tube mic pre's for guitar?

Unknown soldier · 4th May 2004

Most of the group here seem to use Neve type pre's great river, chandler, etc for guitar amp recording... What about good old tube pre's? It used to be the rage, but maybe as conversion has gotten better it's less important to "warm" up stuff???

Don · 4th May 2004

I have a tube pre and a solid state{both nice}S/S wins on guitar amp almost always..It just works better that the tube for what Im lookin' for..I like the tube for vocals same reason..No reason other than how these particular preamps sound and react

jspartz · 6th May 2004

I have been loving the Peavey VMP-2 tube mic preamp with the Blue Baby Bottle for electric guitar amps. It rocks!

Jason

denial · 7th May 2004

I find the V76 and VIPRE a little too round and slighlty muddy on saturated, distorted electric guitar so I opt for an API 512 or Neve 1073 for the task which generally provides a slightly edgier, cutting sound.

I love tube pre's on vocals and sometimes drum overheads.

Don · 7th May 2004

Quote:

Originally posted by denial
VIPRE a little too round and slighlty muddy on saturated, distorted electric guitar .

I love tube pre's on vocals and sometimes drum overheads.

Ditto..

K.C. · 7th May 2004

R-121 and Vipre using balanced bridge or 6176 works great on an original AC30 or a Tone King.

maz[music] · 9th May 2004

I really love my Ampex 351 on electrics, with a SM57.

Tim Halligan · 9th May 2004

I've always found that tube mic into tube pre doesn't work for me...too coloured, and seems "squishy". Glass into glass is too much of a good thing.
I've adopted a "one tube section" in the chain policy... tube mic - S/S pre...OK,
S/S mic - tube pre...OK,
GTR amp (valve) - S/S mic-S/S pre...OK
GTR amp (valve) - S/S mic-tube pre...BAD
GTR amp - tube mic-S/S pre...BAD.

YMMV

Cheers,
Tim

jbuntz · 9th May 2004

Not so bad on clean gutiars. Especially if the amp has a pentode output section.

cdog · 14th May 2004

Electric guitars tend to be pretty colored and compressed coming out of the speaker... so the bit of color and compression a tube mic or pre adds is superflous. A little 3K boost on a 1073 does wonders though...

howard · 15th May 2004

A Designs MP1 or 2. Priced right, sounds great!

musicfool100 · 15th May 2004

Quote:

Originally posted by howard
A Designs MP1 or 2. Priced right, sounds great!

Peavey VMP-2 gets my vote. It has EQ too.

Rab · 15th May 2004

Quote:

Originally posted by howard
A Designs MP1 or 2. Priced right, sounds great!

I'm surprised not to see these mentioned more on these boards... for me, the MP1 is as much a "how do they sound that good at that price?" product as the RNC is for compressors.

4th May 2004	#1
Unknown soldier Lives for gear Joined: Mar 2003 Location: solar system Posts: 887 Thread Starter	tube mic pre's for guitar? Most of the group here seem to use Neve type pre's great river, chandler, etc for guitar amp recording... What about good old tube pre's? It used to be the rage, but maybe as conversion has gotten better it's less important to "warm" up stuff???

4th May 2004	#2
Don Gear maniac Joined: Jul 2002 Location: Orlando Fl Posts: 198	I have a tube pre and a solid state{both nice}S/S wins on guitar amp almost always..It just works better that the tube for what Im lookin' for..I like the tube for vocals same reason..No reason other than how these particular preamps sound and react __________________ Don

6th May 2004	#3
jspartz Gear maniac Joined: Oct 2002 Location: Winona MN Posts: 169	I have been loving the Peavey VMP-2 tube mic preamp with the Blue Baby Bottle for electric guitar amps. It rocks! Jason __________________ Jason Spartz Web: www.mudstonemusic.com E-mail: mudstonemusic@yahoo.com

9th May 2004	#8
Tim Halligan Gear addict Joined: Nov 2003 Location: Perth,Western Australia Posts: 324	I've always found that tube mic into tube pre doesn't work for me...too coloured, and seems "squishy". Glass into glass is too much of a good thing. I've adopted a "one tube section" in the chain policy... tube mic - S/S pre...OK, S/S mic - tube pre...OK, GTR amp (valve) - S/S mic-S/S pre...OK GTR amp (valve) - S/S mic-tube pre...BAD GTR amp - tube mic-S/S pre...BAD. YMMV Cheers, Tim __________________ An Analogue brain in a Digital world.

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search

7th May 2004	#4
denial Gear addict Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 493	I find the V76 and VIPRE a little too round and slighlty muddy on saturated, distorted electric guitar so I opt for an API 512 or Neve 1073 for the task which generally provides a slightly edgier, cutting sound. I love tube pre's on vocals and sometimes drum overheads.

7th May 2004	#6
K.C. Gear maniac Joined: Sep 2003 Posts: 162	R-121 and Vipre using balanced bridge or 6176 works great on an original AC30 or a Tone King.

9th May 2004	#7
maz[music] Gear Head Joined: Nov 2002 Location: Ft Lauderdale FL Posts: 53	I really love my Ampex 351 on electrics, with a SM57.

9th May 2004	#9
jbuntz Lives for gear Joined: Jul 2003 Posts: 1,716	Not so bad on clean gutiars. Especially if the amp has a pentode output section.

14th May 2004	#10
cdog Lives for gear Joined: Dec 2003 Location: Brooklyn Posts: 3,559 3 Reviews written	Electric guitars tend to be pretty colored and compressed coming out of the speaker... so the bit of color and compression a tube mic or pre adds is superflous. A little 3K boost on a 1073 does wonders though...

15th May 2004	#11
howard Gear interested Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 27	A Designs MP1 or 2. Priced right, sounds great!

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
best mic pre's for recording drums	noznarf	Drums!	12	19th March 2007 07:41 PM
Avantone CV-12 Tube mic	djbrough	So much gear, so little time!	3	1st March 2007 05:55 AM
Focusrite Mic Pre's for rock guitar sound	richmondj	So much gear, so little time!	9	11th December 2005 12:09 PM
Dynamic mic suggestions for guitar cab.	Blueser	Low End Theory	12	9th September 2005 06:22 PM
Mic pre's micing guitar cabinets?	Coldsnow	So much gear, so little time!	5	19th April 2005 05:56 AM