Xotic RC booster owners. Suitable for thick low gain lead?

markj

After a low to medium drive pedal that can give me a thick low gain lead. Would the RC booster be suitable?

gibsongretschfan

markj said:

After a low to medium drive pedal that can give me a thick low gain lead. Would the RC booster be suitable?

Uh.... it's kinda like a sustaining clean lead sound it gets. Too much drive on it gives you a bit of woolyness I find.

try a Nobels ODR-1... even better run the RC in the Nobels

JohnPerry

Not much drive to be had from an RC on its own. It's pretty clean even maxxed. Totally agree with the ODR1 suggestion, or any of its imitators/improvements. Or a Kingsley Page or Harlot, obviously

Kebabkid

I've had an RC and I agree that it's probably not enough and probably better to stack it with something as it is an enhancer and nice pedal.

The Nobels would work but whilst these were @£55 new a couple of months ago, I've just noticed they've gone up to £84.99 - that's quite a hike!

As an owner, look at the Way Huge Pork Loin (better to find one used as they've also gone up). Here's a decent demo so you can get an idea


The Wampler Tweed is also nice and versatile

Also, and said it before here, any low-med gain pedal being fed by an Xotic EP pedal will thicken things up and enhance your sound. The EP is a bloody useful pedal.

thebreeze

As said above the RC is clean all the way up pretty much but great for boosting what's already going on.

@Sassafras loves his Pork Loin I think.

Sassafras

I do indeed love the Pork Loin. Thick low gain sums it up. It can either be used as a lovely clean boost or a quite hairy OD on more extreme settings.
And it works brilliantly with every amp I've come across.

Kebabkid

Sassafras said:

I do indeed love the Pork Loin. Thick low gain sums it up. It can either be used as a lovely clean boost or a quite hairy OD on more extreme settings.
And it works brilliantly with every amp I've come across.

Here Here

markj

Sassafras said:

I do indeed love the Pork Loin. Thick low gain sums it up. It can either be used as a lovely clean boost or a quite hairy OD on more extreme settings.
And it works brilliantly with every amp I've come across.

Will look into this.

JMP220478

have you looked at boss blues driver or many of the clones ? mooer ; digitech etc

what amp is this going into and is it clean or ?


ps - try harry maes demos of popular overdrives - be aware he can make lots sound amazing

markj

Marshall style plexi head clean.

mark_jwedge

ThorpyFX peacekeeper is the best low to medium gain drive pedal I have ever come across. Yes it's expensive but it sounds spectacular and the eq is very powerful so you can dial it in to suit any amp or guitar. I use mine as a slightly dirty boost into a crunchy amp to push it into a more sustaining drive

mburekenge

I guess it depends on what amp you are using, but I certainly wouldn't say the RC is super clean with the gain cranked. At least with a clean blackface style amp, I can hear some nice crunch through my car Rambler.

i wouldn't describe it as 'thick sounding' overtly, but I find it does thicken things up nicely, especially with single coils. Not sure if what I've written makes sense   

hywelg

The RC is not a dirt pedal.  It's basically a clean boost with EQ.  What you get out of it depends on how you use it  

I have it last in the chain to push the front end if a clean amp. Works brilliantly to get a volume boost for a solo. Or on all the time and work your volume knob. Or juicing up an amp when you can't turn it up.

Used in front if a dirt pedal it's completely different, just giving you more dirt. Waste of a good pedal in this case IMO.  

gibsongretschfan

hywelg said:

The RC is not a dirt pedal.  It's basically a clean boost with EQ.  What you get out of it depends on how you use it  

I have it last in the chain to push the front end if a clean amp. Works brilliantly to get a volume boost for a solo. Or on all the time and work your volume knob. Or juicing up an amp when you can't turn it up.

Used in front if a dirt pedal it's completely different, just giving you more dirt. Waste of a good pedal in this case IMO.  

I think this is quite misleading, there's a good bit of gain available although it's certainly not a low-medium gain type pedal but in no way is it just a clean boost

steamabacus

gibsongretschfan said:

hywelg said:

The RC is not a dirt pedal.  It's basically a clean boost with EQ.  What you get out of it depends on how you use it  

I have it last in the chain to push the front end if a clean amp. Works brilliantly to get a volume boost for a solo. Or on all the time and work your volume knob. Or juicing up an amp when you can't turn it up.

Used in front if a dirt pedal it's completely different, just giving you more dirt. Waste of a good pedal in this case IMO.  

I think this is quite misleading, there's a good bit of gain available although it's certainly not a low-medium gain type pedal but in no way is it just a clean boost

I'd agree with this. Quite what is 'clean' and what is 'overdrive' seems to vary a lot from person to person - personally, I'd say the RC gets into low gain overdrive with the gain pot all the way up. It also has a certain amount of compression going on - to my ears it sounds like it's got a bit of tubescreamer about it in that sense (although I've no idea what the circuit is) all be it much cleaner, sparklier and with a flatter base eq.

By comparison, my MXR Micro Amp Plus - also a great booster - has more clean gain available and a more neutral (or you might say, "less sweet") sound than the RC.

They're both great pedals in their own way.

JMP220478