Fulltone Fat-Boost

It's a no brainer. The small Gain knob can be a little tricky when it has to be reset when switching from s/c to h/b pickups, but otherwise it's fine.

I use this pedal with a variety of guitars through a few different amps. Almost all setups sound better with this in the chain but it does make my Victoria 3515 a little farty when I crank the volume. And that's even with a relatively lo output Strat pickup. When I put it between a 335 and a Plexi (using a Power Brake) it make the 335 even more throaty. I dial down the bass and up the mids and for my money it's one hell of a sound.

I had a problem with the switch about a week after I purchased it. I'm told Fulltone really prides itself on their switch quality and I do own other Fulltone pedals that have performed flawlessly for a few years now. I need to get a new switch and I have contacted the company about this. No response as of yet.

I've been playing blues, soul and r+B, and rootsy rock for about13 years now and and this enhances everything I do. Tonally, it's absolutely transparent which I think is it's greatest feature.I tried an Austone boost and found it too limited control wise, and also tried a Z-Vex super hard on that I just thought was weird. This pedal allowed for so much more control both tonally and output wise.

Volume and tone, how can you go wrong? Nice clean boost, some distortion with hot inputs, high output, overloads non-master volume amps nicely, warm tone.

Sounds great like all the Fulltone pedals. I think the Zvex SHO is bit better clean boost, but this is a nice sounding pedal.

He builds good.

Generally a nice guy, but gets a bit huffy if contradicted.

Nice sounding pedal, nearly as good as the best and a lot cheaper than many.

Extremely simple to use. Volume, Tone, and Gain. It may present some problems if you intend to run it behind (into) another pedal and could possibly overload it and cause some unwanted distortion or clipping.

I bought this pedal to boost the quiet tones produced by my strat. At the time, most of my playing was completely dry and I was using a Boomerang to creat blues loops or whatever. I needed a pedal that could boost the clean tone for blues. It took me a while to reach a point where the fat-boost was dialed in right so that it didn't overload the 'Rang. This pedal is absolutely fantastic as a stand alone pedal. It will give your strat more volume than a Paul and yet retain that pure bell like tone that only comes from single-coils. It does compress things ever so slightly, but this has the effect of diminishing thin or brittle tones a bit and helps make it sound -well- FAT. Don't get me wrong, it does not muddy things up at all, it just kinda takes the edge off the harsh ear-piercing brittle tones sometimes produced by single coils, and beefs up the lows a bit so that the sound is fuller as it becomes louder, all of this is very subtle- in the way a sprig of mint might alter the favor of a glass of ice tea. No hum. No noise whatsoever.

Stomp it.

Still works.

It's good for fixing a quiet strat. It's good if you like clean tones coming through tubes with a side of spring reverb. In short -blues lead. As far as amplifing other sounds, it does just fine, but lets not scrutinize its effect upon the fine subtle characteristics of an active humbucker coming through a boss metalzone, or some other neat sounds that have their origin in a bunch of ones and zeros... Not that they are bad, (I use them too) but this box really shines when there isn't much between your guitar's output jack and a good tube amp.

This box has 3 controls: Input Gain, Tone and Volume. The only way to get a good sound out of it is to set the Input Gain and Tone to the max and then adjust the volume to the required level, otherwise it is very dark and muddy sounding.

The controls are smooth and not noisy when rotated. There is little noise when the you are not playing. The sound quality is less than I expected for an expensive custom-made effect. It is dark sounding and definitely colours the sound. The input gain needs to stay at it's max setting for minimum noise. The tone control is too heavy and I found that i was leaving it at max almost all of the time. It was *okay* sounding with my tube amp but not so good with my transistor amp.

This box is very well made. It is solid and the construction is excellent. The gray goop that is all over the circuit board is bad in that it would make repair very difficult and it prevents me from making a mod to the tone control to improve the sound.

Never dealt with manufacturer directly.

I was really disappointed with this box. It has so little useful range on the tone control that it is almost useless. Also if you turn down on the input gain it begins to get noisy. If you want a good clean boost then the Z.Vex Super Hard-On is a better buy. I plan on selling my Fat Boost and trying something else.

I opened up my Fat Boost and traced the circuit. If you want to see what makes it work then see my page at http://kickme.to/fatboost

The pedal sounds great, and does exactly what the name says- it fattens the tone, and boosts the signal going to the amp. There is plenty of gain on tap, from a little to way more than you'd need. I don't get what some others have said about noise- my FB is extremely quiet, and I use it after several other pedals. I plug into all-tube non-master volume amps, and it makes the sound bigger at lower volumes, as if the volume on the amp was cranked a few notches higher. It doesn't produce a more middy, cutting tone, like a Tubescreamer. It can also enhance the tendency to get controlled feedback at low volumes, another great feature. I'm not giving a numerical rating because that's become meaningless on these reviews. For what it is designed and advertised to do, I don't see how it could be much better.

Excellent to deal with. Pro quality products and support whenever you need it. I feel there's pride in their work. So they don't want to chat for a half hour on the phone, and they don't say "have a nice day" or put smiley faces at the end of e-mails, so what. Call Mr. Rogers if that's what you need.

Very easy to use. I would have given a "10" here, but the little input trim knob gets somewhat lost on a dark stage.

I use a strat or L.P.(P-90's) into various 60's bf Fenders, depending on the size of the gig (Princeton Reverb, Deluxe Reverb, blond Bassman). I bought this pedal because I needed a boost for solos that wouldn't mess with my tone. I go straight into the amp & usually have to turn around and crank the amp for solos, then turn it down again. This pedal solves that. It sounds like my amp at a louder volume when I kick it on, and the bypass keeps my tone intact. I've had no problems with noise or signal loss, and this is coming from someone who has NEVER liked using pedals. I've liked the sound of a few different pedals (my buddy's MXR Phase 100 comes to mind), but they're only on 10% of the time & the other 90% my regular tone get's muddied w/o a true bypass. I finally own a pedal I can use.

It seems really solid, but I haven't owned it long enough to give a valid opinion.

Again, I haven't had to deal with customer support yet, so no opinion.

I play rock, blues, country, basically everything but screaming loud metal/hard rock. It this pedal were stolen or lost, I would probably buy another. I considered the Klon, but figured I'd give this one a try since it was half the price & I didn't need any overdrive. I just needed a boost for solos that wouldn't ruin my regular guitar-cable-amp sound, and this thing covers it.

Very simple layout. The only reason it doesn't get a "10" here is that little input knob can be tricky on a dark stage.

