LunaStone Boost 18 review

Step aside, Pusher

  • £89
  • €66
By Trevor Curwen
( Guitarist )
published

MusicRadar Verdict

We always liked the Pusher and the extra 3dB here makes this a worthwhile successor.

Pros

  • +

    18dB of boost. Mini-pedal format.

Cons

  • -

    More boost is available from other pedals.

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The Pusher had been LunaStone’s sole clean boost pedal for some time and demand for a refresh became strong. 

After responding to requests from various users, the company upped the amount of boost from 15dB to 18dB, as hinted at in the name of this new replacement. Same as The Pusher, the Boost 18 is a 9V-adapter-powered mini-sized booster with offset connections and a single chicken-head knob to dial in the amount of boost. 

The JFET circuitry here is designed to add tonal enrichment as well as boost, so even with no boost added, we found a welcome lift in clarity. The extra 3dB of boost might not seem much but it provides more leeway for some applications. Full on it certainly drives our clean amp into edgy raunch, while lower boost settings give us naturally voiced ‘extra channels’ for driven amps and dirt pedals. 

Trevor Curwen

Trevor Curwen has played guitar for several decades – he's also mimed it on the UK's Top of the Pops. Much of his working life, though, has been spent behind the mixing desk, during which time he has built up a solid collection of the guitars, amps and pedals needed to cover just about any studio session. He writes pedal reviews for Guitarist and has contributed to Total Guitar, MusicRadar and Future Music among others.