The Hotone XTOMP Mini has a bitching patch, I love it more than a Beano Boost believe it or not! Running a 335 through it and it’s bomber for $55! Plenty of other options if it’s not for you.
I’m a huge Sabbath fan. I’ve been chasing a modern day Iommi tone since I very first started playing, and I gotta say, at the very end what you said “so what’s that good for? Well, it’s good for this!” Queue Into the Void. Pure nostalgia, and then of course the old school Iommi photos. Put a big smile on my face. Glad you paid homage to The Godfather of metal. Thanks for the video. I enjoy your approach and style. Cheers Pete.
Yep. People tend to test them out at bedroom level and get the wrong impression. They are great when the amp is cranked but best with low gain older amps.
This video was good for explaining their purpose. A coloured booster with a high pass filter basically. A tube screamer has a similar function. They all tighten up the bass frequencies by getting rif of some of it. Does not work well on a modern amp that gets a similar sound already using preamp gain. I have found it best on those older non master volume Marshalls that usually need the bass kept really low or they sound farty.
Yeah that’s the key IMHO. This demo is way to high gain to show what a treble booster can do. You also need a dark amp (or set it darker) otherwise it’s just high end trash
Great video Pete, as usual ! I’m probably wrong, but I suspect that the main reason why the treble booster isn’t as popular as it should be (these days) is simply because the name “treble booster” doesn’t do it justice. A lot of amps are already quite bright in tone (Marshall and Fender for example) and users of those amps will tend to turn down the treble control down on the amp. So why therefore would they use a “treble booster”. However, as you know only too well the treble booster isn’t simply acting like an additional treble control for your amp, it is doing a lot more to the relationship between the guitar and the amp than simply adding more treble. It is actually “over driving” the tubes in a very specific way, emphasizing both the mid and hi harmonic frequencies, and helping to produce a very smooth, clear and saturated overdrive tone. I think if they renamed it they’d sell like hot cakes (Perception is everything!)
@@PeteThorn I honestly never hearded of that treble booster ! Great advice and bonus. I almost NEVER play on my bridge pickup, because i don't like too much treble. Mostly i ony ue my neck or neck and middle pickup and play Hendrix, Fruciante, SRV and so on. Thanks.
Anything Judas Priest associated or more to the point Glenn Tipton used I want/need to know about !! Tipton and George Lynch are my reasons for picking up Guitar in the first place !!
0:59 *Iron Man* by Black Sabbath 3:59 *Tie Your Mother Down* by Queen 7:30 *We Will Rock You* _[Solo]_ by Queen 8:08 *Victim of Changes* by Judas Priest 12:22 *Into the Void* by Black Sabbath
the Greta Van Fleet signature? Id love to get my hands on one of these. I own a similar booster, i built it on my on out of a diy kit ( musikding.de the Range) but it cuts too much bass for me
Into The Void = the heaviest riff around revealed! Very good informative video and Brian May talking about Rory influencing him in gear and tone is a bonus!
I've built a couple Rangemasters. I used to just leave it on all the time. Turn up the guitar to ooze harmonics and sustain. Turn it down for beautiful cleans. One of my favorite pedals.
@@PeteThorn And you got it absolutely right. Is the BM-guitar a Guyton? The factory BMG's are quite rough on intonation, but this one seems to sing all over the neck.
Not only did I (long overduly) delve into the treblebooster world, I actually have started making them myself together with fuzzface clones, both separately and as a two-fer pedal. That's all I personally need together with a Vox these days.
@@Mistertbones Rory was terrific at anything on guitar: legato, glissando, slide, tapping, bending ... sliding on a telecaster, the rest on his one strat 👍
Great video! It almost feels like watching a nice documentary about the Treble Booster! You've shown where it came from, you've shown how to use it and you've shown who famous used it and how. Useful and full of interesting facts! ...and lots of nice riffs from you!
What on earth does ‘underrated’ mean anymore? I think that people unthinkingly use it because it can mean anything. In other words, it is devoid of meaning.
Best pedal I ever bought (and I've got a shit ton of them) is my Catalinbread Naga Viper. The way it brings the mids to life is just amazing. Very important piece of my puzzle.
Great show. In 76 I bought a Electra MPC 310 made by Saint Louis Music co. It had a treble/bass booster module in the back. I was using a Yamaha G100B-212. It was a little dark sounding until I switched on the booster. Then I got the rock tone's I wanted.
I LOVE We Will Rock You's solo specially on how loud, fuzzy and overall "electric" it sounds, and all along it was the treble booster to thank! Definitely will grab one of those.
I think ppl don't get that you need to have the amp running hot. A lot of people are looking for low volume high gain sounds due to their domestic playing situations
An amp always sounds better cranked up a little (well they are designed for that volume); it blooms and breaths. Cracked me up when Pete said an AC30 @ 10 is not that loud (for him) 🤘. Tell that to my eardrums 😂. On a serious matter....how many guitarist suffer from Tinnitus? I found that as I play, I increase the volume a little (maybe the amp impedance increases/output drops as it gets hot). Need to watch out for that, and onset of Tinnitus.
All I can say is, IT'S ABOUT TIME someone made a video featuring the treble booster! Thank you very sincerely for bringing to light the original secret to Brian May, and Tony Iommi's tone. I had grown weary of the countless tube screamer videos that have polluted RUclips in the last decade. This was enjoyable, and took me back to my years as a touring tech in the early eighties. Rock on!
