Chase Tone
Vintage Secret
Preamp
Kyle Chase of Chase Tone is known
among the nerdiest of gear nerds for
his exacting replications of vintage
amps and pedals, often built with
NOS components for the ultimate
in realistic vintage recreation. His
company’s Vintage Secret Preamp is
a remarkably well built EP-3 preamp
clone that goes beyond other, similar
pedals in several ways. Firstly, it runs
at 22 volts internally, which is the same
voltage as the actual EP-3. Secondly, it
offers two switchable modes for both
the brighter, early EP-3 sounds, and
the darker, later-era tones. Thirdly, it
is built with the same NOS capacitors
and resistors found in EP-2 and EP-3
Echoplexes. These features add up for
a truly realistic EP-3 preamp feel and
sound that is unlikely to be matched by
similar designs. Like many Chase Tone
creations, the Vintage Secret Preamp
is a limited production item, so get one
while you can.
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TONE TALK //
Pedals Inspired by the Maestro Echoplex