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Post by Deleted on Aug 29, 2015 10:03:06 GMT
Hi ya all, I see many bassist have a preamp inside the bass but I wonder if that is necessary and if I could have it in form of a pedal (Lets say Digitech multi FX or multi FX Zoom) ? Also why is preamp necessary, what does it do to the sound? Do you always use preamp and why do you choose to do so? All and any info about preamps welcome Hit me with it!
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1,481 posts
Disclosures: Everything I don't like I can modify.
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Post by blablas on Aug 29, 2015 11:46:25 GMT
I've got basses with and without preamps, it is not necessary to have a preamp and you can just put one in a pedal-box, heck, you can even buy some in a pedal.
In principal they do the same to your sound as the tone knobs on your amplifier, the big advantage is that when you want to change your sound you don't have to run to your amp, the controls are almost directly under your fingertips.
Depending on the brand and type of preamp you can also get a higher output, most of the times you get less noise (hiss/hum) when using one. With a preamp you can get a cleaner more 'hifi' sound.
A preamp is not something you will absolutely need, it's just a tool to make your bass a bit more versatile.
Mostly you get what you pay for with these things so if you want one don't go for the (brandless) cheap ones, I've been there and done that (paperbag) , the only ones I know that perform way above the price you pay for them are the 2 band Artec ones, they are in the performance range of the EMG-BTC and Seymour Duncan preamps (for a third of their price).
Over here in Europe I prefer the Glockenklang ones, Noll is another brand that I like but only have experience with one type at the moment (more to come!). I also like Bartolini a lot but these are somehow difficult to obtain here in Europe, you can always order them from the US but import dues make them a lot more expensive than the European counterparts.
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Post by JAC on Aug 29, 2015 18:10:59 GMT
I also like artec, very cheap for the quality you get.
There are pros and cons to preamps as Blablas said, some prefer them, some don't. Personally I prefer my jazz and p basses passive, but I also have a p/j which is active.
The nice thing about a preamp in a pedal is that you can use the same preamp for multiple basses, but you loose the handyness of the controls.
It is also very easy to add a switch to bypass the preamp, so you can have the best of both worlds in one bass.
One word of warning, always unplug the cable from a bass that has a preamp when you are not using it, as it drains the battery.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 29, 2015 21:18:10 GMT
Ok, so thats why I love the sound of my Digitech RP70 and I just cant get that sound on my amp without the pedal. Ok, so I like that sound and I sure dont like hissing sounds of single coil pickups.
I dont feel like modding the bass itself (for now) but I could look into getting that "hi-fi" sound with a multi fx pedal which also has a preamp like the Digitech RP series. I dont know if Zoom multi fx pedals have a preamp?
By the way is it difficult to add a preamp to the bass guitar? (Im not that good at soldering).
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Post by Deleted on Aug 29, 2015 21:39:09 GMT
Its this Artec right? link
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1,481 posts
Disclosures: Everything I don't like I can modify.
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Post by blablas on Aug 29, 2015 22:19:40 GMT
That's exactly the one I already used several times.
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Post by JAC on Aug 29, 2015 22:45:46 GMT
You can also mount that Artec in a pedal if you want Che.
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