Tex Mex Effects Germanium Preamp User manual

Tex Mex Effects Germanium Preamp
Features
Discrete, analog circuit (no ICs, op-amps in audio path); 34dB boost, 5 N.O.S. Germanium transistors; Full
size, through-hole components; True bypass; Active Bass and Treble controls; Mid Shift switch tailors
mid/high frequency response; Gain Shift adjusts low-end response when Gain knob is set above
minimum; Operates on 9V battery or standard 9V power supply; Internal circuitry doubles supply
voltage for high headroom.
Description
The Germanium Preamp is a discrete analog preamp with active bass and treble controls. Each pedal has
a flaked-out custom paint job.
The circuit features five vintage N.O.S. (new old stock) germanium transistors tested for gain and low
noise, carefully selected through-hole components, internal voltage doubling chip and true bypass.
Each pedal is wired, soldered and painted by hand.
The Germanium Preamp was designed specifically to overdrive a tube amp’s input with its available
34dB of clean boost, but here are a few other ways in which it can be utilized:
- Distortion/fuzz
- Treble boost
- Liven up a dull sounding amp
- Add another channel to an amp
Operation
Plug the guitar directly into the Germanium Preamp using the input jack on the right side of the pedal.
This prevents noise from preceding effects being amplified.
Connect a cable from the output jack on the left side of the pedal to a tube amplifier. Placing pedals
after the Germanium Preamp is not recommended when using both high volume and gain settings.
Most 9V pedals do not have enough headroom to handle the signal from the germanium preamp and
may clip your signal. The resulting sound will be of the pedal following the Germanium Preamp clipping,
not the tube amp. Results may vary.

Plug a standard 9V power supply with a negative center into the power jack. 9V only! Higher voltage will
kill the voltage doubling chip. A 9V battery may be used as well.
Controls
Volume: Controls output. Leave all the way up for maximum signal boost. Fully counter-clockwise is
minimum setting, fully clockwise is max output.
Treble: Active treble control is neutral at the zero position (noon). Settings below zero cut treble
frequencies, settings above zero boost treble frequencies.
Bass: Active bass control is neutral at the zero position (noon). Settings below zero cut bass frequencies,
settings above zero boost bass frequencies.
Gain: Increasing the gain control boosts overall output and adds Germanium character and
distortion/fuzz to the tone. Fully counter-clockwise is minimum setting, fully clockwise is max gain.
Mid-Shift: Extends the upper mids/treble range of the signal when switched to the right. This control is
only effective when the treble knob is set to a non-zero position.
Gain Shift: Extends the bass frequencies of the signal when switched to the right. This control is only
effective when the gain knob is turned up past the minimum setting. The bass frequencies have a tighter
feel when switched to the left and a looser feel when switched to the right.
(see demo video for example settings)
Specifications
-Input Impedance = 500 kOhms
-Output Impedance = < 1 kOhms
-34dB clean boost available (15V peak-to-peak output signal before internal clipping. Your amp’s input
will clip well before this!)
-Current Consumption = 8 mA
Contact info
[e-mail]
ph: 817-657-2824