The ClinchFX Burnish Boost is a clean boost pedal that the maker describes as "effectively a miniature class A amplifier with an output transformer." Class A refers to the way the amplifier stage conducts through its full signal cycle, the operating method of many valued tube amps, and ClinchFX says the pedal carries that quality into a stompbox format1.
ClinchFX quotes a US price of USD $174.90 including Air Mail shipping, as of the maker's product page dated 29 September 20251.
What it does to your signal
As a boost, the Burnish lifts the signal going into your amp or the rest of your chain. ClinchFX describes it as "a relatively clean boost" that can generate approximately 18dB of clean boost before clipping, depending on input levels1. With quieter input signals you get more clean headroom; hit it with a hotter signal and the clean range shrinks.
When it does run out of headroom, the maker says the pedal is "gradually forced into soft, progressive clipping, in a similar way to a class A tube amp." Soft clipping rounds the peaks of the waveform rather than flattening them, which is why the maker contrasts it with "the harsh clipping that can be associated with solid state designs." To get there, ClinchFX adapted one or two design features from classic tube circuitry1. Players who want that pushed-into-the-amp character in a dedicated box will find related reading on the overdrive and preamp pages.
The EP-PRE connection
The Burnish is not a reworked ClinchFX EP+ circuit. ClinchFX states plainly that "the design is original, and has no common circuitry with our EP-PRE." What the two share is an intended voicing: the maker designed the Burnish "to exhibit a similar Phase Response to the EP-PRE, giving it a rich, full-bodied tone"1. Phase response describes how a circuit shifts different frequencies in time as the signal passes through, and it is one reason some preamp and boost designs are described as full sounding rather than thin.
Who is using it
ClinchFX notes that the Burnish has found an audience beyond guitar: "The 'Class A' quality of the Burnish boost is making it a favourite among Blues Harp players"1. Harmonica players pushing a boost into a tube amp are a long-standing tradition, and the maker attributes the pedal's appeal with them to that class A character.
Price and where to buy
ClinchFX is an Australian maker and sells the Burnish Boost directly, quoting a US price of USD $174.90 which includes Air Mail Shipping1. On import costs for US buyers, the maker says: "Under Australia Post agreements, there should not be any extra tariff charges when the pedal arrives in the US"1.
Payment is handled through PayPal, and ClinchFX accepts deposits in Australian Dollars from Australian customers1.
Distribution by region:
- Europe: Gosia Guitars in Belgium is the maker's dealer1
- Australia: Pedal Empire also sells ClinchFX pedals1
- Elsewhere, including the US: direct from ClinchFX, with Air Mail shipping included in the quoted US price1
Videos
Pete Thorn
gosiaguitars
Zack Pomerleau - Blues Drums and Harmonica
Questions
How much clean boost does the ClinchFX Burnish Boost give?
ClinchFX says the Burnish Boost can generate approximately 18dB of clean boost before clipping, depending on input levels. It is described as a relatively clean boost, so with typical guitar levels it lifts your signal without changing its character, and only pushes into soft, progressive clipping when driven hard.
Does the ClinchFX Burnish Boost use the same circuit as the EP-PRE?
No. ClinchFX states the design is original and has no common circuitry with its EP-PRE. The Burnish was designed to exhibit a similar phase response to the EP-PRE, which the maker says gives it a rich, full-bodied tone, but the circuits themselves are separate designs.
How does the ClinchFX Burnish Boost clip when pushed hard?
ClinchFX says that if you drive the Burnish hard enough, it is gradually forced into soft, progressive clipping, in a similar way to a class A tube amp. The maker adapted one or two design features from classic tube circuitry to avoid the harsh clipping associated with solid state designs.
Where is the ClinchFX Burnish Boost sold outside Australia?
In Europe, ClinchFX has a dealer, Gosia Guitars in Belgium. In Australia, Pedal Empire also sells the pedals. The maker sells directly elsewhere, quoting a US price of USD $174.90 including Air Mail shipping, and takes payment through PayPal.
Sources (1)
- ClinchFX Burnish Boost < ClinchFX, ClinchFX, 2025-09-29
