Gear Watch: East UK P-Retro Active/Passive Preamp
The new P-Retro from East UK is a P-bass style active/passive preamp equalizer that is be installed without permanently modifying your bass. The P-Retro fits in easily, and uses screw terminals, so no soldering is necessary. Therefore, no physical modifications to your bass are required.
The P-Retro features two stacked knobs with pull switches on each. The regular volume control on a P-bass becomes the Volume/Tone Stack, and functions as a passive pickup. Pulling up on the Volume control switches in the active circuit, and adds 2.5dB of gain with a flat response.
The second Active Stack works as a boost control with a center detent. When turned clockwise, the inner knob gives a mid boost of up to 15 dBs, and clockwise boosts treble and bass at the same time. The 41-click outer control controls the frequency bands affected. The pull switch on this stack provides a Deep Boost, which is set internally.
The active section of the preamp runs on a rechargeable Lithium Polymer battery that is recharged via the input jack, and provides up to 40 hours of use. When the battery becomes too low, an auto passive bypass relay is activated to keep your preamp working.
The East UK P-Retro is available for £194.95 ($297.36 USD). Visit East UK’s web site for more details and ordering information.
