Boost Question - Marshall Jubilee 2555

[Monomyth]

The vfe dragon is the best boost / overdrive pedal ever, it’s description as being a “dynamic” overdrive is an understatement, buy one and don’t look back.

 

[Racerxrated]

I'm huge into NOT narrowing the tone of any amp I boost, it's my biggest issue with any pedal. The rack pre like the TC 1140 or Furman are the only boosts that didn't narrow the tone somewhat...until I tried the OD1X. Retains every bit of the 'hugeness' of your sound better than any other pedal that I've tried. Have not tried the VFE stuff though, but every other spendy boutique pedal that I've tried narrows the sound to some degree.
I would buy some of these pedals from a retailer that will accept returns...give them all a go and then decide.

 

[Lespaul1981]

yeah i agree that buying and trying several pedals is the best and only way to really do it, since this is all so subjective.
i'm thinking about the buxom boost, but then again how different could it be than the cae401?

i'll have to take a look and listen to the OD1x, too.

 

[braintheory]

I'm huge into NOT narrowing the tone of any amp I boost, it's my biggest issue with any pedal. The rack pre like the TC 1140 or Furman are the only boosts that didn't narrow the tone somewhat...until I tried the OD1X. Retains every bit of the 'hugeness' of your sound better than any other pedal that I've tried. Have not tried the VFE stuff though, but every other spendy boutique pedal that I've tried narrows the sound to some degree.
I would buy some of these pedals from a retailer that will accept returns...give them all a go and then decide.

I have and had before quite a few boosts that don’t narrow the sound whatsoever (they make it wider if anything), but the problem is they didn’t give the tightness or attack that guys on here will typically want from a boost. I feel the rack PQ’s can kinda give both in a way

I’ve had 2 VFE Standout’s, Dragon, and Focus. I loved them when I had them, but then came the Furman PQ-3 and 1140. The Furman and 1140 destroyed those VFE’s. No contest. Those VFE’s definitely narrow things and definitely have that filtered/toy like quality that I hear in most current made pedals

My Klon also narrows things quite a bit, but has certain unique qualities about it that I feel make it exceptional, and when used with something so open and big like the Hiwatt, the narrowing if anything can be beneficial. It definitely doesn’t agree with some amps though

 

[RockyStar]

Empress Para-EQ or a Rockaway. Both solid choices IMO.

 

[harddriver]

Thanks!
Yeah I tried a maxon od808 a couple times and it made the Jubilee so narrow sounding that I returned it.
What I dislike about overdrives is how they change the amp’s fundamental sound and dynamics when you want just a hair more from the amp’s lead channel. I guess that’s why I’m leaning towards the BB.
The MXR 10 band EQ is cool I used to use that into a 2203 after I got rid of my Od pedals. I like the gain sliders and how you can clean boost and shape the sound but tbh you really don’t need 10 bands, for a guitar sound.
End of the day I just want a pedal that will push the jubilee to 11 but keep the dynamics and tone and clanky upper mids the same. /quote]

I have read all the suggestions, all are solid, but I read your list of what you want out of this and maybe the buxom or even the SD805 could give you more of a transparent OD with EQ capabilites. I have the SD805 and while it's extremely transparent I still hear that it does not sound as natural... preserving all the dynamics that I hear when compared to my Boss GE7. It will tighten up your low end without narrowing or giving you any nasally mids and provide a natural transparent boost to the Jubilee tone which already has diodes in the signal path and has a middy grind to it.

For what they cost I highly recommend you pick up an older non SMD board GE7 and then whatever OD you wish to try, I would venture to say you'll like the GE7 best by what you have said you want to hear, but again everything is subjective. If you have that 10 band try the boost setting that I gave you for the GE7 and see what you think.

Here's the GE7 (with the settings I gave you) and Clinch Ep3 pedal Duncan 78model P/U in the VH riff stuff and then the same 69 Marshall SL amp with a modded OD808 in SD-1 mode with a 14K duncan custom. These are my vids.

