Rack mount power amp--pre amp driver.

[Keith Hilton]

Many of the big rack mount amps need a pre-amp to drive the input. Many people use powered mixer boards with preamps that drive the input of these big rack mount amps. I was told today that some pedals-- like the Fender 59 pedal-- has a preamp strong enough to drive the big rack mount amps. In that case the Fender 59 pedal's strong output could distort the input of Fender, Peavey, and Evans guitar amps-- that all have their own preamp. That might explain why some people get distortion using some of these newer pedals that have a tremendously strong preamp output. I was told that there are other pedals out there that can also output a really strong output, one that will drive the big rack mount amps. Does anyone know the names of other pedals that will distort normal amplifiers that have their own preamps?

[Ken Morgan]

I believe anything designed as a boost (Xotic, BBE, etc), most anything with 2-3 bands of tone control, Mesa guitar and bass preamp pedals…Ampeg…Quilter Interblock or Superblock…

Just about all of them that have an output knob I believe can seriously overdrive any subsequent preamp.