StewMac Hooligan Boost steps a Rangemaster idea eight ways

Scotti Hill of Skid Row did not want another boost stuck on one treble bump. He and StewMac spent about a year and a half on the Hooligan Boost, a DIY kit whose eight-position Range control sets the cutoff before you touch Volume. On the official video he calls the Dallas Rangemaster a top boost; Range is how this kit steps off that high-end emphasis.

Hill says the amps he started on did not always have the gain he was after, so a boost stayed useful when other pedals came and went. Range snaps from step to step. Volume is a normal 0-10 sweep. His preferred start is Range at 11 o'clock with Volume cranked. One end of the switch is bright and cutting; the other is a full-frequency boost with more low end. Walking the control on video, he describes the far setting as doomy.

The name is personal. Hill says Hooligan fits the mischief he and his friends got into when they were young, and the artwork follows that. StewMac aimed the build at a first pedal as well as people already soldering. The maker says it comes together in a few hours, with first-timer instructions, high-tolerance parts, a pre-drilled metal enclosure, and printed labels. Pick a bare box or powder-coated white and paint it if you want a one-off. Input and output jacks are rear-mounted. Power is an internal 9V battery or a separate 9V center-negative supply with a 2.1mm barrel. StewMac also includes a Video Vault pocket drive free with the kit, and describes it as more than 50 hours of build and repair tutorials.

Video: StewMac — Skid Row's Scotti Hill and StewMac Get Loud with the New Hooligan Boost Pedal Kit

Both enclosure options are marked in stock and ready to ship on the StewMac Hooligan Boost product page (item 104858 bare, 104859 white).