Heather Brown Electronicals Volga Preamp

Each release from Heather Brown Electronicals seems to top the previous one, starting with the Blessed Mother Overdrive, followed by the Sensational Fuzzdrive and the Spirit In The Sky Tremolo Fuzz. Heather’s latest release, the Volga Preamp, builds on the success of those previous three, providing a unique take on preamps and their relationship with your guitar and amplifier. With lots of knobs and switches, there’s plenty for everyone to dig in and start experimenting with here…

The Volga is a preamp, not an overdrive. Any breakup you hear is from pushing the first stage FETs (channel I or II knob) or pushing your amp into breakup with loud volume (master volume). There are a lot of ways you can use a FET-based preamp, but the Volga has mainly been voiced to run at the front end of a tube amp. By running the Volga in front of your amp as an added preamp in your signal chain — you can use her in a couple of ways.

AS AN ‘ALWAYS ON’ Sculpt your amp’s inherent sound by using the EQ to tighten up low end or add sparkle and rich harmonics to a dark amp. The FET stages make for a responsive, tube-like feel and dynamic compression that reacts to how you play. Use channel knobs, l and ll, to dial in where you want the breakup point, if any at all.

AS AN ‘UNDERDRIVE’ (After your overdrive or distortion pedals) Stacking Gain: The Volga will push and shape that distorted signal even further, adding its own depth for an even bigger, more complex overdrive. Bringing more body, warmth, or definition to an already overdriven sound. The Volga’s unique voicing can really fine-tune and beef up your overall gain structure, giving your drive or distortion more punch and clarity.

AS A ‘BOOST’ Keep the channels low and dial in your output using the master volume. Keep the EQ flat, add subtle warmth, or use the treble or presence knob to cut through while keeping that natural, amp-like feel.

AS A ‘LAVA LAMP’ Heat things up …Max out the channels for a rough breakup sound with hardly any sustain. It sort of reminds me of older Led Zeppelin tracks – like an ‘all amp no drive’ sound.

The Presence control adjusts your higher frequency range (high mids and treble) – making them seem more present. Increasing it adds “presence” and perceived volume since you’re boosting those frequencies. When you crank them, it can sometimes make your low mids seem a little less prominent, shifting your overall tone. There’s a lot more info over on the Heather Brown Electronicals website, and you can order a Volga Preamp right there, too! Thanks to Heather once again for sending a wonderful creation our way – be sure to check out our demo below or on YouTube, leave a comment and hit that thumb’s up – cheers!!