# Help me choose a boost for my 6505



## grogarage (Mar 27, 2010)

we are entering the recording studio next week,have a chance to get a used Boss SD-1 moded by keeley for 100$, a new TS-7 for 70$ or a used TS-9 for 120$, I'm realy interested in the moded SD-1, did some Y-TUBE
search to find a shootout style review but some feedback would be apreciated.

thanks


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## Xiphos68 (Mar 27, 2010)

Why not try Satch's (Joe Satriani) Satchurator
pedal?


Vox Joe Satriani Satchurator Distortion Guitar Effects Pedal and more Guitar Effects at GuitarCenter.com.

Just check it out dude.


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## Evil7 (Mar 27, 2010)

Can someone explain why a tube amp needs a "boost"... Cant you just ease off settings and turn the volume up giving yourself a "boost".

I can understand if the boost is just for use in solo parts ect... something you want forward in the mix. 
I dont understand why people always need a boost. 
Note.. this is really an honest real question


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## budda (Mar 27, 2010)

People want a boost for:

tighter low end
focused mids
more percussive tone

Some amps do the "boosted tone" without a pedal out front, others do not. I was deadset against boosting for years, tried a ZW OD pedal with no tone change on my old 212 combo, tried a TS7 in store didn't like it, took a chance on my TSovChaos (modded Ts7) and I can't go back. I would not own my mesa if I did not boost it. There's a difference between a clean (volume) boost and the type of boosting we commonly refer to here.

To the OP - craigslist or kijiji, get a used maxon OD808. You should not be paying $120 for a TS9.. you should be able to get a good tubescreamer for $80-$100.


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## Imdeathcore (Mar 27, 2010)

depending the type of music than you play i would choose a maxon 808 or an TS-9 both are amazing for metal and other heavy stuff. but they're not only used for metal. what kind of music do you play? for me a boost 'adds more of everything to your tone'.


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## grogarage (Mar 27, 2010)

we play melo-deth in the style of Carcass/ArchEnemy, thanks!

I realy want to know about the modded SD-1 

Also, i use a MXR 10 band eq in the loop and there's a ''gain'' slider on it, should i consider this fonction as a boost?


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## Arsis (Mar 27, 2010)

My od808 Tightens the my 5150 the fek up. Adds a little compression and gain. Pronounces mids, shaves off some mud on the bass. Lots of tube amps don't need one. For the modern tighter tones of now a days a boost gets shit done. I'm sure they can be used for leads and such aswell, I just don't know how to do it.

To the OP. Of those 3 I have only tried a TS9 and it did some tone coloring I didn't like too much. That's why I went with the 808. I would love to try the keeley Modded.

EDIT: I was beat to the boost explanation.


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## sentagoda (Mar 27, 2010)

maxon od808


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## JPhoenix19 (Mar 27, 2010)

grogarage said:


> Also, i use a MXR 10 band eq in the loop and there's a ''gain'' slider on it, should i consider this fonction as a boost?



Not really. It's not going to have the same effect as an overdrive pedal would.

I've never tried boosting a 6505, but I can say that I liked how my stock TS7 sounded as a boost and I'll probably like it even better when I get it back from Joe (Chaos mod FTW)!

A new TS7 shouldn't be more than $40 US, not sure how it is in Canada,


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## Evil7 (Mar 27, 2010)

I have a 6505+ and it has miles of gain, you can have too much gain... it goes really fizzy.. and volume = too Loud haha...

I use a ten band eq to sculpt a tighter tone.... 
So i was just curious to why someone would even need a boost type pedal. Tone seems to be created by your eq/gain settings..
This boosting idea still sounds odd to me.


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## Leuchty (Mar 27, 2010)

Evil7 said:


> I have a 6505+ and it has miles of gain, you can have too much gain... it goes really fizzy.. and volume = too Loud haha...
> 
> I use a ten band eq to sculpt a tighter tone....
> So i was just curious to why someone would even need a boost type pedal. Tone seems to be created by your eq/gain settings..
> This boosting idea still sounds odd to me.


