Boost Pedal Placement - where do they go?

Boost Pedals... where should you place them? Do they go before or after overdrive or distortion? How do they differ? What is the difference in running them before overdrive and distortion or after? How does it affect guitar tone?

Today I'll answer these questions and more. Comment with which boost pedals YOU like, and where YOU like to put them!

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[wampler_pedals]

Boost Pedals... where should you place them? Do they go before or after overdrive or distortion? How do they differ? What is the difference in running them before overdrive and distortion or after? How does it affect guitar tone? Today I'll answer these questions and more. Comment with which boost pedals YOU like, and where YOU like to put them!

[genejas]

before dist: more drive
after dist: more loud

[swissarmyknight]

I have to say that a significant part of my appreciation for the Wampler brand is these videos you make.

[chuckiemiguelbacolod]

2:03 clean
2:12 OCD
3:26 tumnus+ocd
4:38 boost+OCD
5:33 TS+OCD
6:58 30somn+OCD

[explorer]

I like sound of the Tumnus into the OCD the best. The Tumnus has got me thinking. I run a boost at each end of my board. Very informative video. Thanks for taking the time to put it together.

[juddalexander]

I constantly tinker. I typically prefer color boosts before my main drive pedal. Then I like a full freq after for a vol bump. Always enjoy your vids! Peace.

[rockingstar]

I love the fact that you are willing to share and show us what are the possible combination to improve the tone. How i wish i have someone showing me this 20 years ago.

[Chrismayo]

Tube Screamer into OCD is what I run and I love it.

[yoshiobermeyer]

after seeing this for the 5th time, i start to realize the greatness of a boost. thanks, brian

[williamtrahan]

It's hard to keep my Tumnus or Tumnus Deluxe out of ANY overdrive scenario. They are so versatile. Thanks and keep them coming our way!

[GTX]

Running a clean boost in the effects loop of your tube amp opens up a whole new world of possibilities. In this config the boost not only increases your output signal to cut through the mix for your solos but also offers GREAT options for different tones. By bypassing your preamp, you are isolating the boost pedal's effect on the power section of your amp which is almost like adding additional channels into your amp depending on how you combine the boost with or without running dist in front of the preamp. This works well when you are using a hotter dist pedal like the Pinnacle - especially in an amp that is biased a bit hotter. It's a real game changer because it can mimic the same amp dynamics of a dimed up classic Marshall amp in terms of the effect your guitar volume has on tone and dynamics. Here are several options this config offers; Option 1) by foot switching off your distortion pedal and engaging the boost, it can really FATTEN up your clean tones. Option 2) by engaging both dist pedal and boost but rolling your guitar volume way back, it gives you something in between clean and crunch with a lot of bottom and depending on your amp settings, can clean up surprisingly well. Option 3) by running your dist pedal with the boost off, you can dial in good rhythm crunch tones and then engage the boost for solos to cut over the top of the mix. So there you have it. Versatility at its finest...

[mattgilbert]

I never really liked my OCD with single coils until I started boosting it. I've been running it before an Xotic AC Booster, sounds great. Gotta try putting the Tumnus pre-OCD, because that tone was rad! Like halfway between a Treble Booster and a Tubescreamer boost. Goes to show what a good K-style circuit can do. Tumnus is one of the best.

[harrisonrg]

i just wanted to say i got the tumnus pedal about a week ago and absolutely love it. it’s the best overdrive pedal period. it feels more like a amp mod in a box. it takes your amp and takes it to the next level and feels so natural. thanks for making a great pedal available and affordable. ill be getting the tumnus deluxe next. keep up the great work and thanks for all the videos very helpful

[thehound]

I use a tube screamer type first in my chain for a nice boost and bit of top, and have a color boost at the end of my drive pedals and before my modulation pedals. Both work well and give a choice of how the boost sounds. Love your vid's and products.

[LesPaul-powd]

I have and use a Fender HRD 3. Love it. I'm a gigging musician and play the clubs every week. I use an OCD and a Tubescreamer TS9 together on my pedalboard, and I push them through the clean channel. The OCD is my main sound - I use my guitar volume knobs to adjust my tone as desired - by using my guitar volume knobs, I am in better control of my rig and can dial in on the fly pretty much anything from slight crunch to balls out overdrive. I use my TS9 BEFORE the OCD to BOOST the OCD for solos and lead work- and it works beautifully !... you can even roll off your guitar volume when both pedals are engaged ( for solos) and it gives you a stronger feel and really good tone. Your guitar volume knobs are so important in dialing in good TONE. MY OCD is set at the low power setting on top, volume at 10-11, drive at 10-11 also, tone at 12. TS9 is set at volume 20clock, drive at 0, tone 12oclock. My Fender HRD3 clean channel volume is maybe at 2.5 - 3 ( it's club loud at this level). NOTE: I also push a 6 band BOSS EQ through my effects loop next to my WAMPLER TAPER ECHO and I have the best frickin tone. The EQ in the loop allows me to push the amp harder, but control the volume and still add some bass and mids - it's like taking a thick blanket off your amp and letting just breath and open up. Sorry so long. hope it helps.

[JRPmusic]

I like boost before and after overdrives. Boost after an overdrives for a lead boost. Boost before an overdrive to push a mid gain overdrive higher. What got me thinking that way was how my ADA MP-1 tube pre-amp had OV1 and OV2 and the how the over all tone would sound based on how you balanced them. Having the boost after, to me is like turning up the master volume up a bit on an amp. So, if the overdrive pedal needs to be louder, boost after it. Want the overdrive to harder hit the signal infront.

[stoneysdead]

This is a situation where I can honestly say, I use and need both. Sometimes I just want whatever tone I have to be louder, sometimes I need more saturation and growl- and so I keep a boost before and after my drive and choose accordingly. Luckily- nowadays you have a ton of options to make this happen. You can run a compressor in front of the drives, use it as a boost and a compressor- you can buy a drive with a boost built in, you can use an eq pedal as a boost and shape it whatever way you like, you can buy boost pedals, or you can use other drives as boosts and stack them, and I'm sure there are other ways as well that I don't even know about. Personally- I run a Tumnus Deluxe into an AT+ from JHS- plus I have an 1176 Cali compressor and a Neve preamp in front of the Tumnus, and a Vertex Boost after the AT+. Then I run all my wet effects through the parallel fx loop on my amp. Works for me.

[GearBoxTy]

Recently, I played a country gig. I ran a Tumnus into a Euphoria but Tumnus was not being used as a boost. The Euphoria acted as my main dirty tone (into a modified Tweed Blues Junior) and the Tumnus was kicked in for even more drive. I use the Blues Junior's footswitchable Fat feature for a boost during solos. The Tumnus combined with the Euphoria sounds AMAZING! \m/

[MrTPF]

Excellent video. Loved the subtitles on the cat! LOL!! You really spoke some truth when you said that things sound differently when you're at home and then when you're at a venue. I've done boost pedals before and after my main distortion, but there's always some variance. I guess I'd prefer before.

[fenderbender]

Lately, I've been loving the sound of running my OCD into my Empress Fuzz. That combination really tightens up the fuzz while retaining everything I love about the fuzz.