The Suhr Brighton Treble Booster is a pedal that lifts the upper frequencies of your guitar signal and can push into drive, built to enhance the natural voice of your instrument and amplifier. Suhr says it delivers everything from a subtle, glassy edge to full-bodied, saturated drive without sacrificing articulation or touch response1. It is inspired by classic treble boosters but built for modern players, according to Suhr's product page2.
What a treble booster does to your tone
A treble booster lifts the high end of your signal, which drives the front of a cranked tube amp into a sharper, more aggressive overdrive while keeping your guitar's fundamental voice intact. The Brighton follows that idea: Suhr describes it as being all about enhancing your natural tone2, with a treble boost and upper-frequency lift that can also reach saturated drive1.
Two design choices set it apart from the simplest classic circuits. First, it uses silicon transistors1, the standard in modern builds of this type. Second, Suhr added an extra discrete output buffer to mitigate tone loss when using longer cables to your amp1, which addresses the classic treble booster weakness of dulling your tone when the pedal is off or placed far from the amp.
The controls are minimal:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Smooth switch | Active when flipped to the right; rolls off some high end frequencies to smooth out the bite of the treble booster1 |
| Input jack | Right side jack, for your guitar1 |
| Output jack | Left side jack, to your amp or the next effect in your signal chain1 |
The low 30KΩ input impedance means the Brighton interacts with your pickups directly, which is part of how treble boosters shape tone: brighter single coils respond differently than humbuckers. The ~5KΩ output impedance, combined with the output buffer, keeps the signal strong on its way to your amp1.
Power
The Brighton runs on 9V DC, center negative, through a standard 2.1mm x 5.5mm barrel cable from your pedal power supply1. Current consumption is 3mA max1, so it sits comfortably on any supply, even shared with other pedals on a daisy chain.
The manual specifies a power supply rather than a battery. At 3mA max draw, any regulated 9V center-negative output will run it.
The Brighton and the Mini Brighton
Suhr announced the Mini Brighton Treble Booster for NAMM 2026, a smaller take on the same format with a Smooth toggle switch mounted on top3. Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson described it as presumably silicon loaded, matching the full-size Brighton's silicon transistor design3.
"For sure a handy take on that format - in a sort modern Union Jack livery."
The full-size Brighton adds the output buffer and the standard pedal format, while the Mini trades those for a smaller footprint. Both carry the Smooth control idea13.
What reviewers said
Paolo De Gregorio at Delicious Audio covered the Brighton in August 2026 and summed up its appeal this way4:
"it does the classic thing well, but the extra controls make it flexible enough for modern setups, i.e. you're not stuck"
On the Gear Page, owners say it nails the "Bohemian Rhapsody" solo4, a reference to the classic treble booster sounds of the 1960s and 70s that the circuit type is known for.
For players comparing boost options in Suhr's range, the Brighton sits alongside the Suhr Koko Boost, the Suhr Dual Boost and the Suhr Iso Boost, each of which takes a different approach to lifting your signal. The Brighton is the one aimed squarely at treble boost character. See the full range on the Boost Pedals page1.
Videos
Pete Thorn
Juan Canteli
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News
Questions
What does the Smooth switch on the Suhr Brighton do?
The Smooth switch is active when flipped to the right. It rolls off some high end frequencies to smooth out the bite of the treble booster, which is useful if the stock treble lift is too sharp for your amp or guitar. Suhr describes it as a way to keep the boost's character while taking the edge off.
Does the Suhr Brighton run on a battery?
The manual calls for a standard 9 volt, center negative, 2.1mm x 5.5mm barrel cable from a pedal power supply. It draws 3mA max, so it is easy on any supply, and no battery option is described in the manual.
Is the Brighton based on a classic treble booster?
Yes. Suhr's manual says the Brighton is based on a famous classic 60s discrete transistor design that was one of the earliest guitar pedals in history, and the product page describes it as inspired by classic treble boosters but built for modern players.
What is the difference between the Brighton and the Mini Brighton?
The Mini Brighton is a smaller treble booster pedal that Suhr announced for NAMM 2026, with a Smooth toggle switch mounted on top. Guitar Pedal X described it as presumably silicon loaded, like the full-size Brighton, and the writer called it a handy take on that format.
What are the input and output impedances of the Brighton?
The manual lists the input impedance as 30KΩ and the output impedance as approximately 5KΩ. The low input impedance is typical of treble booster designs and interacts with the guitar's pickups as part of the circuit's character.
What polarity does the Brighton use?
The Brighton uses a 9V DC power connector with center negative polarity, on a 2.1mm x 5.5mm barrel plug, the same standard used by most pedal power supplies.
Sources (4)
- Brighton_Manual.pdf, Suhr, 2026
- Brighton Treble Boost, Suhr
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2026-01-26
- New Pedal: Suhr Brighton Treble Booster, Delicious Audio, 2026-08-05
