Boost pedal into Barber Direct Drive

[agalamba]

I am currently playing a Strat into a barber direct drive into a dead clean amp. I need a pedal to give me a little boost for solos. I would particularly like something which would give me a little more sustain and add a little extra grind to the sound. What are your suggestions? Do you suggest a boost pedal or another OD to be used together with the direct drive? Thanks.

[MIKEH]

For adding volume to solos, the MXR Micro Amp works great. If you want a volume boost, plus a little something extra, the Fulltone Fat Boost will get you there.

[Cottage]

I just keep mine on all the time and control my cleans with the volume control. When its time to rock, I just crank the guitar. I find the DD has more than enough boost for my needs. Then again, I play mostly Blues and R&B and it works very well that way for me. Your requirements may be much different.

[agalamba]

Yeah Cottage, the thing is I play in a top20 type of band, so sometimes I need a little extra something. But I love my DD so I wouldn´t want to change its tone that much, just add a little grind really.

[Kap'n]

I would put the boost after the direct drive.

Before will add more direct drive generated dirt.

After will give more amp grind.

I suggest a Bad Bob!

[curtisstetka]

+1 on the Bad Bob.

[ziess]

What's a Bad Bob?

[agalamba]

Thanks for the replies, the Bad Bob seems like a very cool pedal, but it is a bit expensive for me right now. Have you guys tried the MXR Microamp? Would it work well with the Direct Drive?

[Kap'n]

What's a Bad Bob?

RGW Electronics

There's one on ebay right now (not mine).

[NeoFauve]

With a straight up boost pedal like that, how much do you need to be pushing the amp in the first place to get the desired result?

I've only ever used OD pedals, so I'm just curious as to, say, the "ratio" of pedal/amp levels when using a boost.
Do you need to already be pretty loud, then the boost nudges you that little extra into mojo-ville?

[Kap'n]

It depends on how much headroom the amp has.

With a tweed or a marshall, you can push the heck out of the front end, and it doesn't get stupidly loud, because they're pretty close to distorting wherever the volumes are set. It's a different distortion. It adds more of a Stones-y/Mellencamp crunch.

With a BF/SF Fender turned down low, it'll just get louder. One of those needs to be on the edge for it to work properly.

[Mikey]

Did you guys forget about the Reverend Drive Train II?
They're not making them anymore and I see them on the bay every now and then. Mine is the Sland for this sort of application.

[Kap'n]

Did you guys forget about the Reverend Drive Train II?

I had one. Similar in voice to my FDII, but IMHO, I liked the FD2 just a touch more. Not really a clean boost, but a tubescreamer variant.

[Don]

I won a Fat Bastard pedal in another Forum's holiday raffle and it'll do what you'r asking and isn't very expensive (mine wasn't anyway ;) ).

It's only got a few components in it and seems to compress the signal slightly while boosting it and making it slightly fatter. With the knob set at 8-9 o'clock it just fattens the tone a bit, over 12 o'clock and it starts getting a P-90 kind of sound. Even cranked all the way, it doesn't distort on with my early silverface amps.

I don't care for it with my P-90 and Humbucker guitars, but I'm finding myself leaving it on all the time with my Strat and Tele.

[chaz498]

I use a Keeley Compressor before the DD or an Xotic RC booster after for the boost you describe. If you are using the DD on higher gain settings the boost is better after to avoid mud. Some days though my ears tell me they sound better in a different order so YMMV.