Looking for boost/gain/pre-amp pedal (anyone tried Boss BP1-W)?

[Jx30510]

The very best pedal for me is the Benson Preamp. This thing is plain awesome, and the Drive at 10-11 o'clock gives the best "smokey" jazz tone I've had. It's expensive, but kind of a revelation in my setup.
I've just ordered the Cornerstone Gladio SC to stack with it. I already know it'll be a magical pair.

[DawgBone]

The very best pedal for me is the Benson Preamp. This thing is plain awesome, and the Drive at 10-11 o'clock gives the best "smokey" jazz tone I've had. It's expensive, but kind of a revelation in my setup.
I've just ordered the Cornerstone Gladio SC to stack with it. I already know it'll be a magical pair.

I'd love to hear your report after you give them a thorough run through!!!

[Jx30510]

I will ! Should arrive within a few days. I'm hoping tomorrow, but monday seems more realistic.

[Jx30510]

Well it arrived this morning. Another awesome pedal! Very different than the Benson Preamp, which is voiced low mid range. The Cornerstone is glassy and very sizzly. Perfect pair, endless possibilities. The Gladio is just like and OD but the notes stay clean with alot of sustain. The blend knob, which re-injects your clean sound, over the processed sound, works VERY well.
It's quite incredible, just as if you had 2 amps in stereo, one with drive, the other clean.
I tried a Walrus Audio Ages just before this one (and returned it), which also had the same function ("Dry" knob), and there is no comparison, the Cornerstone just does what is says.. the Walrus Ages just didn't (almost no difference)
The Cornerstone magnifies the modulation and delays after it, it's quite spectacular. It's very dynamic and touch sensitive.
No wonder it's meant to be some kind of Stevie Ray Vaughan tribute pedal. If you dig in it just gives it back to you.
The tone knob has a great range, the volume is unity at 40%, it can get very powerful after that. I tried to max it out in the Benson Preamp, which controlled the overall volume output. Wow!!
This is a pedal that spits out David Gilmour fuzz lines without the fizz of the fuzz. Gilmour doesn't use fuzz very much anymore, and the SC sounds very much like David's current sound.. Glassy, sustaining singing leads in spades when stacked.
The best pedal I've tried (with the Benson). I've been looking for the right Drive pedal for a while..
Tried the Walrus Audio Ages, Boss BD-2w, Archer, the Dude, EHX Big Muff Pi reissue, and others.
This is hands down the best for me.

[Alter]

That thread is becoming dangerous for my bank balance..

[Jx30510]

Yes the pedal quest can be very pricy
I recently have been overusing the return policy (I'm getting almost guilty about it.. ) to find the right pedal..
Building the right pedalboard with a maximum of 5 to 6 pedals, that match perfectly (stacking the tone shapers/drives) has taken me almost a year.
I'm very picky with maintaining the core tone intact. Finding pedals that don't mess with the high end, or add mids in the signal chain, is not that easy.

My pedalboard, first to last :

* Origin Effects DCX Boost
* Cornerstone Gladio SC
* Benson Preamp
* TC Electronic SCF Gold Chorus
* Strymon EL Capistan V1

The last pedal I want to add is a Reverb, with traditional to spacy/ experimental capabilities.

I tried the Strymon Flint V2 but returned it. I found it too "standard" sounding and limited for the price. It did sound good but kinda boring..

So the redirect to the subject (sorry, I went off road here..), for a prdal that magnifies your sound, it would the Benson Preamp for sure, especially for jazzy traditionnal stuff. The Drive knob under 12 o'clock is unbeatable for that Grant Green smokey sound.

Second the Gladio, but it's more suited for modern, brighter styles.

[DawgBone]

Well it arrived this morning. Another awesome pedal! Very different than the Benson Preamp, which is voiced low mid range. The Cornerstone is glassy and very sizzly. Perfect pair, endless possibilities. The Gladio is just like and OD but the notes stay clean with alot of sustain. The blend knob, which re-injects your clean sound, over the processed sound, works VERY well.
It's quite incredible, just as if you had 2 amps in stereo, one with drive, the other clean.
I tried a Walrus Audio Ages just before this one (and returned it), which also had the same function ("Dry" knob), and there is no comparison, the Cornerstone just does what is says.. the Walrus Ages just didn't (almost no difference)
The Cornerstone magnifies the modulation and delays after it, it's quite spectacular. It's very dynamic and touch sensitive.
No wonder it's meant to be some kind of Stevie Ray Vaughan tribute pedal. If you dig in it just gives it back to you.
The tone knob has a great range, the volume is unity at 40%, it can get very powerful after that. I tried to max it out in the Benson Preamp, which controlled the overall volume output. Wow!!
This is a pedal that spits out David Gilmour fuzz lines without the fizz of the fuzz. Gilmour doesn't use fuzz very much anymore, and the SC sounds very much like David's current sound.. Glassy, sustaining singing leads in spades when stacked.
The best pedal I've tried (with the Benson). I've been looking for the right Drive pedal for a while..
Tried the Walrus Audio Ages, Boss BD-2w, Archer, the Dude, EHX Big Muff Pi reissue, and others.
This is hands down the best for me.

