Analog Man Beano Boost

One knob, one toggle. Simples, but you do have to experiment with where it goes in your chain.

On the SunLion Pedal, Mike has this after the NKT fuzz so that's what I tried and there were some interesting tones but nothing that seemed magical. I nearly gave up on it when I thought I'd try something different. Now it's before my other two overdrive pedals - a MI Audio Blues Boy Deluxe and a Z-Vex Box of Rock.

WOW.

Seriously. This thing has transformed what I already thought were two great pedals, but with the Beano in the chain before then, they sound so good. Full of harmonics, full of simply great guitar tone. Using a Strat, I can now get a great thick sound. Less bass but the mid range has something magical going on that I can't describe. It's great with the MI Audio pedal (basically a TS type pedal) but with the Z-Vex BOR, it is absolutely sensational.

I'm glad I didn't sell it. I couldn't get it to work well with the Analogman NKT Sunface but with the Z-Vex BOR, I've found a match made in heaven.

Looks pretty indestructable to me

Mike always answers my mails. Feels great knowing he's there if needed, but actually, I've never had a prob with any of the four analogman pedals I own.

I absolutely love it. Can you tell?

Can't get any easier. Volume knowb and 3 position toggle for Hi, Mid or Low boost.

Oustanding. Every note on the guitar jumps out. It's a little weird at first - no place to hide! but if you've been playing a while the sound quality will blow you away. I use this whith a late 60's SG and super reverb mostly as a semi-clean boost (volume set about 11): great gear & great tone with some nice grit. I have Mike's mod on a TS808 to cover the dirt/ heavier sounds I may need. I've also used this with an old mid 60's Univox 15W and wow when you can really crank the beano (anything over half way) it's absolutely amazing and loud! - think the Who at Isle of Wight. It's also very sensitive to your guitar volume; with your volume on 10 you can really get that transistor to break up nice. Roll back and you can get pretty clean, though there's stil a tad bit of grit depending on how you pick. The 3 position toggle is very useful and depending upon the amp/guitar combo you can get the right amount of high end or bass.

Over a year of solid giging and no issues.

Mike is the best.

For the money this is a great pedal that will make your guitar come alive. It is also extremely loud and depending on the size of the room your playing I feel you can get the best of this pedal with low wattage amps, say a 30W so you can really push it. Keep in mind that this is the real deal and very sensitive to your playing and like a fuzz face not for a beginner.

You can??t go wrong here.... on/off switch, three tone (original RM, mid, low) switch and volume knob (with on /off function - practical if it??s on a pedalboard).

I??ve got a bunch of treble boosters (P Cornish TB83 Extra Duplex, BSM BM-Q and RM Majestic, Keeley Java Boost and one RM copy made by a friend) and I either use them to drive my VOX AC30??s (mainly) into nice distortion or I place them in front of various fuzzes or od pedals to "spice" up the sound. I??ve got a tele, strat, a couple of old Burns, Hagstroms, a Les Paul, one PRS and a couple of Ad Lib(Stockholm-Sweden) specially made guitars for me.
This Beano Boost is simply top quality!! Mine is the CV7003 transistor version ( will be made in about 150) and not the earlier NKT275 normally used. Since it??s germanium transistors we??re dealing with here I can only compare it to my other germanium tb??s. My favourite so far has been the BSM RM Majestic (there??ll only be about 40 made of these) and soundwise the Beano Boost is just about the same. The BSM has got more gain(making it the king when it comes to drive my OLD, tired and battered red panel non top boost AC30) but the Beano??s got that three way switch making it more flexible and will surely have enough gain for most amps. So if you??re after the best flexible rangemaster type of pedal around (handwired too!!) this is probably it.

Only had this for a few weeks but I??ve had no problemes with the other pedals I??ve bought from Analog Man so ... A backup? ...well this and all my other tb;s will mainly be used for studiowork but if I??d gig with this I would??nt be nervous...

They??ve answered my mails very quickly and in a friendly way.

I??ve been a fulltime musician for well over 10 years and played the guitar for more than 30 years. I??m very conserned about my sound and the gear I use. My favourite way of playing is to have a good treble booster in front of a VOX AC30 going on (more or less) full. You can have all kinds of sounds using the volume control on the guitar - from nice and clean to roaring thunder. As already mentioned I have other tb;s too. They??re all good one way or the other (with that guitar - with that amp etc). For instance imho, the Keeley Java boost is superb at driving other pedals, a friend of mine made me a RM style pedal and it??s perfect for fat sounding guitars beeing a bit bright in a positive way, the P Cornish is the fatest imaginable giving a great attack (think B May), the BSM BM-Q is similar to that just a little more "raw" and less fat while the BSM RM Majestic and the Analog Man Beano Boost sounds much alike though the BSM??s got more gain. The nice thing about the Beano is that it can drive other pedals just as good as the Keeley but also shines on its own into a VOX AC30 (or whatever). If I??d lost it I would buy another. Great stuff!!

