My buddy AJ came by yesterday and we spent an hour or so playing together and comparing the Duncan PB to the Boss DS-1. We had a ball!
We took turns playing my Strat with Antiquitys and '54 Tele into my '66 Deluxe Reverb, '58 tweed Deluxe and '51 tweed Super/Dual Professional.
Both of us loved the Duncan PB! We both own DS-1's and are pretty familiar with them. AJ uses his all the time...his is always on whenever he plays. I use my DS-1 only ocassionally because my amps are all tweaked to be very sensitive anyway. I don't really need an overdrive to get overdrive.
Anyways, the Duncan PB is more transparant than the DS-1. Not as honky. And it cleans up beautifully when I lower the volume on my guitar, similar to the way my DS-1 does but even clearer.
For some tones, like if I want my Tele to sound like Jeff Beck's Les Paul on the Truth album, the higher resonance and resonant honk of the DS-1 coaxes
some notes to feedback and sustain more easily. I like to play in G and A alot and get a nice growly resonant honk when I up pick the low G on my low E. The DS-1 brought out that resonant honk a little better...but it's not as clear and transparant as the Duncan PB.
The resonanace of the Duncan PB is switchable but the voicing is a lower resonance than the DS-1. The idea is to add depth and a fatter tone to a single coil pickup to make it sound a little more like a humbucker.
I think it's a great pedal!
We each took turns playing through one and then the other and then I plugged AJ into the Duncan PB and that into the DS-1 and turned them both on! I just listened to AJ play through my tweed Deluxe. My tweed Deluxes are tweaked and each have a UK made Celestion G12 Alnico speaker from the 60's in them and sound like a little 18 watt Marshall.
I swear, AJ was playing my Tele and sounded like Jimi Hendrix! He's a Hendrix nut anyway and can pull it off through most rigs but he was working out on on his take of Voodoo Chile and was nailing the feel and getting most of the tone. Especially the semi clean and growly bluesy licks on the lower wound strings.
So I'll give the Duncan Pickup Booster a big thumbs up! And the Boss DS-1 too.
And we found that just as the instructions said, the guitar sounded best plugged into the Duncan Pickup Booster first and then the output of that into other effects. Plugging the DS-1 into the Pickup Booster was cool...but the tone was smoother and much better with the PB plugged into the DS-1.
If you play a Strat, don't rout out that puppy for a bridge humbucker: just get a Duncan Pickup Booster!
I've been toying with the idea of removing my rotovibe from my effects rig and putting in a tone buffer....I usually use my sparkle drive which is an amazing pedal, but your review of the pickup booster is definitely peaking my interest, since I absolutely love my strat!
I may have to see if I can pick one up used and give it a shot...always worth a go
Thanks! If I were a guy like John (STRATDELUXER) I'd tweak the Duncan Pickup Booster's resonance switch for one setting that's a slightly higher resonance for getting just a little more honk from the G on the low E string. That's about the only thing I'd change about it and that's only because I have some pet licks that I like to play where I'll up pick and pinch that low G and make it feedback a little.
I prefer overdrives that clean up when I lower the guitar's volume control and the Duncan PB does that beautifully...even better than the DS-1 which has been my fave for that trick for quite a long time.
When I've tried modded DS-1's, they seem to lose just a little of that ability to clean up. Most tweakers mod them for deeper bass and more distortion. When they do that they shift the resonance down a little and also the pedal doesn't clean up as well.
I also compared the Duncan Pickup Booster to my mid 80's Ratt....for about 10 seconds! The Duncan was much more usable for the tones I go for.
The Duncan PB has a really natural tone...very open and not so nasal and compressed as most overdrives like the DS-1, TS-9, TS-808 and smoother than the Ratt.
Lew
Thanx for posting this Lew.
I've been in quite a dilemma as I need to pair down to one guitar and one amp. It's been a toss up between my Strat and my new LP deluxe. I know if I keep my strat I'd end up wanting to put in a Lil'59 or similar in the neck and bridge, but I don't want to lose the Strat sounds, either... I think this Duncan boost pedal will solve my problems and give me the versatility I need in one axe.
