edited 100 times ;) - dallas rangemaster clone?

[gwEm]

i started off by asking this:

what do people suggest for a laney supergroup-esque drive? (I'm obviously talking about the first sabbath albums ;) )

i have a DS1, SansAmp and CrunchBox. The SansAmp sort of can go in that direction... Basically I'd like something like a Laney version of the CrunchBox. (does that even exist?)

or is there some other device to coax a tone like that out of my JMP50 master volume? (dallas rangemaster clone of some sort?)

and then i found this youtube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbfFo1swwWM

now i know the supergroup is meant to be plexi-ish, and indeed it does sound pretty sabbath without the booster, more than a marshall MV anyway, but ok he is playing a sabbath riff anyway...

i really like the boosted sound.

can anyone suggest a nice rangemaster clone i can get in the uk?

what will it sound like through a marshall master volume?

any sort of rangemaster ancedotes would be cool... today is the first time i heard of this pedal. where as the tubescreamer and sd-1 seem to be everywhere, the rangemaster has a little less publicity. what for example is the difference between normal and full range?

sorry for the massive editing exploration here ;)

[HTH AMPS]

I've made Rangemasters, they really only work well into those old non-master volume amps with a bass channel.  Run the Rangemaster into the bass channel and you've got a mean-mutha of a tone - essentially what Iommi used.

If you run a Rangemaster into a modern amp (i.e. anything with a master volume) the treble is WAY too much.

I know people offer 'full range' versions but it's pointless imo - the whole magic of the Rangemaster is that it's a treble boost.

If you use something like a JMP master volume Marshall, a Mosfet booster would be better - ask Dave (Twinfan), he uses one.

 :twisted:

[DeanS]

IMO the best RM clones are fron BSM-I have the RM version and I'm really pleased with it- they even do a metal version to give more of the Iommi tone !!

http://www.treblebooster.net

[gwEm]

thanks for all the responses, very interesting. i'll ask twinfan about that mosfet booster... maybe search for some clips.

[Twinfan]

I've not done any clips with it I'm afraid matey.  It gives a boost to the treble slightly more than the other frequencies, but gives your tone extra sparkle and clarity.  It's a proper clean boost unlike say an Electro-Harmonix LPB-1 that gives a slight fuzz tone as part of the boost.  Both work well and I like each of them for different reasons.

For that early Iommi sound, you might find the LPB-1 suits you really well (especially if you're using P-90s!).  Bargain at £29 too  :)

[Ted]

This is useful for some background...

http://www.analogman.com/beano.htm

I would recommend a D*A*M rooster booster for master volume amps. Very quiet treble booster and can also boost bass frequencies with a range control.

I also have a Catalibread Super Chili Picoso clone which is basically Jack Orman's Mosfet Boost cuircut (very popular with bootek builders). This is almost 99% transparent which is great and really drives the amp into a sweet overdrive.

Oh almost forgot if you have a FX loop, the mosfet booster sounds good into that too, as I understand it it overdrives the power amp by bypassing the preamp. Very vinatage sounding and loud.

[Brow]

I have a Germanium Rangemaster Clone that I got in exchange for a cheap Phaser pedal.

It's a Sharp FX 'Retro Boost' and they're on EBay new at about £35 maybe less, so may be worth a try to see how you like it :)

[gwEm]

lots of suggestions

this mention of treble boost, linear power boost and mosfet boost reminded me of this:

http://www.buildyourownclone.com/tri.html

it has a gain knob, a boost type selection rotary, and a range switch for the treble boost.

i dont really like too-versatile pedals... but i think this would be a very wise choice to experiment with all the suggestions, even if it may not be a 100% clone of the famous pedals suggested.

iommi's tone is slightly fuzzy of course, with at the same time very cutting fluid lead. looking at 70s youtube videos of him, the only thing he does in realtime with his tone is to adjust the controls on his axe.

depending on what i like, i can get something more booootique, although BYOC seems not that far off that itself.

[Ted]

lots of suggestions

this mention of treble boost, linear power boost and mosfet boost reminded me of this:

http://www.buildyourownclone.com/tri.html

it has a gain knob, a boost type selection rotary, and a range switch for the treble boost.

i dont really like too-versatile pedals... but i think this would be a very wise choice to experiment with all the suggestions, even if it may not be a 100% clone of the famous pedals suggested.

iommi's tone is slightly fuzzy of course, with at the same time very cutting fluid lead. looking at 70s youtube videos of him, the only thing he does in realtime with his tone is to adjust the controls on his axe.

depending on what i like, i can get something more booootique, although BYOC seems not that far off that itself.

When in doubt go BYOC - thats like three different boosters in one so you're bound to like one of them. Quality components at £50 is a bargain IMO, you get to build it yourself, which is fun!