Boost for solo

ICBM

Cols said:

I have it in my head that using certain overdrive pedals in the loop can damage the amp; I’m sure @ICBM could give you chapter and verse.  There’s no issue with putting an EQ pedal in the loop though.

Yes, and the HRD is one of the amps which I have definite evidence of being harmed like this - it can blow the FX loop send/return IC and then sometimes cause the power supply resistors to overheat.

Basically, to be safe, never run *any* overdrive, distortion, fuzz or amp preamp pedal in the FX loop of *any* amp. It usually won't sound great for a start. A simple boost or an EQ is fine.

Connecting an external preamp to the FX return/power amp input without going through the amp's preamp - ie guitar > external preamp > amp's power amp - is fine, because there's no way for the signal to feed back inside the amp.

Phil_aka_Pip

Blackstar HT-Boost, with bass & treble backed off a bit from 12 o'clock so the mid range sticks out a bit more when the boost kicks in. IMO the EQ is as important as the overall level.

hubobulous

Suhr Koko in mid boost mode cos that’s what solos require

Roland

Loads of different approaches, depending on the song. My favourite is simply turning the guitar volume up. Others are one or a combination of changing amp type and amp settings (midi switching), TS-9, and a mid boost.

LightB4sound

Having a lot of fun with the TC spark mini boost at the moment, cheap as chips as well.

ChrisCox1994

EP Booster

8luesman

Full size TC Spark.  You can control the volume, add gain if you want and/or Bass/Treble.  It also has a switch for straight forward boost, mids boost or for single coils to sound more humbucky for solos.

viz

@Hattigol said:

viz said:

Keeley mini katana boost, last thing in the loop.

In fact I’ve got two - my penultimate pedal in the loop is a boost for solos, and my final one is another boost, but set to zero so when I stamp on it everything cuts out, no hiss, no hum, nothing. 

Does your tuner not do that for you?

TC Spark for me.

Good question; no, because my tuner is off a spur from the dry out of my digitech whammy - the main signal doesn’t actually go through it; the actual signal goes straight from the wet out to the MXR phase 90 so I avoid TU2 tone suck. But also because the tuner isn’t in the loop, and the power valves contribute a bit of noise, so I need something in there at the very end to make it 100% silent. It’s great. 

http://i.imgur.com/uI5PSee.jpg

A true-bypass pedal without a battery would also have done the trick.

fastonebaz

I use a tc electronic mini spark booster in the fx loop.  Its perfect. A massive adjustable transparent volume boost whenever I need it. 

p90fool

I just turn the volume up on the guitar...

TTBZ

I've always used an EQ pedal in the fx loop with the level, mids and treble bumped up a bit. An EHX LPB1 works just as well and costs £25 or something.

At the minute I'm just using an TS9 clone in front of the amp (cause I'm lazy and don't want to run 2 extra cables) and it works ok but not as well. The other guitarist in my old band always just used an SD1 into the front end of his 800 and it worked perfectly.

Fez

TC Mini Spark after my dirt pedals.

57Deluxe

get Joe Bonamassa to come on and play it for you... he probably rents himself out too

bazxkr

I put a strat thro clean channel on supersonic twin via a jet city afterburner. Keep amp at very clean and use the afterburner for gain control to the required level. Kick the afterburners boost button and set the level that suits. Works for my old ears. Not complicated pedal and built like a tank so takes abuse well. Guess you can find them for £50 or even less.