The Jackson Audio Golden Boy Mini is a compact transparent overdrive that keeps the character of your guitar and amp instead of painting over it. Here is what it does, how to set it up, and what to look for if you are buying one used.
What is the Golden Boy Mini?
It is a smaller, simpler version of Jackson Audio’s Golden Boy overdrive, and it was announced in July 2023. It is based on the Bluesbreaker / King of Tone style of circuit and was developed with guitarist Joey Landreth. At launch it was priced at £189 / $179, against $299 for the original Golden Boy.
What does it do?
Jackson Audio describes it as a versatile, transparent overdrive: it adds gain and harmonic detail while keeping your core tone, with plenty of headroom. The gain control is wide-ranging, from a touch of grit up to saturated lead tones.
The controls
- Gain and Volume: gain runs from light grit to full lead saturation, and volume sets the output level.
- 3-band EQ: bass, middle and treble knobs, an active Baxandall-style EQ for shaping the final tone.
- Clipping switch: two styles. ASYM uses asymmetrical silicon diode clipping and suits aggressive rhythm playing. LED uses symmetrical LED clipping, with more headroom and less compression.
Who is it for?
Players who want an overdrive that stays out of the way: blues, rock and country players who like to push an amp, and anyone who wants one dependable drive on a small pedalboard. It has top-mounted jacks and a small footprint. To be clear, the only artist we can tie to this pedal is Joey Landreth, who worked on its design. We have not seen reliable evidence of other famous players using it, so we are not going to claim any.
Where does it go in your pedal chain?
Jackson Audio does not publish a recommended chain position, so this is general practice rather than their advice. Overdrives like this usually sit after any wah or compressor and before modulation, delay and reverb. Try it both ways and trust your ears.
Power
Andertons and PMT list it as 9V DC, centre negative, drawing 35mA. One US retailer lists different figures, so check the maker’s manual before using anything other than a standard 9V supply.
Colours
It was released in gold, a black version limited to 1,000 units, and a rose gold version limited to 500.
Buying one used
When you buy second-hand, check that the clipping switch moves cleanly between ASYM and LED, that the gain and EQ knobs turn smoothly without crackle, and that the footswitch and jacks work. Original box and paperwork help with resale value. Our current stock is on the shop page, including a Golden Boy Mini at the time of writing.
Got a pedal like this to sell? We buy used pedals across Brighton, Hove and Worthing and by post. Get a free quote.
Sources: Guitar.com, Andertons, PMT, zZounds.
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