Benson Amps Germanium Boost Pedal

Benson Amps Germanium Boost Pedal

NERD ALERT

When designing the temperature controlled fuzz, Benson tried some unusual approaches. One false start utilized a voltage controlled error correction circuit to bias a single germanium transistor. It ultimately didn’t work for the fuzz, which is comically sensitive to transistor gain attributes.

They did find a place for it though.

It turns out it was PERFECT for achieving a germanium clean boost that, (like their fuzz) is impervious to component drift, leakage, and temperature....more so in fact. They also fixed a couple other issues preventing the germanium transistor from being used as a convinc- ing linear boost...they increased the input headroom (even a normal guitar signal will drive a germanium transistor into unwanted input distortion without some tweaks) and increased the input impedance (a BJT transistor would normally thin out bass frequencies and interact negatively with whatever flows into it).

The result is a germanium clean boost that can utilize a germanium transistor WITHOUT the weird artifacts that were previously accepted as part of the deal...temperature sensitivity, drift, and suboptimal input impedance and headroom.

After the boost is first powered up, it takes about ten seconds before the error correction circuit correctly biases the germanium transistor.

After this things get interesting....you can hear how having the boost engaged makes guitar signals sound more musical...even when set at the same volume as the bypassed tone. Notes are given a simultaneously smoother and more detailed character, like a compressor but different. Some people have noted that it appears to deemphasize the unwanted parts of a signal and enhance the good. It’s killer on bass. It helps acoustic guitar pickups sound more natural. And of course it’ll push your amp into a frenzy.

POWER SUPPLY

This pedal is for use only with a 9vdc Boss syle center negative power supply. There is space for a battery which is activated when a cable is plugged into the input, and there is no power supply plugged into the DC jack.

Please do not subject this pedal to more than 9vdc or the pedal or power supply could be destroyed.



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