Shin-ei B1G 1 Transparent Gain Booster

The Shin-ei B1G 1 Transparent Gain Booster is a one-knob, all-analog clean boost pedal made by Shin-ei. It does one thing: raise the level of your signal, cleanly, without changing its character. Pedal of the Day put it plainly: "Basically, it just makes your original signal sound fantastic, without adding or taking anything away from the heart of your sound"¹.

Shin-ei positions it as more than a pedal, describing it as "an analog pre-amp on par with vintage and modern recording studio channel strips" and calling it a high fidelity, studio quality gain boost². Pedal of the Day agreed, writing that it "brings true studio quality right onto your pedalboard"¹.

A clean, all-analog boost of up to +30dB

The B1G 1 is a boost pedal in the classic sense: it makes your signal louder without adding overdrive, distortion or tone coloring of its own. Pedal of the Day found "an available +30dB of boost on tap"¹, while Shin-ei's own page for the pedal describes "+32db of clean headroom"². The two figures differ slightly between the maker and the press, but both describe the same reality: a large amount of clean level on tap, more than enough to drive an amplifier into breakup or simply lift a quiet instrument in a mix.

The circuit is fully analog. Shin-ei calls it a "Highest quality analog gain boost with advanced circuitry not found in any commercial gain booster effect pedal," built with what the maker says are only the finest audio components²³. Pedal of the Day confirmed the analog claim from the playing side: "The B1G 1 is an all-analog gain boost with advanced circuitry packed inside"¹.

Operation is deliberately simple. As the review put it, "Sometimes, you just need ONE knob to get some incredible tone out of your guitar and amp"¹.

Where to put it in your signal chain

Shin-ei offers a placement tip on the product page: "Many players like using the B1G 1 as the last pedal before their amp in their signal path"⁴. Running a clean boost last in the chain, right into the amp's input, is the traditional way to use one: the full boosted level hits the amp's preamp, pushing it harder than the guitar alone can.

Works with more than electric guitar

Although it is a guitar pedal, the B1G 1 is not limited to electric guitar. Pedal of the Day reported that "this steel beauty sounds incredible on electric guitar, but also on acoustic, bass, keyboards and more"¹. A transparent boost is naturally suited to this: a boost that neither adds nor takes anything away from the source sound works for any instrument that needs a clean level lift.

• Electric guitar¹
• Acoustic guitar¹
• Bass¹
• Keyboards¹

Designer and product code

The B1G 1 was designed by Lee Jackson. Shin-ei's page credits it as "Designed by electronic guru Lee Jackson"², and Pedal of the Day described the design as the work of "Lee Jackson, noted effects and amplifier wizard"¹.

The maker lists the product code BG-1 for the B1G 1 Preamp Gain Boost². There is also a color option, the B1G 1 Black².

The Not So B1G 1 and the Julian Lage connection

Shin-ei also builds a smaller sibling, the Not So B1G 1 Preamp Gain Boost Pedal, designed for guitarist Julian Lage "to make road traveling easier"³. Despite the smaller size, it uses "the exact same circuit board" as the B1G 1 Gain Booster⁴, so the two pedals deliver the same clean boost, with the maker describing the smaller version as adding "a clean boost to your tone via a massive 30+ db of pure studio quality gain"³.

Build

The enclosure is 14 gauge cold rolled steel, a detail both Shin-ei² and Pedal of the Day¹ confirm. The review's take on the construction: "Made of 14 gauge cold rolled steel, the B1G 1 is not going to fall apart any time soon"¹.

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