As you grow as a guitarist, so does your guitar rig. Most guitar players opt to build a pedalboard to accompany them on stage or during studio sessions. Although, the vast variety in the world of guitar effects can be hard to navigate, almost as tough as understanding how to use certain effects and where to place them in your signal chain, there are some essentials that are universally accepted as must-haves. One of those essentials is the boost pedal. We will help you understand what these are and how to choose the best boost pedals for your particular needs.
What is a Boost Pedal?
A basic booster is essentially a mini amplifier. Its function is exactly what its name suggests: to "boost" your guitar's signal by increasing gain or volume while leaving the timbre untouched. The best boost pedals minimally alter your tone while providing immense push to your guitar signal.
Most boosters enhance treble or the "top end" of your sound. An ideal booster's sound should be transparent because a basic pedal's job is not to add extra effects, but to simply give your sound a punch while preserving the character of your tone.
How Does a Boost Pedal Work?
A guitar amplifier's job is to take a low level signal from your guitar's pickup and turn into a high level signal to make it audible. The amplifier achieves this by using either vacuum tubes or semiconductor transistors. Semiconductor transistors are used to make amplifier circuits.
A booster uses the same engineering principles and works mostly on your sound's top end. The input to this circuit will depend on where the stompbox is placed within the signal chain (more on this later).
The best boost pedals will typically have simple controls: a treble, middle, bass, volume, and a gain knob.
What Does a Boost Pedal Do?
A booster pedal does basically the same thing: it takes your guitar's signal and gives it a push. To put it into a single sentence: a boost pedal is a mini amplification stage in a box.
The boost pedal takes its power either from a battery or from a wall outlet. The power from the voltage source acts as the carrier on which your guitar's signal is superimposed. Depending on the booster's placement in the signal chain, it can lead to higher gain or higher volume.
However, there is a limit to how much amplification a boost pedal can provide and this amplification range will typically be stated in the specifications of your boost pedal in decibels.
It is not uncommon for guitarists to have complex pedal boards hosting a populace of various effects, with some lacking true bypass.
True bypass allows a pedal to seemingly disappear from the signal chain once its toggled off. What this means is that your signal does not have to travel through the pedal's entire circuitry even though it's inactive, effectively replacing the pedal with a patch of connecting wire.
True bypass, thus, helps preserve signal integrity. However, in the absence of true bypass, electrical resistances from the circuitry can chip away at your signal as it passes through the pedalboard.
A great advantage of using boosters is that it prevents signal attenuation by replenishing the power of your signal.
Different Types of Boosts
The trick to buying the best boost pedal is to first learn about, if not all, then most of the permutations of this device.
As with any product, there are countless different configurations of boosts available in the market, all with their own functions and flavors. However, there are 5 main classes of boosters to which all other iterations belong.
1. The Clean Boost
This is the OG booster and the simplest in its design and function. All other types of boosts are based off of the clean boost pedal.
It's imperative to understand the clean boost in order to expand your knowledge to more complex boosters and make an informed decision about what is the best for you.
The best boost pedals amplify your signal without cutting it off, or in a more jargon-y manner, without clipping it. This preserves the integrity of your guitar signal.
Depending on where it's placed in the signal chain, the best clean boost pedals have four main functions:
- They can increase the volume of your setup which can help you stand out in a live setting
- They can increase the gain of your overdrive pedal without adding more volume
- The clean boost can increase the volume of your overdrive/distortion effects (points 2 and 3 might seem contradictory but it will all make sense)
- If you are using a tube amp that is at the cusp of breaking up and going into overdrive, a clean boost can help push it over the edge
2. Treble Boost
A clean boost pedal amplifies all the frequencies of your guitar. This is beneficial if your guitar mix is bright and has a pronounced top end.
However, if your amplifier isn't that bright, raising all the frequencies all together can muddle up your guitar tone making it difficult for your guitar to cut through the mix.
Enter the treble boost. A treble boost brightens up the tone of your guitar. Similar to clean boosters, treble boosters do amplify the overall signal, but they reduce the lower frequencies and increase the middle and top end gain.
