D*A*M Forum

These are both earlier examples of the Rangemaster Treble Booster that I gobbled up over the last few years. I think they're the first two versions (i.e. transistors/parts selection) but I'd love to see other funky versions that might exist, particularly if they're earlier than the 150xxx serial number range. Not sure when they were first available, but the s/n 150xxx (or earlier) version of the RM Treble Booster with the 'tapered' spindle on the pot was pictured in the 1965 Bell catalogue, and this photo of the Animals is supposedly from 1964.


#157681

I scored this one around 3 years ago, from the same German local classifieds website that my MKI surfaced on (way back in 2016). I'd never played this model before, but the price was too good to pass up, and I had recently been talked into finally buying a proper guitar amp (AC15!) by forumites Laundromat & Philip, so there was no excuse. At the time that I scored the aforementioned MKI, the seller told me that he'd also unearthed a RM Treble Booster along with it, but that he'd already sold it before listing the MKI. Because it all happened on the same online platform, after scoring this Treble Booster, I figured that it wouldn't hurt to get back in touch with the MKI-dude, to check whether that happened to be the same unit. Sure enough, it was the same one, with the same chain of known-former owners (Jochen Petersen and Frank Diez)! The then-seller took photos first, and then fucked about with the unit, before putting it up for sale, but it's super cool nonetheless to have reunited the two boxes again.
















Original pics, c.2015





#150941

Grabbed this one last year (along with an early silicon Pep Box) from a dude who hadn't used them since playing in a London-based blues group in the late-60s. It shows, because the Treble Booster is pretty temperamental! I've gotta find a way to safely clean out the pot. This one really has the sound though. It's loud! Louder and fuller sounding than the OC71 unit, which has a steeper EQ curve in comparison to this OC44 box. I think this is the earliest version of the RM Treble Booster that's known so far (but not quite the earliest serial number), but I'd love to be proven wrong.

Oh yeah!!!!!! Nice indeed!!!!

In my blinkered ignorance, I was unaware the yellow OC44 was ever found stock in an OG

It seems RMs are the kings of weird ass resistors

Earl RMs are the kings of weird-ass resistors and capacitors, a nightmare for knowing what has or has not been switched out, fair few component value differences too.

I’m not jealous at all!

Awesome pics man

Do you know the name of the 60’s Blues group? Is the RM potentially used on a recording somewhere?

innerflight wrote: ↑Fri Jan 29, 2021 11:59 amDo you know the name of the 60’s Blues group? Is the RM potentially used on a recording somewhere?

They were called 'Smokey Blue'. No recordings or anything, but apparently they (or another band with the same name) opened for Black Sabbath at one point...

vanguard wrote: ↑Fri Jan 29, 2021 1:07 am In my blinkered ignorance, I was unaware the yellow OC44 was ever found stock in an OG

It seems RMs are the kings of weird ass resistors

They cycled through OC44 and OC71 transistors, in a variety of different packages, throughout the course of production. The yellow OC44 shows up right at the beginning. After a period of using black glass, followed by metal can OC71's, the yellow OC44 returns again in the late-158xxx period (after the graphics on the faceplate had been updated.) I think there may be one or two small anomalies, but it's all generally pretty consistent, and we can take a pretty good guess at what's inside a RM Treble Booster based off the s/n on the back.

Nick wrote: ↑Fri Jan 29, 2021 3:34 pm

innerflight wrote: ↑Fri Jan 29, 2021 11:59 amDo you know the name of the 60’s Blues group? Is the RM potentially used on a recording somewhere?

They were called 'Smokey Blue'. No recordings or anything, but apparently they (or another band with the same name) opened for Black Sabbath at one point...

vanguard wrote: ↑Fri Jan 29, 2021 1:07 am In my blinkered ignorance, I was unaware the yellow OC44 was ever found stock in an OG

It seems RMs are the kings of weird ass resistors

They cycled through OC44 and OC71 transistors, in a variety of different packages, throughout the course of production. The yellow OC44 shows up right at the beginning. After a period of using black glass, followed by metal can OC71's, the yellow OC44 returns again in the late-158xxx period (after the graphics on the faceplate had been updated.) I think there may be one or two small anomalies, but it's all generally pretty consistent, and we can take a pretty good guess at what's inside a RM Treble Booster based off the s/n on the back.

Great info! I'd like to find one with the metal OC71 one day.

vanguard wrote: ↑Fri Jan 29, 2021 5:45 pm Great info! I'd like to find one with the metal OC71 one day.

maybe send a request here...