The Colorsound Power Boost is a Colorsound boost pedal. Close alternatives include the J. Rockett Archer and the Xotic RC Booster. It pairs well with the Mesa Boogie Mark I and the Marshall Bluesbreaker.

Colorsound Power Boost

Colorsound · pedal

The Colorsound Power Boost is a British preamp booster and overdrive from the late 1960s, combining a clean boost with active bass and treble EQ in a silicon transistor circuit. Its tone is open, transparent, and notably scooped, with little midrange hump or compression, letting it drive valve amps like Hiwatt and Marshall into smooth, singing overdrive while preserving the guitar and amp character. The bass and treble controls add or cut substantial low end and bright top, and pushing the volume moves it from transparent clean boost through rich overdrive to all-out fuzz. It was a major part of David Gilmour Dark Side of the Moon era tone and a favorite of Jeff Beck.

What stands out

  • “The Colorsound Power Boost is a British preamp booster and overdrive from the late 1960s, combining a clean boost with active bass and treble EQ in a silicon transistor circuit”

    — from the listing

  • “The bass and treble controls add or cut substantial low end and bright top, and pushing the volume moves it from transparent clean boost through rich overdrive to all-out fuzz”

    — from the listing

  • “Transparent, dynamic boost with a scooped voicing and active bass and treble EQ that span clean boost to thick silicon overdrive and even fuzz at extremes”

    — from the reviews

  • “It retains the underlying amp and guitar character better than mid-focused drives and excels at driving valve amps into smooth, singing sustain”

    — from the reviews

  • “and notably scooped”

    — from the listing

Trade-offs

  • “The main caveats are the scooped, low-compression voicing feeling loose to players who want tight mids, and the high gain on tap getting fuzzy and unruly when maxed”

    — from the community notes

  • treble
  • transparent
  • overdrive
  • smooth
  • scooped
  • clean boost
  • eq
  • boost

Genres the Colorsound Power Boost is commonly used in

  • Alternative
    citedInferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
  • Blues
    citedInferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
  • Rock
    citedInferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
  • Blues Rock
    citedInferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
  • Classic Rock
    citedInferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
  • Metal
    citedInferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.

Amps that pair well with the Colorsound Power Boost

Mesa Boogie Mark I

Mesa Boogie

35% match
$1466.92via Reverb

Used together by 1 artist

fills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (scooped → mid-forward)

One documented rig pushes a Mark I's creamy mid-gain preamp with the Power Boost's transparent treble kick — brighter, not just louder.

Comes later in the signal chain

Marshall Bluesbreaker

Marshall

35% match

fills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (bright → warm)

Marshall Bluesbreaker's warm balances out the bright tone

Comes later in the signal chain

Ampeg SVT-3PRO Bass Amplifier Head

Ampeg

31% match
$1290.32via Reverb

fills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (warm → bright)

The Power Boost's transparent treble lift stacks with the SVT-3PRO's own thick tube drive for a richer push.

Comes later in the signal chain

Aguilar Tone Hammer 210 Combo

Aguilar

26% match

fills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (warm → bright)

The Power Boost's transparent treble kick stacks with the Tone Hammer 210's own warm, tube-driven saturation for a richer push.

Comes later in the signal chain

Blackstar Series One MK II 4-Channel 100-Watt

Blackstar

20% match
$1163.06via Reverb

gain stackingStacks two gain stages for more saturation than either produces alone. (mid-forward → fuzzy)

Colorsound Power Boost layers fuzzy onto an already mid-forward signal

Comes later in the signal chain

Engl Savage 60 MK II

Engl

19% match
$1719.74via Reverb

pushes an already-dirty tonePushes an already-dirty tone harder and tightens it up. (high gain → clean boost)

Stack Colorsound Power Boost on top and a high gain tone tightens toward clean boost

Comes later in the signal chain

Engl Savage 60 Mark II

Engl

18% match
$1719.74via Reverb

pushes an already-dirty tonePushes an already-dirty tone harder and tightens it up. (high gain → clean boost)

Feed a high gain signal into Colorsound Power Boost and it comes out closer to clean boost

Comes later in the signal chain

ENGL E630II Savage 60 Custom Shop Head

Engl

16% match
$1719.74via Reverb

pushes an already-dirty tonePushes an already-dirty tone harder and tightens it up. (high gain → clean boost)

Feed a high gain signal into Colorsound Power Boost and it comes out closer to clean boost

Comes later in the signal chain

Pedals that stack with the Colorsound Power Boost

Ibanez Tube Screamer

Ibanez

42% match

fills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (scooped → mid-forward)

The Power Boost's transparent, treble-forward EQ stacks with the Screamer's own mid-forward drive.

