The Dirty Boy Preamp is an analog preamp pedal that combines touch-sensitive overdrive, tube amp emulation and speaker simulation in one compact unit1. It is the first product from Dirty Boy as its own company under designer Danny Gomez, and it is based on an amplifier designed by Alex Saraceno, father of guitarist Blues Saraceno2. Guitar World describes it as "a fully analogue amp modeller"3.
What it does to your sound
The Dirty Boy Preamp is built with germanium or silicon transistors, hand-built and individually tested and calibrated5. Dirty Boy positions its products for guitarists and bassists who need a professional alternative to their amplifiers, or a responsive backup rig in an ultra-lightweight analog package5.
Guitar World's reviewer found the controls "all nicely responsive to playing dynamics with smooth volume knob clean-up"3, meaning you can roll your guitar's volume back to clean up the drive, the way you would with a real tube amp.
Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Variac | Adjusts voltage levels, effectively starving the amp of power; rolled back too far gives sputtery, gated sounds3 |
| Gain | Sets the amount of drive3 |
| Tone | Tempers the high end4 |
| Volume | Sets the output level3 |
| Bypass footswitch | Switches the effect in and out3 |
The Variac is the control that sets this pedal apart from most overdrive pedals. As on the original amp, it allows voltage levels to be adjusted, effectively starving the amp of power; rolled back too far it gives sputtery, gated sounds3. Pedal of the Day called it "a wide range to explore and that Variac control to keep things uber-intriguing"5.
Outputs and power
The pedal has a standard input and two outputs3:
- Preamp output: delivers the raw sound of the preamp, for use with a power amp and speaker setup4
- Emulated output: carries the speaker simulation, based on a closed-back 4x12 Celestion Greenback cabinet3
That second output means you can run the pedal straight into a mixer, interface or power amp and still get a cab-filtered sound, while the raw output suits players feeding a real guitar speaker43.
Power comes from a 9V DC adaptor, which is not supplied with the pedal3.
The Dirty Boy Preamp is true bypass3, so with the effect switched off your signal passes through untouched, with no buffer in the chain.
Circuit origins and the earlier T.A.E. model
The circuit traces back to an amplifier designed by Alex Saraceno for his son, guitarist Blues Saraceno2. The pedal itself is a Danny Gomez design based on that amp2. MusicRadar reported that Linkin Park used a Dirty Boy-designed preamp as part of the guitar tone on their single "From Zero," calling it part of "the most musical, unique and dynamic distortion effects I've ever used"2.
The Dirty Boy Preamp was not the first pedal to carry the name. Pedal of the Day reviewed the Dirty Boy T.A.E. Preamp Boost/Overdrive from Massive Unity Ltd. in December 20185, and describes the current Preamp as having "not as many bells and whistles as its predecessor" with a simpler control section5. Guitar Pedal X notes that the original Preamp/Overdrive circuit is "very well regarded generally" and possibly the best known of the Dirty Boy originals6.
The Dirty Boy Jr. Overdrive
Videos
Danny Gomez
Sean Pierce Johnson
Happy Mag
Questions
Is the Dirty Boy Preamp true bypass?
Yes. Guitar World's review lists true bypass among the pedal's features, alongside the Variac simulator and the speaker-emulated output. With the effect off, your signal passes through without buffering.
Does the Dirty Boy Preamp come with a power supply?
No. The pedal runs on a 9V DC adaptor, and Guitar World's review notes that the adaptor is not supplied, so you need to provide your own power supply.
Where is the Dirty Boy Preamp made?
Guitar World lists the pedal's origin as Spain. Pedal of the Day describes Dirty Boy products as hand-built and individually tested and calibrated, made with germanium or silicon transistors.
What does the Variac control do on the Dirty Boy Preamp?
The Variac knob, as found on the original amp, adjusts voltage levels, effectively starving the amp of power. Rolled back too far it gives sputtery, gated sounds, and it widens the range of tones the pedal can explore.
What is the Dirty Boy Jr. Overdrive?
It is a Warm Audio pedal that recreates the Dirty Boy Preamp circuit in a standard-format, more affordable pedalboard-friendly housing. Dirty Boy partnered with Warm Audio to faithfully recreate the acclaimed original circuit.
What speaker is the Dirty Boy cab emulation based on?
The speaker-emulated output is based on a closed-back 4x12 cabinet loaded with Celestion Greenback speakers, according to Guitar World's review. The pedal also has a raw preamp output without the emulation.
Sources (6)
- Warm Audio Dirty Boy “Preamp” Style Overdrive Pedal, Warm Audio
- “The most musical, unique and dynamic distortion effects I've ever used”: Linkin Park reveal the secret weapon behind their From Zero guitar tone, MusicRadar, 2025-04-24
- Dirty Boy Preamp review, Guitar World, 2024-10-23
- Guitar World's 30 favorite guitar pedals from the past 5 years, Guitar World, 2025-06-02
- Dirty Boy Preamp, Pedal of the Day (pedal-of-the-day.com), 2024-09-03
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2026-07-22