Pete,I forgot to thank you for turning me on to these a few years ago when you did a comparison of different overdrive types (I picked up a OD-1 from that video too!) I tried to get the 65 Amps model you have,but they ceased production...ended up with a Beano Boost and loved it UNTIL it went berserk at a hot outdoor show (I quickly learned how temperature sensitive germanium transistors are)...sold it and decided my next ones needed 2 things: silicone transistors and tone shaping capabilities (straight rangemaster type is just a hair too bright and thin for my setups) I ended up keeping a Catalinbread Naga Viper and an NRG Poker...they have different characteristics,but they sound fantastic,are versitle,and feel great under the fingers...they have become irreplaceable in my setups and I don't miss germanium at all...also,loved the Daredevil Silver Solo..very reasonably priced,but just too close to the Naga Viper to justify keeping it around...the only one I didn't care for was the current Laney/Black Country Custom Tony Iommi version...was wanting to love it but it just seemed to react more like a standard overdrive than a true treble booster and I could never dial the EQ to my liking...apologies for the book report,but hopefully, someone can use this info
Been saying this for years to the people that buy the same gear as their idols, and it doesn't sound that good. Always needed a bump up in the heat/sizzle/treble/eq area. It just pushes everything into the next level. Excellent job Pete!
Amazing, this even works with modelling amps.. even old ones like Guitar Rig 5, AC30 cranked.. wooly as you say, add the built in Treble boost (based on the range master) and it's instantly Brian May, great stuff Pete
Pete, I just had the treble booster revelation. Seriously. I have an Area 51 Alienist given to me by Dan and I just finally figured it out. It took me over a year. It is based off of the Dallas Rangemaster and Hornby Skewes treble boosters. I use it on my vintage Tweed Bassman amps and it has transformed my tone to a whole new level. I just Googled the Rangemaster and Hornby and found this video. I was glad to see you felt the same way. It's it the only effect I use for my base tone now.
once again smiling at my strymon sunset, realizing I already have a treble booster that I never have really explored (the tubescreamer (texas) and klon (Ge) -esque channels have kept me happy for the past 3 years)
Lol. Agreed. I love stacking treble booster especially and stand alone. It makes my current rig sound bell like and clear. Gives my rig the life it needs
I've never owned a treble booster, but always wanted to. This analysis video by Pete may push me over the edge! I'm a massive fan of the tones of Brian May and Rory Gallagher. Pete really captures May's tone here.
You know what i love pete?? That effing hum!! Its nice to hear the equipment alive and juiced. Soo much nowadays its gated, over produced etc etc. Its nice to have amp hum.
Go for it! After trying an EQ pedal to shape the sound from my guitar/pedal/amp set up (without much success), I built a simple treble booster from a kit. Best £34 ever spent! It's nothing exciting into a clean amp (thin sounding), but into an overdrive pedal (or crunchy amp) it provides a crisp sparkle, not achievable with the tone controls on the guitar, OD pedal and amplifier. This is with humbuckers on a semi-hollow guitar, which has a warm sound; the treble booster brings it to life. The booster has a treble/full range switch, I use the full boost with single coil PuPs.
Fantasic vid. My favorite tone of all time and is the tone on Judas Priest's "Unleashed in the East". Researching how to get that tone sent me down the treble booster path and eventually to this video. Love Tony's tone too. Priest recorded that album in early 78. The JCM 800 was out by then, but I dont know if they were using it yet.
I remember hearing CCR talking about why is there a Bass knob on a guitar amp :D. the treble boost is a great way to really Kick a dirty amp in the face without flabbing out.
It's there so you can turn it down! :)) Just found out from a video that Robin Trower keeps his bass and treble at zero on his Marshall with the mid at max. I don't remember which model it was but it sounded incredible!
you're absolutely right. let's not forget the edge, using a treble booster into the same ac30, huge part of the tone that usually gets ignored. everybody focuses on the delay, but a big part of the chime and the full on drive of the early stuff, that amazingly cleaned up immediately on the sustain, came from the booster. great video.
Yes I have one, great pedal. I use it in front of a Tube Screamer and into a Blackstar tube amp. I get a pretty good Gary Moore/Santana tone and decent sustain at a reasonable volume level. Essential for the bedroom guitarist imo.
Yeah I always picture that pic in my head when I hear a Brian May solo. Not to mention the amps swirling around in stereo. That guy does a lot of weird stuff with his gear.
Great video Pete! After watching yours I decided to watch a few more videos on treble boosters, but I just couldn't make it through them. There was just mindlessly noodling that went on for too long or the spacing between comparisons was too great or the content was just not high yield enough. It made me really appreciate how concisely you pack in a lot of killer information!
A really great vid, Pete. I like discovering forgotten knowledge of the times past and have been aware of treble boosters thanks to Tony Iommi, but you really showed how they make the amp sing and demonstrated it in such a natural and entertaining way including killer riffs. Thanks a lot!
That was so great! I love how much fun you were having playing the stuff as well. It shows how we all go back to being ourselves in high school when we play our heroes music.
GREAT video! Great tones! Great playing! Thank you! You're right though, Pete. People don't seem to know much about these underrated effects nowadays, but I really thinks it's at least got to be getting better (in no small part to great videos like this one!). I started playing guitar waaay back in the '60s, and treble boosters were, even then, pretty much unknown. IIRC, I first began actually hearing of them in the '70s, what with the advent of early guitar magazines like Guitar Player. Really, back in the day, we'd maybe own a fuzz and later on, an early wah. (Believe it, young players: Back then, whatever you learned was pretty much going by word of mouth-this was pre-GP mag and pre-internet/RUclips. Primitive times indeed, lol!). One day ("way back" in the late '90s) I eventually decided to ASK about treble boosters at a great local store, and the VERY knowledgeable owner kind of looked at me and... admitted he really had no experience or even any knowledge of them himself. Ha. IIRC, we simply shrugged together and agreed that, yes, they most likely boosted treble. Duh! Anyway, I eventually got myself a great Homebrew Electronics Germanium 44 Treble Booster, and discovered that, yes, it sure did a LOT more than simply boost treble. WOW! Thanks for the GREAT demo, Pete (as usual) and especially for including so much interesting history. I'm now inspired to get my Germanium44 out tonight and put in some good time making music. Thanks again!
