The Pique Dynamic Preamp is a preamp pedal from Mile End Effects. Its full name is the Pique Dynamic Pre Amplifier/Buffer and Harmonic Enhancer, and it is listed at $299.99 CAD, or $216 USD1. It belongs on a board alongside other preamp pedals and boost pedals.
Controls and rocker switches
The Pique's face is built around four independent rocker switches that ramp up and shape the output, in a style Karlsson compares to Land Devices preamps1. A Boost Engage footswitch brings the effect in and out1.
| Control | What it is |
|---|---|
| Boost Level | Sets the output level of the boost stage1 |
| High Frequency | 1.6kHz saturation control1 |
| Brilliance | Bright cap / bright switch1 |
| Low Frequency | Phase-shifted low-pass filter1 |
Where the Pique differs from a plain boost is in its EQ. Karlsson describes "very unique EQ elements which generate highly musical higher order harmonics", produced through what he calls a sort of edge saturation switch (the High Frequency control), the Brilliance bright switch, and the phase-shifted low-pass filter of the Low Frequency control1. In practice, each rocker adds a different harmonic character on top of the level lift, which is why he frames the pedal as a smart boost rather than a simple volume push.
"Really cool pedal for sure - while I will always prefer a slightly more compact enclosure."
Karlsson's one reservation is the format: he would prefer a slightly more compact enclosure, and given the number of rockers on the top panel, he would rather have seen a rocker switch used as a secondary footswitch in the overall design1.
The buffer
The Pique carries a buffer onboard, and in Karlsson's review it appears to be always on: "with the Pique one seemingly always on"1. That makes it a hybrid of a buffer pedal and a switched preamp: the buffer stage stays in the signal path whether or not the boost is engaged. Players who run true-bypass-only boards should keep that in mind when placing it in their chain.
Mile End Effects
Mile End Effects makes the Pique Dynamic Preamp, listed at $299.99 CAD, or $216 USD1. The company has also made the Ronald PreAmp 150, another preamp pedal.
Videos
Mile End Effects
Questions
Is the Mile End Effects Pique a boost pedal?
Mile End Effects names it the Pique Dynamic Pre Amplifier/Buffer and Harmonic Enhancer, but Stefan Karlsson, writing on Guitar Pedal X, views it as a kind of smart boost pedal. It has a Boost Level control and a Boost Engage footswitch, and its EQ elements generate higher order harmonics, so it sits close to boost territory even though it is marketed as a preamp.
Does the Pique have a buffer, and is it always on?
Yes. The Pique carries a buffer onboard, and in Stefan Karlsson's Guitar Pedal X review it appears to be always on, which he describes as "with the Pique one seemingly always on". Players who want the pedal purely as a switched effect should be aware that the buffer stage is part of the design.
What does the Brilliance switch do on the Pique?
Brilliance is a bright cap or bright switch, in the sense used in guitar amplifiers. Engaging it lifts the top end of the signal. On the Pique it is one of four independent rocker switches, alongside the High Frequency, Low Frequency and Boost Level controls, that shape the output.
What does the High Frequency control do on the Pique?
High Frequency is a 1.6kHz saturation control. It works with the Brilliance bright switch and the Low Frequency phase-shifted low-pass filter to generate what the Guitar Pedal X review calls highly musical higher order harmonics, giving the Pique its harmonic enhancer character.
Where is Mile End Effects based?
Mile End Effects is a Canadian brand. Stefan Karlsson's 2025 Guitar Pedal X article introduces the Pique as a product of this new Canadian maker, and the brand's earlier Ronald PreAmp 150 was also reported as handmade in Canada when it launched in 2021.
Sources (1)
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2025-08-21
