Epoch Boost EP-3 Preamp/Buffer Pedal Review

The sound I’ve been looking for!

First of all, I play at home and must keep the volume low, so this review is aimed at all us bedroom and apartment pickers who don't have the luxury of running a tube amp "on the edge of break-up". I am in my early sixties and have played guitar all my life - constantly in search of "that sound" that my guitar heroes had. I've spent a lot of money on many different drive pedals… read more that really didn't sound that great through a clean amp…too harsh and fizzy - I'm looking for a darker smoother break-up. Recently I bought the Epoch Boost and put it at the end of my signal chain and before modulation, delay and reverb as recommended. Sounded kinda good but not all that impressive on my low volume rig. I was almost ready to return it but decided to put it before my drive pedals and give it another try. Well, much to my surprise there it was…THAT SOUND! Robin Trower, David Gilmore, Eric Clapton all day! My search has ended and now I'm actually playing instead of tweaking pedals. The magic recipe for me is a Fender Stratocaster into the Epoch Boost, Boss SD-1 overdrive, Dunlop Echoplex delay and Boss FRV-1 reverb then out to a clean Princeton Reverb amp.

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Probably the best Preamp (not clean boost) there is

This is a REALLY good preamp. I've played many original EP's and while you absolutely can get the true EP preamp sound from this, you can do a lot more with it. Before you buy it, just know it's not a clean boost, it will color your sound, but that is the point. This thing takes whatever amp/settings you have dialed in and give anything some "oomph". I've always been a Tele player,… read more but I have many guitars, and this works equally well with all of them, however, I absolutely love the way it fattens up a Tele. Granted, I'll admit, I don't have this on my live pedalboard, but not because I don't love it. I just use an EQ instead, but with that being said, I will never get rid of this pedal. The best way to describe this pedal, is that if I were stranded on an island, and could only take one pedal with me, it would be this one. I use this when I just want to write without all the extra nonsense of a full pedalboard. This is an excellent pedal for when you just want to "plug and play" with no extra stuff. When I go jam, or just write with other people, all I bring is an Esquire, a Deluxe Reverb, and this pedal and it's the best. Even though it's not on my pedalboard, it's far and away my favorite pedal that I own. The pedals on my board are the ones I go out to have fun with, the Epoch Boost is the pedal I want to come home to if that makes any sense

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Dang

Yeah, just buy one, it's amazing. I don't know how it works, but **** it works! At the end of my chain, creates to professional tone. I actually think I'm done buying gear.

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The better booster

I love the sound of my single coils when this gem is engaged. For a few years I've been using the Xotic EP and really enjoyed it but this unit is superior. For me, the joy resides in the booster knob. I can't speak to how it behaves with humbuckers as I only play Fenders or P90 loaded guitars, currently. My Telecaster is especially fond of the Caitlinbread. Rock machine.

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Buffer + Better

This is a leave it on all the time kind of pedal. It just gives you more good, AND it the signal buffer is essential when you're running a long pedal chain. I put mine at the end of my pedalboard to fix tone suck from my long signal chain and add great color to my tone with some subtle compression to accentuate reverb tails and delay repeats. It sweetens my clean tone and everything… read more else I throw at it.

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