It has one knob and switch, and input and an output... it's really very easy

This is the first musical thing I've owned that sounds proper... It makes my electric guitar sound like a real one... I own a quality custom made telecaster and a musicman amp... you might think 'what do you need a treble boost for' Well this thing makes it sound like it should sound... sustain, bite, action packed fun... if you havn't got one you havn't heard your guitar properly (specially if it's a fender)... you will be amazed...... (if you are looking for that Clapton sound buy one of his albums and play it on your ipod) If you want to sound propper get one of these.

I've had this for quite a bit of time and it's still on the first battery. Nicely made, not a lot can go wrong really, it probably isn't water proof. So don't put it down the toilet. Also for all you GG Allin wanna bees, it probably isn't garunteed agianst poo!

You can email them and they get back to you... I've had an email from Mike! Brilliant! I wanted some wah wah advice.. he gave it.. also I bought my stuff on line from them.. came all the way to england in just a matter of days..

The Beano booster is the best thing I've ever owned musically.. I use mine with a telecaster... it sounds brilliant... I originally wanted a Dallas Arbiter Range Master.. Marc Bolan used on with a fender.. So I've done the same only with a Beano Booster... which I believe is the best substitute... If you switch the switch to the fat position turn it up to about 11.45.. Try some of the Bolan leads.. Spot on it's brilliant... If you turn it up any higher you will seriously damage your hearing...

Cant go wrong on this one. One knob and a three way toggle. Mine has the on/off switch on the pot. I recommend that. Just make sure you run it into a quality OD pedal or preferably an over driving tube amp.

Stratocaster >> Sunface >> Beano Boost >> Mojo Vibe >> OCD >> Nova Delay >> Victoria 20112 w/celestion blue.

I also have a Java Boost which is a great sound, but it is so noisy! The Beano is very quiet considering the dbs of boost you are getting. I also love how I can mess up the Sunface with different boost settings.

I have only had mine 5 months, but you look inside and it is just as pretty as can be.

Mike gets back to you fast. I find myself making excuses to find another AM pedal to get they are so nice.

I have played since 1980 and wish I had discovered this type of pedal much earlier. I know Rory Gallagher used a Rangemaster in his pre 1976 recordings, but kind of came across this only by checking out all the AM offerings. It sounded really fun and it is! Works fantastic with a strat, and is a must if you use an attenuator.

I would buy again and recommend you get one as well. I compared it to a Keeley Java Boost which is really inspired by a Rangemaster, but is a different animal and a different sound. I have both, but the Beano is on my pedal chain.

What would be cool is a continuous knob that was in the place of the toggle so you could get more shades, but that may mess up the circuit.

Easy to dial in.

I think it's probably the best sounding Treble Boost pedal on the market (I've owned most). Treble Boost's in general lack attack. This one is no exception. A nice pedal to run in front of a Plexi or Bassman.
I don't care for it as a stomp box/solo pedal.
Plus it really can't be used in front of another pedal since it colors your tone so much.

My switch broke within 1 hour of use.
They did fix it, but I had to pay shipping charges??

I think the customer service at Analogman could be improved greatly!
If a pedal stops working the day you received it they should reimburse
the shipping charges!

It doesn't really work in my set up & most likely I will sell it. Brian May can make the old RangeMaster sing like no one else. If you can find a good Overdrive pedal you'd be much better off. The only reason the old school Rock Guitarist used Treble Boost type pedals is because there weren't any Overdrive pedals that sounded good & limited choices at best.
Well, now there's a bunch of great companies putting out OD pedals.
Some things should be left in the past. I've been playing over 30 years & know good tone when I hear it. For what this pedal does it delivers the tone. I would never buy this pedal again, in fact I find it pointless.

very easy to use.

1976 les paul standard-1970's DeArmond wah (sweet wah by the way)-
vintage ts808-beano boost-1980 MXR micro amp- 1970's univox fazer-)sick phazer, it blows away the deja vibe for that univibe sound) 1968 marshall plexi with a mesa boogie 4-12 big cab.
having the micro amp after the beano is a pristine boost for the beano, gives it even more pagey kind of BITE. Beano on mid, dial at 11 o'clock. i keep it set there for everything when i use it.
i don't play with the high & low setting.
i agree with a review before me....i am a beano stalker.
i think about the tone of this thing while....well all the time.

i would depend on this pedal at a gig.

