Electro-Harmonix LPB-2 Linear Power Booster

Very easy to use. One knob.

I ran my Gibson SG through the Lpb-2 into my early '70's Twin Reverb with a push/pull master volume and Jbl speakers and got an incredible sound. Man, I haven't been able to duplicate that sound since then.

Sturdy metal box.

Actually, I don't have that set-up anymore but back in the mid-'7o's when I did I loved it. Of course, life got in the way and I had to part with the guitar, amp and all my toys. Since that time I have replaced the SG with a nwer one and added various other pieces but I will always remember that set-up as my favorite.

To be honest, I never really had to use a manual. This stomp box tube preamp is pretty self-explanatory... it runs in either dual mono or stereo mode, and I've never really run more than two instruments through it at once. It's got a drive and a volume dial for each channel and one high / low switch to change the pedal for different instruments. After a few minutes of messing around, I realized that it gives a nice bit of the boost to the signal. Before I bought a tube amp, I purchased this because I wanted to warm up my solid-state amp a little more. I wouldn't suggest running the drive or volume hard though, otherwise it gets a little too crunchy.

I play a semi-acoustic jazz box and a Hamer Archtop through a Peavey Classic 50 4x10 (with the 15" extension cab) and used to run it through a little Fender Frontman amp, as well as through a Fender RocPro 1000 half stack.

The unit can be a little noisy, but I'm sure that several other factors could weigh on that a bit (pickups, guitars, amps, distance, etc.) I used it in jazz band at a close proximity to the amp and I never got so much noise out of it that I got frustrated with it.

You can actually hear the difference I think if you're playing and click it on and off. The tubes make the sound that much better. I'm sure it would be even nicer if I replaced the factory sovtek 12ax7s in it.

Electro-Harmonix effects are great. I've never used the vintage ones... but I know that the new ones have always held up to my standards (except the paint on my Small Clone scratched really easy... it seems pretty soft.) But I would definitely take it to a gig without worrying about it. If something happened where a tube went bad or something, then I'd just run my signal straight to the amp.

Still haven't had to talk to Electro-Harmonix because I haven't had any trouble with any of my products from them.

I play clean jazz w/ little or no reverb, and I play some indie rock. I'm sure this could work with just about anything. It's pretty versatille. I've never really used it for some cock rock heavy no tone death metal, but I'm sure with the right badass and the right amp and the mids scooped, you could pull it off. If you have a solid state amp and don't want to invest in a new tube one, see if you can find one of these and give them a shot. They cost a chunk of change, but I've never regretted it. Even now that I have a tube amp and have never really liked running effects, I still use it, and have no plans of stopping.

One dial knob, controlling the volume, an on/off toggle switch, and of course the foot controlled on/off switch. It is extremely easy to use.

I play a 1998 Fender Lone Star Strat (100000% American Made!!!) (sunburst, maple fretboard, two Texas Special single coils, and a Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates in the bridge)and a beat to hell 1982 Fender strat with a '74 neck, and some old DiMarzio humbucker in the bridge. And no, there are NOT Floyd Roses in EITHER of them. It is a CRIME!!!)I play through a Marshall JTM30 Tube Amp. I run the LPB-2 in directly, set it at about 80-85% and use the clean channel. In the effects loop, I use a vintage late 1970's Electro Harmonix Electric Mistress, and a Boss Digital Delay, in that order. (Im looking to add an old Boss Dimension C, or Digital Dimension as well as a Boss Enhancer. Yeah, Im a pedal junkie. Especially unique, cool old ones)The LPB2 is a little noisy, but its almost not even worth mentioning.

Yes, it is very dependable. IT isnt as sturdy as a Boss, which I can drop, and not worry. But it always works, and dosent eat up batteries. I treat it with respect and care.

Elecro HArmonix from what i know is no longer in business, but I can take it to the store I bought it from, and I am 100% positive they could fix it, should anything happen to it.

