Benson Amps Germanium Preamp

Well, it’s Benson Amps time again, folks!! It’s always a pleasure when their effects make it to our office, and this latest gem is sure to get everyone talking. The Germanium Preamp builds on the first pedal that Benson ever released, the aptly-titled Preamp Pedal, but with some tweaks and new circuitry options along the way. The result is a slightly lower gain, but richer sounding and feeling overdrive/boost/fuzz/whatever…let’s dive right in!

Grab a Germanium Preamp from Sweetwater here – https://sweetwater.sjv.io/ZQWVa0

The Germanium Preamp is based on that now famous amp-in-a-box Preamp Pedal with one important tweak: the replacement of the first FET transistor with a germanium gain stage – stolen from Benson’s servo-biased Germanium Boost pedal. This is ideal as a versatile gain stage since it reliably imparts a germanium tonality, mostly doesn’t care about temperature, and doesn’t affect frequency response. The result is an alternate universe take on that flagship pedal that marries the incomparable feel of the germanium with the careful equalization and tone controls of the preamp pedal.

With Gain (distortion), Treble (low pass filter), Bass (high pass filter) and Volume parameters onboard, it’s not difficult to dial in a quick, mean tone with the Germanium Preamp. Each new pedal that is released by the Benson Amps crew seems to top the previous one, continually adding to their impressive and wide-ranging sonic lineup. Be sure to visit their website for more info on this Germanium Preamp and ALL of their effects and amps – we also (surprise, surprise) have crafted a lovely demo video for you, so please enjoy that and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Cheers, and have a great Tuesday!!