Ashdown Pro-FX Two-Band Boost review

Perhaps better known for all things bass, Ashdown also caters for us six-stringers with both amps and the Pro-FX pedals, which is a six-strong series that also includes three optimised for bass players. 

Ashdown says it wanted “an affordable range of pedals distinctive in looks, but, most importantly, characterful in tone and features”.

While the company has had a range of larger pedals powered at 18 volts, these are smaller with a more ’board-friendly footprint and are known as the ‘Pro-FX 9 volt range’ because all of them run from a nine-volt supply (though not from battery power), supporting most pedalboard power distributors. 

The Pro-FX Two-Band Boost has been designed by Ashdown’s Dave Green, who was responsible for the Dr Green effects range launched back in 2013. It sports a robust metal casing with four small rubber feet and feature a lit Ashdown logo when active. The front-facing connections facilitate close side-by-side pedalboard placement.

Looking very much like it has taken its legacy from Dr Green’s ‘Booster Shot’ pedal, the Two-Band Boost offers both a treble boost and a full-band boost, each dialled in with its own knob. The idea here is that you can have one or the other separately or in combination.

The Full boost on its own starts to give an apparent volume boost upwards of one o’clock on the knob, and provides plenty to drive an amp as you turn it up. It adds a fat midrange in the process, albeit accompanied by a perception of a more subdued treble. 

The Treble Boost is actually a bit of a misnomer as the knob by itself offers no volume boost at all and little in the way of treble, although it does seem to offer a more scooped midrange. However, it does add some top-end to the Full Boost sound, so you can subtly tweak your overall boost with careful juxtaposition of the knobs.