Members IRG Posted March 9, 2008 Members Share Posted March 9, 2008 So last week I bought a BBE Freq Boost treble booster. A pretty good pedal overall, and I like it with some things quite well. It sounds pretty good boosting a Big Muff for example. And if I would use it long enough with something else, when I would turn it off, my sound would seem kinda muffled. But I also didn't like the lack of perceived bass and lower midrange that seemed to ensue. I know TB are only boosting the upper midrange and treble region, which this does in spades, but I swear I'm cutting frequencies too which I don't like. So I decided a while ago, maybe I need a straight booster. I had a Bad Monkey lying around (never sell one if you got it) and placed it in place of the Freq Boost. I cranked the bass all the way, the treble nearly all the way, no gain at all, and the volume to about 11 or 12 o'clock. Viola! This is what I was after. More tone all around, thicker, meatier sound, sounded great with just some delay, and really thickens up the other pedals. Sounded great with my Keeley TS-9 (the two together almost render my Crunchbox unnecessary), sounds great with my amps distortion now (again, the Crunchbox is redudant twice now), and really sounds good with my Monsterpiece and Big Muff fuzzes. It almost makes my EQ unnecessary. So will it stay on my board? Yes it will. It's my oldest pedal now, and it has deserved a spot from now on. Is the Freq Boost going back? I'm afraid it is. But I've been wanting either the new Two Timer analog delay (whenever it comes out) or the Sould Vibe pedal, so I think I'll trade it in on one of those. I still think the Freq Boost is a good pedal, and would probably work even better for the live player, which I'm not at the moment. But for me, the Bad Monkey used solely as a boost is magnificent (and even better, it didn't cost me a cent). Anyone else use their Bad Monkey this way? If not, give it a try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members IRG Posted March 9, 2008 Author Members Share Posted March 9, 2008 No one else boosts with their Monkey? (kinda didn't sound right...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tone Eee Posted March 9, 2008 Members Share Posted March 9, 2008 Monkey is good for boosting with a little bit of grit. I jam mine after the Fuzz and before the phaser and delay. Makes the phaser "whoosh" real gooooood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members IRG Posted March 9, 2008 Author Members Share Posted March 9, 2008 Yeah, it's such a useful little pedal. And still a damn good overdrive too if you need one. But what I like about it with the way I am using it now, I can turn the gain all the way down, the volume up, and it gives me almost no discernible hiss or noise at all, whereas my Freq Boost gave me more hiss than I liked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members miggy01 Posted March 9, 2008 Members Share Posted March 9, 2008 I use it as a boost sometimes too, it's a pretty versatile pedal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members CicadaSilence Posted March 10, 2008 Members Share Posted March 10, 2008 I miss mine. :/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dolf Posted March 10, 2008 Members Share Posted March 10, 2008 I'm a fan of compromise, my friend. I use a treb booster AND a tubescreamer unit. Best of both. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members IRG Posted March 10, 2008 Author Members Share Posted March 10, 2008 I'm a fan of compromise, my friend.I use a treb booster AND a tubescreamer unit. Best of both. I don't like this combo as much as my BM with no gain and my Keeley TS-9 (which has a lot if you want it) together. Richer and fuller with more bass. Or are you saying, use both the treble booster, and the BM and whatever I else I want to add to the mix? Hmmm, that could be tasty. I like where I'm at at the moment, but I may have to give that a try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members skitzy Posted March 10, 2008 Members Share Posted March 10, 2008 i have bass and treble both set at about 2 oclock, volume at 12, and gain at 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members melx Posted March 10, 2008 Members Share Posted March 10, 2008 i have bass and treble both set at about 2 oclock, volume at 12, and gain at 9 those are almost the same settings as I use.... IRG, funny how the BM is your oldest pedal, mine's the newest!! bloody great pedal though. it's made me curious about the screaming blues now.....what's the other one...hot head? is that any good?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members IRG Posted March 10, 2008 Author Members Share Posted March 10, 2008 those are almost the same settings as I use.... IRG, funny how the BM is your oldest pedal, mine's the newest!! bloody great pedal though. it's made me curious about the screaming blues now.....what's the other one...hot head? is that any good?? I've never tried the other ones. I would guess the screamin blues is similar with more gain, and the hothead could be a distortion outright. I was never quite in to the BM until someone mentioned turning the bass and treble up all the way made the pedal sound quite fuller, and it certainly has for me. This pedal has more bass than just about any other overdrive out there I believe. Makes it fuller sounding tome, and the treble doesn't sound tinny either, not too much, not fizzy, but clear and well balanced. Heck of a pedal for $40. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members IRG Posted March 10, 2008 Author Members Share Posted March 10, 2008 One of the things I like about using the BM is with my amps distortion. It just sounds "right" which I can't say about other pedals I've used with my amp. It could be because I have the gain turned down... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dolf Posted March 10, 2008 Members Share Posted March 10, 2008 I don't have a bad monkey. But for some SERIOUS over the top gainz, I used my singing tree drive into my power screamer into my Germania. It was tits, but really difficult to control. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members IRG Posted March 10, 2008 Author Members Share Posted March 10, 2008 It was tits, but really difficult to control. That's how I was feeling about my Freq Boost- some cool tones, but difficult to dial in, especially when you switch guitars, and effects, etc. Whereas with the BM now, I can leave it on with pretty much everything and it sounds great, no fiddling. And I like that, I might actually play now instead of tweak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members willburford Posted March 10, 2008 Members Share Posted March 10, 2008 And I like that, I might actually play now instead of tweak. Unheard of for any member of hcfx. That could even quite possibly be looked upon as a mutiny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members IRG Posted March 10, 2008 Author Members Share Posted March 10, 2008 Unheard of for any member of hcfx. That could even quite possibly be looked upon as a mutiny. I know, I feel kinda dirty... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members schecterc1lh Posted March 10, 2008 Members Share Posted March 10, 2008 those are almost the same settings as I use.... IRG, funny how the BM is your oldest pedal, mine's the newest!! bloody great pedal though. it's made me curious about the screaming blues now.....what's the other one...hot head? is that any good?? the hot head isnt all that great, basically a crappier ds-1. the bad monkey is great tho! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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