It's Mike! I mean come on!

i rate this to be a great new pedal. i use only vintage gear.
The only way to get vintage sound is to use vintage gear.
the beano is the only new pedal i use, and i love it.
i would kick your butt if you stole anything from me.

OK...it was my first review and I screwed up the number thing.
Let's try to make that maneuver happen.

I swear...I think about playing with this thing while I'm at work.
I'm like a Beano Boost stalker.

Good communication.
I hesitate to give a 10 for "incredibly helpful".
Incredibly is serious.

If it were stolen, I'd need another.
Cn you get Lojack for effects?

9 Just plug it in and go.
The only slightly weird thing is, I'm not really sure what the toggle switch does.
I know it changes the tone, but it's not like low, mid, high.
More like A,B,C.It's cool, though.
3 very useable tones.
I need to mess with it more.
I'm a slow learner.

10 I am using this mainly with a narrow panel tweed deluxe and a Gibson ES-225 with mid-mounted P90.
I play straight blues and have been gigging for almost 30 years (yikes!). I'm going through a serious Clapton/Bluesbreakers and Peter Green period, which is how I stumbled on this pedal.
I think, actually, it sounds a lot like Danny Kirwan's tone on Fleetwood Mac/Otis Spann "Biggest Thing since the Colossus"

Hard to say, but the box is built like a tank, jacks are switchcraft and soldering/wiring,etc looks clean and tight.

Aside from something to add a little reverb to my tweed Deluxe, this thing is the only effect I've owned since I sold my Big Muff Pi to Danny Hubbard around 1980.
This is am amazing little box based on the Dallas Rangemaster used back when by several British guys. Clapton used on on the Bluesbreakers "Beano" album, Mark Bolan used one, and I'm pretty sure thet Danny Kirwan used one, judging by his tone on "Biggest thing Since the Colossus".
The website also says that Brian May always uses one, and I was concerned that I would get that hollow sound like it's coming through a paper towel tube, but that didn't happen.
Anyway...this thing is like brand new electrolytics and tubes in a tired old amp. Not distortion or overdrive, just focused PUNCH.
I'm totally in love with it.
It's like the difference in tone you get (on a Gibson, in particular) when you go from half to full volume on the guitar and you know the tone is just flowing.
I get all the great distortion and tone that a 5E3 has, but with much less flab... There is note articulation, pick attack and biting tone without icepick.
This is especially great with P90s and humbuckers which I think can be a tad too hot for a 5E3 and I lose definition.
Also...I have this oddball Gibson with one P90 in the middle, so I was missing some of the bite that a bridge pickup would give me, but even when I was using guitars with a P90 at the bridge (LP Deluxe, ES125TDC, ES135), I wasn't getting this kind of tone.
I haven't been this thrilled about a sound in YEARS.
There is no need to ever turn this thing off.
Good mornin' little schoolgirl!

Dead simple to use, one knob and a toggle switch. Mine was made in 2003 with a NOS General Electric transistor, not like the current run with NKT275s. I asked Mike about this and he said they were really good transistors, one of his faves although maybe not as quiet as the current NKTs

I was looking at treble boosters for months before I decided on and bought the Beano. There seem to be plenty of other clones out there but to me, this one seemed to be the closest to the original in specs and build. I was looking for the same tone as anyone esle who buys these things; Page, Clapton, Iommi. This pedal delivers. I can't replicate their tones exactly, of course, but the Beano puts me well within the ballpark. I'm not looking for exact duplication anyway, just more of the vibe of their tone if that makes sense. Tweaking is in order here. I use my Beano with a DRRI and Zvex Nano. I have an Orange Tiny Terror coming soon that I am excited about pairing the Beano with. Should deliver some exceptional British tone

You could absolutely depend on this thing. The build quality is flawless, the components are top quality.

If I could give an 11, I would. Each and every time I e-mail Mike with a question I get a friendly and informative reply within 24 hours, often with 12! I have no doubt that Mike will look after me as long as I own the pedal. To be fair, some of the other builders I contacted were very nice as well but Mike's level of customer service rose to the top of the bunch for me.

If I caught the guy who tried to steal my Beano, I'd rip his arm off and beat him with it, then kick his dog. I like it that much! This is no honeymoon review. I have owned this pedal and played it for a long time now. I've owned more pedals than I care to list. I tend to be a minimalist, using only a wah (Fasel Crybaby), fuzz (Fulltone Soulbender), delay (DD-20) and the Beano. I can't see ever getting rid of this pedal because it delivers the tones I'm looking for. A 10 in this category is for a "Fantastic value." That is exactly what the Analogman Beano is.