This brightens up the tone and allows your sound to cut through the mix.
Treble booster pedals can give you that iconic British blues tone we have all heard from the likes of Eric Clapton and Rory Gallagher.
A treble boost is generally not required if your set up is already bright.
3. EQ Boost
An EQ boost pedal is much more complex than the treble or clean booster.
An EQ boost lets you set the cut off frequencies for bass, middle, and treble, giving you the power to shape your tone much like a sculptor.
The amount of control you have over how the frequencies are boosted varies between different stompboxes.
The EQ boost is suitable for musicians looking for greater tonal flexibility, keeping in mind that what you're trading in for that greater flexibility is simplicity and ease of use.
4. Pre-Amp Boost
Pre-amp boost pedals are unique in their characteristics. What separates pre-amp boost pedals from the rest is that, unlike other boosters, they change your sound.
While the best boost pedals offer transparency - i.e. they should amplify your sound without changing its character, pre-amp booster pedals do change your tone.
This is because pre-amp boost pedals can add compression while also changing your guitar's voice.
Whether or not you should opt for a pre-amp pedal depends on your need to beef up your tone.
Many guitarists use these pedals as a base coat over which they craft their tone. It's common practice to use a clean or treble boost in tandem with a pre-amp boost pedal.
So, if you're looking to add heft to your tone, you can't go wrong with a pre-amp boost pedal.
5. Dirty Boost
On a low gain setting, these pedals demonstrate a similar personality to the clean boost. In the middle gain range, dirty boost pedals add 'honk' to your guitar's tone reminiscent of Guthrie Govan's tone.
On the higher gain settings, you can accomplish some hefty and overdriven tones with these pedals.
In many ways, dirty boost pedals are very similar in traits to overdrive and distortion.
An addition in transistors allows for greater volume and gain without saturation so they can definitely handle those high driven, face melting guitar solos.
Dirty boost pedals can be overpowering for certain use cases. They are essentially boost pedals so they inherently amplify all the frequencies in your tone. To curb this issue, companies have now started equipping dirty boost pedals with EQ controls allowing greater flexibility.
This pedal is suitable for those who really want to be heard. A dirty boost will certainly beef up your tone enough to add bravado to your face melting guitar solos.
Digital vs Analog Boost
As technology has progressed, pedals have evolved with it. With the progression of semiconductor technology, most devices have shifted from analog circuitry to digital circuitry. The succeeding sections will leave you informed on both analog an digital pedals.
What are Analog Boost Pedals?
An analog boost pedal employs the use of circuit components such as capacitors, resistors, and transistors to process the signal and give the desired output.
All analog signal processing technology uses sinusoidal waves of continuously varying amplitudes as input and output. These sinusoids are generated by a string vibrating over your guitar's coils which are magnetic.
So for a pedal to function, it has to increase the amplitude of these sinusoids without changing the shape or frequency.
Picture a running stream, as the terrain on which it flows changes so does the volume of water in a section and speed with which the water flows. The varying levels of speed are analogous to the frequency of the sinusoid and the amount or volume of water to its amplitude.
An analog boost pedal can be likened to a terrain through which the stream flows and its job is to increase the area of the stream, consequently increasing the volume of the water. Although the best analog boost pedals should not increase the speed of the stream - i.e. meddle with the frequencies.
What are Digital Pedals?
Digital technology is very different from analog technology. Where analog technology is based on capacitors, inductors, and resistors, digital technology is supported by fabricated chips that process information much like a computer's internal logic gates do.
The greatest difference between digital and analog technology is what medium it chooses to process. While analog circuits in boost pedals amplify and process a continuous sinusoidal signal, analogous to a stream, digital logic chips only operate on bits - i.e.. 1s and 0s.
Expanding on our analogy, a digital signal is either on or off, the stream is either flowing at a constant volume and speed or not flowing at all - 1s and 0s.
