BBE Frequency Boost

This is an update on the post I made before claiming this pedal was too loud. Also I didn't mention it but before it did add a lot of high end to my tone but it also made it somewhat shrill sounding. Well that was when I had the pedal placed after my Visual Sound Route 66. I decided to put it before the Route 66 and it made all of the difference, Now I get a very nice tone from it. I can go from a bit of grit all the way to a high end fuzz tone. Also placed before the compressor this pedal is as quiet as a mouse even turned all the way up.

The placement of this pedal in your effects chain makes all the difference in the tone you get. Be sure to put it before any other overdrives or distortion pedals.

One knob. Duh.

Manual was ok, but it could have said what I just wrote above...it had a good suggestion about what order to put the pedals should go.

My setup (as of today, 4 June 2009, because this is a fluid arrangement subject to chnge on any whim that hits me--LOL) is as follows:

USA-made 1962 reissue Fender Stratocaster (modified w/Pete Biltoft Vintage Vibe SP90s);
or hecho-en-Mexico classic-styled Fender Telecaster (modified with a Mighty Mite P90 in neck position, 4-way switching & Fender No-Load Tone pot);
1980 G&L F100 (Series II neck, dead stock)

Boss TU2 Tuner
ISP G-String Decimator Noise Suppressor (start loop)
Ibanez TS9 TubeScreamer
Boss RT20 Rotary Ensemble
MXR Phase 90
Dunlop Crybaby
Danelectro Daddy-O
Dunlop JH2S Jimi Hendrix Classic Fuzz
MXR M86 Classic Distortion (close loop)
MXR Carbon Copy Delay
Morley ABY (for channel switching)

1963 Reissue Fender Vibroverb (brownface 2x10 combo)

I played around with the position of the Frequency Boost, trying it before and after various distortions, overdrives, modulators, etc. It worked best between the TS9 (which is almost always on) and the rest of the stompboxes.

It added very little or no noise, except at very high settings, which was taken care of by a tweak of the ISP G-string.

Here's my beef: I loved it with my G&L F100--it made the humbuckers just stand out gorgeously--sustain, articulation, sweetness and punch. It didn't take out any of the bottom end (which was a concern for me). There was some Peter Green in the tone; there was some Santana and even some Tommy Iommi in there as well (even though I play nothing like Iommi or Carlos--I have stolen some licks from the fantabulous Mr. Green here and there).

It had great, great tone in combination with that guitar...however, the G&L is the guitar I use the least--especially live (no offense to the guitar--I love it, but for the style of music I'm playing, the Tele or Strat works best for me).

When coupled with the single-coiled axes, it just didn't really do it for me. A bit too much treble (duh--it's a treble booster) and had none of the inviting punch and articulation it had with the humbuckers. It just seemed to "thin out" my tone, even when I tweaked the tone knobs on the guitar, amp or other effects.

I hate to give it a bad rating, because it worked so well with the G&L, but for me it just didn't "cut it". I'll give it a 9 for humbuckers, a 3 for single coils and that averages out to a 6.

Seems very sturdy and tough--well built.

Never had to contact them, but they send a wall wart power supply with all their pedals; that tells me that they're keeping the customer in mind and are going at least a little farther in customer support than other manufacturers.

I play guitar/slide guitar/harmonica/vocals in a Texas Roadhouse band (Blues + Classic Rock + Outlaw Country=Texas Roadhouse) called the SCREAMIN' ARMADILLOS. We play 85% originals/15% covers.

I wish this pedal would have worked for me, but it just didn't. I sold it to a guy who plays Zakk Wylde-type music (he plays a Les Paul with the same EMGs Zakk uses through a 30 watt Marshall of some sort); he about popped a gasket because it made his tone so much better--he echoed everything I said good about the pedal when discussing it with my G&L.

Bottom line, it didn't work out for me, but you need to check it out for yourself.

It has one knob. How much simpler could it be?

