The Vox Tone Garage Flat 4 Boost is a boost pedal with tonal options and low-level overdrive, sitting between a straight clean boost and a mild overdrive. Its distinguishing feature is a passive Baxandall EQ circuit, the same sort of bass and treble shaping found on some amplifier tone stacks, which lets a player tailor the boosted signal rather than simply make it louder1. Like other pedals in the range, it uses true bypass1.
Controls and what they do
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Low | Bass frequency shaping via the passive Baxandall EQ circuit1 |
| High | Treble frequency shaping via the passive Baxandall EQ circuit1 |
| Mid boost | Optional mid boost, engaged for extra presence as well as volume1 |
| Gain | Sets the amount of drive; kept right down, the pedal works as a clean boost1 |
How it sounds
With the tone controls set neutral and the gain knob right down, MusicRadar's reviewer Trevor Curwen found the pedal delivers a clean boost with no apparent tonal change. Engaging the mid boost adds presence as well as volume, which he noted is useful for solos. Pushed further, the pedal produces fat, crunching overdrive tones1.
"Boost or overdrive, this is a pedal that offers plenty of options for tweaking your signal, especially for blues players"
Curwen also noted the pedal's rugged build1. For players weighing it against a straight volume-boost pedal, the Flat 4's EQ and gain controls are what set it apart from a simple clean boost; see the site's wider guide to Boost Pedals for how boosters differ from one another, or the Vox Flat 4 Boost page for the same circuit outside the Tone Garage range.
Videos
Sweetwater
VOX Amps
Guitar Player Magazine
Sources (1)
- Vox Tone Garage Flat 4 Boost review, MusicRadar, 2013-10-30
