“Before there was Muff, there was boost”: Electro-Harmonix has reimagined the 1968 effect that launched the brand as a tone-shaping powerhouse – and it could become your pedalboard’s secret weapon

Electro-Harmonix has announced the LPB-3 Linear Power Booster pedal, an updated, ultra-flexible update of the brand’s first-ever effect.

Launched in 1968, the original LPB-1 Linear Power Booster was developed while working on the debut Big Muff Pi: engineer Bob Myer built an outboard booster to increase the guitar signal going into the design. EHX founder Mike Matthews suggested running the effect between a guitar and amp – he was so impressed that he launched the pedal as his new brand’s first-ever product.

Five decades later, that device has been reimagined as a tone-shaping pedal with serious versatility. The LPB-3 can provide up to +33dB of clean gain, but it pairs that with a three-band EQ, which crucially features a parametric midrange control.

The mids are the frequencies where guitar tone lives, and it’s this range that so often defines the US vs UK tone debate. So by setting the mid frequency and level of boost, the LPB-3 can radically alter your tone and hone in on the sound you’re looking for. It could be just the thing to elevate those unloved overdrive and distortion pedals lurking in your closet.

Other features include a Pre-Gain knob to fine-tune the boost and a 20dB/33dB switch to adjust the maximum output, while a High/Low Q switch tweaks the frequency response from a broader boost to a narrower, pokier sound.

Electro-Harmonix LPB-3 Linear Power Booster & EQ (EHX Demo by TOM BURDA) - YouTube

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In modern EHX style, the LPB-3 boasts selectable buffered/true bypass switching and internally extended 30V power rails for extra headroom to avoid unwanted clipping.

Pair the considerable boosting capabilities with all that tone-sculpting, and this might just rank among the most versatile boost pedals on the market, allowing your signal to hit your amp’s front-end at just the right level while nipping and tucking your EQ in all the right places.

It’s relatively affordable, too: the LPB-3 Linear Power Booster is available from June 2024 for $129, including a 9V power supply.

See EHX for the full lowdown.