 
Its kinda like turbocharging your amp. A turbo forces more air in, faster. And OD (set as a clean boost) will force more input into your amp. Kinda like using hotter than hot pickups.

Now, the other reason is the circuit of the pedal. All pedals have a different tone or "flavour" some have more mids and less bass some have less mids and more bass. This ADDS to the preamp circuit. Giving you more tonal options that the amp can't do on its own.

Yes, some amps have more than enough gain. But, with an OD style boost you can back off the amps gain (the fizzy stuff) and add in the boost which will replace it with USABLE gain.

Generally, 808's and TS9's & 7's will be the best combination with a Peavey, Mesa, etc.

However, MY favourite is...


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## sami (Mar 27, 2010)

6505's like TS9 or 808's. But maxon's the way to go. I went through trying a few OD's. I must say the Boss OD-3 and 6505 do NOT go together.


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## Despised_0515 (Mar 27, 2010)

Cheeseblocks Scream Cheese OD.

The Junior if you just wanna get your feet wet.
CheeseBlocks sCream Cheese Jr. Overdrive guitar pedal! - eBay (item 180482922224 end time Mar-28-10 13:43:15 PDT)

The 2.0 if you're all in.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Red-CheeseBlock...eNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem#ht_4287wt_1167

I have the oldest 1.0 first run of these pedals and it sounds amazing.
Really adds that extra "juiciness" and "umph" to your tone.
Clean boosted it sounds great or even with the drive just up to about 9 o'clock it still stays rich and clear.
Doesn't rob any of your signal (some OD's steal bass) and is totally up to par with any modded 9 or 808 OD you'll find.


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## MaxOfMetal (Mar 27, 2010)

Xiphos68 said:


> Why not try Satch's (Joe Satriani) Satchurator
> pedal?
> 
> 
> ...



The Saturator is not a boost/OD pedal, it's a distortion. His new Ice 9 on the other hand......


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## Key_Maker (Mar 27, 2010)

Evil7 said:


> I have a 6505+ and it has miles of gain, you can have too much gain... it goes really fizzy.. and volume = too Loud haha...
> 
> I use a ten band eq to sculpt a tighter tone....
> So i was just curious to why someone would even need a boost type pedal. Tone seems to be created by your eq/gain settings..
> This boosting idea still sounds odd to me.



A couple of years ago i thought the same way that you do but someday a said "let see all that boost going on, why every record and player uses and i don't understand whay?, mmmm this looks nice (gt-od), *plug in my amp and turn it on*, woooooooooaaahhhhh! it's tight as hell! it cuts like a sharp knife! woooooaaah! this is brooootaaaal! i can play in A and it doesn't get muddy!"

It's not a matter of gain, it's the feeling and reaction of the amp, the way that the mids are push in the mix from the gain of the amp is completely different and adds some lovely feel to the playing, you realise that it's not necesary tons of distortion, it's the right kind of distortion that you get IN THE MIX that matters most.


MXR GT-OD  (Level at 1 o'clock, tone at 1 o'clock, gain at 0, tight!)


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## Andii (Mar 27, 2010)

Evil7 said:


> I have a 6505+ and it has miles of gain, you can have too much gain... it goes really fizzy.. and volume = too Loud haha...
> 
> I use a ten band eq to sculpt a tighter tone....
> So i was just curious to why someone would even need a boost type pedal. Tone seems to be created by your eq/gain settings..
> This boosting idea still sounds odd to me.



The term boost is misleading. It should be called preamp filtering. The TS pedals have a high and low pass filter. It's a lot more than a clean boost which would pointless. 

When "boosting" the drive knob is at zero and you use the tone and gain knobs to taste, but simply having the pedal engaged and the gain at 12 it's filtering what's going into the front of your amp.

It tightens up the sound and makes everything more saturated yet clearer. You can turn down the gain and get a new sound that's super tight, yet still has more gain and oomph than normal. 

