The Nocturne Brain El Pescadoro Reverberant Hot Preamp is a two-channel pedal that puts an Octal tube style preamp and a two-channel reverb in one box. Nocturne Brain describes it as a "Reverberant Hot Preamp", combining a prewar Gibson EH150/85 preamp circuit with pre-Fender reverb, and it is a streamlined version of the maker's standalone JR Barnyard hot preamp1. Pedal of the Day called it "an incredible dual channel device that will transport you about 70 years into the past"2.
What it does
The pedal covers two jobs at once. The preamp side emulates the vintage Gibson EH150/185 amplifiers, and Pedal of the Day described the range of tones as "from warm and saturated to bright and jangly"2. The reverb side draws on what the maker calls Chess Records Era reverbs, built to model the recorded sounds heard on old Chicago waterfront albums, which the maker describes as "a haunting bloom, an iconic captured live sound"1.
The two sides are meant to work together. Pedal of the Day found that the reverb, "Sounding great on its own, it really comes alive when being pushed by the Preamp channel"2.
Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Preamp Mode switch | Selects between Chitlins and Grits modes, based on the Instrument and Microphone channels of the classic amps, with Grits carrying an extra gain stage2 |
| Reverb Mode switch | Moves from luscious plate ambience to odd-shaped rooms and murky catacombs2 |
| Instrument switch | Selects between bass and guitar instruments, including upright bass, electric bass, steel guitar, electric guitar, acoustic with piezo, banjo and uke1 |
The instrument switch is unusual on a preamp pedal: it lets the same unit serve an upright bass, a banjo or a standard electric guitar, each with its own voicing1.
Chitlins and Grits
The preamp's two modes take their names from the two channels of the vintage amps the pedal models. Chitlins corresponds to the Instrument channel and Grits to the Microphone channel, and Grits adds an extra gain stage, so switching modes changes both the voicing and the amount of drive on tap2.
The reverb side
The reverb is a two-channel design with its own Mode switch. Pedal of the Day described the span it covers: "The Mode switch here lets you go from luscious plate ambience to odd-shaped rooms and murky catacombs"2. Players looking at reverb-only pedals can compare it with other reverb pedals, though here the reverb is designed to react to the preamp pushing it2.
Where it came from
The El Pescadoro carries over the circuit character of Nocturne Brain's JR Barnyard, a standalone Octal tube style preamp, in what the maker calls a streamlined version, and adds the two-channel reverb1. Pedal of the Day reviewed it in September 2022, concluding that the combination made "the sound unlike any pedal we've encountered before"2.
Videos
R.J. Ronquillo
The Nocturne Brain
Matt Woods
Questions
What are the Chitlins and Grits modes on the El Pescadoro?
The Mode switch on the preamp side selects between Chitlins and Grits. These are based on the Instrument and Microphone channels of the classic amps the pedal emulates, and Grits adds an extra gain stage. That gives players two levels of drive character from the same preamp, from a cleaner instrument voicing to a hotter, more saturated sound.
Which vintage amps is the Nocturne Brain El Pescadoro based on?
The preamp side emulates the vintage Gibson EH150/185 amplifiers, described by the maker as a prewar EH150/85 preamp. The reverb side draws on pre-Fender reverb and the sounds captured on old Chicago recordings of the Chess Records era.
What kinds of reverb does the El Pescadoro have?
The reverb side's Mode switch moves from what Pedal of the Day described as luscious plate ambience to odd-shaped rooms and murky catacombs. The maker says the circuit models the recorded sounds heard on old Chicago waterfront albums, a haunting bloom and an iconic captured live sound.
Is the El Pescadoro a preamp, a reverb, or both?
It is both. The Nocturne Brain El Pescadoro is an Octal tube style preamp with a two-channel reverb, sold as a Reverberant Hot Preamp. The preamp and reverb work together, and the reverb circuit comes alive when pushed by the preamp channel.
What is the Nocturne Brain JR Barnyard?
The JR Barnyard is a standalone hot preamp pedal from Nocturne Brain. The El Pescadoro is described by the maker as a streamlined version of the JR Barnyard, carrying the same Octal tube style preamp character and adding a two-channel reverb.
Sources (2)
- EL PESCADORO™ REVERB by The NOCTURNE Brain -Octal tube style preamp(jr, The Nocturne Brain
- Nocturne Brain El Pescadoro Reverberant Hot Preamp, Pedal of the Day, 2022-09-19