I play a Yamaha AXE-502 w/P-90 pickups into a Visual Sound Route 66 into a Silvertone 1484 Twin Twelve. My amp and guitar give me a pretty midrangey tone which I like when playing rhythm but when I'd use my Route 66 overdrive which is a Tubescreamer 808 for solos I noticed that my I couldn't cut through the rest of the band no matter how loud I was. It was because my high end wasn't coming through. I got the BBE Frequency Boost with the thought that I'd leave it on all the time for some sparkle and still use my Route 66 for solo's. That didn't work because the Frequency Boost doesn't clean up enough. That's not to fault the pedal at all. I've never actually played through a treble booster before so I can't compare it to anything else as far as tone goes. What it is supposed to do it does quite well. I get some nice grind and a ton of sustain. I actually use this pedal now for most solo work because it really gives the notes more definition and it brings out the high end so I can cut through the mix. Ok now here is where my one big gripe is with this pedal. Like I said it only has one knob which contols both the volume and the amount of gain. This is a problem because I can't get the amount of gain I need without the volume being way too loud. With the true-bypass this pedal would be a 9 if it wasn't for that one major thing. So I'm giving it a 7.

Seems pretty solidly built. Does anyone gig with 2 of every pedal?

Without having ever played through another treble booster to compare I'm very happy with the sound. It certainly does what I believe a treble booster should do. It counters my mid-range rhythm tone and was the answer to my soloing problem. The one knob for both volume and gain is so frustrating though. At halfway turned up I can get nice singing sustain but it's just too damn loud. If someone could come up with a mod to fix this it would be great. I'm laying down the gauntlet and sending out the challenge to anyone.

This device could not be easier to use, if you are looking for simplicity when you plug a pedal in, this one's your huckleberry. One knob for setting the level of the effect and one footswitch. The pedal even comes with a battery and power supply so you are up and running in seconds. Althought the addition of tone knobs and possible a mode switch would have added flexibility (and cost) to this pedal, the ease of use is compelling; it is dirt simple. You will know in short order whether you like this pedal because the only thing you can change is the level of the effect. Make sure you give it a fair trial though by experimenting with your amp(s), and/or other pedal and eq settings. Shouldn't take you long to get this one the way you like it.

I was tempted to give this pedal a 10 on sound because what of how good it sounds when compared head to head with a much more expensive boutique pedal. I compared the BBE with a Keeley Java Boost. The Keeley provides more flexibility when it comes to tailoring the sound, it also has less noise and sounds warmer than the BBE. However, the BBE still sounds really good and is "hotter" than the Keeley with a more pronouced "edge" to the sound. It is more aggressive than the Keeley with less finesse. Although the Keeley and BBE are both intended for the same purpose (treble boosting) they are very different animals. The Keeley is a subtler and more flexible effect; however the BBE also sounds great and seems to be able to add more of an overdriven sound than the Keeley at its higher settings!

This is a fantastic sounding pedal for the price. If you are looking for a low cost way to add some juice, grit, and definition to your guitar sound without losing the character of the guitar or amp this pedal is a great alternative to a distortion or an overdrive pedal. When your amp is set properly to be close to, or already breaking up(distorting); this pedal will tighten up your sound and tends to add a nice overdrive/distortion and sustain as it overdrives your amp; a must for amps like the Vox AC30 or older Fenders where many players find that the overdriven amp settings can tend to lack sufficient overdrive and/or sustain. Also sounds great with Mesa's and Marshalls. Although this effect is not an overdrive or compressor/sustainor per se, by overdriving your amp's preamp you will find that using it will give you more overdrive and sustain. The sound is focused in the upper mids and one drawback can be that your lows get tighter but less pronouced. You may find yourself wanting to eq a little more bass into your sound when using this pedal (or not). In general treble boosters tend to detract from the amp's sound when using the amp in clean mode and the BBE is no exception. Unless you are looking for this particular character on a clean setting you will find the pedal is best used when the amp is approaching or already breaking up.

This pedal can definitely nail an approximation of the old Clapton, Blackmore, or May sounds if you are using the right guitar and amp but there are probably other pedals that will more precisely nail these artist's sound (at a substantially higher price). This pedal will get close and has a great sound of its own. I particularly like the way I can get some beatiful harmonic feedback on sustained notes with this pedal.

Have not had it long enough to guage its reliability. BBE's rackmounts last forever without requiring repair. Don't know how their pedals compare but going by my experience with there other products I am hoping this thing will hold up. The pedal box is nice and sturdy, its long-term reliability will depend on the durability of the footswitch and components they used.

Never had to use BBE tech support.

I have been playing for over 30 years, mostly "classic rock" and psychedelic, jam band and originals. I have owned and tried a ton of pedals over the years.

