Well kids, our first prototype has made some rounds and is getting favorable reviews.

I'm picking up the second prototype tonight that has a few revisions…

For anybody that's not familiar, my friend and I set out to make a pedal version of the TS-50B preamp section. We kept the circuit as close as possible to the original but also added a few features like a second output that is buffered, trs balanced/unbalanced and has it's own output volume for using the unit as a DI or a distortion box.

It's in a small (hammond 1590 die-cast) box with a 40v wall-wart. Has Gain, Bass, Treble and Mid controls as well as a master volume on the buffered out. The “line out” has no master volume and is the same as the line out on the original TS-50B. The two stomp switches are Bypass and Boost.

We're hoping to have 5-10 revised beta units in a month or so and will hopefully put up a website to take orders soon.

Let me know if you are interested in one of the beta units… they will be at a super low intro price so we can get some feedback from you folks. Prolly around $125.00 or less.

We’re hoping to keep the final price under $200.

Cheers,
David

BadComrade wrote:You could buy an actual TS-50b for $200

So your pedal can be used as a preamp for a power amp, like a Sansamp can then, right?

Did you include the "boost" switch as well?

Yeah but they're getting harder to find... and it's more versatile.... and it's new and cool!

Yeah... basically it's like a good sounding Sans Amp

Yes, it has the boost switch as a stomp with and indicator light.

that sounds pretty cool. so if you're playing into a gk800, would you use it as a pedal and run it to the instrument in or as a preamp into the preamp in? or do you get the same reaction either way?

I think Im also interested in one.

Get in line assholes...I called dibs on one of these back in 2005!

Yeah, I 'm kidding. But, seriously, I can't wait to try this thing out. Glad to hear they're finally coming together.

I'm interested.

Is it effectively a valve guitar preamp then? Does it sound similar to any amps I may know?

Cheers,

Roddy

I'm interested still. Drop me a line when they're ready.

Rodabod wrote:I'm interested.

Is it effectively a valve guitar preamp then? Does it sound similar to any amps I may know?

Cheers,

Roddy

It's not valves... BUT the whole idea behind this circuit is that the gain stage at the end of the circuit is designed to "color" the sound in a way that sounds tube-like when it clips. It's hard to explain but when we put it up on the scope and ran a sine wave through it and turned the gain up we could se the even-order harmonics emphasized in a really weird way. I don't think any other preamps use this circuit.

it's a very unique sounding circuit indeed.

hogrot wrote:that sounds pretty cool. so if you're playing into a gk800, would you use it as a pedal and run it to the instrument in or as a preamp into the preamp in? or do you get the same reaction either way?

You could use it either way. if you use it before the GK preamp it would be more like a gain effect of a distortion box or a clean EQ. if you plug it into the Preamp in of your amp you would be using the TS-Pre in place of the GK preamp.

BadComrade wrote:The TS-50B is 100% solid state.

Thanks for the explanantion, guys. I think I've only ever seen one of these in the UK.