Suhr Koko Boost Reloaded

118
Guitarist summer 2018
Tech Spec
ORIGIN: Thailand
TYPE: Boost pedal
FEATURES: True bypass,
up to 20dB of boost
CONTROLS: Level,
Bypass footswitch
CONNECTIONS:
Standard input,
standard output
POWER: 9V DC adaptor
(not supplied) 40mA
DIMENSIONS: 50 (w) x
93 (d) x 45 mm (h)
8
Spark Mini £75
T
he Spark mini is as simple
as it gets. It’s a pedalboard-
friendly micro pedal with
offset jacks and just one knob.
Derived from the larger four-knob
Spark pedal, which offers a useful set
of tone-shaping options, this pedal
uses a discrete analogue circuit to
provide up to 20dB of clean boost.
Kick it in and you’ll get a boost that
doesn’t alter your tone too much,
bar a slight treble enhancement, but
has a range that goes from subtle lifts
to enough kick to get a clean valve
amp nicely raunchy.
That’s all pretty straightforward
but the Spark Mini has an impressive
extra feature in its PrimeTime
footswitch. This will turn the boost
on or off with a normal swift push
but will also deliver a momentary
boost if you hold it down – great for
emphasising certain passages within a
solo or helping specific notes take off
into harmonic feedback when you’re
just on the edge of that.
VERDICT A simple boost in a small
footprint – a low-cost enhancement
for any pedalboard
The Rivals
XOTIC EP BOOSTER £149
Also based on the preamp
circuit from the Echoplex, the
EP is a near-perfect ‘always
on’ boost that gives amps a
little extra juice in the mids
ELECTRO-HARMONIX
LPB-1 £39
Sophisticated it ain’t, but if
you’re after an instant hike in
volume at a very affordable
price, this one’s been doing
the job since 1968
ORANGE TWO-STROkE
BOOST EQ £109
Another clever Adrian Emsley
design, the Two-Stroke
combines up to 12dB of boost
with powerful tone sculpting
EQ, fattening things up or
adding clarity as you prefer
TC ElECTroniC
A
dding a good boost pedal
to your pedalboard is
always a good idea, either
for a simple increase in
volume for a solo, a push to drive your
amp (or overdrive pedal) harder, or
simply to compensate for changing
to a guitar with weaker pickups. But
which boost pedal is right for you?
Besides considering how much you
want to spend, the big question has to
be, is do you want a boost that alters
your basic tone? If you want one that
does, there are options ranging from a
fixed tonal shift such as a classic treble
boost (it will actually lift upper mids),
to various combinations of adjustable
EQ, most notably in the mid-range
areas that can get your tone singing.
To give you a little insight we’ve
rounded up three boosts in different
price brackets – budget, mid-range
and premium – that also represent
three different styles of boost. The
TC Electronic Spark Mini provides
boost only (with no advertised tonal
change), the Dunlop Echoplex
Preamp offers a boost that has a
specific degree of EQ colouring,
while the Suhr Koko Boost Reloaded
provides adjustable EQ.
PEDALBOARD
MANUFACTURER
TC ELECTRONIC
MODEL
SPARK MINI
PRICE
FROM £75
CO N TAC T
[phone] / WWW.TCELECTRONIC.COM
Boost pedals
round up
An essential bit of kit that is
many things to many players
Words: Trevor Curwen Photography: Phil Barker
Video & audio http://bit.ly/guitaristextra
GIT436.peds_roundup.indd 118 7/12/18 1:02 PM