Every guitarist has faced this: you love your amp’s tone, but when it’s time for a solo or a bigger chorus, you just need more. More volume, more clarity, more punch—without changing the core of your sound. That’s where a clean boost pedal comes in. 

What Does a Clean Boost Pedal Do?

Sometimes the most powerful tone is the one that simply lets your guitar and amp shine. That’s the magic of a clean boost guitar pedal — no added dirt, no unwanted coloration, just more of your sound: louder, clearer, and punchier.

Whether you want to push your tube amp into sweet breakup, enhance sustain for solos, or add sparkle to your rhythm tone, a clean boost can be your secret weapon. 

A Brief History of Clean Boost in Guitar Rigs

The clean boost emerged in the late '60s and '70s, when guitarists started using simple preamp circuits to push their amps harder without relying on distortion pedals.

Early examples include treble boosters like the Dallas Rangemaster, and later full-range boosters that offered clean amplification with minimal tonal shift.

Used to great effect by players like Rory Gallagher, Brian May, and later Eric Johnson and The Edge, the clean boost became a go-to for dynamic playing, edge-of-breakup tones, and cutting through the mix without adding saturation.

Iconic Clean Boost Pedals

• Xotic RC Booster – Sparkling highs and wide EQ range

• MXR Micro Amp – Classic, simple boost for solos

• Catalinbread Epoch Pre – Preamp-style boost with warmth

• LPB-1 – One of the first boosters in pedal form

• Klon Centaur (Gain at zero) – Widely used as a clean boost

Artists and Songs That Made Clean Boost Tone Legendary

• Jeff Beck – “Where Were You”: Subtle clean boost enhances sustain and articulation in ambient, expressive phrasing.

• Joe Bonamassa – “Mountain Time” (live): Clean boost pushes his amp into rich, dynamic lead tones.

• John Mayer – “Slow Dancing in a Burning Room” (live in LA): Transparent boost adds dimension and push without breakup, letting dynamics and delay shine.

• Cory Wong – “Cosmic Sans”: Clean boost tightens funk tone and enhances picking articulation.

• Mark Lettieri – “Red Dwarf”: Boosted amp response gives modern instrumental fusion tones a crisp, percussive edge.

• Susan Tedeschi – “Just Won’t Burn”: Boosted blues tone brings expressive clarity without saturation.
  
  

How Clean Boost Circuits Work — Transparency by Design

Unlike distortion or overdrive pedals, clean boosts often use simple op-amp or transistor-based circuits without clipping diodes. The goal is to amplify the input signal without distortion, maintaining the original tone.

Some boost circuits emphasize certain frequencies (like treble boosters), while others aim for a flat frequency response. The best clean boosts offer headroom, low noise, and minimal coloration.

How the Kernom RIDGE Delivers Transparent Boost

In the RIDGE, this clean amplification is available thanks to the Analog Morphing Core®, where the MOOD knob at its lowest setting (Zone 1) disables most clipping and allows for ultra-clean, dynamic tones.

Combined with EQ controls and high-output voltage (up to 30V swing!), the RIDGE becomes a boost pedal that can go from subtle shimmer to amp-punishing punch. Perfect for pristine tones or amp-pushing. Get all these flavors—and more—in a single pedal, with full expression and MIDI control, all while preserving the pure warmth of true analog tone.

Recommended RIDGE Settings for Clean Boost

To achieve an exceptional clean boost with the RIDGE, start in MOOD Zone 1.

Recommended Settings:

• MOOD: Minimum (7 to 8 o’clock)

• DRIVE: Minimum (7 to 8 o’clock)

• PRE TONE: Center or slightly to the right for brightness

• MID: Noon or slightly scooped for rhythm work

• POST TONE: Noon or to the right for sparkle

• VOLUME: Increase to boost signal level into amp or next pedal

💡Pro tip

Activate Punishing Voltage Mode to deliver a +/-15V swing and push your amp into pure harmonic bliss.

Use an expression pedal to sweep from clean boost → transparent OD live. Activate Punishing Voltage for maximum amp push.

 

🎥 Watch & Hear the Clean Boost in Action

Here is the preset for a nice Clean Boost using the RIDGE:

Tone Characteristics

This setting works beautifully as an "always-on" tone enhancer, or to elevate leads without needing extra gain.

 

Bonus: Beyond Clean Boost

Because the RIDGE gives you real-time morphing, you can use the expression pedal to start in Zone 1 for a clean boost and push into Zone 2 for organic overdrive, or Zone 3 for mid-pushed solos.

This makes the RIDGE not just a clean boost, but a gain-stage navigator, all in one box.

Before you go back playing

• Download the Clean Boost Preset for RIDGE
• Watch the full Tutorial to learn how to use the RIDGE in depth
• Subscribe to Our Newsletter: Receive weekly tone tips and presets
• Explore the Kernom RIDGE Product Page
• Discover the MOHO (Multi-Fuzz) and the ELIPSE (Multi-Modulation)

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