6 Best Treble Booster Pedals Review

Small Intro

I would like to tell first how I was choosing the models for this list:

• I contacted the musicians I know and asked them about the equipment

I`ve used my own experience as well. So, after those conversation I has a list of like twenty models. I then filtered it, to leave only the ones, which are accessible right now and affordable.

• I checked the leftover items in the internet

I read multiple reviews and ratings in order to find the best models, which can be ordered online with delivery. After finishing that activity I started making an individual description for each of the models.

You are welcome to check them all out.

Catalinbread Naga Viper

Catalinbread is an American company, that manufactures different sorts of equipment for guitarists. They are especially well-known for their treble-boosting pedals and pickups. This time I`ll review a pedal only though.

Main Features

What I especially enjoyed in this pedal, apart from its` actual performance is the design. Its` an aggressive Viper looking right at you. Such things do really determine the mood of the player. As the designer himself had said, he was absolutely in love with what he has created. The guitar players love Naga Viper Booster, here is why.

There is a lot of things you can adjust: the EQ, the boost gain, the heat and the range. EQ helps to form the sound, to create its shape. The range kinda controls how juicy the sound is, while controlling the range you either make the sound thin and intelligent or full and bright. The heat is responsible for the type of boost, making it either clean or distorted.

Finally, Naga Viper performs good with the other amplifying pedals. The developers say, that the best experience comes, when you use this item with wah pedals and before overdrive ones. They emphasize, that the combination with overdrives is especially powerful.

There is nothing too bad in this very model, just one common problems, all the pedals share the durability.

Well, it is not actually bad as well, but the players, who tend to play aggressively, or those who simply don`t care too much about the conditions, they hold the pedal in often complain, that this sort of equipment doesn`t serve long enough. This is partly true, but as long as you pay enough attention to the pedal, it will be performing nicely.

The Pedal in Action

Naga Viper from Catalinbread had been tested by me in person, so here is the true experience you get, while using it. First of all, it doesn`t give sound any unnatural coloring. Then, it adds enough touch, gain and boost, exactly what you expect this thing to do. Generally, this is a great pedal, which boosts the sound nicely and has no serious minuses.

Short Conclusion

Naga Viper might be the best pedal for the beginning guitarists. It is an affordable piece of equipment, which gives the player the true experience of using the product of high quality. However, there are the models, created exactly to be durable, so check the list if you need something, that will serve you for a decade or so.

EarthQuaker Devices Pedal

Earthquaker is an American company, that, again, specializes on making the musical equipment of different sorts. They have tones of decent production, but the one item we`ll review today is their boosting pedal.

Main Features

The logotype on the pedal made me smile. There are two man shaking hands, like after a successful business meeting. This immediately made me associate myself with one of them, which felt great. So the designers did great job. The engineers did great job as well.

What I really want to emphasize is how smooth this compressor works. It amplifies the sound softly, without adding any effects at all, so you get exactly the sound the guitar makes, but with bigger volume.

Another thing that feels nice is how this pedal responses to changing the adjustments. Even the slightest knob turn makes the sound a bit different, so there is a large for experimenting with sound. Also, the guys who enjoy adjusting everything super thoroughly will like it a lot.

By the way, speaking of adjusting: this treble booster provides more than enough options of it. Its` possible to control the bass power, the mids, the trebles and the gain. All the spectre of sound waves basically.

Well, it can work with bass and show the result that would be a bit below average, but this is not what we are looking for. The thing is, that basses require more powerful, sort of honking amplifier, while this one sounds completely relaxed, so a usual guitar is your best bet.

The Pedal in Action

I don`t own this pedal, but a friend of mine does, so I borrowed his and on the side asked him how he liked this piece of equipment. It turned out, that he had been using it for almost four years and never had a thing to complain about. Although I only spent several hours, trying this pedal out, I also had nothing to complain about, the compression is good, the sound is clean indeed, everything works out fine.

Short Conclusion

Earthquaker`s pedal is a value purchase, as it provides the player with all the necessary tools for treble-boosting. It is worth every cent you pay for it and will serve for a really long period of time. However, the bass players and those, looking for extremely loud, distorted sound have the better options to choose from.

Electro-Harmonix Screaming Bird

That`s another American manufacturer, which is best known for making original names for its` products. This one also mainly concentrates on budget affordable production.

Main Features

Boy, I love the name “Screaming Bird”. It summons what this device really is in two simple words. And there is a cute parrot drawn on it, which adds +1 one point to the overall cuteness of this device. However, there are more important things than cuteness.

To start with, this treble booster can be extremely loud. It can boost high frequencies up to 25 DB, which can be compared to a working chainsaw. It sounds even louder, due to built-in distortion. It was actually supposed to be a feature, but feels like this device distorts all the soundwaves coming out of it.

Another feature, that is really convenient is how small this device is. It is one of the smallest in the list, and can really fit in a jeans pocket.

Well, although I mentioned that Screaming Bird can amplify sound a lot, loud doesn`t mean powerful or reach. The actual sound pattern seems colorless and pure, kinda like it is played through phone.

I`ve already mentioned, the built-in distortion, and I wish I had been joking. However, this is not a joke, as the sound is distorted all the time, even when you want it nice and clean.

Finally, the durability of this device leaves lots of questions. Although it looks like a reliable one, I have a lot of unpleasant experience, connected with the equipment made of plastic, so from that point, I think, that it won`t live a long life.