The Auto Wah is also highly under rated as a tone shaper. If you set it to sweep up, set the highest frequency high, set it to the right sensitivity - what happens is that the frequency SHOOTS UP TO THE TOP, then it slowly drops. When you use it this way no one can tell that you’re using an auto wah because all people hear is the highest frequency. The only time anyone will hear it slide down into the lower frequencies is if you let a note sustain. But if you have some echo going on the lower notes make your guitar sound wider, and the sound covers the whole room. A Rolland Tape Echo works best for this because each successive echo loses fidelity. If you have a Hall Reverb going on, it makes your sound even BIGGER! Using an auto wah in this unconventional manner accomplishes three purposes: 1) It acts like a treble booster; 2) When sustained the low notes make your guitar sound bigger; 3) Because people can not actually tell that you’re using an auto wah, it keeps people wondering how you get your tone. Myself, I have three EQs going, in addition to the tone nobs on my amp. One of the EQs is a parametric, and one is a regular wah wah, that acts as a parametric when I’m not using it to make “wah wah” sounds. However, my tone also sounds clean/dirty, which means that if I push it a little I get an insane metal tone; but unlike most rock and metal tones, every note stands out individually - similar to Brian May and Ronni Le’Tekro. The placement of each EQ is important as well. When it comes to EQs, amps and effect peddles also need to be considered. One of my overdrives, that I use in series with an OD1, is the BOSS SD-1. The tone knob hits a particularly sweet frequency that is important in my tone. Also the Vox AC30s have a tone knob that is a particular set frequency that can be added into the mix, but the frequency itself can not be changed. Without that frequency the Vox AC30 would be an AC15, and it is also an important part of the 60s and 70s British rock tone. Delay peddles are also highly underrated as a tool for tone shaping where it is set to alter the tone, but where the delay can not be heard. There is at least [one] thing I can do with a modified delay that few people on earth are aware of. Additionally, dynamic delays are also very under rated, and remain a trick that only seasoned musicians use.
IamNemoN01 can an auto wah give you that cry baby full on sound. I’d love to have a pedal that does just that, cause that’s the only reason I have my crybaby in my chain.
Jj Turnstile You can leave the wah peddle at whatever frequency you wish. If you want to have even more control get the Cry Baby Q-Wah. It’s essentially a sweepable parametric EQ - you can choose the frequency range, and width, as well as the wet/dry mix. Alternatively, Ibanez made the same thing, but it’s a lot harder to find.
Jj Turnstile If that’s all you need, then the Treble Booster may be what you need. Any parametric equalizer can accomplish the same thing (though the wiring and components differ from unit to unit and color the sound differently), but as far as I know there isn’t a foot peddle Para-EQ, other than the Crybaby Q. The QWah is the only SINGLE frequency parametric I’m aware of where width, frequency, and wet/dry mix can be controlled (all other parametric EQ units control more than one frequency). If you don’t at least have control over width and center frequency, it’s not really a parametric. e.g. The high tone knob on the Vox AC30 Top Boost only controls one frequency, and it’s an important frequency for fidelity. But you can only control the mix, so it’s technically just a tone knob.
Jj Turnstile Another tip that only the pros and studio musicians use is to attenuate. Give a look into attenuation. It cleans up your sound and permits you to get the sound of a full volume amp at low levels, and without getting electronics buzz. That together with gain staging, and running more than one method of noise dampening/clipping, and you can get an amazingly clean sounding overdrive - at the levels of people like Brian May, Ynwie Malmsteen, Ronni Le Tekrø, and others who have a very polished professional sound. When it comes down to it, it’s not possible to get a pro sound without a decent amount of equipment. Even people like Le Tekrø who boast about getting his sound with only his guitar and a few foot peddles - he’s not telling the truth. You can clearly see his effects rack behind him in the 80s. And sometime in the 90s he started hiding the rack. But you simply can not get the same full rack sound with peddles as you got with a rack. His backline tech (Hoba) hides Ronny’s rack in with his sound reinforcement equipment while touring. Ronni runs a few cords out from his amp to the backline, and those cords blend in with all the other cords. And he tells everyone he gets his sound with the peddles, while hiding the real tricks. He also guts his amps and doesn’t tell people the truth about what amps he’s using (they’re not JCM800s), and he hides a few more peddles under his peddle board. He mikes his amp from inside, but only shows you the mics on the outside, despite the fact that the mic inside is more important. You used to be able to see a DD3 on top of his amp, and he hides that today; and you used to be able to see his SD1 right on his peddleboard, and he hides that today - but he still uses the same equipment. The point is that if you want a pro sound, you have to learn pro secrets and tricks, and get a few extra pieces of equipment. In some cases you have to think outside of the box and try using equipment in very unorthodox ways. Sometimes simply plugging a plug in wrong leads a musician to discover a trick that wasn’t intended in the design of the equipment, and that becomes part of that musician’s signature sound.
Pete, with politics dominating social media you are one of my few destination islands for respite and relief. Insightful video serving up the sauce used to make some of the classic rock tunes we love. Well played. Well done!
I can relate (except I built my first in 2005-props to u for sourcing the schematic, parts etc in 87)...absolute secret weapon and mainstay of my board. You probably concur on this “alternate” lead recipe: squash treble booster on into a tubescreamer style OD-or the OD of your choice- for a close to feedback “distortion” tone.
Man, you just changed my life! I really am sick of the dead sounding humbucker sound, I knew May used a treble booster but now I have to build one with NOS parts. I have a '71 Super Bass head - how f'ing loud did you play it to get that distortion out of it?!? LOLz
I ordered a germanium Treble Booster to even out the differences between my single coil guitars and humbucker equipped guitars through my Blackstar HT Dual Dist. I watched this video to get an idea of what to do with it when it arrived. You showed way more than I thought was possible and got the gears turning. Thanks!
