When is a pedal better than a preamp?

Preamp vs. Pedal is can basically be defined as inboard vs. outboard.

With a preamp, everything is literally inboard to the bass guitar itself. Internal power, internal board, all-direct connections with the least noise, and so on.

With a pedal, everything is outside of the bass guitar. External power and board with two big wires (the guitar cables) connected, even if you’re using wireless. (To the best of my knowledge there are no readily available all-wireless effect pedals.)

An example of like-to-like inboard vs. outboard products as far as function are concerned are the Aguilar OBP-3 an the Aguilar Tone Hammer pedal. For all intents and purposes, both products do the same thing (although you do get the advantage of more midrange adjustment on the pedal).

At the end of it all, whether to use a preamp or not can be boiled down to one simple question: Is it necessary for you to have EQ controls directly on the bass guitar?

If the answer is yes, you need an inboard preamp. If no, use a pedal instead. Or, if you’d rather have the functionality directly in the amp itself, the Aguilar example can be used again with the Tone Hammer 350 or 500.

Or maybe the more appropriate question is this: Do you find EQ controls on the GUITAR ITSELF, FLOOR or AMP the most convenient?

Which is most convenient depends on the situation.

Here are a few example situations:

“I routinely use amplification that’s not mine”

With certain gigs you’re going to plug in and play whatever is there for amplification, meaning an amp that’s not yours. In that instance, a preamp in the guitar itself is the most convenient.

“I use my own amplification and want a set-it-and-forget-it type of environment”

In this scenario, the EQ controls on the amp would be most convenient. It’s your amp and you’re the only one who uses it, so you set the EQ controls where you want and that’s pretty much it.

“I use several different bass guitars”
OR
“I need an instant-on/off EQ solution”

If you bounce between different bass guitars often, having the EQ outside the guitar is better and a whole lot cheaper compared to installing an inboard preamp in every single bass you own.

For those of you that like to solo where you punch up the tone with EQ settings, the pedal is also the most convenient because of its instant-on/off way of working. When you want it, stomp it and it’s there. When you don’t want it, stomp it again and it’s off.

A few important notes on pedal use

The “cleanest” power a pedal can use is a 9-Volt battery, and industrial grade batteries are recommended for use. No, they don’t last any longer than traditional 9-Volt batteries will, but the drain rate is much more consistent. (In other words, it’s a lot easier to predict how long a 9-Volt will last when using industrial grade compared to consumer grade.) It’s also not a bad idea having a Batt-O-Meter in your tool/gig bag for testing power.

The easiest way to “manually make a preset” for a pedal is with color coding labels. I’m not kidding. You set the knobs where you want, then put a label over each knob and draw an arrow on label pointing up. Then whenever you want to set the knobs to your specific “preset”, you turn all the knobs so all arrows point up. And yes, this also works for amp knobs. It may be a very low-tech solution, but hey, it works.