Q: Is the Crispy Cream Treble Booster a fuzz box?

A: No. It is a clean booster that hits your tube amplifier preamp in such a way that a very musical distortion is produced. It has a very clean signal path, as well as a frequency response that is critical for achieving the right sound when overdriving a tube amplifier.

Q: Does the Crispy Cream come with an external power supply?

A: No. The Crispy Cream runs on a single 9 volt battery, or you may use your own external power supply. The pedal features a 2.1mm 9V adapter jack.

The G version Crispy Cream runs on -9 volts rather than +9 volts. For those who are using a single power supply to power multiple pedals, it is important to make sure that your power supply has isolated outputs (check with the power supply manufacturer to find out). If the G version Crispy Cream is the only pedal being powered by that supply, you'll have nothing to worry about.

The Standard Crispy Cream runs on +9 volts, so a power supply with isolated outputs is not necessary. Keep in mind, though, that isolated power supply outputs do help to reduce hum and noise.

The VooDoo Labs Pedal Power 2 is a good supply for powering multiple pedals.

For those who prefer to use batteries, each pedal is built so that the battery is disconnected when the guitar input jack is unplugged. This preserves battery life. Your battery will last a long time, even if the unit is left on. You can also turn the unit off by turning the volume knob counterclockwise until it clicks (this way you can leave the pedal on your pedal board without having to disconnect any cords).

Q: Is your pedal a clone of the Dallas Rangemaster?

A: No. The Standard Crispy Cream Booster does not use the Rangemaster circuit. The Crispy Cream Standard pedal has more gain than any Rangemaster clone, and it is probably better suited for heavy metal/hard rock.

If you're more into classic rock, or if you play rhythm and want a booster with a little more "clang", then the "G" Version Crispy Cream Booster is for you. The G Version is an improved clone of the original Dallas Rangemaster. The original Rangemaster circuit was very prone to picking up stray radio signals (ala "Spinal Tap"). With the G Version Crispy Cream, these problems have been corrected.

The Rangemaster circuit sounds more abrasive or "spiky" compared to the Standard model. This can be good, sometimes, if you really need to cut through the mix, or if you have a very dark-sounding guitar.

Q: I hear a scratching sound when I turn the volume knob. What's up with that?

A: This is a byproduct of the circuit. The Dallas Rangemaster does the same thing, and it happens because there is voltage across the potentiometer. Most people find a setting that they like and leave it there, so this is usually not an issue. I could get rid of the problem by changing the circuit, but this would mean adding extra components, and the tone would be degraded slightly.

Q: Are your effects guaranteed?

A: Each Crispy Cream pedal comes with a five-year warrantee for the original owner. This covers manufacturing defects only (not abuse or accident). Volume potentiometers, bypass switches, and input/output jacks are guaranteed for one year. You will void your warrantee if you tamper with the electronics.

Q: Which guitars/pickups work best with the Crispy Cream?

A: If you are playing a Stratocaster or Les Paul you may want to use "classic" type pickups. I'm not a big fan of high output, modern pickups. You'll have enough gain as it is with this pedal.

One way to maximize your tone is to change the height of your pickups. If your guitar sounds too bright your can lower the pickups away from the string. By contrast, your can add more treble to your sound by raising your pickups closer to the strings.

If you have a Brian-May style guitar you should know the the relative height of each pickup to the others is very important. In general, the bridge pickup should be closer to the strings than the other two pickups. The middle and neck pickups are almost at the same height as one another, but the neck pickups is slightly lower. Changing the heights even slightly can make a big difference in your sound.

Q: Which amplifiers work well with the Crispy Cream Treble Booster?

A: The Crispy Cream Treble Booster sounds great with a Vox AC30, Tweed Fender Bassman, or Marshall Plexi amplifier. The re-issue amps sound good, too. Other people have used the Crispy Cream with different amplifiers, and I've included their comments in the User Reviews section.

So you don't have the cash for an AC30 or Plexi? Well why not get the next best thing? The Sovtek Mig-50 has basically the same circuit as the old Fender Tweed Bassman and Marshall Plexi amps. You can pick one up for around $300 on eBay. They sound good.

I'd highly recommend that you use a THD Hotplate between your tube amplifier and your speakers. This will help you to achieve that "cranked-to-11" sound while protecting both your ears and your speakers.

The pedal seems to interact very well with 12ax7 preamplifier tubes (as used in the amplifiers above). These are dual triode tubes that sound great when pushed hard.

Some amplifier use EF86 preamp tubes (Matchless, old Vox, others). The EF86 is a pentode that, in my opinion, does not sound as nice when overdriven. The EF86 has it's own merits, but it does not work particularly well with the Crispy Cream pedal.

Customers have sent clips to me that they recorded with their Mesa Boogie Mark III and Mark IV amps. I was floored at how well those amps work with the Crispy Cream!

Q: Which amplifiers do not work well with the Crispy Cream Treble Booster?

A: The list so far: Gibson Gold Tone. These amps have been reported by customers to have produced less than stellar results...

Q: What will it sound like through my POD Line-6, Digitech multieffects, etc.?

A: I don't know. In general, those "do-it-all" boxes are O.K., but usually not quite as good as the real thing. Some of these have "AC30 modeling" patches that are not too bad. In general, though, you'll want the real thing at some point, right?

Q: If I buy it and I don't like it, can I send it back?

A: Sure. You may evaluate the pedal for one week, and if it does not fit your needs you may return it for a full refund minus any shipping costs. The pedal must be returned in perfect condition, and I reserve the right to refuse a refund if there are any signs of wear on the pedal.

The sound files on this website speak for themselves. Please take a listen so you can make an informed purchasing decision.

Q: What happened to the original model (the one without the volume control or switch)?

A: The original model sounded great through the normal channel of a Vox AC30. Not many people own one of those, however. The volume knob was therefore added to to make the pedal a little more flexible to accommodate different amplifiers. In terms of sound nothing has changed.

Was your question not answered? Please e-mail me: treblebooster@yahoo.com.