I have always been happy with my guitar/amp tone. I've heard some pedals that I've liked, but they never made it into my rig because of the fact they always ruined my straight tone. This thing goes in line without messing up my tone. Depending on the gig, I use a BF Princeton Reverb, Deluxe Reverb, or Blond Bassman. I bought this pedal because I got sick of turning up my amp for solos. By the way, plenty of people have told me I could take care of this by turning my guitar's volume down & keeping the amp cranked, but I have never played a guitar that didn't lose definition or top-end when I roll off the volume. This little pedal takes care of it. Kick it on, I get a little volume & drive added to my sound, just like turning up. I like it. As far as the people who say it's noisy w/ other pedals, I don't use any so this isn't a problem. By the way, have you ever thought maybe those Boss/DOD cheapies were noisy anyway & that a 20db boost of ANY kind would result in more noise?

This thing seems pretty solid. If it ever died at a gig, it probably means I left the cable in it & killed the 9 volt.

3 knobs. easy as pie. Only loses a point cuz the gain knob is so tiny.

I'm pretty much just writing this to point out a good use that I don't think anyone else has touched on. This thing makes my acoustic/electric Rickenbacker sound like a real acoustic when played through an amp!! (I use a Vox AC-15 w/ alnico speaker). It's great. It's wonderful. If you have an acoustic/electric and a tube amp, give it a try. No more tiny, brittle sounding tone. Just nice, creamy, acoustic goodness.

Of course, it also is great for overdriving my amp with an electric. (Ric 370 is my main axe). I've also tried it with my Danelectro Longhorn... doesn't really do much of anything for it 'cept make it louder... whatever.

Seems pretty solid to me. One thing though, if you have a piece-of-shit AC adapter, and you leave it plugged in with the box in bypass mode, the adapter will get really hot and then stop working within about 20 minutes. I went through 3 crappy wal-mart multi-adapters, before I finally stole my little brothers Danelectro AC (which doesn't have a problem).

never dealt with'em

I gots no particular style I don't reckon. As Kid Rock said at that Las Vegas Phish show, "I just love fucking music!" (well, I've never actually fucked music, but I think you get the idea)

Anyhow, if I lost the thing, I would get another pretty quick. It's useful, for sure.

Very simple. The thing I have found is not to get the input bias knob turned up too high or you can get some clipping, the kind that isn't musical. I'm sure it depends on the type of amp and what other boxes you use with it.

My setup is a modified '57 reissue strat with vintage hot lindy fralins (neck and middle) and a 7% overwound blues special in the bridge. Effects are Teese rmc 3 wah, Fat Boost,
boss cs-2 compressor, boss od-3, boss ds-1,boss dd-2 delay and rv-3 reverb/delay (I only use the reverb).Amp is a Marshall JTM-45 that was reworked by the guys as Clarke Amplification (not cheaply either) to mimic a model #1987 circa 1969-70 4 input top.Cabinet is a Mesa 1x12 with a vintage 30 celestion. I have another with a 200 watt EV.
This rig is very versatile for the music I play, which is anything from Van Halen to hendrix to srv to clapton etc. Big Strat sounds.
My rig sounded good before I got the fat boost and it sounds even better with it. I didn't actually intend to buy one of these but I went to my favorite guitar store and they had one of these running through a bogner with some other pedals and it sounded great.
This is a pedal that, to me, makes your amp have the same sensitivity and high end sparkle you would have at high volume at a reasonable level. It does work great as a boost. But, I think it just makes my guitar sound BIGGER with out any squashiness or compression, although it does increase the sustain. It works well with gain or clean.
This is not a distortion or overdrive. I have read that some people who have the Klon are insulted that people try to compare this pedal to it. Who cares! Get a life! The fat boost is a cool thing all by itself and really adds depth to your sound where you might notthink itneeded any. The thing I want to emphasize is that this pedal is very musical sounding. I have also had an oppurtunity to hear this pedal with a PRS McCarty with the p-90's and there was a definite improvement with the fat boost. The sales guy at the shop where I bought the unit had been putting itat the end of the effects chain and wasn't really impressed with it. After I changed
the order they had set up,the guys face lit up. He told me that I had sold him on the pedal and was going to take one home that night.This brings to point that, you its hard sometimes to tell if something will work with your rig. Then there's a chance you're using it wrong.

who knows, it seems sturdy enough. things break?

never had to deal with.

This is an icing on the cake deal. If your rig sucks or your axe sucks or even if your playing sucks this won't help you sound like your favorite guy. I've been playing for 25 plus years and have had a friggin' boatload of gear. To me, the best guitar sounds are the ones that are uncluttered and pretty straightforward, a little gain here a lttle distortion there some delay or reverb in there. I've never written a review before but I felt the need here because I think some people have the wrong idea about this pedal. It's inspiring to play with this pedal and there really aren't too many things (guitar-wise)
that you can buy for 150 bucks and say that about. I've had a fat boost for about 6 months and I like it more now than I bought it. How many pedals can you say that about?

Much has been said in other people's comments so I'll puy my spin on it here:
Very easy to uses except watch the little gain trim....you need to balance this for your particular situation so as not to emphasis noise from your OTHER effects or single-coil pickups

This unit is clean and not noisy

Fender Strat w/ Linday Fralin vintage p/u's into Boss Dynamic Filter FT-2 >> Fulldrive II >>> Boss DM-2 digital delay >>> Fat Boost >>> 65 Deluxe Reissue with Weber P12R speaker

The pedal does exatly what it is supposed to do: FATBOOST

Nothing to break really...no need for back-up

Ask a question (e-mail works best) get an answer...what more can you want?

Rock/Country/Blues/Funk etc....This pedal is a great for adding fatness to your amp without cranking it. Also can be used for a clean boost during solos. Side benefit is to use it for clean boost soling on acoustic guitars especially when you don't have an on board volume knob

The pedal is a no-brainer. However, if one is unfamiliar, dialing up the right mix of input gain and output volume may prove a little tricky; but hey, in the tone game, it's all about the end result, right musicians? The manual gave me a chuckle when Mr. Fuller referred to the dB levels of the pedal by saying, "...use common sense here..." Well said!

I use an older, yet very beautiful Electra 335 and a strat through a 4x10 Deville (soon to be a Bassman if someone will trade me!) and a JCM 800. Both amps are non-master volume amps, for which this pedal was designed, and the unit delivers 110% Another triumph from the casa de Fuller. This makes my 4th Fulltone unit along with my Clyde, Deja'2, and Fulldrive II..I put this effect before the Fulldrive just in case I go loco on stage..LOTS OF HARMONIX then! The pedal deilvers especially on making the sound bigger. I was surprised to hear Eddie Van Halen sounds coming out of my JCM 800 w/ this thing on..yes, I was jammin'..HARD. The unit delivers 100% of what I bought it for..and anyone who buys this looking for an OVERDRIVE should not even bother writing a review..for that is his/her error, not the pedal's.

Mr. Fuller builds his equipment to last. One of the main reasons I buy Fulltone, not only because of their pristine sound quality, but also because they are reliable..hence, Mr. Fuller is reliable all the way.

