TC Spark Booster

  • Thread starter Thread starter PurityS.L.G
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PurityS.L.G

PurityS.L.G

Well-known member
Any owners care to chime in on the sound of these? I read a lot of people saying they sound more like a treble booster than an actual standard OD. Does it have a lot of treble on tap? It seems like it would be a very versatile pedal with the 3 different modes. Help a curious brother out please!
 
I can only speak to the Spark Mini and it sounds like you are considering the full size version. I ended up with the spark mini after going through several front end pedals because to my ear and through my gear, the Spark Mini was by far the most transparent pedal I had tried. I literally do not hear any tone coloration at all with this pedal. It does tighten up the bass ever so slightly - but without lopping off a significant amount of low end like so many TS ‘style’ OD pedals do. I also do not get the extra fizz / grit that an OD or ‘distortion’ style pedal provides. It’s just glassy, clean ‘boost’ that gives the amps that little extra bit of sustain for leads. I am sure this is all amp and guitar dependent. You may have an amp that has too much of one thing and not enough of another (low / mid / high) and a more frequency focused pedal balances things out. Or an amp that barely gets into vintage AC/DC break up on full tilt and you really need the extra sizzle and grit of a dedicated Overdrive or distortion pedal. But if you have got a tone with an amp that you really really dig and just want a touch more for leads, its pretty hard to beat the spark mini.
 
I love the Spark mini and the full size. Currently using the full size. I use mine with a Runt 50 and it is great. The full size is more tweakable and it is a great little boost pedal. I switched to the full size because I could add more gain or treble as needed. But the Mini also sounds super nice too.
 
I’ve had both for about 4 years. I use the Big Spark as an OD into my heads to give me a little more. The Big is more tweakable of course. I use is in the “mid” mode where it acts like a TS, but the coloration is less than a TS and more to my liking. Cant recommend enough
 
I tried one .. I did not find it like a treble booster
 
Yeah, I wouldn't describe it as a treble booster either. They're cool pedals and can be set up to sound more neutral than a TS. To me it's a great pedal for just getting a bit more push and/or tightness without drastically altering your tone. They have a little less output than a TS as well, but I haven't found that to be an issue for boosting purposes.
 
Depending on the settings, I find it pretty transparent. It'll stay pretty clean if you set it that way, and won't color your tone. It's a great pedal, and was my go-to with the EVH's, since they can get over the top real easy.

If you're truly after something cleaner with an EQ, the Buxom Boost is a great choice, though it's got more gain.
 
Junk Yard Dog said:
I’ve had both for about 4 years. I use the Big Spark as an OD into my heads to give me a little more. The Big is more tweakable of course. I use is in the “mid” mode where it acts like a TS, but the coloration is less than a TS and more to my liking. Cant recommend enough
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Exactly how I used it. Pretty transparent, and works exceptionally well in front of another OD too. I used one in front of an SD-1 to push the green crunch on a DSL, and it was perfect.

I'd also highly recommend an Xotic EP Booster. Really fattens up your tone, if used sparingly.
 
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