Combining AMT Electronics F1 with amp's real pream section?

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F1 seems to be a slightly complicated pedal so this questions is for owners out there in the forum. This is a preamp pedal meant to provide Fender Twin clean tone into the amp's power section (FX Return).

The interesting thing about this pedal is it has a loop for Channel Send/Return which is meant to work with an external preamp. All the examples I have found show the use of other preamp pedals for overdrive/distortion from AMT but the concept seems to be generic and I wonder if it can be used with the actual preamp of an amp!

This is the signal flow I think could be used, please let me know if you think it can be done and not fry anything

[Guitar] -> [F1 Input] -> [F1 Ch Send] -> [Amp guitar input] -> [Amp FX Send] -> [F1 Ch Return] -> [F1 Out] -> [ Amp FX Return]

Everyting between [F1 Ch Send] and [F1 Ch Return] is "skipped" when the F1 is on and providing Fender tone but it becomes "active" when the F1 is off so the external preamp comes in to provide overdrive/distortion.

To better undestand what I am after, for exampel I may use both channles of a Marshall DSL in overdrive/distortion tone and then switch to the F1 for a clean sound, trying to artificially turn it into a 3 channel amp.

Also, I looked for a support phone number for AMT but I cound not find it. If you know one please share, I would liek to ask the question too to the guys at AMT if possible.


Thanks in advance.

[dominus King Midas to Cheap Guitars Find all posts View Profile Close dominus]

Re: Combining AMT Electronics F1 with amp's real pream section?

Rather than getting the F1 pedal, get one of the x2 pedals. (S2, D2, R2, P2, etc.) They have a clean that I believe is based on the F1 clean, AND will give you the OD channel.

Or, spring for a little more, and get the SS-20 or SS-30 and you'll have a bunch of channels to choose from.

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Re: Combining AMT Electronics F1 with amp's real pream section?

Rather than getting the F1 pedal, get one of the x2 pedals. (S2, D2, R2, P2, etc.) They have a clean that I believe is based on the F1 clean, AND will give you the OD channel.

Or, spring for a little more, and get the SS-20 or SS-30 and you'll have a bunch of channels to choose from.

Thanks, those could certainly be used directly into a stand alone power amp (maybe the crate powerblock or isp stealth) and you are right about those are meant to have an F1 type of clean but I am more interested in making the F1 wok with an amp's power section and still being able to use the overdrive/distortion from the amp's preamp section. Think of the Marshall DSL40C I was asking about in the other thread I created yesterday, the clean channel can actually have some nice overdrive, so I want to use two overdrive levels from that amp and still being able to play clean.

If the F1 can work that way then in the future I can focus more on overdrive/distortion when getting a new amp and then pay less attention on the headroom of the clean channel.

[dominus King Midas to Cheap Guitars Find all posts View Profile Close dominus]

Re: Combining AMT Electronics F1 with amp's real pream section?

The SS-20/SS-30 can give you a better clean AND distortion than the Marshall amp.

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Re: Combining AMT Electronics F1 with amp's real pream section?

The SS-20/SS-30 can give you a better clean AND distortion than the Marshall amp.

Are you actually using any of those? Are those tube based preamp pedals? What power amp you using? Are you the one that owns the Crate Power Block?

I am willing to think out-of-the-box as long as it sounds good and I can afford it. For example I know at some point I can get a ISP Stealth and some preamp then buy a cab. Thas option gives the most watts per dollar but not sure how good can it sound compared to an actual tube amp.

[dominus King Midas to Cheap Guitars Find all posts View Profile Close dominus]

Re: Combining AMT Electronics F1 with amp's real pream section?

I haven't tried the SS-20/SS-30 yet, but I have tried the P1, R1, S1, E1, B1, and D2, so I'm familiar enough with their tech. The SS-20 is tube, the SS-30 is solid state.

[dominus King Midas to Cheap Guitars Find all posts View Profile Close dominus]

Re: Combining AMT Electronics F1 with amp's real pream section?

Are you actually using any of those? Are those tube based preamp pedals? What power amp you using? Are you the one that owns the Crate Power Block?