 

[Lespaul1981]

Thanks!
Yeah I tried a maxon od808 a couple times and it made the Jubilee so narrow sounding that I returned it.
What I dislike about overdrives is how they change the amp’s fundamental sound and dynamics when you want just a hair more from the amp’s lead channel. I guess that’s why I’m leaning towards the BB.
The MXR 10 band EQ is cool I used to use that into a 2203 after I got rid of my Od pedals. I like the gain sliders and how you can clean boost and shape the sound but tbh you really don’t need 10 bands, for a guitar sound.
End of the day I just want a pedal that will push the jubilee to 11 but keep the dynamics and tone and clanky upper mids the same. /quote]

I have read all the suggestions, all are solid, but I read your list of what you want out of this and maybe the buxom or even the SD805 could give you more of a transparent OD with EQ capabilites. I have the SD805 and while it's extremely transparent I still hear that it does not sound as natural... preserving all the dynamics that I hear when compared to my Boss GE7. It will tighten up your low end without narrowing or giving you any nasally mids and provide a natural transparent boost to the Jubilee tone which already has diodes in the signal path and has a middy grind to it.

For what they cost I highly recommend you pick up an older non SMD board GE7 and then whatever OD you wish to try, I would venture to say you'll like the GE7 best by what you have said you want to hear, but again everything is subjective. If you have that 10 band try the boost setting that I gave you for the GE7 and see what you think.

Here's the GE7 (with the settings I gave you) and Clinch Ep3 pedal Duncan 78model P/U in the VH riff stuff and then the same 69 Marshall SL amp with a modded OD808 in SD-1 mode with a 14K duncan custom. These are my vids.

thank you, yeah the GE7 is probably what i'll try first. then maybe the buxom.

 

[napalmdeath]

Thanks!
Yeah I tried a maxon od808 a couple times and it made the Jubilee so narrow sounding that I returned it.
What I dislike about overdrives is how they change the amp’s fundamental sound and dynamics when you want just a hair more from the amp’s lead channel. I guess that’s why I’m leaning towards the BB.
The MXR 10 band EQ is cool I used to use that into a 2203 after I got rid of my Od pedals. I like the gain sliders and how you can clean boost and shape the sound but tbh you really don’t need 10 bands, for a guitar sound.
End of the day I just want a pedal that will push the jubilee to 11 but keep the dynamics and tone and clanky upper mids the same. /quote]

I have read all the suggestions, all are solid, but I read your list of what you want out of this and maybe the buxom or even the SD805 could give you more of a transparent OD with EQ capabilites. I have the SD805 and while it's extremely transparent I still hear that it does not sound as natural... preserving all the dynamics that I hear when compared to my Boss GE7. It will tighten up your low end without narrowing or giving you any nasally mids and provide a natural transparent boost to the Jubilee tone which already has diodes in the signal path and has a middy grind to it.

For what they cost I highly recommend you pick up an older non SMD board GE7 and then whatever OD you wish to try, I would venture to say you'll like the GE7 best by what you have said you want to hear, but again everything is subjective. If you have that 10 band try the boost setting that I gave you for the GE7 and see what you think.

Here's the GE7 (with the settings I gave you) and Clinch Ep3 pedal Duncan 78model P/U in the VH riff stuff and then the same 69 Marshall SL amp with a modded OD808 in SD-1 mode with a 14K duncan custom. These are my vids.

I second the SD805. I got one last week and absolutely love it. Active EQ makes a world of difference. I still say a Buxom would be right up your alley, but an SD805 is a serious contender.

 

[harddriver]

In the first vid it starts off all amp, then I click in the EP3 pedal for the Zepplin riffs then click in the Boss GE7 for the VH riffs so you can go back and hear the amp by itself then with the GE7 and see if it is what you like or not. I'm not really boosting alot of gain mostly shaping it with that flat Mid EQ. The level slider is at 0(unity gain) it is not boosting any in this video.

 

[Lespaul1981]

In the first vid it starts off all amp, then I click in the EP3 pedal for the Zepplin riffs then click in the Boss GE7 for the VH riffs so you can go back and hear the amp by itself then with the GE7 and see if it is what you like or not. I'm not really boosting alot of gain mostly shaping it with that flat Mid EQ. The level slider is at 0(unity gain) it is not boosting any in this video.

that sounds awesome, tbh.
I'm not a fan of the EP3 preamp pedal because of how it darkens the sound, but the GE7 highlighted that clanky upper mid Marshall thing which I love and feels like there is more gain than there really is.
to me, that's the sound of rock n roll

 

[harddriver]

Just curious if you picked a GE7 up and tried it yet?

