18th February 2024:
Orders are now open on my webshop for the next batch of Treble Booster Special pedals.
https://fryerguitars.bigcartel.com/product/treble-booster-special
Treble Booster Special price is $AUD479.00 (Australian Dollars) plus shipping cost.
According to www.xe.com on 1 January 2024, $AUD479.00 was approx equivalent to $USD326.00, 295.00 Euros, GBP256.00, 45,980.00 Japanese Yen
Hooroo, Greg Fryer
16th Nov 2023: new boxes for Treble Booster Special and Fryer/Di Marco Treble Booster pedals have arrived, now ready for the screenprinting process
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Marco Giuseppe Di Marco’s Youtube review of the Treble Booster Special:
Treble Booster Special specifications and information:
Colour is blue with ivory control knobs and script. The 2018 pedal has been redesigned for robustness and an improved internal circuit layout, and uses the low noise reliable Alpha 3PDT footswitch and the Alpha 6 position rotary switch for quality and durability. Power is by either 9V battery or 9V Adaptor. Please use a Boss style negative centre 2.1mm dia socket 100ma minimum current capacity regulated 9V Adaptor unit.
The Treble Booster Special’s 6 position rotary ‘Range’ switch allows you to switch between thinner and progressively fatter sounds from left 1 to right 6. Position no 3 gives the Fryer TB Super, position no 4 the Fryer TB Deluxe, position no 5 the Fryer TB Plus, and so on.
My thanks to Roberto Garcia from Thundertomate pedals in Spain for a great collaboration during 2015-17 in manufacturing the previous black series Fryer Treble Booster Special pedal.
My ‘secret message’ on the TB Special pcb in honour of one of my favorite singers the late great Chris Cornell
‘Range’ control Alpha 6 position rotary switch is now the solder lug version which gives stronger lug to solder pad joints compared to the thinner less robust pcb pins found on other similar rotary switches
2018 Fryer Guitars t shirt Royal Blue colour
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22nd Nov 2015:
The Treble Booster Special pedal is a collaboration with Roberto Garcia from Thundertomate pedals, and is manufactured by Roberto at his facility in Gijon, Spain. One of my jobs is to hand test all the transistors and to play them through a test pedal and AC30 before sending them off to Roberto for manufacture. When the pedals arrive back I give them the playing test and check them over thoroughly before signing the back and sticking on their serial number.
The ‘Range’ control is an 8 position rotary switch which will give you the sounds of several of my treble boosters all in one pedal, plus thinner and fatter sounds at either end of the Range control. The TB Special will give you the sounds of the TB Super, TB Deluxe, TB Plus boosters and plenty more.
Ordering info and prices available soon.
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Evolution of the Treble Booster Special:
The 2014 Treble Booster Special prototypes (below) led to the black version produced 2015-2017 for me by Roberto Garcia from Thundertomate pedals in Spain, and were substantially the same model as the 2018 blue version which I produced and handbuilt, and which is still being made today in 2022.
The 2014 prototype Treble Booster Special features the same transistor that I have used in the TB Super 2014 and TB Deluxe 2014 pedals. The older TB Special prototypes which I made from 2008-2010 were good sounding pedals and used a BC239C transistor, but the new transistor which I have used from 2014 in pedals such as TB Super and TB Deluxe produces an even better harmonically richer sound.
Treble Booster Special 2014 prototypes
The TB Special has many similarities to my various Brian May Fryer treble booster pedals with several extra thinner or fatter sounds available through the 8 position rotary switch ‘Tone Range’ control .
The TB Special works equally well with both the Brian May Red Special guitar/Vox AC30 amp combination as well as with conventional guitars and amps such as Fender Gibson Ibanez Marshall and also with digital modelling equipment such as Line 6.
Since 2006 I have been trialing different versions of the Treble Booster Special pedal, and Brian May recorded in his studio with an earlier prototype version of this pedal in April 2007 (see pic below).
Details of the redesigned 2014 version Treble Booster Special pedal:
“Level” control
“Range” or “Tone” control has 8 tone selections on its rotary switch (my prototype handmade pedals have 6 tone positions), each position selects a different input capacitor which gives a range from thinner to fatter sounds
True bypass footswitch and LED status on/off
For powering the pedal there is the choice of using either a 9 V battery or 9 V Adaptor. The 2.1mm 9V Adaptor socket uses the industry standard Boss PSA adaptor (negative centre).
Hooroo,
Greg
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19th March 2015: first of the new Treble Booster Special pedals:
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TB Special prototype recording at Brian May’s studio Allerton Hill April 2007. From left: Fryer Splitter WWRY model pedal, Fulltone Choral Flange, Fryer prototype Treble Booster Special
Frank Rohles’ 2009 live gig report of TB Special prototype pedal:
Dear Greg,
Yesterday I used again your Treble Booster Special live and I’m really amazed. Its versatility and sound are really the pinnacle for me! To finally have the possibility to go through different treble boosting nuances just by turning a knob is just perfect. If I need a sparkling and transparent sound there it is, if I need a fatter sound I just turn the knob clockwise and I can go till the guitar just stands alone singing! Every boosting selection on its own is worth the pedal in my opinion. And now I have an armada (6!) of them!
My thoughts after using the pedal for recording and live are that it is a powerful tool with an unbelievable sound. It suits perfect for our Queen related music projects but also makes my other amps and guitars rock for other music styles!
Thanks again,
Frank
http://www.myspace.com/frankrohlesrock
TB Special live FR
Treble Booster Special 2009 prototype soundfiles have been kindly recorded by Frank Rohles:
Soundfile details:
Frank has used his homemade guitar “Pearly” > TB Special pedal > Liquid Blues valve preamp distortion pedal (set to sound like a full vol AC30) > AC30 TBX Normal Channel set low at approx 1/4 volume level.
Frank’s comments about the recording and the pedal’s settings:
I’ve been using all 6 TB Special settings and using them for the different parts of the song (First Verse; first Bridge; first Chorus; 2nd Verse; 2nd Bridge; 2nd Chorus; Final Solo) beginning with the first thinnest setting and ending with the fattest setting.
First Verse 00.00-00:45 TB Special Setting 1; Pearly setting Bridge and Middle as single coil and Parallel
First Bridge 00:46-00:59 TB Special Setting 2; Pearly setting Neck as single coil
First Chorus 01:00-01:30 TB Special Setting 3; Pearly setting Bridge and Middle as Humbucker and in Series
Rhythm Guitars till here, TB Special Setting 2; Pearly Bridge and Middle as single coil and Parallel
(The pickups on Pearly are Seymour Duncan Little ’59 humbuckers)
Second Verse 01:30-02:00 TB Special Setting 4; Pearly setting Bridge and Middle as single coil and Parallel first half then Neck single coil
Rhythm Guitars now TB Special Setting 2; Pearly Bridge as Humbucker till final solo
Second Bridge 02:01-02:15 TB Special Setting 5; Pearly setting Middle and Neck out of Phase
Second Chorus 02:16-02:43 TB Special Setting 6; Pearly setting Bridge and Middle as Humbucker and in Series first half then Neck as Humbucker the last bit switched as single coil.
Final Solo 02:45 TB Special Setting 6; Pearly setting Neck as single coil
Rhythm Guitars now TB Special Setting 2; Pearly Bridge as Bridge and Middle as Humbucker and in Series.
I wanted to capture the dynamic of the pedal so I’m also working a lot with the guitar’s volume knob. Soon I will give you a report once I use the pedal at live gigs. Greg, I like the new pedal VERY much so far!
Cheers,
Frank
TB Special recording
Fryer Guitars 
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