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Preamp, or eq, or gain control, or what?


randymussel
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Hi there,

This may be one of those questions that lots of people want asked but are afraid to themselves for fear of looking stupid, or just a stupid question. God bless the anonymity of the net for avoiding social embarassment for one's ignorance. Here goes:


What exactly constitutes a 'preamp'?


Thinking literally, is it just anything that I do to my signal before it gets to the power amp, so potentially my whole guitar tone pots - pedal board - input gain - eq setup?

Is it specifically a tone-shaping stage before it gets amplified, so I could just point to my (for example) Boss GEB-7 and ODB-3 and say that they comprise my pre-amp?

As far as I can tell it can be attached to the guitar, contained within a pedal, or the initial few knobs of the amp head, but what defines what is, and what is not, a preamp?

Thanks!

Edited by randymussel
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You're kinda right on all accounts as such. A pre amp is a signal booster that "heats up" the signal before the power amp gets it.

This could be the Active electronics in your bass, a pedal such as a DHA VT1 or Sansamp BDDi, or the input & tone section on your head (amp, not human).
Have a read at some of the pinned sections such as "Gain, Power & Volume", "Valve amp Vs Solid state amp", "DI Boxes & playing through the PA" & of course "The Wiki".

Edited to say "those topics are in the "Amps & Cabs" forum.

Edited by xgsjx
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