HomeBrew Electronics Germania

HomeBrew Electronics' Germania is a very simple booster pedal that is designed after the Rangemaster Treble Booster, a pedal which I'm not familiar with. I've used the older version of this pedal, but the newer one comes with some added features. However, this review will be for the original Germania. The pedal has 1/4" connections for input and output and requires a nine volt power supply. It has a single button and is just about as compact of a pedal as you'll find. It isn't rack mountable in any way since it's a foot pedal.

UTILIZATION

The configuration of the HomeBrew Electronics Germania couldn't possibly be any simpler. The only knob that it has it for gain and the only switch that it has is for choosing between either a hi-fi or lo-fi setting. I'm not exactly sure what the new parameters are that the newer version of this pedal has in addition to these. A manual shouldn't be necessary either way since it's such a basic pedal.

SOUND QUALITY

While the HomeBrew Electronics Germania is a booster pedal by nature, it's definitely capable of getting some heavier distortion sounds if desired. Having said this, I wouldn't recommend getting the pedal for this only, as using this as a distortion pedal isn't really it's intended use although it's certainly possible. I recently tried the pedal out in a recording studio that had one, but we didn't end up using it on any recordings. It does have a very good sound, it just wasn't what we were looking for and is kind of limited in what it's able to do.

OVERALL OPINION

For a simple booster pedal, the HomeBrew Electronics Germania is an awesome little pedal. It doesn't offer up much flexibility, but for what it can do it's one of the best that I've heard. I do like that it's able to get some heavier and thicker distortion when needed, but as I stated before this is really just a bonus to having a nice booster pedal. I haven't used a Rangemaster before, so I can't say how well this matches up, but it's certainly a nice pedal on it's own.

It's a treble booster based on the dallas RANGEMASTER

UTILIZATION

It's very simple, a gain knob and a switch, turn the gain to saturate the amplifier.

SOUND QUALITY

It's effective, it makes saturate the amplifier and the presence of ca add, the sound becomes richer in harmonics and also gaining mediums, the switch lo-fi / hi-fi can adapt the pedal guitars and amps used.
It works in both single coil and doubles, and like other treble booster, the pedal is best used with vintage amps

OVERALL OPINION

This is a good treble booster, but for my taste, it lacks the "vintage vibe", it sounds more modern than other treble booster.
This is a good price / quality ratio

The HBE Germania is a treble booster. It provides:
-A gain setting
An inter-high / low fidelity
An inter-filter three-position
Inter-a on / off
-An internal or external power.

It therefore has a choice of high / low fidelity. In the first case, the sound is relatively transparent. In the second, it is strongly affected by the pedal. In this configuration, the second inter lets you choose between three filters that add or remove bass, treble and midrange, depending on the position. We therefore obtain a lot of different sounds, more or less thick, sharp, etc.. Note that when the low-fidelity is engaged, the volume is lower.
The sound is in all cases slightly compressed, which I find very nice for bluesy sounds.

UTILIZATION

Operation is simple. We can enable it on the clear sound of the amp, in which case, the sound becomes a bit more banging and brilliant, sometimes a little dirty, when the gain is pushed. It reminds me of the sound of power tubes that bend when you walk up the volume. On a crunch or distortion, it brings a bit of slamming and staining more or less strong, it is a good alternative to an overdrive to get out of the mix.
The potentiometer may offer greater resistance, it would be better, but ...

SOUND QUALITY

The sound quality is excellent. Start with one, the Tiny Terror, I love, it makes a sound a little dirty, slamming, but not excessively. It compresses the low less than overdrive, I think.

OVERALL OPINION

I have three weeks since I had a few rehearsals and concert, it seems very well built. I do not know if it will last, but since I have, I can not do without. The type of device that makes you wonder how we managed without it.
A review: to straw color and serial number written in marker and fades quickly.
The quality / price is right, we would like it be cheaper, but ...