Mike is always quick on the keyboard to get back to inquiries. He is friendly, direct, and to-the-point. Personally, that is re-assuring. Coming from south Texas, we don't put up with alot of b.s., and evidently, Mr. Fuller doesn't either. If that's not a sign of a well-run business, I don't know what is.

I play everything save Punk/Ska/Thrash. This pedal works for it all! I'm still only an intermediate player at the VERY YOUNG age of 18 and have only been playing for nearly four years; but, having been around music all of my life, I can tell you what busts chops and what doesn't. Every dime I have goes towards music someway or another..and this is the most sound investment you'll ever make. If it were stolen I'd have another a.s.a.p. There is only ONE thing I wonder about this pedal..and that is why the AC plug is in front of the output jack rather than behind it? It is obviously some technical thing that Mr. Fuller would have rectified had it been viable without having to re-draw the whole design. It doesn't matter either way, I just have to use an 1/8 inch more patch cord..boo-f'n-hoo. Kudos to you Mike! Another great product and you haven't disappointed this musician yet! I'm just waiting to check out a Distortion-Pro when you're ready to release them! If you have any questions, feel free. By the way, Mr. Fuller, if you read this review as I know you do read them mostly, give Mario from Century Music in San Antonio Texas a big pat on the back. He's always been helpful and we always talk about, "Mike" and "what he's gonna do next."

Ease of use is simple. Take it out da box, plug it in, play with da knobs and find out what sounds good to you.

My set up starts with an Ibanez Prestige guitar (strat style - 2 humbuckers - 5 way switch) or a Gibson 335 Studio into a Boss TU-2 tuner, Boss DS-1 Distortion, Boss SD-1 Overdrive, Boss PS-5 Super Shifter (which I use mainly as a harmonizer), Boss CH-1 Chorus, Boss DD-3 Digital Delay, Fulltone Fat Boost (which is always on), into a 65 Fender Twin Reverb Re-Issue. All effects are attached to an SKB PS-25 Pedalboard with Monster Jazz cables exclusively (I don't care what anybody says, these cables do make a difference). I power my effects using a Voodoo Lab Pedal Power (just for noise sake). I send my pedalboard into a Whirlwind Hot Box DI to the input jack and my amp to the DI through jack, which is sent to the PA. This way I can get my stage volume the way I want and the soundman has control of overall volume FOH. I use the Fat Boost as a master volume control. My amp has only one volume knob and has so much power that I could never turn it up past 2 1/2 or 3. I could never use the real sound of the tubes because it was always turned down so low, so with my Fat Boost I crank my amp to 8 and control my volume on the Fat Boost volume knob with the tone control cranked all the way to the right and the input gain at 12:00. With this setup I can really get some tone and feeling and my effects are happy now too, because of the tube saturation I can get from crystal clear to vintage overdrive to screaming distortion. I play in 3 bands and play a variety of music. I play Hawaiian music ( I have a trio and originally come from Maui- you can make bookoo bucks playing this stuff on the mainland by the way-private parties rule) which I use my Fat Boost and delay only. I play in a 10 piece top 40 band with 4 horns (we do Tower of Power, Chicago, Kool and the Gang, Earth-Wind and Fire, etc.) and and original Contemporary Hawaiian Surf rock - Jazz Fusion type band. I love my Fat Boost. When I paid that money I knew what I wanted and I got it. Its not fancy and it just sits there out of the way, but its always on and makes a huge difference in my sound.

Yes, I guess can depend on it as long as I take care and don't abuse it.
I don't have a back up of anything I use If it doesn't work I just wont use it. I haven't forgot that I can play just as well with a dry signal with a little reverb from the amp. All the effects are just bells and whistles.

N/A

I've been playing for 25 years and have bought a lot of great stuff and also a lot of crap. My set up now is very versatile and it works for me. I'm always getting compliments on my tone, people can't believe I use Boss effects especially my $30.00 distortion pedal. Mahalo to Fulltone for making my rig soung the way its supposed to.
Malama da 'aina and each other

This pedal is very simple to use, easy to get good sounds, but you do need to adjust the gain level for different guitars. The knob is very small, which is good for avoiding hitting it with your foot, but it is quite difficult to see your setting, impossible if the stage is dark.

I'm using a G&L ASAT or an Epiphone Les Paul into the fat-boost, into an ayan smooth & slim, into either a fender blues junior or reissue deluxe. This pedal has moved me a lot closer to what I'm after tone-wise. I've learned that I really don't like the tubescreamer or pedals similar to it, I own a fulldrive 2 and I keep an elastic band under the volume/comp-cut knob because I hate what the compression does to the feel of the guitar interacting with the amp, it's sort of becomes this generic rock tone. The fat-boost I find to be much more natural sounding(feeling), it does change the tone(and I've experimented with it quite a bit)and I do notice some compression, but I find the overall effect to be pleasing. This pedal is a good tool for dealing with the problem of having to have your amp turned down, which I unfortunately have to deal with regularly(hence the blues junior). I read some people saying that you can get the same or a better effect as a clean boost from the fulldrive 2, well I don't get it, I tried it and did not find that to be the case, but different tastes are good. I've also had good results at higher volume using the fat-boost for solos.

I completely trust the quality of this pedal, I'm careful with my equipment anyway, but this thing is absolutely solid.

I've never dealt with Michael Fuller.

I grew up listening to the beatles, the rolling stones, led zeppelin, and jimi hendrix while people my age were listening to metallica, madonna or ll cool j. I always wanted to play at high volume through marshall stacks, but that was never practical, the closest I ever came was being able crank up my fender twin at some of the larger venues. I mainly play jazz/blues gigs now and small amps are a necessity, I even did a very large gig recently with a huge PA and stage, and the sound techs needed me to turn down my (22 watt) deluxe, times have changed! If it wasn't for the fat-boost in that instance it would have been hell, I think that is a kind of hell for guitarists, playing in front of a large audience and sounding like you're playing through a small radio! Tone isn't just in the hands and mind, although those are the most vital components, an electric guitar is only half an instrument, unlike an acoustic guitar, so the amplifier it's paired with completes it, and that's your voice. The effects are just colour, like putting the singer's mic through reverbs and delays for a certain mood. I feel that if your amplifier is not interacting with your guitar the way you want it to, it's not functioning and needs to be fixed. If you stuffed a towel into your acoustic guitar, you could still be creative and make music, but if it's not inspiring, what's the point? Life is short. The fat-boost helps the guitar interact better with the amp when I can't crank it, so it was very worth it for me. If the pedal were lost or stolen, Michael Fuller will be pissed off at me for saying this, but I'd probably order a Klon Centaur, it's discription certainly suits my needs. The fat-boost is half the price though, and I have no regrets about buying it.

