“We ended up taking it down to the Royal Albert Hall, and played a concert with it with Eric Clapton the following night”: Laney puts the philosophy of Nathan East’s signature head into an all-powerful, dual-input preamp pedal

Nathan East DB-EAST-PRE Bass Pre Amp | Laney Black Country Customs - YouTube

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NAMM 2026: British amp builders Laney may sound hyperbolic when it says that it is bringing forth “the new standard in bass preamps,” but considering it has worked with Nathan East, the most recorded bass player in history, to bring its new piece of gear to life, it might have a point.

The Laney DB-EAST-PRE is a preamp handcrafted in its English factory, and thoroughly put through its paces by Nathan East every step of the way. From touring and recording with Eric Clapton for over 40 years, to tracking that bassline on Get Lucky, his unscrupulous ear for gear has helped define this beast's key features.

Its backstory takes us back to Laney’s Digbeth DB500H bass amplifier, which East began using in 2023. That led to the birth of a signature head, the dual-input DB-EAST, last year, and that “unprecedented flexibility” has been transferred into this smaller, but no less powerful, version.

So yes, the dual inputs remain vital, offering working bassists the ability to switch between sets – whether that means swapping acoustic for electric, four-strings for five, or going from passive to active pickups – with two pre-dialed-in outputs ready to accommodate those changes. Input two even includes a trim pot for precise level matching in those exact scenarios.

“I usually play electric and upright bass at gigs, so I have an input and output for each, and the front of house engineer can have a different signal for each instrument,” East explains. “They're independent, and I can balance the volumes of each, so they're always matched for the stage.”

Control-wise, the Master Volume control helps reshape the amp's characteristics, the Tube channel can be EQ-ed to the nines, and the Range dial adds bottom end to its overdrive. There are also selectable mid pre-shapes for even more precise tone sculpting, and a Tilt switch for a little more bottom or top end without compromising the overall EQ.

It is designed, quite naturally, to be a travel companion too. Loaded with East’s favorite impulse responses, including IRs from hit record rigs, a partner app allows users to customize DI output; it's ready to shape itself for any room and any occasion. Small enough to fit onto pedalboards, it’s ideal for those looking to streamline their setups.

“The Digbeth amp was loved at first sight,” East says. “We ended up taking it down to the Royal Albert Hall, and played a concert with it [with Eric Clapton] the following night.

“The DEB-EAST-PRE is a preamp with all the goodies in it. It's a total game-changer again. There's a lot of information packed into this little box.”

The Laney Digbeth DB-EAST-PRE is available now for $429.99.

Head to Laney for the full details