I am willing to think out-of-the-box as long as it sounds good and I can afford it. For example I know at some point I can get a ISP Stealth and some preamp then buy a cab. Thas option gives the most watts per dollar but not sure how good can it sound compared to an actual tube amp.

ISP stuff is awesome. A little pricey, but seriously crazy good. I had the Theta Preamp pedal and it was amazing.

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Re: Combining AMT Electronics F1 with amp's real pream section?

Hey dominus, that SS-20 sounds very cool and versatile. Clean and overdrive sound better than the F1 and any other of the LA series. It is really making me think about getting the SS-20 plus a power amp and a cab for a portable and loud rig, 3 or 4 times loud power than a real tube amp.

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Re: Combining AMT Electronics F1 with amp's real pream section?

The only reason I haven't snagged an SS-30 is because I'd only use the highest gain channel on it anyway, so an S1 or P1 would suffice.

[Jack_TriPpEr Ultimate Tone Slacker Find all posts View Profile Close Jack_TriPpEr]

Re: Combining AMT Electronics F1 with amp's real pream section?

Imenator, I don't believe that connection scheme you outlined in your first post will "skip" the amp's preamp signal when the F1 is on. I think the preamp signal will be present whether the F1 is on or off.

I devised and succesfully tested a similar connection scheme a couple months back that utilizes a BOSS Line Selector pedal and posted it at this forum thread.

The pedal doesn't have to be a BOSS line selector, just some kind of line switcher [EDIT] with a buffer pedal somewhere as early in the signal chain as possible due to the long cable runs. One advantage the BOSS pedal has in this regard is that it itself is buffered (like all BOSS pedals))

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Re: Combining AMT Electronics F1 with amp's real pream section?

Imenator, I don't believe that connection scheme you outlined in your first post will "skip" the amp's preamp signal when the F1 is on. I think the preamp signal will be present whether the F1 is on or off.

I devised and succesfully tested a similar connection scheme a couple months back that utilizes a BOSS Line Selector pedal and posted it at this forum thread.

The pedal doesn't have to be a BOSS line selector, just some kind of line switcher [EDIT] with a buffer pedal somewhere as early in the signal chain as possible due to the long cable runs. One advantage the BOSS pedal has in this regard is that it itself is buffered (like all BOSS pedals))

Thanks, that is a good alternative that should work with any amp and preamp !! As long as nothing gets fried

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Re: Combining AMT Electronics F1 with amp's real pream section?

Thanks, that is a good alternative that should work with any amp and preamp !! As long as nothing gets fried

Well, I looked up the specs for the F1 and it's owner manual, and I think I have to recant on saying earlier that your original scheme would not work. The F1 has a special "Channel" In and Out (as you did say) in addition to a traditional FX Loop send and return. The manual and the AMT's website say that the Channel In and Out alow you to switch other preamps on or off. So I think you're original scheme is valid, and if I can be of at least some added value on this thread, none of the jacks involved are "speaker out" types, so there is no risk of frying anything. Sorry for the wrong info. Earlier.

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Re: Combining AMT Electronics F1 with amp's real pream section?

No problem kingswebe, I understand what you mean and since you achieved goal with another pedal your feedback is very important. I just got a super short answer from AMT saying "you should be fine". In the process I also learned about an interesting preamp AMT's SS-11A, AMT's SS-20, ISP's Stealth... More options and I just need to balance portability/price/tone/reliability.

[dominus King Midas to Cheap Guitars Find all posts View Profile Close dominus]

Re: Combining AMT Electronics F1 with amp's real pream section?

If you can test drive an ISP Theta preamp, do it. It's solid state, but there's tons of good tones in it.

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Re: Combining AMT Electronics F1 with amp's real pream section?

The only reason I haven't snagged an SS-30 is because I'd only use the highest gain channel on it anyway, so an S1 or P1 would suffice.

Did you try the SS-20? Is it me or it sounds Marshally? I liked this because imho it seems to have a realistic British sound (it has a 12AX7) that goes from mild to crunch to kind of "ultra".