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GALLERY: Reader Pedalboards 2013, Part 1
We asked PG faithful to show us their pedalboards, and you delivered! In honor of our annual pedal blowout, we bring you 30 of our readers' personal stomping grounds.
Roger Williams stomps on aFulltone Deja-Vibe, Keeley Fuzz Head, Keeley Red Dirt Overdrive, Keeley Katana Boost, Visual Sound H2O Liquid Chorus/Echoâ??all powered by a T-Rex FuelTank Junior.
Looking for versatility without cranking a stadium-level rig?
In this video, PG contributor Tom Butwin puts three sub‑50-watt amplifiers to the test: the British‑voiced Suhr SL15, the mid‑’60s American‑style PRS Sonzera 20, and the gig‑ready solid‑state Blackstar Debut 50R. Tom explores the tones, features, and ideal use cases of all three amps—highlighting who they're best suited for and how they perform in different setups. Which one fits your playing style and needs?
An American icon: a 1959 narrow-panel tweed Fender Deluxe—a model that’s been used on recordings by John Lennon, Mike Campbell, Don Felder, John Fogerty, and many others.
Photo courtesy of Richard’s Gear Bazaar/Reverb
The longtime author of PG’s popular Ask Amp Man column—and one of the godfathers of the low-power-amp revolution with Budda and then EAST—returns to outline everything you need to know about tracking down the valve-propelled sound machine of your dreams.
In the immortal words of the Byrds:
“So you want to be a rock and roll star? / Then listen now to what I say. Just get an electric guitar / then take some time and learn how to play.”
But you’re also going to need an amplifier! And if you’re following the Byrds’ protocol, you want a tube amp. These are the amps that voiced all the classic music that made history and still stands the test of time. Finding your ideal tube amp can be a never-ending search, but here are a few tips that may help you get started in your search for tube-amp nirvana.
What do you expect from your amp? Do you want the amp to have a good clean sound as well as the gain you need for solos? If so, then you may want an amp with channel switching, enabling you to footswitch between beautiful clean rhythms and a powerful overdriven solo assault. Some control options to look for here: Does the amp have the ability to alter the tone of the clean and overdrive channels? Sometimes the two channels sound noticeably different, depending on the amp design. Some form of tone control—typically 2- or 3-band EQ—for each channel can help. Also, an added bonus might be a separate master volume control for the clean channel. This would allow you to crank up the gain to give you some nice crunch for your rhythm playing, while setting your overall crunch volume to match the overdrive channel.
This 1981 Mesa/Boogie Mark II B is a good example of a fixed-bias amp. Just install the right replacement tubes and you’re ready to flip the on switch.
Photo courtesy of L.A. Vintage Gear/Reverb
If you get most of your tones from pedals or maybe a multi-effects unit, then you probably won’t need channel switching and you may be best served with an amplifier that has a single channel and a simple control set. In this case, less is more, and the cleanest signal path will give your effects the opportunity to shine. A volume control and some form of tone shaping are all you’ll probably need. A good thing to remember is that many amps that have a lot of front-end gain don’t leave a lot of headroom for pedals. You might want to ask: “Does this amp take pedals well?”
“A tube amp is like a car; occasionally, it will need service.”
Know the difference between gain and volume. A gain control typically controls the amount of gain developed in the front end or preamp section of the amp. This is where most of the overdrive in the amp is developed. The volume control sets the overall loudness of the amp. A low-gain, high-volume setting equals a cleaner tone. A high-gain, low-volume setting equals a more overdriven tone. This is not the only way, however, to get an overdriven sound from an amplifier. Pushing the output tubes into distortion is also an option and has often been done both onstage as well as in the studio. So next….
Photo 1. The four basic types of output tubes: 6L6, 6V6, EL34, and EL84. The first two were typically used in American amps of the ’60s and ’70s; the latter two, in their European counterparts.
