The FELiX Preamp for Jazz

The audio qualities of the Grace Design FELiX preamp make it a great addition for jazz guitarists in the studio and on the road.

If you are not familiar with Grace Design, they have been building high-end pro audio gear for 25 years. Early on, their m101 mic preamp/DI was adopted by live performers as a stage preamp for their acoustic instruments. Ultimately their first models inspired them to create the FELiX.

The FELiX is a 2 channel studio quality preamp, EQ, blender and DI. The preamp amplifies whatever source is plugged in with exceptional headroom, dynamic range and fidelity. Early adopters of the FELiX were predominantly flat top guitar players with blending pickup systems, but its neutral and musical circuitry allows it work on any instrument – especially for archtop jazz guitars. 

Jazz players who have mostly leaned on magnet pickups into an amp can now explore a secondary piezo pickup or microphone to blend in with the magnetic sound, which can bring in more of the acoustic sound on stage. With this combination get the immediacy and punch of the magnetic, as well also the wood and ‘air’ that the archtop body produces. The FELiX is now being used by players like Adam Miller and Paul Ricci.  Also, it’s worth mentioning that the FELiX also has been widely adapted by jazz bass players for all the same reasons. Mr. John Patitucci takes his everywhere to run both his upright and electric basses.

The FELiX allows touring jazz guitarists to bring along their ‘home base’ input chain to help deal with the varying nature of backline amps. Even with a relative dud of a backline amp, the FELiX allows players to still have a great deal of sonic control and get the most out of whatever they might be plugging into. 

If the FELiX is overkill, Grace Design also offers two smaller models, the ALiX which is essentially a single channel FELiX, and the BiX which is a stripped down version, but with the exact same sonic quality.

For more information on the FELiX