Special overdrive infos
All BSM-Boosters and BSM-Trebleboosters perfectly fulfill their foreseen role as low-distortion preamplifiers that push traditional tube amps (and not just those!) into overdrive. Beyond that, a few boosters are designed to generate light “Crunch“ when raising the gain, and to provide an overdrive effect with high gain settings. The corresponding models are therefore splendidly suited as overdrive devices – they are listed in the following.
From the ground up, the “Supreme“ was conceived as an honest-to-goodness overdrive device. However, it does follow the concept that singles out BSM: a build using discrete transistors. Compared to the usual OP-Amp-based designs, this maneuvers the “Supreme” away from that somewhat neutral-sounding sterility in the low-gain range and lends it a particular sparkle.
The “Black Box“ consists of two stages: there is a JFET-preamp that includes some manipulation of the frequency response, and an output stage. The latter, a JFET circuit of highly particular design, operates with delicately adjustable overdrive and compression. Using the crunch control, its range extends smoothly from plain signal-boosting into sweet overdrive.
The “Heritage Crunch“ is a bit of a different animal. Based on the concept of the successful “RW-F“ Treblebooster, it was conceived especially for customers who seek more than just a distortion-free booster. Above a certain gain setting, it is again its output stage that is pushed into overdrive. However, what we have here is a special JFET-stage (designated “mu-amp“), a design patented in the 1960’s and all but forgotten. Reinvestigating it recently, we discovered that it delivers a delicious “Crunch” effect – and decided to deploy this exquisite circuit design in the “Heritage Crunch”.
The most recent sound-enhancing tool from BSM – to be issued in autumn of 2022 – is the “Starbreaker“, that on top of working in overdrive mode allows for another sought-after sound: distortion, with seamlessly variable blend. The pedal is again based on finest discrete silicon technology. Utmost care, effort and attention went into designing the overdrive effect and its circuit. Your run-of-the-mill diode clipping customarily found in overdrive devices will deliver a sub-optimal, rather edgy kink as the characteristic progresses into the signal saturation. Not so the “Starbreaker”: we achieved a much more desirable, smoother transition that is completely exceptional for a solid-state device. This soft transition is all but identical to that found in the most coveted amplification stage in the realm of the guitar: the glorious way “clean” blossoms into “overdrive” in a tube-powered output stage. As the gain – designated “Saturation“ on the “Starbreaker” – is set higher, the circuit saturates correspondingly.