It's a silly sounding concept that uses something you wouldn't expect, but it's the most amazing trick ever. Most all engineers never record an amp without putting a TS in front unless it's an ENGL, in which case it sounds like they have that circuit in there.(but some people boost them anyway)

I hope that explains it, because I was like WTF at first too.


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## warlock7strEMG (Mar 28, 2010)

Maxon OD9, only boost/OD you will ever need


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## DrakkarTyrannis (Mar 28, 2010)

Bloody Murders are the key to life


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## Bloody_Inferno (Mar 28, 2010)

MaxOfMetal said:


> The Saturator is not a boost/OD pedal, it's a distortion. His new Ice 9 on the other hand......




Correct, though I do use it as boost myself... for low amp gain settings admittedly, which isn't exactly the same as what this topic is about. I'm using the TS9 for my "real" boost at the moment.... that is until I get an Ice 9.


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## BuscemI (Mar 28, 2010)

I use a TS9 through my 6505+ and it sounds great.


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## Thep (Mar 28, 2010)

Digitech bad monkey, you can find them used for around 30 and they are every bit as good. Plus, i don't like following the crowd if you know what I mean.


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## budda (Mar 28, 2010)

yes, the bad monkey is also a great one - it's more or less a TS808 as i recall, but stupid cheap, not quite as heavy-duty construction (re-house it and you're laughing), and will get the job done quite well.

You can thicken up the tone while still boosting, by turning up the drive knob. Usually people keep the drive knob between 0 and 2 of 10 when boosting. I've boosted with drive at 0, 1, and 2, and the level knob at 6, 8, and 10.


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## warlock7strEMG (Mar 28, 2010)

DrakkarTyrannis said:


> Bloody Murders are the key to life



shit!!! i keep forgetting about these!!! yes, Bloody Murders are the shit, especially for clean boosting a high gain amp, as they stay really clean with the Drive at 0. 

neither the BM or the OD9 have that obnoxiously honky or nasal midhump thats commonly associated with OD pedals(BM barely has a midhump) and neither cut out much noticeable bass, they just seem to filter it instead, so-to-speak, to make it tighter. i just prefer the OD9 because its got some grit and dirt to it, esp with the Drive turned up a bit. makes it great for turning a mid gain amp like mine into fire breathing beast


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## Xiphos68 (Mar 28, 2010)

MaxOfMetal said:


> The Saturator is not a boost/OD pedal, it's a distortion. His new Ice 9 on the other hand......


I figured it would work too.


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## Bloody_Inferno (Mar 28, 2010)

Xiphos68 said:


> I figured it would work too.


 
It does to an extent. Of course you'll be setting the gain level to about 0-1 and the tone down as well for effective use. If anything, it's like boosting a low/mid gain amp (or a clean channel at breaking point) with a Boss DS-1. The Satchurator has a very boomy creamy distorted sound that's perfect for that particular situation. 

I've tried it with high gain settings, but it was a tad too wooly and fizzy for tight rhythm, which is what the purpose of the boost is for, well at least in the metal context anyway. Plus the More switch became superfluous. I ended up going back to the TS9 for metal and use the Satch for rock and changing my gain settings instead.


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## drenzium (Mar 29, 2010)

Any pedal by joe bodenhamer.

Or if you cant get that, maxon od-808


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## budda (Mar 29, 2010)

and bear in mind that joe mods pedals, when he can.


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## loktide (Mar 29, 2010)

Maxon OD808

i also have a TS7 modded to TS808 specs and a bodenhammer 'bloody murder' boost. they're both great pedals and sound good, but i must admit i like the maxon od808 best.


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## grogarage (Mar 29, 2010)

Thanks to all for the feedback, greatly apreciated, i finally found a Maxon od808 for 100$, wich i think is fair. I'll get it wensday, cant wait to try it and see what the magic is all about


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## Evil7 (Mar 29, 2010)

grogarage said:


> Thanks to all for the feedback, greatly apreciated, i finally found a Maxon od808 for 100$, wich i think is fair. I'll get it wensday, cant wait to try it and see what the magic is all about


Post your thoughts , I'll make sure to recheck the thread.
I want to know what it does for you.


