Westminster Effects Zurich Preamp

The Zurich Preamp is a preamp pedal from Westminster Effects aimed at acoustic players: it takes an acoustic signal, shapes it, and sends it out both to an amp or pedalboard and to a PA, since besides an XLR out the pedal also has a 1/4-inch output.¹ Its street price was $159.99.²

What it does

The Zurich's job is to take the signal from an acoustic guitar and get it ready for the rest of a rig, whether that ends at an amp or at a mixing desk. According to Westminster Effects, it "allows an acoustic guitar's natural tone to come through," which is the point of a preamp like this: it conditions and shapes the signal rather than coloring it heavily.¹

Control is simple. A volume knob sets the overall level, and a two-band EQ with bass and treble controls lets a player tame a boomy low end or add sparkle to a dull piezo pickup, the usual work of an acoustic preamp.²

For outputs, the Zurich covers both directions a player might need. Besides an XLR out for going straight to a PA or audio interface, it also has a 1/4-inch output for an amp or the front of a pedalboard.¹

Where it came from

The Zurich sits in a family of Westminster Effects preamps alongside the Geneva Amp Sim for electric guitars and the Wittenberg Bass Preamp for bass. The pedal carried a street price of $159.99.²

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