Finally! A simple rig that works!

[Aslan]

Like everyone else on this forum I have been through multiple set-ups over the years trying to get the tone I want, well 20+ amps & to many pedals to count later I have a rig that is utter simplicity:

PRS Custom 22 > Fulltone Wah > 65amp Colour Boost (rangemaster) > Orange Retro 50 Head > Orange 212 Cab

I have largely ignored treble boosters over the years because many of the amps I owned had plenty of "treble", I didn't know that the name of the pedal was not indicative of what it really did! After hearing a band play this summer up in northern Michigan, I was amazed at the different tones a player was getting out of his Marshall reissue Bluesbreaker combo, so afterward I had a chat with the fellow and found out that all he had was a Treble Boost pedal between his guitar and amp and no other effects or pedals. The tone was fat,full and very dynamic, and he could go from clean to full on distortion with small changes in the guitars volume knob. Needless to say as soon as I got back to Kansas I found a 65Amps colour boost pedal and put it in front of my Orange amp and the "tone & feel" was there. It works well with single coils also. The Orange Retro 50 only has vol, master, treble, mid and bass, no other controls or loops and I think this simplicity adds to the purity of the tone. I tried the treble booster with my Marshall Class 5 and again the results was impressive, in fact now I could actually gig the C5 because as I back off the volume knob the clean tones were loud enough for clear sounding chords. I would like to try other TB pedals like the Beano Boost & Squawk box to see how they perform, but as long as your band doesn't play metal this set-up is so easy to get a killer sound!

[OrangePaul]

I gather alot of the old pro's in the 70s used booster pedals when single channel amps were the norm. It must certainly have helped them going from clean to full on/solo boost. I think every pedal does dilute you're natural tone a little but it seems newer pedals much less so these days.

How long have you had that Retro 50? Bet they are a wonderfull amp

[Borderline Productions]

Wouldn't it be easier just to try a Telecaster? (Kind of kidding ) My friend who plays a strat got a new lease on life when he added a Demeter fat pedal to his rig. Nice that you found something to get you the sound you want.

What band in northern Michigan (I might know the guys)?

[Eddie Famine]

I have a very similiar set up as you, PRS custom 22 (Bare Knuckle Mule Pups) Vox wah.. BBE Green Ringer Boost. Line 6 Delay, OR50 head, Orange 2 12cab.
Now I want to try the 65 colour boost. Damn You!

[Captain Wedge]

I have a similar story.
I was invited to jam onstage with a few friends for 3 concerts, each averaging about 1,000 people. I asked what gear I should bring, and they told me just a guitar. They said the concert venue had an amp and pedalboard, and I could use it. I grudgingly just brought my Fender Strat. I wasn't too worried because i live just 10 minutes away from the venue. The amp setup turned out to be a NOS Blues Junior, with a Fulltone OCD, volume pedal, and tuner on the pedalboard. I figured I'd try it out for the sound check and rehearsal.
It sounded incredible!! The OCD is a freaking awesome pedal. My tone was great and the shows went well. Goes to show that you don't have to have the most expensive gear or a huge amp stack to sound great.

[amesav]

Awesome I know the feeling mine is simply orange thunderverb 50 and my Gibson les Paul standard best tone ever

[pages plexitone]

You know I keep going back and forth on that. I used a EH germanium OD into my BB reissue tonight and it sounded good (before the damn transistor got all squirrely on me) and then I plugged straight into the 71 super lead and it was groovy and then straight into the AD140 through a 4x12 of fanes and it was great as well. Sort of depends on the phase of the moon or something but yeah, a good OD pedal like yours is a good thing. (I had to look up some you tube clips as I was not familiar with it)

[St. Chris]

Yes, smart and simple. I use OD boxes (Fulltone Plimsoul) on the clean channel of Rockerverb, or just straight into the amp.

[macg1]

I have a Keeley Time Machine Boost (Java Boost which is a rangemaster treble booster + a keeley katana). I love boosts, especially with an amp that has its own drive like the rocker 30.

[mr_william]

i'm having a custom booster built...

a treble boost with a tone control, an SHO clone and an eternity clone...

all in one box, selectable by a 3 way rotary switch - depending on which boost i want.

the sho works nicely with a strat, where as the treble boost better with a les paul.

the eternity works at lower gain on the amp as i can dial in a little more gain on the pedal to get a bit more feel.

all of these on a crunchy amp, nice and simple and great tones with a variety of flavours to suit, all in a small footprint! also, its cheeper than the individual pedals would have been!

[ironlung40]

I've been rocking single channels with a good clean boost for awhile now. At the moment I play an OR120 with MV and run a mxr microamp, fulltone bass boost, bad horsie II, and a tu-2. It's all I need. I could get by with just the fulltone and the wah, though, and I find they work well with any amp I play. I run the fulltone in the clean boost setting.