As an alternative to all the digital modelling units out there, I guess this fits best in the pedal section.
I got myself a
Kuro Exegol ("boutique" Model T preamp) last year, and I honestly believe it was one of my
best gear purchases
ever. At 18V, running it into a power amp input or FX loop return feels like I actually have a
real vintage Model T sitting right there. It has tons of headroom, takes any pedal like a charm, and is surprisingly versatile. The inclusion of a dedicated line-level output and a presence knob made me buy the Exegol, rather than the (acclaimed) EAE Model FET.
Since the journey never ends, and I'm a huge QOTSA nerd, I gave in to the craving and ordered the new (downsized)
Acorn Amps Solid State Preamp this weekend. Definitely looking forward to this one, I guess it'll be a lot of fun for spanky/jangly/rhythmic riffing and broken fuzz toanz.
I also have an older Catalinbread SFT (V2, no "stoner" mode) which is pretty cool, but it can be a noisy PITA in some situations, so I hardly ever use it anymore. Feels much more like a dirty overdrive than a real preamp to me, fwiw.
So, any love for all-analog, simplistic amp-in-a-box units and/or preamps here? What's your experience, any "secret" go-to single- or multi-channel pedals you feel like rambling about? The
Koch Pedaltone II seems really nice, for example. I'm sure any power amp would instantly fall in love with that one.