Thanx for the review. So, Lew, you can use the PB as an overdrive pedal? I thought it was a clean boost.
Originally Posted by TwilightOdysseyThanx for the review. So, Lew, you can use the PB as an overdrive pedal? I thought it was a clean boost.
It's a clean boost in that it doesn't add any square wave distortion. It's not a fuzz or distortion device like a Rat or Fuzzface or Big Muff or Fulltone '69.
But anytime you boost your guitar's signal a bunch, your amp is going to get overdriven a little easier.
Same way that a humbucker will push the input of your amp harder than a vintage Strat single coil pickup would and will result in a more overdriven tone at a lower volume setting on the amp than a vintage single coil would.
Nice!
How would you say it stacks up against the Fulltone? It sounds like it's a bit more transparent. The Fat Boost is amazing, but there is SOME colouration going on.
Originally Posted by LewguitarMy buddy AJ came by yesterday and we spent an hour or so playing together and comparing the Duncan PB to the Boss DS-1. We had a ball!
We took turns playing my Strat with Antiquitys and '54 Tele into my '66 Deluxe Reverb, '58 tweed Deluxe and '51 tweed Super/Dual Professional.
Both of us loved the Duncan PB! We both own DS-1's and are pretty familiar with them. AJ uses his all the time...his is always on whenever he plays. I use my DS-1 only ocassionally because my amps are all tweaked to be very sensitive anyway. I don't really need an overdrive to get overdrive.
Anyways, the Duncan PB is more transparant than the DS-1. Not as honky. And it cleans up beautifully when I lower the volume on my guitar, similar to the way my DS-1 does but even clearer.
For some tones, like if I want my Tele to sound like Jeff Beck's Les Paul on the Truth album, the higher resonance and resonant honk of the DS-1 coaxes
some notes to feedback and sustain more easily. I like to play in G and A alot and get a nice growly resonant honk when I up pick the low G on my low E. The DS-1 brought out that resonant honk a little better...but it's not as clear and transparant as the Duncan PB.
The resonanace of the Duncan PB is switchable but the voicing is a lower resonance than the DS-1. The idea is to add depth and a fatter tone to a single coil pickup to make it sound a little more like a humbucker.
I think it's a great pedal!
We each took turns playing through one and then the other and then I plugged AJ into the Duncan PB and that into the DS-1 and turned them both on! I just listened to AJ play through my tweed Deluxe. My tweed Deluxes are tweaked and each have a UK made Celestion G12 Alnico speaker from the 60's in them and sound like a little 18 watt Marshall.
I swear, AJ was playing my Tele and sounded like Jimi Hendrix! He's a Hendrix nut anyway and can pull it off through most rigs but he was working out on on his take of Voodoo Chile and was nailing the feel and getting most of the tone. Especially the semi clean and growly bluesy licks on the lower wound strings.
So I'll give the Duncan Pickup Booster a big thumbs up! And the Boss DS-1 too.
And we found that just as the instructions said, the guitar sounded best plugged into the Duncan Pickup Booster first and then the output of that into other effects. Plugging the DS-1 into the Pickup Booster was cool...but the tone was smoother and much better with the PB plugged into the DS-1.
If you play a Strat, don't rout out that puppy for a bridge humbucker: just get a Duncan Pickup Booster!
Excellent Lew! Great post...I figured if I liked what it did,then you would also..It's an inexpensive solution to some added tonal versatility....It's a mainstay on my own pedal board Lew...Glad you like it and your buddy AJ also.
John
Originally Posted by LewguitarThanks! If I were a guy like John (STRATDELUXER) I'd tweak the Duncan Pickup Booster's resonance switch for one setting that's a slightly higher resonance for getting just a little more honk from the G on the low E string. That's about the only thing I'd change about it and that's only because I have some pet licks that I like to play where I'll up pick and pinch that low G and make it feedback a little.