I had to pause your video and go listen to Queen play "Tie Your Mother Down"! Great tune I haven't listened to in a long time and then "Into the Void"? Man, your tones kicked ass in headphones! I just got a Black Country Customs TI-Boost that I think you more recently did a video on. It should really wake up my AC30 C2X! Thanks for another great demo and tone lesson!!!!!!
Tie your mother down is my absolute favourite Queen song and you absolutely nail it. That riff is up there with the best riffs of all time. Oh yeah you blow me away with your playing!!!!!!! Keep on rocking.
Nice job on the "We Will Rock You" riff. Nailed the tone and the riff perfectly. BTW You can't play a SG and not give props to Angus. He used a wireless setup to get the treble boost. Same result, different road to get there.
![Because Everyone Needs A Treble Booster [Yes You Do]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YAP7A6k1nq8/mqdefault.jpg)
The only guy to truly nail Brian May's tone on the entire internet.
Nice.
What about Brian May? 😉
AntiChangeling smart ass haha
Look at the brian may tribute channel, the guy is amazing.
Will Barbero does a good job.
Not the only one, there are some good youtubers outthere
The riff from Into the Void always gets my head banging, I have no choice in the matter.
Free will does not enter the equation. It's Pavlovian.
Every time I see Toni Iommi, I think of Randy from South Park.
@@fullclipaudio can i ask why lol
@@Katrina-jg4gf They look exactly the same.
@@fullclipaudio kinda yeah lol and randy plays too
i think left handed as well lol
7:45 That’s the Brian May sound nailed
Treble boosters are cool but I need a talent booster. Where can I get one of those?
It's inside you. You need to find it by practice.
Here ya go. Diamond makes them.
diamondcustomshop.com/products/talent-booster
Rich Mahogany omfg that’s hilarious
Brian Wampler sells one too
Try TC they have different Talent Prints you can download and test out :-)
And now I'm on Reverb looking at treble boosters.
Try Electro Harmonix screaming bird
awwwyeaboyeeee same here!
@@symptomoftheuniverse1261 you must have one of those for sale
The Hotone XTOMP Mini has a bitching patch, I love it more than a Beano Boost believe it or not! Running a 335 through it and it’s bomber for $55! Plenty of other options if it’s not for you.
You can make one for about 5 dollars
Long time Rory Gallagher fan, thanks Pete for honoring him, he is so underrated!
Absolutely! One of the greatest
Treble booster sales are fixin' to skyrocket now.
As well as their prices
If only you played more Iommi! That sound was perfect!
Awesome!!!
I’m a huge Sabbath fan. I’ve been chasing a modern day Iommi tone since I very first started playing, and I gotta say, at the very end what you said “so what’s that good for? Well, it’s good for this!” Queue Into the Void. Pure nostalgia, and then of course the old school Iommi photos. Put a big smile on my face. Glad you paid homage to The Godfather of metal. Thanks for the video. I enjoy your approach and style. Cheers Pete.
Yep. People tend to test them out at bedroom level and get the wrong impression. They are great when the amp is cranked but best with low gain older amps.
This video was good for explaining their purpose. A coloured booster with a high pass filter basically. A tube screamer has a similar function. They all tighten up the bass frequencies by getting rif of some of it. Does not work well on a modern amp that gets a similar sound already using preamp gain. I have found it best on those older non master volume Marshalls that usually need the bass kept really low or they sound farty.
Totally agree, best at volume and the amp cooking !
Yeah that’s the key IMHO. This demo is way to high gain to show what a treble booster can do. You also need a dark amp (or set it darker) otherwise it’s just high end trash
Great video Pete, as usual ! I’m probably wrong, but I suspect that the main reason why the treble booster isn’t as popular as it should be (these days) is simply because the name “treble booster” doesn’t do it justice. A lot of amps are already quite bright in tone (Marshall and Fender for example) and users of those amps will tend to turn down the treble control down on the amp. So why therefore would they use a “treble booster”. However, as you know only too well the treble booster isn’t simply acting like an additional treble control for your amp, it is doing a lot more to the relationship between the guitar and the amp than simply adding more treble. It is actually “over driving” the tubes in a very specific way, emphasizing both the mid and hi harmonic frequencies, and helping to produce a very smooth, clear and saturated overdrive tone. I think if they renamed it they’d sell like hot cakes (Perception is everything!)
I agree!
@@PeteThorn I honestly never hearded of that treble booster ! Great advice and bonus. I almost NEVER play on my bridge pickup, because i don't like too much treble. Mostly i ony ue my neck or neck and middle pickup and play Hendrix, Fruciante, SRV and so on. Thanks.
Seems to me that Rory and Brian used the treble booster in the 60s & 70s to achieve what SRV (et al) used a Tubescreamer for in the 80s.
Richard Hanly - I think you nailed it. I’ve certainly heard of a “Range Master” but never the term “treble booster”.
If I'm not mistaken, Hendrix used also a treble booster.
The Priest tone was killer and the Iommi tone was crushing! Great demo Pete!!!
Anything Judas Priest associated or more to the point Glenn Tipton used I want/need to know about !! Tipton and George Lynch are my reasons for picking up Guitar in the first place !!
I don't listen to a lot of Priest, what song was that he played at 8:10?
@@joeye330 "Victim of Changes"
0:59 *Iron Man* by Black Sabbath
3:59 *Tie Your Mother Down* by Queen
7:30 *We Will Rock You* _[Solo]_ by Queen
8:08 *Victim of Changes* by Judas Priest
12:22 *Into the Void* by Black Sabbath
Thank you
@ 13:49 - Bohemian Rhapsody ;-)
@@greglawrencemusic Nice catch!
