2009 TDPRI Giveaway Winners List is available HERE

dhdfoster · January 19th, 2006, 12:16 PM

Hi, I'm looking for a pedal to basically use to compensate for different volume levels in different rooms to get some breakup. I have a Tweed Twin Clone that I have sounding really good at practice, but I know the clubs around here and my volume may be an issue.

Is the Barber LTD what it claims to be? I don't want a TS. I really just want something to keep on most of the time to add some hair, depending my acceptable stage volume.

I know there are a ton of boutique boosters out there, but some cost a lot for something that should be basically transparent. Bad Bob, AC Booster, RC Booster, Sextone, etc. I guess transparency is expensive.

The LTDs sell on Ebay used for fair prices, IMHO.

Thanks, and sorry for yet another boost question. It's a sign of the times, I suppose. I can't even imagine cranking a Twin in a club today.

BB · January 19th, 2006, 01:03 PM

I don't own an LTD, but have used my buddies on several occasions. I like it! Great sounding pedal imho and I think it would be a very good choice for what you describe. I could see leaving one of these on all the time.

ruger9 · January 19th, 2006, 06:34 PM

It would be very good for what you describe. However, it DOES have a mid-hump, altho less so than a TS. I think Barber's new one, the LTD Silver, has less mids. I modded my LTD (per Dave's specs) with a mid-trim pot inside, which helps. The LTD is a great pedal, very natural sounding. Not as compressed as most overdrives. But not as transparent as...

the RC Booster- it colors tone less than anything else I've heard- but I don't know if it would have enough drive for what you want to do with it. Another great pedal, especially fed into an already-driving amp. It adds a touch of... just about whatever you want...drive or bass or treble or volume. Definitely no mid hump in this one.

As for the whole "transparency" argument, IMHO it's over-hyped. Not that transparency is a bad thing per se, but as the drive goes up, my experience has been that a little mid helps smooth things out; otherwise things can get rather harsh. YMMV.

Oh- and as for the AC Booster, it's a good pedal, but it's in the drive range of the LTD, and IMO the LTD is better.

Rob DiStefano · January 19th, 2006, 08:02 PM

My fave mild OD is the LTD - that and the Clark/Barber Gainster. Both are meticulously built with quality components, offer true bypass, sound Great, cost less than most over-the-top boutique OD pedals. YMMV.

Bob Arbogast · January 19th, 2006, 10:08 PM

I'm confident that a Silver LTD would give you what you're after. I've been using one for a while now and am quite pleased: the frequency response is very even, no mid-hump (which I did hear in the standard LTD).

Bob Arbogast

Brad J · January 22nd, 2006, 09:27 AM

is the one you want.

I have an LTD also, modded with a mid pot.
Set as a clean boost, it's still an OD to my ears.

I use the Bad Bob to add some hair and presence to my tone, and it sounds still sounds exactly like my amp. Most of my playing is at restaurant levels
(e.g. background noise).

No affiliation, but there is a Bad Bob in the TDPRI garage sale for a good price.

Jean-Baptiste · January 22nd, 2006, 02:38 PM

Yep, even the silver LTD has a strong midrange voicing. Less than the standard LTD, but it's still there. Part of the 'sonic signature' of all Barber's pedals.

Very well made, cheap and versatile, too. It adds more grit than the RC Booster and a bit less than the AC Booster, but the voicing's less neutral than the Xotic pedals.

BadBob's voicing is pretty much fixed, and with one knob, you've got a predetermined amount of grit added. Nice pedal, but perhaps less flexible than you need.

dhdfoster · January 22nd, 2006, 05:14 PM

Thanks for the replies. I have a Barber LTD on the way from Ebay. I'll see how it sounds. I'm also having my tech install 5881s and rebias, so I may not need it at all. My Carl Martin OD is a bit too Marshally with this amp, so it might work out having another flavor of OD.

Charlie Bernstein · February 1st, 2006, 09:00 PM

i can set it so it sounds exactly as though it were off. from there, i can change the volume, distort, or both. the tone knob is great - works kinda like a wah - as the treble rolls up or down, the bass rolls in the opposite direction, so you never lose anything. the voicing just changes.

only distortion pedal i've ever really liked.

dhdfoster · February 3rd, 2006, 10:38 AM

I've had this pedal for about a week now and I'm really impressed. For the most part, it just sounds like my amp turned way up. It has a bit of a mid hump, but it's musical and bottom doesn't fall out. It's perfect what I needed. As the amp warms up, I can turn the gain on the pedal lower and lower until it's just barely taking the edge of the amp. My bandmates are very happy with the volume reduction and I'm really happy with my tone. Thanks.

BoB/335 · February 3rd, 2006, 04:03 PM

Sorry wrong post

January 19th, 2006, 12:16 PM	#1 (permalink)
dhdfoster Tele-Holic Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: San Francisco, CA Age: 41 Posts: 945	Barber LTD Users, what do you think? Hi, I'm looking for a pedal to basically use to compensate for different volume levels in different rooms to get some breakup. I have a Tweed Twin Clone that I have sounding really good at practice, but I know the clubs around here and my volume may be an issue. Is the Barber LTD what it claims to be? I don't want a TS. I really just want something to keep on most of the time to add some hair, depending my acceptable stage volume. I know there are a ton of boutique boosters out there, but some cost a lot for something that should be basically transparent. Bad Bob, AC Booster, RC Booster, Sextone, etc. I guess transparency is expensive. The LTDs sell on Ebay used for fair prices, IMHO. Thanks, and sorry for yet another boost question. It's a sign of the times, I suppose. I can't even imagine cranking a Twin in a club today.

