MXR Micro Amp: Still a surprisingly good clean boost

Years ago, a friend of mine was telling me a story about what an awesome sound he got using just his Gibson Les Paul, Marshall stack and an MXR Micro Amp. I remember thinking “yea yea yea, whatever…” Then I tried one. Man, I have to say: every time I’ve used this pedal, I’ve been amazed at what a great clean boost it is.

Of course there are not too many features to write about. On/Off switch and “Gain” control. That’s it. But you don’t really need much more. This pedal is excellent for proving a simple level boost for when you want your solos to cut a bit more. It also works well as an overdrive too. After about “5″, the pedal starts to break up. Now, I don’t always equate MXR with the creamiest of overdrive tones, but this one really breaks up nicely. I have noticed that it plays well with pretty much any tube amplifier and when you dime the gain, the breakup is perfect for anything Blues / Rock related.

It is not true bypass, but then again, this is not an expensive pedal. MXR stuff is very rugged so you can forget worrying about that; it won’t break. I’ve owned both the original one and the current reissue and both work and sound exactly the same. Great clean boost that doubles as a mild overdrive. Good Stuff.