T.C. Jauernig Luxury Drive

Flames1950 · Post by **Flames1950** » Fri Feb 11, 2005 1:14 pm

First off I NEVER hang out on eBay and BIN things I really don't need or have cash for. So don't even think that. Certainly not when I'm in the mood for a different boost pedal.
So whoever it was that commandeered my eBay account and BIN'ed the T.C. Jauernig Luxury Drive boost and had it shipped to me at work, thank you, I can't wait to try it out.

Vintage Guitar claimed this thing sounded so good that it would make any guitar and amp combo sound better no matter how good they already sounded. I'll find out soon.

Billy Batz · Post by **Billy Batz** » Fri Feb 11, 2005 1:25 pm

I guess your madog2161

Lemme know how that sounds. Thats a pedal Ive been very interested in.

Flames1950 · Post by **Flames1950** » Fri Feb 11, 2005 4:22 pm

No, my eBay handle is marshallrocks.

It took some covert operations to get home and try this thing out for a half hour. Some quick thoughts:
1) This thing is picture perfect if you like playing a clean amp (say a Fender Twin) with an overdrive pedal, but still need a solo boost. I dialed my '75 50-watter clean with a Strat and an old Marshall Bluesbreaker pedal, with the Luxury Drive kicking the Bluesbreaker. As promised in VG's review it added the extra body and upper end zing to bring out lead lines through the Bluesbreaker. The dial is insane -- you barely need to crack it open more than 1/4 of the way to kick another overdrive.
2) Crank the Marshall 50-watt up for some distortion and scrap the Bluesbreaker pedal and I think the Jauernig whoops the FatBoost as a stand-alone boost as well, with less knobs to twiddle. Plenty of sustain with my Strat, again it adds some upper end zing but not in a harsh way, it stayed creamy. But also as always, taming the lows on the percussive Strat sound is a trick, you can make mush pie with ease if you're not careful.
Grabbed the Les Paul for a quick ride before I had to shut down. The Luxury Boost let me knock the Marshall down in the 5-6 range from its usual setting of 7-8 on the volume, enough to just get that old style Free or AC/DC crunch. With the Jauernig set once again at only about 1/4 of the way up the knob, it takes care of boosting the input wonderfully for solos, again giving a touch of treble boost and loads of sustain while remaining utterly clear.
Sometimes it seems like a little too much treble boost, but I didn't have any bass or drums going, that's an impression in isolation which doesn't mean much. I suspect that in a band situation it's going to prove to be just right for the extra cut you need to get your sound out in front.
Very impressive for half the price of the FatBoost (I won't even mention how much cheaper than the TMB, but then it doesn't have switchable modes either.) It also has its transistor in a socket so you can try different transistors for more or less gain and slightly different tonality.
COOL!!

dirtydeeds22 · Post by **dirtydeeds22** » Sat Feb 12, 2005 1:51 pm

I've never heard of one of these. Just started thinking about a new overdrive pedal. Those TMB are getting all the raves. It's good to hear about other cool stuff.

Jeff

Flames1950 · Post by **Flames1950** » Thu Feb 17, 2005 11:00 pm

Damn this thing kicks butt. I had more time to play with it tonight, so I finally hooked the Luxury Drive and the FatBoost up for a little A/B shootout.
With one knob to its name the Luxury Drive kicks the FatBoost big time. As before, with the gain knob at barely one-quarter of its available range it never failed to push the amp into overdrive glory with just the right high-end sparkle, sustain and attack. The FatBoost couldn't come up with the same cut no matter how I dialed it in, it always seemed like I had to fight it for the picking nuances that the Luxury Drive just hands over like no big deal. You can leave the FatBoost on and then kick in the Luxury to get the attack back, but why, when you could just use the Luxury Drive??

You guys that are looking for a clean boost need to pick this thing up. At $90 it's a freakin' STEAL!!

thunder970 · Post by **thunder970** » Thu Feb 17, 2005 11:21 pm

Where does a person find a pedal like that?

Country Boy Shane · Post by **Country Boy Shane** » Fri Feb 18, 2005 12:49 am

Flames1950 wrote:Damn this thing kicks butt. I had more time to play with it tonight, so I finally hooked the Luxury Drive and the FatBoost up for a little A/B shootout.
With one knob to its name the Luxury Drive kicks the FatBoost big time. As before, with the gain knob at barely one-quarter of its available range it never failed to push the amp into overdrive glory with just the right high-end sparkle, sustain and attack. The FatBoost couldn't come up with the same cut no matter how I dialed it in, it always seemed like I had to fight it for the picking nuances that the Luxury Drive just hands over like no big deal. You can leave the FatBoost on and then kick in the Luxury to get the attack back, but why, when you could just use the Luxury Drive??

You guys that are looking for a clean boost need to pick this thing up. At $90 it's a freakin' STEAL!!

I've never heard of this maker. Do they have a site?

Flames1950 · Post by **Flames1950** » Fri Feb 18, 2005 8:23 am

I don't know of a website, but I haven't gone looking either. I saw a review of it in a Vintage Guitar mag, and searched on eBay for one to try.

Man, I really thought that FatBoost was damn cool....until now......

Country Boy Shane · Post by **Country Boy Shane** » Fri Feb 18, 2005 9:20 am

Well as long as i don't run into this new unit, i'll keep enjoying mine. I think Mike should advertise it more as a boost/low-end enhancer. When i switch mine on it does exactly what the name says it does - Boost it and Fatten it.

Zoso · Post by **Zoso** » Fri Feb 18, 2005 6:07 pm

Here's a link, he looks like he has some cool stuff. I may have to give it a try.

http://mypeoplepc.com/members/tjauernig ... index.html

thunder970 · Post by **thunder970** » Fri Feb 18, 2005 8:33 pm

Question? on my 900 100 watter I don't even play on the lead channel because of all the clipping diodes and op amps. I play on the classic channel with the gain on 9 and master on 5 or higher for a good chunky classic crunch. Do you think this will allow me to back off the preamp gain a bit more and just drive the amp more for that same gain that I have now with a little more picking naunces? It sounds very classic now with great bottom regardless what people say about the 900, but is has to be cranked. I have used alot of overdrives, vintage compressors and everyone thinned my sound when on. Is it a possability this will do the same? As of now I have no clean channel (which is no problem ) I just roll down the volume on my guitar and it gets a classic crackle clean. OR just get a THD HotPlate?

dirtydeeds22 · Post by **dirtydeeds22** » Sat Mar 05, 2005 12:16 pm

Hey Flames,
Any new revelations for the Luxury Drive? I checked out his site his products sound real interesting and a good value.

Jeff

Flames1950 · Post by **Flames1950** » Sat Mar 05, 2005 2:14 pm

Well, I liked it so much that the FatBoost has already been sold on eBay, as wel as my Tube Screamer RI which I haven't used much since I bought it anyway.
Otherwise I've pretty much said it all above. This thing kills me with its ability to add crisp zing and mucho sustain to either my Strat or my Les Paul (and the Les Paul really didn't seem to need any help there, but the sustain is near infinite now.) And I can't imagine how much grit this thing could wring out of an amp, I've never even turned the gain knob more than a third of the way up.
I still think for $90 BIN on eBay you can't go wrong with it.

dirtydeeds22 · Post by **dirtydeeds22** » Sun Mar 06, 2005 11:59 am

I'm gonna get one soon.
The luxury drive sounds like the pedal I need. I use my Reverend Drivetrain sparingly as it is with no drive at all. I like the thought of the added zing and sustain without coloring the tone. $89 bucks is cheap.

Jeff