Cost Of A Boost

[xray]

I don't use one but when I've seen a "stars" pedal board they all seem to have one or two on the board. I started looking them up on a few boutique sites and can't believe the cost. Aren't they just a simple amplifier circuit? What drive the cost up? I believe I saw one for over 300.00. Wow!!

[bongomania]

Honestly the only reason some of those boosts cost so much is because of cult-like hype and consumer herd mentality. There are many other types/instances of pedals where a high price is completely justified by the complexity of the circuit, the quantity or cost of the parts, or the sheer quality of construction. But with those super-expensive boost pedals, there is no complexity, few parts, the parts are commonplace and cheap, and most of the makers' claims about construction quality are utter bull. They'll say "made with only the finest Alpha pots, precision resistors, and indestructible cast-metal housing" and it's all garden-variety cheap pedestrian stuff really. All hype, and consumer mania to have "only the very best" on their pedalboard.

Again though there are meritorious exceptions, I am not throwing all boosts or boost builders under the same bus.

[arai]

Originally Posted by xray

I don't use one but when I've seen a "stars" pedal board they all seem to have one or two on the board. I started looking them up on a few boutique sites and can't believe the cost. Aren't they just a simple amplifier circuit? What drive the cost up? I believe I saw one for over 300.00. Wow!!

Looking up Boutique sites and you are surprised?

[Pollinator95]

You could try making a Super Hard-On or LPB-1 yourself, the kits aren´t usually expensive. And if you don´t like it, you can sell it for 200 bucks.

[Petros-J]

+1 for the LPB-1

[Bassmike62]

Originally Posted by Petros-J

+1 for the LPB-1

Another vote for the LPB-1.

[cnltb]

what do these do anyways?

If boost means "make louder"...isn't that what the volume button does?

[bassboysam]

There are many ways to use a boost pedal.

Clean volume boost.

In front of a dirt pedal to get even more OD or fuzz.

You can use it to overdrive your amp, usually tube amps but it could work with SS.

You can use it as a buffer at the end of your pedal chain, use it to adjust for volume differences with different basses.

Some boost pedals are not "clean" and can add some color...

Personally I use a Rothwell Atomic Boost. And I really like it. It has a treble boost control, which is actually a bass cut. As you turn that up it starts to gently reduce your lowend. I can overdrive my amps without things getting too muddy or farty by cutting some lows and increasing volume.

[xray]

Originally Posted by cnltb

what do these do anyways?

If boost means "make louder"...isn't that what the volume button does?

Exactly - I don't understand the application either - before OD/Fuzz wouldn't that be more volume? After, wouldn't that be more gain out of your OD or fuzz? Especially, boost that don't add any coloration to the tone (what's the point). Totally lost on this one.

[xray]

Originally Posted by bassboysam

There are many ways to use a boost pedal.

Clean volume boost.

In front of a dirt pedal to get even more OD or fuzz.

You can use it to overdrive your amp, usually tube amps but it could work with SS.

You can use it as a buffer at the end of your pedal chain, use it to adjust for volume differences with different basses.

Some boost pedals are not "clean" and can add some color...

Personally I use a Rothwell Atomic Boost. And I really like it. It has a treble boost control, which is actually a bass cut. As you turn that up it starts to gently reduce your lowend. I can overdrive my amps without things getting too muddy or farty by cutting some lows and increasing volume.

Understand what you're saying but still don't get it, as it seems all of this can be controlled by a volume knob.

[bongomania]

99.99999% of bassists leave the volume knob on their bass at max. They have no ability to turn up higher without reaching over to their amp and twiddling a knob by some unmeasured amount.

With a boost pedal all you have to do is step on a switch, and the amount of boost is exactly the same every time.

[newbold]

...and of the .0001% of bass players that roll their volume off, most of the basses they play have pickups that react differently when the volume pots are rolled off...so for those people, a boost is useful to get to max volume and have the tonal characteristics of a rolled back volume.

...for that I tend to use a dirty boost: low gain overdrive or very low gain shaped fuzz.

There are many times I would really like a clean boost.

[Ric5]

You can get a good bass eq pedal for a lot less than $100 and it will make a great boost.

You can boost volume and boost selected frequencies.