Hello Sailor Heart Rangemaster Hand Wired NKT216U Germanium & Texas Instruments BC213C Silicon Treble Booster

Description

Description of Product

This is a one off Hello Sailor Rangemaster built around the question that keeps coming up with treble boosters.

Why do some treble boosters make an amplifier feel alive, while others simply make it brighter?

This build takes the Rangemaster idea and gives it almost every useful option I offer in one pedal.

There is a boost control, a gain control, a switch for the standard treble boost voice or a fatter EQ setting, and a second switch to move between silicon and germanium.

The silicon side uses a carefully selected Texas Instruments BC213C silicon transistor for a more immediate, firm and stable response.

The germanium side uses a genuine NKT216U germanium transistor. These military specification devices have a wonderfully musical response, softening the attack slightly and adding the kind of touch sensitivity that helped make early treble boosters such an important part of classic guitar tones.

It is hand wired on tagboard using carefully selected components throughout, including a premium German made F&T electrolytic capacitor, chosen for the quality and reliability that has made F&T a favourite amongst restorers of vintage valve amplifiers.

Built as a one off piece, it is finished in a striking Fire Burst nitrocellulose finish, with deep translucent red beneath a black burst that gives every enclosure its own unique character.

The artwork features the iconic Hello Sailor Heart, representing the passion behind every build and the blend of craftsmanship, vintage tone and traditional construction that sits at the heart of Hello Sailor Effects.

This is not a museum piece.

It is a Rangemaster pushed as far as I know how to push one.

Vintage and modern.

Germanium and silicon.

Focused and full range.

Traditional construction combined with every practical modification I have found genuinely useful after years of building, testing and listening.

Description of Sound

In the standard treble boost setting, this has the classic Rangemaster push.

It tightens the bottom end, brings the upper mids forward and gives the amplifier that cutting, vocal quality that works so well for old blues rock, British rock and pushed valve amplifiers.

Flip the fat switch and everything changes.

The pedal develops noticeably more body and low mid content, turning the circuit from a traditional treble booster into something capable of driving an amplifier with a much broader, thicker voice.

The Texas Instruments BC213C silicon transistor feels immediate, punchy and articulate, with excellent note separation and plenty of attack.

Switch across to the NKT216U germanium transistor and the feel becomes softer and more elastic, with a gentle compression that encourages expressive playing and effortless clean up from the guitar’s volume control.

Between the two transistor choices, the two EQ settings and the independent gain and boost controls, this single pedal covers an enormous amount of tonal ground whilst retaining the dynamic response that made the original Rangemaster one of the most influential boost circuits ever designed.

Real World Testimonials

“My rig now has 2 epochs: before HSE Rangemaster, and after HSE Rangemaster.”

Reverb Feedback

“The desert island, single pedal for rock’n’roll.”

Reverb Feedback

“This one is switchable between Si/Ge with a 3 way EQ toggle which gives a great range of tonal options.”

Reverb Feedback

Features

• Hand wired tagboard construction

• Gain control

• Boost control

• Standard Rangemaster EQ mode

• Fat EQ mode

• Silicon / germanium transistor switching

• Genuine NKT216U germanium transistor

• Texas Instruments BC213C silicon transistor

• Premium German made F&T electrolytic capacitor

• True bypass switching

• Standard centre negative 9V operation

• Fire Burst nitrocellulose finish

• Hello Sailor Heart artwork

• Handmade by Hello Sailor Effects

This is a one off build.

The exact combination of NKT216U germanium, Texas Instruments BC213C silicon, Fire Burst nitrocellulose finish and Hello Sailor Heart artwork will not be repeated in this form.

If you’ve ever wondered why some treble boosters seem to bring an amplifier to life whilst others merely make it brighter, this pedal was built to explore exactly that question.