Yah, look at this guy, truly nails that classic old queen riff like noone else ive ever heard.
Interesting stuff, loved the segment when Brian May was talking about Rory Gallagher. Also some outstanding playing by Pete :D
Too bad he didn't play anything from Rory Gallagher. Anyway, good vid 👍
Who the f is hitting thumbs down? Who ever you are, you’re just not getting it....Thanks Pete! Killing it on all fronts.
GNR fans!
This bothers people. Why? Its just a way to refine the recommendations. People get actually angry.
Amazing video Pete! Great playing as always and really informative. Also shout out to the Range Van Lord from Jext Telez
the Greta Van Fleet signature? Id love to get my hands on one of these. I own a similar booster, i built it on my on out of a diy kit ( musikding.de the Range) but it cuts too much bass for me
Into The Void = the heaviest riff around revealed! Very good informative video and Brian May talking about Rory influencing him in gear and tone is a bonus!
Seriously, Van Halen said, it was the heaviest riff ever made!! I agree!!
I've built a couple Rangemasters. I used to just leave it on all the time. Turn up the guitar to ooze harmonics and sustain. Turn it down for beautiful cleans. One of my favorite pedals.
Yes! Finally a Priest tone explanation
Absolutely nailed the Tie Your Mother Down tone. Best sound-alike I've ever heard.
Thanks, that one I worked pretty hard on for a few hrs that day!
@@PeteThorn And you got it absolutely right. Is the BM-guitar a Guyton? The factory BMG's are quite rough on intonation, but this one seems to sing all over the neck.
Dude! Best tone, audio quality, voice and haircut on the internet of guitar videos! Awesome! :)
Recently got my first treble booster. It's so good pushing my Carvin X100b.
I love this episode so much I'm watching again 2 years after the fact! Treble Booster = on my wish list! Kepp on Rockin' Pete!!
I literally have no idea how you slammed into Brian's tone like that. So good. Love your videos and damn, you are one hell of player! Awesome video!!!
Not only did I (long overduly) delve into the treblebooster world, I actually have started making them myself together with fuzzface clones, both separately and as a two-fer pedal. That's all I personally need together with a Vox these days.
Rory has to be my favorite guitarist of all time. His legendary licks wouldn't be the same without the treble booster.
Right, a Strat 61, a Vox AC Top Boost, a trebble booster, and there you are Irish Tour 74 !
Before 1974 too. Rory has used this combination for many years.
@@gillesgenete9598 Yep. Always love his work, especially on slide.
@@Mistertbones Rory was terrific at anything on guitar: legato, glissando, slide, tapping, bending ... sliding on a telecaster, the rest on his one strat 👍
Perfect timing, I was just talking to a friend about treble booster today.
Great video! It almost feels like watching a nice documentary about the Treble Booster! You've shown where it came from, you've shown how to use it and you've shown who famous used it and how. Useful and full of interesting facts! ...and lots of nice riffs from you!
Pete, you have to be the most under-rated guitar player on the planet!
Who underrates Pete Thorn? Certainly nobody who has actually heard the man.
Barnyard Coral I was thinking that too
What on earth does ‘underrated’ mean anymore? I think that people unthinkingly use it because it can mean anything. In other words, it is devoid of meaning.
Underrated means not rated high enough lol.
You’re loving this, a big kid....!!
Great video! Being a Brian May fan I have long wanted a treble booster. Thanks for this video.
Best pedal I ever bought (and I've got a shit ton of them) is my Catalinbread Naga Viper. The way it brings the mids to life is just amazing. Very important piece of my puzzle.
I love mine too. Dig being able to adjust the range of frequency boosted.
First pedal I put together was a Hot Viper Clone, fantastic pedal!
Great show. In 76 I bought a Electra MPC 310 made by Saint Louis Music co. It had a treble/bass booster module in the back. I was using a Yamaha G100B-212. It was a little dark sounding until I switched on the booster. Then I got the rock tone's I wanted.
We would say.. most underrated guitar player Pete!!! Just amazing!!!!
I LOVE We Will Rock You's solo specially on how loud, fuzzy and overall "electric" it sounds, and all along it was the treble booster to thank! Definitely will grab one of those.
Into the Void was just breathtaking. Thanks Pete! Rock on!
Pete, your incredible musicianship makes these videos really shine.
Love your work Pete, awesome video as always
Great video. I like the woolly guitar tones of a straight humbucker into a vox or marshall, but I can see why this was so needed and still is today
I think ppl don't get that you need to have the amp running hot. A lot of people are looking for low volume high gain sounds due to their domestic playing situations
Exactly my dilemma.
An amp always sounds better cranked up a little (well they are designed for that volume); it blooms and breaths. Cracked me up when Pete said an AC30 @ 10 is not that loud (for him) 🤘. Tell that to my eardrums 😂. On a serious matter....how many guitarist suffer from Tinnitus? I found that as I play, I increase the volume a little (maybe the amp impedance increases/output drops as it gets hot). Need to watch out for that, and onset of Tinnitus.
That's why some people put their amp into some sort of isolation box and mic it there instead
@@KaninTuzi Useful idea, just searched on here, lots of DIY isolation boxes; even one by Pete. Maybe a future project when I get organized 😜.
All I can say is, IT'S ABOUT TIME someone made a video featuring the treble booster! Thank you very sincerely for bringing to light the original secret to Brian May, and Tony Iommi's tone. I had grown weary of the countless tube screamer videos that have polluted RUclips in the last decade. This was enjoyable, and took me back to my years as a touring tech in the early eighties. Rock on!
Pete,I forgot to thank you for turning me on to these a few years ago when you did a comparison of different overdrive types (I picked up a OD-1 from that video too!)