How digital pedals in general work is that they take the sinusoidal signal from your guitar, sample it at a given rate and convert it into discrete 1s and 0s using a device called an Analog to Digital Convertor (ADC). The discrete signal is then passed through chips that shuffle these 1s and 0s around to organize them into a new command.
This new command is then pushed through a Digital to Analog Convertor (DAC) which translates the 1s and 0s back into a sinusoidal signal which contains new information depending on the type of pedal. If you're using a digital delay, the outgoing sinusoid will have information about the delay.
Likewise, a digital pedal's discrete binary signal into a DAC will have information that make its output a much louder sinusoidal signal than was originally translated into 1s and 0s by the ADC. Voila! You have a processed signal.
Which is Better?
There has been a long standing argument among guitarists about tube amplifiers and modelling amplifiers. The debate rages on about which one is better. However, time and time again tube amplifiers have proved that their analog design produce a character of sound, one that ensures a clarity in the form of a sparkling top end, and allows nuanced playing.
The same debate has raged on about effects pedals. Although technology is improving, but as it is now, many guitarists prefer analog boost pedals, which is why almost all companies make only analog boosts for a number of reasons. The biggest reason being the sampling rate and aliasing that occurs within digital effects pedals.
A sinusoidal signal is continuous and carries information at infinite levels. However, to convert this into discrete bits, it has to be sampled at certain sampling frequencies and intervals. This presents one problem: how do you recover the information that is lost between two intervals?
Furthermore, the top end of a guitar's tone hosts certain frequencies that can be higher than the sampling rate of the digital pedal. This causes aliasing of those frequencies as the pedal's devices simply aren't sampling fast enough to include those frequencies.
Digital stompboxes do offer a wide variety of features not possible with analog ones but fail to stand up to them in terms of character and sound quality.
Where To Place Your Boost Pedal?
So, in terms of functionality, a boost pedal's function depends on where it is placed in the signal chain.
Drive
If it is placed at the start of your signal chain, before your drive, it will increase the input level of your guitar going into all the other effects in your chain, allowing higher gain.
This will highlight succeeding effects, add saturation, and more character.
If the boost pedal is placed after your drive, it will increase volume. This will accentuate the tone of your drive and preceding pedals.
Tube Amplifier
If you're plugged directly into a tube amplifier, activating the boost pedal will send your amplifier's vacuum tubes into overdrive.
However, if your boost pedal is placed in front of your amplifier, it will increase the level of your outgoing amplifier signal. This will enrich the harmonics and add sustain.
Effects Loop
Anther extremely popular way of using boost pedals is through an effects loop. An effects loop helps you add effects between the pre-amp and power amp stages of your amplifier.
Normally, the effects loop is used for time based and modulation effects because its possible to change the character of your sound without adding any aberrations.
This is what makes the effects loop suitable for a boost pedal: it's easier to achieve greater output by turning up your pedal by a smaller amount.
A pre-amp boost is best situate at the beginning of your signal chain as it is the foundation upon which you can sculpt your tone.
Where you place your boost pedal is more of a subjective matter than an exact science. As a rule of thumb:
- Before your effects = gain increases
- After your effects = volume increase
How To Choose the Right Boost Pedal?
Boost pedals are splitting up into more subdivisions as time goes on. This is obviously due to the ease of manufacturing microelectronics and an emphasis on keeping the product relevant.
While the range of products mean that there is something out there for everyone, it can also be extremely daunting to choose something if you don't have the budget or time for trial and error.
We have already discussed the different types of boosters and how each functions. Now, lets consider a few other factors.
What Type to Choose and How to Use Them?
We have already discussed all the different kinds of boost pedals. Now let us discuss in greater detail how to choose one that is absolutely the best boost pedal for you.
When to Choose the Clean Boost
Many guitarists overlook the clean boost pedal due to its simplicity but fail to realize that is what makes a clean boost essential in every guitar rig. If you want a pedal that above all else makes you prominent in a mix.
If you want greater volume from your rig, you want to push your amplifier harder, or you want your overdrive pedal to sound dirtier without changing the character of your overall tone - choose a clean boost pedal.
