Check out these excellent amps from some of the best brands in the industry.
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Archon 50W Head
Greek for “ruler” or “lord,” the PRS Archon is a commanding 2-channel amp with versatile overdriven tones and sparkling cleans with plenty of headroom. Designed with five gain stages before the master volume, the Archon’s lead channel is voiced to cover everything from Classic Rock to Metal with full, lush distortion. The clean channel provides rich tones that retain clarity even at high volume, and there is ample headroom, creating an excellent platform for pedals. The Archon has remarkably responsive tone with incredible note separation, whether you’re playing on the clean channel or chugging on the lead.
The PRS Archon is powered by two 6CA7 power tubes, which fall between EL34 and 6L6 tubes, offering the best of both worlds. 6CA7’s are warm, full, and articulate with smooth high end and tight low end. They chug, distort, and get heavy without over-saturating, and they sing without becoming harsh.
Badlander 50 1x12 Combo
Delivering a sonic and weight profile that’s a bit more lean, the Badlander™ 50 holds its own while adding a distinct tonal character to the Badlander Series. Even more aggressive, yet with an inviting, effortless feel, it’s ready to go places where less power is the call. Two channels feature 3 new dynamic Modes as its 100-Watt counterpart. CLEAN, CRUNCH and CRUSH repeated supply the gain, shaping power and an urgent personality to navigate any venue. Here in the Badlander 50, the 2-Channel preamp hooks up with two different and perfect power displacements that enhance everything from clean to clipped to wildly saturated. The 50-Watt setting delivers bold authority and the highest headroom while the 20-watt setting finds the power tubes re-wired for Triode operation that unveils greater clipping potential and a mid-scooped, harmonic-laden response that reveals trademark EL34 Tone.
TAD 6L6GCM-STR REDBASE™ PREMIUM Selected
As the first tube of the new TAD REDBASE™ series, the TAD 6L6GCM-STR REDBASE™ has a powerful but always well-defined bass range, with clear, silky and transparent highs - offering plenty of headroom.
In every setting, the TAD 6L6GCM-STR REDBASE™ responds directly and with great dynamics, from soft and warm to punchy and powerful, without ever losing detail or depth.
An effective upgrade
The TAD 6L6GCM-STR REDBASE™ is the recommendation for lively clean sounds as well as powerful broadband multi-channel amps. This makes the TAD 6L6GCM-STR REDBASE™ an effective upgrade for virtually any amp that uses 6L6GC or 5881 tubes.
SLO Mini
The SLO Mini head is a 30-watt powerhouse with the same rich overdrive and crunch as the original amplifier. This ultra-compact head delivers searing harmonics, and the perfect balance of gain, sustain and tight touch response that the SLO has become famous for.
THR30 II Wireless 30-watt Modeling Combo Amp
No matter where you are, you can plug into a Yamaha THR30 II Wireless and experience realistic tube tone. This battery-powered combo amplifier includes a full arsenal of guitar and bass amp emulations, along with mic models for your acoustic-electric and flat modes for everything else. Ditch your pedalboard — the THR30 II Wireless’s 3-band EQ, and a great-sounding selection of modulation effects, echoes, and reverbs, have you covered. Bluetooth support enables you to stream backing tracks — with full Hi-Fi quality — through the THR30 II Wireless’s stereo speakers. The THR30 II Wireless also includes plug-and-play USB connectivity for recording and playback, along with a built-in wireless receiver for performing cable-free.
Katana-50 MkII 1 x 12-inch 50-watt Combo Amp
The BOSS Katana-50 MkII is the latest installation in BOSS's esteemed line of Katana series amplifiers. And whether you're interested in accessing its pummeling 50-watt output section and platform-perfect 12-inch speaker to amplify your existing modelers and preamps, or in building your dream tones from the ground up to create the ultimate all-in-one gig and practice solution, take it from Sweetwater — the Katana-50 MkII is a powerful tool in the hands of any electric or acoustic player. Cab-emulated outputs and monitoring make the BOSS Katana-50 MkII a truly silent stage and studio guitar solution, while multichannel footswitch support provides hands-free remote access to every sound in your arsenal. New amp variations and access to 60 timeless BOSS effects within the BOSS Tone Studio editor make the 50 MkII a tone tweaker's holiday.
