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Sound:
Putting this pedal first in chain releaves the loading and signal loss that your pedalboard is causing even IF you are using the highest quality of pedals, it is just physics. The Radial PB1 is a transparent high quality no noise floor power boost pedal AND it is a high quality state of the art buffer circuit pedal that is of course "always on" even if you use the boost or not. As the manual suggest immediately when you hook it up front of chain there is a slight clarity, punch and headroom difference right away. It is subtle and yet a necessity if you care about your tone and how your guitar is keeping its natural organic tone when your pedals are off thereby sounding better when they are on.
Feature:
The only possible better booster/buffer pedal above this is probably a Lehle SundayDriver. If you run a pedalboard or a chain of effects even and hopefully if they are true bypass pedals you need this pedal first in chain allowing no signal degrade and no loading, allows long runs of cable and pedal chains with pristine signal quality. This pedal is simple to use, the boost and pickup "drag" level are set with a pick or a little screwdrive on the back of the pedal. It is a setup one time and leave it. If you tend to use multiple guitars you will have to try to adjust a compromising level situation that works for all options.
Ease of Use:
The pedal is designed to set up your ideal pickup matching load adding brightwr or a darker resonance to whatever setup you use. Start at half point and go either way to suit your ideal tone, there are no bad tones so no matter where you set it there is no real problem. The boost setting is the same way, set the ideal boost quality for what you are trying to do, at the higher 15db it can push a tube front end into a nice formed breakup or like I use mine slightly above unity level to assist in driving my guitar tone into other pedals, it makes any OD or gain become more sensitive and responsive. A little extra or more there when you need it. "...if you're on 10 where do you go, ...Radial PB1 !"
Quality:
Radial has one of the best names in the biz, their engineering and designs are peerless. Everyone recognizes Radial means quality and tone. The PB1 is solid metal box you could probably back a car over (except not the switch of course). Silent switch from the buffer circuit but that nice click some of us like to know you hit it.
Value:
Might seem a lot for a power booster line driver but this is of the highest quality buffer circuit you can get, as I mentioned only the Lehle is perhaps better, probably not "better", but more like of the same top shelf quality.
Manufacturer Support:
no idea, never talked to Radial
The Wow Factor:
Simple pro box without stupid cartoon pictures or stoner graphics.
Overall:
As good as the tech gets. Run this 1st in chain and your tone through the pedals is better as well as the pure organic natural quality of your guitar. I am upset I never got one of these years ago or when the first came out.
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