I tried to get the 65 Amps model you have,but they ceased production...ended up with a Beano Boost and loved it UNTIL it went berserk at a hot outdoor show (I quickly learned how temperature sensitive germanium transistors are)...sold it and decided my next ones needed 2 things: silicone transistors and tone shaping capabilities (straight rangemaster type is just a hair too bright and thin for my setups)
I ended up keeping a Catalinbread Naga Viper and an NRG Poker...they have different characteristics,but they sound fantastic,are versitle,and feel great under the fingers...they have become irreplaceable in my setups and I don't miss germanium at all...also,loved the Daredevil Silver Solo..very reasonably priced,but just too close to the Naga Viper to justify keeping it around...the only one I didn't care for was the current Laney/Black Country Custom Tony Iommi version...was wanting to love it but it just seemed to react more like a standard overdrive than a true treble booster and I could never dial the EQ to my liking...apologies for the book report,but hopefully, someone can use this info
Pete you’re a gentleman. Thanks for taking the time to do these demos!
LOVED your "Into the Void" guitar faces, as we all share your "How can anyone be as cool as Iommi?" thoughts. Awesome.
Been saying this for years to the people that buy the same gear as their idols, and it doesn't sound that good. Always needed a bump up in the heat/sizzle/treble/eq area. It just pushes everything into the next level. Excellent job Pete!
Oh My God! Sabbath Into The Void! 😁 Perfect 👌👍 got to get that peddle!!
Brian May tone explained ... thats why lot of youtubers have hard time with his tone ... Working with volume pot and trebble booster ... great ...
Got the Naga Viper, it's great. Love treble boosters.
Same here. I was thinking of removing it from my board in favour of something else but somehow I doubt I will after watching the video.
"It's perfect for this..." Love it! Brilliant video, Pete. Thank you.
Amazing, this even works with modelling amps.. even old ones like Guitar Rig 5, AC30 cranked.. wooly as you say, add the built in Treble boost (based on the range master) and it's instantly Brian May, great stuff Pete
oh yeah it works with Axe FX, etc
Pete, I just had the treble booster revelation. Seriously. I have an Area 51 Alienist given to me by Dan and I just finally figured it out. It took me over a year. It is based off of the Dallas Rangemaster and Hornby Skewes treble boosters. I use it on my vintage Tweed Bassman amps and it has transformed my tone to a whole new level. I just Googled the Rangemaster and Hornby and found this video. I was glad to see you felt the same way. It's it the only effect I use for my base tone now.
man u nailed the brian may sound man. not an easy thing to do!
once again smiling at my strymon sunset, realizing I already have a treble booster that I never have really explored (the tubescreamer (texas) and klon (Ge) -esque channels have kept me happy for the past 3 years)
Wow, the was almost exactly the We Will Rock You tone.
Lol. Agreed. I love stacking treble booster especially and stand alone. It makes my current rig sound bell like and clear. Gives my rig the life it needs
That Priest tone killed!
Indeed!
Wow. Best Iommi sound I’ve ever heard. Always thought it was about some kinda fuzz. Favourite Sabbath riff as well. Well played sir.
I've never owned a treble booster, but always wanted to. This analysis video by Pete may push me over the edge! I'm a massive fan of the tones of Brian May and Rory Gallagher. Pete really captures May's tone here.
Thanks for this video enjoy hanging out with ya in your studio pete, thanks again
You know what i love pete?? That effing hum!! Its nice to hear the equipment alive and juiced. Soo much nowadays its gated, over produced etc etc. Its nice to have amp hum.
Agreed I like that stuff too!!
Thanks for the education, Pete! Your enthusiasm for these tones are written all over your face and body language, not just your words!
Fun. Fun. Fun.
Great demo! Made me go back to a Judas tune. Haven't played it in a while. I guess I was 'Victim of Changes.' ;)
Stay awesome!
I've always wanted one after learning Brian May used one! This may finally push me over the edge!
Go for it! After trying an EQ pedal to shape the sound from my guitar/pedal/amp set up (without much success), I built a simple treble booster from a kit. Best £34 ever spent! It's nothing exciting into a clean amp (thin sounding), but into an overdrive pedal (or crunchy amp) it provides a crisp sparkle, not achievable with the tone controls on the guitar, OD pedal and amplifier. This is with humbuckers on a semi-hollow guitar, which has a warm sound; the treble booster brings it to life. The booster has a treble/full range switch, I use the full boost with single coil PuPs.
This video has an acceptable amount of Judas Priest. Nice work.
Fantasic vid. My favorite tone of all time and is the tone on Judas Priest's "Unleashed in the East". Researching how to get that tone sent me down the treble booster path and eventually to this video. Love Tony's tone too. Priest recorded that album in early 78. The JCM 800 was out by then, but I dont know if they were using it yet.
Rory and that Rangemaster!! 🤘That was the secret sauce!
Bad ass! I've always wanted to learn that We Will Rock You riff at the end NICE! YOU ROCK Pete 🤟😎🤘
I remember hearing CCR talking about why is there a Bass knob on a guitar amp :D. the treble boost is a great way to really Kick a dirty amp in the face without flabbing out.
No shit.... I've been contemplating turning all mine into a bass cut rather than the standard treble cut.
It's there so you can turn it down! :))
Just found out from a video that Robin Trower keeps his bass and treble at zero on his Marshall with the mid at max.
I don't remember which model it was but it sounded incredible!
Too many guitarists use too much bass. It sounds good playing by yourself, but muddies up a band situation.
you're absolutely right. let's not forget the edge, using a treble booster into the same ac30, huge part of the tone that usually gets ignored. everybody focuses on the delay, but a big part of the chime and the full on drive of the early stuff, that amazingly cleaned up immediately on the sustain, came from the booster. great video.
