What is the best preamp?

[swat8426]

Hello guys,

I'm still looking for preamps to install my bass.

I'm using Alleva Coppolo pickups with Custom Jazz Bass.

I was using Aguilar OBP-3, Glockenklang, Delano.


But Delano is not a best match for my bass.
Cause it has some nosie with my pickups


OBP-3 was low gain.
But in this case, I think, It was 9V.
Active/Passive sounds were both low gain.

So, If i returning to OBP, I will using it 18V.


Glockenklang was not fit in my bass.

Also i looking Audure, It is not seem to support passive mode.


So, I consider

Nordstrand 3Band (Tone Control Available)
Aguilar OBP-3 (It is like safe sound.)
Noll (But i didn't heard about this preamp.)

or Others.



What is the best for me?
Vote please.

 

[rojo412]

I vote John East. IMO, they are the best ever.

 

[Badwater]

That's a difficult choice. They all are great preamps, but they all have their own voice. Add the variables of pickups, wiring, pot selection, pickup placement/location, and type of guitar, makes choosing one over the others very complicated. The only way, I would know which is "The Best" is if I had time to work with each set up on my bass, and then it would be only the best for me.

 

[line6man]

It's like asking "What is the best car?" A pickup truck driver is going to have a different opinion than an SUV driver. If you are a sedan driver, then neither person's opinion is going to be worth a damn. The better question is "What is the best car for my needs?," followed by a listing of your needs.

 

[wcriley]

OBP-3 was low gain.
But in this case, I think, It was 9V.
Active/Passive sounds were both low gain.

So, If i returning to OBP, I will using it 18V.

I've always preferred an onboard preamp with unity gain.
The preamp should have no effect on passive sound. (And there can't be any "gain" in passive mode.)
Running at 18 Volts won't increase the preamp's gain.

 

[Hellzero]

The best preamp to date is certainly the Mike Pope Flexcore, not cheap at all, but more transparent than the John East (and even better than the Glockenklang which is already a must for transparency) and you can get it in 4 bands and lots of configurations for the (quite) same price at BBG...

I've tried almost everything on the market and if you are looking for the best, the Flexcore is the one.

The East preamps are a good option too, but they all do compress your signal, the new Uni-Pre is way far better on this point but still miles away from Glockenklang or Mike Pope.

The Audere is also terrific, but a bit too hi-fi.

Noll and Richter are in the same league : low mid signature.

The EBS P2 was a must too, but is out of production.

If you can find an Aries Solfegio, it's on the ultra top league with the best treble sound (no hiss, no harshness) and ve4y well chosen frequencies.

Ask me if you have some preamps in mind, I surely know them...

 

[Dan Robbins]

I had the John East preamp but I was never really happy with the sound. It was kind of muddy to me and the passive switching options didn't work very well for me.

I always loved sweepable mids but in reality I'd end up tweaking way too much and it got in the way of playing.

Now I am happy with having two or three midrange frequencies to select from. I usually just keep it at the 800 Hz default.

The four band music man bongo preamp is amazing and I wish I could buy one of those by itself.

I have not tried the mike pope preamps but a four band sounds awesome in theory. At this point in my life after 25 years of playing and making my entire living with music, I think sweep ability is a distraction and would rather just have selection.

My favorite currently is still the Aguiar OBP three band. I modded it with a Single shaft push pull dual knob volume/pull passive/passive tone knob. In active mode the volume is very similar to passive mode with a flat EQ. Active mode extends the highs and lows. The passive mode seems a little more focused in the mid range actually and I am enjoying having so many options. I have this mated to a Nordstrand big single in the neck and a big blade in the bridge which is an incredible combination in my opinion.

By definition you will not have more gain with any preamp in passive mode.

If you want more gain in active mode I highly recommend the Nordstrand preamp. I put the two band in an Ibanez Gary Willis GW 35 with internal gain boost set to taste and that Bass came alive. Of course this extra internal gain will work against you if you want a passive mode with a similar volume.

I would love to try the mike pope preamp someday but for now I am really happy with the configuration I have.

 

[craigmack1979]

Hello guys,

I'm still looking for preamps to install my bass.

I'm using Alleva Coppolo pickups with Custom Jazz Bass.

I was using Aguilar OBP-3, Glockenklang, Delano.


But Delano is not a best match for my bass.
Cause it has some nosie with my pickups


OBP-3 was low gain.
But in this case, I think, It was 9V.
Active/Passive sounds were both low gain.

So, If i returning to OBP, I will using it 18V.


Glockenklang was not fit in my bass.

Also i looking Audure, It is not seem to support passive mode.


So, I consider

Nordstrand 3Band (Tone Control Available)
Aguilar OBP-3 (It is like safe sound.)
Noll (But i didn't heard about this preamp.)

or Others.



What is the best for me?
Vote please.

OBP low gain ?? Not in my Warwick it’s not ! As matter of fact I have to tone it down cause it’s so powerful . The bass the pre amp is going into makes diff too ! Gotta be ya bass bruh