Three knobs...Pretty simple, but what's the deal with the tiny input gain knob? Did Mike Fuller ever try turning that stupid thing with sweaty hands from playing?

Personally I don't think it does what it's supposed to do. I read the other reviews, and I have to agree...The clean boost thing is a crock. Granted I'm using a Matchless Chieftan, and clean isn't exactly in its vocabulary, but neither is the pedal.
My biggest beef is that it colors the sound a lot when used in conjunction with any other pedal. I've probably moved the Fatboost around my pedal board about ten times trying to find the best location for it where my Fulldrive2 wouldn't get it's tone characteristics all goofed up. All to no avail!

I would give this a lower rating, but I have to say that it works well as an overdrive unit with my Matchless. With the input gain cranked all the way, the volume at around 10 o'clock, and the tone knob at around one o'clock I get a nice touch of overdrive. I just wish it had a little more compression going on.

Currently I'm using a Fulltone Clyde, Fulldrive2, Dejavibe, and the Fatboost, and other than a noisy Fulldrive I've never had any problems. However, several of my friends use Fulldrive's, and at least a couple of them have had problems with switches...Mike sent them free replacement parts.

I've emailed Mike several times, and I've gotten a response from him 9 out of 10 times. I do have to say that he does have a bit of an attitude about his product. I suppose I can't blame him though, I probably would too.

My rig consists of the following: American Standard Strat, Tele, Matchless Chieftan 1x12, Fulltone Clyde, Fulldrive2, Dejavibe, Fatboost, Guyatone/Flip Vintage Tube Tremelo, MXR Phase 100, E-bow, and a Danelectro Danecho.

I play a myriad of styles, and have been using the Fatboost occasionally. I don't think I'd buy it again, but I'm not going to get rid of it either. I can't say that this really matches up to the other Fulltone products I own

In theroy it is easy to use...but I would not want to use it because it sounds bad. The clean boost is okay but it only works when your amp is not cranked up. When you are loud there is not any headroom anyway (this is true with any clean boost pedal).

Sounds pretty bad to my ear. Very tiny and shrill when used as an overdrive with the amp loud. It feeds back (not the cool feedback that you want that makes notes ring forever) like crazy and is NOISY!

As a clean boost it is good if you keep your amps volume WAY down. I use a Vox ac30 so anything past 4 on the amp and the pedal turns into an overdrive. It sounded good in the store because I didn't crank up at all. If you were a jazz guy who plays REAL quiet or you use 100watt marshalls I think it would be alot better because you would be able to make it work as a clean boost. As an overdrive it sucks. I have owned the Fulldrive also and that was a much better overdrive but it was a little to murky sounding. I have a supa-trem and LOVE that.

As a clean boost with the right amp/situation I give it a 8
As an overdrive I give it a 0. I think any cheap ass Danelectro mini pedal would get a better overdrive. My fave overdrive on the market now in the Maxxon od808.

Mike makes GREAT pedals. The switches he uses often die but otherwise his stuff is bulletproof.

He is a cool guy. I have heard good things here. Great that you can get him on the phone.

I guess I would have to admit it is a good pedal and would work with the right rig. For me with an ac30 it did not work because I play with the volume on about 6. I don't think it's main focus is supposed to be an overdrive so I won't take points away here. Like I said, if you use an old 100watt plexi and have the headroom or play a smaller amp at a very low volume it would work great as a clean boost.

It is very easy to use with only three knobs. Input, output, and tone.

I'm using the Fatboost with a Tele and DC-30. The other overdrives/boosters I have for comparison are the Klon, Fulldrive II, Analogman modded TS-9 reissue, TS-808, Z Vex SHO, and Rx Overdriver. I don't find it too noisy to use. It reacts nicely with other effects, but my favorite sound comes from going straight into the amp and I usually only use one overdrive and my Echodrive live. I don't understand why people are all up in arms about the Fat-Boost VS. Klon ordeal. Man, it's like the WWF or something! People should just relax. They are both great sounding pedals. They really don't sound all that similar to me. The Klon is midrangey and will make an overdriving amp scream for mercy. The Fat-Boost is lightly compressed and hi-fi sounding. Both great sounds. If you like your pedal, great. Just don't go around slagging other people's tastes. It all in YOUR ears anyway.

I have other Fulltone products and they have never let me down.

I've emailed Mike Fuller a few times and he always responds promptly with detailed messages.

I mainly play rock based styles with some blues. If it were stolen I would replace it. I especially like the tone knob on it and the fact that it is small.

Very easy to use with just a volume, tone and small knob for input gain. The manual is very helpful and straight to the point.

Fender '62 reissue strat (japanese) with Fralin woodstock '69 pickups,Fulltone fulldrive 2, fat-boost into a 40/40 watt Marshall valvestate amp. Now while I realize that the fulldrive 2 and fat-boost are best suited to all-tube amplifiers, this set-up allows you to hear the quality of the PEDAL itself, rather than the interaction between pedal and amp.
The fat-boost nicely boosts the volume and 'fatness' of your guitar signal. Some say that the fulldrive 2 actually has a better clean boost, but after extensively trying both pedals, I have to say that each one has it's own particular sound. Set up for clean boost, the fulldrive 2 sounds a bit more 'open' than than the fat-boost, but with a tone slightly reminiscent of a wah pedal in half cocked position. The fat-boost sounds bassy with a nice shimmery top end and a somewhat compressed midrange. The gain control increases the fatness and fullness of the sound.
I find that the fat boost also has the interesting ability to balance the response between the three pickups on the strat even better than the fulldrive 2.

Seems solid and sturdy, but I haven't had it long enough to realy tell.

I've only e-mailed Mike Fuller a few times to ask some questions. He has always been prompt and straight to the point.

While I dislike categories, I have to say I lean towards the jazz/blues/fusion spectrum of guitar playing. I also adore the clean sounds of Hendrix, Andy Summers and Ben Monder. The fat-boost seems well suited to the jazz/blues styles, whereas the fulldrive 2 in comp cut mode with the gain off sounds great for classic blues-rock/british rock styles. Of the two, the fat-boost has the nicer clean/fat boost (in my opinion).

Basic controls. They are very sensitive & may require some tweaking
to get what you want from it. The gain knob can be a little tricky depending
on what else you are using.

I use a 51' NOS Nocaster->Clyde->DV2->FD2 TR100->DD-3->Vibroverb.
This pedal "IS" very noisy, especially with single coils, which is probably at
least half the world. I am a huge advocate of Fulltone products, but I
have to say that this thing does nothing for me. I owned it for 3 months &
I was unable to get a "uncompressed" sound out of it. I tweaked it in every
way imaginable, and spent hours trying to figure out what I was doing wrong.
To say this thing "doesn't affect your tone" is an outright lie. The FD2's boost
is FAR more transparent and natural sounding. Save your $180 & spend some
time mastering your FD2's boost channel.