Consider the output power of the amplifier based on where you might be playing it. Most of us, nowadays, don’t need a 100-watt amp, or even a 50-watt amp, to play most venues. I currently play an EAST Duality 30—a 30-watt amp with a half-power mode, and 90 percent of my gigs are done at half power—with a six-piece band with two guitar players. It really doesn’t make sense to pay the increased cost of a 100- or 50-watt amp if you’re never going to need all that power. Tube amplifiers sound the best when the output tubes are being pushed a bit ... or a lot! In fact, many classic solos were done in the studio with a low-powered amp pushed to its limits. Fender tweed Champs and tweed Deluxes seem to shine at this, although there are definitely a few Gibson amps from the ’50s and ’60s that will give them a run for the money! If you happen to encounter a ’50s or ’60s tweed Fender or a Gibson, I would suggest plugging in. Are you gonna get Metallica? No. Are you gonna get Neil Young? All day long! The Fenders of this era have been pretty costly for a while now, but the Gibsons seem to be just catching up. Would these be good as a first amp and give you everything you want? In most instances, no, but as you get some time under your belt as a guitar player, you may appreciate these for what they are. They actually do become another instrument under your control.
“The option of different speaker cabinets with different speakers and configurations can go a long way to tailoring your sound to the gig and venue.”
There is no “best” amp, just the best amp for you! So what output tubes should you consider? Let’s get familiar with the basic types of output tubes first; then we can explore how they’re different. In Photo 1, we see the four basic types of output tubes: 6L6, 6V6, EL34, and EL84. The first two were typically used in the American-produced amps of the ’60s and ’70s. The latter two were their counterparts (more or less) and used in European amps built during this period. After a while, they started to cross pollinate and, especially in the U.S., you could find amps being built with all of these types of tubes. Because of that, you need to take into consideration what type of material you play, as they each have their own tonal characteristics.
If you’re into a classic rock or blues tone, that tone typically has more pronounced midrange content. This, in a broad-stroke kind of way, typically comes from an EL84- or an EL34-based amplifier. These output tubes typically have a more prominent and smooth midrange. If you’re more into hard rock/metal tones, a 6V6- or a 6L6-based amp may serve you better, as these output tubes typically have less midrange content with a more present top and bottom end, making it easier to establish the mid-scoop sound necessary for this music.
Hybrid amplification started with the Music Man line of amplifiers in the ’60s, which had a solid-state preamp and a tube output stage. This example is a 212 65 model from 1977.
Photo courtesy of DBM Gear Outlet/Reverb
What about hybrid amps? There are some amps out there that only have a tube or tubes in some part of their design. As far as I know, this started with the Music Man line of amplifiers in the ’60s, which had a solid-state front end and a tube output stage. Later, Fender and Marshall started offering amps with one preamp tube in the preamp stage with all other stages of the front end and output stage being solid-state. These amps certainly have less maintenance involved regarding tube replacement and can sound fine if they give you the sound you’re looking for, but personally I don’t categorize these as tube amps.
“An open-back speaker cabinet or combo will tend to fill the area around it with a more ambient type of sound, almost 3-D.”
And speaking of maintenance. A tube amp is like a car; occasionally, it will need service. Output tubes are the tubes that wear out sooner and will need to be replaced more often than preamp tubes. These are the tubes that run the hottest and provide the power to the speaker through an output transformer. Depending on the time of use as well as amount of volume, a typical rule of thumb for replacement of output tubes is six months to two years. That’s not to say that I haven’t seen tubes last 30 years, but if you’re gigging a good bit, you want your amp to be reliable. Another point to be aware of here is that most tube amps will require new output tubes to be biased when installed in the amp. There are exceptions, however. Many amps that use EL84-style output tubes are designed with what’s called cathode bias or self-biasing, where the circuit allows the tubes to find their own bias point. Other amps, such as most Mesa/Boogies, are designed with what’s known as a fixed-bias circuit, so no bias adjustment is possible. This is why they recommend purchasing only their branded output tubes, because they are selected to run within their chosen bias range. Personally, I have seen and serviced many amps with a variable bias control added so that any brand of tube can be properly biased. Either way, your amp may occasionally need a trip to your local experienced tube amp tech for a tube replacement, bias, and overall checkup. It’s worth it to keep it at the top of its game.
The author’s current favorite is one of his own EAST 30s, which he plays with a six-piece band that includes two guitarists.
Do you want a head or a combo? A combo is the easiest transportation option. If, say, you live in a city and you believe most of your gigs will require a grab-n-go option, a cab or Uber ride to the gig will be best served with your guitar in one hand and your amp in the other. If, on the other hand, you have the option of packing your own vehicle, you may want to consider a head and cabinet. Having this setup leaves you many options with regard to speakers and cabinets. While the amplifier is substantially responsible for your overall tone, the option of different speaker cabinets with different speakers and configurations can go a long way to tailoring your sound to the gig and venue. One thing to consider here is that because of all the internal vibration that occurs in a combo, it may require more frequent replacement of the tubes. Tubes are, after all, an electro-mechanical device, and vibration can affect their structural integrity.