Laney makes a Black Country Customs Tony Iommi treble boost that is supposed to replicate his modified treble boost he used. Thanks for the video.
James Wright i just got one, it’s freaking amazing!!!
@@OscarGomez-oe9de l really appreciate the information. I just might have to pull the trigger on this one.
Yes I have one, great pedal. I use it in front of a Tube Screamer and into a Blackstar tube amp. I get a pretty good Gary Moore/Santana tone and decent sustain at a reasonable volume level. Essential for the bedroom guitarist imo.
Pete, you have changed my entire perception when it comes to gain and distortion, this has helped me in so many ways, thank you.
Brain May used a British Coin as a pick. That would help Brighten the sound as well.
Yeah I always picture that pic in my head when I hear a Brian May solo.
Not to mention the amps swirling around in stereo. That guy does a lot of weird stuff with his gear.
The "Into The Void" quote was epic!!
Thanks Pete! Learned something new from your amazing video. Keep them coming!
Great video Pete! After watching yours I decided to watch a few more videos on treble boosters, but I just couldn't make it through them. There was just mindlessly noodling that went on for too long or the spacing between comparisons was too great or the content was just not high yield enough. It made me really appreciate how concisely you pack in a lot of killer information!
Hey thank you Elliot!
Thanks Pete. Very informative and got the surprise of Rory G being mentioned.
A really great vid, Pete. I like discovering forgotten knowledge of the times past and have been aware of treble boosters thanks to Tony Iommi, but you really showed how they make the amp sing and demonstrated it in such a natural and entertaining way including killer riffs. Thanks a lot!
Killer great show Pete thorn! Tremendous information
That was so great! I love how much fun you were having playing the stuff as well. It shows how we all go back to being ourselves in high school when we play our heroes music.
GREAT video! Great tones! Great playing! Thank you!
You're right though, Pete. People don't seem to know much about these underrated effects nowadays, but I really thinks it's at least got to be getting better (in no small part to great videos like this one!). I started playing guitar waaay back in the '60s, and treble boosters were, even then, pretty much unknown. IIRC, I first began actually hearing of them in the '70s, what with the advent of early guitar magazines like Guitar Player. Really, back in the day, we'd maybe own a fuzz and later on, an early wah.
(Believe it, young players: Back then, whatever you learned was pretty much going by word of mouth-this was pre-GP mag and pre-internet/RUclips. Primitive times indeed, lol!).
One day ("way back" in the late '90s) I eventually decided to ASK about treble boosters at a great local store, and the VERY knowledgeable owner kind of looked at me and... admitted he really had no experience or even any knowledge of them himself. Ha. IIRC, we simply shrugged together and agreed that, yes, they most likely boosted treble. Duh!
Anyway, I eventually got myself a great Homebrew Electronics Germanium 44 Treble Booster, and discovered that, yes, it sure did a LOT more than simply boost treble. WOW!
Thanks for the GREAT demo, Pete (as usual) and especially for including so much interesting history. I'm now inspired to get my Germanium44 out tonight and put in some good time making music. Thanks again!
Wooow what a massive sound Pete!!
The Auto Wah is also highly under rated as a tone shaper. If you set it to sweep up, set the highest frequency high, set it to the right sensitivity - what happens is that the frequency SHOOTS UP TO THE TOP, then it slowly drops.
When you use it this way no one can tell that you’re using an auto wah because all people hear is the highest frequency.
The only time anyone will hear it slide down into the lower frequencies is if you let a note sustain. But if you have some echo going on the lower notes make your guitar sound wider, and the sound covers the whole room. A Rolland Tape Echo works best for this because each successive echo loses fidelity.
If you have a Hall Reverb going on, it makes your sound even BIGGER!
Using an auto wah in this unconventional manner accomplishes three purposes: 1) It acts like a treble booster; 2) When sustained the low notes make your guitar sound bigger; 3) Because people can not actually tell that you’re using an auto wah, it keeps people wondering how you get your tone.
Myself, I have three EQs going, in addition to the tone nobs on my amp. One of the EQs is a parametric, and one is a regular wah wah, that acts as a parametric when I’m not using it to make “wah wah” sounds. However, my tone also sounds clean/dirty, which means that if I push it a little I get an insane metal tone; but unlike most rock and metal tones, every note stands out individually - similar to Brian May and Ronni Le’Tekro. The placement of each EQ is important as well.
When it comes to EQs, amps and effect peddles also need to be considered. One of my overdrives, that I use in series with an OD1, is the BOSS SD-1. The tone knob hits a particularly sweet frequency that is important in my tone. Also the Vox AC30s have a tone knob that is a particular set frequency that can be added into the mix, but the frequency itself can not be changed. Without that frequency the Vox AC30 would be an AC15, and it is also an important part of the 60s and 70s British rock tone.
Delay peddles are also highly underrated as a tool for tone shaping where it is set to alter the tone, but where the delay can not be heard. There is at least [one] thing I can do with a modified delay that few people on earth are aware of. Additionally, dynamic delays are also very under rated, and remain a trick that only seasoned musicians use.
IamNemoN01 can an auto wah give you that cry baby full on sound. I’d love to have a pedal that does just that, cause that’s the only reason I have my crybaby in my chain.
Jj Turnstile You can leave the wah peddle at whatever frequency you wish. If you want to have even more control get the Cry Baby Q-Wah. It’s essentially a sweepable parametric EQ - you can choose the frequency range, and width, as well as the wet/dry mix. Alternatively, Ibanez made the same thing, but it’s a lot harder to find.
IamNemoN01 yeah I have the Q, but was wanting something smaller, for I only use it to step on fully to get trebly
Jj Turnstile If that’s all you need, then the Treble Booster may be what you need.
