Preamp Pedal or Loadbox?

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Strat-O-Matic

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Hi, I'm a new Torpedo CAB owner and am looking for the best way to run it. So far I've just used some of my overdrive pedals into it and I'm getting pretty good results but I know I can do better. I have an amp that I absolutely love and have been using as a clean pedal platform for a while now but am looking to simplify my rig.

I'd love to be able to just bring my pedal board and guitar with me when I play but I also don't want to sacrifice anything tonally. I know with a loadbox, the CAB and my amp I can get awesome results but are there any tube preamp pedals that would match this setup?

My amp is based on a vintage Fender Twin circuit and I'd be looking for something in that vein that I could use my overdrive pedals with (OCD,Zendrive,Pure Drive) to build gain stages or has multiple channels I could set up to get similar sounds as I would with the aforementioned amp/pedals. If you think a loadbox and my amp are my best bet what loadbox would you recommend? I don't need anything with fancy features and won't be using any attenuation, I just want to accurately get my raw amp tone to the CAB.

A couple more thoughts before I post all of this.... I've been looking into the Kingsley Juggler but have seen some mixed opinions here and at a price tag of $375 it would need to sound as good as my amp or I'd rather just get a loadbox. I've also seen a lot of positive opinions of FredAmp's preamp pedals but I'm in the US and I don't speak a lick of French. I'm not really sure how we could effectively communicate and I'm guessing after shipping it would cost even more then the Juggler and I would only get one channel. It's something I might be interested in but again if its not as good as my amp I'd rather get a loadbox.

Well that got really long.... Thanks for reading and I appreciate any help you might be able to give me.
 
Kingsley squire is the fender blackface circuit. $260
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYlAg7v_46U


I'd use that with some pedals if it were me. No digital emulation is going to sound exactly like your amp, if that is your goal give up now.

If getting 98% of your usual tone is good enough your back will be very happy.

Why hung up on multiple channels when your plan is to use overdrive pedals anyway?

Alternatively if you buy some kind of a/b switcher such as a Lehle you could use the frenzel dp-1 preamp , that is $275 and has a fender AND a marshall channel.

http://www.frenzeltubeamps.com/page17.php



And if you feel like blowing some cash you could get the effectrode blackbird. Fender blackface and four stage dumble/boogie/soldano dirty.

he has three left in stock at $469 as we speak but he's in the UK.
http://www.effectrode.com/blackbird-vacuum-tube-preamp/
 
98% is definitely good enough for me, I was just trying to state that if a Load Box and my amp would get a better tone then a pre-amp pedal I wouldn't want to spend close to $400 on it. As far as multiple channels goes I was just stating that I would either need something that would work well with the pedals I have now or I need to have multiple channels on the pre-amp as I use 3 gain stages in a live situation. Price has to come into consideration for me so for example if I bought the Juggler for $375 it has two channels and I'd be able to unload one of my OD pedals to put extra cash towards it. But I also don't want to spend that much on a pedal unless its as good the amp, loadbox, CAB setup. Does that make more sense?
 
Sure that makes sense.

It's hard to say if you'll be satisfied with this setup vs your amp. The preamps will be equivalent but if the power amp is a large part of your tone and the power amp sim in the cab doesn't do it for you you may still be unhappy.

I think a squire with an OD pedal or two , a delay pedal and a CAB pedal would be a killer live rig that a baby can transport.




You have an iphone? The fender sims in bias are great and bias is like $10.
 
I really love the Kingsley Squire! I have a Kingsley Squire Top Boost also coming in this week. This is my pedalboard that I use. No more carrying any amps!

112713.JPG
 
Thanks for all the replies. I don't supposed either of you have any sound clips of the Squire with the CAB? An to answer Molten no I don't have an iphone.
 
Just picked up a Kingsley Juggler should be here in a few days. I'll be sure to post some clips for you guys when I get it. Thanks for all the help :)
 
Fredamp's preamps with torpedo cab for me , i sold my elmwood modena 60 and i'm very happy with this config .
Fredamp is very cool and pro , you can contact him .






 
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