Using pedals as a preamp into a tube power amp?

[Animal]

Does anyone here use or have any experience with this kind of setup? I'm not just talking about pedals with tubes in that are designed to be pre-amps (such as the V-twin) but more along the lines of solid-state pedals (DS-1, TS-9, SD-1, OD-1, GE-7).

If you got your distortion from a pedal and then switched it off for cleans I'm wondering what kind results that could bring tonally through a quality tube power amp. The idea is appealing to me because it seems so damn simple.

 

[SlyFoxx]

Re: Using pedals as a preamp into a tube power amp?

The main reason that won't work too well is that the signal coming out of your guitar is not strong enough to drive a power amp. The power amp needs to see X amount of signal in order for it to put out a decent amount of power and your guitar won't deliver anywhere near that amount.

There are other reasons as well like no EQ and the fact that a good part of a guitar tone comes from the pre-amp.

 

[Animal]

Re: Using pedals as a preamp into a tube power amp?

Isn't the level coming out of pre-amps very very small anyways? I would of thought that there would of been very little difference in the levels coming out of preamps and pedals.

I've even heard stories of people directly plugging their guitar into their power amp and using it purely for cleans.

Can anyone else here elaborate on this and destroy my enthusiasm for the idea so that I can stop fantasising about it?

 

[Animal]

Re: Using pedals as a preamp into a tube power amp?

Anyone?

 

[Warheart]

Re: Using pedals as a preamp into a tube power amp?

hmmm well if you wanted to try something like that....you could get a Herzog, which is kinda a preamp and power amp, which you plug into the input of another amp, to over drive the signal. its slightly different than a pedal, and it does need a head like chassis. I know a guy who built one, and its interesting because it has 1 preamp tube and 1 power tube, but you still plug it into the front of an amp. Might be what you're looking for. if you plug that into a power amp, it just might have enough strength to work.