Fender TBP-1 Tube Bass Preamp

A name that you should think of

When it comes to great bass Amp tone, Fender isn't a name that immediately comes to mind, instead you think of their basses, which are undoubtable classics, but the TBP-1 could and should be able to change that. Many boutique amps and preamps are based on the old Fender Dual Showman circuit, at last Fender has built a new Bass pre around that circuit, which is known for it's musical nature. This preamp will not make your bass sound bad, but, it is good enough to make your bass sound great. The EQ may seem limited compared with some designs that feature multi-band EQs with extremely wide tonal range, the thing that makes the TBP-1 special is that it's basically a classic and beautiful sounding circuit with a vastly expanded tonal range and great overdrive. Every good tube pre has it's own unique voice, the TBP-1 is clean and pristine with a fluid nature that transistors just can't produce, but the overdrive gives you the smoothest and creamy distortion(ala Jack Bruce)with perfect note to note clarity, you can get some very modern tones as well. I've played bass since I was a kid and run through lots of amps and pre's including the original Bassman and Dual Showman (which I owned and was actually kind of noisy and had muddy low end, so much for legend), I far prefer tubes, everything just sounds sweeter and "rounder" through them, this is a top notch tube preamp. If you don't buy a TBP-1 now, you probably will later as a classic piece of gear, it really is that good, it's also a bargain when you compare it to other amps that sound this good.

Reviewed by Dogstarr1 on 10/3/2006 who plays Rock, Industrial/Metal, Alternative.