EBS Stanley Clarke Acoustic Preamp

The EBS Stanley Clarke Signature Acoustic Preamp is a two-channel analog preamp pedal from EBS, developed in collaboration with bassist Stanley Clarke and his bass tech. It is aimed first at upright bass players dealing with the challenges of amplifying an acoustic instrument, but EBS positions it as a versatile toolbox for electric bass players, acoustic guitarists, and players of other amplified acoustic instruments as well¹.

Each channel carries its own controls and its own high-pass/notch filter, and the two channels can run in A/B or A+B operation, meaning you can switch between two instruments or blend them together. Guitar World's reviewer described the two analog channels as "matching the high-quality signal of a professional mixing console"². The pedal has been one of EBS's best-selling pedals since its arrival and is widely available at online stores and local EBS dealers³.

What it does, and who it is for

EBS built the pedal as "the perfect tool to deal with all the challenges that come with amplifying acoustic instruments," operating with what the company calls studio-grade signal quality⁶. The high 10 MOhm input impedance on both channels suits passive, active, and piezo pickups⁴, and channel A adds a dedicated switch for electret pickups, which the pedal powers at 5V and 2mA⁴⁵.

The range of connections is closer to a small mixing console than a typical stompbox:

• Two instrument inputs, both at 10 MOhm impedance⁴
• XLR microphone input with phantom power on channel B, for condenser mics⁴⁵
• Serial/parallel effects loop⁶
• Tuner output⁶
• Balanced output with speaker simulator and ground lift⁶
• Aux input and professional-grade headphones output⁶

Internally, the pedal converts a standard 9V DC supply into ±15V operating rails, which is how it delivers console-style headroom from a pedalboard supply⁴.

The controls

Each channel has its own dials for bass, mids, and treble, plus a high-pass/notch filter control, with a switch tied to the Filter control that lets you choose whether to use it as a High Pass filter or a Notch filter⁵. If you don't need the filter, simply turn the control all the way to the left to the "Off" position³. Each channel gets its own high pass/notch filter for fine-tuning troublesome frequencies, and a phase inverter switch prevents any phasing issues that might arise when blending the two channels².

The filter control works as either a high-pass filter or a notch filter, selected by a switch tied to the control. Turning the filter knob fully left puts it in an Off position when no filtering is needed³. Guitar World's reviewer found that "troublesome frequencies were easily fine-tuned with the individual high pass/notch filter, offered here for each channel"².

A phase inverter switch prevents phasing issues that might arise when blending the two channels in A+B mode².

Power and connections

A dedicated 9V DC power supply is included with the pedal⁴⁶. The power requirements are substantial for a pedal: 500mA at idle and up to 800mA at 9V with headphones at maximum output level⁴. EBS notes that the Stanley Clarke preamp needs at least 700mA to operate correctly⁷.

Designed with Stanley Clarke and his bass tech

EBS teamed up with Stanley Clarke himself and his bass tech to create the preamp³. Clarke described his own use of it: "I have been using this new preamp on every show and in the studio since November 2019, when I got the final sample in my hands"⁶. The pedal became available in November 2020⁶, priced at $499.99⁵.

EBS also published a studio demo video recorded at Baggpipe Studios with bass player Rubem Farias and acoustic guitarist Steinar Aadnekvam, capturing the preamp's sound on upright bass and acoustic guitar, with the upright bass in the video recorded through the preamp and fed to the studio soundboard from its balanced output⁶.

What reviewers said

Guitar World's review was positive across the board. On feedback control, the reviewer reported that "Channel A enabled me to really push the volume level without the usual feedback problems" when set up close to a drummer². The overall verdict:

The pedal also collected strong scores and awards elsewhere. Jon Thorne's review in Bass Player Magazine scored it 29 out of 30 points, and BONEDO.DE gave it 5 out of 5⁸. Dan Veall's review for Guitar Interactive Magazine received the "Guitar Interactive Recommends" award⁸. In December 2021, the preamp received the "Gear of the Year" award for "Best Effects Unit" in Bass Player magazine¹. Bassist Per Mathisen described his recording experience with it as "Big fat warm with great presence and punch"⁸.

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