Vintage Mint Groove Tubes STP-GII Rackmount Pre & Power Amp with EQ & Speaker Emulator

ear: Circa early 1990s Condition: Excellent Included: Unit, box, manual Availability: 30+ years old now, and so getting rarer (especially in mint condition) Overview: GROOVE TUBES STP-G II. This is basically a new-old-stock rackmount guitar pre & power amp with EQ & speaker emulator. Known for its warm, rich tube sound and versatile features, powered by 2- 6V6 Tubes and 4-12ax7's, the STP-GII is a favorite among recording engineers and musicians seeking to enhance their audio with classic analog warmth. I bought it from the inventor and owner of Groove Tubes, Aspen Pittman directly, when he was alive (RIP). He was selling off a bunch of gear from his personal stash to make room for recording studio rooms in the old Groove Tubes complex in Los Angeles. I have kept it safe since then. Killer sounding amp with his famous Speaker Emulator built in. Yes, you can buy some Neural DSP/Bogren/UAD guitar sim/IR plugins (I have them, too); but this baby has 6x real-life tubes in it so that banging recordings can be made to DAW without losing that vintage feel and sound of playing through a physical amp and cab cabinet (this thing can go from subtle overdriven tone to mean AF with it's "gnarly" setting). Front panel has Gain insertion switch, input levels, a major tone stack, power amp and emulator levels, as well as the "Top Boost" mod courtesy of Red Rhodes, which became integrated into production models like this one. There was no user manual for the STP-G II, so I've included a copy of the STP-G manual. Specifications and Features: • Type: Rackmount tube preamp • Channels: Dual-channel • Tubes: 2 x EL34, 4 x 12AX7 • Gain Control: Independent gain for each channel • Frequency Response: 20 Hz - 20 kHz • Inputs: • 2 x XLR microphone inputs • 2 x 1/4” instrument inputs • Outputs: • 2 x XLR balanced outputs • 2 x 1/4” unbalanced outputs • Controls: • Gain • High-pass filter • Phase reverse • Pad switch • Build: Sturdy metal chassis with vintage-style knobs and switches • Power Supply: Standard IEC power cable (included) Manufacturers Description: From the owner’s manual by GT Electronics founder Aspen Pittman. "Congratulations! You’ve just purchased the world’s first all tube guitar preamp for direct recording. The GT Electronics Studio Tube Preamp for Guitar (STP-G) can plug directly into the recording console and deliver true power tube tone and distortion, drive any slave amp for stage use, or can even hook up to a guitar speaker for small clubs or practice. The purpose of this manual is to acquaint you with the controls and the many possible sounds available to you. Simply stated, this is a complete 25 watt all tube guitar amp with a classic design that is similar to many of the old Fender amps you already know. We’ve added an extra stage of gain and a selectable mid-boost section to get that “heavy metal” overdrive sound, but you can switch these off to return to a classic “clean ’n crunch” sound typical of an old Fender or Marshall. What makes this preamp unique is the additional circuit we’ve added called the Speaker Emulator (patent pending) which interfaces the 25 watt amp to the mixer input. In other words, the Speaker Emulator turns the amp into a preamp. This means you can get the sound and feel of a 25 watt tube power amp directly into the console for recording…without a microphone or an isolation room. The STP-G delivers crystal clear rhythm sounds or searing lead tones, and it gives them directly into your mixer without the typical high volume levels that make recording guitar difficult and impractical. Naturally, the STP-G can be used in live music situations and go directly into the PA mixer. Imagine how well the vocal mics will work without those high volume levels bleeding into every mic on stage, and how good the guitar mix can be when it’s totally isolated from the other instruments!"

Condition

Used (normal wear)

Type

Electric

Brand

Groove Tubes