ThroBak Electronics Overdrive Boost Pedal

Product Description

The tonemeisters at Vintage King are super chuffed to offer Throbak’s Overdrive Boost, an incredibly versatile overdrive with enough touch sensitivity, amazing clean and distorted tones to rival the best boutique amps.

Based on the original Colorsound Overdriver MkIII/Power Boost circuit, the silicon transistor based circuit can dial up an extremely transparent and substantial clean boost in low gain settings and the sickest all-out silicon fuzz when dimed. Of course you’d expect that with just about any dirtbox, but the settings between those extremes is where the Overdrive Boost really shines. Check out Jeff Beck’s trademark Midrange honk on Blow By Blow to get an idea of what the Overdrive Boost can do when paired with a Les Paul and non-master Marshall.

To most, a great remake of the MkIII would be a godsend, but simple clones aren't what Throbak is all about. Jon Gundry and his tone tweakers have enhanced the original Colorsound circuit for massive gain and tonal flexibility. They replaced the original single bass/treble control with active bass and treble knobs. This incredible flexible mod is especially useful in front of a tube amp as the original Colorsound high-end chime and bite is retained and enhanced, but its notorious habit of annihilating the bass content of your guitar’s signal can be mitigated with the active bass control. This crucial addition restores and enhances the low end content of your guitar, allowing you to dial in the exact amount of meaty low end you need to get those velvet bellbottoms flapping.

The original Colorsound Overdrives lacked a master volume control so Throbak added one to the Overdrive Boost and a Pre Gain switch has been added for even greater control of low note definition—especially with distorted tones. Now, lesser designers would stop there, proud of their work in creating an awesome Cololorsound mod MkIII user Marc Bolan would’ve burned his feather boas for. Not Throbak. Their Killer App is the addition of a switchable Germanium transistor paired with a Germanium diode to this already awesome circuit mod. When switched on, the Germanium pair adds flexibility light years beyond the original Colorsound Overdriver, enhancing its edgy, compressed distortion tones you can only get from Germanium electronics.

When used with a great non-master volume vintage or boutique amp, the combination of the Overdrive Boost’s master volume and the Germanium pair creates an attenuator-like effect allowing you to crank your amp to 10 and still play at bedroom levels—all while keeping that great rich and complex maxed-out power amp tone. The original unmodified Colorsound Overdrive circuit cannot duplicate this attenuator like effect with a non-master volume amp.

Lastly, each silicon transistor in Throbak’s Overdrive Boost has it's own internal trim pot to ensure each pedal is perfectly tuned. We recommend you fight the urge to tweeze these settings unless you are a Shaolin Electronics Master. Jon Gundry and the guys at Throbak are too busy making wicked pedals to return yours to factory condition any time soon.