The Electro-Harmonix LPB-3 Linear Power Booster & EQ is an analog boost pedal that pushes your signal by up to +33dB of clean gain while giving you a full 3-band EQ, with a parametric midrange section for precise tone shaping1. It is housed in Electro-Harmonix's Nano-sized chassis, was released in 2024, and carries a list price of $129.001. Premier Guitar describes it as descended from the first Electro-Harmonix pedal ever released, the LPB-1 Linear Power Booster, the effect that launched the company in 196821.
Where a basic boost pedal just makes you louder, the LPB-3 lets you shape what gets louder. Electro-Harmonix says it is "capable of boosting up to +33dB of clean gain with the powerful tone shaping of a 3-band EQ with parametric" mids1. Guitar World's news coverage put it plainly: by setting the mid frequency and level of boost, the LPB-3 can radically alter your tone and hone in on the sound you are looking for3.
Up to 33dB of clean boost with a 3-band EQ
The core of the pedal is a clean boost stage whose maximum output is set by the MAX switch to either 33dB or 20dB1. Delicious Audio describes it as offering up to 33dB of clean boost, with an option via toggle switch to limit it to 20dB5. That ceiling matters for how you use it: 20dB is plenty for a solo lift, while the full 33dB is enough to drive an amp's front end into breakup.
What separates the LPB-3 from a simple volume boost is the EQ section. Premier Guitar's review calls it "a genuine active EQ stage plus parametric midrange section"2. The bass and treble bands cut or boost, while the mid band is parametric: you choose both the center frequency, from 240Hz to 3.3kHz, and how much you cut or boost it1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| BOOST knob | Sets the output level, basically working like a volume control1 |
| PRE-GAIN knob | Adjusts input gain from 0dB (unity) to 20dB before the signal hits the EQ circuitry1 |
| BASS | Bass EQ band1 |
| MID LVL knob | Boosts or cuts the MID EQ; center position is flat1 |
| MID FREQ knob | Sets the MID EQ center frequency, range 240Hz to 3.3kHz1 |
| TREBLE | Treble EQ band1 |
| MAX switch | Boosts gain at the output stage and sets maximum gain to either 33dB or 20dB1 |
| Q switch | Sets the mid EQ bandwidth: LOW is broader and rounder, HIGH is sharper and peakier1 |
| Footswitch | Engages or bypasses the effect; status LED lights when engaged1 |
The pre-gain stage is worth understanding. Because it adjusts input gain before the EQ circuitry, you can push the EQ section itself harder, which changes the character of the boost rather than just its loudness. Guitar World's news piece describes it as a Pre-Gain knob to fine-tune the boost3.
The pedal can also be used without any boost at all. Guitar World's reviewer, Trevor Curwen, notes that "you can also set the pedal so you get no boost but can use it purely for tonal tweaking"6. In that role it functions as a compact always-on EQ, and the selectable buffered bypass mode supports leaving it permanently in the chain.
The LPB-3 does not take batteries and draws 120mA, so it needs its included 9.6VDC-200mA power adapter or an equivalent supply on your pedalboard power brick1.
Power and connections
The pedal runs from a standard EHX 9-volt supply, which is included4. Inside, though, it operates at a higher voltage: Delicious Audio reports the LPB-3 works internally at 30 volts for extended headroom5. That internal rail is what allows the boost stage to deliver its full clean gain without the circuit itself running out of room, and it is a common design approach in modern high-headroom boost and EQ pedals.
Connection-wise it is simple: one audio input jack and one audio output jack, with an input impedance of 1MΩ and an output impedance of 660Ω1. The 1MΩ input matches what most guitar amps present, so the pedal loads a passive pickup the way an amp would.
Bypass is selectable between buffered and true bypass, chosen by an internal switch16. True bypass keeps the pedal entirely out of the signal path when disengaged, while buffered mode keeps a buffer active, which can help drive long cable runs or preserve the pedal's function as an always-on tone conditioner.
