I’m assuming your amp is a Sonographe SA 250. The SA 250 is getting a little old and maybe the first thing you want to do is have it looked over to see if it needs a little refurbishing.
***Will using a preamp instead of going direct from my computer or tape sweeten the sound, even if it’s the solid state CJ Sc26 preamp?
It may. Some people find that not using a preamp works best for them but I think most people prefer the sound with a preamp. In your case, if your amp sounds sterile (after you’ve had it checked out, if it’s getting old) a good tube preamp will probably help. I don’t think that the solid state SC26 will fill out the sound. The older c-j tube preamps will probably cause some loss of detail. They were made to cover up the sound of harsh or lean solid state amps. So one may work well in your situation, but it won’t give you the transparency of newer tube gear.
So my advice is to have your SA 250 checked out, give it a little burn in time and then either go for the "classic" golden c-j tube sound with a PV-10 or get a newer tube preamp if you want a more transparent sound.
***Will using a preamp instead of going direct from my computer or tape sweeten the sound, even if it’s the solid state CJ Sc26 preamp?
It may. Some people find that not using a preamp works best for them but I think most people prefer the sound with a preamp. In your case, if your amp sounds sterile (after you’ve had it checked out, if it’s getting old) a good tube preamp will probably help. I don’t think that the solid state SC26 will fill out the sound. The older c-j tube preamps will probably cause some loss of detail. They were made to cover up the sound of harsh or lean solid state amps. So one may work well in your situation, but it won’t give you the transparency of newer tube gear.
So my advice is to have your SA 250 checked out, give it a little burn in time and then either go for the "classic" golden c-j tube sound with a PV-10 or get a newer tube preamp if you want a more transparent sound.