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Average Price: $109

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$50

$176+

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Description

Unleash the powerful tone of your guitar with the Xotic Effects AC Booster. This pedal is no ordinary overdrive; it's a fine blend of boost and overdrive, offering an extensive range of tone shaping possibilities. The magic lies in its warm, vibrant tone, which sets it apart from traditional drive pedals. This exceptional pedal will bring out the best in your music, making it an essential addition to your gear.

Key Features:

  • Melds the line between boost and overdrive
  • Offers comprehensive tone shaping ability
  • Delivers warm and vibrant tone
  • Essential gear for tone enthusiasts

Product specs

Brand Xotic
Model AC Booster
Finish Yellow
Year 2007 - 2020
Made In United States
Categories Overdrive and Boost Pedals
Pedal Format Standard

FAQs

How does the Xotic Effects AC Booster enhance my guitar tone?

The AC Booster provides a warm, transparent overdrive that preserves your guitar's natural tone while adding gain. It features Treble and Bass controls to shape your sound further, making it versatile for various music styles.

Can the Xotic Effects AC Booster be used as both an overdrive and a clean boost?

Yes, the AC Booster can function as both an overdrive and a clean boost. Its gain range allows for subtle tone enhancement or more pronounced overdrive, making it adaptable to different playing settings.

Does the Xotic Effects AC Booster maintain signal clarity when bypassed?

The AC Booster uses true bypass technology, ensuring your signal remains unaffected and clear when the pedal is not in use.

What power supply does the Xotic Effects AC Booster require?

The AC Booster operates on a standard 9V power supply, compatible with most pedalboard power setups, or it can be powered by a 9V battery for convenience.

Is the Xotic Effects AC Booster suitable for all genres of music?

The AC Booster's transparent overdrive and tone shaping capabilities make it suitable for a wide range of genres, from blues and rock to jazz and country, allowing for versatile application.

ProGuitarShopDemos

ProGuitarShopDemos

Xotic Effects RC Booster AC Booster BB Preamp

Video thumbnail for Xotic Effects RC Booster AC Booster BB Preamp by ProGuitarShopDemos

Xotic Effects RC Booster AC Booster BB Preamp

ProGuitarShopDemos

ProGuitarShopDemos

Video thumbnail for Xotic AC Booster Strat by ProGuitarShopDemos

Xotic AC Booster Strat

ProGuitarShopDemos

ProGuitarShopDemos

Video thumbnail for Xotic Effects AC Booster by Prymaxe

Xotic Effects AC Booster

Prymaxe

Prymaxe

Video thumbnail for Xotic AC Booster Les Paul by ProGuitarShopDemos

Xotic AC Booster Les Paul

ProGuitarShopDemos

ProGuitarShopDemos

Video thumbnail for 5 Minutes with the Xotic Effects AC Booster - Pedal Demo by Ryan Kiesshauer

5 Minutes with the Xotic Effects AC Booster - Pedal Demo

Ryan Kiesshauer

Ryan Kiesshauer

Video thumbnail for Xotic AC Booster (demo) by Living Room GD

Xotic AC Booster (demo)

Living Room GD

Living Room GD

Video thumbnail for Xotic Effects AC Booster by Mike Hermans

Xotic Effects AC Booster

Mike Hermans

Mike Hermans

Video thumbnail for Xotic Effects AC Booster Overdrive Pedal by N Stuff Music

Xotic Effects AC Booster Overdrive Pedal

N Stuff Music

N Stuff Music

Video thumbnail for Xotic Effects AC Booster Review - BestGuitarEffects.com by Best Guitar Effects

Xotic Effects AC Booster Review - BestGuitarEffects.com

Best Guitar Effects

Best Guitar Effects

Video thumbnail for Interview with Tim Pierce "Xotic Effects AC Booster" by The Official Xotic Guitars and Effects Channel

Interview with Tim Pierce "Xotic Effects AC Booster"

The Official Xotic Guitars and Effects Channel

The Official Xotic Guitars and Effects Channel

Reviews

PROS

  • Delivers perfect amount of gain, ideal for always-on use

  • Leans towards a British tone, offering unique sound characteristics

  • Enhances pinch harmonics, making them effortless

  • Versatile across multiple guitar positions and settings

  • Stands out in a band mix without being harsh

  • Offers a tube-like sound with more versatility

  • No mid hump, providing a cleaner tone with certain guitars

  • Serves well between clean boost and high gain setups

  • Compliments a variety of music styles and techniques

  • Solid build quality, reliable for rigorous use

CONS

Owner Insights

We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Xotic Effects AC Booster.

Comparisons

  • The AC Booster is likened more to a Coloursound Overdriver or DOD 250 rather than a TS-9, offering a unique tonal profile.

    Source
  • The AC Booster and J.RAD Blue Note differ significantly in sound and compression, with the AC offering a fuzzier tone.

    Source
  • Some users prefer the AC Booster Plus over the BB AT version and SL Drive, citing a more satisfying tone despite enjoying other Xotic products like the SP Compressor.

    Source

Features and functionality

  • Bass and treble knobs are highly effective, allowing significant EQ shaping with ample volume available.

    Source
  • The pedal provides substantial volume on tap, making it versatile for various musical styles and performance settings.

