct 27, 2018 12:27 pm
by MechaGodzilla
ck3 wrote:I have gotten tizzight boosting results with cheap Klones when using gainy, Marshall-voiced amps, e.g., Mosky Golden Horse, Caline Pegasus, and Xinsound Sky Overdrive. The Xvive Tube Squasher also isn't too shabby and is sometimes $19 prime'd through Amazon. The Joyo Ultimate Drive (OCD clone) is another option worth mentioning or these types of applications, as is the pricier Lovepedal Kanji Eternity, which can be scored for under $150 during SNS sales.
I'm fully into the klone-as-booster thing. Gain really low, tone at 12-2 o'clock, volume nice n boosty
Re: Boosts for high gain amps?
Posted: Sat Oct 27, 2018 4:53 pm
by ck3
Klones are underrated for teh br00tz \m/3t4l bööst tonez. I forgot to mention the Mosky MM Silver Overdrive in my last post, which is loosely based on the Paul Cochrane Timmy.