Like all Fulltone products, this bad boy appears to be solid as a rock!!

I have called Mike many times & have always recv'd friendly informative
advice.

I play "ALL" styles of music in a couple of bands & I use only top
notch gear. I baby everything I have. If it were lost or stolen I would be
mad that I wasn't able to sell it on E-Bay, but I would never buy another one.
In my opinion this pedal is really useless unless you have no idea how to
use your volume knob in conjunction with whatever kind of overdrive you are
using, be it natural amp OD or a pedal of some sort. Both of which destroy the Fat Boost.
I'd like to reiterate that I love all my other Fulltone stuff. I do ,however, feel like we may be getting
scammed here. Buy an FD2 & use the boost channel & get both effects for
the price of one. C'mon Mike, enough with the overkill. Make an analog delay
and get even richer. We are all waiting!!

nice and simple

i have tried this with everything from speek and spells to moogs to you name it. and yess it is noisy but who cares. i personally use it exclusivly with my fender Rhoads-- It kills. the klon in the same set up was boomy and bass heavy BUT when it comes to guitar Sorry Mike the klon murders the fat boost- Try this Maxx out all the knobs and play now turn the tone knob down and listen to it choke the volume hmm stange that the tone's a volume too like i said nice try but my Schaller treble bass boost pedal eats this thing up. however my rhoads loves it. why does this remind me of my BI-FET DOD studio Preamp or am i the only one?

Built like a tank
awsome quality

mike's a sweetheart when you compliment him and a devil when you criticize but he seens to care at times

nice but if you brag hard about somthing i feel you should deliver
and when a 30 year old Scaller half ass built booster has just as much juice i say nice try no die
oh the rating would have been higher i the boast was true

Pretty simple. Three knobs. Sit and play it with for a while to get the "sound" or "boost" you are looking for. Small input knob is irritating.

Its not noisy at all but as stated in some other reveiws it does add a bit of compression. Pretty bold statement claiming to blow away the Klon...two different pedals...simple as that.

Would rely on it if I ended up buying it.

I have spoken with Mike before. Bottomline: He is the "I'm right, your wrong" type of person. Nice guy nonetheless.

I didn't buy the pedal for a number of reasons. One, I wasn't shelling out $180 for a boost pedal. And I'll tell you why. If you either own 1) a Fulldrive II or 2) a Fulltone Supa-Trem there is way to acheive a similar boost through both pedals (in fact, I beleive Fulltone may have come up with the idea of making the FatBoost from the trick discovered from the SupaTrem). Although this may not be ideal for all live settings, both pedals will work as boosts the same as the Fat Boost. The Supa-Trem manual actually tells you how to set the pedal to acheive the boost setting. If you own one, set the mix knob to zero. By doing so, the footswitch on the far right now acts in tremelo/boost mode. Sure it makes your Supa Trem a little less versatile but it works. The Fulldrive can be used as a boost using the Comp Cut on the Volume knob. You can even dial in the tone and amount of overdrive you want turning it into somewhat of a Klon. My other reason for not buying the Fat Boost is that I have had alot of small problems with a few of my Fulltone pedals lately. I think alot of the problems may stem from the cheap footswitches that were on many of the older pedals (older meaning six months or less). Luckily, Fulltone has switched to the really sturdy "built like tank" footswitches. Unfortunately, everyone has there breaking point when pedals start to go haywire. My Supatrem still makes that "popping" sound everytime time activate it, my Fulldrive has burned out twice from a "dirty" pot and my Dejavibe needed two replacement parts. All this from products under a year old!

Thats my case...I still love Fulltone products (they sound great but I 'm starting to question the construction quality) but I won't pay for the same thing twice.

Pretty straight forward, three knobs. Volume, Gain, Tone. The manual has insight, and some useful settings.

65 Strat, Vox Clyde Mccoy, TS808, Fat Boost, Ultra Vibe, MXR Analog, The Plex, Alessandro Beagle, Dr. Z Maz 18 jr. I split the effects into a multi amp set-up. The Fat Boost reacts well with all the tools in this chain. I feel that this pedal enhances the overall projection of my set-up and allows me the ability to change volume without affecting the amp EQ'S. I'm not looking for this pedal to be "in your face", more as a means to pump up the amps pre-set tone. If your looking to "thrash" this is not your toy! It is the perfect single coil boost pedal. I've tried the Klon (and a few others), not my cup of tea. Too much gain!! I'm a Duane Eddy, Ventures, James Burton, Brad Paisley, Brent Mason, Hendrix, and Stevie Ray kind of guy. This is tool for use with the clean stuff. I have found it works well in conjunction with the TS 808. However, back off on the volume of the 808 when trying, and also use minimal gain from the Fat Boost (Around 9:00/11:00 works).

It's a Fulltone? Mike stands buy his product.

Again, Mike stands buy his product!

Blues, Country, Rock, Surf, and Jazz. The Fat Boost works well with all these styles, one note, make sure you are using a TUBE amp with this unit! I've been playing 25 years (I guess I'm getting old!). You really have to search for your sweet spot with this toy. I have found that setting the volume at 11:00/1:00, the gain at 10:00 and the tone on 2:00/full meets my needs. Overall, this is a very effective Boost for my style....

Darn easy to use: Volume and a simple low cut. However I do not get why the Input Gain knob has to be so small; this seems a bit odd.

I use mainly a PRS 22fret and an old american Fender Strat into Boogie or Engl amps. The "Fat-boost" does exactly what its name implies: Not only it boosts the volume but also adds a hint of higher (supposedly even) harmonics. This raises the percieved loudness of your sound and makes you sound bigger, fatter, call it whatever you want. However, I rate it not a ten because I miss the "magic" that some of my other little boxes have inherently: They adapt to your playing and to the amp as well as to all the other gear... the Fat-boost has a rather constant effect on your tone pretty much regardless on how you play and whats else in your signal chain. A bit static but in a nice way.

Seems to be unkaputtable. Draws an amazing low current - the battery lasts forever.

I give it a 9 because it is great but not outstanding. Try it out before you buy because it might not exactly be what you are after (as I read in earlier reviews some guys have sent it back already). If I should compare it to the clon I find the clon more versatile but also more obtrusive, though in a very subtle, organic manner. I do agree to the person below who stated that it seems a bit stupid of Mike to advertise his pedal by turning the clon down, but he seems to be like that ;-) Anyways, the Fat-Boost does what I expected it to do, not worse nor better.

Very simple box with a clear manual. Every sound is usable.

The ultimate clean boost pedal I have ever played including the often referred to Centaur. I like this unit because it will also fatten the tone up by using the tone knob. I am running this through a 1964 Fender Deluxe Reverb and it can make this amp sound like it's putting out almost twice the normal power it does.

