KHDK

No.2 cleaN BooSt £169

ORIGIN: USA TYPE: Boost pedal FEATURES: True bypass CONTROLS: Gain, Volume, Bass, Treble, Lo/Hi switch, bypass footswitch CONNECTIONS: Standard input, standard output POWER: 9V battery or 9V DC adaptor (not supplied) DIMENSIONS: 65 (w) x 120 (d) x 40mm (h)

The No.2 Clean Boost is visually the reverse mirror image of the No.1: the black and white colours have been swapped around; the control setup remains the same. What you have here, though, is much less gain from the pedal’s starting point and a slightly warmer midrange voicing.

In Lo mode with Volume up, you can get various levels of clean boost with or without tonal shift by setting the Gain knob from about 10 o’clock and beyond. The Bass knob works in combination with the Gain knob here in adding some extra gain. Careful juxtapositions of the two can dial in plenty of subtle variations, adding a little edge and some grittiness to a clean amp. Hi mode takes us to the next stage of true overdrive and is roughly on a par with the Lo mode on the No.1 Overdrive, in that it can deliver a similar range of sounds in the breakup and raunch areas. [TC]