The Java Boost is a germanium based Treble Booster designed to give you classic tones from the 60’s and 70’s. It is not a clean boost. It must be used with a cranked amp that is overdriven or distorting a bit already. Cranking the amp and pedal will result in more creamy, beautiful, sustaining distortion with the Java Boost. The Java Boost is most widely used with a tube amp set to a bit of overdrive or clipping which is the key to getting a great sound from this pedal. Setting the java boost in front of a very clean amp with the volume on 1-2 will surely result in a fairly weak guitar tone! Set the amp for some breakup, then click the Java on. There, you’ll have a fantastic sound and see why people rave about the Java Boost. The Java Boost is not related to the TS9 or Blues Driver, or any other distortion or overdrive pedal. Boss and Ibanez do not make anything like it! This product is a Treble Booster by design, not a typical overdrive or distortion pedal. That means, the higher the note played, the more it gets amplified and then, by your amp, distorted. Bass notes get cut in two modes on the Java Boost! Some people don’t have experience with treble boosters. This can make using the Java Boost difficult if you try to use it with a huge power amp that has tons of headroom or doesn’t distort easily. The trick to get the Java Boost to outperform any other pedal is to have the right amp settings. The amp should be on the verge of breakup or greater. This is where the wealth of tone will is possible. Another way to run it is before an overdrive pedal. This is the pedal to get if you want a two pedal overdrive setup. Couple this in front of a TS9 or BD-2 and the results are simply amazing. This will add sparkle and life to your solos like no other pedal can. So what if your amp is set to super clean?!?! No problem, I’ve found that I love the Java Boost in front of most other overdrive pedals! Yes, simply use the Java in front of your blues driver, TS, DS, BD, SD, FF type pedal and you get similar results when the standard overdrive pedal is on.