The Benson Germanium Preamp is a variation on the Portland-based company’s pedal that put them on the stompbox map: the Preamp, an overdrive/distortion that slowly conquered the ears of a growing number of guitarists. This Germanium version was built on the experience gathered by Chris Benson while working on the Germanium Boost.
The result is a circuit slightly less gain-heavy, but that delivers a more refined and balanced tone compared to its FET predecessor, thanks to the Germanium transistors’ ability to pair warmth and dynamics.
Check out the various videos below, in particular the one featuring Chris Benson telling the story of the pedal, at the very bottom of this page.