This is a very easy pedal to use. One knob, a selector switch for the ranges high/mid/low. The selector switch is a great addition which sets it apparent from the original Rangemaster.

This is a very versatile effect, but needs to be used with some distortion, whether it be an overdriven amp or in front of a overdrive/distortion pedal. I have used it in front of just about everything for studio work (Oranges, Hiwatts, Marshalls, Fenders, Mesa Boogies, etc.) It works well with both solid state/tubes, humbuckings/single coils, fuzz and overdrive boxs. This pedal pushes your lead sound over the top and might replace a compressor in some case for it provides more sustain and transparent boost. Very quiet. It is best if used before any buffered effects in a pedal chain. Not just for Brian May fans but other classic guitar sounds as well (Richie Blackmore, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, eventhough most of these guys probably did not use a Rangemaster).

Hand wired and nice case (like an MXR pedal). I doubt it would malfunction. This pedal works the best with a cheap carbon battery so it is important that you do not leave the instrument jack plugged in when you are not using it (you probably know this already). You should get a 100 hours or more out of a battery.

Mike was great, needed this pedal in a few days for a recording session because my BBE version broke (total junk, sorry). I am pretty picky when it comes to service and have no complaints so far.

I am well into my 35th year of playing music. I have been a sessions musician for some of the greats, and still am a guitar instructor.

I choose not to list all of the stuff I own for the list is vast and I would rather be humble about it. What is important is that this pedal is worth trying out if you like a classic guitar lead sound.

Yes, I would replace it, but I am a pretty big guy and feel sorry for anyone who would try to walk off with it :)

This is just an update to my earlier review of this pedal. I've been playing it for 3 years now and have NEVER gotten tired of it. The only time it's turned off is when I'm using my wah pedal because there's a bit of a harmonic redundancy happening when using both together. I'm using it with an '82 made in England Marshall JCM 800 1x12 and a 2001 Vox AC 15 with several Pete Cornish distortion pedals(SS2-G2-P2-NB2). IMO, this pedal is a must for topping off your British amp. Does the J.Page/J.Beck/B.May thing all day long but sounds killer for punk or anything else you want to rock hard with lots of cut and clarity. Use a good transparent distortion pedal and you can get those tones at any volume level. If you can't tell, I'm still in love with this pedal and I highly recommend it.

3 years of live gigs,etc. and it hasn't failed me yet. Also, batteries last forever in this thing.

Mike's great. No problems there.

Been playing for 30+ years and will hopefully be using this pedal for 30+ more.

straight forward, you either get it - or you're... well, hopeless. Volume knob - dials in amount of boost. Three position toggle switch - select between treble(regular), mid, or low frequencies to be boosted. True bypass stomp switch. LED indicator light. That's pretty much it.

I'm not a pedal guy. I know pedals can be interesting and fun, but my old man( ex brit session player) instilled his purist approach of - it's all in the hands - into my little head when i started playing with his guitars at 5 years of age. I subscribe. However, I find that sometimes an amplifier may need a bit of help getting itself off the ground. And in the case of my handwired JTM 45 combination amplifier, this pedal proves itself necessary to take the amp to it's special place. Right out of the box, with the knob turned to 12 o'clock, a 61 SG, and the amp set to 4, I was steppin' out. Ha. I couldn't resist. Marshall valve amps will make sweet love to this Beano Boost. The Super 100 at 6 with a strat and the same amount of boost... well, my neighbors were terrified, and i may have peed my pants just a little. Not a very noisy pedal. Very little hiss. I purchased the Beano with the NKT275 and battery only. Don't think you would need the optional oc44. Bottom line: great pedal that can add some lovely "colored" honk and sizzle to the front end of an amplifier. However, best served LOUD(i.e. non-master volume amp cranked) to get in her pants.

well see. it's only got a few bits and pieces in it. Case is stronger than I am, but most everything is. There is a piece of pc board in there. eww, but whatever.

I submitted an order and waited 3 weeks. That was the extent of my "dealing with the company". It was well worth the wait.

Thumbs up. But don't buy a pedal of this sort if you're plugging it into a solid state practice amp, or any other amp that doesn't already sound excellent. You will scratch your head, and end up flogging the thing on ebay. in fact, stay away from a pedal like this if you're not using a quality valve amplifier.

1 knob, 3-way toggle (hi, mid, low boost). not tough to figure out.

interesting effect, tone coloration. boosts your high end, can add (at least what it sometimes reminds me of) a "wah stuck in one spot" sound. you do lose low end (with the switch in the hi-boost spot) but that is kind of the point. with humbuckers into the hi-gain (british) channel of my rivera amp, this thing adds a nice treble crunch that sounds very cool/aggressive. adds a certain "presence" to your sound. i don't leave it on all the time, but its nice to have the tonal options it provides. pretty quiet unit, considering what its designed to do (boost/add high end).

seems very solid, haven't had it that long.

