Will a Fodera outboard preamp help my mediocre jazz bass?

[AndyMania]

Was thinking about buying a Fodera outboard preamp. I already put EMG pickups in my MIK jazz bass, bought a Markbass Little Mark 3 amp and an Epifani UL 112 cabinet (300 watt). Would the Fodera pre really help me get a more Foderaish sound from my bass? Or would it be a waste of money?

[Rick Auricchio]

Maybe.

Since we don't know 1) What your bass sounds like and 2) What you want to hear, we can't help much at all.

If possible, try out a few outboard preamps---of any brand---to see if they make a noticeable difference. If they don't get you closer to your goal, then the Fodera probably won't help.

It's almost a guarantee that a Fodera preamp will not make your bass sound like a Fodera. Most of the characteristic sound of a bass starts at the instrument. It's a combination of wood, neck attachment, pickups, and electronics.

If that weren't the case, we'd all be playing the same bass. Nobody would be able to make a different-sounding instrument.

[Munjibunga]

Maybe.

I've been using one with my acoustic-electric in my acoustic trio, and it gets a noticeably better sound in that application than any other of my stompbox preamps (Sadowsky, Aguilar, Radial, EBS, MXR, SansAmp, Eden ... pretty much everything.). That's not to say that it will do the same for your electric, but it's definitely my favorite among those listed. It's a bit pricey, but it has a nice, creamy sound across the spectrum without any bottom-end mush. If you've got the coin to spare, I'd give it a shot.

BTW, the outboard preamp is not the same one as the ones in their basses. That's what Mike Pope told me. Similar, but not the same.

If you want to spend about half the money, I've also been very happy with my SansAmp ParaDriver DI.