CopperSound Broadway

The CopperSound Broadway is a germanium preamp and treble booster pedal based on the Rangemaster circuit, built with hand-selected germanium transistors. CopperSound positions it as a vintage 1952-inspired design that delivers what the maker calls "a broad range of 'Telecaster-like' tones, complete with a powerful volume boost"¹. At certain EQ and volume settings it also unlocks dynamic germanium fuzz tones with a touch-sensitive response²³.

The pedal is part of CopperSound's Pickguard Series, and each unit is custom made to order, with the buyer choosing the finish, pickguard, knobs and hardware¹. It is a preamp pedal in the classic treble booster tradition rather than a modern multi-band EQ, and it can push an amp or another pedal the way a Rangemaster-style booster would.

What it does to your sound

CopperSound describes the Broadway as delivering "Telecaster-esque" tones with dynamic touch-sensitivity, and says that specific EQ and volume settings unlock germanium fuzz tones with a touch-sensitive response³. The volume knob is the main drive control: the maker's copy says to "feel the raw power as the volume knob boosts your sound into the stratosphere"³. In practice this means the pedal works as a clean-ish treble boost at lower settings and moves into germanium fuzz territory when the volume and EQ are pushed, with the response varying with how hard you play.

The character comes from the germanium transistors, which are hand-selected for each build³. Germanium parts behave differently from the silicon transistors in most modern boost pedals: they clip more softly and their gain varies with temperature, which is part of why vintage Rangemaster-style boosters sound and feel the way they do.

The controls and Smart Bypass

The Broadway keeps its control set deliberately small, in keeping with the 1952-inspired design⁵.

The blade switch is the Broadway's distinctive control. CopperSound says it offers EQ settings tailored to "neck," "middle," and "bridge" pickups, so you can voice the boost to sit like a particular Telecaster pickup position¹. In the earliest version, Tris of Coppersound Pedals described the three modes as emulating the three pickup combinations of a Fender Telecaster⁴.

The switching is CopperSound's Smart Bypass, a relay-based true bypass circuit that supports both latching and momentary use¹:

• Click the footswitch to latch the effect on or off⁵
• Hold the footswitch for momentary engagement, for expressive bursts⁶
• An internal DIP switch disables the momentary feature if you prefer conventional latching-only operation¹

Smart Bypass appears across the CopperSound range, including the Telegraph V2 and the Strategy V2, where Guitar World noted it "offers true bypass and both latching and momentary options"⁷.

Where it goes in your chain

Tris of Coppersound Pedals suggests placing the Broadway at the end of your pedal chain, which is why he calls it a "Preamp/Postamp"⁴. Running it last lets the germanium preamp shape the whole signal before it reaches the amp, in the role a treble booster played in vintage setups, driving the amplifier's front end rather than feeding other pedals.

History and versions

The Broadway first appeared as the Broadway Preamp, demonstrated by Tris of Coppersound Pedals at Delicious Audio's NAMM 2015 Stompbox Booth⁴. Tris suggested placing the Broadway at the end of your pedal chain, which is why he calls it a "Preamp/Postamp"⁴.

The current pedal is the V2, documented in the Broadway V2 user manual available from CopperSound⁵. It is built as part of the Pickguard Series, custom made to order with a quoted build time of up to 10 business days⁵.

Ordering and finishes

Because each Broadway is made to order, the finish options are a large part of the product. Configurations shown in CopperSound's listings include¹³⁸:

• Seafoam Green finish, black guard, black synth knobs, chrome hardware³
• Surf Green finish, black guard, Marshall knobs, chrome hardware¹
• Lake Placid Blue finish, parchment guard, nickel knobs, nickel hardware²
• Ice Blue Metallic, black guard, chrome hardware as a listed combo option⁵

For custom finishes and guitar-matching services, CopperSound directs buyers to email customshop@coppersoundpedals.com⁶.

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