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## Tukaar (Mar 29, 2010)

grogarage said:


> we play melo-deth in the style of Carcass/ArchEnemy, thanks!
> 
> I realy want to know about the modded SD-1
> 
> Also, i use a MXR 10 band eq in the loop and there's a ''gain'' slider on it, should i consider this fonction as a boost?




On the Heartwork tours, I think Ammot and Steer used a first generation Marshall Guv'nor pedal in front of their 5150s. I love the Heartwork tone.


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## sami (Mar 29, 2010)

^ Yep, they sure did. The current ones (Guv'Nor 2) aren't the same, so don't think about getting that one. I often see one of the original Guv'nors on craigslist here and there. ~$110.

But a Maxon OD808 is TOTALLY worth it. Congrats!!!


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## Tukaar (Mar 29, 2010)

sami said:


> ^ Yep, they sure did. The current ones (Guv'Nor 2) aren't the same, so don't think about getting that one. I often see one of the original Guv'nors on craigslist here and there. ~$110.
> 
> But a Maxon OD808 is TOTALLY worth it. Congrats!!!



The Guv'nor 2 is almost more like a distortion unit, rather than an OD, right?


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## Sweetnothing (Mar 29, 2010)

I'm using a stock sd1 as a boost for my 6505...it's harsh ( compared to the ts9/808/820) but it's ok if you don't add any gain with it, just volume 

My fave is....well, depends on the situation as some are better suited for different styles or amps...but the maxon 820 or 808 would be the one I guess


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## blackrobedone (Mar 30, 2010)

My vote is for the Ibanez TS-9. I compared it directly with a Maxon 808 and a MXR Distortion III just last week. The Maxon is too whimpy, and adds too much crunch to an already crunchy amp (ENGL Blackmore or Krankenstein, in my comparisons). The MXR Distortion III was second only to the TS-9, for rhythm tone, as again the Maxon 808 adds too much upper mids and everything becomes noisy and sloppy even at low settings. It works fine for lead work though.
Another thing, you can boost the level of the TS-9 without adding excess hiss, unlike the Maxon 808.


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## sami (Mar 30, 2010)

Tukaar said:


> The Guv'nor 2 is almost more like a distortion unit, rather than an OD, right?



yeppers!


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## grogarage (Mar 30, 2010)

blackrobedone said:


> Another thing, you can boost the level of the TS-9 without adding excess hiss, unlike the Maxon 808.


 
didnt know that...hmmmm


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## mattofvengeance (Mar 30, 2010)

I'd go with a Chaos modded TS7. The pedal absolutely slays, and its in the Tone Lok metal casing which is more rugged and allows for you to save your settings by pushing in the knobs. It definitely got the best out of my 5150II in the short time that I owned it. I'm actually trying to unload my TS7, so if you want it hit me up.


*This is not just a shameless plug. Even if I didn't own one and were trying to sell it, I would suggest it.*


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## victim5150 (Mar 30, 2010)

This doesn't get a lot of love on here but it works great. The TC Electronics Nova Drive. It's an analog Overdrive and Distortion pedal that's digitally controlled. I have it in the front of my 5150 III and use it mainly on the clean channel to get some slight dirt for bluesier tones but do occasionaly use it as a tone shaper for the rhythm and lead channels. A major bonus for me is it's integration into my G-system. With a Y-split MIDI cable it becomes an internal parameter in the G- System. I can then control the OD level with my expression pedal which is a really cool feature.


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## ykcirj (Mar 31, 2010)

CYBERSYN said:


> However, MY favourite is...



Thats good to know. I am actually getting a GT OD in the mail today hopefully. I can't wait to try it on my 6505. What settings would you suggest for a great rhythm tone?