January 19th, 2006, 06:34 PM	#3 (permalink)
ruger9 Friend of Leo's Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Hackettstown, NJ Posts: 2,052	It would be very good for what you describe. However, it DOES have a mid-hump, altho less so than a TS. I think Barber's new one, the LTD Silver, has less mids. I modded my LTD (per Dave's specs) with a mid-trim pot inside, which helps. The LTD is a great pedal, very natural sounding. Not as compressed as most overdrives. But not as transparent as... the RC Booster- it colors tone less than anything else I've heard- but I don't know if it would have enough drive for what you want to do with it. Another great pedal, especially fed into an already-driving amp. It adds a touch of... just about whatever you want...drive or bass or treble or volume. Definitely no mid hump in this one. As for the whole "transparency" argument, IMHO it's over-hyped. Not that transparency is a bad thing per se, but as the drive goes up, my experience has been that a little mid helps smooth things out; otherwise things can get rather harsh. YMMV. Oh- and as for the AC Booster, it's a good pedal, but it's in the drive range of the LTD, and IMO the LTD is better. __________________ "I've got callouses, from all those nights, spent playin' a Telecaster, 'till my fingers bled Bud Light" - Travis Tritt

January 22nd, 2006, 09:27 AM	#6 (permalink)
Brad J Tele-Meister Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Perth - Western Australia Posts: 248 18 Photos	Bad Bob Boost is the one you want. I have an LTD also, modded with a mid pot. Set as a clean boost, it's still an OD to my ears. I use the Bad Bob to add some hair and presence to my tone, and it sounds still sounds exactly like my amp. Most of my playing is at restaurant levels (e.g. background noise). No affiliation, but there is a Bad Bob in the TDPRI garage sale for a good price. __________________ _ “It's one thing to have talent. It's another to figure out how to use it.” - Roger Miller 1936-1992

February 1st, 2006, 09:00 PM	#9 (permalink)
Charlie Bernstein Friend of Leo's Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Augusta, Maine Posts: 4,134	my black ltd works. i can set it so it sounds exactly as though it were off. from there, i can change the volume, distort, or both. the tone knob is great - works kinda like a wah - as the treble rolls up or down, the bass rolls in the opposite direction, so you never lose anything. the voicing just changes. only distortion pedal i've ever really liked.

February 3rd, 2006, 04:03 PM	#11 (permalink)
BoB/335 Tele-Meister Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Long Island Posts: 496	Sorry wrong post __________________ BoB/335

January 19th, 2006, 01:03 PM	#2 (permalink)
BB Friend of Leo's Join Date: May 2003 Location: Pacific NW Age: 54 Posts: 3,431	I don't own an LTD, but have used my buddies on several occasions. I like it! Great sounding pedal imho and I think it would be a very good choice for what you describe. I could see leaving one of these on all the time.

January 19th, 2006, 08:02 PM	#4 (permalink)
Rob DiStefano Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Park Ridge, NJ Age: 63 Posts: 5,157	My fave mild OD is the LTD - that and the Clark/Barber Gainster. Both are meticulously built with quality components, offer true bypass, sound Great, cost less than most over-the-top boutique OD pedals. YMMV.

January 19th, 2006, 10:08 PM	#5 (permalink)
Bob Arbogast Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Columbus, Ohio, USA Age: 49 Posts: 671	I'm confident that a Silver LTD would give you what you're after. I've been using one for a while now and am quite pleased: the frequency response is very even, no mid-hump (which I did hear in the standard LTD). Bob Arbogast

January 22nd, 2006, 02:38 PM	#7 (permalink)
Jean-Baptiste Tele-Holic Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 633	Yep, even the silver LTD has a strong midrange voicing. Less than the standard LTD, but it's still there. Part of the 'sonic signature' of all Barber's pedals. Very well made, cheap and versatile, too. It adds more grit than the RC Booster and a bit less than the AC Booster, but the voicing's less neutral than the Xotic pedals. BadBob's voicing is pretty much fixed, and with one knob, you've got a predetermined amount of grit added. Nice pedal, but perhaps less flexible than you need.

January 22nd, 2006, 05:14 PM	#8 (permalink)
dhdfoster Tele-Holic Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: San Francisco, CA Age: 41 Posts: 945	Thanks for the replies. I have a Barber LTD on the way from Ebay. I'll see how it sounds. I'm also having my tech install 5881s and rebias, so I may not need it at all. My Carl Martin OD is a bit too Marshally with this amp, so it might work out having another flavor of OD.

February 3rd, 2006, 10:38 AM	#10 (permalink)
dhdfoster Tele-Holic Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: San Francisco, CA Age: 41 Posts: 945	I've had this pedal for about a week now and I'm really impressed. For the most part, it just sounds like my amp turned way up. It has a bit of a mid hump, but it's musical and bottom doesn't fall out. It's perfect what I needed. As the amp warms up, I can turn the gain on the pedal lower and lower until it's just barely taking the edge of the amp. My bandmates are very happy with the volume reduction and I'm really happy with my tone. Thanks.

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