Built very solid. Has some weight to it. I own two other Fulltone products and have never had any problems with them.

Mike has always returned my e-mails with good speed and thorough information.

This pedal has been a godsend for my live amp because I can now keep up with all of the instruments in the band when I solo through my Deluxe. We play good old classic rock and some blues. I love this box.

Very easy to get a terrific sound out of. A two page cheat sheet arrived with it, which explains what you need to do.

Various guitars into Rivera or Mesa amps. Not noisy at all; I run it in my effects loop as a volume boost for solos. It does exaactly what I want it to do and adds something in the bargain. The solo tone, while maintaining the eq of the amp, is thicker as well without adding any obvious distortion or compression.

Yes to both.

Haven't dealt with the company, although when I emailed about this item's lead time Michael answered within 24 hours. I ordered on aTuesday night and received it on Friday. Yow...

Very good match. I play a variety of cover tunes in all sorts of styles and this fits the bill in every way. I was about to part ways with my Jake because I had no acceptable way to get a controllable volume boost for my solos, and now I can rest easy with it. A fine, fine pedal. It's changing the way I hear myself.

Very >small<, simple pedal. 3 knobs and the foot switch. There is a knob for volume, input gain, and tone. Also a led that glows red when on. There is a manual, which I found to be quite useful.

I play a 99 american deluxe strat through a wah, fulltone dejavibe, fulltone fulldrive II tr100, fulltone fat-boost, way huge aquapuss analog delay, compressor, into a '65 fender twin reissue. I power them all with a voodoo labs pedal power except for the vibe, which I use an adapter with. I have it set closely to the volume boost specs in the manual, with volume at 3 o'clock, input gain at 1 o'clock, and tone at max. I use it exclusively for boosting solos and it works great. No change in tone or eq. This thing packs alot of punch, so be careful. It is true bypass as well so no tone loss when off. Sounds great.

This thing is a brick.

Mike has contacted me before about reviews I have posted here about his pedals, offering to help me tweak them better to my specifications, plus his website is excellent. He is quick and to the point, no bs. Great service, more than what I expected.

I have been playing for about 9 years, mostly rock, blues, and alternative. I had originally got it in hopes of it replacing my compressor, but I quickly realized that the compressor was an indespensible part of my sound, and that the fat-boost would work great to boost my solos, so it fits in my pedal board nicely. No longer will my solos be lost in the mix or will the band have to compensate by playing softer. It is a little pricey, but its worth it if you are into professional sounding tone. For the record I dont own a klon.

Very simple to use. The supplied instructions are clear, well written, and an excellent starting point.

I am a studio guy so noise is NG. This is a very quiet box.I use the Fat Boost with a variety of vintage Gibson, Fender and Rickenbacker guitars into several tweed, blackfaced Fenders, A Vox AC-15, and a Marshall 1962 Bluesbreaker. I play in standard and open tunings for slide and can emulate Allman, Betts,Knophler, Garcia, Haynes,early Clapton, Walsh & Felder.
This device is an outstanding clean boost, that a low studio levels make the amps sound like they are running hotter than indeed they are. The box adds smoothness, thickness and warmth that is very subtle but it IS there.

seems well constructed, but like any good audio gear or instruments, why would you throw it around ???

Having heard of Fulltone via touring/studio friends in Nashville, I knew nothing of the company.I communicated with Michael Fuller on several occasions and he answered me promptly and his website is truly outstanding.He is a real tonemeister and an excellent player too.

I play American roots music:blues, jazz, funk & rock all with a Southern influence.Having played for 35 years, I can tell you I have NEVER used pedals before. I keep this pedal on all the time now.My array of superb guitars and amps is extensive but I can not play at high volume.This is were the Fat Boost has helped me by giving me my regular full, clean tone at lower volumes. Instead of turning my amps up to volume 6 or 7, I can acheive MY sounds, with rich harmonics and excellent sustain at volume levels as low as 2 to 3.I can really get some great rhythmn, lead and slide tones that are richer sounding than before. I can see using this box for punching into a lead or slide solo if playing live. I certainly buy another if it were lost or stolen. It works equally well with single coil or humbucking pickups or solid body & hollow body guitars. I am so happy with this unit I am considering Fulltone's Fulldrive to add some dirt to my slide sound, and in conjunction with this should nail what I'm after. I have absolutely no affiliation with Fulltone or any of its staff.

Once the manual is read, should be no problems. The Input Gain knob might be the thing to throw people off.

Excellent boost with a gradual passive treble cut knob. Very clean and transparent when you want it to be, and fat and warm when necessary.

Fulltone.

Yeah, yeah. Fuller's up and down, but will always get the thing serviced in the rare case it's needed.

Fantastic pedal that is compact and very useful. I like it much better than my Klon Centaur, though this doesn't get as heavy of an overdrive. Doesn't matter though because the Klon has a raspy distorted tone that isn't much good for anything. I find this pedal to be a killer value. Works great with my Strat and Les Paul. Amazing for a great Tele booster too!

see other posts

My set up: '59 slab strat or 66 tele into a Klon, Menatone Red Snapper and TS-808 into a splitter to a Dr Z MAZ 18 jr with 2 10s and a '58 Tweed deluxe.

This pedal is an FET boost, much like the Boss FA-1, but with better fidelity. It's primary competition would seem to be the Klon and the ZVek Hard On. Both the Klon and the Hard-On are better boost pedals, the Klon being the best. It's too bad that Fuller feels that he has to run down someone else's product in order to promote his (as he does in his ads and on his website). It's worse when he doesn't come up with the goods. This is pretty uninspired.

N/A didn't buy it.

N/A see above

Nothing special. Buy a Klon.

See other reviews

First things first....here is the set up:

AS Strat>Fulltone Fulldrive>Fulltone Fat-boost>Ibanez AD-9 Analog Delay>Fulltone Supa-trem>Ernie Ball volume pedal>Dr. Z Carmen Ghia>Mesa cab w/ Celestion Vintage 30

It's good to know this upfront. I usually get half way through a review and then realize that the person is reviewing a pedal made for tube amps and using a Crate or Peavey solid state amp. Gee..no wonder you think the Fulldrive sounds like crap. Go play your Korn tunes and leave tone up to the rest of us who care.


anyway........

I love this pedal. No, it is not better than a Klon. It is simply different. I wish that Mike had never said that this pedal will make you want to trash your Klon. They are totally different pedals. The Klon will put you way further into the overdrive realm than this pedal will. As far as clean boost goes I like both of them equally. The have different characteristics about them but each will hold it's own in the clean boost realm.

Here is where the Fat-boost shines. It works perfectly as a level booster for solos. I run it directly after my Fulldrive. This way I can set my Fulldrive at a nice volume for a great cruchy rhythm sound and then use the Fat-boost to put me over the top into lead territory. I cannot tell you how happy I am with my current set up. With these two pedals working together and a great analog delay going into a low wattage tube amp with great, raw, in-your-face power tube overdrive it is pure heaven!