I finally spent some quality in depth time with the SD805 and the GE7 side by side on looper pedal switching back and forth with my 72 Marshall SL and I could dial in the 805 almost exact to the flat mid boost settings used on my GE7......... the SD805 sounds a bit drier, the GE7 just has a more natural sound to it. The SD805 sounds great but the GE7 just has the mojo.

 

[bobbtoz]

The comments on the Thorpy Heavy Water have definitely peaked my interested. I've been through so many boosts, OD's and started down the path of EQ's. Always something new and shiny around the corner...

 

[PDC]

I have yet to run into any amp that does not respond well to a TC Spark Mini. With no tone controls to filter the signal, the ‘mini’ is as transparent as it gets - which sounds ideal when boosting and amp that has overall tone that you already love - just wanting a bit more push and low end tightness without adding distortion or tonal shaping.

 

[Lespaul1981]

Yes, I grabbed two boosts.
A new SD1 and a Fulltone Fulldrive 1.
The fulldrive was the winner on the vintage setting with gain maxed out, drive off and tone at 3 o clock.
Really transparent, slight bass tightening and great clarity.
Sam Ash is blowing out their fulltone products so the price was pretty good, too. I like how the fulldrive is true bypass while the GE7 is not, which kinda turned me off from using it because I hate signal loss. Usually I don’t need a boost to get the Jubilee where I want it to be but when I do or for more heavy stuff the Fulldrive is cool.

 

[harddriver]

Yes, I grabbed two boosts.
A new SD1 and a Fulltone Fulldrive 1.
The fulldrive was the winner on the vintage setting with gain maxed out, drive off and tone at 3 o clock.
Really transparent, slight bass tightening and great clarity.
Sam Ash is blowing out their fulltone products so the price was pretty good, too. I like how the fulldrive is true bypass while the GE7 is not, which kinda turned me off from using it because I hate signal loss. Usually I don’t need a boost to get the Jubilee where I want it to be but when I do or for more heavy stuff the Fulldrive is cool.

That's great that you found something you like.

I know it's not true bypass but I think you would be really surprised by the GE7, believe me I was as well. I was reading Boss didn't go SMT construction until 2017 so any older than that should be the older standard circuit board component construction.

 

[Lespaul1981]

i thought about an analogman GE7 since it should be a bit better than the standard model, but so far so good with the fulldrive.
also I made a typo in my previous post, that I actually max out the Volume, not the gain. Freudian slip!

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

I think that if the amp already has decent gain and just needs a slight boost, look at a versatile clean boost. I picked up one of the new xotic boosts (superclean/super sweet for more gain) and I think it does that well with some tone shaping features. OR just go TS-9 alla Schenker with his 2205's and you are good to go. But I think a GE-7 or spark boost should be able to deliver the goods in spades. As always, MBGA - Make Boosting Great Again!

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

I have yet to run into any amp that does not respond well to a TC Spark Mini. With no tone controls to filter the signal, the ‘mini’ is as transparent as it gets - which sounds ideal when boosting and amp that has overall tone that you already love - just wanting a bit more push and low end tightness without adding distortion or tonal shaping.

That's the thing with clean boosts, I tend to need them with some type of EQ shaping. Does the spark mini TIGHTEN the low end? I find a lot of the one knobbies tend to make everything bigger when they are clean boosts.

 

[Lespaul1981]

I agree about the clean boost making everything bigger, f ex the cae 401. It’s great for leads but not for rhythms as the low end gets too large and loose.

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

I agree about the clean boost making everything bigger, f ex the cae 401. It’s great for leads but not for rhythms as the low end gets too large and loose.

Totally, Which is why you need your clean to have some sort of shaping if you want to use it that way. I tend to boost with an OD and then stick a clean boost in front of OD for lead boost when pushing mid gain amp.