Made from durable polyethylene, PRS' new guitar cases feature a TSA-friendly zip-tie latch system and custom-fit nest and neck cradle.
Thoroughly engineered and tested, these cases are made from the same material as car seats and motorcycle helmets, so players can rest easy knowing their PRS is in the best possible protective case whether flying or traveling to local gigs, studios, or practice spots.
The new PRS ATA Hardshell Multi-fit Molded Guitar Cases are formed from lightweight, durable polyethylene and are built to military and ATA spec. All hardware is powder coated for longevity, and the ergonomic handle makes this guitar case easy to carry through the airport or to the stage. The proprietary zip-tie channel latch system provides a secure, TSA-friendly solution without the hassle of having to deal with unreliable locking systems of yesteryear.
The case’s interior features a custom-fit nest and neck cradle, designed with PRS Guitars’ Engineering team. Additional interior appointments include black plush lining and two large, hinged accessory compartments to safely store your accessories.
The new PRS ATA Hardshell Multi-Fit Molded Guitar Cases come in two styles. Identical on the exterior, these two cases were specifically designed to house PRS instruments. The “D1” (Design 1) case was designed to fit PRS classic-perimeter body shapes and many Singlecut designs, regardless of Series (Core, Bolt-On, S2, SE), including the following models: CE 22, CE 24, Custom 22, Custom 24, Custom 24 Piezo, Custom 24 Floyd, Custom 24-08, McCarty, McCarty 594, McCarty 594 Singlecut, S2 Standard 22, S2 Standard 24, S2 McCarty 594 Thinline, SC 245, SC 250, SE Swamp Ash Special, and SE Standard 24-08 Core Specialty Models, including 509, 513, Special Semi-Hollow, Studio, Modern Eagles Signature models, including DGT, Mark Tremonti, Santana Retro, Paul’s Guitar, DW CE 24 Floyd PRS ATA Hardshell Multi-Fit Molded Cases. The “D2” (Design 2) was designed to fit PRS slab-body guitars, including the following models: NF 53, Silver Sky, Fiore, and Myles Kennedy.
For more information, please visit prsguitars.com.
On the eclectic instrumental band’s newest, A LA SALA, the bassist pledges to “just play what sounds good and what feels good.”
“Bass playing is like humming to me,” says Khruangbin’s Laura Lee Ochoa. “I hum to myself all the time. It’s very in-your-body. It’s also one note, it can be as melodic as I want it to be, and it’s simple. It was something that just resonated with me.”
Ochoa is describing the epiphany that brought her to the bass back in 2009, when she was working as a third-grade math teacher. First learning piano with help from her pal, guitarist Mark Speer, she recalls, “I was trying to play along to a song and he said to follow the bass. Then I picked one up, and it weirdly made sense to me.” It was a monumental event—the catalyst for just about everything that followed.
Soon, Ochoa quit her teaching job to go on tour with Speer in the shoegaze band Yppah. “It was five people staying in a Motel 6 every night, flipping a quarter for who slept on a bed,” she remembers. “We were in a minivan, I had no amp, I was playing direct every night—it was that kind of tour. Our very last show was in Seattle, and we drove to Houston in one shot and didn’t stop. We were all crooked getting out of the van, and I looked at Mark and was like, ‘I wanna start a band.’”
Khruangbin - "Pon Pón"
Ochoa and Speer’s weekly hangs with Donald “DJ” Johnson Jr., a producer who played with Speer at a regular church gig, made assembling a band easy. “I didn’t know that DJ played drums,” says Ochoa, “because I knew him as an organ or keyboard player. Mark was like, ‘I’ve never heard DJ play drums, but I know he’ll play the way we want.’”
“I didn’t grow up ever thinking I’d play bass.”
Fast forward a few years of jamming, and Khruangbin released their debut, The Universe Smiles Upon You, in 2015. The trio caught the ears of listeners and critics with their unique stew of influences, the most immediate of which was vintage Thai funk, but international sounds from Peru to the Middle East were detectable. Speer played with the reverb-soaked twang of surf rock and the laid-back feel of soul jazz. Ochoa and Johnson served as his rhythmic foils, delivering tight grooves with both bounce and economy that were equal parts reggae, Motown, and lo-fi hip-hop.