Mike seems to get very positive reviews in this area, and he answered my emails quickly and i didn't have to wait too long for the pedal.

cool pedal, seems to do exactly what it is supposed to do. adds a unique hi-end crunch/clarity to your tone, some sustain (though not much - not designed for that). provides a good tone for blending when recording (mix it with your unboosted sound and it rounds out the overall tone in a cool way).

Idiot proof pedal. One knob for output, and a 3 way toggle switch for preferred eq settings. Middle for standard, up for full range boost, down for low boost.

This pedal basically brought my Orange RV50 head to life. The sound cuts through like a saw now. Definitly the greatest thing to happen to my sound since i started over 15 years ago. Even my friends who have heard my band a million times claim that this pedal has helped my sound so much that it's night and day. Basically the missing link to all those dark british amps.

Extremeley Important! This pedal must be set first in the signal chain directly after guitar or it will sound putrid! If set first, it is a true work of genius.

Point to point wiring, Hard mxr box, switch is top notch. You would have to TRY to break it in order of even coming close to this thing malfunctioning.

Mike is probably the most pleasant person i have ever dealt with in any service. Makes me have faith in humanity again. Answers all his emails and your questions very fast (within hours most of the time)

If this were stolen, I'd cry. I'd cry till i got the money to get another one, and then I would order it again right away. This is the pedal for those crunchy break up nuts out there, as well as for those people who need a cure for thier dark sound that just doesnt cut through enough. For the price, it's probably the best treble booster out there. I think he should charge more personally, but mike seems extremely humble, and thank god for that.

The instruction sheet says best place is last in signal chain before amp. I tried it there first and was disappointed in the thin sound. However, after some swapping places, I now have it first in my chain and this thing is AWESOME!! What a difference in trading places! Right before my Teese wah and my new KoT overdrive.
Simple one volume knob and a high, mid, and low setting switch.
I'll give it a 9 for having to swap places to find the sweet spot. Other than that very easy to use. Just stomp and scream!

Like I said above this unit is very sweet! Produces a super thick, creamy overdrive in front of any of my amps. ( Boogie MkIII, Music Man 212 HD 130, Fender Pro Junior, Allen Accomplice ) Like Mike says, it cleans up well when I back off the volume on my guitar. When I back off below 8 on my guitar it takes on a sparkly tone that is so nice, then roll up to 10 and it gets raunchy and nasty...too cool!

I've had it about 2 years and no problems foreseeable~ A look inside at this simple point to point ciruit and I see old school quality~ Nice...

I have several aNaLoG.MaN pedals and have emailed Mike numerous times with always a quick, brief reply within a few hours. I was on the waiting list for a KoT pedal for 2 years and I'm sure I botherd him with all my, "Is it ready yet" questions, but he always told me what the hold up was. ( KoT review coming soo. Have to go play right now! )

I play roots rock, classic to hard and this unit is just what the Dr. orders to boost my solo's over the edge and into total tonal bliss. I've been playing guitar 40 years and this is a keeper. I tried a Keeley Java Boost and the Beano smokes it! The Java sounds muffled in comparison. If it were lost or stolen, I'd be mad and sad and order a new one. Good stuff here!

I found it EXTREMELY DIFFICULT to get a good sound out of the unit! The manual works perfectly. But it is just one knob.

I am playing a 1989 Fender American Stratocaster with a one piece maple American Fender neck with a bone nut, sperzel locking tuners... It has Seymour Duncan Custom 5/Lil '59n/Jazz N pickups with CTS 500 pots. I always run a Boss NS-2, Boss GE-7 modded by ToneJam, and an Analogman Comprossor; sometimes I use an Analogman Juicer and a Maxon SD-9 with the Analogman mod. My overdrive is an Ibanez TS-9 with the Silver mod by Analogman yet again. I adore and swear by all my other analogman pedals. The unit sounds extremely bright and fuzzy, like I'm playing through a handheld amp. This effect is magnified with compressors. Eve n with the neck pickup with tone down it sounds bright.
I am playing a Fender 1965 Super Reverb '65 Reissue, with Settings T/M/B=2/7/2. The GE-7 has the mids raised even more. It sounds like a tube screamer driven strat that is very thick, yet with that thin tone that sounds like Fender. The mid-heavy settings balance out the bright pickups. Even with exremely midrange-heavy settings, the neck pickup, and a low tone, the Beano Boost made my signal sound BAD, and overly bright and harsh.
***The only decent sound I found was with the middle pickup (a neck Lil '59) with the tone down around 3, and the beano at around 9:00, it made my humbucking strat sound like a true single coiled strat. this was the only bearable sound I found.

