The Madsen Amplification GE Boost is a handcrafted germanium treble boost pedal, described by Delicious Audio as an exact, high-end, point-to-point replica of the Dallas Rangemaster, with the circuit identical to the original1. What Madsen has changed is the format: instead of the original's sit-on-top-of-the-amp box, the GE Boost is housed in a pedalboard friendly footswitchable box, so the boost can be switched from the floor mid-song1. It was listed at $375 as of November 20221.
What a treble booster like this does
The Dallas Rangemaster, the circuit the GE Boost copies, is a booster guitar pedal that especially emphasizes the upper mid and treble frequencies2. DIY Fever's analysis of the circuit puts its output at a respectable 24db boost in higher frequencies, enough to push the amplifier into overdrive3. That is the classic role of a treble booster: having some sort of treble booster at the front of the amp helps shape the sound of the guitar, in DIY Fever's words3.
Under the hood, the Rangemaster is beautifully simple, in GuitarPCB's description: a single stage Common Emitter PNP amplifier2. Like the original, it is fueled by a germanium transistor, as Guitar World put it in a piece on a later Rangemaster-style design4. Germanium parts vary from unit to unit, which is why builders of the original circuit sometimes substitute a 100KΩ or even a 200KΩ potentiometer for the fixed 68KΩ R2 resistor, to adjust the bias point and compensate for germanium gain variation2.
The controls: one knob and a three-way capacitor switch
The GE Boost keeps the Rangemaster's minimal layout. It only features one knob and a 3-way switch input capacitor selector1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Boost knob | Sets the boost level, in the manner of the original's potentiometer12 |
| 3-way input capacitor switch | Selects between three input capacitor values, changing the low-end and midrange response1 |
The knob is the boost level in the manner of the original, which used a UK Welwyn 10k ohm (sometimes 20k) potentiometer with two mounting screws2.
The switch is Madsen's one addition to the original circuit. The input capacitor shapes how much low end reaches the transistor, so selecting between three values changes the low-end and midrange response. DIY Fever's author describes the same idea on a hand-built Rangemaster: he added a socket in parallel with the input capacitor so he could add more capacitance and change the low-end/midrange response3. On the GE Boost, that choice is a three-way selector on the front panel1.
Delicious Audio frames the appeal of the layout plainly: a simple feature set allowing you to focus on making music1.
Designer and inspiration
The pedal is hand built in Camdenton, MO by company owner Maynard Madsen1. What sets it apart from the original it copies:
- Same circuit, packaged as a footswitchable pedal rather than an amp-top unit1
- Point-to-point hand wiring rather than a printed circuit board1
- A three-way input capacitor selector the original did not have1
- Germanium transistor, as in the original14
Madsen's own account of where it came from, quoted by Delicious Audio: "The inspiration for building the Ge Boost was my love of Rory Gallagher's guitar playing and tone."1
"The inspiration for building the Ge Boost was my love of Rory Gallagher's guitar playing and tone."
The GE Boost is a small-shop, hand-built pedal. The $375 figure is Delicious Audio's reported price from November 20221.
Videos
Buddy Blues
Edge of Breakup 🎥 Guitars, Pickups, Amps & Pedals
Madsen Amplification
Questions
Is the Madsen GE Boost a copy of the Dallas Rangemaster?
Delicious Audio describes it as an exact, high-end, point-to-point replica of the Dallas Rangemaster, and states that the circuit is identical to the original. The difference is the packaging: the Rangemaster was a small unit meant to sit on top of an amplifier, while the GE Boost puts the same circuit in a pedalboard friendly footswitchable box and adds a three-way input capacitor selector.
What does the input capacitor switch do on the Madsen GE Boost?
The input capacitor sets how much low end the circuit passes before it boosts, so changing it changes the low-end and midrange response of the pedal. The GE Boost adds a three-way selector for this capacitor, letting the player choose between different low-end and midrange characters. On DIY builds of the Rangemaster, the same idea is done by adding capacitance in parallel with the input capacitor.
Who makes the Madsen Amplification GE Boost?
It is hand built in Camdenton, MO by company owner Maynard Madsen. Delicious Audio reported on the pedal in November 2022, when it was listed at $375.
Is the Madsen GE Boost point-to-point wired?
Yes. Delicious Audio describes it as an exact, high-end, point-to-point replica of the Dallas Rangemaster, meaning the components are wired by hand rather than mounted on a printed circuit board.
Does the Madsen GE Boost use germanium transistors?
Yes. Delicious Audio describes it as a handcrafted germanium treble boost. Germanium transistors are also what the original Dallas Rangemaster used; Guitar World notes that the Rangemaster circuit is fueled by a germanium transistor.
Sources (4)
- Madsen Amplification GE Boost (RangeMaster-Style), Delicious Audio, 2022-11-15
- Dallas Rangemaster Treble Booster Analysis, GuitarPCB
- Effects > Dallas Rangemaster : DIY Fever, DIY Fever (diy-fever.com)
- Fulltone readies the Ranger, a pimped-out Rangemaster treble booster, Guitar World, 2019-09-18
Ritchie Blackmore