How does this  effect compare to the ones we build here. Such as lbt1/2, amz mosfet, ect..?

this is what it says about this seymore duncan booster:

Add clean gain up to 24dB
Fatten single-coil signals
Heavy-duty steel chassis
-120 dB noise with gain at 25dB
<.1% distortion
Fully discrete class A circuitry
DC 9-12V battery
500K input impedance (when on)
< 10k output impedance

Is it all just a marketing ploy? Or is this thing worth 80.00$?

Do a search for Seymour Duncan here. There was a recent thread on it. I'm not sure what you mean by *all a marketing ploy*, as those specs seem reasonable.  You would have to decide if it's worth the price yourself, but the price seems fair. You could probably achieve very similar functionality with the AMZ Mosfet boost. The *fattening* function should be easy to add if you wanted it. If I want to fatten up my sound, I put down my Strat and pick up my Les Paul.

Kerry M

personally i dont think its worth $80. a few of the boosters floating around here will get you those specs no prob and fatten any single coil...  and you can build one for about a quarter of that price

thats kinda what i was thinking.

Quote from: downweverythingpersonally i dont think its worth $80. a few of the boosters floating around here will get you those specs no prob and fatten any single coil...  and you can build one for about a quarter of that price

That's only if you value your time at $0 per hour. This is a DIY forum, so I assume people here would be more inclined to make their own, but I think the $80 price tag is not an unreasonable retail price. If you only look at what it would cost you in parts, how many retail pedals are *worth it*?  

Kerry M

if you think of your time as an investment into your education rather than just soldering some parts together with no real perspective, well then building the pedal really pays for itself.  you are going to get a lot more than the pedal itself if you build it, whereas if you buy it you just get the pedal.  i personally dont think of the time i spend building a pedal as work that im being compensated for, i think of it as something i would be happy to pay to learn.  with that considered the pedal costs nothing, and building only costs a quarter of the price.  you come out far more ahead.

personally when i figure a pedals costs i figure 10$ an hour.  now if i am prototyping.  then i just try to keep a total track of how much time i invested in it later i make a chart and detrmine how much time i have invested.  i might have a 1000 hours in researching something.  but only 25 dollars in parts.  obviously i can't sel it for 10025 dollars  but you have to examine like was mentioned above your education in the process.

i build these things for something to do. Keeps my mind active as well as my hands. As for money--ill never make money doing this nor do i want to. A great way to reuin a hobby is to make it work. Another reason i build these- so i know how to fixem if they break. I suppose we all have our own reasons. Something to do I guess.

Ppl tell me "you're going to make a million in THIS band"
 I tell them "I wrote the expense off as a hobby a long long time ago!"
 One word here "Duende" [Tims Circuit snippets]
 I haven't seen that word mentioned, it IS worthy of mention.
 I have a Mosfet Boost as do many here very clean super usable etc.
 This Duende is like that BUT with more character!!!
 I built this one th other day and have been trying it out...very very nice...If yer into boosters, take the 1/2 hour [well 40minutes to carefully] wire this one up...seems like a logical alternative to those who insist on mentioning the taboo ZV or FT or whatever protected proprietary designs with mystique they want to clone...
 Personally I see all the parts are out there for anyone [even those with the secret sought after schematic] to use abuse and apply GEO technologies to ... I don't see how that could just be out and out 'beaten' except in the 'mystique' arena. Course I don't OWN any 'boutique'/one of a kind/ [only available from 'the' Dude type pedals to compare...I feel secure that I'm really not missing anything crutial by not haveing 'designer' ckts...maybe one day I'll get to test drive one and I'll have revellations about this and change my [somewhat unsubstantiated] views...for now I'm very content with the pallette of finely tuned tones and variability...

didnt jack at amz do a booster shootout?