Each amp channel includes dedicated Gain
and Volume controls, as well as Bass, Mid,
and Treble EQ knobs. The EQ was a tad
subtle for my taste and, in general, I found
myself wanting more control over the frequency
spectrum. Like many Fender amps,
the G1 includes a Bright switch, and I found
it very helpful due to the amp’s somewhat
dark voicing.
My favorite part of the G1 is the complex
and unique preamp voicing provided by the
1U4 pentode preamp tubes. This is where
Grid 1’s engineers show their skills. When
overdriven, these tubes have a soft, fuzz-like
quality in the higher frequencies and
a robust growl in the low end. The sound
is not exactly like any other overdrive I’ve
heard, and it totally works.
Though the 1U4 tubes provide the basis
of the amp’s distinctive tone, Grid 1 chose
them primarily for practicality. First used
in the 1940s and ’50s in battery-powered
radios, these tubes require little current and
therefore conserve juice. When driven hard,
they produce unique upper harmonics. And
with the gain dimed on the overdrive channel,
you can clearly hear the characteristic screeches and squeals of electricity traveling
through a vacuum tube. Pick harmonics
sound sharp and clear, giving every stroke
a decisive attack. I found the G1 capable of
blues, jazz, and rock, though not metal, and
the tone remained the same whether it was
plugged into its AC wall adapter or running
on battery power.
The Final Mojo
It’s no surprise that the G1’s digital power
section doesn’t really provide any sonic
enhancements. So guitarists who require a
tube power section should look elsewhere.
But it shouldn’t all just be about tubes. The
real burning question is whether a battery-powered
amp with a tube preamp and a
digital power section can give you pleasing,
usable tones. And there are two answers,
one for people who need a battery-powered
amp and one for those who don’t.
If you have access to power, the Grid 1 may
or may not be tonally compelling—it’ll just
depend on your willingness to break with some
traditions. But the battery does keep you disconnected
from the grid and all the wonderful
spikes and breaker problems that every gigging
musician has endured at some point.
If you have situations where you could really
use a battery-powered amp, then the G1’s
open-back design will radiate plenty of volume
with more than enough headroom in all
directions—which is particularly important
if you’re gigging outside or in other atypical
venues. It tastefully executes blues, jazz,
and other genres where the heavy lifting
of a tube power section is not essential to
the sound. I wouldn’t choose the G1 for
recording hard-rock tones in the studio, but
I believe it would perform capably in live
hard-rock settings.
Considering that presently no battery-powered
guitar amps come equipped with
power tubes, I believe the G1 offers the best
battery-powered tone you’re going to find,
hands down.
Buy if...
you want to boldly play where
no other electric guitarist has
played before.
Skip if...
you’re dead set on a valve-only
amp or you want an amp for studio
recording.
Rating...
