Do you ever feel let down by an amp that NEEDS a boost or OD to sound good?

[la szum]

No hard and fast rules. Ever.

Uh oh. Is that an hard and fast rule right there???

 

[Riffraff]

Decades ago my 1st Marshall was a '93 1959SLP.
I was kind of disappointed at first at how clean it was then I hit the front end with a SD1 with it's volume up 3/4's and it's drive at 1. Disappointment quickly became awe.
I miss that amp.

 

[EOengineer]

Decades ago my 1st Marshall was a '93 1959SLP.
I was kind of disappointed at first at how clean it was then I hit the front end with a SD1 with it's volume up 3/4's and it's drive at 1. Disappointment quickly became awe.
I miss that amp.

The 4 hole Marshalls can cover an absurd amount of ground with a good boost. Awesome cleans, nasty mid gain crunch, and biting high gain all from your guitar’s volume knob and one pedal.

The Klon is my favorite Marshall boost this week.

 

[MatrixClaw]

Yes. I sometimes boost my amps but I hate amps that HAVE to be boosted to sound the way I like.

 

[GuitarBilly74]

My hot take: most amps with gain don't need a boost. It's the player that does.

 

[Mikael Dez]

My hot take: most amps with gain don't need a boost. It's the player that does.

I mean you have a point. My playing style might be so used to it that it’s a crutch

 

[GuitarBilly74]

I mean you have a point. My playing style might be so used to it that it’s a crutch

It's not necessarily a crutch, it's just your preference.

Don't get me wrong, I LIKE boosts. I always have one on my board. But if for some reason, I don't have my pedalboard with me and I have to play a show with the average channel switcher or even an 800, would I be able to do it? Yes.

Pedals are fun though. Boost, delay etc. It's all good. I just don't think they're necessities, as much as they are extra flavoring.

 

[KingsXJJ]

Boosts are just another tool on the belt. Great to have and use if needed.