The Pedal in Action

Surprisingly, I only had positive emotions, while testing the pedal, as it made me feel young again. The sound it made was exactly like the sound my cheap guitar made, when I was jamming in the backyard in my twenties. It was all good for giggles, but when giving this booster the fair rating, I can`t say many positive things.

Short Conclusion

There are two reasons why I included this item in the list. First is because its` kinda unique, second – it is good, if you decide to make music with the distortion. It provides the most natural distorted effects, I`ve ever heard in my life. If you are looking for something decent and durable though, there is way more better options on the market.

BBE Bohemian

BBE Bohemian is an international company, which manufactures a large range of musical equipment, starting with instruments, ending with small accessories. The product, that I love the most though is the BBE Bohemian treble booster pedal.

Main Features

The design of this device looks really solid. It is a small gray box, that has no excessive elements except the controllers and out. I love minimalistic designs a lot, so this one deserves a 10/10 for the look from me. When it comes to actual guitar activity, this device feels great too.

The first thing everyone wants from a treble boosting pedal is a qualitative boost. This machine provides all the boost you may need. It is both amplifying sound enough, to make it loud and filters the sound to keep it clean.

Moreover, BBE Bohemian is easy to handle. It has only three knobs, one for the volume control, one for adjusting the level and one for the bias. Owning such a pedal, you`ll never need to worry, that you do not understand how the things work.

Finally, this device is as solid as it looks, it`s build quality is beyond all the expectations. It will most likely survive any kind of trip, which, I think, is a nice bonus for all the travelers out there.

Like any other simple treble boosting pedal, this one is limited in terms of developing. Once you`ll get used to its` functions, you`ll want more, and there will be nothing new to discover at that point.

The Pedal in Action

Once you turn it on, the pedal does all the things you expect it to do in the most diligent way. The beautiful thing is that it will be doing the same thing over and over again, without losing any quality. So, if you get used to things and want something, that will be with you for a decade, BBE Bohemian pedal is what you need.

Short Conclusion

The beginners, amateurs, travelers, occasional jammers – those are the guys that will appreciate such a pedal the most. The professionals will find the sound decent as well, but there is simply not enough options for them.

Fulltone OCD

Fulltone is an American company as well. The only thing, that differs it a lot from the other companies, is that Fulltone has no foreign capital, which means all the Fulltone`s stuff is manufactured in the United States.

Main Features

This OCD looked like a child toy for me. Especially those arrows, which show the direction of turning the knob. I love the general idea of minimalistic design, but this exact one, I am not a huge fan of.

The thing about tonality is that you don`t usually feel any significant changes while adjusting it on budget guitars. Fulltone`s treble booster though changes the tones in such a way, that you can hear sound getting darker or brighter.

The main problem connected with this pedal is that it makes hum noises while being used with the other equipment. Hum is not a big problem, however, if you are sensitive to non-musical noises, this may be a problem for you.

It`s not less important to say, that the company itself doesn`t have the best reputation. While some clients say to be treated carefully and with respect, the others received no answer at all. I couldn`t find any connection between those people, nor the reason to do so, but this is a fact indeed.

The Pedal in Action

I was testing the pedal in solo mode, with no extra audio equipment and it was working nicely. No hum, nice and smooth sound compression, sensitive regulations and powerful volume. Playing the guitar with this booster was nothing but a positive experience for me.

Short Conclusion

There are only two things that may stop you from getting this one: you are using a lot of other musical equipment and don`t like hum or you want a hundred per cent trustworthy company. If you are OK with the minor downsides, than this pedal will bring some great sound to your life.

Ibanez Tube Screamer Mini

Ibanez is the only non-American manufacturer in the list. The company is based in Japan. This country is known for having great technology and producing the musical equipment of an outstanding quality.

Main Features

In my opinion, this is the worst looking model, not only in this list, but one of the worst looking treble booster pedals at all. It is boring and green, not something, that makes you enjoy the life. However, what actually makes you feel good is the technical characteristics of this device.

The first and the best thing about this product is that it costs three times less than any other amplifier in the list. There are many cheap amplifiers you may say, but this one can compete with the much more expensive ones.

It compresses the sound as good as an average semi-professional amplifier. There is no other explanation of it, except of that Japanese engineers are the true professionals and know very well what they do.

The main reason this treble booster is cheap is that the cheap details were used. They are not a 100 per cent awful, but will serve less, than casual details of higher quality. On the positive side though, when something breaks, finding a replacement and repairing the item will be cheaper.

The Pedal in Action

When it comes to playing with this treble booster pedal, it feels like a usual pedal, nothing to outstanding. The outstanding thing though is that it does the job much better, than any other pedal in this price category.

Short Conclusion

Mini Tube Screamer is a perfect budget amp for those who are looking for a decet quality at the minimal price. However, if you can invest more money in the musical equipment, there are better options to consider.

General Conclusion

Before finishing this article, I would like to share with you my personal experience on choosing the treble booster pedal:

• Choose a price range

There are several price ranges, starting with the most affordable items ending with the professional equipment. The trick is that all the devices in same price ranges provide pretty much the same performance, therefore, once you`ve decided how much money you are ready to spend, you can choose a pedal even with your eyes closed. The best option though is still to use this list.

• Go for a trusted manufacturer

The trusted manufacturer, how I see him, is the manufacture that has an own website and at least ten years of experience on the market. This is not a common thing, but it seems like there are lots of fakes in the internet.

Well, I guess for more information you could check the internet or contact some people you know. Thank you for reading and good luck.