What Are Guitar Preamp Pedals And How To Use Them

What's the deal with preamp pedals? If our amps already have a preamp section why would we want preamp pedals? Well that's exactly the question we are going to answer in this episode. Let me know in the comments what your favorite preamp pedals are or if this is the first time you've ever hear of them.

Check out the gear in this and past episodes here:

Gear in this video:
1:44 DOD Overdrive Preamp 250
1:49 Boss OD-1
1:53 TS808 Tube Screamer
2:30 DOD 410 Bifet Boost
2:33 DOD Bi-Fet Preamp FX10
3:02 Boss FA-1 FET Amplifier
3:44 JHS Clover Preamp
5:00 Keeley Caverns Delay Reverb V2
5:00 JHS Panther Cub V2
5:00 JHS Lucky Cat
5:00 TS9 Tube Screamer
5:00 JHS Clover Preamp

Record Time:
Counting Crows - Recovering The Satellites

Josh’s record player is by U-Turn Audio:

#jhs #thejhsshow #preamp

[Kazwell]

Too bad the whole pedal/belt clip thing didn't catch on. Eventually, instead of using a pedal board, a guitarist could just wear their massive collection of pedals across their chest like an ammo belt.

[mysticfakir]

Josh: Raves about the belt clip on the FA-1.
Josh: Creates the Clover to be everything he loves about the FA-1.
Josh: Creates the Clover without a belt clip.

[monki]

There's plenty of room on that guitar for a 5th pickup.

[MadeAirbreak]

If the clover is so awesome, then why didn't you put a belt clip on it?

[destroyerjazz]

Your drummer is so so solid, I always find myself thinking that in your full band demos

[PaulIsbell]

Josh is such a great dude that he doesn’t even care if you buy JHS pedals, he just wants to support the music community by making these videos.

[simonoosterman]

Josh. Dude. For (insert chosen 4 letter word)s sake. This pedal thing you do? Give it up man and release an album! I am repeatedly amazed by the strength and depth of the grooves you play. #@&$ man. You and drummer boy rock. Seriously. No smoke.

[patricklemire]

This week in Pedals That Are Suddenly Expensive on Reverb

[br]

I really appreciate seeing how your solo demos aren't needlessly flashy and ego-stroking and then to find how truly lovely your ensemble playing is. You do the more important part of guitar-playing really, really well.

[SweetSpotGuitar]

BILT: "Mr. Scott, what kind of pickups would you like on your guitar?"
JHS: "Yes."

[ft]

Unbelievable!!! I’ve been so sick of my Marshall class5’s boomy/muddy clean tone that I usually stack fuzzes in front of it. After watching this video I tuned up the broadcast to cut out the lows and boost the clean and it feels like I have a killer new amp. It’s probably the best tone I’ve had. It seems like half the pedals on my board are to cover up the mud but now I want to hear the fundamental tone. Fresh Blank Canvas. Damn, can’t thank you enough for this one.

[matthewgurlitz]

I have a Voodoo Lab Overdrive that I bought in 1999, and apparently I got one of a bad batch of pedals went out that year with some faulty component that overloaded the circuit with bass (nicknamed the "Sullivan mod" after the guy who screwed up the batch). I put the thing in a box, but 20 years later I emailed them and they said oh yeah we'll fix it free of charge no problem, we know exactly what the issue is. The pedal now sounds incredible. I am so impressed with their customer service, good folks there at Voodoo Lab.

[bbmade]

You have a gift for more than pedals. Your videos are some of my favorites.

[armchairsuperhero]

Blind Melon is a criminally under-rated band with some great albums who will forever be known for the radio hit "no rain"

[TimStreeperMusic]

Emo Oceans was sweet. I’ve never had a preamp pedal but this has me contemplating. So many pedals. So little money and time.

[jdharshman]

For years I used an Xotic Ep booster as my preamp. Put it right after my tuner and never turned it off. Loved how it boosted mids slightly but over all made the amp way more touch sensitive and the tone sweeter. Awesome pedal.

[TheSuperspyk]

I just wanna say that I have an infinite amount of respect for you and the team - always advocating for a love and passion for the craft even when it isn’t your own brand, or offering alternatives when it is.

Kudos JHS

[kevineiserman]

Does anybody else think the drums also sound REALLY good?

[xanderbassett]

Dude! “Recovering The Satellites”!! I always tell people about how great this band was back in the day. I saw them live supporting this record here at The Aragon Ballroom in Chicago when I was 17. Really beautiful show and maybe the first concert that brought tears to my eyes. Thanks for bringing it back into the light!

[Labaris]

A preamplifier is a circuit that amplifies a low level signal (less than 1V) and transforms it into a line level signal (a few volts). That is useful or necessary in order to get enough gain (amplification) in the power stage. So it's a cascading process: from low to mid and then high level signal (power level). That's all a preamp is, so any device that does that can be called a preamp, wether it distorts and colors the sound or not, that doesn't has anything to do with the "preamp" denomination. Specifically for guitar pedals, that name could be used for any pedal that tries to imitate what a preamp does inside the actual guitar amp, but essentially, the first pedal in the chain that takes the guitar signal and amplifies to line level is doing the job of the preamplifier. Thanks for the video!