“If you get most of your tones from pedals or maybe a multi-effects unit, then you probably won’t need channel switching and you may be best served with an amplifier that has a single channel and a simple control set.”
An open- or closed-back speaker cabinet? This choice can go a long way to getting the sound you’re looking for. An open-back speaker cabinet or combo will tend to fill the area around it with a more ambient type of sound, almost 3-D. This is especially great in a lower-powered amp, because it will help fill the stage without being overly loud. These typically don’t have much in the way of low-end sound. If you’re looking for that low-end thud, then you definitely need to focus on a closed-back cabinet. A closed-back cabinet is also much more directional, as all of the sound is coming directly from the front of the cabinet.
To loop or not to loop? Although this pertains to solid-state amps as well, it’s worth addressing here as it applies to tube amps. As I mentioned above, if you get most of your sounds from pedals or multi-effects, then you may not need an effects loop because all your overdrive, fuzz, compression, and time-based units such as chorus, delay, flange, phase, etc., are all hitting your amp through the guitar input on the front panel. If you prefer to get both your clean and overdriven sounds primarily from the amp, then you’re more than likely using a channel-switching amp. In this case, you should definitely look for an effects loop option. The reason being that the sound of time-based units changes drastically when the overdrive channel of an amp is engaged. The extra gain almost always overexaggerates the level of these effects to the point where they become overwhelming. With these types of amps, any of your gain-based units (fuzz, overdrive, compression, boost) can be connected to the guitar input of the amp, but all of your time-based units should be connected through the effects loop. The level of the signal is typically much more consistent here, so the effects levels should not vary much.
While early Fender amps have long been pricey entries in the vintage market, Gibson models, like this GA-19RVT Falcon, are just catching up.
Photo courtesy of Hear the Rooster Crow LLC/Reverb
Hand-wired or circuit board? This is a question that you may not have even thought of, and that’s just fine. Some folks may prefer one over the other, so let’s take a minute to explore both. Of course, the first amplifiers ever built were hand-wired because circuit boards did not exist in the ’30s and ’40s. All the resistors and capacitors were soldered directly to a chassis-mounted component or to a chassis-mounted terminal strip. As time went on, eyelet boards and terminal boards were developed so that components could be mounted directly to these boards, and then wire leads would be used to connect these boards to all the chassis-mounted components such as the pots, tube sockets, jacks, etc. This is how all the early Fender and Gibson amps were built. Then came circuit boards, where not only the components were mounted but a good bit of the wiring itself was part of the board in the form of circuit traces, which are actually flat copper wire attached to the board itself. The earliest examples of circuit board amps I can remember were the early ’60s Ampeg amps. Nowadays, most amps are built using circuit-board technology because it can largely be automated, with everything from component placement through soldering being done by machines.
So what’s the difference? Some players feel that a hand-wired amp just sounds better. Some feel they’re more reliable. Some feel that circuit board amps are more consistent from amp to amp because the build is exactly the same each time. All this can be true, but the bottom line is that it’s not all that important. The fact that is important remains if it’s the right amp for you. When you plug into the amp, do you hear what you want to hear? Does it make youwant to play? Are you struggling to find a sound, or does it easily get you where you want to be? These are the most important things to ask yourself. Price point is probably next, but if it’s an amp that you really bond with, and it lets you get the sound you hear in your head, then it’s probably the amp for you!
Eli Lester couldn’t bear to see Two-Rock disappear, so he, alongside Mac Skinner, bought the company. He tells us how they resuscitated the brand and turned it into one of the hottest names in boutique amplification.
Two-Rock Amplifiers emerged into tube-amp consciousness like very few brands in past decades. Not only are their amps regularly tagged “best” by countless players and influencers, but even those decrying the lofty price tags admit their impossibly clear tones and soulful dynamics. That’s how Two-Rock co-owner and CEO Eli Lester wants it. Preferring to let others do the talking, he stays focused on the brand’s mission with an intense tonal obsession, resilience, and refusal to compromise.
Eli Lester and friends
Two-Rock’s journey hasn’t been without turbulence, however. Co-founder, Bill Krinard and his partner had sold the brand to Premier Builders Guild in 2010, and by 2016 it was teetering on collapse. That’s when Lester, already a long-time Two-Rock devotee, alongside his partner Mac Skinner, took a leap of faith to rebuild it from the ground up.
