Need volume boost for leads

[dberch]

Greetings! Haven't been on here much lately.  Hope you're all doing well!

Been gigging in a Duo and Trio setting and find I need to boost my volume on occasion.  Mostly for leads, or when my partner switches to his 12-stirng which is louder than his bass or 6-string.

My current rig is K&K equipped guitar(s) or Banjo -> K&K Preamp -> Boss TU2 tuner -> Boss EQ pedal -> PA

I use the Boss EQ pedal to eq and cut volume when I switch to the banjo, so it's usually spoken for.. I'm looking into an MXR M133 boost pedal. Has nothing but gain and an on/off switch.  I'm not looking for any tonal change, just clean boost.

Am in on the right track?  other options?  Volume pedal sounds to cumbersome. Don't want to search for the right volume for a 12-second lead...

Thanks for your input!

dBerch

[ST]

Hi, dBerch.

Here's an article with some suggestions.
https://www.stringjoy.com/clean-boost-pedal/

[dberch]

Excellent!  Thanks, ST!  Do you have a favorite of that bunch?

[ST]

Hi dBerch,

Excellent!  Thanks, ST!  Do you have a favorite of that bunch?

No favorite from within these products.  I'm playing electric guitar most of the time and I have other kinds of gear for that.  For acoustic gigs, I sometimes bring this (old device) that works really well to boost level and it also changes the tone if I want (and I usually do) for leads.

Mesa Boogie V-Twin Preamp Pedal


And I know - that's not what you said you wanted but give it a thought. Is it enough to sound the same, just louder - for acoustic leads? Maybe you *do* want to change the tone.  That opens the doors to all kinds of options like a
Boss GT-1

ST

[headsup]

I have all but abadonded pedals for acoustic guitars (electric too for that matter).

the only real "pedal" I still use is a very old Fender Volume/tone pedal.

old school, no batteries, no AC, inside are a couple pots and string/wire, capacitors etc.

Up/down volume, and the rubber pad on top slides side to side left for bass-right for treble.

hard to find, but they're out there and worth every penny.

for you "older folks" like me, this was how the old steel players got that ooo-waaaah sound (bass-treble).

great for acoustic or electric, and unlike most (almost all) other pedals- it doesn't colour the sound you've worked so hard to get just right.

[rockstar_not]

Another EQ would do the trick.

[flatlander]

Radial Tonebone PZ pre or Radial Tonebone PZ deluxe. Excellent preamps. Designed for acoustics and a switch to set pre piezo in particular if wanted. (higher impedance)  You could set the K&K preamp to the side. (what I did) The "pre" takes 2 inputs that you can combine OR switch between. Each input has it's own level control, before they go into same EQ.
What I have 2 of as I run stereo out of guitar. K&K and UST. The deluxe has same great preamp ckt but one chan only and hence a little cheaper. Both have a boost switch that you can set boost level with. Can set on floor and activate boost with your foot. They need to be plugged in as they run on 18 volts not 9. A fact that they say is part of why they are better preamp. For the amount of price difference if you have any use at all for second input, I'd go for the big boy.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuVM-Vtz9Fs

[dberch]

Thanks for all the input!  I read it all, checked everything out, and went with an MXR M133 Micro Amp. Simple clean boost.  

Should be here in a couple days. And I'll try it out within a week. I'll be back with a review!

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MicroAmp--mxr-m133-micro-amp-gain-boost-pedal

dBerch