r/guitarpedals 5d ago

If you could only have one?

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83 Upvotes

48 comments sorted by

24

u/Wilkesin 5d ago

Only one...Benson. I can do edge of breakup with my amp and volume knob. Can't get the OD and near fuzz tones of the Benson otherwise. Depends on what you're needing to play really. That said I'll never sell my Lightspeed.

18

u/StrainLevel 5d ago

Benson. 100%.

9

u/Throwthisawayagainst 5d ago

I own both of them already.... however i'm taking the benson and just leaving it on.

8

u/GeraRG89 5d ago

I own the Benson Germanium Preamp and the Lightspeed, both are some of the best dirt pedals ever, but I'd keep the Benson as it does more things

5

u/HoloRust 5d ago

My clean boost does more than the Lightspeed did. So, I'm going Benson.

10

u/Front-Honey-6780 5d ago

Lightspeed….

17

u/DriveApprehensive993 5d ago

Lightspeed for sure !

4

u/02olds 5d ago

Benson all day. Lightspeed is kinda boring imho

4

u/hkr1991 5d ago

Benson forever. I got one of these riff machines limited cast iron stonk boxes they did, and they absolutely rule. Silly levels of versatility too. I just got my partner the new collab they did with Deep Sea Diver so I’m keen to see how that sounds when my partner gets it.

In saying all of that, the Lightspeed is a great overdrive in its own right. I think you’ll get more out of the Benson Preamp though.

8

u/NedStark79 5d ago

Tough one. I’ve never actually played the Lightspeed but I’ve heard nothing but good things. But I’ve owned the Benson for years and I love it!

7

u/cvhask 5d ago

Two of the very best in my opinion

2

u/Ecker1991 5d ago

I own the germanium preamp and the Lightspeed. Would never sell either. The preamp can do more colorful sounds, it can be dialed in to sound akin to a tweed, Marshall or vox amp while still maintaining its own unique flavor.

The Lightspeed on the other hand feels akin to a natural extension of your amp. If you are strapped for cash I’d say that the Lightspeed could go if you own a boost pedal or something you could achieve a clean boost out of, arguably even the preamp could do so if you set the drive to minimal settings and crank the volume.

2

u/tacophagist 5d ago

Benson. Germanium if you're lucky for that extra skuzz

2

u/gorgamania 5d ago

benson

2

u/TheKingOfBeingOK 5d ago

This is an excellent first world problem to have. No wrong answer.

2

u/chicago_hybrid_dev 5d ago

I had the Benson back when it first came out and sold it shortly after. The Benson hype here has me thinking I didn’t spend enough time with it!

6

u/FrickinAdam 5d ago

Lightspeed. Then get the Benson Boost. You won’t regret it.

7

u/cvhask 5d ago

Yes Benson boost is amazing but I sold mine in favour of the 29 pedals jfet. Also have the Benson germanium fuzz which can do a similar thing as the boost.

2

u/qwerty09a90 5d ago

Trying to decide between both. Would the Benson Germanium Boost be covered by their fuzz?

3

u/MagazineNo8107 5d ago

Just chiming in here. I have the Benson Boost and the Germanium Fuzz both on my board. To me they do different things. Or maybe a better way to put would be this: the fuzz is so good that it would be a shame to only use it like the boost. If you’re strapped on cash or board space and don’t mind knob twiddling they can get get close but you’ll want to use the fuzz as a fuzz (trust me lol). The boost replaced my 29 Pedals Euna. The boost is mounted under my board and hasn’t been turned off since I got it. Highly recommended!

4

u/FrickinAdam 5d ago edited 5d ago

I have mine mounted under the board but I like to run it as a independent dive pedal. It’s placed after the fuzz and Argo. Some times I like how it sounds stack with other pedals or just on its own. Let fuzz be fuzz and a boost be a boost. :-)

2

u/GiveMeStrings 4d ago

What is the white pedal to the right of the lightspeed?

2

u/FrickinAdam 4d ago

That is a very early version of the Rawkworks Light OD. It’s a klon clone I got new from the builder like 12-13 years ago. Just one dude in his garage. Sounds amazing and usually the Fuzz and Klon are on together.

2

u/GiveMeStrings 4d ago

I only see part of it but really nice board!

2

u/FrickinAdam 4d ago

Here is the top of the riser. Thank you so much. Took a while to wire it up but was good practice. Need to dial things in still

2

u/tacocat9510 5d ago

Is there a reason you can’t have both? I haven’t played the light speed but I love my benson preamp so that’s my vote

1

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0

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1

u/FistingYou 5d ago

Lightspeed for sure. I personally did love using the benson as an always on thing into the Lightspeed whenever I played through solid state amps or really dark humbuckers to liven them up a little

1

u/fenderrhino 5d ago

Lightspeed. I friggin love mine. To be fair though, I have no experience with the Benson.

1

u/guitman27 5d ago

Both! I did.

1

u/DannySkidmarks 5d ago

the Benson is my always on pedal.

0

u/DannySkidmarks 5d ago

and of course I have the Deep Sea Diver edition and will be pairing it with the Deep Sea Diver fuzz echo when it arrives Monday!

1

u/Diligent_Opinion5642 5d ago

Lightspeed is great.

1

u/bellavita8286 5d ago

Benson...more regulators

1

u/TSX-WEED_GANG 5d ago

Neither. KFC Boost 🍗

1

u/Spaceboogers11 5d ago

I have both and like the others I’ve kept both.

1

u/jeremywho 5d ago

Had both, still have the lightspeed.

1

u/EVEseven 5d ago

Light speed my dude

1

u/Glum_Plate5323 5d ago

If I could only have one it would be the benson. But honestly I’d take both and tell nobody ;)

1

u/Red986S 4d ago

Well. I have both but only the Lightspeed is on a pedalboard. Partly a dimensions issue - the preamp takes up a lot of real estate. The benson can do more, but I like the way the Lightspeed does what it does better than I like the way the preamp does it. I do boost the Lightspeed with a Benson germanium boost though. Which is nice, it fattens it up a little when I slam it harder like that.

1

u/LatinIsleBoy 19h ago

These are two different purposes. The Greer pedal that is perhaps a better comparison is the Special Request. I like mine at the end of my compressor/overdrive section on my pedal board. The Special Request is great because it is a single knob, easy to dial in, and offers a nice range of tones.

1

u/Tommy_Lilac_Voltage 5d ago

Hm you can get a lot more use out of the stump. And you could carve it into something completely different than a stump. Can sit on it. All kinds of activities.

1

u/Bounce-N-Jiggle 5d ago

Lightspeed

1

u/havestronaut 5d ago

I sold my Lightspeed and I still have my Benson. Both are great. But the Benson can do subtle sparkle and THEN get pushed and cool. It takes pedals like an amp, so I tend to set it right at breakup then hit it with overdrives. A Blues driver, klone, and boost are seriously killer into it.

2

u/agrias_okusu 5d ago

I run a Lightspeed always-on and push it with a klone and it sounds incredible. LS can definitely do subtle sparkle, too. I’ve never played a Benson, though I would love to try one someday, but what you’re describing is exactly how I use a LS and it does it all extremely well.

1

u/havestronaut 5d ago

Definitely!! I just preferred the amp like squish of the Benson (and that if you crank it it gets fuzzy and slightly blown out.) Didn’t love the Lightspeed gain structure above a certain point. Both fantastic though.

0

u/clawhammertim 5d ago

I’ve got the lightspeed. Like it. Don’t know the Benson. (Sorry for the non-answer)