Musicmaker February 2008: PL TrebleTool
A treble booster will boost your guitar signal, kick ass and increases saturation and sound quality of the amp. Musicmaker tests the TrebleTool of PL Guitarsystems.
TEXT: JOOST VERGOOSSEN
PL is Paul Lenders, builder of rack systems and the beautiful midi controller The Gaspedal. He designed the TrebleTool together with the creative brain Ad van Dongen.
HOLY GRAIL
The principle is based on the Dallas Arbiter Rangemaster. This 60’ties device was the Holy Grail of rock and blues guitarist such as Clapton, Gilmour, Blackmore and Brian May. According to Ad van Dongen the Rangemaster was equipped with transistors based on germanium, a material not used anymore for transistors. But germanium transistors are very musical sounding and thus the TrebleTool is also equipped with them. A treble booster is a disaster with active elements or a wireless system; It can’t handle a low impedance input signal and the sound will be shrill and thin. The TrebleTool will not; it is equipped with a switch for active and passive signals. The blue led will dim when battery is low. It also works fine with an adapter. The antenna effect (radio Moskou on your guitar!) when turning down guitar volume is effectively reduced and in bypass mode there is no signal loss.
TESTING IT!
The small pedal looks very distinguished. No hippy or tombstone looks, but expensive black and road proof. For the design of the ultra robust footswitch Paul Lenders was inspired by the deadman control knob in his DAF YA 126 truck during his military duty; a rubber ring reduces the switching click sound. Also the controls feel very stable. I tested the TrebleTool on a tube- and a modelling amp with a Strat and a Les Paul. It boosts the guitar signal up to 37 dB and the tone control regulates the amount of treble boost. It’s a very pleasing high, between mid-high and high. It results in a more defined and thick sound. The T.M.F. control (Treble Mid Full) provides a boost in the range of low-mid and treble and creates a thicker sound. It surprised me how this TrebleTool enhances your sound. The modelling amp suddenly sounded clean, as if it contained valves and the valve amp became clean and a lot more articulated and fatter. My Strat sounded less shrill and much fatter, the Les Paul less muddy and more articulated. Both of the tone controls are very accurate en versatile. With this pedal you turn a slight saturation into a beautiful creamy high gain sound. I had difficulties turning the pedal off.
CONCLUSION
This is a pedal for purists; very neutral, were other treble boosters often give a colouring. It transforms an old or less expensive amp almost into a boutique amp. 279 Euro is not low priced, but cheaper than a new amplifier. If you already have a boutique amp the TrebleTool will increase it’s versatility. I hope PL Guitarsystems will forget that I have it at home.