I prefer overdrives that clean up when I lower the guitar's volume control and the Duncan PB does that beautifully...even better than the DS-1 which has been my fave for that trick for quite a long time.
When I've tried modded DS-1's, they seem to lose just a little of that ability to clean up. Most tweakers mod them for deeper bass and more distortion. When they do that they shift the resonance down a little and also the pedal doesn't clean up as well.
I also compared the Duncan Pickup Booster to my mid 80's Ratt....for about 10 seconds! The Duncan was much more usable for the tones I go for.
The Duncan PB has a really natural tone...very open and not so nasal and compressed as most overdrives like the DS-1, TS-9, TS-808 and smoother than the Ratt.
Lew
Lew....You can't mod the SFX-01 because it uses all micro technology components on the whole board...I only saw one poly cap on the whole board that can be changed....I just put the blue LED in mine and otherwise I Like it as is...I Like the center resonance position the most....
John
The transparency is why I don't mess with any other booster or gain peda;. I hate pedal coloration, HATE IT!! lol My amps sound great and when boosted I get more of the natural tone I love. The SD is the most natural I have tried.
Originally Posted by TwilightOdysseyNice!
How would you say it stacks up against the Fulltone? It sounds like it's a bit more transparent. The Fat Boost is amazing, but there is SOME colouration going on.
The '69 is very differant from the Duncan PB. The '69 is more of a fuzz or distortion unit and doesn't clean up as well when I roll the volume of my guitar down to 5. Lew
Originally Posted by kevlar3000The transparency is why I don't mess with any other booster or gain peda;. I hate pedal coloration, HATE IT!! lol My amps sound great and when boosted I get more of the natural tone I love. The SD is the most natural I have tried.
100% agreement. #2 would be my MIJ Boss DS-1.
Originally Posted by STRATDELUXER97Lew....You can't mod the SFX-01 because it uses all micro technology components on the whole board...I only saw one poly cap on the whole board that can be changed....I just put the blue LED in mine and otherwise I Like it as is...I Like the center resonance position the most....
John
I figured the same thing: if you liked it, I'd like it!
Originally Posted by LewguitarThe '69 is very differant from the Duncan PB. The '69 is more of a fuzz or distortion unit and doesn't clean up as well when I roll the volume of my guitar down to 5. Lew
Exactly....The SFX-01 is just an overall transparent booster and an EQ fattener that makes a single coil sound quot;likequot; a fullsized humbucker...It's not an overdrive,fuzz,or distortion device at all...Like Lew already stated earlier though.if you boost the pedal,you hit the preamp of your amp harder and it makes it easier to goose more overall gain from the input..
John
Very nice review Lew, it was actually sort of odd reading through it at first as my name is AJ as well!
Even though i'm not sure if i have a use for it im getting more and more gas for one of these things! I definately want to try one in the future, I would like to have one to use as a boost for solo's, but seeing as i don't take many solo's i doubt i could justify the cost.
Anyway, nice review Lew.
I can't comment on the SD pedal but I have a Bad Bob Booster and it sounds like the two pedals are pretty similar. A clean boost is a great, great thing, especially if you have a non-mv amp that you sometimes need to play at bedroom levels.
That does it...all this stomp box talk...I am not on the hunt for a SD Booster and a Fulldrive 2!
Great review Lew. I was hoping you'ld like it too.Originally Posted by STRATDELUXER97Lew....You can't mod the SFX-01 because it uses all micro technology components on the whole board...
John
John, I have the equipment and experience to change those kinds of components. The trouble is, I wouldn't know which to change.
I'd like to get another one to quot;experimentquot; with, 'cause I don't really want to mess with mine. But . . . one thing at a time.
Originally Posted by ArtieTooGreat review Lew. I was hoping you'ld like it too.
John, I have the equipment and experience to change those kinds of components. The trouble is, I wouldn't know which to change.
I'd like to get another one to quot;experimentquot; with, 'cause I don't really want to mess with mine. But . . . one thing at a time.
I have the equipment and know how to make changes also,but I Like the pedal as it is...
John
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