CLEAN BOOST MODE
If you turn the Heat control down and set the Range control to have more of a full range sound, you can also use
your Naga Viper as a clean boost into a clean amp! Traditionally, treble-boosters did NOT sound good in this
application but the Naga Viper can and does!
POWERING UP THE NAGA VIPER
You can use a variety of power sources to power your Naga Viper. It supports standard DC power supplies from
9 to 18 volts and of course, batteries. We encourage you to experiment with different powering options as they
affect the tone and response in subtle ways. Our favorite is to use and old school carbon 9volt battery for the
sweetest tone.
WHERE TO PUT IT ON YOUR PEDALBOARD
While the best thing to do is experiment to find your own signal chain, you'll find that it usually works the best
after wah pedals and before fuzz and overdrives. ESPECIALLY before your overdrives! Also, don't place any
buffered pedals before the Naga Viper as they will negatively impact the sound. Ideally, the Naga Viper should
"see" your guitar pickups directly for the best response.
DESIGNER'S NOTES
I am in love with the classic British heavy guitar sounds of guitarists like Tony Iommi and Brian May. I used to
wonder how they could get a sound so alive and juicy and exciting. I certainly couldn't get that sound from my
Marshall using a tube screamer. Finally, I found out they all used a thing called a "treble booster". So I bought a
couple rangemaster-based pedals and eventually got to building some of my own using rare unobtanium mojo
parts. They sounded great!
But I wanted more control over the boost so I came up with an extended version of the classic circuit that
allowed fine-tuning the frequency response and the gain. Plus, I wanted something that was temperature
stable but still sounded warm and juicy like the ones built with rare germanium transistors.
So, I ended up with what we call the Naga Viper. Oh, btw, the Naga Viper is the current world record holder for
the hottest pepper! Seemed like a good thing to call the world's hottest boost! ;-)
- Howard Gee, Catalinbread