Clean boost pedals also pair extremely well with vintage stompboxes. Vintage pedals are expensive and it can be quite a bummer if you can't cut through the mix and be heard. So, a clean boost pedal will help you with that.
As previously explained, where you place the clean boost pedal has a great impact on how it functions but generally, one can never ever go wrong with a clean boost pedal. It is a must-have.
When to Choose the Treble Boost
Treble boosters disproportionally amplify the top end of a guitar's sound. So, you will be best served with these if you like a certain heat to your playing.
Treble boost was originally used by British guitar players who did not have sparkly trebly amplifiers. Similarly, if you don't own a particularly bright amplifier and want your tone to resemble vintage British blues, then a treble boost is the best option for you.
A clean boost is not suggested in this situation as they indiscriminately amplify all frequencies which can render your tone muddy if your amplifier isn't that bright, so going for a treble boost if you have vintage British amp will be of great benefit.
I would not recommend that you pair this pedal with a bright amplifier as that would make the high end overpowering. However, pair it up with a blues amplifier with a great low end and you'll find yourself with the sweetest blues tones.
When to Choose an EQ Boost
If you are an intermediate to an expert level musician who is sufficiently informed about how adjusting different frequency thresholds will change your tone, then an EQ boost would be the way to go.
EQ boost pedals are complex and offer greater control. The added complexity and options can be overwhelming for some players although for most players building their own pedalboards, the added control over the tone can provide versatility and flexibility.
While most boost pedals offer a single gain knob design, an EQ boost has knobs for middle, bass, treble, and gain.
What If Transparency is Not What You Seek?
As we have pointed out throughout this guide that the best boost pedals offer amplification while maintaining tonal integrity, however, sometimes a boost pedal that introduces its own colors to the mix is required. If this is what you need, there are two ways of achieving it.
Changing Sound with Gain
There are two types of boosters that can cater for such requirements. The first is the dirty boost pedal which introduces motives of distortion reminiscent of an overdriven valve amp.
Dirty Boost Pedal
With the dirty boost, you get a taste of both clean boost and overdrive. If you're looking for a boost pedal that has the personality of a clean boost pedal, yet can add aggression at the turning of a knob then dirty boost pedals are for you.
On low gain setting, dirty boosters sound much like clean boosts. However, when you start increasing the gain by rotating the gain knob, they transform into overdrives.
The distinction between dirty boosts and overdrive can be blurry at times due to their similarities. Plus, most dirty boosts come with their own set of EQ knobs to give you complete control.
If you are interested in playing heavy blues, then go for a dirty boost.
Pre-Amp Boost
Another way to change your tone using boosters is to buy a pre-amp boost or an 'Always On' boost pedal. These devices are great for players who don't have expensive great sounding rigs and need a solid base to build their tone on.
The modus operandi for most guitarists is to leave these devices on at the start of their signal chains and build their sound from there.
Always on boosts have immense range: from slight compression to a complete overhaul of your tone.
Different Sizes of Boosts
Boosters come in all shapes and sizes with some pros and cons for each. First we will talk about the normal full sized, full spec boosters. Although, the size of the package has little or no effect on the quality of a certain model, they almost all sound the same across all sizes. The matter of size has more to do with logistics than it has to do with tone.
Normal Size
The normal sized boosts have the space on their interfaces to accommodate EQ knobs. Normal sized ones will also have enough space to house a battery making them independent of wall outlets.
They are generally more robust than mini boosters (Yes! Durability matters a lot as they have to be stomped on) plus have space for complex circuitry that may give you more control over their tone.
Mini Boosters
The main advantage of mini boosts is that they occupy less space and are simpler to operate. For travelling musicians this can be a great feature as it will reduce the size and weight of their pedalboards.
Mini boxes are also cheaper by a range of 20-30% compared to their full sized counterparts although most only have a gain control.
Boosts also come in the Nano and Micro configurations but the concept is basically the same: less material = smaller = cheaper with only a marginal effect on tone.
