Bad Bob vs EP Boost

[Gringo13]

Does anyone have experience with these pedals? I've never played either of them, but both seem good for my needs. I play Teles into a Bassman LTD and a tweed Champ. The only other pedals I use are a tuner and sometimes a volume pedal.

I love my current tone and curious how these differ for giving me a little "more" of what I already like?

[Fuzzblaster]

TC Electronics Spark Booster has all of what they have and more, seriously check it out!

[bossking7]

The EP gets a lot of hype around here, but I've never used one. I use a GE7 and its great.

[Gringo13]

Originally Posted by FretsonFire

TC Electronics Spark Booster has all of what they have and more, seriously check it out!

Thanks. I've heard it's a good pedal, but I prefer a one knob (two at the most) pedal. I don't like pedals very much because I spend too much time dialing them in for shows and such.

[fezz parka]

You know my choice.

[Gringo13]

Originally Posted by fezz parka

You know my choice.

True story. Where do you think I got the idea to use this in-between my Tele-Tweed!? I'm not just a pretty face, ya know... sometimes I actually pay attention. Haha

[Dr. Pants]

Well, I know that those users of the EP
will gnash their teeth, and tell me I'm wrong,
but I seriously believe the EP Boost is mostly
hype.

It's the 1980's rack fad or SUV trend in miniature.


And I'll bet most of those who rave over it haven't used
it at stage volume. It sounds great at home. On stage,
it creates excess distortion and flabby lows.

I can't speak to the Bad Bob, but people I respect speak
highly of it. It seems that a boost either needs to be
completely flat ("transparent") or have some kind of control
over the frequencies produced. Because what happens at
stage volumes is very different from living room volumes.
This has been true of every boost I've tried that didn't produce
a completely flat eq curve.

[davidge1]

I tried out an LPB1 at a band rehearsal once... it worked great. That seemed to me like it was flat EQ'd... I didn't notice any difference in tone.

[damaged]

Haven't played the bb but the ep is good for fattening things up. I'd say it's not a transparent boost though, it does have its own specific eq. I run nine after dirt and before delay works well there.

[swleamon]

Originally Posted by Dr. Pants

Well, I know that those users of the EP
will gnash their teeth, and tell me I'm wrong,
but I seriously believe the EP Boost is mostly
hype.

I won't tell you that you're wrong, because it's nothing more than your opinion. Not an absolute.

So why is just hype? You didn't tell us why you believe it is.

The EP Boost is not transparent at all. It has a very signature sweetening - that is why many people dig it. It does something that isn't easily quantifiable.

Are there better option for only boost? Most certainly. I keep mine at unity, always on, just for the character it adds to my tone.

[Dr. Pants]

Okay, fine here it is.

For one thing, Xotic is something of a big deal
right now. The way Analogman, Keeley and a
few others were some time back. Secondly,
there are many who are suggestible, and a well
known popular company, coupled with a fair amount
of buzz leads to expectation. This creates a psychological
climate and frame of mind where the what the listener
hears is a product of what they believe.

i know more than a few who used monster racks
and have said after the late 80's and early 90's were behind
us, that they don't know what they heard in all of that stuff.
Same for the ADA MP-1.

I'm not going to debate with you Leamon. You don't care for my opinion
(and I *never* claimed it was anything else, so careful about putting words
in my mouth) and you really don't like the fact that I challenge popular,
trendy sacred cows around here. So I've answered you and will not respond
to you further here or elsewhere ever again.

[swleamon]

Originally Posted by Dr. Pants

Okay, fine here it is.

For one thing, Xotic is something of a big deal
right now. The way Analogman, Keeley and a
few others were some time back. Secondly,
there are many who are suggestible, and a well
known popular company, coupled with a fair amount
of buzz leads to expectation. This creates a psychological
climate and frame of mind where the what the listener
hears is a product of what they believe.

i know more than a few who used monster racks
and have said after the late 80's and early 90's were behind
us, that they don't know what they heard in all of that stuff.
Same for the ADA MP-1.

I'm not going to debate with you Leamon. You don't care for my opinion
(and I *never* claimed it was anything else, so careful about putting words
in my mouth) and you really don't like the fact that I challenge popular,
trendy sacred cows around here. So I've answered you and will not respond
to you further here or elsewhere ever again.

