SweetGerm

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

SweetGerm

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 !

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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.

 

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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.

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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 !

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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.


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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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)

Listen to samples on another page

Contact Guitar Poppa to get more informations

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