Different Knobs and Functions
The numerous configurations of boosters available on the market means that some will have different knob controls on them. However, most boosts have very simple controls with some allowing more control over tone than others.
Generally, some of the best clean boost pedals house a single gain control, though occasionally, you might require more command over your tone so you could opt for a boost with added middle, treble, and bass knobs.
While gain increases the amplification of your signal, the other controls have more to do with shaping the frequencies.
Middle Knob
The middle knob controls how much "honk" you have to your sound and also, how much it cuts through the mix.
Bass Knob
The bass knob deals with those beefy lows that add weight to your tone.
Treble Knob
Meanwhile, the treble knob adjusts the sharpness of your tone.
Interactions With Other Pedals
How a boost pedal interacts with your signal chain mainly depends on its type and where it is placed within your signal chain.
Deciding where and how to place your booster pedal is an art within itself. It is purely subjective and you can only crack this with keeping some of the points mentioned above in your mind.
Remember: trial and error is key here.
Editor's Picks
It was extremely difficult to pick just a few boosters from all the great options available on the market. However, this list represents the objective best in terms of durability, quality, transparency, etc. This list does not tackle this topic subjectively, that is something we leave to the reader. Finally, we will reveal our choice for the best boost pedal.
1. TC Electronic Spark
TC Electronic has established itself as a market leader in drive, distortion, and the booster pedal world. Their inventory offers some of the best boost pedals on the market.
The TC Electronic Spark is the fourth and final installment in their compact series of stompboxes.
So, lets talk specs. The TC Electronic Spark has 26dB of clean boost, true bypass, battery storage capacity and analog circuitry.
What differentiates the TC Electronic Spark from most other boosters is that it houses multiple knobs. Besides the gain knob, it has a level, treble, and bass knob, giving the user a lot of control over their tone.
The gain is smooth and subtle at lower settings and gritty and higher values. The level control allows you to add power to the pedal, up to 26dB of power.
It also has a tone selector switch allowing you to toggle between fat, clean, and middle boost settings.
The TC Electronic Spark has exceptional build quality and durability. Combine this with its astounding power, tonal clarity, and its ability to cut through the mix, you have a worthy contender for the title of the best clean boost pedal on the market.
The TC Electronic Spark Mini booster, much like its older brother offers high end features but in a petite frame.
The Spark Mini Booster has discrete analog circuitry, up to 20dB of power, and true bypass. Although the Spark Mini Booster is much smaller compared to its bigger brother, it has high end clarity, extremely transparent boost capability, and gritty gain.
However unlike the original spark, the TC Electronic Spark Mini Booster has only one level control knob and no toggle switch.
The greatest selling point for the TC Electronic Spark Mini, as with many mini boost pedals, is its diminutive footprint without a compromise on tonal quality.
This pedal is durable, has a high quality build, and is recommended for travelling musicians who want to travel light with smaller pedalboards.
The TC TC Electronic Spark Mini pedal should definitely have a spot on every guitarists pedalboard. It definitely classifies as a contender for the best boost pedal.
Xotic has made some of the best guitar boost pedals such as the RC Booster and the AC Booster (arguably the best dirty boost pedal) and its legacy of delivering great boost guitar stompboxes continues with the EP Booster.
The Xotic EP Booster has 20+dB of gain, hosts a single level knob, internal bass and bright boost switches.
The Xotic EP Booster is based on the pre-amp circuit of the legendary Maestro EP-3 Echoplex and much like the EP-3, delivers some great tones in very precise footprint.
Boasting true bypass, the Xotic EP has a set of DIP switches beneath its backplate that control its low end response and can flatten the EQ even though it has only one control knob it provides amazing tonal flexibility.
While the RC Booster was a great clean boost, the Xotic EP Booster vs RC Booster has hints of overtones and warm harmonics that give it a certain edge over its predecessor.
All in all, the Xotic EP Booster pedal, with its EP-3 heritage, is likely the best mini booster pedal and one of the best booster pedals on the market and has everything a musician might need.
