Boosters are an important part of a
guitarist’s tonal diet. Need more push
for that solo? Boost it. Want to add
more gain and grit to your already
dirty tone? Boost, baby. Do you have
a gazillion pedals that cause you to
lose some volume, and you need to
make up for said volume loss? Boost
yourself. Despite their simple nature,
boost pedals have a wide variety of
uses and are often the missing link in
many a player’s rig. Whether you’re
looking to add another gain stage,
need a utility pedal for making certain
song passages louder, or you just feel
better about yourself when you add
another stompbox to your board, a
boost pedal may be just what you’re
looking for to capture the magic tone
you hear in your head. Let’s take a
look at some different boosts and
what they have to offer.
A veritable classic, the Micro Amp has been around for decades and offers its services
to guitarists looking for an all-around utility booster. Its single-knob layout makes it
user-friendly to even the most confused players, and it doesn’t impart much sound of
its own other than an increase in volume. Bands like The Strokes and The Libertines
have employed it with great success to enhance their stripped-down sound. Like other
MXR offerings, it’s built like a tank and ready to hit the road. This is probably your
best bet if you don’t have any specific tones in mind, but want simple, hassle-free
boosting capability at your disposal at all times. If you want more control, MXR offers
the Micro Amp + featuring Bass and Treble knobs in addition to the standard Gain
(volume) control.
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