What does a boost pedal do and which boost pedal should I buy?A boost pedal makes your signal hotter — more drive, more volume, or both, depending on how you set it. How it works Simple idea: it increases your guitar's output, kicking the front of the amp harder so the valves drive earlier 7. Two ways to use it: crank the pedal's level with drive low for a volume/drive kick (great for solos), or use its own drive at matched volume for grit at low volume 7. Limits: Alan Ratcliffe, our Guitar Doctor, warns every pedal clips eventually — stack too much boost and it goes fuzzy, mushy, even blows pedals 8. Amp matters: into a just-breaking-up amp you get volume AND drive; into an already-cranked high-gain amp you mostly just get more drive 6. Which one to get Clean boost: ZarK recommends the MI Audio Boost 'n Buff as very transparent 1. With flavour: a Tube Screamer-style pedal (compresses a bit, adds mids) or Boss SD-1; the Boss OD-3 was his pick as Boss's most transparent OD 1. Watch sales. Solid-state/multi-fx users: MikeM, our Valve Wrangler, says skip the clean boost — use patches on your multi-fx instead, or wait until you have a tube amp 1. Placement tip Front vs loop: into the clean channel/front of the amp a boost adds volume and drive; into an already-driven channel you mainly stack gain 6. No current SA pricing in these threads — post your budget and amp and let the community suggest what's in stock now. From these forum threadsBoost pedal (2011): Forum picks: MI Boost 'n Buff, Tube Screamer, SD-1, OD-3Your favourite overdrive/boost pedal infront of tube amp. (2009): Favourite boost/OD pedals in front of tube ampsBoost vs. overdrive when used with tube amp for transparency (2010): Alan explains what a clean boost actually doesBoost pedal with a fender twin? (2009): Boosting a Fender Twin — Alan's pedal suggestionsOD / Distortion pedal as a Boost? (2012): OD pedal as boost: gain vs volume placement tipsHow exactly does an overdrive pedal work? (2010): Alan and ez explain how overdrive boosts your ampIs there a limit to boosting an amp? (2011): Alan on boost limits: fuzz, mush and blown pedals
