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Topic: Question about tube preamp pedals? |
Ron Whitworth
From:
Yuma,Ariz.USA Yeah they say it's a DRY heat !!
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Posted 24 Aug 2019 12:21 pm |
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Hello Everyone;
I was wondering if anyone has made a tube preamp pedal
that can come close to the Alembic rackmount preamp.
They sound really good & close to the Fender amp sounds but
getting tired of hauling a rack around.
Have any of you ( that love the Fender tube amp sounds )
come across a tube preamp pedal that will get close to that sound?
Let me know what you suggest.
Thanks … Ron
_________________
"Tone is in the hands. Unless your wife will let you buy a new amp. Then it's definitely in that amp."
We need to turn the TWANG up a little
It's not what you play through, it's what you play through it.
They say that tone is all in the fingers...I say it is all in your head 
Some of the best pieces of life are the little pieces all added up..Ron
the value of friendship. Old friends shine like diamonds, you can always call them and - most important - you can't buy them. |
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David Ball
From:
North Carolina High Country
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Posted 24 Aug 2019 12:38 pm
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There's a company called Frog Pedals that makes a DIY circuit board as well as an assembled pedal based on the Alembic F2B preamp. I've not played through one of the pre assembled pedals, but they look nice (and should--they're about $450). I've used a preamp built on one of his DIY boards, and it's very good. They run high voltage on the tube, and do the Fender thing very well.
Another option isn't a pedal, but it's a very small chassis. That is the Frenzel preamp--about $375 and has both a "Fender" and "Marshall" channel. Same basic circuit again as the Alembic. I've had a couple of these, and they're good handmade point to point wired amps. Comes as a rack mount (which is what you're trying to avoid) or a small standard chassis--12x8 footprint. Very old school.
Hope this helps.
Dave |
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Douglas Schuch
From:
Valencia, Philippines
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Posted 24 Aug 2019 4:26 pm
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I am not a tube guy, so I if I'm totally off-base, just say so and I will go away. But it seems that from what I have read, the key in a pre-amp/tube amp pedal/buffer is for the tube to be running at high voltage. I know both the Sarno Black Box and the Milkman "The Amp" do this. Now, I know this is only a small part of what makes up the Fender amp sound, but it's the important first step, I think. So seems that might be a logical place to start if you want tube tone in a smaller, lighter package.
I've never used a Black Box, but I own a Milkman "The Amp" and really like it. It can be a stand-alone amp or a pre-amp.
Next idea would be the Sarno V8 Octal pre-amp. It looks a bit more compact than a rack mount, and is patterned on amp circuits of the 60's. I have no experience with it, but is worth investigating. The discription says it is not meant for a distorted tube tone, but for clean tone. It's slightly larger than the Milkman, which is, of course a bit larger than a standard pedal, although neither seems cumbersome to carry around. Obviously, the more tubes, and the largerr they are, the bigger the box.
Maybe Tim or Brad will be inspired and come up with a pedal size device that fits somewhere between the Black Box and The Amp in size and function.
_________________
Bringing steel guitar to the bukid of Negros Oriental! |
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Godfrey Arthur
From:
3rd Rock
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Posted 24 Aug 2019 7:36 pm
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Two Notes made this: "Le Clean" pedal:
https://youtu.be/osNLJmBKh0Y
You can get them at Sweetwater, B&H Photovideo and others.
About 3 Benjamins!
_________________
ShoBud The Pro 1
YES it's my REAL NAME!
Ezekiel 33:7 |
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Ron Whitworth
From:
Yuma,Ariz.USA Yeah they say it's a DRY heat !!
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Posted 25 Aug 2019 12:14 pm
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Hello All;
David - Thanks for the info on those 2 - I had heard of the amp maker but never heard of the pedal builder.
Thanks for your response.
Douglas - Yes you are correct about the high voltage is
what I have been told also. Brad gear is very nice & I am sure would do a great job but I wanted
to find something smaller if possible. Thanks for your response.
Godfrey - Yes, I had seen that pedal on the internet & will check into that. Thanks for your response.
I am still searching and looking - anyone else have any more comments ????
Thanks .. Ron
_________________
"Tone is in the hands. Unless your wife will let you buy a new amp. Then it's definitely in that amp."
We need to turn the TWANG up a little
It's not what you play through, it's what you play through it.
