*** I’d like to put this on a oscilloscope or spectrometer to really see what is really happening in this circuit. Is this design different enough that it really is doing something…different? Or is it the sparkly finish that has me bemused? Reminding me subconsoulsy of that EL84 Sparkle?!? Whatever it is it has me thinking that this may be the Klon (gulp…I know) of Vox style boosts. There. I said it. It works that well. ***
Looking for a cheap and effective booster? Perhaps something with a basic equalization circuit for subtle tone shaping? And would it be too much to ask that it be built in a familiar, solidly constructed enclosure, easy to use and have a tone that could compete with the boutique crowd? Probably. But that’s only because the Nobels pedal line has quietly become a darling of the boutique gear crowd. For a while it was a big score to find some of the pedals. Few knew about them so they seem to have been overlooked by the pawn hunters. But the few in the know scooped them up as they were cheap, solidly built tone monsters. So let’s take a quick look before they become the next…gulp…Centaur…
Nobels Founder & Owner Bernhard Kurzke of Hamburg, Germany have been manufacturing pedals for many years. Though often considered, and frankly marketed towards the “economy minded” segment of the buying public, they soon became a sought after effect by many session players; notably of the Nashville crowd. The beauty of this was that most players considered these effects throwaways compared to the $300.00 pedals of the day, so the “secret” tones of the sessions players were a mystery to those trying to ape the tone of their studio tracks. These players often gathered the cheaper effects early in the game, and to their surprise found that the expensive boutique effects sent to them by manufactures to “try out” didn’t stand up to them as well as they thought they would have. They often found the Nobels ODR-1 a particularly useful pedal, quite secure that a back-up pedal was only a few dollars away.
From the same line, the PRE-1 quickly caught my eye, not only by it’s simple but amazingly useful design, but its flashy sparkly finish. Housed in a familiar (read: Boss style) enclosure, it is both sturdy and somewhat pretty.
This is where it truly shines: be it the EQ or the natural sheen it adds to the signal, it just works so well with Vox amps. And not just the venerable AC-30. No, the PRE-1’s EQ affords the adjustability to work with just about any classic amp in the Vox lineup. Sure it could pair up well l with just about any amplifier if the EQ is strong enough, but just try it with a Matchless DC-30 and try not to grin. It just adds more. (Those of you that have been in the gear game long enough may recall this being said about a certain highly prized overdrive as well. Who was it that said it…Steady Rollin’ Bob Margolin or Gerald Weber?)
It can also be used as a preamp, something many so-called “preamps” cannot do very effectually. An acoustic (or a bass in a pinch) could have a simple boost with additional EQ with this on board. It also has external jack to external toggle it.
I am not saying this is a Klon killer by any means, and they are obviously different pedals. It does perhaps give you a glimpse into what a truly effective booster is capable of though, especially without draining the gear fund. A tone truly unknown…but not for long as it seems.
Pros:
- Simple to use clear clean boost with lots of output
- Simple EQ
- Sturdy build
Cons:
- Not so cheap any more
- Not so easy to find anymore
- Not so “boutiquey” that it is easily fixable