DEMOS FROM THE BASEMENT: AMPSAMPS PREF86 EF86 Tube Preamp Overdrive Pedal

Hello! Thanks for checking out my channel. This is a video demo of the first two production units I did of the PREF86.
The PREF86 is our first pedal. It's a tube preamp, an overdrive pedal, a boost, a tone shaping tool... something to run solo before your amp to give it a little more character or vintage amp feel. Since the EF86 is a pentode, it also works well at the end of a signal chain to capture all of the details in your tone from whatever effects you might be running before they go to the amp.
I got the idea to do a preamp in a pedal after building a few of them in the Heathkit AM/FM radio tuners • AMPSAMPS PRE85 .
The circuit is based on the early VOX AC4 EF86 circuit. Volume & Tone controls, true bypass, power & run LEDs, power and ground lift switches. The pedal features a Hammond power transformer with B+ & filament voltages.
EF86 tubes can be noisy and microphonic, which is why they were discontinued from use from the early AC30s. I spent a lot of time getting the build and grounding scheme just right to minimize any unwanted hum/noise/microphonics. Additionally, having the EF86 out front in a pedal is a great solution for combo amps that otherwise wouldn't hold up with an EF86 due to the aforementioned issues with microphonics and noise.
I know. A 24:45 pedal demo. If you're like me, you skip around and listen to about 60 seconds total of the demo. I spent a lot of time with these two, a) because they keep you playing and b) I wanted to show the dynamic range of the guitar through the PREF86. The sound jumps out at you. Finger & pick attack.
The PREF86 is made to order and available directly from AMPSAMPS for $429 shipped.
www.ampsamps.com
/ mr.ampsamps
Signal chain:
Guitar: Tele Custom Partscaster with Kent Armstrong Alnico 5 PAF (neck) & Single Coil Tele Bridge pickups, AMPSAMPS PREF86, AMPSAMPS Filmoverb, Sennheiser e 906 dynamic mic, UA VOLT.
Thank you for watching! Please leave a comment, share, subscribe, etc. I love chatting with you guys about all things gear related, so if you have any questions or suggested topics, hit me up!