Laura Lee Ochoa's Gear
Ochoa uses flats on her original SX J bass and never changes ’em.
Photo by Jordi Vidal
Bass
- SX J bass
Amp
- Acme Audio Motown DI
- Ampeg bass amp
Strings
- Flatwounds
Khruangbin skyrocketed to the tops of taste-making lists, drawing in record collectors and public radio listeners alike. Along the way, the band lived in their sound more deeply with every new project. And there have been many: They’ve now delivered four LPs, plus a pair of EPs with Leon Bridges, and Ali, a collaboration with Malian guitar virtuoso Vieux Farka Touré as a tribute to his legendary father, Ali Farka Touré.
On their newest album, A LA SALA, the band jump-started the writing process by digging into their vault of demos and jams, going as far back as one of Speers’ pre-Khruangbin demos of “May Ninth,” which dates from 2008. Other vault recordings came from throughout their career—“Ada Jean” was demoed around the time of their debut—while some songs are new. The goal, Ochoa says, was “to just be influenced by ourselves.” Like the Rolling Stones’ Tattoo You or Van Halen’s A Different Kind of Truth, both of which were created by archive-diving, there are no discernible differences between the old and new. They all simply sound like Khruangbin. “When I listen to the final product and what they turned into,” says Johnson of their vault recordings, “it’s incredible to me.”
While Ochoa and Johnson call Speer’s guitar the lead singer of the mostly instrumental group—though Ochoa’s voice is featured, it’s mostly as a background element—at the heart of the band’s sound is the deep, sympathetic rhythmic hookup between the three players, and much of that starts with the foundation laid down by Ochoa and Johnson. “A lot of times, it starts with DJ and I playing a bunch to lock in,” says Ochoa. “We’ll start smiling at each other, like, ‘We’re here now.’” Together, they bounce. They’re tight, but airy. The low end pumps enough to keep you moving, even on slower, lighter tunes, but their flow is always dynamic.
A LA SALA features all new recordings, but the songs are a mix of all-new compositions and some that consist of old riffs and parts dating as far back as 2008.
On 2020’s Mordechai, the band tweaked their formula and their feel. The songs leaned more toward poppy, dance grooves, and Ochoa’s breathy background vocals moved into the fore. Her playing changed as well. “I was trying to be complicated,” she explains. “I was trying to play things that were slightly less comfortable for myself because I was trying to go outside the box and play more notes or play faster.” It was an essential step in her internal relationship with the bass. “It’s like being a teenager in the lifespan of playing. I started out naively, and then I was like, ‘I know more, my fingers are more agile, I’m going to make this more complicated.’”
By pushing herself to the limit on Mordechai, Ochoa was able to find more of herself—the kind of stuff that really makes Laura Lee sound like Laura Lee—on A LA SALA. “I feel like with this record, I didn’t have that same need,” she says. Instead, she decided to “just play what sounds good and what feels good.”
“If you lose the fourth-finger thing, it creates a limitation, but for me it’s fun and bouncy.”
Whether on “Juegos y Nubes,” where she plays an on/off counterpoint to Speer’s guitar melody or “Three from Two,” where she injects melody into a mostly root/fifth pattern, her sound is immediately recognizable. Much of that is because of her melody-driven sensibility—her influences are more melodic, and she says she doesn’t really have favorite bassists. “I didn’t grow up ever thinking I’d play bass,” she points out.
Ochoa also credits her sound in part to her technique. “I don’t play with all four of my fingers, because I attach two of my fingers together,” she explains. “I’m not technically trained. Because of that, I think I play differently, and it changes the feel of the whole thing. Like James Jamerson playing with one finger, if you lose the fourth finger thing, it creates a limitation, but for me it’s fun and bouncy.”
