Boost

• Collection: Classic Range
• Type: Overdrive
• Klon Centaur-inspired circuit with major modern improvements
• Gain control blends clean and driven signal simultaneously for musical results
• Powerful two-band active EQ with up to 15dB of boost or cut
• Toggle switch controls headroom and drive character
• Internally boosted to 18V for maximum clarity and headroom
• Soft touch true-bypass switching
  

PL Notes:

I first got one of these after seeing it on a That Pedal Show episode in 2018 where they were comparing Klon style pedals against Micks real Klon Centaur. I thought the Sick As sounded identical. But so did the Manticore (by ProAnalog Devices). So, of course I had to buy both to try them properly even if I was only going to keep one ;) Its this sort of behaviour that made me think we need a Pedal Library. The Sick As pedal can certainly mimic a Klon but its capable of much more, so much so that you could easily have two of them on your board doing completely different things. Ops, did I just suggest buying two of the same pedal?! Hahahaha

The Sick As Overdrive is a diversion from the well-worn path, taking its basic structure from the Klon Centaur® but with some major improvements for the modern player. The gain control serves a dual purpose— as the gain is increased, the ratio of gain-to-clean tone increases as well. This ensures that when the gain is rolled off, the tone never becomes muddy and unpleasant. You can control the amount of headroom and the character of the drive with the toggle switch. Choose from a more compressed, mid-range focused tone or an open, transparent, rhythm tone. The tone circuit is a powerful, two-band active EQ circuit capable of boosting or cutting the bass and treble frequencies up to 15dB for maximum versatility. The voltage is also boosted internally to 18V for increased clarity and headroom.

• Clean Boost, Overdrive or a blend of the two.
• Dynamic and natural, responsive to your pick attack or volume knob.
• Internally boosted to 18 volts for maximum headroom and clarity.
• Toggle switch controls the amount of headroom and character of the drive.
• Powerful active tonestack, capable of 15dB of boost or cut
• Soft touch true-bypass switching

• Collection: Classic Range
• Type: Boost
• JFET preamp based on the Echoplex EP-3 tape echo unit
• Adds subtle boost with a unique phase response that enriches and focuses tone
• Works beautifully as an "always on" pedal or transparent clean boost
• Australian-made with CE-compliant low-noise design
• In production since 2008, trusted by pro players worldwide

PL Notes:

I see so many pro-boards with the Xotic Effects EP Booster (or similar) and for good reason - they sound great. Well this is the brilliant Aussie made take on the pre-amp section of an Echoplex. This pedal just adds a little magic dust to your tone. Great as a boost (not massive) or as an "always on" pedal.

The EP-PRE is a JFET preamplifier that is based on the preamp section of the Echoplex® EP-3® tape echo unit. It will deliver a few db of boost, but I don't consider it as a boost.

Words such as Enhance, Fatten and Enrich all cover the effect that the EP-PRE has on your tone, but I have yet to find a word that really captures the magic of this amazing little circuit. A friend who has one of the prototypes calls it a "Tone Polisher".

My own feeling is that it creates a "focus" in my tone and helps me to play with more confidence.

• Collection: Pro Range
• Type: Boost
• Extremely high input impedance (5 million ohms) — lets pickups "open up" naturally
• Delivers up to 8.5V peak-to-peak — the loudest 9V battery-powered boost available
• MOSFET-based circuit (no bipolar, FET, or op-amp devices)
• Reacts beautifully to guitar volume pot for expressive clean-to-drive control
• Hand painted — each unit is unique

PL Notes:

I love this pedal as a great clean boost (docent add too much tonal change). If your amp is clean then its gets heaps louder. If your amp is a little dirty it adds some really nice drive and boost and reacts really well being adjusted with your volume pot. Some great blues tones to be had for sure.

The super hard-on has an input impedance of 5 million ohms and delivers up to 8.5 volts peak-to-peak, making it the loudest box available with a 9V battery. It uses no bipolar, fet, or op-amp devices, but rather a mosfet switch. Try listening to one turned down low with a strat. When it is on, you can clearly hear the pickup "open up" as the load is taken off by the very high input impedance.