“Dave has an innate understanding of where I’m coming from as a player and we’re alike in the way we hear tones,” says Lee. “Dave doesn’t hear things as a technician, he hears things like a musician, and that made him really easy to work with.
“I grew up in the ‘70s and those muscular, articulate rock tones were the tones I always sought, but I made a name for myself in the ‘80s when you needed a little more aggression and a little more scream. I’ve always tried to retain a little of that ‘70s heart and I still do, and that’s what this preamp does – though it’s got plenty more on tap if you need it!”
Channel 1 is where you can find all those Marshall-esque foundational British blues guitar tones, and as you pump up the gain it starts to flex that Plexi muscle that Dave Friedman’s designs are famed for.
On Channel 2, things get more ‘80s – in other words, there is more gain, with the JEL voicing offering “percussive punch, note clarity and singing sustain” and the lower-gain setting presenting you with a classic crunch inspired by the JCM800.
The unit ships with 18 IRs, and you can edit these and program presets via the accompanying app. You can also disengage the unit’s IRs and to use the preamp with another IR loader.
Under the hood you’ve got a pair of 12AX7 tubes. The pedal is laid out just like an amp. Old-school. But there’s a digital brain here taking care of business, too. With the accompanying software, Friedman says you can use this with the “the laptop running your entire show”.
The app also lets you apply some digital power amp simulation to each channel via Thump, Presence and a Low-Pass Filter controls. You can change the functions of all three footswitches.
Other features include an “ultra-transparent” series effects loop, headphones output, USB, a five-pin MIDI connector, and there is a three-year warranty as standard. The whole thing weighs just 1.5lbs, ships with power supply, and is offers up a lot of tone for its 5.5” x 6.5” footprint.
The Jake E Lee IR-J tube preamp pedal is available now, priced £/$599. See Friedman Amplification for more.
The launch of Lee’s preamp pedal comes at a terrible time, with the guitarist currently in hospital after being shot multiple times in Las Vegas while walking his dog early on Tuesday (15 October). A statement shared by management said Lee was the victim of a random street shooting and is “fully conscious and doing well”. He is expected to make a full recovery.
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