Aguilar OBP-3 vs. Audere Z Mode

manoverboard_21 · #1 09-04-2007, 05:44 AM

Im trying to decide which preamp to get.The preamp will either go into my Stingray 5 or my Ibanez P/J with Quarter Pounders.I can get an Audere Z for the price of an Aguilar OBP-3.Which is better??

bassman74 · #2 09-04-2007, 05:47 AM

I have both in my bases and i would say that if your a rock player i would go with the Aguilar and if your playing jazz type of music i would go audere. The audere is more precise a little more detailed compare to the aguilar. The Aguilar is very nice and can have a little more grind.

manoverboard_21 · #3 09-04-2007, 07:46 AM

Which one has more bass and which is cleaner??

CElton · #4 09-04-2007, 07:53 AM

They Audere is very clean and will give you what your pick ups produce. I can not speak for the Aggy but their rep is very good as you know. The Audere might be considered more flexible with the Z mode switch which I like.

Good luck...

00Funk · #5 09-04-2007, 08:03 AM

I have audere w/quarter-pounders. Sounds fabulous.

manoverboard_21 · #6 09-04-2007, 08:05 AM

Well I can get a brand new OBP3 for 100 or a used Audere Z 4 band eq for 125.Which a better deal??

brandonwong · #7 09-04-2007, 09:07 AM

I personally have tried and still have the audere and have used a lot of john east retro units.

I always had to max out the bass... and turn up the mids to have more bass. It does have a very organic sound compared with aguilar or retro preamps tho.

I do a lot of jazz gigs but still find the retro units more musical and flexible in my context.

JAUQO III-X · #8 09-04-2007, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brandonwong

I always had to max out the bass... and turn up the mids to have more bass. It does have a very organic sound compared with aguilar or retro preamps tho.

If you're referring to the Audere pre, my experience with the Audere pre is that you can get a lot of bass from it and still have room for more if you want.

If one wants to add more bass and run out of head room just dial in more bass from the module inside the Audere pre.

brandonwong · #9 09-04-2007, 09:35 AM

So far my experience with it is i can't get as much bass as i want. Even from a new nordy that just arrived with a passive tone and from an older module preamp.

Guess we all have our differences in tone.

And of cos it depends on what bass we using.
I never need as much bass from my 70s basses. All i need is to turn down the passive knob by half and thats the tone i want.

My F basses need a little more, and turning down the passive tone isn't as full sounding as my fenders.

Crabby · #10 09-04-2007, 09:41 AM

I have an OBP-3 installed in my Yamaha BBN5 with passive soapbars. The pre amp was a nice improvement and having it wired to 18v gives unlimited headroom.

I find that I usually play with all controls set flat and just use the blend control to add a little more bridge pickup.

The bass control is ungodly powerful and the mid control is also quite useable. The treble control adds a nice sparkle with almost no hiss.

It really is a nice preamp. I don't think you could go wrong.

manoverboard_21 · #11 09-04-2007, 08:05 PM

I've decided to put the Audere in my Ibanez and put the OBP-3 in one of my Stingray 5s.Thanks for your help guys!!

rc_1manband · #12 09-05-2007, 11:14 PM

I've had a little experience with both. Learning the Aguilar and like someone said earlier, it will provide a lot more punch but and some clarity. The Audere preamp will fill a more diverse tonal pallette.

Johno Dunn · #13 10-19-2007, 06:09 PM

Manoverboard, did you get the pre's in? I'm trying to decide between these two for my Ibanez RD500. What are your thoughts on the two?

Johno!

4Mal · #14 10-19-2007, 06:42 PM

The thing with Audere is that you still hear your bass. It doesn't sound like an Audere in the way that an OPB-3 sounds like .. an Aguillar. The z-mode thing is so happening.

L-1329 · #15 10-20-2007, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4Mal

The thing with Audere is that you still hear your bass. It doesn't sound like an Audere in the way that an OPB-3 sounds like .. an Aguillar. The z-mode thing is so happening.

Wow, I have a completely opposite view. I have OBP-3's in two basses, an Audere 3Z in one and two with the Bart 3 band. In both OBP-3 basses, set flat and switching between active and bypass, there is zero difference ion tone. That pre is as non-existent as they come when flat, more so than the Audere although that is pretty close as well. The Z modes really change that though, it doesn't sound near like the bass in passive in all Z modes. The OBP does have an overpowered bass control, but it's high control is much better and less noisy than the Audere. Also, I learned, through Bud LeCompte who was building my Audere bass, that the 3Z pre's need to have pickups with an additional ground wire to the pole pieces or else they will generate a lot of bad hiss noise, which mine did. He also said that Nordstrand is now including that extra ground ontheir pickups. Something to think about when installing an Audere, that is not a concern with the Aggie.

I'm currently debating which of the two to use in my P/J project I have underway. They both have their strong points, and are both very good. I'm kind of leaning towards the Audere, but mainly because my current P/J has an OBP-3. Tough choice!