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From: ProGuitarShopDemos
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  • will this boost the actual distortion on the amp or just distort from the pedal?

  • pro guitar shop demos are super awesome, you guys ALWAYS answer questions and emails.Good for you and keep up the good work!

  • These are great to use in an effects loop as a nice lead volume boost. A lot cleaner and more effective through the effects loop for a clean boost, in my opinion.

  • Idk if anybody hre has asked this b4 but, this pedal boosts only the volume right? With no gain added to it or anything like it, just the volume..?

  • @gfacioni it will just give you a volume boost, but if your playing threw a tube amp it will give your amp that extra kick and push it into a natural overdrive

  • @cachetband Will this MXR have any affect on my sound... I have a VOX vt 20 + ( a digital amp, or something like that :D )

  • god damn. that amp sounds like complete shit. please, you gotta start using a different amp.

  • @jbcooljb It sound's perfect for the genre's of music it was designed for.

    Beyond that, it's just personal preference; there's no such thing as an amp that sounds like 'complete shit'... It's just weather you like it or not.

  • @jbcooljb haha, I was just thinking to myself seconds before I read your comment that I liked the sound of the amp - at least for its intended sound.

  • this might sound stupid, but i have a question, would it be like the same thing as putting the volume up?

  • @issayyousay You might want more volume if you are using a tube amp because then you get more tube distortion and it sounds nice. With solid state amp this is pretty useless pedal in my opion.

  • I've had that pedal for 6yrs won't leave home without it!

  • what do you think about using this baby with bass? :D

  • I want a lead boost pedal i.e. something to just give me a little more volume (not gain) when I go into a solo. Is this what I'm after? I can't really tell from the vid... although it does make that Strat proper sing!

  • @Cyzos1 If you want it as a pure volume boost you'll have to put it in the effects loop of your amp. If it's running in the front of the amp then it will boost the preamp gain, which does also increase the volume slightly.

  • I would like to boost the drive of the simple overdrive channel of my laney vc30 212. Do you think that could do the trick cos i miss gain on this channel or would that be better to get this boost with a distortion pedal ? i'm looking for a rockier or grungier sound. Thank you to tell me what you think.

  • My idea is to use my proco rat without much distortion (pretty much as an overdrive), and then push it a little bit for solos, to get an extra gain, is than possible?

  • will it work with a solid state amp?

  • @birth2end The Micro Amp will boost any signal no matter where it's headed. You can use it on a solid state amp but it won't create overdrive in the same manner as a tube amp. Thanks,

    PGS

  • What's the song at 2:20? Or is it just improv.

  • which is better, this or a rothwell atomic boost?

  • @ed2000888 The atomic Booster by far, it's awsome!

  • This pedal that what use Alex Turner, Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond (:

  • Killer. Want one.

  • How would this sound through solid state amps?

  • do you think this pedal would be good for bass

  • im looking for a pedal to boost my solos with out messing wiht my tone i go from guitar to wah to overdrive to my ds1 to the amp and some stuff in the effects loop will this pedal do just waht i need to boost solos??? and where you think i should put it

  • does this pedal works good for boosting a marshall guvnor?

  • How is it with Metal solos? Thank you!

  • I'm looking for a pedal that can boost the over all volume to cut through the mix when I solo. Will this do the trick? Should I place it in front of the amp or at the end of the fx loop?

  • if I use a distortion pedal (Zvex Metal Box) and use this pedal for soloing, would it affect in the sound? like make it dirty or something like that???

  • How is adding an extra pedal suppose to recoup signal loss from too many pedals??? If you're adding an extra pedal wouldn't that suck the tone even more? Seems kinda ironic.

  • @Imathumbsupwhore - Yes and no. What it will do is boost your signal level, so that if you've got pedals that are attenuating your signal you'll still be able to drive your amplifier with enough signal. However what it can't do is compensate for any reduction in signal-to-noise ratio (from lower signal level in the effects chain) or any frequency-specific attenuation (rolling off of highs, lows, or mids).

