PAB

[brewdude]

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but, as I understand it, the PAB works by removing the tone stack from the signal path (rendering the TMB pots useless), which boosts the signal.

If so, would building a pre amp completely without the tone stack sound the same as one having the PAB engaged?

[heisthl]

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but, as I understand it, the PAB works by removing the tone stack from the signal path (rendering the TMB pots useless), which boosts the signal.

If so, would building a pre amp completely without the tone stack sound the same as one having the PAB engaged?

The standard Dumble type PAB works by separating the treble and bass pots - but the frequencies for bass and mid still go to ground and your right, the treble pot doesn't do much either. Remember the bass and mid pots work by draining those frequencies to ground (passive style tone circuit). There is an alternative style PAB that lifts the ground from the bass and mid pots that gives you massive boost (some call it mega boost). But it has drawbacks as well, mostly because the Dumble style amps were designed for a specific character of tone and mega boost dumps way too much low end through this design(large coupling caps throughout the signal path).
Building a preamp without a tone stack allows all frequencies through, and while it's kind of nice for a fat lead tone it's not very usable for rhythm playing.
If you like the idea of a "hot" preamp, use a tweed era single tone knob style preamp. Bear in mind the output is way to big to feed the OD stage without considerable level compensation and tone shapeing at the OD entrance.