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Download Example 1
Les Paul dirty rock rhythm tone
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Download Example 2
Clean Blackface Strat tone
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Download Example 3
P-90 thick solo tone |
| Clips recorded with an SM57 off-axis through a Chandler LTD-1 mic preamp into Pro Tools using an Apogee Symphony I/O interface. Clip 1 is a 2003 Les Paul R8, Clip 2 is a 2008 Fender American Standard Strat, Clip 3 is a Hamer Korina Special with Lollar P-90s
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The
en vogue status of low-wattage
combo amps remains a boon for any
guitarist on the lookout for a compact amp.
Just about every major amp company and
most boutique shops are offering at least
one model in the 12- to 18-watt range and
that’s a great thing. What’s not to like about
an amp that you can push hard without
blowing out the windows or that you can
throw in the front seat of your car for a gig?
Nolatone Ampworks—and the work
of Paul Sanders—are already standouts in
this fast-growing amp category. Handbuilt
by Paul in Raleigh, North Carolina, using
only the highest quality parts, Nolatone
models like the June Bug and Chimey
Limey have already made a mark for their
interpretations of Fender Tweed and Vox
tones. They might also be some of the
sharpest looking amplifiers available today.
And on both the sound and visual front,
Nolatone’s 15-watt Rotten Johnny is every
bit as spectacular a performer as its cousins
in the Nolatone line.
The Dirt
Weighing in at a very reasonable 28 pounds
with dimensions similar to a Fender Blues
Junior (18" x 16" x 10.5"), the Rotten
Johnny is an open-back 1x12 combo constructed
of solid dovetail-jointed pine. Our
review Rotten Johnny came in covered in
two-tone brown and crème vinyl with basketweave
grille cloth, and sported the signature
Nolatone “V” panel TV front design.
The 12" speaker is a 25-watt Warehouse
Green Beret, which is designed to sound
like a broken-in Celestion greenback. The
circuit is built around two JJ 6V6 power
tubes (you can also request EL84s) and
two 12AX7s. Everything under the hood
is top-notch, including custom Mercury
Magnetics iron, 1-watt carbon film resistors,
F&T filter caps, Switchcraft jacks, and
Carling switches laid out on a hand-wired
turret board.
Unlike many lower-wattage amps, the
Rotten Johnny offers far more control
options than a single volume and tone
control. The top panel consists of a unique
3-band EQ (Bottom, Mid, Top), as well as
Pre- and Post-Gain controls and a Master
volume. A Mid Lift switch (which can
also be activated by a footswitch) effectively
works as a boost for solos. Power and
standby switches reside next to a red jewel
power indicator.
The EQ section is a little more flexible
than what you’ll find on a production-line
low-watt amp. The Bottom control is a
6-way switch that progressively rolls off
bass. The independent Mid control is not
part of a typical tone stack configuration—
dialing it down extends the highs and lows
to create a very Fender-like mid-scooped
tone. The High control, meanwhile, is a
Vox-style top-boost reverse-wired to enable
players to move from chiming to much
darker tones by backing off the control.
Borrowing a move from Nolatone’s June
Bug design, the Pre- and Post-Gain controls
work in tandem to control the amount of
gain to the second stage and phase inverter
respectively.
Rockin’ the Filament
With a Godin Icon Type 2 with Duncan
P-Rails in hand, I got right down to the
business of exploring the wide-open voice
of the Rotten Johnny. With the Godin set
to the humbucker position, I cranked the
Master to full, set the Post Gain to around
noon and brought up the Pre Gain until I
got a rich, full distortion. The sound was
raw and thick, but I wanted a little more
clarity, so I dialed back the Bottom knob by
a few clicks, scaling down the thickness a
touch, but opening up the sound considerably.
The combination was reminiscent of
Frampton’s
Rockin’ the Fillmore-era Humble
Pie tone—a pretty huge sound for a 15-watt
1x12 combo. And if I closed my eyes,
I’d swear I was listening to a full stack in
miniature. For years, I’ve tried to harness
100- and 50-watt amps with attenuators
and master volumes and never been totally
successful. Needless to say, I was stunned
when two 6V6s pushing a single 12" gave
me what I’ve been looking for—and then
some.
Wielding my ’74 Les Paul Custom and
with the Mid control set to the non-lift
position, I was able to dial in AC/DC
rhythm tones with just the right amount
of kerrang and chime to create the illusion
of a blaring baby JTM45. And setting the
Pre Gain to noon and ramping up the Post
Gain added gobs of thick, juicy crunch with
just enough bark to cut through a mix. This
is where the Top control really shines—pulling
the Top back just a touch takes some of
the edge off without muddying the tone. It’s
voiced for just the right amount of sheen
and clarity without ever being brittle or icepicky.
The top-cut configuration also makes
the effectiveness of the Mid control’s sweep
range very apparent—enabling boosts in
presence that aren’t too brittle.
The Mid control is almost like another
gain knob, delivering more distortion and
dimension the more you crank it. And with
the Mid Lift engaged Rotten Johnny turns
into a roaring fire-breather with more gain
than most of us would ever need. I’ve rarely
heard a 6V6 amp sound this way—often
assuming some of the tonal qualities of
EL34s and EL84s. Though it only takes cutting
the Mid and backing off the Pre Gain
to get back to more blackface-like territory
that was a perfect match for my Strat.
For a 15-watt amp, the Rotten Johnny
doesn’t lack headroom. Because there is so
much control via Pre and Post gain over
how hard you hit the tubes, I found myself
digging deep into the wealth of Stratfriendly
clean sounds you can get with less
aggressive use of those controls. It was easy
to conjure thick and chewy cleans with just
a hint of grind by pushing the Post Gain
and leaving the Master wide open. Even
with the Mid Lift engaged I could still hit
the guitar hard without harsh
sounding breakup. And I was always able
to shape the thickness with the Bottom
switch, which I used extensively to match
individual guitars to the amp.
The Verdict
It’s been a long time since I’ve been so excited
about a new amp. The Rotten Johnny
has a huge range of brilliant tones in a compact
design that, at $1399, doesn’t break the
bank. For bedroom or studio musicians, it’s
a dream because you can coax out cranked
stack sounds without knocking down walls
and get the most beautiful cleans with the
twist of a few knobs. The construction is
top notch and the styling is classy and cool.
For an amp that’s roughly the same size as
a 1x12 cab and weighs less than 30 pounds,
it has the sonic personality of something
much larger. I only wish this little guy was
around when I first started playing guitar.
Thankfully, I’ll have the chance to make up
for lost time—my own Rotten Johnny is on
the way and I can’t wait to cut loose.
Buy if...
you want everything from Brit
aggressiveness to blackface tones
in a compact package at a fair price.
Skip if...
you actually need the power
to blow down barns.
Rating...