Electro Harmonix is no stranger to developing great stompboxes and its effect on the boost box market has been profound with the Electro Harmonix LPB-1.
The Electro Harmonix LPB-1 is modelled after single gain knob vintage boosts. While this may limit its EQ shaping abilities, it has all the tonal sauce of transparent vintage boxes.
The LPB-1 has served as a template for the best overdrive pedal models and due to its simplicity still remains popular.
It has an all analog design and true bypass. The Electro Harmonix LPB-1 is a linear booster. Meaning, as you increase the gain you not only get greater gain but also immense tonal clarity.
The Electro Harmonix LPB-1 is amazingly durable and built like a brick. Combine its vintage sound with its affordable price and you get our pick for the best guitar boost pedal for solos. Especially if you enjoy vintage bluesy guitar tones.
If you are looking for one of the best boost pedals with ensured vintage transparency, the LPB-1 is the one for you.
The MXR M133 Micro Amp is a great clean boost incorporating an all analog design featuring true bypass.
MXR is one of the leaders in the effects pedal market having made some amazing devices and its foray into the micro amp division of "always on" pedals was no surprise.
The MXR M133 Micro Amp is no exception. Its defining feature of the micro amp is its amazing transparency and little to no added noise.
The micro amp has a single gain control design and a sturdy build. It offers 26dB of gain but lacks the EQ shaping controls that one might need.
The appeal of the micro amp stems from its small footprint and sparkling boost. Even when turned to 11 it adds no discernable changes to your tonal quality.
This micro amp is ideal for those players who want to build a small pedalboard with a clean output even with the boost pedal operating.
In this list, the MXR M133 Micro Amp is somewhat unique as it can also operate as an acoustic guitar boost pedal due to its particularly clean boost.
In conclusion, the MXR M133 Micro Amp is one of the best micro boost pedals on the market and you can't go wrong with it.
Suhr is an up and comer in the field of guitar effects. However, its Koko Boost is a delightful pedal that offers immense flexibility, amazing versatility, and gain for days.
Although, retailing at around $270, it's not exactly cheap but that is because it offers a great build, high quality effects, and a couple very unique features.
The defining term for the Suhr Koko Boost is range. If you need a pedal that doesn't color your tone but has the ability to when needed, then the Koko Boost is for you.
The Koko Boost has two footswitches. One for cleaner gain that offers volume yet transparency, one for mid boost to add "honk" to your tone.
In the realm of middle range frequencies, the Koko Boost offers more control than any other pedal on the market. The toggle switch shifts between the high mids, low mids, and a pure mid range boost.
With over 26dB of boost power, true bypass, and a place on Guthrie Govan's pedalboard, the Koko Boost is for those willing to stretch their budget for extreme quality, some of the best boost capabilities and insane control. The Suhr Koko Boost is indeed the best boost pedal at its price point and it doubles up as our choice for the best boost pedal for metal.
The Friedman company is renowned for its amazing amplifiers. The Buxom is its most successful foray into the boost guitar realm.
The Buxom is a pedal for tone tweakers and probably one of the most powerful EQ solutions you can have on your pedalboard.
It has an EQ bypass switch which removes the 3 band EQ from the signal chain. Its 5 control knobs allow for immense 3 band EQ controls and a tight control to reel in the low end.
The Buxom has an extremely transparent footprint that will allow the intricacies of your performance shine through but can also color your tone as you please.
The Friedman also doubles up as a great way to dial in a great tone from your semi-acoustic guitar.
The Buxom is for players who have a higher budget but want the best boost capability and flexibility to go from electric guitars to semi acoustics as they please.
Conclusion
In our quest to find the best boost pedals we have stumbled upon a lot of great options. However, we must now recommend only one from the best boost pedals on the market.
Even though we had amazing options such as the MXR Micro Amp, our choice is the Suhr Koko Boost. Although it is expensive, it offers unique features and amazing quality.
As a footnote, musical instruments are an extension of the field's universal subjectivity. You need to choose what is best for you based on what you want to hear and choose the best booster pedal for yourself.