This pedal is also great for clean boosts. It will add some compression to your sound (hardly noticable and very welcome to my set up). It will also fill out the bottom end and add some sparkle. It will push your tubes just enough so they will start cookin' at a lower volume much like the Klon will. Very nice!

Bottom line...

If you are a Klon guy, keep it. But if you really want to get rid of yours I will give you ten dollars for it. My e-mail address is....just kidding. If you want a pedal that will give a tube amp some hop and bounce at lower volumes, this is your pedal. If you are tired of reaching down and turing a knob right before your solo and you want a pedal that will kick you amp and overdrive pedal up a nothch, this is your pedal.

Highly recommended!

Between me and a few of my friends we have owned almost every single Fulltone pedal on the market. Besides what I am currently using I have owned the '69 and the '70. I have only had one problem ever. The switch on my Supa-trem went out once. But it was quickly replaced and all is good! These pedals are some of the best made and most reliable pedals on the market and the fat-boost is no exception. I would and will gig without a backup.

I actually called Mike and ordered this pedal. He was very nice and courteous and a pleasure to do business with.

When the switch on my Supa-trem went out I e-mailed Mike and he had me send it up to him to see what the problem was. Before I even thought of seeing how it was going the pedal was on my doorstep fixed and ready to go. The only thing I had to pay for was shipping the first time. Kudos to Mike Fuller!

This has been covered in other posts.

Well it must be me, Im clearly in the minority with this, but I just received the new Fulltone Fat Boost which was supposed to make me chuck my Klon out the window. Well I think the Fat Boost falls way short and my Klon's not going anywhere. I was hoping the Fat Boost WOULD take the place of the Klon. I couldve then sold the Klon used and still cleared $100 for my pocket. Anyway, I wouldnt say the Fulltone sucks but it sure doesnt do what I expected it to do. Its advertised as the clean boost of all clean boosts. Maybe I dont use these things the way Mike Fuller does or most other people do. But very simply, I set my Matchless Chieftain with the volume up about 2/3 so that it is overdriving naturally. I want a pedal to very slightly boost my solos with just a bit more volume and sustain but to sound as close as possible to the unboosted tone. The Klon is not perfect but so far the best Ive found for this (as long as the gain is on zero and it is used as clean boost only). The Fat Boost, no matter how I set it compressed and thickened the tone. With my neck pickup on the LP, there is an open clarinet like sound that I have to have that filled right in with the Fat Boost. Sure it adds bottom and adds a smooth warm overdrive but to say that it alters the sound less than a Klon, well I dont get it. It works nicely if you are playing the amp very clean and want to fatten the tone and increase overall volume. But once the amp is overdriving, I feel it compresses the tone too much. Also if you have the input up about halfway and the volume up halfway it is very noisy. Yet if you continue to turn the input volume all the way clockwise, then the noise goes away but the gain is too much. Kinda strange, I dont know if its supposed to do that. Anyway, at least the Klon keeps things open and airy. The Fulltone already is on its way back. The search continues for the perfect pedal...

Im sure fine, built well

I play blues rock, use a '59 reissue LP with original PAFs and like the tones gotten by guys from Allman and Betts to Bloomfield and Green. I use a Matchless Chieftain modified with a 50w plexi output transformer that smooths out the top end and mids in the amp. I like the tone to be open and airy and I couldnt get that from this pedal. The Klon does it a hundred times better. And no I dont have any special interest in the Klon company, I was really hoping this Fulltone would do it for me. Again, most people obviously love this pedal and it IS good for smooth overdrive or boosting an amp that is set very clean so your amp sounds like it has more headroom. But for slightly overdriving solos while your amp is already overdriving, it doesnt cut it for me. I didnt like the Fulldrive at all either, so it must be a tone taste thing.

Impressive little pedal. Volume control which, in my case, doesn't make the amp louder, but controls how hard the input will be hit. Tone is a treble rolloff and input gain can create a very useful overdrive tone as it overdrives the FET's.

My setup is '64 Fender Mustang-P.E. Experience (for octave)-fuzz factory-P.E. Vibe Unit-Boss DD-5-Fat Boost-Fender Blues Junior. I can be noisy because it amplifies the noise already inherent in my setup. The nature of the beast. This pedal makes a huge difference for doing so little. I have been using it as overdrive rather than clean boost, although it excels at both. Using the treble roll-off, very useful jazz tones can be obtained.

Like any fulltone pedal, it is built like a rock. It does have the fulltone 3pdt switch contrary to some reports I have heard. Mike makes great stuff.

I have heard varying reports on Mike, and I have only dealt with him through e-mail, but he was always quick and helpful.

Pretty much any kind of music you can name I play. I have found a use for this pedal in all of them. This and the PE Germ almost sound like the same pedal, if you are looking for a comparison. I choose the fulltone because it has the tone control, but you can switch between overdrive and clean boost on the germ. Pick which feature you want. Anyway, I am very impressed. It is a great pedal.

This is an udate to my previous post. I sold my Fat boost, but not because I was unhappy with it. I have gotten several comments questioning my rave reviews since I sold it so quickly.
The Fat boost is a fantastic pedal, and excels at clean boost. It makes your sound bigger and fuller. I sold mine because I got a power attenuator and I found that when my amp was cranked I got the same tone as the fatboost pedal. This is a good thing, I just didnt need the same sound that my amp has out of a pedal. I was very impressed at the tone of the pedal, but i found i can get all my clean boost with a cranked tube amp, compressor and volume knob on my guitar. But anyone who is looking to add some umph to their tone should check this thing out. IT does a great job of filling out your sound, especially if cranking your amp is not an option.

This pedal is very easy to use--3 knobs-Volume, input gain, and tone. This is a class A FET driven circuit offers up to 20+dB of Clean Boost without change to your EQ while making the sound bigger. The manual explains things very well, but is not really needed.

I am using this pedal with a Tom Anderson guitar going into a reissue fender twin amp, I have a skb pedalboard with a rat, boss dm-2 delay, voodoo labs tremelo, a ts-9 tube screamer, boss ce-2 chorus and boss tu-2 tuner. The fat-boost will never leave my pedalboard. It is quiet and the sound is simply amazing--very clear, crisp and very fat. I tend to leave it on most of the time.

This thing is built like a tank. I have no worries about the pedal and would use without a backup.

I have talked with Mike several times on the phone and through e-mail and he could not have been more friendly and helpful--very professional-- I honestly don't know how he does all he does

I play in a country band as well as an alternative band and a praise band at church and feel this pedal can cover all these bases easily. I have been looking for a good clean boost pedal for awhile and finally found one. I have always wanted to try a klon cause I have heard good thing about them but where I live I have never had the opportunity to hear one. If stolen or lost I would without a doubt get another one asap. Great product!!