    Source

Use cases and applications

  • Ideal for soul, R&B, and funky disco solos, providing a fuzzier tone with a more compressed attack than the J.RAD Blue Note.

    Source
  • The AC Booster Plus is effectively used in a signal chain with a Gibson SG special with mini-humbuckers, offering a distinct tonal experience when paired with a Quilter Interblock 45 and Blackstar 2x12 cab.

    Source

User experience

  • Owners who have tried various Xotic pedals often favor the AC Booster Plus for its standout performance, especially in comparison to other Xotic models.

    Source

Critic Reviews

Xotic Effects AC Booster Review | Squid Guitar Inc.

wordpress.com

The Xotic Effects AC Booster shines with its transparent, warm overdrive, perfect as both a solo boost and a primary gain stage. Its separate bass and treble controls allow for precise tone shaping, though the gain control could be more dynamic. Aesthetically, it falters with its comic sans font and protruding knob design, but the sound quality compensates for these missteps. If you prioritize sound over looks, this is one of the best overdrives available.

positive

4.5 out of 5

Based on 1 Review and 19 Ratings

5 star
4 star
3 star
2 star
1 star
D

Transparency in feel, warmth in tone

Gives me a slight grit after my clean tone for all sorts of sounds. If you think of it like a Tube Screamer you'll understand that it's best at low gain to accentuate the compression of your tube amp.

Artist usage

Add artist
See how Mike McCready uses Xotic Effects AC Booster

Mike McCready

Guitarist

Pearl Jam

...
Verified via Premierguitar

According to Premier Guitar, an Xotic Effects AC Booster Overdrive Guitar Effects Pedal is used in Mike McCready's pedalboard.

See how Paul Gilbert uses Xotic Effects AC Booster

Paul Gilbert

Guitarist

Mr. Big

...
Verified via YouTube

At 4:02 in this video Paul Gilbert says that he uses the AC Booster "for the more shreddy stuff."

See how Marcus Miller uses Xotic Effects AC Booster

Marcus Miller

Bassist, Composer

Scritti Politti

...
Verified via YouTube

At 5:22 Marcus Miller quickly shows the AC Booster in his pedalboard.

See how Owl City uses Xotic Effects AC Booster

Owl City

Singer, Guitarist

...
Verified via Photo

In an Instagram post by Owl City, a photo features the Xotic Effects AC Booster, suggesting its use in their setup.

See how Yannis Philippakis uses Xotic Effects AC Booster

Yannis Philippakis

Singer, Guitarist

Foals

...
Verified via Instagram

Foals did a rig run down for their tiktok showing Yannis and Jimmy's pedal boards. Yannis describes the AC Booster as "[the ac booster] is just like a booster pedal, it ups the crank"

See how Neal Schon uses Xotic Effects AC Booster

Neal Schon

Singer, Guitarist

Journey

...
Verified via Flickr

In this photo, which was taken at the 2008 Journey concert (full album can be found here), one of the pedals visible in Schon's pedalboard is the Xotic AC Booster.

See how Toru Yamashita uses Xotic Effects AC Booster

Toru Yamashita

Guitarist

One Ok Rock

...
See how Mike Sullivan uses Xotic Effects AC Booster

Mike Sullivan

Guitarist

Russian Circles

...
Verified via Photo

In an Instagram post by Premier Guitar, Mike Sullivan of Russian Circles is shown with his pedalboard, which includes the Xotic Effects AC Booster.

See how Andrew Stockdale uses Xotic Effects AC Booster

Andrew Stockdale

Guitarist, Singer

Wolfmother

...
Verified via Mixonline

"Stockdale's pedalboard comprises a Boss TU-2, Radial Tonebone, Fulltone Clyde wah and Supa-Trem, an Electro Harmonix Microsynth and Small Stone phaser, AC Booster and DigiTech Whammy."

See how Molly Rankin uses Xotic Effects AC Booster

Molly Rankin

Singer, Guitarist

Alvvays

...
Verified via Photo

In this photo can see the AC Booster in Molly's pedalboard, next to Boss TU-3

See how Doug Martsch uses Xotic Effects AC Booster

Doug Martsch

Guitarist

Built to Spill

...
Verified via Guitar

In a 2005 forum post on Guitar.com, a user noted that Doug Martsch of Built to Spill used the Xotic Effects AC Booster.

See how Reeves Gabrels uses Xotic Effects AC Booster

Reeves Gabrels

Guitarist

The Cure

...
Verified via Effects Bay

The EffectsBay website shared some pictures posted to Reeves' Facebook page. The image showing his guitar pedalboards features an AC Booster.

Genre Usage

Based on how artists on Equipboard use this gear, it is most commonly found in the following genres.

Used With

Based on how musicians on Equipboard use Xotic Effects AC Booster, it is most commonly used with the following gear.

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5
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5

Community setups

Show yours
s1ngram

s1ngram

Gear IQ 77

jibe_be

jibe_be

Gear IQ 310

hunterkeegan

hunterkeegan

Gear IQ 173

jboo

jboo

Gear IQ 79

2 alternative and related items for Xotic Effects AC Booster, curated by the Equipboard community.

Xotic Effects AC Booster V2

$194.00 - $219.99

newer similar sound mod

A new for 2025, revised version of the AC Booster, V2 features additional controls and dip switches on the side to further tweak your tone.

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