the nordstrand preamp
3b preamp
The new Nordstrand Preamp is now shipping and will be available from dealers now. There are 6 different configuations:
3B
3 band bass preamp with 3 eq pots.
3B-5a
PREWIRED - 3 band bass preamp with volume (pull passive), blend, treble, mid (pull frequency switch), and bass
3B-5b
PREWIRED - 3 band bass preamp with volume (pull passive), blend, tone, push pull frequency selector on mid, and treble/bass stack
3B-4a
PREWIRED - 3 band bass preamp with volume/volume stack, tone (pull passive), mid (pull frequency switch), and treble/bass stack
3B-4b
PREWIRED - 3 band bass preamp with volume/tone stack, blend, mid (pull frequency switch), and treble/bass stack
3B-3
PREWIRED - 3 band bass preamp with volume (pull passive), mid (pull frequency switch), and treble/bass stack
3b preamp specs:
- Overall gain is +/- 10db by a trim pot on the circuit board.
- Bass +/- 12db @ 50Hz
- Treble +/- 12db @4khz
- Midrange +/- 12db @ 1k with no external capacitors. Add two capacitors as indicated in the table to change the frequency.
Frequency |
200Hz |
300Hz |
400Hz |
500Hz |
600Hz |
700Hz |
800Hz |
900Hz |
1khz |
To outside lugs of mid pot |
68nf |
47nf |
33nf |
22nf |
15nf |
8.2nf |
5.6nf |
1.2nf |
N/A |
To gray leads from circuit board |
390nf |
190nf |
120nf |
82nf |
56nf |
47nf |
27nf |
12nf |
N/A |
We stock capacitors for the even numbered frequencies and will include one set with each preamp for a second frequency of your choice.
Battery life is estimated to be around 180 hours for an alkaline 9v. Adding a battery to make it 18v will give more headroom and longer life.
2b preamp
There are 6 different configurations:
2B
2 band bass preamp with 2 eq pots
2B-4a
PREWIRED - 2 band bass preamp with volume (pull passive), volume, bass and treble
2B-4b
PREWIRED - 2 band bass preamp with volume (pull passive), blend, treble, and bass
2B-3a
PREWIRED - 2 band bass preamp with volume (pull passive), treble, and bass
2B-3b
PREWIRED - 2 band bass preamp with volume (pull passive), blend, and treble on bass (stack)
2B-4c
PREWIRED - 2 band bass preamp with volume (pull passive), blend, tone, and treble on bass (stack)
2b preamp specs:
- Overall gain is +/- 10db by a trim pot on the circuit board.
- Bass +/- 12db @ 50Hz
- Treble +/- 12db @4khz
Battery life is estimated to be around 180 hours for an alkaline 9v. Adding a battery to make it 18v will give more headroom and longer life.
Nordstrand 2B-MM preamp

This is our reproduction of the original 2-band Music Man® preamp, the Nordstrand 2B-MM. Featuring the same interactive bass and treble controls as the original design, this preamp is intended to match up flawlessly with our line of MM pickups, resulting in the complete ‘70s StingRay® tone package. Controls are Volume, Treble, and Bass powered by a single 9V battery.
