The Alien Booster by MG Music

The MG Music ALIEN BOOSTER is a boutique, hand-built guitar boost pedal inspired by classic 1960s Rangemaster circuits. It uses a vintage-style germanium transistor to deliver a warm, organic boost that enhances harmonics and pushes tube amplifiers into natural overdrive. Unlike traditional single-band treble boosters, it features additional tone-shaping controls, allowing players to switch between full-range, mid, and bass-boosted sounds. This makes it more versatile across different rigs and musical styles. The pedal is known for achieving iconic vintage tones associated with players like Eric Clapton and Brian May. Built in Brazil with high-quality components, it combines retro tone with modern usability.

MG Music Alien Booster The MG Music Alien Booster is a boutique treble booster handcrafted in São Paulo, Brazil by luthier and builder Marcelo Giangrande. Rooted in the classic Dallas Rangemaster circuit, it takes that vintage germanium foundation and expands it with modern usability in mind. At its core is a vintage Philips OC44 germanium transistor, the same component found in the original Rangemasters that defined the British rock tone of the 1960s. The result is a warm, touch-sensitive boost with natural harmonic breakup that responds beautifully to playing dynamics and guitar volume knob adjustments. Beyond the classic Rangemaster blueprint, the Alien Booster adds a Gain knob, a Tone control, and a 3-way tone selector switch that lets you choose between Full Range, Mid, and Bass modes. This combination opens up a wide range of tones from the cutting treble bite associated with Eric Clapton's "Beano" era sound and Brian May's compressed sustain, to the darker, heavier roar favored by Tony Iommi. The pedal is built to last, featuring a hand-finished metal enclosure, Alpha pots, Switchcraft jacks, metal film capacitors, true bypass switching, and a green jewel LED indicator. It runs on standard 9V center-negative power (adapter not included). It excels in front of low-wattage tube amps, where it can push the front end into natural breakup, but it holds its own with larger rigs as well. Joe Bonamassa has been noted using a similar MG booster circuit as his sole pedal driving multiple high-powered Twin Tweed amplifiers. A silicon transistor variant, the Exile on 72, is also available for players chasing a Keith Richards "Exile on Main Street" tone. Specs: Germanium transistor (Philips OC44) / Gain, Tone controls / 3-way tone selector (Full Range, Mid, Bass) / True bypass / 9V center-negative / Handmade in Brazil

Specs:

• Type: Boost / Preamp pedal
• Circuit: Germanium-based (OC44-style transistor)
• Controls: Gain knob + Tone control
• Tone Modes: 3-way switch (Full Range / Mid / Bass)
• Bypass: True bypass switching
• Power Supply: 9V DC (negative center)
• Construction: Hand-built, metal enclosure (Hammond-style)
• Components: Alpha potentiometers, metal film capacitors, Switchcraft jacks
• Indicator: LED status light
• Origin: Brazil (boutique production)

Product specs