Pre Amp Pedals
Preamp pedals give you amp-style tone shaping and gain in a compact box, ideal for going direct, upgrading a simple backline or building a flexible fly rig. They often include EQ, DI outputs and cabinet-friendly voicings. Our Pre Amp Pedals range covers bass-focused designs like the Darkglass Vintage Ultra and Vintage Deluxe V2, studio-inspired tools such as the JHS Colour Box V2 and Greer Soma ’63, plus flexible preamp/boost options like the JHS Pulp N Peel V4, Jackson Audio Prism and Mojo Hand FX Speakeasy.
Showing 1–12 of 19 results
Showing 1–12 of 19 results
Pre Amp Pedals – Frequently Asked Questions
What does a preamp pedal do?
A preamp pedal acts like the front end of an amplifier in stompbox form. It shapes your tone with gain and EQ, often adding enough level to feed a power amp, recording interface or mixing desk. Many preamps, such as the Darkglass Vintage Ultra or JHS Colour Box V2, also include DI outputs, cab-sim or extra routing options so they can replace a traditional amp in some situations.
How are preamp pedals different from regular overdrives?
Preamp pedals usually offer more comprehensive tone shaping and output options than simple overdrives. While something like the Greer Soma ’63 can absolutely be used as an overdrive, it is voiced to emulate an entire amp circuit, not just a gain stage. Many preamps also provide balanced outputs, line-level capability and more advanced EQ, making them suitable for direct recording and live use without a big amp.
Can a preamp pedal replace my amplifier?
In many rigs, yes. Paired with a power amp, FRFR speaker, cab simulator or a quality DI, a preamp pedal can provide your core tone on stage and in the studio. Bass players often use pedals like the Darkglass Vintage Deluxe V2 or Vintage Ultra as their main “amp” sound, with the amp on stage simply acting as a monitor.
Where should I place a preamp pedal in my signal chain?
Preamp pedals typically sit towards the end of your board, after drives and modulation but before time-based effects if you are running into an amp’s effects return or a power amp. If you are using the preamp into the front of a clean amp, treat it like a primary drive/amp-in-a-box and place it where you would normally put your main overdrive.
What are some good preamp pedal options to consider?
For bass, the Darkglass Vintage Ultra and Vintage Deluxe V2 cover everything from clean warmth to driven tones. Guitarists looking for studio-style colour might choose the JHS Colour Box V2 or Soma ’63, while players wanting a flexible front-end boost and buffer could reach for the Jackson Audio Prism or Speakeasy.