They say that tone is all in the fingers...I say it is all in your head
Some of the best pieces of life are the little pieces all added up..Ron
the value of friendship. Old friends shine like diamonds, you can always call them and - most important - you can't buy them. |
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Jerry Erickson
From:
Atlanta,IL 61723
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Posted 25 Aug 2019 6:27 pm
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| Mesa Boogie used to make the V Twin pedal. I owned one at one time(2000-2002) and it worked pretty good for steel. |
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Tim Marcus
From:
San Francisco, CA
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John Sluszny
From:
Brussels, Belgium
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Posted 26 Aug 2019 10:28 am
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Tim,
Any sound clip with pedal steel guitar somewhere ? Thanks ! |
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Marty Holmes
From:
Magnolia ,TX USA
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Posted 26 Aug 2019 10:46 am
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| John look on Tim's website or YouTube there is a post of a pp Emmons.Marty |
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John Sluszny
From:
Brussels, Belgium
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Steve Lipsey
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 26 Aug 2019 5:42 pm
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And with The Amp as a preamp....you don't need an amp, because the backend puts out 50 watts...and it sounds delicious...I do go right from my The Amp to a P.A. now and then...(has XLR line level, pedal out, and headphone out, along with the speaker out...
_________________
https://www.lostsailorspdx.com
Williams S10s, Milkman Pedal Steel Mini & "The Amp"
Ben Bonham Resos, 1954 Oahu Diana, 1936 Oahu Parlor |
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Ken Morgan
From:
Midland, Texas, USA
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Posted 27 Aug 2019 7:55 am
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Don’t rule out the now Jurassic BlueTube II made by BKButler...single rack space, superlative sounds, can be found on the cheap
_________________
67 Shobud Blue Darling III, scads of pedals and such, more 6 strings than I got room for
Ken Morgan
Midland, TX |
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Charley Paul
From:
California, USA
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Posted 20 Sep 2019 6:23 am
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| Not sure if you are still looking, but I would highly recommend the Ethos Clean pedal by Custom Tones. It’s not tube, but I have played it next to a few tube preamp pedals and always think the ethos sounds better. There is an output that has an analog speaker sim, as well as a regular output. You can use it in place of an amp if you are going direct, or use it in front of an amp as a glorified EQ pedal. It does not have a power amp, only a preamp. I love mine. It has quite a bit of eq options, as well as a hi cut and presence knob, making it great for psg. |
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Brad Richard
From:
Chisago City, Minnesota
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Posted 20 Sep 2019 10:37 am
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| Don't know if this is relevant,but over on the 'new product announcement' board they're talking up a storm about the new fender Tone Master twin reverb. Might do everything you want. |
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Ken Metcalf
From:
San Antonio Texas USA
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Posted 20 Sep 2019 10:47 am
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Not a tube but very good sounding.
I have this and am very happy with it,
I think b0b uses one.
Q Strip Tech21
http://www.tech21nyc.com/products/effects/q-strip/
_________________
MSA 12 String E9th/B6th Universal.
Little Walter PF-89.
Bunch of stomp boxes |
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Ron Whitworth
From:
Yuma,Ariz.USA Yeah they say it's a DRY heat !!
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Posted 20 Sep 2019 7:45 pm
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Hello Everyone;
My Thanks to all of you who have answered on this thread.
I am still experimenting around & I am looking at several different pedals.
Thanks & I will take every answer into consideration
as I sift thru the several mentioned pedals.
Thanks to everyone for taking the time to voice their suggestions & opinions.
I appreciate it very much!
Thanks … Ron
_________________
"Tone is in the hands. Unless your wife will let you buy a new amp. Then it's definitely in that amp."
We need to turn the TWANG up a little
It's not what you play through, it's what you play through it.
They say that tone is all in the fingers...I say it is all in your head
Some of the best pieces of life are the little pieces all added up..Ron
the value of friendship. Old friends shine like diamonds, you can always call them and - most important - you can't buy them. |
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Charley Paul
From:
California, USA
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Posted 22 Sep 2019 6:04 am
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| In addition to the Ethos Clean, I can also second the Tech 21 QStrip. It is not modeled after an amp, but rather a console channel strip. It sounds great, has a built in DI as well as 1/4 inch and parallel outs, and can run off of 9V or phantom power. It’s a very nice pedal. Never tried it on steel, but have used it as a preamp for my Martin D18 and my banjo live. It’s also got a ground lift to deal with wonky power situations. |
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Charley Paul
From:
California, USA
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Posted 22 Sep 2019 6:06 am
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| ....and I also am remembering that the Tech 21 FlyRig is also great. Built in Fender amp simulation, overdrive, delay and reverb. Built in DI. Tiny and of excellent quality.... |
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