It's analogman. His stuff is built with the most quality stuff around and they're built like tanks. It's built for life.

Mike is a very nice, personable guy. He is often gone and brief, but customer service is superb.

I play Phish, Grateful Dead, Iron Maiden, Guns 'N' Roses, and then loads of classic rock. Mainly Phish. I love strat tones and I love the tones on the website... I love Lemon song and Crossroads. I c ouldn't really find any decent tones honestly. I've been playing for 8 years. The standard setting on the three-way toggle is best. The bass is too bassy, and the treble makes it even worse.

As said below: one knob (intensity) and a three way toggle switch Mid (classic Dallas Rangemaster mode), High (full frequency mode) and Low (obviously emphasizing the lower range).

I am using it for 4 months now. (Honeymoon is over.) I do not want to exaggerate but this is simply IT if your looking for a classic treble booster!! My 20 year long search is now finally over! No, really! I've never had the original Dalllas Rangemaster, only some unsatisfying clones (I know the sound I am looking for).
Mainly I am playing a Les Paul R7 goldtop and a Nocaster closet thru a 1971 Vox AC30 with SilverDogs, Denis Cornell Plexi 18/20 and a 1964 Fender Tremolux Piggy-back. With that I get all those classic tones I want and more out of it.
Finally the boring normal channel of my AC30 comes to life. (Brian May lurking around the corner. I don't got his special guitar but with the Beano in High position, with a sixpence as pick and the PU selector of the LP in middle position playing around with the PU volumes to get different blends, I get darn close. But I don't got his fingers ...).
On the Cornell there was always a lack of grit. Now it blows. I was very suprised that with the LP and the Beano in Low position (High works too) I got some pretty delighting kind of Tony Iommi sound coming out of that combination. I wonder what if I had a Laney... and a set of thimbles on my playing hand fingertips ;)? (You'll need a 1971 Strat (yes, with the scary 3 bolt neck, NEVER USE THE MIDDLE PU), obviously a Plexi, (a black suit, a terrible hate for your lead singer ;)) and the Beano in High position and you got Richie Blackmore).
Not that the Beano is for a "cloning guitar hero contest". It's just for give you an idea were the sound goes.
Even with the Tremolux I got a nice tone despite the fact that a treble booster normally makes more sense on a vintage british amp that's tone-wise more on the dark side.
Oh I forgot: this thing is not an overdrive/distortion pedal, it's a booster (dooh...) so you need to really crank your amp to get those sweet tones (maybe an attenuator would be advisable (I use Mark Greggs Ultimate Attenuator, pretty cool.)) I remember the very first time I went to a store to check a treble booster, playing on an amp at a really decent volume, I hardly couldn't hear any effect.
BTW True Bypass on this thing REALLY works!

I would use it on a gig without backup. Makes a pretty rugged impression to me. But as said I got it only for 4 months now. You never know, so a nine for that.

Mike replies on e-mails in my experience normally in 1 to 4 hours!!

The only thing that would be nice would be something to control the toggle switch with my foot. I like to play with those differnt sounds. Enough said. If you started reading here, read above! The $205.- was inclusive shipping costs to europe.

One knob and a three position toggle switch - pretty simple. The knob is for setting the level and the switch is for selecting the range - mid (full), treble (high), low. I dial the knob to 3 o'clock and set the switch to low.

I play a Les Paul through a vintage Marshall. I don't use a lot of effects. My amp sounds pretty good as is, but it's only got one channel. When I take a solo, I need a little extra juice to cut through the mix. This pedal delivers it - and then some. It really pushes the front of the amp nicely. Talk about tone in a box. Take your favorite tube amp and imagine it how it would sound with some extra gain.

It doesn't add too much noise - not nearly as musch as a fuzz or a distortion box. I wouldn't leave it on between songs, but if you dial it in right, it won't cause any feedback.

N/A - I haven't had any problems thus far. I don't have a back-up for anything. It's all in the fingers, baby....

Mike is the man. He got back to me right away and he knows what he's talking about.

I play rock & roll and this pedal takes my leads to a new level of tone. I swear - it's magic in a box. I've got one of Mike's Sunfaces with the nos germanium transistors and I love this thing way more. I just gigged last night - ran my Les Paul into the Beano Boost into my Boss tuner into my JMP. When I ripped my leads, I couldn't help but look back at my amp and think to myself, "This is sick tone." This has got to be some of the best tone I've ever achieved.