I play rock, blues, funk, punk and metal. This pedal goes well with my stuff. I wouldnt sell, or trade it for anything. I've been playing for 16 years. I dont use these pedals anymore, but I also have CryBaby Wah, an Arion PArametric Equilizer, a DOD Supra Distortion, a Zeus Pre Amp/Mini Amp and a Boss Digital Metalizer. I I lost it, or someone pinched it, I would be pissed. I would replace it, but I also might give an MXR Distortion+ a try before i made the final purchase. It has a great sound, and boosts my power, just like its names. It makes my clear channel NASTY, great overdrive, sustain, attack, everything. You can use it on the distortion channel too, but its TOO much distortion. Giid for MEtal. I like hearing the Marshall sound though, and clean channel gives me the best of both worlds. I bought it, because I wanted something original and unique, and it was cheap compared with the other vintage distorion pedals.

It is very easy to use. It just has one knob that boosts your volume the further you turn it (duh!) and an on off switch that can be a little noisy, but not too bad.

The cool thing about it, is that you can use it with other pedals to enhance certain aspects of those pedals. Foe example, just one of the many pedals I run into my 4-10 Fender Deville is a vintage T.C. Line Booster Distortion pedal that sounds just awesome! When I press the LPB-2, it adds a TON of sustian that is Big-Muff like, but doesnt have the drive of a Big Muff unless you crank it up. All it takes is to have the knob of about 9 or 10 o clock. (It is even cooler to use the LPB-2 with the Big Muff. You can get some very good Hendrix sounds)My whole rig consists of a Alesis Midiverb 2, going into a Ernie Ball Mono Volume, then a Boss Super Chorus, then the LPB-2, then the TC Line Booster, then the Big Muff. I am about to get a LPB-1 in the mail and I cant wait to set one for my dirty sounds, and the other one for my clean boost. That is another story though, and I havent got to play with it yet. (The LPB-1 is the same as the 2 execpt it plugs straight into the top of your amp and has an on/off switch that you have to press with your hand)

I havent had it long and I havent had problems with it. It is a very old unit and is all original so I would assume that previous owners havent had any problems with it. The old Electro Harmonix company is not around anymore so I hope nothing happens to it. If it broke beyond repair, I would buy another one. I am thinking about buying another one just to have an extra before people start realizing just how good they are for the money. They are a much better value than a brand new Big Muff reissue that's for damn sure!

The old E/H company is not around anymore..... :(

For the money, this unit can really help you get nice vintage overdrive sustain, OR clean musings depending on how you set it up. It is built very god and solid and I am confident that it could take any touring or gigs you throw at it. I play Jazz, Blues, Funk, R&B, and Vintage Rock. I listen to people like Jimi Hendrix, Stanley Jordan, SRV, Tim Reynolds, John Mclaughlin, Ravi Shankar, Wes Montgomery, ect. the list could go on.... I also take lesson from a guy named Glenn Phillips if you have ever heard of him. I will probably take my LPB-2 to him and get him to check it out and give me his opinion. E-mail me with questions: Guitarplayer8888@aol.com

1 knob for Volume

1 switch to turn on or off....could it be easier to use? If you can't figure this out you shouldn't be playing guitar...in fact you shouldn't allowed breed at this point

US Deluxe Strat w/Fralins.....LPB-2......Valco Chicago 51 Tweed Amp from 1953 (18 watts, class A, 8" speaker Tweed goodness)

The switch is noisy, you have to put some weight on it to enable it, it's not like these are new items here, depending on level of effect (how much you have the volume up) can create louder pop when engaging effect. This does it's 1 effect great, clean volume boost, I think it might pull a little bit of the highs off but hardly noticeable...if you are that picky you would probably fix that in the studio with the EQ which is a crap way to do things anyway...

Tolerences people...you are talking about a guitar with 50 yr old design pickups, an amp from 1953 and an effect from the late 70's....great tone....very good sound,

I put the amp to the point of breakup with the guitar volume slightly backed off, and then use the LPB-2 to add even more OD when the I run out of guitar volume to add....I have owned it for a year but didn't use it with the other amp (1968 JMP 50 watt & 4x12 Cab.....quite a different setup) If the switch wasn't that hard and noisy when you stepped on it, I would give a ten.

