The St. Patrick's Boost is a boost pedal from MAS Effects, offered as a one-of-a-kind, hand made pedal rather than a production model. The maker describes it as "a mostly transparent boost," meaning it is intended to raise your level without noticeably coloring your tone. It is listed at £147.00 GBP on the maker's store1.
The pedal is listed as sold out, and as a one-of-a-kind build it is not a model that gets restocked1.
A boost for before or after your drive
MAS Effects describes two ways to use it: "Use it before your distortion or fuzz to thicken it up, or later in your signal chain to push your amp into overdrive." Placed before a drive pedal, a boost adds level and density to the distortion; placed after it, or straight into a cranked amp, it acts as the final push that drives the amp's input stage. For more on how boosts and drives interact, see Overdrive Pedals, Distortion Pedals and Fuzz Pedals.
Visually, the pedal stands out: "It features a shamrock-shaped hole with an acrylic window"2.
The footswitch: tap, hold and auto-on
The pedal has a single soft-touch footswitch with relay true bypass, and the switch does more than turn the effect on and off1.
- Tap: engages or bypasses the boost1
- Hold: temporarily boosts while held down, returning to your normal sound when released2
- Hold while powering up: toggles auto-on mode1
The temporary boost is the kind of function players use for a lead line or a single fill: hold the switch for the solo, let go and you are back at your set level. Auto-on, once toggled, brings the boost up automatically each time the pedal powers on21.
Questions
Is the St. Patrick's Boost true bypass?
Yes. The pedal uses a soft-touch footswitch with relay true bypass, according to MAS Effects. Relay true bypass means a small relay switch routes the signal directly from input to output when the pedal is off, so the boost circuit is completely out of the signal path and your clean tone passes through untouched.
How do you use the temporary boost on the St. Patrick's Boost?
Hold down the footswitch to temporarily boost, and release it to return to your normal sound. A quick tap of the footswitch engages or bypasses the pedal as usual. This lets you use the boost for a single lead line or fill without leaving it on for the rest of the song.
How do you turn on auto-on?
Hold the footswitch down while powering the pedal up to toggle auto-on mode. Once enabled, the boost comes on automatically each time you power the pedal, so you do not have to tap the switch to engage it at the start of a session.
Is the St. Patrick's Boost still available?
No. The pedal is listed as sold out on the MAS Effects store. Because it was made as a one-of-a-kind, hand made pedal, it is not a production model that gets restocked.
Where should a boost go in the signal chain?
MAS Effects suggests two placements: before your distortion or fuzz to thicken it up, or later in the signal chain to push your amp into overdrive. Both are common approaches, and which one suits you depends on whether you want the boost to shape your drive pedals or to drive the amp itself.
Sources (2)
- St. Patrick's Boost, MAS Effects
- St. Patrick's Boost, MAS Effects