Yeah, the Gladio is pretty amazing, glad you like it with the Benson. If you watch the Cornerstone guy on youtube talking about the Gladio SC you find his blend knob works in a completely original way compared to most OD blends.

[DawgBone]

Yes the pedal quest can be very pricy
I recently have been overusing the return policy (I'm getting almost guilty about it.. ) to find the right pedal..
Building the right pedalboard with a maximum of 5 to 6 pedals, that match perfectly (stacking the tone shapers/drives) has taken me almost a year.
I'm very picky with maintaining the core tone intact. Finding pedals that don't mess with the high end, or add mids in the signal chain, is not that easy.

My pedalboard, first to last :

* Origin Effects DCX Boost
* Cornerstone Gladio SC
* Benson Preamp
* TC Electronic SCF Gold Chorus
* Strymon EL Capistan V1

The last pedal I want to add is a Reverb, with traditional to spacy/ experimental capabilities.

I tried the Strymon Flint V2 but returned it. I found it too "standard" sounding and limited for the price. It did sound good but kinda boring..

So the redirect to the subject (sorry, I went off road here..), for a prdal that magnifies your sound, it would the Benson Preamp for sure, especially for jazzy traditionnal stuff. The Drive knob under 12 o'clock is unbeatable for that Grant Green smokey sound.

Second the Gladio, but it's more suited for modern, brighter styles.

Take a look at the Meris Mercury 7 or the Meris Mercury X especially if you are orienting your reverb around a cleaner tone. Incredible in that regard. The spectral Tempus is also another amazing shimmer machine. I had the mercury 7 and angelic shimmers are available, it's all about exploring it. I would expect the Mercury X is even more amazing.

I never get along good with reverb save for the Fender RI tank with mix and dwell controls....like carrying a 2nd amp to the gig. I don't like the loss of pick attack with built in verbs and all the pedals I've tried and I have not had good luck with digital verbs and driven lead sounds. I have a Rockett Alien Echo in my stash I plan on revisiting in the near future though my previous experience is that it also damped my pick attack.

Those are some great pedals you have on your board. I have an EQ coming that is a pedal version of a Pultec. I have not used more than just a drive pedal for gigs in years and have started contemplating refining my tone a bit. Been thinking about an EQ for some additional tone shaping for about six months so my father's day gift to myself should be here before too long.

How do you like the TC Chorus? I had thought about buying an old Visual sound H20 chorus because they are cheap (the old home plate version) and sound lush and amazing I just feel like I probably won't use it. Chorus, Flange, and Vibe are all effects I love but I just don't have a ton of use for them so I buy, fiddle with it, push it aside, and then sell after it's collected dust. I still wish I had my Strymon orbit flanger back though, that thing was just killer even if it was mostly just a fun toy. I'm mostly just building a core driven tone and hoping to refine it, then maybe I'll add a floor tuner and some other fun toy. I just hate carrying more crap to gigs.....

[supersoul]

I have an EQ coming that is a pedal version of a Pultec.

which pedal is that? Pultecs are supposed to sound magical

[DawgBone]

which pedal is that? Pultecs are supposed to sound magical

It's a Spaceman Effects Equinox clone. I've never fooled with an EQ before so this should be interesting.

[213Cobra]

I didn't mention it before. I suggested a TIM (Paul Cochrane) to no reaction, but here's an even better, and more scarce one:

The FMR Audio A.R.C. boost/compressor. It is the most transparent and toneful pedal I have heard, and kind of its own thing. Hard to find. There's one on Reverb now:

Just a moment...

Pricey, but you can make an offer. I use it with archtops and Teles. Really splendid.

Phil

[Jx30510]

Thanks for the Reverb suggestions, I'll have a look.
I'm like you, I detect very quickly when a pedal (or anything) interacts with my sound and playing dynamics.
I feel like many, if not most, effects dampen nuances , and transform negatively my playing experience.
The TC Electronic SCF Gold Chorus is the best chorus I've found to this day.
I tried the Ibanez Mini chorus which in somewhat altered my sound (the Mini Delay and Mini Trem where even worse)
The SCF Gold Chorus has 3 modes, Chorus, Vibrato and Flanger.
They all sound good, but the Vibrato is amazing. The 3rd knob is a mix knob going from full Vibrato to Pitch modulation, with everything in between. It's GREAT.
I didn't talk about the Origin Effects DCX Boost, and can't recommend it enough. It's hugely versatile (EQ, Drive, Boost, Tone shaping,..)
It's all what I was searching for when trying compressors.. never liked compressors in the end.
Give it a try.
I would love to try a Lexicon H9, but the power requirements don't allow to feed it with my CIOKS power supply, and I don't want the fuss of another power cord. I want to keep it simple..