  • @Imathumbsupwhore No. Pedals suck tone when they are bypassing the signal. Some newer pedals have true bypass which doesn't send the signal through the circuit, so it doesn't affect the tone at all. This is used to push the signal a bit more so it isn't affected nearly as much by tone loss from those other pedals.

  • what is the best placement for this before or after drives front of the chain at the end of the chain ?

  • Is this working for bass, too?

  • what about acoustic guitar that uses fishman preamp [balanced]

  • Hi! Nice demo. I have a problem... I have a marshall haze 40 combo. It is a awesome amp, but in lower volumes, when the power valves aren't driving the signal, I can't get enough gain/saturation. Do you think that with this boost I can get metal (slash, guns and roses, a bit of metallica) tones? please help...

  • can i use this pedal or the seymour duncan pickup booster like the clapton's mid boost kit?

  • I go to Andy when I need cool riffs, and gearmanndude when I need a blues fill!

  • @ 2:40 that only works if you have audio taper potentiometers

  • hey this kind of a generic question, but is there a boost pedal that will drastically change my tone for an over the top solo? If that doesn't make sense, I'll give the example of the song "Them "Bones" by Alice In Chains. Jerry already has an extremely high gain sound for the rhythm stuff, but when he hits the solo it just goes way crisper and more gritty, so is there a pedal that can do that? Or is that an amp thing he has ?

  • @muzicboy99 its a recording, in the studio players often use all kinds of different amps and guitars for different parts.

    I'd recommend something like a tube screamer for beefing up solos, I prefer the Boss SD-1.

  • what is the price?

  • Mark Knopfler uses this pedal!

  • @dutchjap62 Jack white uses it too

  • @dutchjap62 thousands of touring guitar players use this

  • Hey, can i use this booster together with an overdrive pedal?

  • does this have less static noise than a seymor duncan pickup booster?

  • I use one in front of my big muff to drive that. It makes things extra nasty.

  • Can I use it as a preamp for an acoustic guitar with an ultra-high impedance  piezo pickup? How does it sound? Thanks

  • i have a question, can you use this a solo-ing boost?

  • can you use a batery for this pedal?

  • What the difference between this pedal and the "boost line driver" pedal ?? I don't get it...

  • I like the boost pedal from trachouse pedals

  • does this pedal work like an active pickup?

  • @Crumisodamis not at all....

  • Can i use a distortion pedal along the Micro Amp,so i can kick in with a solo?

  • the Mod Tone Clean Boost gives you a 25 db boost, how much does this give you???

  • can i use it to increase the drive amount , placed before

    a Sparkle Drive ?

    thanks

  • Will this pedal give me a dB boost to cut through the mix live?

  • How does this compare to the MXR custom audio boost pedal?

  • so this can be used for boosting for solos?

  • does it hurt your tubes to boost the amp often? i can imagine you have to replace them more often, but with a master volume amp, with the drive turned up all the way and the master set to a bedroom level, is it bad to push the preamp tubes a little more?

  • Would you say that this pedal can take the place of a compressor?

  • @monk986 If you use your compressor mainly as a boost, yes. However, a clean boost will not compress the signal at all, in fact it will give a tube amp a very dynamic drive. Thanks,

    -PGS

  • @ProGuitarShopDemos Do you do one on the Electro Harmonix LPB? You should do a shootout.

  • This pedal does what it's supposed to do:boost whatever signal you put through it.It's not going to make your guitar sound 'better",just louder.It's not one of pedals you leave on all the time(like my mxr eq)but it's not noisy and good to put your solos out front,when the time comes.It likes to be at about 11:00 for a nice effect.That's on a tube amplifier at the end of the signal chain(right before the cable goes to the amp)the only thing I have before it is my tuner pedal.

  • I need this!

  • How does the MXR compare to the EHX LPB-1? It's quite a big price difference for two pedals that do basically the same.

