Pre-amp: where have you been all my life?

Dirk B · From: Harrisburg, MO, USA

I hate to be all over the Forum about this, but I just can't believe what a new lease on life this little preamp has given to the sound coming from my Nashville 400. Talk about warmth!

I know some top players play straight out of the amp and sound fantastic, like Doug Jernigan; but mainly I'm thinkin' to myself, why didn't anyone tell me about this before?

I'm a relatively new steel player (4 years on some kind of steel). I've seen players with the huge racks at the shows but I guess I thought they were for effects like delay & chorus units and so forth. I didn't realize a preamp might be a NECESSITY rather than another gadget (a lot of us are gadget hounds, let's face it).

I'm using a Para Acoustic DI that I actually got for my dobro. So, save me and other newer players before we go about re-inventing the wheel. I'm guessing there's a better preamp for a steel than this one (designed for acoustic use). It would be nice if it was compact and simple and cheap. What do you suggest?

Larry Bell · From: Englewood, Florida

I think it depends on what kind of power amp you're using. I put them into three categories (please excuse my absence of proper electronics terminology)

I. Newer SS Amps
e.g., the Nashville 1000 and others
Tend to sound sterile on their own. As you say, some players seem to be able to add warmth with their technique, but I find a tube preamp (there are several that work fine) tends to soften and warm up the sound of this type of amp.

II. Older SS Amps
I have two examples, a mid-70s Session 400 and a pair of 1970 Standels that sound as tubelike as many tube amps I've played through. You can actually get a bit of that round, warm distortion you get from a tube amp. I find no need to add anything to those amps -- other than a bit of reverb and delay.

III. Tube Amps
e.g., Fender Twin or Vibro(a)sonic
These sound great at medium volume, but often don't give enough clean power for my needs -- AND they are heavier than I like. Clearly, a tube amp would not need its sound to be 'warmed up'.

I find the MosValve with a tube pre to be a good combo for large venues (which I rarely play anymore) or outside gigs. Most everything else I can handle with one or both of my Standels. FWIW, that's what works well for me. I think the preamp need is highly dependent on the power amp you're using.

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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 2000 Fessenden S-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps

David Doggett · Posted 25 Mar 2003 1:59 pm

Dirk, what kind of volume pedal do you use, and if it is a pot pedal, do you use a Matchbox or any other kind of preamp between the pickup and the pedal? When I added a Matchbox in front of my Goodrich pot pedal it shifted my whole tone toward the lower end and improved the mids to warm things up considerably (on any amp). From reading about this on the Forum it seems almost any kind of preamp improves the tone of a pot volume pedal, but electronic pedals like the Hilton don't need this. This is not to say you don't need a more elaborate preamp to give tube warmth. But if you don't have a Matchbox, adding one (or switching to a pedal that doesn't need one) might make your preamp sound even better.

Larry Bell · From: Englewood, Florida

That's interesting, Dave
Most folks find that the highs and high mids are cleaned up and slightly enhanced when a matchbox is added. Are you using a matchbox with a tone control? Could that be where the lows are coming from?

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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 2000 Fessenden S-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps

David Doggett · Posted 25 Mar 2003 5:19 pm

Well, here's my Matchbox story. I never knew what they were good for until I recently read about them on the Forum. So I ordered one from Bobbe Seymour. When I added it between my Fessy S12U and my Goodrich pot volume pedal (played through a Nashville 400), not only did it give me better highs at low volume as advertised, but it also shifted my whole tone to better mids and lows at any volume. Previously I had my presence and treble way down, my mid near straight up, and my bass close to all the way up to get acceptable tone, but with the Matchbox (7A, tone control straight up) suddenly I could put all the amp controls straight up and have great tone that stayed balanced at any volume. In other words, not only did it give me highs at lower volume, it expanded and balanced my tone range in all directions at all volumes. Go figure.

Same thing for my Peavey Transtube amp head (played through a 15" JBL). This amp is not voiced for steel and I had been playing through it with the bass all the way up, the mid only 1/4 up and the treble and presence all the way down, and still the tone was shrill. But with the Matchbox, I could put the tone controls all straight up and adjust with the Matchbox tone control to between 11 and 12 o'clock.

So I would never again play a pot volume pedal without a Matchbox. And I consider it a little irresponsible for people to sell those things without a Matchbox or something else that does the same thing. Now the pot pedal is getting uneven and scratchy, so it'll be relegated to backup and I've ordered a Hilton. As soon as Bobbe's mail catches up to his move to new digs I should be getting my new Hilton.

Now I got no excuse for bad tone but my own hands and ears, and they seem completely capable of giving me tone as bad as you could ever want.

Jack Francis · From: Queen Creek, Arizona, USA

Dirk
I had never used a pre-amp till I tried one just recently...See my thread "Killer Amp"
I'm sold on 'em.

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