Sadowsky Bass Preamp VS Aguilar DB 924

[kerplunk182]

Can't decide between both preamps. So i'm gonna need some help here.
A few of my concerns are, the price and whether the aguilar can be modified so that it can be powered using a power adapter cause i read somewhere that the only way of powering the aguilar is to use 2 9V batteries.

 

[shinobi]

i think the aguilar and sadowsky preamps were originally manufactured by the same company. i'm not sure but i read alot of talkbass conspiracy theories etc before buying my SD

the aguilar supposedly draws very very little current, less than the sadowsky does. which is why the battery issue isnt much of an issue. i wouldnt mod an aguilar. too booteek

 

[iverson763]

you can use battery clip converters and err... drill a hole in the 924 if the battery v.s. adaptor thing is a big issue for you, though as shinobi said, it wun eat up your battery that quickly. take note that the 924 does almost zero volume boosting of your signal, which was why i sold off the bugger. good preamp, but the zero boosting thing somehow makes me really uneasy *shrug*

 

[shinobi]

you sold off the bugger?? other than the lack of volume boost was it too transparent to be noticeable?

 

[iverson763]

it's a weird thing la... to have the volume knob close to or almost full and you get normal volume, it just makes me feel damn uneasy. ok, i'll redeem myself by saying i replaced it with an onboard audere, yea, i think that sounds better.. heh

but it is very transparent. your seymour duncan preamp looks interesting as well... good?

 

[shinobi]

yeah so far so good, it has a 3-band eq which helps alot because i like to tweak the mids depending on the room. save me the hassle of using a troublesome graphic eq. no volume control though, but its ok cos i can boost from other pedals. pretty quiet. doesnt colour the tone unless i switch on the 'slap contour' (a sort of mid scoop) which i find quite useless

 

[iverson763]

oh yea, mids control's another thing which the 924 lacks.. that makes the SD one up over the aguilar

 

[kerplunk182]

if i'm not wrong the sadowsky can be be switched on and off. But the aguilar is on as long as it is plugged in right? But tone wise i heard the aguilar sounds better.

 

[shinobi]

oh yea, mids control's another thing which the 924 lacks.. that makes the SD one up over the aguilar

not many preamps out there have mid control! the demeter bass eq preamp does, and i think the xotic trilogic. but both are super boutique

i don't think the sadowsky is by any means inferior.. i think the aguilar is a bit more transparent. the sadowsky preamp is the same thing found in sadowsky basses. it gives you that sadowsky sound-- to a certain limit, of course