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 Need for a preamp/will effects units do it? 
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Post Re: Need for a preamp/will effects units do it?
Maybe it's time to mention this again. I make my own very simple and inexpensive preamps using the famous Tillman circuit.

http://www.till.com/articles/GuitarPreamp/

It sounds wonderful with a Stickup. It might be more like a buffer/booster than what we think of as a preamp. The cost of the parts is really low and it's very easy to make. The biggest cost for me was the box. The above page has a lot of information about electric guitar electronics, too.

This circuit is the (usually uncredited) basis for lots of fancy boutique boosters and preamps. It has a great 3.0 Mohm input impedance. The StepABout is 2.2 Mohm so this is close. One of the nice things about the circuit is that it will drive almost any length of cord and most inputs. I can go straight into my mixer or into a guitar amp and it will sound great. You can also use a simple Y-adapter to make a mono signal with no loss of tone or weird interactions whatsoever.

The next version I might make will be built directly into the cord-end that goes into the Stickup. It will get it's power from the phantom power supply of my mixer. It is so small and versatile that many forms are possible. If you are at all handy with a soldering iron this is really easy to make and sounds great.

-Eric

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Tue Nov 18, 2014 9:40 pm
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Post Re: Need for a preamp/will effects units do it?
EricTheGray wrote:
Maybe it's time to mention this again. I make my own very simple and inexpensive preamps using the famous Tillman circuit.

http://www.till.com/articles/GuitarPreamp/


-Eric


Several months ago I drew up a schematic based on this one for a buffer box that had tone control capabilities but I never actually built it. Oops.

It seems like it would be tricky cram all the guts for a stereo buffer cable and not have any of the parts damaged. If you do go ahead with that, I'd love to see some pictures.

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Tue Nov 18, 2014 10:43 pm
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Post Re: Need for a preamp/will effects units do it?
Since we are talking preamps, I'll re-post the link to my Stickup and EMG preamp mod I did back around 1997 or so.
http://home.comcast.net/~rwkeating/stick/articles/PU-Mods/

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Wed Nov 19, 2014 7:24 am
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Post Re: Need for a preamp/will effects units do it?
I really start to like Robstafarian. Lots of knowledge and common sense there. :) Impedance matching is a good thing and depending on what you plug your instrument into often almost necessary. Especially on passive instruments. You'll get benefits in tone. Many bass amps these days has different inputs for passive and active basses. Few guitar amps and other types of amps has that. My Stickup equipped Stick's sounds better when I use my StepAbout. That thing is EXCELLENT with a Stickup PUP! Same thing when recording in the studio, I have a couple of small passive preamps that makes wonders with dynamic microphones like a SM57. Just makes them match the preamps in the SSL console better. Love them. Love the StepAbout. Great things happening with the sound.

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Thu Nov 20, 2014 10:12 am
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Post Re: Need for a preamp/will effects units do it?
The JHS Little Black buffer units I added to the front of my effects really improved tone.

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Thu Nov 20, 2014 10:36 am
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Post Re: Need for a preamp/will effects units do it?
Jan Hellman wrote:
I really start to like Robstafarian. Lots of knowledge and common sense there. :)

Thanks, but...start?! ;)

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Thu Nov 20, 2014 4:11 pm
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Post Re: Need for a preamp/will effects units do it?
Robstafarian wrote:
Jan Hellman wrote:
I really start to like Robstafarian. Lots of knowledge and common sense there. :)

Thanks, but...start?! ;)


Like as in REALLY like! :D

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Thu Nov 20, 2014 5:41 pm
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