If this pedal were stolen I would probably buy it again.

This is a great pedal for folks who are just getting into using this type of effect and are looking for something that will really boost their tone without obliterating it. Some folks who already have treble boosters may find that they like the intensity of this pedal, it is capable of more boost than several of the boutique pedals. Of course, driving the pedal at higher level settings does introduce more noise, although not unacceptable levels. The level is nice and hot at the mid to high settings, enabling you to kick in a significant boost when you want it. The BBE has a great sound and looks like it will take a beating. This is the one you can take to the gig without freaking out about someone spilling a beer on it or the rigors of the road busting it. Overall a great pedal for the money. I love the simplicity and the plug and play nature of it. It is able to produce some beatiful harmonics particularly while holding a sustained feedbacked note. You will be playing, not tweaking with this pedal. Conversely, if I were going to change anything on this pedal I would add a tone control.

This is a musical pedal and although I believe it can sound great with many amps if eq'd properly, like all treble boosters, it sounds it best with tube amps set to, or beyond, the breakup point.

I am going to give this pedal an overall rating of 10 because it is such a great value and has a wonderful sound for a pedal that doesn't break the bank. I would not hesitate to buy one of these if you are looking for a treble booster at a good price.

one input one output one level knob one bypass switch. a monkey could use this pedal. just plug it in and turn the knob till it sounds good. no need for a manual but it comes with one, you know battery goes here ect...

i use this with my homebuilt strat that has aderson trisonic pickups. it has a slight hiss but only at exrteme settigs and even then its not unbearable. this thing sounds great for chords and lead. i even leave it on for my clean sound. you would think a treble boost would thin your sound out but it actually makes it "bigger" and thick. if you like brian may sound youll love it, but its is great for other sounds too. takes the mud out of those low power chords. its not a distortion pedal so dont buy it for that. its an inhancer.

havent had it long enough to know about durability. it seems pretty well built though.

havent had to use em.

i play rock and blues for a living. this is the only effect i use. if you get this pedal it will do good things to an already decent sound. its not magic though, it wont make crappy stuff sound good

Plug in, turn knob to desired level.

I have seen this pedal getting bashed for it's Strat sound and I must disagree - I run a _very_ nice single coiled, rosewood fretboarded Strat through an '87 JCM800 combo (the 2205). Just imagine my surprise at plugging in, going neck pickup, having a widdle, and getting the Hendrix lead tone from 'Who Knows' (youtube it)! And through a shitty Marshall!

What I'm getting at is that the treble booster seems to have been a secret weapon of the greats. There is no 'shaping' of the tone, it's just that when a signal is naturally amplified its volume doubles every octave - giving a perceptible treble boost. I suppose that's why this pedal gives such a natural 'singing' sound. And hiss...but you barely notice it.

I don't know how it breaks up, I haven't tried that (just using it on 2 or 3 for the treble).

One more thing - true bypass!

Seems solid - hasn't given me trouble. Bought it second hand and it still feels new. Looking at the circuitry it looks very well made, except that the knob is soldered onto the circuit board. And that knob is pretty easy to accidentally stamp on...

I play many types of music, but for me this pedal is all about getting a singing overdriven lead tone (Hendrix, Clapton off the Beano album), and a cutting heavy metal rhythm tone (Iron Maiden, Metallica, does it all).

If you want to milk the tone out of your bassiest pickup, as we all do, buy this pedal. But beware - once you've tried it, you will NEVER be able to stop using it. Dust will gather on the footswitch and you will yearn for the simple days, the easy days, the days of a guitar, a lead and an amp.

One knob is as easy as it gets. No manual and not needed. It's a treble booster...very straightforward. They included a power adapter, which is a nice touch.

My favorite artists are Hendrix, Clapton, Page, etc. I've tested this out with my Strats and an Epiphone Elitist Les Paul Standard through a Reeves Custom 6 1x12 combo so far. Not noisy in my book.

I was not happy with this pedal with my Strats, which have pickups which are on the bright side. Was starting to think I made a mistake. But plugging in the Les Paul was excellent. I had my amp turned down to almost nothing and cranked the BBE and was rewarded with some really happening power tube type of grind. Very natural sounding. My Les Paul sounded big and bad and that's what I was going for. Makes sense that HB's sound better with this type of circuit, since the LP's tend to be darker sounding to begin with. Thinking about it, I think many of the guitarists I like who used treble boosters were doing so with HB guitars into (darker sounding) Marshall circuits. I think that's the strong point of this pedal. My rating is for sound with HB only. For an SC guitar, I'd give it a 4 or 5.

