A good preamp plays an important role in making your acoustic guitar sparkle. Here are options in a wide price range that will keep your 6-string singing.
LR BAGGS Venue DI
This stomp includes a full-isolation DI output, 5-band EQ with adjustable low- and high-mid bands, variable clean boost, and a chromatic tuner all in one acoustic pedal.
$328 street
RADIAL ENGINEERING PZ-Pro
This 2-channel acoustic preamp offers precise tone-shaping and effects control. You can seamlessly integrate dynamic or condenser mics, switch effortlessly between channels, activate a booster and an effects loop, and mute the signal for hassle-free onstage tuning.
$639 street
ORANGE AMPLIFICATION Acoustic Pedal
With all the know-how of Orange’s acclaimed Acoustic Pre TC preamp and Crush Acoustic 30 amplifier, this do-it-all, compact preamp pedal will help you battle feedback or brighten a dull instrument.
$169 street
TRACE ELLIOT Acoustic Transit A
This portable rig includes a 3-band active EQ, chromatic tuner, built-in pre- and post-XLR balanced output, dry output, headphone output, carry bag, plus user-definable boost, chorus, delay, and reverb.
$349
TECH 21 Acoustic Fly Rig
Whether for recording or live performance, this unit is jam-packed with useful features: a 100-percent-analog SansAmp, parametric EQ, boost, compressor, tap-tempo delay, independent reverb, tuner, headphone capability, and XLR output.
$249 street
FISHMAN Platinum Pro EQ
This all-analog universal instrument preamp box features a discrete, high-headroom class-A preamp, switchable guitar/bass EQ modes, adjustable volume boost, a balanced XLR DI output, and much more.
$319 street
GRACE DESIGN ALiX
This full-featured acoustic preamp is designed to be portable and rugged but still deliver true studio-quality sound with the same level of performance as the company’s pro audio range on the live stage.
$765 street
BOSS AD-2 Acoustic Preamp
With just three knobs, this stomp will do the trick. Controls include resonance, which processes your acoustic’s natural sounds, ambience or reverb, and a notch filter, plus normal or balanced DI outputs.
$119 street
FENDER Acoustic Preverb
Combining three distinct reverb voices with an acoustic preamp, this pedal is a powerhouse. Other features include a notch filter, damping control, and mute switch.
$179 street
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Funk-guitar wiz and Wong Noteshost Cory Wong flips the script and sits in the 100 Guitarists guest chair. Wong cleared his schedule to talk about one Nile Rodgers’ work on the Halo 2 soundtrack. We were lucky that got him to return our call, but we did move on quickly.
Wong is a scholar of all things rhythm guitar—and that means all things Nile. We talk about how the Hitmaker voices his progressions—“You hear Nile play a chord progression … and it’s that song”—and the role of rhythm guitar in general. Cory delivers his list of best Nile performances, tips for direct guitar sounds, and most surprising Nile collabs.
Ever wonder what it would sound like if Nile Rodgers produced David Lee Roth covering Willie Nelson? Give a listen and drop us a know when you check it out for yourself.