I have a vintage MXR Micro Amp. There's no comparison. I also have a Barber Direct Drive. Again - no comparison. I've got an Aramat Soul Patch (another really good pedal) - it's like comparing apples and oranges. Both are really good, but they serve different purposes. It depends on the application.

If it were stolen, I would most definitely buy another one.

One knob, one 3-way toggle, one foot switch. Real easy.
Sounds are specific, it boosts one range of frequency. This is limiting, yet that's what it's supposed to do, boost a dark amp. It does this. At first you might think it's a bit thin, like a loss of low end. But it works better with other music, in the mix you can get a sonic and volume boost out of an overdrive pedal or push a tube amp a little or alot.

American standard Strat with Lace's and DrZ Mazerati. True bypass, for real. Adds just a bit of noise, come on it boosts highs and volume. Can't hear hiss unless it's a pretty loud boost. Sound by itself at low volume is thin and bright. But your amp should be loud and this will do it's job. My amp is a little dark, so is my overdrive. The Beano just before the overdrive is great. The boost is very noticable and my high end is dynamic and alive. There is some subtle harmonic tones that follow chords that aren't as present whrn the pedal is off.

built like it will outlive me.

Mike is the best. I email alot and he always answers, real nice guy. I returned a Nano Head and he exchanged it for some pedals with no problems.

Does what it does real well. I've never even heard John Mayall and the Blues Breakers and the "Beano" album with Clapton. I got the effect because maybe I've lost a bit of high end in my hearing and maybe my amp is a little dark. The Mazerati only has one tone knob, so I can't just crank the treble up, the Beano does it for me. Really cool before my overdrive. Gives my tone an aural and sonic boost that I could live without, but I'm very happy to have it.

Doesn't get much easier with one volume and a 3-way high-mid-low switch.

I can't believe how much this pedal affects my sound. So many variations. Fender Strat-Fulltone Wah-Beano Boost-Fulltone Fulldrive-Analogman Boss Distortion-Analogman Boss DD3 Delay-Dr Z Maz 18 NR! with Z-Best 2x12 Cab. Where the beano is located is key. Experimentation is paramount! Talk about making solo notes sing. And the touch of overdrive is ear candy. Sweet. In fact, currently I have the Fulldrive in compressor mode and can now turn down the distortion on the Boss due to the excellent boost of the Beano. Do not think of it as a treble booster but as a tone booster!

No problems!

No issues!

I play modern rock, classic rock, blues, and country. The Beano was bought on a whim. Typically I study pedals by playing them, reading reviews, etc...but this pedal was bought purely by analogman's reputation and my past experience with his pedals. And it paid off!

My review is for the version with the three-position switch (Mid, Hi, Low).

The Beano Boost is very easy to use: There is one knob to control volume/gain and the three-position tone switch.

I have a Mesa Stiletto Deuce head (kind of like a Marshall), 2x12 Mesa 3/4-back cab with Mesa Black Shadow speakers. Main guitars are a Gibson Custom Shop Les Paul Custom w/ stock Classic 57 pickups and a American '57 Reissue Stratocaster w/ stock Fender 57/62 pickups. Effects in addition to the Beano Boost are a Keeley Compressor and a Catalinbread Super Chili Picoso (clean boost).

For the next bit, keep in mind that I am starting out with a basic tone without effects that I like then adding on the effect without changing anything. I haven't built my tone around the Beano Boost and mainly use it to boost up my Strat for a heavier tone. If you're looking for that Clapton/Bluesbreakers sound, I can't help you because that's not what I'm going for. But, the premise of the pedal is that it is a Rangemaster clone like what Clapton used on that album.

Stratocaster: A treble booster seems like an odd thing to use with a guitar that is so bright sounding and it is too bright with the normal/middle position of the Beano Boost. I mainly use the Low position to beef up the sound of the Strat when using high gain settings on the amp; this knocks the bridge pickup down to a range that is much more usable with the thin sounding pickup. Using the BB's knob set around 9-10 o'clock gives a relatively clean boost to the amp for a pretty chunky tone. Raising the knob up more causes the BB to start overdriving and making the tone a bit more "fluid." Either way, the overall tone set this way gives sort of an early '80s metal sound. Very cool! (Well, *I* like that sound!)

Les Paul: The Low setting is usually too dark (more on that later) with the humbuckers. I generally use either the Mid or normal setting with this guitar in a medium to high gain situation. In the normal setting with the knob around 9 o'clock the guitar cuts through very nicely; raising the knob more gives a more saturated tone that sounds great for solos using the neck pickup.

Here's where things get funky...