I guess you can depend on it, it's old, it still works....I would use without a backup...look inside, there's hardly ANYTHING to it...

PLEASE!!!!!

In this situation with my setup, I love this effect, great sound...my other OD's color the sound to their own sound, this seems to retain the amps sound....Other effects are TS-9, TS-10, Hep-Cat, Chorus, Wah Flanger. I only use the wah & LPB-2 with this amp setup and they seem to get along, I suggest trying one, it may work well with your situation, maybe not, another amp I owned I did not like how it sounded at all with it, so try it with your gear first....

One knob, and a power switch. It don't get easier than that.

I use Tweed and Blackface Fenders and on these type of old tube
amps this pedal is great! If the amp is set clean(with some headroom)
the unit will just clean boost your signal. If your amp is slightly dirty or on the edge, this pedal will overdrive the amp. The gain it
adds is very transparent-it does not ad grit like an OD or Distortion-
it just slams the front end of your amp like realy hot pickups. It
does ad a phatness that's hard to discribe. But this pedal has
major BALLS! This would be great for about any style of music where
you want a little more on a switch. If your sound is heavy--it will
be heavier. If it's clean it will be louder. Way better than the
original and the R.I. MXR Micro Amp (I've had both) Clearer,PHATTER,
Badder. A real gem of a boost pedal, not to mention one of electro
harmonix first designs.
You might want to get the pedal wired for true bypasss, there is a
slight loss of highs when the pedal is off, but this is true of all
vintage electro harmonix effects... that's the only reason for the 9
rating.

Well it's 20+ years old and all original and still looks new
and sounds great! Can't beat that.

Never used them.

I play 60's 70's Soul/Jazz,Funk/Jazz as well as Rock and Fusion styles
of that era. It really gets the cranked up sound alot of people of that time were using. It seems many are afraid to turn up, but if you
have that old school spirit, and the chops--this pedal kicks some serious ass! It also follows the "Keep it simple stupid" rule......
One knob = Phat sound kinda like a tweed deluxe or other great products that deliver World class sound with very little knob twiddling.

You allready know this. One switch.

I'm playing a Telecaster through a Fender Vibroverd '63 reissue amp. the pedals are: ProCo Rat, ProCo Vintage Rat. Vox Wahwah, DoD Vibrothang, Boss Flanger, Boss Digital Delay, Guyatone Crossover Envelope Filter, Boss tuner (the white pedal) and the Electro-Harmonis booster. I put the booster right before the tuner, wich is last i the chain. That way I can boost any sound I like depending on what other pedals are switched on. I guess I will try it in other positions when I can find the time, But I definitely think it should go after the distortionpedals.
I wouldn't say it is noisy, but of course everything that goes into it comes out louder on the other side.
I think it sound very transparent and doesn't affect the sound other than making it louder. Then again louder input into tha amp makes the sound sing more, but that is what I wanted so I'm happy.
I'd easily put 10 points on this one if it had a light so you could see if it is on or off, and an ac-adaptor jack. I'm having that installed on mine so it will be a definitive 15 on a scale from 1-10.

Haven't had for so long, but I usually don't worry about those things. If you buy crap it's gonna break. If you buy good stuff it's gonna hold. This is good stuff!

I play country and rock and whatever else I'm asked to. This pedal works great whatever you play. after all the only thing it does is make you sound louder. and it does it extremely well.

I don't like to change sound when I go from rythm to lead. I dial in a rythm sound that I like and that fits the song, and if there's a solo I just want the same sound but louder. Simple but effective.
I will probably use in the studio if i want to push the amp really hard.
I tried the MXR Microamp too, but I choose this one. I liked it better.
It would be great if it had a light on it and an adaptor jack. But as I said I'm having that fixed on mine.
And it looks cool too!!

1 nob, how can this get anything less than a 10? On/off slider and footswitch are the only other things on this pedal, so it is pretty simple.

