Benson Amps has brought two of its most distinctive pedals to Sweetwater with exclusive Comic Book finishes: the Germanium Boost and Preamp. The Germanium Boost grew out of a failed fuzz circuit, while the Preamp packs the character of Benson’s Chimera amplifier into a compact stompbox.
Benson Amps Germanium Boost
The Benson Germanium Boost uses a custom voltage-controlled error-correction circuit to stabilize a single germanium transistor. Originally developed for a fuzz design, the circuit proved better suited to boosting, eliminating the temperature drift and sonic fluctuations commonly associated with germanium pedals.
Benson also increased the circuit’s headroom and adjusted its input impedance to preserve the low end. A single Level control handles the boost, while the pedal’s naturally smooth, harmonically rich response adds some of the feel of compression without actually squashing the signal. The circuit can be used at unity gain or pushed for additional volume and character, making it suitable for guitar, bass, and acoustic-electric rigs.
Benson Amps Preamp
The Benson Preamp brings the circuit and tonal character of the company’s Chimera 30-watt head to a pedal. Its FET-based design is voiced to capture the harmonic detail of the Chimera’s tube circuit, ranging from sparkling cleans and natural breakup to heavier distortion and fuzz as the Gain is increased.
Treble, Bass, Gain, and Volume controls provide plenty of room to shape the response, while the pedal’s touch-sensitive design responds to changes in playing dynamics. It can add tube-like character to solid-state and DI rigs or serve as a drive and tone-shaping stage in a larger pedalboard.
Both pedals are available from Sweetwater with the exclusive Comic Book finish – the Benson Amps Germanium Boost here for $249, and the Benson Amps Preamp here for $199.
