BLAMMO! Voltage Booster

The Colorsound Power Boost was one of the first overdrive circuits to hit the pedal market. Originally created around 1968 by Gary Hurst, it offered players a wide range of useable guitar sounds with its simple 3 transistor pre-amp design and 2 band Baxandall EQ.  The first units ran on 18 volts offering a more open and dynamic tone than the later models, which ran at 9.  The BLAMMO! Voltage Booster recreates that classic Power Boost circuit using original BC184L transistors but offers both 9 AND 18 volt options by adding an internal charge pump on a toggle switch that doubles the operating voltage internally.

Pretty neat, huh!? Well, there’s more.

     We also added a relay based true bypass switching system to quiet that annoying click / pop standard 3PDT footswitches make when pressing them. Plus they’re rated for 3x as many cycles. We also beef up the power filtering and add a polarity protection diode to defend against any potential damage an incorrect power supply might cause if accidentally plugged in. The master volume control mod allows proper overdrive and distortion sounds at lower bedroom levels, which was one of the drawbacks original units had. We then redesigned the PCB to fit into a more compact pedalboard friendly enclosure with board mounted pots and toggle switch and a UV printed graphic based on the original.