Help with Booster Pedals

[paul999b]

Could someone please tell me what the difference between a line booster and a pickup booster pedal is? I'm looking for something to kind of soar my tone for a solo, but don't know which one I want to go with. I've looked at both and can't tell the difference. Thanks.

[chord777]

I think a line booster boosts a signal that may be degraded from running through a lot of pedals. Whereas a pickup booster is designed to overdrive the front of an amp. If I'm wrong just consider my post a bump.

[cdawzrd]

You want a clean booster (or a dirty booster). A line booster / buffer is designed to boost signal to repair it (chord777 is correct). A "pickup booster" is not really a generic term--Seymour Duncan has a pedal by that name, and it's mainly designed to compensate for switching between single coil and humbucking guitars during a live set, for example. You *could* use it as a solo boost but there are better pedals out there.

 

An example of what you are probably looking for is the MXR Micro Amp, EHX LPB-1, or our very own Mellowtone Hi Five (or Hi Five Plus). These pedals have a gain/volume knob (gain and master volume for the HFP) and boost your signal to increase volume or increase gain (when run into a cranked amp or a distortion pedal). The HFP can also act as a "dirty boost" with its gain maxed, adding an edge to your signal that can thicken it up (and then you can adjust the output volume with the master volume)

[bluehuricane]

^ +1 for hi five

[willyredeemed]

the seymour duncan pickup booster can make your single coils sound like humbuckers or you can use it just as a clean boost...you can change the p/u resonance to three different types of boost, one being clean. it's a killer pedal thru on board for my tele...really thickens the single coils to give it that humbucker growl.