Preamp Question

[PlanetEarth]

Just curious, not much of a gear-head, just play... Is there any advantage in the on-board pre-amps in just the circuitry alone. In that I mean, I almost never grab for a tone control, my on-board stuff is flat with the a little roll toward the rear pickup, and, my amp itself, same thing, just all flat. I find I can get all the tone I need from my hands, the inflection and position, etc.... So again, given that, is there any advantage to one preamp versus another with respect to its "flat' sound???

[LightGroove]

Hey Planet,

I think I understand your question. If not my apologies. I think a few preamps have been discussed in the Roscoe forums. My understanding is that the Audere and Glock have been discussed as being the most transparent when set flat. Meaning you get the bass with no "preamp" coloring. I believe the Bart and Aguilar have been discussed to color the basses slightly with there own respective flavors. As far as one being better then the other ....well I think its all a matter of taste. Check out the most recent post of the Glock Delano setup a few posts down. You'll see various thoughts and opinions. There are also recommended pre's for recommended tone woods.. The Gard father can get you steered in the right direction re"gard"ing that ...

Hope this helps...er that I understood you ok

[bongomania]

No preamp is completely, 100% transparent, no matter what they claim. And many are far from transparent. So the dis/advantage between them is in whether the inherent coloration suits you. Beyond that are the obvious differences of different frequency points on the EQ, cut/boost vs. cut-only, and number of EQ bands. Much less obvious is that many preamps have a passive blend for the pickups, while only a few have an active blend.

[Shiveringbass]

In my opinion, it is just a matter of philosophy.

Some thinks that the preamp is part of the tone building. You chose that pre that brings the colour you like for your tone.
For instence, the Bart preamp, even set flat brings a strong low-mid, compressed voice.

Others, like me, thinks that the pre, when set flat, should be as transparent as possible to start from. I think it is easier to build a certain tone when you start from something linear.

Regards

Ludo

[PlanetEarth]

Thx 4 the comments all. That did answer my question: as "Shiveringbass" stated, "the pre, when set flat, should be as transparent as possible", I have to agree completely and from what I'm reading varies from one pre to the next.