Whatever. You just like to be the guy that's "too cool" for popular stuff. You failed to give a rational explanation. Honestly, I don't think you can look at things objectively. If you had said, "I don't like the EP Booster because the of the coloration (et al)." That would be perfectly fine.

I don't get the connection to 80's rack gear. That's pretty far fetched, sir.

No one put words in your mouth. Read carefully. And do not forget - you are the one that threw down the gauntlet.

Has it ever occurred to you that perhaps they are popular because their products are - dare I say - good?!?!

Reduction of what you said: I don't like the EP Booster because Xotic is popular.

Of course you'll run away and not answer. The sure sign of someone recognizing their faulty position and knowing they can't rationally defend it.

[schenkadere]

Easy fellas...this isn't TGP...I personally have no desire for an EP...doesn't mean it doesn't work and sound great for swleamon...I don't think he's basing it on hype...just his ears.

I'm with you Dr. Pants...but if it works great for swleamon...fantastic! I'm sure it has a lot to do with your guitars and rig.

[swleamon]

Originally Posted by schenkadere

Easy fellas...this isn't TGP...I personally have no desire for an EP...doesn't mean it doesn't work and sound great for swleamon...I don't think he's basing it on hype...just his ears.

I'm with you Dr. Pants...but if it works great for swleamon...fantastic! I'm sure it has a lot to do with your guitars and rig.

Exactly. It's preference and all the other factors. If I didn't like how it sounded, I wouldn't use it. For me, it works best for clean, moderate levels. It's tone sweetening doesn't translate as well with a lot of gain.

[fezz parka]

I plug in the Bad Bob, turn it on and leave it on stick it in back of the amp. Ride the volume control on the guitar. It colors the sound a little, but it does it in a wonderful way. And it's good across the board: LP=good, Tele=good, Strat=good, Peavey T27=good. Buckers, SC's., P90's, Superferrites etc. It's a terrific little box, and aside from my tuner, the only one I use everytime I play...

[Gringo13]

So far I've deducted that the EP adds its own flavor to the tone and that at higher volume/gain may not perform as well. My tone is a lot like the Stones/Black Crowes, so I usually run my tweed amps between hairy clean and full-on dirty, depending on the song. It seems like the EP may not be as good for me and that more of a transparent boost is needed.

Does this seem right?

[Gringo13]

Originally Posted by fezz parka

I plug in the Bad Bob, turn it on and leave it on stick it in back of the amp. Ride the volume control on the guitar. It colors the sound a little, but it does it in a wonderful way. And it's good across the board: LP=good, Tele=good, Strat=good, Peavey T27=good. Buckers, SC's., P90's, Superferrites etc. It's a terrific little box, and aside from my tuner, the only one I use everytime I play...

Thanks for that. I've been intrigued by the Bad Bob and this is exactly how I would like to use it. Seems like the EP may not add such a usable flavor to the distortion side of my tone.

[redstringuitar]

The hyped accusations of hype directed at the EP Booster probably originated with the discovery that the circuit has nothing to do with that of the Echoplex preamp...even though the name might imply differently.

It's a pretty good sounding little pedal in it's own right IMO, particularly with single coils and on the unity setting.

To much distortion? Either lose some gain on whatever it's pushing or turn the EPB itself down (unity, the clue's in the title)

[gallred]

With your set up, you may find the EP a little bass heavy. It does add its own eq curve that, for me, tends to add a little too much lower mid. If you're looking for a straight boost take a look at the RC booster. It has bass/treb and you can dial in a little gain if needed. If not, dial out the gain and put the tone knobs at 12 o'clock and its a straight up volume boost.

Not sayin the ep is bad, but it seems to complement cleant to lower gain BF type tones (IMO). Boosted in front of a tweed type tone it gets a little unfocused in the lower regester.YMMV

[Gringo13]

Originally Posted by redstringuitar

To much distortion? Either lose some gain on whatever it's pushing or turn the EPB itself down (unity, the clue's in the title)

I may have read some responses wrong, but I was thinking they had suggested that it wouldn't sound as good as my volume goes up to gig levels. My distortion is from my amps being turned up, so this was a concern. I wasn't worried that the pedal would add too much additional distortion, but that maybe it would color my distortion too much. I see what you mean about unity, though. Thanks.