Well now, let me tell you about this contraption called the Nitewalker Bass Guitar Tube Preamp. It’s a curious little box that claims to work miracles on your bass sound, but I reckon this tube bass preamp is about as temperamental as a Mississippi steamboat on a foggy night.
The Chameleon of Bass Gear
This Nitewalker, you see, it’s like one of them shape-shifting creatures from the tall tales. It changes its nature depending on what you pair it with, much like how a man’s character might shift based on the company he keeps. You’ve got to be clever about matching it with the right pickups, strings, and amplifiers, or else you might end up with a sound as disagreeable as a cat’s yowl at midnight.
The Tube Tango
Now, these Nitewalker folks, they give you a tube called a 12AX7. It’s a fine tube, I suppose, but it’s just the beginning of your journey. Swapping that tube is like trading your mule for a thoroughbred – suddenly you’re exploring new territories faster than you can say “Mark Twain.”
The String Theory
But let me tell you about the strings. Changing your strings with this Nitewalker is like giving a bald man a toupee – suddenly, everything looks and sounds different. Your bandmates might even think you’ve been secretly taking lessons from some bass-playing wizard.
The Captain’s Vision
Now, there’s a fellow named Cliff Latshaw who’s steering this Nitewalker ship. He’s got big plans, that one. Reminds me of them riverboat captains always looking for new channels to navigate.
The Great American Preamp
Here’s the rub, though. These Nitewalker folks are only making their contraptions for America right now, with our 110VAC power. If you’re across the pond hoping to get your hands on one, well, you might be waiting longer than a politician keeps a promise.
The Regulatory Rapids
And if you’re in New Jersey or California, well, you might be stuck on a sandbar for a while. Seems the Nitewalker is still trying to navigate the treacherous waters of regulations in those parts.
The Newbasstone Expedition
If you’re curious about this whole Newbasstone outfit, they’ve got a map to their territory just a click away on one of them new-fangled computer machines. It’s quite an adventure, I must say.
So there you have it, friends. The Nitewalker Bass Guitar Tube Preamp – it’s not just a piece of equipment, it’s a whole new frontier of sound. It’s for those restless souls always searching for that perfect tone, like prospectors panning for gold in a mountain stream.
Remember, in this topsy-turvy world of music, it’s not about following the herd. It’s about blazing your own trail, finding your own voice. And with this Nitewalker contraption, well, you’ve got yourself a whole new language to speak. Now, isn’t that something?
ENGINEERING RESULTS:
input: 100mVrms 200 Hz scope
input: 200Hz at 400mVrms High and Low Frquency Channels distortion shown
input: 200Hz at 400mVrms High and Low Frquency Channels
input: 400mVrms 200Hz scope
input: 600mVrms 200Hz scope
Bias on the outputs at steady state
distortion 100 Hz Low Freq channel
frequency sweep 20hZ to 20kHz at 100mVrms input signal
frequency sweep at 550mVrms input signal
frequency sweep at 630mVrms input signal
frequency sweep normalized to 0db
Gain Low Frequency Channel Orange drop vs PIO
Harmonic Spectrum 1vrms input signal
Harmonic Spectrum 400 mVrms input signal
Harmonic Spectrum 600 mVrms input signal
Low Frequency Channel with Orange drop transient response test
Low Frequency Channel with PIO transient response test
orange drop 50 mVrms freq response test
orange drop 100mVrms freq response test
orange drop 400mVrms freq response test
PIO frequency response 50 mVrms
PIO frequency response 100 mVrms
PIO frequency response 400 mVrms
hand drawn schematic of 12ax7 signal path hand drawn
schematic of 12ax7 signal path
scope 100mVrms 200Hz input
THD+N 0-500 mVrms input
THD+N 1-800 mVrms input
THD+N 250 mVrms 100Hz with overdrive switch in normal position
THD+N 250 mVrms 100Hz with overdrive switch in overdrive position
THD+N Low Freq. 100 mVrms input
THD+N Low Freq. 400 mVrms input
THD+N Low Freq. 600 mVrms input
THD+N Low Freq channel
transient response: high freq. and low freq. channels compared in production Nitewalker Bass Guitar Tube Preamp
If you would like to read a comprehensive report that has been prepared about these results please click here.
Tom Lees, who authored these audio engineering results, wrote an Article in Issue 7 of Bass Gear Magazine entitled, “A Technical Look at the Nitewalker Bass Guitar Tube Preamp”. Click here to see Issue 7.
Nitewalker Bass Guitar Tube Preamps
WARRANTY
Nitewalkerpreamp.com warrants to the original end-user purchaser only that the product will be free of defects in materials and workmanship for a period of 5 years from the date of purchase.
Should there be a material or workmanship defect during the Warranty Period, the end-user purchaser shall contact Newbasstone, Inc. to arrange for the return of the item. The end-user purchaser will be responsible for all efforts and costs incurred in transporting/mailing/shipping/insuring the defective item(s) to and from the manufacturer. A copy of the dated receipt/invoice should be enclosed in the return package.
What This Warranty Does Not Cover
Specifically, this warranty does not cover failures of the product which result from accident, abuse, misuse (including but not limited to connection to incorrect voltages or power points), alterations (by persons other than Newbasstone, Inc.), moisture, corrosive environments, shipping, high voltage surges, or abnormal working conditions (including but not limited to lightning and water damage) after purchase. In no event will Newbasstone, Inc., incur liability or damages to you, or any other person, exceeding the purchase price you paid for the product, regardless of the form of the claim. Failure of the 12AX7 tube is not covered by this warranty.
NOTE: This warranty gives you specific legal rights. You may have other rights which vary from country/state to country/state. Certain limitations in this warranty are not permitted by the jurisdiction of some countries/states, so some limitations may not apply to you.