This pedal is just great! Clean boost at its best! Never noticed any noise, but I use 6 other pedals- their was no change when I removed it from the effects chain. This pedal makes any effect sound better, without the tone coloring that overdrives usually add.

Old pedal + No problems the entire time I have used it = great pedal...

I have contacted them before, but I don't know what they would do with this pedal

Just a great pedal! Best clean boost out their. I actually have 2 and will probably sell the other one since I just need one...but a great pedal. If interested email me... hangwire@angelfire.com

Easy as click click/ on off turn knob up or down to adjust boost.
Well you do have to get a feel for its interaction with your amp by playing with knobs but when the sweet spot is struck its real good.

This one has quite barely any noise. I have heard some that could pass as a fuzz box but this one is pristeen and clean adding nothing and seemingly taking nothing away from the tone. It sings so sweet.
A clean boost. Look I hate all these pedals that want to boost the crap out of your signal with fuzz or whatever. If I want boost or Fuzz thats all I want. This box gives me a nice clean boost. I've seen other pedals come and go but this one stays. Put this between a small tube silvertone amp (one of those with a crystal clean richness)and a nice guitar and if someone calls the cops they will be asking you to play one more song before you quit. Really It is that good. It makes that sweet tone singe and imparts a quality that is unearthly yet heavenly and hellish all at once. Call it an Evil Grace. This one has it. Dont boost dirt, It sounds like diarreah on top of crap. All the things this thing can't do are what make it so good. Its just like someone was to give the tubes a massage, they just relax and the sound melts out. Ive never had any damage or problems caused by this pedal, but Ive never used cheap crappy tubes either.

Ive had it over 20 years as a secret weapon and it only does what it does well. No complaints or hassles.

Never needed.

I play a lot of different things from jerry butler to Anthrax and even a lile old pre WWII country yes this peddle is useful anytime the sound needs a little sing or push

one knob for volume, on on/off slider, and pedal on/off footswitch (works when slider is 'on'), couldn't get much easier.

just boosts the signal you give it. Any noise coming in gets boosted too. I have a 78 tele and a 79 strat that I play through a 79 Twin with boost push/pull volume pot. After years of trying different pedals I now just overdrive the amp and have found 'my sound'. Killer.
stick crybaby in the chain and you're laughing all the way to Jimi's grave.

had mine serviced when I got it. a resistor was replaced and shielding added to cut down on noise. hasn't broken down since.

$60 might sound a lot but if you have a good tube amp and a good guitar this pedal is a snip to get that great overdriven tube sound.

This unit surprised me. I love the fact it has only one knob control. It dosen't need any more as long as you have a decent tube amp. Using this pedal is very easy

I'm playing with a 98 Fender Lone Star Stratocaster with a Marshall JTM30 (all tube) amplifier. It is a a bit noisy when you aren't playing the strings, so who cares? Righteous feedback makes the ghost of Jimi Hendrix bless your playing! This pedal kicks serious ass. I love that it dosen't change my Marshall sound, just kicks it up to outer space! I play with a Boss Digital Delay and a DOD Stereo Flanger, and it kicks the flanger up. It's great as a boost on the distortion channel, but I like cranking it up on the clean channel. It sounds SO good on the clean channel. Then theres all the choices of pickups. This pedal, in the words of Emeril Lagasse, makes me happy-happy. It was either this or a MXR Distortion Plus. Go for the Electro Harmonix LBP2. Its a piece of history, a piece of gold and relatively inexpensive (70$) compared to all the other vintage pedals. I believe this particular pedal is from 1980 or 81 at the latest.

Sure and sure.

Electro Harmonix I don't believe exists anymore...Unfortunately

I play rock, blues, punk and funk. I've played for 14 years. If it was stolen, I'd be pissed, and I'd scour the land for another one. I love how this pedal almost saturates the tone, but dosen't. It's riding a crest of saturation. God it's an awesome sounding pedal. Sometimes when I'm jamming late at night, and I'm using the neck pickup I'd swear that I'm getting a tone like Jimi Hendrix, or Billy Gibbons (70's era ZZ) Of course I can play maybe half as good as them on a good day, but I got the sound baby, I got the tone! If you see one lying around at a store, grab it. It will make any preamp, distortion pedal, parametric eq, power booster or whatever pedal you have pale in comparison. For a vintage pedal, this thing has great value.