The Beano Boost is sensitive to where you put it in your pedal chain and the ideal place for it is right after your guitar. If you put a buffered pedal before it, the entire frequency range is shifted up much higher giving you much brighter highs and less lows. You can view this as either a plus or a minus - I look at it as a plus as it gives me more tone possibilities. Using my Les Paul neck pickup with the clean channel of my amp with the Keeley compressor in front of the Bean Boost and the BB switch set to the Low position and the volume/gain knob set to about 9 o'clock, it gives me sort of an old Chuck Berry sound that is *really* cool. I don't think that was the intention of the design, but it's a great accident.

The Beano Boost sounds great and I gave it a 9 rather than a 10 only because *my* personal preference would have been to have the Low setting just a little brighter.

I don't know much about electronics and I've had this pedal for only three months, but the inside looks pretty sturdy and the footswitch feels solid. The case looks *very* strong. It hasn't failed yet!

I've been in contact with Mike several times and he's great about answering questions (as well as patient) and I'm sure he stands behind his products.

I've been playing for around 20 years or so and play rock and roll - classic and hard rock. The Beano Boost gives me a lot more tone options to play with; great, *musical* tone options. If it were lost or stolen, I could get along without it, but would miss it and definitely replace it.

Mine is the push pull. One knob, pretty easy.

Les Paul-Beano-Bacino 18. I put the Beano at 3:00 pulled out. The Bacino at 5:00. I work with my volume and tone controls on my guitar. It's the tone I've been wanting it has sustain and grit. I am a Peter Green fan early Billy Gibbons and Clapton. This set up will get you there tone wise.

So far so good.

Mike has always been fair to me. I have sent him other pedals for repair and he has returned money to me and always fixed my pedals. Show me that from any other gear site.

I play blues and rock. I've been playing for 23 years (yikes I'm gettin old). Fantastic pedal but you got to turn that amp up.

Very easy to use. A volume switch, a 3-position toggle switch between Normal (bright), Low and Mid. That's it!

I was looking for a vintage sound, but I was suprised at how much more the pedal can do. It adds a grit and an edge to the sound that's very musical. It's not a distortion pedal, but it adds distortion. It's not an overdrive pedal but you can overdrive your preamp section with it by turning up the volume knob.

It's a hard pedal to explain, but when I place it in my signal chain after Analog Man's Juicer compressor into my Bogner Shiva, well, let me tell you, it's something special.

I play a homemade teakwood strat with EMG pickups and put the BB volume down at 9 o'clock and set the toggle switch into the "low" position, and it screams like nothing else. Heaven.

Seems to be built very solidly. Only a few months on the odometer.

Mike's a nice guy. It DID take a while for him to mail my order but he makes these things in batches, he's a small business and the sound quality is fantastic, so it all works out. Would have been unhappy with the delay of it were a bigger company.

If you have an amp with great distortion already (i.e. a Bogner), this will launch you into heaven. It has a distrotion-pedal-like effect, but is very organic and sensitive to pick attack. Best pedal I have bought yet.

Just dime the knob n go! Mine is the puch pull model with options for treble boost or fullrange mode.

I use an Orville by Gibson Les Paul Standard into the beano boost into my Orange ad15/12. I also on occasion use a boss chorus (ch-3 i think) and a 959Q Dunlop wah, and I'll use the two outs of my chorus n use that to go into my ad15 n my music man hd130. I finally am 100% satisfied with my tone as of now! This unit is not as bright and has a lil bit more gain on tap compared to the HBE germania i own. I deffinatley get some Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton. and Jimmy Page sound out of my amp(s) with this pedal. It took a little while for me to finally settle on settings that are perfect now. If you get this pedal and think it doesnt work well try n play with your amp n guitar settings. I can even get some strat like tones because of the brightness and clarity added. I knew what I wanted to sound like in my head and I have a couple other nice pedals including a Zvex 2 in 1 n a fuzz factory...those are collecting dust now! They never got me to where i wanted to be tone wise, I never use them. I set my guitar up with the volume half way n tone on the neck full, n for the bridge i cut the tone in half. If i didnt set it up this way it wouldnt make sense, i role up the vol for solos n man if it doesnt sound heavenly! Basically if your thinking of getting this pedal stop reading n go order one, they really are something special.

oh, deff. very well made

Mike is a great guy that always gets back to me when I've emailed him before. A pleasure doing buisiness with.

I play blues/classic rock...u know the drill. Im surprised more people havent discoverd what a beautiful effect the treble booster is. Ive been playing 3 years. Id def buy this unit again if it was lost/stolen. I love it because it helps me sound like me. If I didnt have this pedal in my setup right now id probly just go play my acoustic. Thats how much I need it...it should be built into my amp, i never turn it off.