  • @jessemaes1990 The LPB-1 boosts your signal but is not very "clean" it's more like a mild overdrive.

    MXR increases the volume only which is what a boost pedal should do. Also i've found after the 12 o clock position there is no volume increase in the LP-1 just more dirt. It's not a bad sounding pedal thou.

  • I have a guitar which has got gibson's classic 57 in the neck and classic 57 plus in the bridge. They're very low output pickups. Could I use this pedal to simulate a pickup with more output? Would it alter the tone at all? I already use an overdrive to push the tubes of my amp during solos, would the sound get too fuzzy if I turned on the overdrive pedal and the micro amp at the same time or would it be ok? Thanks!

  • i have a question, i need to put the MXR micro amp after or before the fuzz/ overdrive??

    and what about the other efects, like delays and modulations effects?

  • @ionian08 -You'll probably want to put it at the very end of your signal chain, but feel free to experiment. There are no rules, and you might find you like it better somewhere else.

    -PGS Video Crew

  • @ProGuitarShopDemos but the normal its put on the final of the signal chain??

    thanks

  • @ProGuitarShopDemos What about if you have a buffer pedal in your signal chain too? Before or after the buffer?

  • @LegoBen - This pedal is buffered, so you may not need a dedicated buffer pedal, unless you have such a lengthy cable run that you need multiple buffers in your signal chain. Again, experimentation is key. You may find that you don't need the extra buffer, or you may find multiple buffers tonally pleasing in some way. We always recommend doing whatever sounds the best. Thanks!

    -PGS

  • @ProGuitarShopDemos

    I agree with you that this pedal should go to the end of the chain. The thing I'm not sure of is: if I have 2 signal chains (a direct one, from guitar to amp, and another one using send/return) where should I put it? At the end of direct chain or at the end of s/r chain?

  • @UniversalMind86 Are you using it to increase volume or to add gain? If it's for gain, put it in the direct chain so it his the preamp harder. If it's for volume, put it in the effects loop so that it boosts your signal before the power amp.

  • @ionian08

    before the fuzz you will boost the drive, not the volume (with fuzz pedal on). After, you will boost the volume/amp, and not the fuzz drive :)

  • I put it at the end of the chain just ahead of delay. I know they aren't always used for the same reason, but I'm pulling my MXR Dyna Comp out of my chain because of the noise and using the micro amp instead for boosting leads. This is a truly awesome addition to my chain.

  • can this make a fuzz pedal even fuzzier?

  • how much Db's of volume boost? Or does it only boost gain and clarity?

  • So what's the difference between this Micro Amp, and the CAE Line Booster? I know for a fact the CAE has a buffer, is the Micro Amp without one then? Both units claim to do the exact same thing, do it equally well, and have the same one knob.

  • Hi, Would this pedal be good for bass? As i do alot of lead work on bass. Thanks josh

  • Hey I just had a question, I was reading a forum about Jack Whites pedal boards. He uses one of these. And someone had suggested that he uses this pedal to compensate for the signal lose caused by his whammy pedal.

    I was wondering if this would work well, as I am considering doing adding to my board for the same reason.

  • would this pedal help my little big muff not to get lost in the mix?

  • Err, I thought it was a  standalone guitar amp with no speaker lol

  • So this will help you to that Stevie Ray Vaughn tone?

  • Why don't you use a lower level amp so we of the not-so-rich guitar class can know what these pedals will sound like on our Peavy Valvekings and Line 6 amps? I certainly can't afford a '65 Deluxe Reverb amp...so this pedal may sound totally different on my Peavy Valveking Combo amp...

  • I'm currently using an Xotic RC Clean Boost and an Ibanez TS-808 Tube Screamer with my Fender Roadhouse Strat into a Vox VT50, I'm having trouble with people hearing me when I solo. I've tried other pedals like the Dynaranger and distortion pedals but it ends up eating my signal, will this pedal boost the sound with my guitar going into my tube screamer, Budda Wah and then my RC in that configuration?

