The Freekish Blues Betty Boost is a clean boost and overdrive pedal: a booster built around an op-amp circuit with a tone control, made by Freekish Blues. Premier Guitar described it as "a clean boost/overdrive," and the maker's product page for the related Lectric-FX version calls it an "Op-amp Clean Booster with Tone Control."12 It sits in the territory covered by Boost Pedals and Overdrive Pedals, depending on how hard you push it.
What it does
The Betty Boost works in two modes, selected on a switch labeled Cup Size: B (boost) and DD (overdrive). Premier Guitar's reviewer noted that "DD is the overdrive mode, and they aren't joking around."1
The tone control is not just a treble roll-off. The maker says it "features a tone control that also allows for bass or treble boosting," so it can shape the boost in either direction.2
Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Voluptuousness | Single knob for volume/gain1 |
| Cup Size switch | Selects B (boost) or DD (overdrive) mode1 |
| Tone | Tone control that also allows for bass or treble boosting2 |
How it sounds
Premier Guitar's reviewer found the pedal stays very clean up to almost full, then adds significant crunch with major heft, and that it is highly sensitive to the guitar's tone controls. The pedal was also the reviewer's favorite of the three Freekish Blues pedals in the review.1
"The Betty Boost was my favorite of the three pedals simply because I haven't had that experience with any other cle"
Build and related versions
The Betty Boost shares the same craftsmanship, case size, and "nifty 9-volt battery compartment" as the Freekish Blues Coily Fuzz, a fuzz pedal reviewed alongside it.1
Two related versions exist under other names. Lectric-FX sells a Betty Boost described as the "Lectric-FX version of the renowned BI-FET clean boost."2 PedalPCB sells a DIY PCB for the circuit, listed as a comparison to the Friedman Buxom Boost, for builders who want to assemble their own.3
Videos
Andertons Music Co
FreekishBluesFX
FreekishBluesFX
Sources (3)
- Freekish Blues Pedal Review: Freek Out, Coily & Betty, Premier Guitar, 2010-04-15
- Betty Boost, Lectric-FX (lectric-fx.com)
- Betty Boost, PedalPCB.com