It is easy to use. Has an on/off switch, footswitch and one knob.

After years of being dissatisfied with analog and digital effects I decided that I prefer the true sound of an overdriven tube amp. The LPB-2 won't give me this sound but it does boost my signal going into the amp to provide a stronger tone capability. But that's not the end of the story. I use this in conjunction with a Ton Sholz Power Soak.
The Soak allows my to overdrive the Power amp section at any volume level. The combination of these two units gives me controllable natural amp distortion and volume. I also use a volume pedal for more control. Many pro players have been using this type of set-up for years both in the studio and for live performances. It has been something that has rarely been mentioned.
I am using this with a Fender 1963 Vibroverb re-issue amp.
Neither of these devices will color the sound so all that you hear is natural amp distortion. It can also be set for more toneful clean sounds.

It's over 20 years old and works like new.

The old Electro Harmonix company is long gone.

I play all types of music from Jazz, blues, Pop, hard/soft rock, and beyond.
Been playing for over 30 years.
I would replace it if it were stolen...if I could find one.
I find it to be a necessity in my normal set-up.

This asks for me to rate it's value. Since they are no longer made I can't estimate the value. For me it is indispensable.

The LPB-2 (Linear Power Booster) is the foot pedal version of the LPB-1 (which is just a small box with a volume knob and off/Boost switch). Along with the volume knob and switch, the LPB-2 also comes with a footswitch. The metal case is durable, but you need to remove four screws to replace the battery, so I docked a point for this (although I modified mine to accept a 9volt power supply - utilizing the on/boost switch to toggle between the power supply and the battery). Otherwise it is extremely easy to use.

Just boosts the original signal level, with no coloration of the sound whatsoever. If you crank it all the way up there will be noise, after all it is a booster, and will boost whatever line noise is present. Besides that, much of the noise can be associated with distortion, due to overloading the input of your amp. I especially do NOT recommend using one as a solution for an under powered amp, you will be disappointed. I never have the volume more than half way up, so noise is not a factor for me. In itself, I don't think it adds any noise to the signal path, but it?s not shielded in any way, so it may pick up some interference floating around. If you just don't over crank it, you should be ok. Switching isn?t totally noiseless, but it?s really not all that distracting either.

Bought it in the early 80's and still works. The volume knob is a little scratchy, but that's to be expected. It doesn't bother me enough to get it fixed, and even if it did, it would be easy to do.

The old EH company is no longer around. I bought this thing straight from them, along with a Deluxe Big Muff PI and Small Stone, and they were always really cool. As a matter of fact, I thought they were the coolest company around at the time. I no longer have the Big Muff or Small Stone (they got misplaced at a gig in '85) but now that they are reissued, I have a chance relive my lost childhood!

This is a very simple device that only does one thing, so I suppose it is not a ?must-have? item, but it sure comes in handy when you need a little boost. I mostly use mine now to boost my acoustic on certain songs, to give it more ambiance when my picking is subtler. Add a bit of chorus, a dash of delay, crank the reverb and voila! It fills the room with a certain atmosphere that I could not otherwise get. In this way I use it more as an ?effect? I guess, in tandem with other effects, rather than just to boost arbitrarily, although it does help to boost you for soloing, etc.

If they ever reissued them I would definitely get one, just for the heck of it (especially if they went for the original price of $19 bucks!). If I ever find an original one for a reasonable price I?d probably also get it, otherwise, they?re not really worth all that much. I?m currently getting together all the parts to duplicate it: a couple resistors, a couple capacitors and a transistor. I?ve heard that if you hook a few of these pedals in series you can create a distortion effect, I?m curious about what this sounds like. Anyway, for a cheap, fairly useless pedal, I think it?s kind of cool.