  • please someone answer this. what is the difference between a boost pedal and an overdrive pedal in terms of boosting an amp?

  • @TheMetalGuy01 An overdrive pedal distorts the signal and I suppose boost pedals do not do that, they only "raise the volume"

  • what about in fron of a modeling amp?

  • $80 for a gain boost?

  • imagine if your playing a song and you want to turn this on during the chorus, this gives u more volume right ? if so how could u compensate that ? i dont want evryone to go deaf u know

  • @360DegreesMusic turn it down.

  • I like that sound with or without the MXR pedal.How can I get that on my Fender Cyber Twin SE amp and Fender American Special Stratocaster.Thank You.

  • @coocooss Make sure you're using your neck pick up or the neck and middle pick up setting for a more twangy sound, and you want to try to keep your bass around 12 o'clock to 1 and a half o'clock, mids should be higher, around 3 o'clock, and your highs/treble at around 2 to 4 o'clock depending on how much twang you want in your sound. Hope this helps!

  • so if you use it for signal loss from long cables, you would still put it in front or at the end?

  • i used it as overdrive :) it's the most natural overdrive i 've ever heard! :D

  • Is this a good pedal for me to boost up my clean sound to more fat or do clean solo ? I own a AC Boost , but that's too much gain , I can't clean up my sound , thx !

  • So if I play classic rock with overdrive already on and I go for a solo, I want a pedal that'll simply make the signal louder without adding any extra distortion, just totally unchanged in tone. In my case, do I want the MXR Micro Amp or the MXR MC401?

  • @diebydeath I have the micro amp. Couldn't be happier. It doesn't affect the tone until you turn the knob past 3:00 but this pedal is so powerful and turning past 12:00 is too much of a volume boost for me so it definitely gets the job done well.

  • I tried the MXR Micro Amp Boost Pedal and it hardly gave me any Boost but it did give me more Noise and Distortion. I am using a Mesa Boogie Express 5:50 with the Contour on and the distortion level that I am satisfied with. All I need is a pedal that will give me a clean boost so I am above the band when I go into my solo. Price is not an object. What would you recommend is the best pedal for my situation? Thanks A Lot For You Help!!

  • @jungleroosternet Most 'boost' pedals introduce gain (sometimes a good thing). In your situation, the MK.4.23 or Visual Sound truetone are marketed as not oure clean boost / not introducing any gain. I tried them both. You get what you pay for. Both were pretty darn clean. The MK.4.23 I thought was cleaner, but for me VS was just fine. Any MINOR difference would not be noticeable in a live situation.

  • It boosts the OD well too ???

  • i like how it makes the sound crunchy

  • some settings to reach a boosted sound like that please...I know it will never be the same, but more or less....thanks a lot

  • I am using a Mesa Boogie Express 5:50. I have finally got the tone I want out my new amp. The only issue now is I have to be a little louder because the amp doesn't come with a Solo Boost Channel. None of my pedals go through the effect loop cause I found it subdues my tone. Would this work just as good without going through the Effects Loop? A lot of Post say the MXR CAE MC-401 Boost/Line Driver works better through the loop or would you recommend some other boost pedal? Thanks for your help.

  • @jungleroosternet - This pedal will work great in front. In fact, it was built to go in front of a tube amp. Here at PGS we put everything in front. Thanks for watching!

    -PGS Video Crew

  • @ProGuitarShopDemos So u even put delays and reverbs in front for the demos?

  • @theShowStopper321 The demo amp we use is a '65 Deluxe Reverb Reissue, no effects loop.

  • @ProGuitarShopDemos im sorry but when you say in front where would i place it? before or after on my effects chain? sorry not good in english... want to have this pedal i want to use it after the boss line selector--->to the amp...?

    question no 2: if i use this after my fx chain, can i use this as a headphone output? will it sound good? y'know so i cn practice without disturbing at night...

  • @humpreystrong - You'll probably want to put it at the end of your pedal chain. And no, you should not try to plug headphones into the output. The result will not be pleasing. Thanks!