Comes later in the signal chain

Klon Centaur

Klon

32% match
$4000via Reverb

Into a transparent tone, Klon Centaur brings a pull toward medium gain that's missing

Comes later in the signal chain

Origin Effects DCX Boost

Origin Effects

29% match
$261.95via Reverb

fills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (dark → bright)

Colorsound Power Boost leans bright right where the dark tone needs it

Binson Echorec Delay

Binson

27% match

fills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (dark → bright)

What Colorsound Power Boost brings here leans toward bright — that's worth building a pairing around — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)

Comes later in the signal chain

Maestro Orbit

Maestro

27% match
$57.99via Reverb

sits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.

The Orbit's bold, subtle phase sweep follows the Power Boost's transparent, treble-forward boost for added motion.

Comes later in the signal chain

Walrus Audio Monument CS

Walrus Audio

26% match

fills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (warm → bright)

Run Colorsound Power Boost after it and the warm edge settles into something more bright

Comes later in the signal chain

JHS Overdrive/Preamp

JHS Pedals

26% match
$179via Reverb

fills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (warm → bright)

Run Colorsound Power Boost after it and the warm edge settles into something more bright

Comes later in the signal chain

Pigtronix Philosopher's Tone Micro

Pigtronix

26% match
$119via Reverb

fills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (scooped → mid-forward)

What Pigtronix Philosopher's Tone Micro brings here leans toward mid-forward — that's worth building a pairing around

Comes earlier in the signal chain

See all 33 pedals that pair with the Colorsound Power Boost →

Alternativessee all similar tone character →

J. Rockett Archer

pedal

62% similarity
$199via Reverb

Shared character: boost, dark, high gain settings

Xotic RC Booster

Xotic

61% similarity
$196.58via Reverb

Shared character: boost, treble, touch

Dallas Rangemaster Treble Booster

Dallas

61% similarity

Shared character: 1960s, singing, rich

Electro-Harmonix Spruce Goose

Electro-Harmonix

61% similarity
$96.75via Reverb

Shared character: singing, boost, treble

Vox VTB-1 Treble Booster

Vox

61% similarity
$135.19via Reverb

Shared character: singing, treble, touch

MXR Custom Shop Joe Bonamassa CSP265 FET Driver

pedal

60% similarity

Shared character: valve amplifiers, bass, singing

Xotic BB Preamp

Xotic

60% similarity
$100via Reverb

Shared character: dark, boost, treble

Dunlop Used MXR Sugar Drive

Dunlop

59% similarity

Shared character: dark, boost, touch

Xotic BB Preamp V1.5

Xotic

59% similarity
$180via Reverb

Shared character: boost, treble, thickness

Colorsound Overdriver

pedal

59% similarity

Shared character: overdrive, boost, treble

Boss BP-1

Boss

59% similarity
$167.30via Reverb

Shared character: bright, boost, warm

Tone City Blues Man

Tone City

59% similarity
$56.55via Reverb

Shared character: high gain settings, boost, clarity

See all alternatives to the Colorsound Power Boost (cheaper + boutique) →

Questions people ask

What are good alternatives to the Colorsound Power Boost?+

The closest matches in character are the J. Rockett Archer, the Xotic RC Booster, the Dallas Rangemaster Treble Booster.

What pairs well with the Colorsound Power Boost?+

Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Mesa Boogie Mark I, Marshall Bluesbreaker, Ampeg SVT-3PRO Bass Amplifier Head — One documented rig pushes a Mark I's creamy mid-gain preamp with the Power Boost's transparent treble kick — brighter, not just louder..

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