The Benson Amps Germanium Preamp (Boost) is a Benson Amps preamp pedal, currently around $259. Close alternatives include the Strymon Riverside and the MXR Custom Shop Joe Bonamassa CSP265 FET Driver. It pairs well with the Boss CE-2W Chorus Waza Craft and the Electro-Harmonix Green Russian Big Muff.
Benson Amps Germanium Preamp (Boost)
Benson Amps · pedal
The Benson Amps Germanium Preamp is a boutique boost and mild overdrive pedal that runs your signal through a germanium gain stage borrowed from the company's Germanium Boost. It behaves like pushing the front end of a great tube amp, adding warm, rich harmonic content, a musical EQ shift and an amp like feel rather than aggressive distortion. With its bass, treble and drive controls it ranges from a clean, sweetening boost to a soft, low gain breakup, and it is prized for the way it thickens single coils and humbuckers alike while smoothing harsh top end. Players use it as an always on tone enhancer and a transparent push into an already driven amp for blues, indie, roots and studio work.
- germanium
- stage
- preamp
- treble
- drive
- gain
- organic
- transistor
Price updated Aug 27, 2026
Genres the Benson Amps Germanium Preamp (Boost) is commonly used in
- Indie
- Rock
- Alternative Rock
- Blues
- Classic Rock
- Jazz
Pedals that stack with the Benson Amps Germanium Preamp (Boost)
Boss CE-2W Chorus Waza Craft
Boss
24% matchRun Boss CE-2W Chorus Waza Craft after Benson Amps Germanium Preamp (Boost) in the signal chain, clear of Benson Amps Germanium Preamp (Boost)'s own gain stage
Electro-Harmonix Green Russian Big Muff
Electro-Harmonix
24% matchElectro-Harmonix Green Russian Big Muff pushes a high gain tone toward mid-forward
Shin's Music Dumbloid
Shins Music
21% matchFeed a high gain signal into Shin's Music Dumbloid and it comes out closer to tight
Crazy Tube Circuits Golden Ratio
Crazy Tube Circuits
19% matchCrazy Tube Circuits Golden Ratio leans toward tight, and that's a real, usable character to pair with
Walrus Audio Fathom
Walrus Audio
18% matchWalrus Audio Fathom's ambient voice goes after Benson Amps Germanium Preamp (Boost) in the signal chain — it's not there to compete with Benson Amps Germanium Preamp (Boost)'s own germanium character — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Hungry Robot The Borderland
Hungry Robot
18% matchPut Hungry Robot The Borderland after Benson Amps Germanium Preamp (Boost) in the signal chain, clear of Benson Amps Germanium Preamp (Boost)'s own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Friedman Buxom Boost
Friedman
tonal matchFriedman Buxom Boost is voiced for a high-gain amp's front end — Benson Amps Germanium Preamp (Boost) gives it exactly that
Spaceman Effects Atlas IV
Spaceman
tonal matchSpaceman Effects Atlas IV pushes a high gain tone toward clean boost
Cheaper alternatives
Dunlop MXR Timmy Overdrive, sold as Dunlop CSP027
Dunlop
75% similarityShared character: high_gain_settings, boost, treble
67Audio Libido
67audio
74% similarityShared character: boost, treble, amp
Airis Effects -Nemesis Preamp
Airis Effects
73% similarityShared character: high_gain_settings, treble, preamp
Smokin' Amp Co. FX10 BiFet Preamp
Smokin Amp Co
72% similarityShared character: stage, preamp, transparent
Marshall Valvestate 8080
Marshall
72% similarityBenson Amps Germanium Preamp (Boost) recreates this amp's tone in pedal form
JHS Overdrive/Preamp
JHS Pedals
96% similaritysimilar tone character
Boutique & premium upgrades
Klon Centaur
Klon
74% similarityShared character: single_coils, boost, stage
Boss FA-1 FET Amp
Boss
73% similarityShared character: amp, boost, studio
JHS Colour Box V2
JHS Pedals
72% similarityShared character: boost, treble, studio
Marshall Mini Silver Jubilee 2525C 1x12 Tube Guitar Combo Amp
Marshall
72% similarityBenson Amps Germanium Preamp (Boost) recreates this amp's tone in pedal form
Dallas Rangemaster Treble Booster
Dallas
96% similaritysimilar tone character
Similar charactersee all similar tone character →
Strymon Riverside
Strymon
77% similarityShared character: studio, high_gain_settings, boost
MXR Custom Shop Joe Bonamassa CSP265 FET Driver
pedal
73% similarityShared character: bass, high_end, treble
Hudson Electronics Dual Broadcast
Hudson Electronics
72% similarityShared character: high_gain_settings, boost, amp
Walrus Audio PRS Horsemeat
Walrus Audio
72% similarityShared character: treble, amp, transparent
Crazy Tube Circuits Constellation Germanium Fuzz/Booster
Crazy Tube Circuits
72% similarityShared character: single_coils, sensitivity, treble
Marshall Super Bass
Marshall
72% similarityBenson Amps Germanium Preamp (Boost) recreates this amp's tone in pedal form
See all alternatives to the Benson Amps Germanium Preamp (Boost) (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Benson Amps Germanium Preamp (Boost)?+
The closest matches in character are the Strymon Riverside, the MXR Custom Shop Joe Bonamassa CSP265 FET Driver, the Hudson Electronics Dual Broadcast. Budget picks: Dunlop MXR Timmy Overdrive, sold as Dunlop CSP027, 67Audio Libido, Airis Effects -Nemesis Preamp. Boutique upgrades: Klon Centaur, Boss FA-1 FET Amp, JHS Colour Box V2.
What pairs well with the Benson Amps Germanium Preamp (Boost)?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Boss CE-2W Chorus Waza Craft, Electro-Harmonix Green Russian Big Muff, Shin's Music Dumbloid — Run Boss CE-2W Chorus Waza Craft after Benson Amps Germanium Preamp (Boost) in the signal chain, clear of Benson Amps Germanium Preamp (Boost)'s own gain stage.
How much does the Benson Amps Germanium Preamp (Boost) cost?+
Around $259 (live listing price, updated Aug 27, 2026).