    -PGS

  • @ProGuitarShopDemos I plugged my Boss DS-1 into headphones and it worked :)

  • @jungleroosternet - So the MXR Micro Amp Boost Pedal is fine without going through the Effects Loop. How about the MXR CAE MC-401 Boost/Line Driver? When I check out the reviews on the Video from you, a lot comments claim it works better through the loop. Is that true and should I just get the MXR Micro Amp Boost Pedal? Thanks Again for your help.

  • @jungleroosternet - In general, we prefer all boost pedals in the front, Micro Amp and CAE MC-401 included. They work equally well in that application.

  • @ProGuitarShop - Demos So which one would you recommend I buy to put at the end of my effects chain for purely a Lead Boost? What would I gain buying the MXR CAE MC-401 Boost/Line Driver for $20.00 more? Why are the comments on the CAE Video having issues going in front? I am a little confused. No comments on the Micro Amp in front so far that I've seen. Amp Issue maybe? Any clarity on this issue before I purchase would be much appreciated. Thanks A Lot!!!

  • @ProGuitarShopDemos I am planning on using mine as a solo boost (in the loop using my amps distortion). I tried the MXR 6 band EQ and it just didn't work for me in that same application.

    What are the (sonic) differences between the CAE 401 and MXR Micro Amp?

  • MXR Micro Amp Boost / MXR MC401 / Electro Harmonix LPB-1

    WHICH ONE IS BETTER?!

  • @torbjorn66 ....mxr

  • Im looking for a pedal that i can use on the clean channel of my hotrod deluxe. I want the clean tone I have, but with a little bit of overdrive on it. and i already have distortion pedals, but they just change the tone... is a clean boost what im looking for?

  • Is this a good pedal to boost a distortion pedal to get the solo sound ? or a BB / AC Preamp ? Or even a overdrive pedal ?? thx

  • if boosts dont work very well on solid state amps, would they on a vox valvetronix?

  • @TheLedGuitarist - In our experience boosts actually work well with digital amps and software amp simulators (providing your sound card has enough headroom). A good digital tube amp simulation tends to react the same way a tube amp would with a boost in front of it.

  • @ProGuitarShopDemos thanks for this, i am building a pedal board, so i am looking for future purchases \m/

  • @TheLedGuitarist - \m/

  • i have a great tone on my fender hot rod deville 410. i barely have any drive on it. the drive is barely on 2. i dont want a boost pedal screws up my tone, i want a pedal that when i need to solo will boost my volume. will this work? i do notice it does add a little bit of distortion but will that really do much to my tone that i have preset on my hot rod deville? thanks for your time - dkstryker

  • @dkstryker - This pedal is a clean boost, meaning it doesn't have distortion of it's own. It just adds clean gain that pushes the tubes in your amp harder. This is where the added amp distortion comes from. It's the same effect as putting hotter pickups in your guitar, only you can switch it on and off.

  • @ProGuitarShopDemos awesome! i really appreciate your time and quick reply! i will get one of these pedals for sure!

  • These boosts sound like crap on my amp... i really need a tube amp :(

  • @carrivera93 - Yeah, boost pedals generally don't do nice things to solid state amps. Get a good tube amp. It will change your life.

    PGS Crew

  • is the distortion inherent to the pedal? or is it just because you are trying to get that from the amp?

  • sd-1 is better.

  • Can you use this to push a tube clean amp to overdrive?

  • @PauloVento - Yes. That is the sole purpose of it's existence. Thanks!

    PGS Crew

  • @ProGuitarShopDemos I'll probably buy an actual overdrive pedal. I'm leaning towards the OCD, but there are so many good boutique pedals (hum, mantra...). Which would you pick to play with a Blues Jr.?

  • @PauloVento Have you tried the Boss Blues Driver?

  • I got a hot rod deluxe. Can the micro amp change the clean channel of the hot rod into a light transparent overdriven sound?