From the LPB-1 to the LPB-3
The LPB-3 is the third version of the Linear Power Booster line, and Premier Guitar's review counts it as having six times the controls found on the 1 and 2 versions2. Its ancestor, the LPB-1, was the effect that launched Electro-Harmonix in 19681. The current LPB-1, released in 2006, is an exact re-creation of the original circuit, in a small enclosure with true bypass and a 9V battery included78.
| LPB-1 | LPB-3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2006 (reissue of the 1968 original)81 | 20241 |
| Circuit | Exact re-creation of the original LPB-1 circuit82 | Boost with active EQ and parametric mids2 |
| EQ | None | 3-band with parametric mids1 |
| Max boost | Single boost control | Up to 33dB, switchable to 20dB1 |
| Bypass | True bypass813 | Selectable buffered/true bypass1 |
| Battery | 9V battery included81 | No battery1 |
Gearnews's 2026 boost pedal guide frames the relationship simply: the LPB-3 adds a full EQ section and significantly more tone-shaping capability over the LPB-19. In a Premier Guitar demo video, Tom from Electro-Harmonix described the LPB-1 as having "got a huge upgrade" and called the LPB-3 "a fantastic product"7.
What reviewers said
Guitar World's review by Trevor Curwen concluded:
"Whether permanently engaged as a tone conditioner or set to change things up when needed, the LPB-3 is a versatile boost pedal that can shape your entire tone."6
Guitar Pedal X named it among the best new boost and overdrive pedals of 2024, listing its full control set of Max Headroom, Q Bandwidth, Boost, Mid Level, Treble, Pre-Gain, Mid Freq and Bass10. The pedal is made in the USA, per Guitar World's review6.
Videos
That Pedal Show
EHX
Questions
Can the LPB-3 be used as an EQ without boost?
Yes. Guitar World's reviewer notes you can set the pedal so you get no boost and use it purely for tonal tweaking. With the Boost knob at minimum and the EQ controls active, it works as a standalone tone shaper, and its selectable buffered bypass mode lets you leave it permanently engaged as a tone conditioner.
Is the Electro-Harmonix LPB-3 true bypass?
It offers selectable buffered or true bypass switching, set by an internal switch. That means you can run it true bypass like the LPB-1, or leave the buffer active, which is useful if the pedal stays engaged as an always-on EQ or you want it to drive long cable runs.
Does the LPB-3 take a battery?
No. Electro-Harmonix states the LPB-3 does not take batteries. It runs on the included 9.6VDC-200mA power adapter, drawing 120mA. The older LPB-1, by contrast, ships with a 9V battery included.
What does the Q switch do on the LPB-3?
The Q switch sets the bandwidth of the parametric midrange EQ. In LOW mode the EQ sounds broader or rounder and affects a larger range of frequencies. In HIGH mode it sounds sharper or peakier, affecting a narrow range of frequencies, which is useful for surgically cutting or boosting a specific mid frequency.
What is the difference between the LPB-1 and the LPB-3?
The LPB-1 is an exact re-creation of the original 1968 single-knob Linear Power Booster circuit, reissued in 2006. The LPB-3, released in 2024, keeps the boost concept but adds a full 3-band EQ with parametric mids, a pre-gain stage, and up to 33dB of clean gain, with roughly six times the controls of the 1 and 2 versions.
Why does the LPB-3 run at 30 volts internally?
Delicious Audio reports the LPB-3 works internally at 30 volts for extended headroom. The higher internal rail gives the boost stage room to deliver up to 33dB of clean gain without the signal clipping the circuit itself, even though the pedal is powered from a standard 9-volt supply.
Sources (10)
- LPB-3 | Linear Power Booster & EQ - Electro-Harmonix, Electro-Harmonix
- Electro-Harmonix LPB-3 Linear Power Booster and EQ Review, Premier Guitar, 2024-10-07
- The Electro-Harmonix LPB-3 reimagines its first-ever effect, Guitar World, 2024-05-10
- Electro-Harmonix LPB-3 Power Booster & EQ, Premier Guitar, 2024-07-08
- Electro-Harmonix LPB-3 Linear Power Booster & EQ, Delicious Audio, 2024-12-31
- Electro-Harmonix LPB-3 review, Guitar World, 2024-09-04
- Electro-Harmonix POG3, 360+ Looper Pico , & LPB-3 Linear Power Booster & EQ Pedal Demos, Premier Guitar, 2025-01-26
- LPB-1 | Linear Power Booster - Electro-Harmonix, Electro-Harmonix (ehx.com)
- The 7 Best Boost Pedals of 2026: Make it Louder Better!, www.gearnews.com, 2026-05-11
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-12-16
