SWR350x with Sadowsky Outbox Preamp DI

[Haroldus]

Playing a Fender Jazz Bass (New American Standard) I want to overdrive the first tube stage in de SWR 350x. Because the bass is passive I need a preamp for that.

Is the Sadowsky Outbox Preamp DI powerful enough to do that? Has anyone experience with this?

[gillento]

2 things:

-I am not sure if the SWR tube "CAN" be overdriven.

-The Sadowsky preamp might not be the right device: When the master pot is cranked and the bass and treble controls are in neutral position, there is barley or even none boost at all. So the boost has to be done using the bass/treble boost controls only.... limiting your eq options

I think something like the Xotic Bass RC booster might be better suited to this. It provides more gain (than unity gain) and has dedicated gain and voume controls (+ bass & treble boost/cut)

[Haroldus]

Thanks. This is what the SWR 350x manual says about that:

"If you would like to overdrive the first TUBE stage, this can be accomplished by using an external preamp between your instrument and the Passive/Active input. To obtain optimum sound when trying this, make sure the preamp clip LED is not activated. If this occurs, turn down your Gain control until the LED does not light. The first preamp tube stage is NOT monitored by the preamp clip circuit for this reason."

[Jim Carr]

I might use a Tech21 ParaDI for clean boost. It also gives you a parametric mid-range, Hi and Low EQ, and a variety of in/out features. It also has a blendable/defeatable tube overdrive emulation.

[gillento]

Originally Posted by Jim Carr

I might use a Tech21 ParaDI for clean boost. It also gives you a parametric mid-range, Hi and Low EQ, and a variety of in/out features. It also has a blendable/defeatable tube overdrive emulation.

Yes, of course!

Or the VT Bass is definitely an option!