Sweeneythebass Posted January 6, 2022 Share Posted January 6, 2022 Anyone tried one of these ? Came across one on Reverb just now, £650 it’s a 4 valve pre-amp in a pedal, based on the Monique. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted January 6, 2022 Share Posted January 6, 2022 I wondered why the pedal looked so much like a 54 P-bass and then realised the enormous photo was actually your signature! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweeneythebass Posted January 7, 2022 Author Share Posted January 7, 2022 Ha! Didn’t even realise that was on there or that anyone could see it! Any info on the Jules Simone? 21 hours ago, Happy Jack said: I wondered why the pedal looked so much like a 54 P-bass and then realised the enormous photo was actually your signature! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 I imagine you've already seen this: 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweeneythebass Posted January 7, 2022 Author Share Posted January 7, 2022 Just now, Happy Jack said: I imagine you've already seen this: Yes ! Sounds awesome! I was just wondering if anyone had any experience with it over 3-6 months or gigging/recording with. I was about to sell my current preamp pedal and eq to raise funds but looks like someone has bought it as can no longer find the listing on reverb. Lucky sod Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 It's clearly a lovely pedal and produces some lovely sounds ... but £650 for an overdrive? I play 70/80 paid gigs a year and my entire bass rig isn't worth that much! Like every other bass player I can't resist buying still more pedals, each of which is sure to make me sound utterly God-like. And when I listen to live recordings from my gigs, even I can't hear changes of settings, sometimes I can't even hear when I stomp in a new FX. Worst of all, when I DO hear an improvement and think 'Wow!', after 30 seconds I can't hear that any more ... my ears have re-set to the new sound and it sounds like, well, bass. If you want it and you can afford it then why not? Buy it. I want it and I can afford it but I'm still not going to buy one! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reggaebass Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 Really nice looking thing, how would this compare with the Noble 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweeneythebass Posted January 7, 2022 Author Share Posted January 7, 2022 1 hour ago, Happy Jack said: It's clearly a lovely pedal and produces some lovely sounds ... but £650 for an overdrive? I play 70/80 paid gigs a year and my entire bass rig isn't worth that much! Like every other bass player I can't resist buying still more pedals, each of which is sure to make me sound utterly God-like. And when I listen to live recordings from my gigs, even I can't hear changes of settings, sometimes I can't even hear when I stomp in a new FX. Worst of all, when I DO hear an improvement and think 'Wow!', after 30 seconds I can't hear that any more ... my ears have re-set to the new sound and it sounds like, well, bass. If you want it and you can afford it then why not? Buy it. I want it and I can afford it but I'm still not going to buy one! It’s the four tubes in a pedal form that make me think ‘I need one if those’ I don’t think there’s another preamp pedal with four? I’m not really looking for overdrive but old school valve warmth for recording and live. Still do I need it - no. Do I want it -Yes. I agree it’s expensive but it’s hand built In California. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 Every time I listen to a pre-amp demo I always think the bass sounds better before they switch it on! 6 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reggaebass Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 I don’t like overdrive or distortion in what I play but I do like the valve warmth 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
three Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 I'm sure that this is a very well designed and beautifully built unit (my communications with Jule have convinced me that he's an extremely talented and very lovely guy), though it reminds me of why - after years and years of trying very many high-end valve pres - I really prefer their SS counterparts. The saturation, compression and drive doesn't work for me - and I realise I'm probably in a minority. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 I used to have a Monique. It did things to the sound that nothing else I have found does. The saturation it delivered made my bass sound 3D. And this was while A/Bing it in the same room as a Demeter Pre and and Avalon U5. They each had their merits, but the Monique was the one for me at the time. I believe that the Simone is designed to do the same thing. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 7 hours ago, Happy Jack said: It's clearly a lovely pedal and produces some lovely sounds ... but £650 for an overdrive? Worst of all, when I DO hear an improvement and think 'Wow!', after 30 seconds I can't hear that any more ... my ears have re-set to the new sound and it sounds like, well, bass. It is so much more than an overdrive. It is a lovely, lovely front end. But yeah, that resetting thing. I know it and it makes me sad. It has guided my gear choices quite radically in the past 5 years. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 1 minute ago, Owen said: It is so much more than an overdrive. It is a lovely, lovely front end. But yeah, that resetting thing. I know it and it makes me sad. It has guided my gear choices quite radically in the past 5 years. And how many high-end preamps have I bought from you over the years? 😂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 3 minutes ago, Happy Jack said: And how many high-end preamps have I bought from you over the years? 😂 Not as many as I have in my Logic track full of different preamps. many of which are very lovely with fine detail and stuff. Until Mr Drums (and it always is Mr) appears. Or the Guitarmageddon happens. Or, frankly, the mix engineer gets in there and does the eq and compression for the track thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E sharp Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 What Pre amps do you have in your rack Owen? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Passinwind Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 57 minutes ago, Owen said: I used to have a Monique. It did things to the sound that nothing else I have found does. The saturation it delivered made my bass sound 3D. And this was while A/Bing it in the same room as a Demeter Pre and and Avalon U5. They each had their merits, but the Monique was the one for me at the time. I believe that the Simone is designed to do the same thing. I've only heard the Simone prototype that was in the NAMM booth I worked at in 2020. We had a Monique in the same booth in 2018 as well. I think Jule reworked Simone a good bit after that show, and we were also using different power amps and maybe cabs with each preamp. They were both cool but the Monique was really in another time zone for me, as it should be given the price difference. Jule is super cool and just a great guy to hang out with in any case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 44 minutes ago, E sharp said: What Pre amps do you have in your rack Owen? By now a Hellborg preamp and a Sadowsky floor unit. But I have had to try them all. 28 minutes ago, Passinwind said: but the Monique was really in another time zone for me I have not played through a Simone. But the Monique was very, very lovely. I no longer own it because I cannot play without earplugs. So any of that luscious detail is lost on me. I like other people, but not enought to treat them to a fabulous thing they would not notice becuase of Mr Drummer and the Guitarmageddon. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Passinwind Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 7 minutes ago, Owen said: I have not played through a Simone. But the Monique was very, very lovely. I no longer own it because I cannot play without earplugs. So any of that luscious detail is lost on me. I like other people, but not enought to treat them to a fabulous thing they would not notice becuase of Mr Drummer and the Guitarmageddon. I can totally relate to that even though earlpug gigs are far in the rear view mirror for me. I built a pretty sweet rack tube preamp several years ago at great expense but just never ended up taking it out on very many gigs, and eventually I traded it out and built a compact solid state amp that sounds 97% as good and stopped sweating that last three percent. 😉 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krispn Posted January 16, 2022 Share Posted January 16, 2022 I’m a former Monique owner too but I had the M700 amp version. It really is a lovely unit and it’s not just about drive and saturation. At lower gain levels it really is a lovely front end and once you do start to wind it up it remains pleasing to the ear if that the the sound you like. The beauty in the Monique and from the demo’s I’ve heard of Simone give that full rich quality which when you’re noodling just sounds the way you’d expect a clean tube preamp to sound. I learned a long time ago I love a warm, clean tube sound rather than a tubby saturation which you’d normally associate with tube front end. Tube power amp break up is a world apart from a 12AX7 stuck in a preamp and often is a marketing device but when it’s been designed from the ground up and it suddenly becomes a much more integral part of the signal chain and does impart its character. I’m currently playing into a tube di with transformer/tubes and it’s doing that warm full sound which might not get noticed by many others but is very enjoyable as a starting point and I’m really looking forward to using it on a gig soon- likely iem with just the DI/eq pedal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.