And Ochoa’s sense of rhythm is a crucial part of her playing. It’s what helps sell the sound and makes it so infectious. “I play and practice Laura Lee bass lines because they’re fun to play,” says Johnson. “The stuff that you sit down and you play is the stuff that’s good and the stuff that you like. I’m always studying her placement. She has a very keen sense of rhythm that’s on top but doesn’t rush. It’s laid-back but it doesn’t drag. I’d be lying if I told you I’ve figured it out.”
YouTube It
The trio’s effortless mastery of groove and style is evident in this cover-filled set from the 2022 BBC 6 Music Festival.
The limited-edition Joe Strummer Masterbuilt Telecaster by Fender Custom Shop offers a faithful recreation of the Clash guitarist's 1966 Telecaster.
The Limited Edition Master Built Joe Strummer Telecaster | Fender Custom Shop | Fender
Fender Senior Master Builder, Paul Waller, said: “For me growing up listening to all of this music and then working for a brand like Fender to have access to instruments like these is pretty powerful and a full circle moment.
Building a guitar like this is both rewarding and difficult. I’m trying to be accurate and create a product that means a lot to so many people, which is why we always try and pair the right builder with the right artist.”
Limited Edition Joe Strummer Masterbuilt Telecaster ($20,000 USD)
As celebrated front man of The Clash and The Mescaleros, Joe Strummer’s raw, passionate stage presence and socio-political songwriting defined the punk rock movement that kicked off in the late-1970’s - all with his now infamous 1966 Telecaster by his side. To honour his legacy, Fender Custom Shop Senior Masterbuilder Paul Waller meticulously recreated every aspect of Strummer’s cherished instrument for a limited edition run. The resonant two-piece select alder body, impeccably worn mid-‘60s “C” profile neck and round-laminated rosewood fingerboard, gives players the feeling of holding a road-tested piece of punk rock history, mirroring all the features found on highly sought after 1960s Fender guitars. Finished in Super Heavy Relic Aged Black over Three-Color Sunburst lacquer— including a matching painted pickguard—all the wear and tear from decades of touring is perfectly recreated on this incredible limited edition. Loaded with a pair of Josefina Campos hand-wound ’67 Telecaster pickups, this guitar exudes all the same raw, expressive tones found throughout both The Clash’s and The Mescaleros’ widely celebrated discographies. Other premium features include 7.25” (184.1 mm) radius, 21 Jescar Vintage (45085) frets, Modern Tele wiring, 3-way switch, 6-saddle string-through-body Tele bridge with steel barrel saddles, Schaller M6 Mini Tuners, brass nut, wing string tree with tall metal spacer, replica touring case, limited edition Joe Strummer Strap and certificate of authenticity.
Limited Edition Joe Strummer 13’ Instrument Cable ($34.99 USD)
Punk icon, musician and composer, Joe Strummer spent his life smashing musical and cultural boundaries both as the singer of The Clash and as a solo artist. Celebrate Joe Strummer’s unparalleled style and substance with his signature cable. This eclectic instrument cable is designed to be unique -- with a 13’ length, pink PVC jacket with leopard print housing, and Joe’s very own signature on the cable’s shrink wrap.
Limited Edition Joe Strummer Guitar Strap ($39.99 USD)
Celebrate Joe Strummer’s unparalleled style and substance with this leopard print strap. Designed to match his legendary Telecaster, this strap features faux leopard print animal fur with a Joe Strummer signature leather badge and is backed by tubular nylon for maximum comfort.
Features:
- 2-Piece Select Alder body with Offset Seam
- Plain-Grain Maple neck with a ‘60s Oval “C” Back-Shape and 7.25” (184.1 mm) Radius
- 3A Rosewood fretboard
- 21, Jescar Vintage frets
- 6-Saddle String-Through-Body Tele bridge with Steel Barrel Saddles
- Custom Shop Hand-Wound ‘67 Single-Coil Tele pickups (Bridge & Neck)
Alongside the Telecaster, there will be a range of Joe Strummer accessories available to purchase that include:
- 13’ Pink Instrument Cable with custom leopard print housing and signed cable wrap
- Faux leopard print animal fur guitar strap
- Pink vinyl wrapped 3-ply hardshell wood case, with soft crushed acrylic plush interior lining in leopard print
- Limited Edition Joe Strummer Signature Telecaster Pickup Set
For more information, please visit fender.com.