The New Standard in Bass Amplification, Made Portable: The Laney DB-EAST-PRE
Nathan East has played on more hit records than any other bass player in history. Over 50 years, his tone has shaped the sound of modern music. Now that tone comes to you in a compact preamp handcrafted in our Birmingham workshop. This is the DB-EAST-PRE. This is what happens when you design gear around real-world demands instead of marketing benchmarks.
The Most Recorded Bass Player in the World, Now a Partner
Nathan East has been there from the beginning. He played on "Get Lucky" with Daft Punk. He's been the bass player on tour with Eric Clapton. He's recorded with Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Elton John and thousands of other artists. His CV isn't just impressive. It's a masterclass in what working bass players actually need.
In 2023, Nathan found something special in Laney's DB500H amplifier. As he pushed it across his solo gigs and his tours with Clapton, we listened. Really listened. That collaboration became the DIGBETH-EAST bass head. Now we've taken that philosophy further with the DB-EAST-PRE, a signature preamp built for working musicians who refuse to compromise on tone.
Two Inputs. Endless Possibilities.
The DB-EAST-PRE features dual inputs, and that's not just a feature ticked off on a spec sheet. This matters because you're a working bass player. You might switch between acoustic and electric bass in the same set. You might use a 4-string for some songs and a 5-string for others. You might need to accommodate both active and passive instruments without re-dialling every control on stage.
Input 2 includes a trim pot for precise level matching across different bass types. That means seamless transitions and optimal sound quality, regardless of what instrument you've got in your hands.
"Twice the inputs, twice the magic," Nathan says. He's not wrong.
Your Own Personal Sound
The DB-EAST-PRE ships with Nathan's favourite LA·IR cabinet impulse responses pre-loaded into the system. These aren't generic approximations. They're the actual IRs from rigs that have shaped hit records.
Switch between inputs and the IRs automatically adapt to match your tone. Use the companion app to customise the DI output, apply independent parametric EQ, and shape your sound in real-time for any venue or recording scenario. This is the kind of flexibility that matters when you're playing a different room every night, or when you're recording at three different studios in a week.
Master Control. Always.
The master volume gives you total control over the preamp characteristics while maintaining precise command over your overall level. The TUBE channel can be shaped with EQ tweaks for players who want to dial in specific drive character. The RANGE control adds bottom end to your drive. Selectable mid pre-shapes let you sculpt exactly the tonal character you're after.
Handcrafted. Built to fly
Every DB-EAST-PRE is handcrafted at our Black Country Customs workshop in Birmingham. Built with the same meticulous attention to detail to match Nathan’s DB-EAST signature head. Compact enough to fit on any pedalboard. Professional enough for any session. The New Standard has been redefined.