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## Leuchty (Mar 31, 2010)

ykcirj said:


> Thats good to know. I am actually getting a GT OD in the mail today hopefully. I can't wait to try it on my 6505. What settings would you suggest for a great rhythm tone?


 
Cool man! you will be the next person to rave on about this pedal. 

Just set it as a standard boost. output on 10, gain on 0 (sometimes I put a pinch more), tone I usually keep at about 11:00 because I like it a little darker.

REMEMBER: Keep your gain down.


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## grogarage (Apr 1, 2010)

Ok, i bought the Maxon od-808 (gain-min, level-max, tone 10 o'clock)and here's what it did to my 6505: MAGIC!!!

For someone who doesnt play guitar (read my GF)the difference might not be that big but for serouis players, now i understand what so many people said on this forum. The best way i can describe it, it's like too much good gain, usable, you hear every notes of a chord, it's articulate and it gives a different attack, it smouths out the highs, like i stoled the tone from an album produced by Andy Sneap... i could keep going trying to describe the result but i highly recommand to try it for yourself.

I didnt compare (shootout style) the maxon to any other OD, but so far i'm really satisfied with the results, i even surprised myself dialing a bluesy tone and attempting to play SRV style...This is a piece of equipment that will be in my rig for a long time cuz it's usefull for a lot of different style.

GET YOURSELF A GOOD OD PEDAL !!!


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## ykcirj (Apr 1, 2010)

grogarage said:


> Ok, i bought the Maxon od-808 (gain-min, level-max, tone 10 o'clock)and here's what it did to my 6505: MAGIC!!!
> 
> For someone who doesnt play guitar (read my GF)the difference might not be that big but for serouis players, now i understand what so many people said on this forum. The best way i can describe it, it's like too much good gain, usable, you hear every notes of a chord, it's articulate and it gives a different attack, it smouths out the highs, like i stoled the tone from an album produced by Andy Sneap... i could keep going trying to describe the result but i highly recommand to try it for yourself.
> 
> ...


 

Thats a good description for what my OD is doing aswell. I just got the GT OD in yesterday. haven't used it much since It was late and I wasn't able to turn the amp up too loud. But with the amp's gain on 2.5 and the pedal's gain on 1 you can get a great metal tone. Even when the gain is turned to 4 it sounds thicker but still useable gain. I'm really liking the effect it has on the overall sound. You can get alot more saturated tones but retain clarity. It's very subtle as you've said. But it's great. Can't wait to work more with it. I need to buy an isp decimator now to tame the feedback


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## angryman (Apr 1, 2010)

I've tried the Boss SD1, Ibanez TS9 & TS9DX & Keeley modded TS9 , Digitech Bad Monkey, Zakk Wylde OD, Maxon OD9 & OD808......

After (way too many) hours of tweaking, re tweaking & tweaking again I settled on the Maxon OD808 in the end as it added a very organic openness to the tone, smoothed out the shrill high end nature of the 5150 & really tightened up my tone giving it a very percussive & punchy sound....Absolutely amazing for chugs & totally nails that Djent tone.
It was also the most transparent of them all to my ears & gave me the tone I hear in my head!

All the other boosts were great but not what I was looking for!
The Maxon OD9 was close but added a bit too much grit to the tone.

Boss SD1 sounded great but gave the tone a kind of Solid State sound, very good for that Fear Factory kinda vibe.

TS9 was great too but again added too much grit for my tastes & wasn't as transparent as the OD808.

TS9DX had too much drive & coloured my tone way too much, whatever settings I tried sounded too muddy. Sounded cool on the Green channel with Crunch tho!

Keeley Modded TS9 sounded cool but sounded nothing like I expected & didn't really do anything different than the TS9 except add more Bass.

Bad Monkey was actually my 2nd favourite, I wasn't expecting such a cheap pedal to work so well. It's great value, great tone, & quite alot of control since it has a seperate High & Low EQ on there. Definitely worth a try!

Zakk Wylde OD was just too hot for my tastes & I love Gain, probably better for Marshall.

All of these are obviously my humble opinions but I hope they help


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