Any parametric equalizer can accomplish the same thing (though the wiring and components differ from unit to unit and color the sound differently), but as far as I know there isn’t a foot peddle Para-EQ, other than the Crybaby Q. The QWah is the only SINGLE frequency parametric I’m aware of where width, frequency, and wet/dry mix can be controlled (all other parametric EQ units control more than one frequency). If you don’t at least have control over width and center frequency, it’s not really a parametric.
e.g. The high tone knob on the Vox AC30 Top Boost only controls one frequency, and it’s an important frequency for fidelity. But you can only control the mix, so it’s technically just a tone knob.
Jj Turnstile Another tip that only the pros and studio musicians use is to attenuate. Give a look into attenuation. It cleans up your sound and permits you to get the sound of a full volume amp at low levels, and without getting electronics buzz. That together with gain staging, and running more than one method of noise dampening/clipping, and you can get an amazingly clean sounding overdrive - at the levels of people like Brian May, Ynwie Malmsteen, Ronni Le Tekrø, and others who have a very polished professional sound.
When it comes down to it, it’s not possible to get a pro sound without a decent amount of equipment. Even people like Le Tekrø who boast about getting his sound with only his guitar and a few foot peddles - he’s not telling the truth. You can clearly see his effects rack behind him in the 80s. And sometime in the 90s he started hiding the rack. But you simply can not get the same full rack sound with peddles as you got with a rack. His backline tech (Hoba) hides Ronny’s rack in with his sound reinforcement equipment while touring.
Ronni runs a few cords out from his amp to the backline, and those cords blend in with all the other cords. And he tells everyone he gets his sound with the peddles, while hiding the real tricks. He also guts his amps and doesn’t tell people the truth about what amps he’s using (they’re not JCM800s), and he hides a few more peddles under his peddle board. He mikes his amp from inside, but only shows you the mics on the outside, despite the fact that the mic inside is more important. You used to be able to see a DD3 on top of his amp, and he hides that today; and you used to be able to see his SD1 right on his peddleboard, and he hides that today - but he still uses the same equipment.
The point is that if you want a pro sound, you have to learn pro secrets and tricks, and get a few extra pieces of equipment. In some cases you have to think outside of the box and try using equipment in very unorthodox ways. Sometimes simply plugging a plug in wrong leads a musician to discover a trick that wasn’t intended in the design of the equipment, and that becomes part of that musician’s signature sound.
Pete, with politics dominating social media you are one of my few destination islands for respite and relief. Insightful video serving up the sauce used to make some of the classic rock tunes we love. Well played. Well done!
This has been my "secret" since I built my first Treble Booster in 1987, inspired by my fave player Dr. Brian May 🤘
I can relate (except I built my first in 2005-props to u for sourcing the schematic, parts etc in 87)...absolute secret weapon and mainstay of my board. You probably concur on this “alternate” lead recipe: squash treble booster on into a tubescreamer style OD-or the OD of your choice- for a close to feedback “distortion” tone.
Where is the schematic that Jeremy is talking about?
@@KarloswithaK_RD Just Google rangemaster treble booster schematic
@@johnmac8084 you may find an easy diy kit at musikding.de. I made one, good tone with my strat into my vox ac.
@@gillesgenete9598 That looks cool, with a PCB, you can get the enclosure as well, all for 30 euros!
Your videos bring so much joy. Thank you.
Man, you just changed my life! I really am sick of the dead sounding humbucker sound, I knew May used a treble booster but now I have to build one with NOS parts. I have a '71 Super Bass head - how f'ing loud did you play it to get that distortion out of it?!? LOLz
I ordered a germanium Treble Booster to even out the differences between my single coil guitars and humbucker equipped guitars through my Blackstar HT Dual Dist. I watched this video to get an idea of what to do with it when it arrived. You showed way more than I thought was possible and got the gears turning. Thanks!
Another myth busted! I always wondered, listening to vinyl as a young player back in 1979, 1980 how that sound came together. Now I know. Spot on!
That dyna ranger sounded fantastic for sabbath.... damn. Great job Pete.!
Awesome video! Thanks for sharing.Brian May king of the Vox Had a exh that plugs into to the jack of the guitar just gain work good on a practice amp.
I had to pause your video and go listen to Queen play "Tie Your Mother Down"! Great tune I haven't listened to in a long time and then "Into the Void"? Man, your tones kicked ass in headphones!
I just got a Black Country Customs TI-Boost that I think you more recently did a video on. It should really wake up my AC30 C2X!
Thanks for another great demo and tone lesson!!!!!!
12;09 Opening A-chord tone for "The Boys Are Back In Town" by Thin Lizzy. Great vid, thanks Pete!
ha! im glad someone else heard that too!
@@theczarofguitar2109 Sure did like it to me, thanks for the confirm. Cheers!
DAYUUM! Such a GREAT tone!
That was very informative! I never knew that was the key to those guitar sounds! Thanks for that. Do you need a drummer?😉
Cool video and story. Thanks for this video Pete.
Great video Pete (not that they're not usually), really interesting stuff! Good work... Again 😁
Tie your mother down is my absolute favourite Queen song and you absolutely nail it. That riff is up there with the best riffs of all time. Oh yeah you blow me away with your playing!!!!!!! Keep on rocking.
Thanks! Me too I love it
@@PeteThorn have you met brian may? He uses a kat red 18 treble booster which is designed to go with his radio pack.
Nice job on the "We Will Rock You" riff. Nailed the tone and the riff perfectly.
BTW You can't play a SG and not give props to Angus. He used a wireless setup to get the treble boost. Same result, different road to get there.
He didn't get the sound of a treble booster! He just used a wireless.
This inspired me to build a Rangemaster Treble Booster. Easy to build and I have some wicked mods and it cost less than $25 to do! Thanks you so much!