Solidly built. Switch feels solid. Knob feels a bit grainy in rotation. Can't comment on the reliability but it's not flimsy by any means.

NA

I've been playing guitar for over 20 years. My amps include Germino, Reeves, Fender Blues Jr., Peavey Delta Blues 1x15, Matchless Lightening and Marshall 18 watt EF86. My pedals include nearly all the Fulltone drive and fuzz pedals, EH Big Muff, Voodoo Labs Tremolo and Vibe.

I like this pedal alot. I think it will be a staple for me when using a Les Paul. Very nice to be able to get good power tube grind at true bedroom levels. Not sure I'd buy it again, as I have lots of nice boutique drive pedals already and there's probably some overlap between this pedal and something like my OCD. Still I like the simplicity of this pedal and will likely use it for gigs either in a small rig or as a backup.

Dead easy - one knob!

This is mythird t reble booster and can comfortably say it does its job quite well. One of the reviewers below complained that it removed bass - well that's what it's supposed to do! Like most Treble Boosters, it was designed to accentuate the upper mids without booster (and perhaps even cuttin) some of the lows so that the overdrive you get is focused and devoid of any flabbiness. This of Brian May's tone: It's really heavy in the mids and upper mids, with warm top end (i.e., no shrillness) and no booming bass. For all intents and purposes, the tone you'll from this pedal is the opposite of the 80s and 90s scooped sound, assuming you run it into an already overdriven amp - otherwise, it's rather pointless.

The pedal does produce some hiss once you've passed 1 or 2 o'clock on its volume dial, but this is very normal (my other two boosters do this as well).

I use this particular pedal with my Strat (using the bridge and middle pickups combined in series, not parallel, just like Brian May does with his guitar) through an Orange Tiny Terror, which feeds an Avatar 2x12 cab. It sounds phenomenal. A big fat saturated tone that slices through the mix when playing rhythm, and individual notes that scream and sustain when soloing, particularly towards to top of the neck. Pinch harmonics come out very easily and will sustain for much longer than they would without the booster. Makes sense right? It's a treble booster and I'm picking a very trebly note/harmonic.

I play hard rock and blues rock (Queen, ZZ Top, Iron Maiden, CCR, etc.). I've been playing for about 20 years and have owned a crap-load of gear. I'm having a lot of fun with my current rig, which the Freq Boost is part of.

VERY easy to use, one knob, and I nice one too.

OK First things first....IF you don't have at least 1 12-inch speaker on your amp, and better yet some tubes, HOW can you expect any decent BASS in the first place? Hmmmm?

So why would you want to boost the highs, hmmmm?

Price is WAY better than competitors.

I LOVE this pedal. It really boosts the highs, with VERY LITTLE decrease in lows, just use a REAL amp. I am a huge Rory Gallagher fan, and I don't buy into the vintage pedal overpriced hype, so I couldnt buy a rangemaster on clear conscience. And I never looked back, cause this tone is where its at for leads.

Very sensitive, more than enough boost, but if you are a sloppy rythym player like me, turn it off during your chords.

Tone is very Brian May, beautiful sustain with zero distortion, very singing, very clean.

Its a BBE.

never needed

One knob, I guess no knob would be easier.

The BBE Freq Boost is supposedly based on the classic Rangemaster. I don't have any experience with a Rangemaster, so I can't really compare. I will say that the BBE is a pretty mediocre pedal. I've actually had two of these, and my experience has been the same with both. I run into a Vox AC30, so I was checking out treble boosters for that classic sound. The BBE definitely pumps the treble with some gain, which is nice, but you lose nearly all of your bass response. I get that a treble booster should boost treble, but I didn't like that my tone got extremely tinny. Might work well with trying to focus another pedal for leads, but just wasn't doing it for me. Anything over 5 is extremely shrill and thin.

Excellent build quality.

I really wanted to like this pedal (obviously, I bought it twice), but didn't like what it did to my tone. I'll look elsewhere, but maybe treble boosters aren't my thing.