VERTEX EFFECTS

Boost MK II + Volume/Expression Insert T

- JIMMY LESLIE

WE ALL NEED a boost from time to time, and the Boost MKII from Vertex Effects is designed to deliver exactly that. This MKII update is a significantly slimmer version of one of the California company's most popular pedals, reducing its footprint by more than a third while maintaining all the tone and functionality of the original. The fact that it provides a totally transparent boost piqued my interest, but I was hooked when I learned Boost MKII can be controlled by the expression pedal of my choice, allowing me to ride the level like a gas pedal.

Anyone who plays a variety of instruments on a gig, and in a range of styles, can testify to the frustration of keeping rhythm volume consistent from guitar to guitar, and lead volumes appropriate from tune to tune, tone to tone. I use a dual acoustic/electric rig to accommodate everything from a Strat to a Martin to a Les Paul, and play everything from funk to folk to rock via an array of piezo and magnetic pickups and two separate pedalboards. I'm constantly taking too much time at sound check and struggle all night to get the balance right. A clean boost that can be used as a master volume sounded to me like a godsend.

But if the sounds weren't truly neutral and quiet, then the rest would be pointless. I have a graveyard of boost pedals that introduced too much noise, took up too much space or colored the sound too much. Good news: The Vertex Boost MKII is as clean as they come, with sky-high headroom, and it's as quiet as a church mouse.