 Offering Treble, Middle, and Gain controls, and a Channel
footswitch, the T.M. Boost ($360 retail/$270 street) is an
easy-to-grok booster with the added versatility of channel
switching. When the Red Channel is engaged, only the Treble
control is functional, yielding a hefty volume boost and
a formidable jacking-up of your treble frequencies too. In
Green channel mode, you’re afforded the Gain and Middle
controls, which put forth a big volume boost with the addition
of an aggressively voiced Middle control. With a Telecaster
driving a mid-’70s Marshall JMP 50-watt head through
an old Fender 2x12 loaded with an Eminence Red Coat and
Celestion Heritage speakers, I pummeled the front-end of
the amp with the Green channel as I cranked the Middle
control for an ungodly amount of fat, dare I say “womanesque”
tone from the rear pickup of my Telecaster! Pretty
bawdy for sure. Conversely, with the red channel I coaxed
some aggressive, razor-sharp tones that would be perfect
on a Ziggy Stardust track. Don’t let the lack of controls fool
you. The T.M. Boost gives you a ton of textures—providing
you get them from your hands and picking attack rather
than, say, simply turning a knob. The only flaw with the
T.M. Boost, however, was the unit’s battery compartment.
Although it’s the same type of compartment as the Overdrive
Special, the T.M.’s compartment was simply too big,
allowing the 9-volt battery to move around. I made a quick
fix by folding a piece of cardboard inside the compartment
to fashion a tighter fit, and if you use the pedal’s power
jack, it’s a moot point. The T.M. Boost sounds absolutely
wonderful and will supercharge any rig with added dynamics
and roar and everything in-between.
—Darrin Fox
KUDOS Tons of grind textures that are as dynamic and
sultry as a tube amp.
CONCERNS A pedal that kicks this much ass should have a
better battery compartment.
CONTACT www.dc-developments.com
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