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Tone Monster SBK preamps? Anybody here use them?

#4
therhodeo said:
I'm interested myself. Got a bass with emg hz's and a cheap 2 band that I'd like to replace but the bass isn't worth throwing something expensive in.
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Most of the time "you get what you pay for", but we might be at that place where it's not necessarily so. CNC routers made production basses better and cheaper. Now machine-made circuit boards and easily available good components might just be making a good sounding preamp cheaper.

If this is so, I wonder when the big name preamp makers have to start lowering their prices?

I might just try one and see how it is - it's only $47.
 
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#8
Do it and let us know how it is. Like you said you will only be out your time and a shipping fees. Not a huge lose if not happy. I would like to hear your reviews. I am building a budget bass at the moment just for the reason you mentioned. Things are now cheaper to build and I don't care about a name only the end result.
 
#9
thebassbuilder said:
Do it and let us know how it is. Like you said you will only be out your time and a shipping fees. Not a huge lose if not happy. I would like to hear your reviews. I am building a budget bass at the moment just for the reason you mentioned. Things are now cheaper to build and I don't care about a name only the end result.
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I'll give it a shot.

Here's how my bass sounds right now with no preamp, for reference:

 
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#13
They are not cheap, that's for sure. If you are thinking of the filter style pre. The ACG are nice from what everyone says. I would like to test a filter style pre also but not sure I want to spend the money to not like it.
 
#18
therhodeo said:
I use a pre alot as I play direct 95% of the time so I should probably be more up for speding a little bit but my budget just doesn't allow for it.
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I've just found that in the mix it's hard to hear the differences between pre's and even between some pre settings. Audere pre's allow for active blending but the difference between both and a little either way wouldn't be noticed by the audience.
 
#19
Well it depends on the setting. With keys, 2 guitars, maybe a horn or 2 yeah it gets hard to hear different settings. When its me, an acoustic and a drummer playing with brushes things are a little more exposed. My other concern is noise.
 
#20
therhodeo said:
Well it depends on the setting. With keys, 2 guitars, maybe a horn or 2 yeah it gets hard to hear different settings. When its me, an acoustic and a drummer playing with brushes things are a little more exposed. My other concern is noise.
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Definitely. A TB'er here said that there wasn't any noise - just more headroom. I'm going to try one and report on it.
 
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