Preamp-overdrive with NOS* germanium transistors.
Made to give voice to guitars, electric or acoustic bass.
2 knobs set simultaneously tone and drive.
It nourishes the tone of amps that sounds too flat, and facilitates your musical expression :
Good for jazz, blues and elegant rock…
* NOS: New Old Stock… New transistors from the sisties to eighties.
SweetGerm, basic version .
General features
• Tone presets, according to the version.
• 2 intuitive controls : Body ; Presence.
• It lightens humbuckers or give body to single coil pickups, giving from a clear sound to a just fat enough overdrive.
• Germanium amplification compresses smoothly and reacts to your playing, in respect of the character of the instrument.
SweetGerm works with all standard DC power supplies, 7 to 12V, negative ground.
2.1mm DC coaxial plug, center negative. Typical consumption : 8mA.
As every germanium device, SweetGerm will give its best after being on since 5 to 10 minutes : the delay to let currents and temperature diffuse inside the germanium cristals !
Just two knobs to control the whole tone!
Body : the fat and grain of the sound
Sets the bass and low mid level, which determines the thickness of the fundamentals…
Placed before preamp : it works simultaneously on the timbre, and on the overdrive.
The bass are light and smooth before 10:00, then thicker and thicker, and textured.
“Body” sets the organicity of the sonic texture…
Presence : the contour and level of treble
Sets and carves the mid-treble range from 800 to 4000Hz…
Below 9 o’clock: warms the timbre by attenuating the treble…
Between 9.00 and 12.00 : Raises harmonics, then sharpens the high-medium over 12.00.
“Presence” has little effect on the drive, but provides an adjustable clarity above fat notes.
3 versions…
Basic version + Boo version Bass version
SweetGerm basic
A preamp-overdrive pedal made for guitars and electrified instruments.
It makes the instrument sing by acting on both its tonality and grain.
This effect includes a slight natural compression, typical of germanium transistors.
3 voicings…
Bright : accent on the treble around 3kHz.
Good for pop songs and instruments that like to sparkle…
Sweet : Broadband modern tone, with a slight notch in the midrange.
Gives a sound that is both meaty inside and clear above.
Mighty : boosted sound with a curve at 150 Hz… It can sound fat, but without chattering!
To reinforce skinny guitars, or to afford a dirtier sound.
SweetGerm +Boost
It is designed for guitars and electrified wind instruments.
It works as a germanium preamp in permanent use.
The footswitch activates a boost highlighting the choruses and their sonic texture.
2 basic voicings
Bright : brighter harmonics…
Normal : Classic broadband tone, with a slight notch in the midrange.
Boost effect
The stompswitch activates a boost effect, not monumental but musical :
The boosted sound is beefy and textured , like an old school amp with a bit of a push !
SweetGerm Bass
Made for electric basses, baritone guitars and electrified cellos.
2 voicings…
Old School : an old timey sound, with gritty fleshy low mids.
Choose it to enjoy a roundness and drive in the spirit of an Ampeg SVT.
Modern : a contemporary hollowed contour in the mids.
The notch is around 600Hz, but without exaggeration: no skinny notes lost in the notch!
In both cases, Presence lets you balance the clarity of the signal above the bass.
To order
1. Choose the version.
2. Specify the shipping zone.
3. Click <Add to cart>.
4. Click ‘Cart’ on main menu, or keep on visiting.
SweetGerm Basic
129 €
Germanium preamp/overdrive pedal
with a classic footswitch..
• 3 tone presets : Bright ; Sweet ; Mighty.
• 3 pots : Body ; Presence ; Volume.
SweetGerm basic
Shipping costs (parcel sent by the french post, with signature)
France: €8 — EC+Switzerland: €14 — Other countries: €24
SweetGerm +Boo
139 €
Germanium preamp/overdrive preamp
with a footswitch activating a boost effect.
• 4 controls : Body, Presence, Volume, Boost.
• 2 voicings: Normal; Bright.
SweetGerm basic
Shipping costs (parcel sent by the french post, with signature)
France: €8 — EC+Switzerland: €14 — Other countries: €24
SweetGerm Bass
139 €
• Special preamp/overdrive for Bass.
• 2 voicings : Old School ; Modern.
Switch on the left side of enclosure.
• 3 controls : Body ; Presence ; Volume.
SweetGerm basic
Shipping costs (parcel sent by the french post, with signature)
France: €8 — EC+Switzerland: €14 — Other countries: €24
NOS components: Russian germanium transistors from the 70s, Philips “tropical fish” capacitors from the 60s, Philips low-noise resistors from the 80s…
To know more
Technical notice (downloadable pdf)
Germanium transistors : Sonic properties (article)