Xploration • Curation • Recommendation
Jackson Audio shrink down and streamline their Golden Boy Overdrive into a Mini Edition - still with 3-Band Active EQ
Key Points
Jackson Audio’s Golden Boy Mini streamlines the Golden Boy’s Blues Breaker / King of Tone format. It retains the core voicing, Volume and Gain controls, and 3-Band Active EQ, while replacing four clipping options, four Boost EQ options, smart footswitching and MIDI connectivity with a 2-way Asymmetrical / LED Clipping switch.
The controls are Volume, Clipping, Gain, Bass, Middle and Treble. It is available in Gold, Black and Rose Gold.
As of the article’s publication, the price was £199; the original Golden Boy was £299. The Mini retains much of the original’s essential character at lower cost and size.
I’ve always liked the Jackson Audio Golden Boy take on the Blues Breaker / King of Tone format - which original full-fat pedal has 4 clipping options on the Overdrive side and 4 different Boost EQ options on the other side.
In making a smaller and more stripped down, lower cost edition they’ve still retained the 3-Band Active EQ, and core Volume and Gain controls. In place of the many smart footswitchable playback options we have a simple 2-way Clipping switch which gives you access to two of the favourite Clipping options from the larger pedal. Obviously you lose the boost options and the MIDI connectivity. While you save significantly on space and price!
Controls - Volume, Clipping : Asymmetrical / LED, Gain, Bass, Middle, Treble.
The Golden Boy Mini retains the core voicing of the original, and much of what made that pedal so great.
I think if you already have the full-fate original Golden Boy then you’re unlikely to want to add the Mini edition, while if you’re looking for the essential flavour of that pedal minus some of its bells and whistles - then the Mini edition will do very nicely.
Jackson Audio have cleverly managed to retain most of what is essential in the Golden Boy and packed it into a still attractive yet a lot more cost-effective proposition.
The larger original unit currently retails for $299 / €345 / £299, while the Mini Edition is at $179 / €219 / £199. And should be widely available with the usual dealers when this article goes out!
The Golden Boy Mini is available at launch in Gold, Black and sort of Peachy / Copper colourways. Actually the third colourway they’re calling Rose Gold!
Demos
