Bernard Butler - Watkins Copicat as valve preamp

I've just read this great interview with Bernard Butler (Suece, McAlmont, Libertines producer, Edwyn Collins, Ben Watt, etc...) on Musictech magazine. It's full of cool insights into his guitar playing and production.



The Next Life - Bernard Butler Interview - MusicTech | MusicTech



Bernard Butler Interview - Trans Temporal - Guitar and Bass | Guitar and Bass



Bernard Butler Interview - Part Two - MusicTech | MusicTech



One thing that struck me was his comment about using an old valve Watkins copicat as preamp in the studio:



"BB: I love this old Watkins Copicat, the delay works but it also serves me as an amazing preamp. That’s how I’ve always used it, really – it works as a valve pre. I just stick things through it like that for a big fat fuzzy sound."



As it happens, I have an old valve Watkins Copicat at the moment, which I found in a Lisbon flea market (in awful condition) and I had restored.



I had used it before as a amp boost, cranking it up to make the amp distort at low volumes, which was cool, but had not used it as a pre for recording. After reading the interview I have used it as preamp/DI for bass, and actually it sounds really cool. It gives a dark compressed sound, with these characteristics increasing the louder the volume and even a little distortion at top volume.



I'm fairly impressed and I can see how it would add a lot of character to synths, electric pianos, etc...I would be curious to know whether other Gearslutz are using their copicats in a similar way and on which instruments....

Bernard Butler - Watkins Copicat as valve preamp