The Anasounds Tape Preamp enclosure kit is the metal box of the Tape Preamp on its own: one enclosure with the Anasounds design and all the holes already drilled, sold as a spare parts kit in Anasounds' FX Teacher range1. Anasounds positions it two ways: as a replacement for a damaged enclosure on a pedal you already own, or as the shell for a build where you choose the electronic parts yourself, including your own true bypass option1.
The enclosure kit contains no electronics. It is the box only, so a working pedal means pairing it with the Tape Preamp electronic kit or the PCB only version and your own components23.
What the enclosure is for
The Tape Preamp itself is a JFET preamp pedal designed to drive the input of an amplifier, and Anasounds describes it as a preamp that colors the sound even on the most subtle settings4. Its circuit was inspired by the built-in preamp of a well-known tape echo from the 1970s5. The enclosure kit exists because that pedal is available assembled or as a DIY kit, so boxes get damaged, and builders sometimes want to design their own build around the official drilled enclosure6.
Anasounds sells the Tape Preamp in several forms, and the enclosure kit sits at the bare end of that range162:
| Version | What you get | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Enclosure kit | Drilled enclosure only | Replacing a damaged box, or a fully self-sourced build1 |
| PCB only | One Tape Preamp PCB, no components | Builders assembling with their own components3 |
| Electronic kit | Electronic components, with the enclosure kit or a blank enclosure | Builders creating their own design2 |
| Full kit | Complete DIY package including a true bypass kit with 3PDT | Building the pedal yourself while learning7 |
| FX Teacher Tape Preamp | Already assembled pedal | Players who want the finished pedal2 |
The full kit is the most common starting point: Anasounds describes it as the kit to assemble the Tape Preamp yourself, for an ultra versatile and unique boost, and says the pedal sounds as fat and vibey as the actual preamp from a tape echo7. Its development started with the transistor preamp from a famous US-made tape echo that existed between 1970 and 19917.
Assembling with true bypass options
Because the enclosure kit leaves the electronic side to you, Anasounds says it can be assembled with different true bypass options. Building a working pedal from it requires1:
- a true bypass kit with 3PDT or relay
- a tester
- soldering tools
- the Tape Preamp electronic components kit1
The Tape Preamp's own footswitch modules are exchangeable: the FX Teacher range offers the classic 3PDT true bypass with click, or a relay true bypass module4. On the standard pedal, true bypass is made with a gold-plated 3PDT footswitch, which is exchangeable6. The full kit includes one true bypass kit with 3PDT7.
If you build from the electronic kit, the assembly manual describes what arrives inside the enclosure: a bag 0 containing the PCB with the LED and JFET already soldered, plus 4 bags of components5. That means the two most heat-sensitive parts are done for you, but the rest of the build is soldering work, which is why Anasounds lists soldering tools among the requirements for the enclosure kit route1.
The enclosure kit is a box, not a pedal. On its own it will not pass signal: it needs a PCB, components, and a switching assembly before it works.
Design and finish
The enclosure carries the Anasounds Tape Preamp design, and the pedal's face is a two-tone plexiglass plate engraved with a laser6. All the holes are already drilled, so the kit needs no metalwork: the switch, jacks, and controls line up with the existing holes1.
Questions
Does the Anasounds Tape Preamp enclosure kit include the circuit board?
No. The enclosure kit is a spare parts kit: it contains one Tape Preamp enclosure with the Anasounds design and all the holes already drilled, and nothing else. The circuit board comes with the Tape Preamp electronic kit or the full kit, or you can buy the PCB on its own.
Are the holes already drilled in the Anasounds Tape Preamp enclosure?
Yes. Anasounds lists the kit as one Tape Preamp enclosure with the Anasounds design and all the holes already drilled, so no drilling is needed. It is sold both to replace a damaged enclosure and as the starting point for a self-designed build.
Do I need to solder to use the Tape Preamp enclosure kit?
The enclosure itself needs no soldering, but a working pedal does. Anasounds says assembling it with your own true bypass option requires a true bypass kit with 3PDT or relay, a tester, soldering tools, and the Tape Preamp electronic components kit.
What is the difference between the Tape Preamp enclosure kit and the full kit?
The enclosure kit is just the drilled enclosure. The full kit is a complete DIY package to assemble the Tape Preamp boost pedal yourself, including the electronics and a true bypass kit with 3PDT. The enclosure kit suits builders replacing a box or sourcing their own parts.
What size is the Anasounds Tape Preamp enclosure?
Anasounds gives the enclosure's dimensions as 10 × 10 × 10 cm, with a listed weight of 0.1 kg. The same 10 × 10 × 10 cm size is listed across the Tape Preamp range, including the full kit, the electronic kit, and the assembled FX Teacher version.
Sources (7)
- Tape Preamp, Anasounds, 2026-08-26
- Tape Preamp, Anasounds, 2024-01-21
- Tape Preamp, Anasounds (anasounds.com), 2024-06-09
- fx teacher tape preamp user manual, Anasounds, 2022-11-09
- Assemble your fx teacher tape preamp kit, Anasounds, 2022-11-09
- Tape Preamp, Anasounds, 2023-04-27
- Tape Preamp, Anasounds, 2026-04-10
