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Electro Harmonix LPB-1 Linear Power Booster

 

Review of the Electro Harmonix LPB-1 by The Man in the Jar  

A simple but useful device.

Features of the Electro Harmonix LPB-1

Construction - The metal casing of the LPB-1 is tough and unsophisticated, simple base metal unadorned with any finish other than the screen printed logo and labels on the top. It looks more than capable of surviving most any kind of abuse.

Ins and Outs - One single input and one single output, both standard jacks.

Power - The internal 9 volt battery is accessed by removing four screws in the base plate. You can purchase an AC adaptor separately, ( volt, negative pin. 

Controls - There is a single knob to control the level of boost added to the signal and a footswitch to turn the unit on and off.

 

Sound of the Electro Harmonix LPB-1

The LPB-1 doesn't actually have a sound of its own. Rather it is designed, as the name suggests, to boost the input power of whatever instrument you are using. This has an effect on your sound that is entirely dependent upon the original voice of the instrument and the amplification or effects pedal that receives the boosted signal. Feed a valve amp out of the LPB-1 and you'll be achieving creamy overdrive at far lower volume levels. Your guitar will naturally sustain more as the signal decay will be extended. All effects pedals in line after the LPB will perform better on the stronger signal, that is especially true of distortion and overdrive units.  

Overall Impressions of the Electro-Harmonix LPB-1

The purist using a guitar straight into a valve amp could cheerfully use the LPB-1 as a rhythm-to-solo switch, allowing the power boost to change the dynamics of their sound and increase the volume to cut the solo through the mix. But if you're not a purist you've probably already got a little overdrive pedal set up to do that. In that case you'd probably want to set the LPB-1 at the beginning of your effects chain and leave it permanently on (make sure you buy the adaptor), enjoying the extra responsiveness and dynamics it can bring to your overall sound. In a set-up like that you could use the LPB-1 to overcome problems caused by switching from a high output humbucker guitar to a single-coil or vintage-voiced instrument, increasing and cutting the level of boost to keep your output volume at the same level. And in this role it could be taped to the mic stand to present the boost knob at a convenient height.

The sonic solution offered by the LPB-1 is so useful to have, and for the price it's an irresistible bargain. I'm going to keep this review unit for myself to boost the output of the Danelectro U2 I use for slide playing and to sit in front of my Epiphone Valve Junior to achieve better overdrive with any of my guitars at lower practise volumes.    

Buy the Electro Harmonix LPB-1 - believe me, you'll use it.

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