Summary: Okay, it’s a booster. But it’s not necessarily a transparent booster and that might turn some folks off. But if you like the warmth of a Class A circuit with that distinctive high-frequency shimmer and increased punch at high gain levels, this is the booster for you.
Pros: Insanely low noise floor so you can put it pretty much anywhere on your board (it’s the last pedal in my chain). Super-simple to operate – just turn a single knob. Plays VERY nicely with overdrive pedals – even stacked pedals. Really great in front of an amp set at the edge of break-up to push it into overdrive. 20dB boost is more than ample. Finally, this is a GREAT deal at $59!
Cons: The slight coloring at boost levels beyond noon (slight treble boost, slight bass cut) might not be everyone’s cup of tea. But note that it’s VERY subtle.
Price: $59-$69 street
Tone Bones:
I totally dig this pedal! As with any booster, I make it the last pedal in my chain to provide a nice lead boost. It just works great. Whether I’m using my Wampler Belle or Timmy or both at the same time, the Class A boost provides that extra kick I need and though it adds a little of its own color, it doesn’t interfere with my sound in any significant way.
A Different Kind of Booster
I’ve used a few boosters over the years, and my go-to was a Creation Audio Labs mk.4.23. I used that for years. Now that pedal is truly transparent. But unfortunately, I misplaced it during the pandemic lockdown. And as I’m again playing out, I needed to get a new booster. So I went down to GuitarCenter to check out boosters. The only ones they had at my local one were a Xotic Effects EP Booster and the Pigtronix Class A Booster. So I A/B’d the pedals to see which one worked best for me.
I tried the EP Booster first. Based on the classic Echoplex circuit, I really liked its top-end sizzle. But when I switched over to the Class A, there was just something about its sound that really worked for me and I found myself playing around with it even more. Needless to say, and combined with its nice, low price, it was pretty much a no-brainer to buy it.
I use a boost in a couple of different ways. The first way is to run it as the last pedal in my chain to provide more of what I’m throwing at the front of my amp. The other way I use a booster is as the last pedal in my effects loop. I learned that from reading an interview with Gene Baker of B3 Guitars. Used in this way, a booster can get your power tubes into saturation. It won’t provide that much of a boost for tubes that are already close to full saturation, but volume isn’t the purpose of this application. It’s to take advantage of all that awesome sonic goodness that comes from fully-saturated power tubes.
I haven’t used the Class A in my effects loop – yet. And to be honest, I don’t know if I ever will since my main amp is a BOSS Katana Artist. And though it has an effects loop, as a digital amp, it’s literally wired differently from a tube amp. But for use in front of my Katana, it’s just wonderful. Right now, I’m using a Wampler Bell followed by my trusty Timmy, then those are followed by a few different modulation pedals, then ending with the Class A. My amp is set a little further away from breakup than I normally set it as I want the Class A to provide a slight boost when doing clean leads and I don’t want the amp getting crunchy.
And even when I have one or both of my overdrive pedals activated, I just want the booster to give me just a little more of what my pedals deliver. It’s actually a really cool setup. Combine that with the awesome sound of my Taylor T5z, and it’s a gorgeous combination!
If you’re considering getting a booster pedal, this is definitely one to consider. If you can, try playing through it at your local music store. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed!
Fit and Finish
Whether or not you like the Pigtronix brand, you gotta hand it to ’em: The construction of their pedals is rock-solid. Even with this mini pedal, it feels as if it can handle a lot of stage abuse. I got a little carried away at rehearsal last night and stomped on it rather aggressively at times. I’m not a small guy by any means, but that pedal withstood my heavy foot.
How It Sounds
Sorry folks, no sound samples. But like I mentioned, past noon – which seems to be unity gain – the sound changes ever so slightly to provide a high-mid to high-frequency boost, while simultaneously cutting the low end. It’s very subtle in both respects. But what I absolutely loved is that just that small amount of top-end boost really helped cut through the mix. I probably only added a couple of dB to my volume, but the slightly boosted highs added definition to what I was playing.
I love serendipitous moments, when I stumble upon something new when I’m doing something else entirely. Such was the case of me stumbling upon Tone Freak pedals. I was seeing if the domain name “tonefreak.com” was taken, and at the top of the search results was Tone Freak Effects. You know me and overdrive and distortion pedals. I LOVE ‘EM! And Tone Freak Effects specializes in two kinds of overdrive, two kinds of distortion pedals, plus a buffer/booster and a really nice trem pedal.
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