This Graph-Tech preamp, along with the matching bridge makes your electric guitar sound almost like a real acoustic. In fact people who don't know about this technology might even think your miming on your electric. It provides a nice warm tone, with no noise and can blend beautifully with the magnetic pickups.
I had this pre-amp, along with the bridge, fitted to my GIbson Les Paul Traditional by my luthier in Denmark Street, I opted to go with the same control setup as the Les Paul Blackwater as I did not want a toggle switch cluttering up the top and gibson were happy to provide me with the schematic as Graph Tech don't have this wiring diagram on their site. I also had my luthier add a bypass push-pull for the pre-amp.
However while testing the wiring in the guitar something touched and shorted out the pre-amp board resulting in them having to buy me another, so if you are fitting this yourself be very careful with what you are doing and don't power it on until you are certain of the wiring unless you want to have to buy it again.
Another thing I recommend is that bypass switch, as without it when the battery dies your guitar no longer works at all with the pre-amp engaged, which it always is unless you have the bypass switch. Also if you play with a medium to high amount of distortion the pre-amp adds a horrible hiss to the signal that can even be heard over your playing. So when I'm not using the acoustic sound, I always have it bypassed and I highly suggest everyone does this too as it is in no way a pleasant sound.
Although even with it's caveats I would highly recommend this if you need an acoustic sound sparingly in your music and don't want to switch guitars between songs. Just make sure you have that bypass switch fitted or it might be 'sound off' at the gig one day...
