valve preamp!

MAMMOTHvolume · #1 08-21-2009, 10:57 AM

i've been working on a valve preamp to put into a bass for a while now and i've finally settled on a design i like that sounds great and is reliable.

it uses one a russian 1zh1zb valve as the preamp, and currently i've only got it wired up with a volume pot for each pick up but i may add a tone control later on but as is i think it sound great without.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...e=STRK:MEWNX:IT

i got around the problem of battery drain by powering it via a stereo cable which means it has to be powered via a floor box (kind've like phantom power but using a 1/4 cable) but the added bonus is you can have a DI etc in this floor box aswell i have a DI and valve buffered effects loop in mine, sounds great!

clips to come soon when soundclick stops faffing about.

and some pictures of the cheapo 30pounds bass i put the preamp into!

and the valve itself - exscuse the wiring its not the neatest i've done.

vin*tone · #2 08-21-2009, 04:22 PM

Interesting.
But if it needs the floor box..... why not just wire it all in there?
What circuit did you use?

throbgod13 · #3 08-21-2009, 04:59 PM

have someone route out a space on the bass, and use a rechargeable battery pack from an RC car.. then make a small break out panel on the edge of the bass..

you might as well install a USB output too..

MAMMOTHvolume · #4 08-22-2009, 06:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vin*tone

Interesting.
But if it needs the floor box..... why not just wire it all in there?
What circuit did you use?

well the floor box only has to be big enough for two jacks and a power input so if you use pedals anyway it's not going to be that much of a huge difference, in my floor box i've put a di and valve buffered effects loop which has doubled the usefulness of it.

the main reason i wanted to do it though was to put a valve in a bass.

its essentially a generic pentode stage / buffer and a voltage doubler to get about 60v which the valve needs for the anode.