Doesn't get easier than this.. Three knobs
1) Input gain ( determines the gain to the box VERY active, with a wide range)
2) Volume +20db control LOTS of gain to play with
3) Tone (straight treble roll off)

The sound quality is far and away better than anything else for a straight boost that is currently available

Haven't had any issues.. But if it's like anything else I've had from Fulltone, it's gonna be pretty bulletproof..

Mike has always been friendly, open and up-front with me.. There have been times when he's been real busy, but he's never been rude, just in a hurry which I can appreciate

I play blues, R&B, country, etc

Layout is easy to comprehend: Volume, Tone, and input gain. My only beef is that the input gain knob is too close to the other knobs, and its hard to get my fingers in there to turn it.

No doubt about the sound quality here. This thing is a perfect 10. I never turn it off. I'm getting the best tone I've ever had with this pedal. My tone is stronger, more broad, more dynamic and glistening.

I dropped it on the way out of my house yesterday right after I got it. It hit the concrete hard and probably every neighbor for a mile heard me yell. It now has its first "character scratches" and it suffered absolutely no functional damage whatsoever. Its a sturdy little unit like everything else Mike builds.

Everytime I've talked with mike he's been great. Great guy, great service. Tone Guru #1!!!

I'd recommend this pedal to everyone who's looking for some tonal inspiration. This thing brought my strat back to life, and makes my sg snap like a pit bull. Just go get one.

This pedal is very easy to use, I give it a 9 because the little gain knob in the middle can cause some confusion. There are two main control knobs, volume and tone, and the little gain knob that determines how much gain is going into the pedal.

Here's my setup
60s fender strat with kinman pickups>Teese RMC3 wah>EH Qtron>Fulltone Full Drive 2> Crowther Audio Hotcakes > Sweet Sound Ultra vibe > P.E Clean Octave Blend> Ernie Ball Volume Pedal>Maxon compressor>Fat Boost>Line 6 Dl4>Boomerang>1971 Twin Reverb.

I have a very quiet setup, using top quality cables and pedals, so if I get a new pedal I will notice it's noise. This pedal is very quiet, though if you crank it to extreme settings you can get a lower frequency hum, that may just be my amp, and is very slight and not even noticeable when playing.
this pedal is best described on the fulltone website, it makes your sound BIGGER, rolling the tone back rolls off some high frequnecy and gives you very big, deep jazzy sound. (This is exactly what I was after, something that would give my sometimes thin sounding strat some balls)
It's basically a clean boost, but does a tremendous job of fattening the sound, that's what I was looking for and this pedal shines.

I've heard mixed things about Mike Fuller, I've had no personal experience with the man, but I hear he can have a temper, and may not be forgiving of people with lower learning curves. but he makes great pedals, and he's quick to respond.

Easy to use, 2 knobs, Volume,Tone ,one small imput knob...

This is a killer clean boost, you can dial it in to have a natural distortion if you want because it has FET's. You can adjust the amout of imput that is going to the pedal. So if you want to hit the FET's harder you can get that breakup that sounds killer, with out hitting the front end of your amp for breakup, if you just want crystal clean back off the input, there is a Voulme knob that does what is says, then there is a tone knob that doesnt really act like a a normal tone knob, when you turn it CCW it does add bass, rolls off the treble, like a more jazzy type of sound, if you turn it all the way CW it doesnt add treble it just takes the tone knob out of the circut, which i found to help clean up the pedal for clean boosts.I used to have the Austone Soul-O-Stomp, this is way better. The tone is warmer and not so harsh at louder setting's, probley from the FET's. Im running a US strat(frailins)or Tele plus Budda Bud wha>Ibanez TS-808>Fulltone Supa-Trem>Fulltone Choralflange>Maxon AD-80 delay>70's Small Stone>PHAT Boost>Twin Reverb. The sound is huge, i can get that Jerry Garcia, Steve Kimock clean sound to the max. For country chickin pickin leads it smokes, It also sounds great with the other pedals, Supa-trem, Small stone, ect.

dont need a back up, you know whats up with this stuff

Mikes cool to me

When i saw Mike was come out with the Fat boost i had to check it out, cause ive always been into a crystal clean sound, and a good boost to kick in to take it over the top for solos. Its a nice warm boost. I play alot of Jazz/Rock, improvisation Jam band stuff so this this works out well! It will never get lost or stolen, i already had that shit happen.

Okay, this is a short review, but I'll post a longer one whenever I get the chance to check this thing out a bit more with my rig, though I could probably tell you now what my opinion would be. At first glance, I probably would not have spent almost $200 on what is essentially a clean boost pedal. However, I was persuaded to try it (just came out) by one of the guys at a local music store that carries Fulltone (they make a point to try and have several of each unit, to be able to say "we have the full line"). I couldn't believe the difference it made with every guitar in every amp. I thought, well, I'm in the "high end" room, so that might explain it, but I have similar stuff, so what the hey. The controls consist of Volume, Tone, and a tiny Input Gain adjuster.

So, I'm on my way to a jam that night (lotta blues, but a lotta other stuff too). I hand it to one of my friends (guitarist in house band) before they take a set break. His rig consists of some nice old Strats w/EMG pickups, Marshall preamp, Rocktron Chameleon FX unit, Rocktron Velocity power amp, open-back 2x12 cab w/vintage 30's. His pedalboard includes a TC Electronics Chorus+, tuner (of course), Boss Compressor, and usually a real cool boutique overdrive or fuzz. I figured out that a lot of the "processed" thing I heard was that compressor, though I didn't say anything. He plugs in the Fat-Boost in place of the compressor when they get back onstage. The difference was immeasurable. It sounded like he was playing through a tube amp with a lot of headroom and punch (and huge sound). Only problem was that he kept overloading something so he had to switch back to the compressor. He figured out later that he could have simply turned the tiny Input Gain knob down a few hairs and solved that problem. Everyone who has tried this loves it. It just makes the difference between soundedin (or feeling) a little flat, and the notes just kind of leaping from the fretboard (or speakers, rather). It adds that fatness. Makes everyting take off. What more can you say. My next review of this will probably be even shorter. I mean, it's pretty simple. It just makes you sound (or even feel) better. Makes your amp seem more open and maybe a little more powerful. If you get the chance, try one, or just take the chance and order one. Mike's right, you may never turn this thing off, especially if you're a bluesy or other kind of "roots" player, like country "chicken pickin", or rock, or, well... ANYTHING, really. I like experimental music (I'm not as eclectic as I sound, though). I can't imagine having this thing in my rig without it being on. I give it four stars and two thumbs up.

Check it out at: http://www.fulltone.com/