Does anyone make a "solid state" (pre)amp kit?

[Top-L]

I know there are DIY tube amp kits, but what would be really great is if there was a solid state preamp kit, along the lines of a transtube circuit, that worked with a variety of off the shelf amplifiers.

Most tube amp kits involve a handful of relatively expensive parts. OTH, a solid state preamp circuit could probably be built using parts that cost a few dollars, and you wouldn't have to build the amplifier as there are a plethora of pre made amplifiers.

Instead of "swapping tubes" the new thing would be "swapping amps". All of those mini pedal power amps are using some OTS class-D power amp that you can probably get on alibaba for < $20.

 

[Securb]

There are a ton of pre-amp kits on overseas sites. One of our long lost members Golden Vulture built some very cool stuff using some Chinese components.

https://www.aliexpress.com/wholesal...earchText=preamp+kit&spm=a2g0o.home.1000002.0

 

[idsnowdog]

There are a number of DIY clone circuits that emulate both tube and solid state amplifiers. Like the ISOTOPE, POSITRON, and SUPREAUX https://aionfx.com/project-category/overdrive/

 

[Securb]

Saw this a while back. This guy in Canada makes JC-120 preamps w/ the Roland chorus. This side-by-side with a MIB would be ultra cool on a fly rig.

 

[Phantasmagoria]

There are a ton of pre-amp kits on overseas sites. One of our long lost members Golden Vulture built some very cool stuff using some Chinese components.

https://www.aliexpress.com/wholesal...earchText=preamp+kit&spm=a2g0o.home.1000002.0

I gave it a go as well a few years ago and Golden Vulture was very helpful with things....

This was 'Version 1' which sounded best to my ears...(fat organic doomy tones)

And this was V2 because unfortunately V1 (chinese kit) was'nt too reliable and kept dying on me/cutting out. After replacing the $15 or so preamp 3 or 4 times I switched to this one ($80) from Thailand
(made by a guy who also makes awesome guitar pedals that I have bought from him on ebay before) ...that was brighter/ighter and is rock solid/ still works fine.. (although the amp is currently out of service for other reasons..)

It also has a tube buffer and mid-sweep control that drastically changes the tone.

 

[Phantasmagoria]

^ sorry the videos are reversed . First one's V2 with the Thai guy's preamp. Second vid's the chinese $15 preamp..

 

[AlexR]

Remember that pedals are a solid state preamp kit too.

 

[Phantasmagoria]

Yeah, sorry I meant that the $15 / $80 kits were for the power amp (class D)..not the pre..

They were both very loud...

 

[dave74]

Remember that pedals are a solid state preamp kit too.

That is exactly what I just thought when seeing this thread.

There are a million pedal kits for about any taste you have., and many do have complete/complex tone-stacks to serve as "preamps".

 

[NegativeEase]

most pre amp pedals are solid state. in fact, finding ones that aren't are harder I'd imagine.

 

[Securb]

Preamp stomps are different than true "preamps". I can not use my DOD 250 Overdrive\Preamp to drive a power amp. Most floor 9-volt preamps do not have the output necessary to push a power amp. But in looking at this thread as a whole a few things jump out at me. Most preamps stomps are designed to emulate a tube overdrive. A solid-state pre-amp could be designed to get Lynard Skynard's Peavey tone, Andy Summers/Prince's JC-120 tone, or Dimebag's Randell tone. I know there are plenty of modelers out there that can do this but it would be a cool thing to tinker with.

 

[Top-L]

Preamp stomps are different than true "preamps". I can not use my DOD 250 Overdrive\Preamp to drive a power amp. Most floor 9-volt preamps do not have the output necessary to push a power amp. But in looking at this thread as a whole a few things jump out at me. Most preamps stomps are designed to emulate a tube overdrive. A solid-state pre-amp could be designed to get Lynard Skynard's Peavey tone, Andy Summers/Prince's JC-120 tone, or Dimebag's Randell tone. I know there are plenty of modelers out there that can do this but it would be a cool thing to tinker with.

My thinking was ...

Solid state amps I have played honestly would serve me just as well as tube amps I've owned. The old Rocktron Pro Gap, and Peavey Bandit/ transtube/ supreme amps are solid state amps I have really enjoyed.

I believe that the magic of tube amps comes from the power section, how it behaves when pushed. The only shortcoming of solid state amps is how they behave when pushed, but that can be solved by using a larger amp. There are some Randall and other solid state amps in the 200+ watt range. Remember the old 80/90s Mosvalve amps? I imagine they are using some sort of "tube
saturation" circuit of filter that makes it sound like a tube amp.

Wondering if there was a DIY kit based around this kind of amp. Not looking for a mid gain diode clipping dirt box. Said preamp kit could probably could be speced to use an off the shelf class D power amp.

 

[NegativeEase]

For all your filthy Lynyrd Skynyrd and Queens of the Stone Age solid state preamp riffs.

 

[maug2122]

Great Solid State amps ....
● Carvin SX 200 and 300
● any Peavey with Transtube.
● Crate Power Block
● any Quilter mini block style amp
● Randall RG Series, Warhead

I use a couple of VHT Valvulators ( each has a 12ax7 tube ) to add tube dynamics, going from the left and right outputs of my Digitech 2112 SGS ( has two 12ax7 tubes ) into my Crate Power Blocks .

 

[devastone]

The old Rocktron Pro Gap, and Peavey Bandit/ transtube/ supreme amps are solid state amps I have really enjoyed.

The original analog Pro Gap was a great sounding preamp (the digital version was good too). I would love one of those realized with modern, smaller components in a pedal format.

 

[Securb]

Great Solid State amps ....
● Carvin SX 200 and 300
● any Peavey with Transtube.
● Crate Power Block
● any Quilter mini block style amp
● Randall RG Series, Warhead

I use a couple of VHT Valvulators ( each has a 12ax7 tube ) to add tube dynamics, going from the left and right outputs of my Digitech 2112 SGS ( has two 12ax7 tubes ) into my Crate Power Blocks .

I would also add...

Marshall VS100
Randall Commander Series
Fender M80 PRO
Roland JC Series

 

[ICTGoober]

And some folks (not me) were able to get some great sounds from Gibson's old LAB Series amps. Ty Tabor used them for the first couple Kings X albums.

 

[Securb]

And some folks (not me) were able to get some great sounds from Gibson's old LAB Series amps. Ty Tabor used them for the first couple Kings X albums.

A R&B club in Cambridge MA I played at for years had on in the backline. I loved that amp. I cut my teeth in that club, that LabSERIES was one the first great amps I played through.