Benson Boost Germanium Boost Pedal

Description

Benson Boost

When designing this temperature controlled fuzz, some unusual approaches were tried. 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. Benson did find a place for it though.

It turns out it was PERFECT for achieving a germanium clean boost that, (like the Benson fuzz) is impervious to component drift, leakage, and temperature….moreso in fact. The input headroom and impedance were also increased to create a convincing boost that differs fromtypical germanium fuzz headroom issues. 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…. Notes are given a simultaneously smoother and more detailed character, like a compressor but different. Some 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.