Best acoustic pre-amp??? Are used usually OK???

[duganderson]

Looking for an acoustic guitar pre-amp to improve the sounds of a guitar and ukulele with low quality under saddle piazo pickups with pre-amps (fishman sonitone on guitar AND Kala pickup on ukulele).

There are a bunch of models at used stores in my area for $100 or less including the following. Which of these would you pick???

LR Baggs Para Acoustic D.I.
Boss AD-2
Acoustic A Series Acoustic Instrument Preamp and DI Pedal
Aura Dreadnought Acoustic Imager Guitar Preamp
BOSS AD3 Acoustic Instrument Processor Effect Processor

Also, there is a new one on Amazon for $40 that gets good reviews: Caline Pedal Preamp DI Box for Acoustic Guitar Effects Pedal True Bypass with Aluminum Alloy Housing CP-40

Are used models likely OK or do these break easily?

I know folks may suggest swapping out the pickup but I'd like to start with a pre-amp first because the pre-amp seems helpful even with a better pickup.

Thank you, Doug

[Goat Mick]

I like the Baggs Para DI and have two of them. I always have one of them at every gig. Usually I'm going into one of my Fishman Loudbox amps and don't really need a preamp, but I will use one every time I go direct into a house system or one of my Bose units. The Para DI is about the most rugged and bulletproof preamp on the market and I wouldn't hesitate to buy one used (actually I did get one of mine used).

[Koamon]

The LR Baggs is great for tone shaping but no effects and they go used both of $100. If you want some chorus and reverb the AD-3 works well for guitar and other stringed instruments, has a notch sweep filter for feedback, three band eq and can use AA batteries. Those go for $80-100 and is easy to interface to different situations. Not quite audiophile but a good starter preamp and better than the AD-2. I got one a few years back used and built like a brick. I kept it as a backup. Good luck on your tone quest.

[llew]

I have three Baggs preamps...the Para DI, The Session, and the Venue. I use the Session almost exclusively. But Mick is right...the Para DI is pretty much bullet proof!

[FrankHudson]

I don't have enough experience with pre-amps to comment on the field for quality.

However, I would say that yes, used is OK. If they are not damaged in a way you can see (missing knob, broken jacks, etc) and work electrically in a simple test then they are likely as good as a new unit with a similar expectation for good use afterward.

[douglasfan1]

Didn't use any of those preamp before. I've tried Zoom A3 at that price range with great result.

[YamahaGuy]

I bought my LR Baggs Para DI 10 years ago used for $89. It is still going strong.

[jpino]

I would just go for a cheap Behringer ADI for $40. Unless
you want to save more money you might get a noticeable difference with a L.R. Baggs Venue or Fishman Platinum Pro EQ

[phcorrigan]

Originally Posted by jpino

I would just go for a cheap Behringer ADI for $40.

I used one before I bought my ToneDexter. It's great for the money, and it's only $35.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...river-di-pedal

[rokdog49]

Just my two cents…
https://www.fire-eye.com/

[BoxCar_Joe]

Originally Posted by jpino

I would just go for a cheap Behringer ADI for $40.

I've used one with Mandolin, Mandola, Baritone Uke and Guitar.
They work, their cheap. You can get better I think.

[varmonter]

I've tried at least a dozen or so preamps.
Out of all the ones that have come thru I've only kept the grace felix and the kk pure xlr..
I also have a line6 helix stomp..(mostly for the fx)
Buying used for me is the best bet..
Items are usually cheaper than new.
And in what seems like an endless flow of me trying something different..it makes more sense for me to buy used..if I dont like it
I can usually sell it for what I paid for it..

[Rick Jones]

I really, really like the Orange 'acoustic pedal'. It's not a pedal at all, but a nice 18v (mains via transformer) FET D.I. box with a superbly voiced EQ and is practically silent enough to record through even when you crank the treble.

I have Orange's huge two-channel tube-driven acoustic preamp, too, but it's expensive and a bear to carry, so I bought one of the smaller 'pedals' and was so impressed with it I now run two of them in place of the dual channel pre, which I am probably going to sell on soon.

My only complaints at all is that one of my units makes an audible pop when I push the phase switch and the other doesn't. I counter this by only flipping the phase on the quiet one, but really it shouldn't be doing it and points to an iffy switch.