  • Comment removed

  • I absolutely adore the sound this thing puts out. Shame I don't have a tube amp :(

  • seems very similar to the MXR MC-401 boost. are they really that different besides the other being 18v power?

  • I don't undestand...the increase of volume doesn't seem so high...My booster is similar

  • This or the pickup booster

  • Electro Harmonix LPB1 takes a dump on this

  • So where in the pedal chain is the proper placement for this line booster?

  • So would this be good for making your solos stand out above the rythm guitar?

  • @Ajepson2 Exactly!

  • sorry for the silly question...

    but...

    ...does it add a bit of SUSTAIN to the notes if I put it IN FRONT OF an already overdriven channel?

    ...Thanx a lot! :)

  • @nalfala123 - Yes, a lot of people like the Micro Amp in the effects loop for just that purpose.

  • this is good for boost the big muff?

  • @sbandat90 Jack White uses this pedal in front of his Big Muff, for boosting his clean/overdrive sound and using it in conjunction with the Muff. that's mostly how he gets his ball-crunching sound

  • How is this one different from the EH LPB-1? I have the EH one, but I've been thinking about replacing it with Micro Amp...

  • @dnrodrigues the ehx one is better

  • The best way to get a boost from both the clean and gain channel of an amp is to run it into the amps loop. it will bypass the preamp and give a natural boost or volumne increase. This is how I use it and it works great.

  • i am thinking of getting myself a Robert keeley time machine boost pedal. Is that pedal god for the music i play, i play. AC/DC, Pink Floyd, Ozzy osbourne and metallica...

  • This is infinitely better than the GearWire demo. Andy is the shit

  • I own this pedal and I love it! I use it to boost my solos, and to balance the sound levels when switching from my LP to my Strat. I am going to be buying the MXR Micro Chorus to replace my Boss Chorus pedal too!

  • This pedal has been the first stage (after a tuner) in my pedal board with my Mesa Boogie MK III for years. It really beefs up all three channels, as a lead boost or a subtle tone change, or whenever I need a part to have a little extra "oomph". I love it.

  • What's the song at 2:20 O: ? just plain improv o: ?

  • Ok maybe another stupid question.... But what does this do with a solid state amp? I have a Marshall 100hdfx and am looking to get a little more punch from my strat... Anyone?

  • @PhantomCover makes it louder

  • does it work as an overdrive when your bypass is clean?

  • @StefanPriceUK: I use a Mesa Dual Rectifier, I needed a boost and now I've a Tube Screamer 808, it's fantastic, but this booster it's good too. I play prog like Tool and Adam Jones (Tool) had since 2002 a Mesa Dual Rectifier and he used also this MXR Microamp to boost the amp. If it blows the valve how do yo explain it? Don't worry..and play, don't worry.

  • great demo! thanks

  • Does it run with a simple 9V AC/PSA adapter? or do i have to buy a dunlop adapter?

  • i want to find a clean boost/overdrive pedal that gives a certain character to the amp...like an amp in a box i guess its called? Any suggestions?

  • is this pedal a buffer?

  • is this pedal a buffer?

  • AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! Help

  • It sounds like it adds some distortion. The truth is that there is no such thing as a clean boost it always distorts it. Even raising the amp's volume still distorts it. But what is the best to buy. Please Help

    HELP!!!!!!

    Please Fast!!!!!!!

  • would this work for boosting a distorted solo? like a metal solo with another pedal in use??

  • i think  yeah

  • It's true bypass?

  • is it goes after or before tubescreamer ?

  • after.

    this is the last pedal in my chain.

    1st. TS-9

    2nd. Chorus

    3rd. MXR Micro Amp

    It is quite possibly the best, most simple pedal in my tube arsenal. If you're about to solo or do a melodic run, just step on the micro amp and "Voila, your sound is here!"

  • @poule1975 should probably go after.

  • I have one. It's simple amp. Only increasing the volume. Nothing special, but often it's clearer than warming with overdrive pedals - less of noises