Just a general vote,
I'm not looking for the logical, "well it really depends on the bass, your strings, style ect. "
But just what is "the most desirable Pre?
Free free to through out factory pre's as well Wal? MM? ????
For me its the two band Smith pre. Anyone else?
You want "the" most desirable preamp? Well it really depends on the bass, your strings, style etc.
I presume you are talking about pres that go inside the bass...
BUT, given that, my vote goes to John East preamps because he does have them in different styles etc. Jazz, MM, etc. and they are not just what I judge to be the most modern and reliable electronic designs, but ALSO someone (John East, I presume) has actually taken time to listen to them BEFORE they started selling them and has them voiced to FIT the various basses they are for. Pretty impressive in my humble opinion.
Ahem. But be sure to take your wallet if you want one!
I don't vote for Smith. I have a Smith bass and the pre is nice sounding and working, BUT electronic design has several mistakes in it. The worst one was mounting the modular circuit boards ONLY by the pot terminals. Which (of course) caused the (special) pot to snap in two. High school design.
And by FAR the WORST electronics around is the stuff they jam into a GNL L2x00 bass. Full of high school design from start to finish. Even though it's been "upgraded" (original amp has been discontinued) and made smaller (which helps since it's not mounted) most of the bad design remains. Cripes and it's only a "highs booster" anyway!
Two honorable mentions are whatever it is Sam Ash has built inside my Carlo Robelli 8 string (doubled) bass. That cheapo three bander is hands down one of the best sounding preamps I've got, even though the bass is a piece of crap.
The other is the preamp in my Conklin Bill Dickens 7 stringer. It wins the prize for most complex bass circuit on the planet. Electronics is pretty standard construction, but MAN can you tweak your tone! There is a HOST of knobs and switches top side as well as a bunch of trimpots in the cavity. If you are a knobophobe don't even THINK of going near one of these!
