Mythos and Mick Taylor of That Pedal Show have come together for the Argo Boost Deluxe – a filthy but clear fuzz pedal that can double up as a booster.
Like the original Argo, released in 2022, the stompbox is based on a COB circuit, granting players the freedom to balance out hairy octave fuzz sounds with a boosted clean signal to ensure clarity and grit in equal measure.
However, the Deluxe version aims to go one better. With the Fuzz and Blend controls peeled back, the pedal can masquerade as “a very useful and musical sounding booster”, making this an intriguing twofer at £183 (approx $236).
Taylor had brought the concept to Mythos, with the manufacturer “excited to derive more from a circuit that so many players know and love”.
The pedal is split in two, with the topology of the original Argo unlocked via one footswitch, and the booster – which is paired with a red dial so Taylor “knows which one to twiddle” – accessible via a second footswitch.
“Think of it as changing lanes inside the pedal,” Mythos says of its decision to keep them separate within the same housing.
The benefit here is that players can dial in two different gain stages which can be placed in front of an overdrive pedal or tube amp. The Boost control offers more push, and the fuzz can be paired with it, or have its gritted teeth chomp in isolation.
There’s also a Highs switch hidden within the pedal’s innards. While standing around the drawing board for this collaborative build, Taylor had expressed a desire for a bright boost, but it was ultimately decided to have that functionality switchable depending on each player’s preferences.
Given its placement, it’s not a setting likely to be changed on the fly, but it means there is a little more tweakability to the pedal than first meets the eye.
It ships with the Highs disengaged, but when it's flipped, “a fine amount of high-end sparkle” will be injected into the guitar’s signal. This circuit is separate from the octave fuzz circuit.
“It's a very simple two-in-one pedal that came about entirely by accident,” Taylor reveals. “Regular viewers of the show will know I've used various versions of the Argo, which was based on the Prescription Electronics COB. I fell in love with it via Doyle Bramhall.
“The thing is, unless octave fuzz is part of your core sound, it's the kind of thing that comes on and off your pedalboard.”
Then, one night, blues maestro Aynsley Lister invited him on stage to guest on a few songs. When prepping for Cast a Light, he was looking for “a nice vocal, expressive kind of sound” that didn’t rip Lister off. That's when he discovered the potential of using the pedal as a clean boost, which the collaboration has since grabbed with both hands. And you can’t blame them.
“All of a sudden, my occasional-use pedal has gone to something that can live on the 'board,” Taylor concludes.
The Mythos Argo Boost Deluxe is available to order now for £183 (approx $236).
Check out Mythos for more.