“I was probably the biggest Two-Rock fan in the world,” he explains. “I was doing some R&D stuff with them back in the day, and it was my favorite amp company. I don’t have an answer for why I wanted to buy it. I just couldn't let it die.”
Two-Rock in hand, Lester’s vision was clear: Build the best tube amps possible and let the cards fall where they may. However, it wasn’t a total shot in the dark, as Lester had spent his life surrounded by amplifiers and playing with some of guitar’s genuine icons. The man knows guitar tone.
“It's all I’ve ever done,” he says, matter of factly. “I did guitar and amp repair in the back of shops since about 18. And I was buying old Bassmans when they were 300 bucks and modifying them. I was also a full-time player, blessed to tour with Robben Ford, play with B.B. King, a bunch of players.”
“We’re definitely inspired by his amps, and I’m honored that people put us in that same camp, but we don’t make Dumble clones.”
Nearly a decade after purchasing the company, Lester’s commitment is as potent as ever. From his California workshop, surrounded by a literal wall of vintage amps (including Danny Gatton’s personal 1963 Vibroverb), he balances the roles of CEO, designer, and player. Alongside Skinner and Two-Rock, he's steering the brand into the future with the same vision that he started with.
Now at the helm of one of the most in-demand amp companies, Lester’s reluctance to chase the spotlight is still obvious. But, generous with his time, he shared the story of Two-Rock’s rebirth, its place in the tube-amp world, and where he hopes to take it next.
Desperate to keep the brand afloat, Lester and co-owner Mac Skinner (right) bought Two-Rock together in 2016 and began rebuilding the company.
What was it like buying a struggling amp brand? Were you confident you could turn Two-Rock around?
Well, Mac knew how to run the company because he’d been running operations since 2004, and we knew how to build amps and I was the player. But it was kind of, “I hope we don't lose too much money here.” [Laughs]
We literally started all over. We threw away chassis, transformers, and all the old inventory. We said, “We don’t even want to make any of these models,” and started from ground zero.
Why buy a company when you want to throw most of it away?
It was my favorite amp company. I was so emotional about it, so connected to it, and still believed they were the best amps I’d ever played. And Mac and I were both really aligned and wanted to see if we could revive it. It was just something I was really passionate about keeping alive.
You’ve found a lot of success since then. Are you still able to stay hands-on with everything?
It’s still a pretty small company. We have about 25 employees between the amp factory and the cabinet shop. I’m the CEO so I do amp design, voice every amp, and work with artist amps. I also do the sales and marketing. Mac is the COO and runs operations, part procurement, what’s being used, what models we’re making, how they’re being built, and deals with my OCD.
We also brought back Bill Krinard, the original designer and founder, to help with design work. It’s a collaborative group, going back and forth, bouncing ideas off each other.
The Two-Rock Silver Sterling Signature: a fine example of Lester’s careful, uncompromising aesthetic vision for his amplifiers.
Two-Rock is often compared to Dumble. Do you think that’s an accurate comparison?
We’re definitely inspired by his amps, and I’m honored that people put us in that same camp, but we don’t make Dumble clones. I get asked to do it quite often, and I don’t, out of respect. Drew [Berlin] and Matt [Swanson] [co-owners of Dumble] are friends of mine. I got to know Alexander via email before he passed away and was invited to the funeral. He’s one of my biggest inspirations in the world, one of my heroes.
Sonically and circuit-wise, we have models that are obviously inspired by them, especially aesthetically. But we’ve been able to carve our own voice. I’m equally inspired by Leo Fender and kind of morph the two things together to make our amps.
Leo Fender’s influence is apparent, especially with the Vintage Deluxe. What is it about vintage American amplifiers that attracts you?
Besides the fact that all my favorite players have played most of those amps, if I have a black-panel Fender and I take it to a gig, plug it in, put everything on noon, I’m good to go. Plus, those amps have a bit of artifacts and schmutz in the sound. They’re not too sterile, clean, or hi-fi sounding. They have some character to them.
That’s what I was trying to capture with the Vintage Deluxe. You take an amp, plug it in, turn everything to noon, and it sounds and feels great.
In my opinion, a lot of the Dumble clones or Dumble-inspired amps are sometimes too sterile. They don’t have enough character. So, I pull some of that from the Fender side.
In early 2024, Two-Rock announced they had acquired amp company Divided by 13. Their amplifiers, like this AMW 39, are now built in Lester’s northern California workshop.
A lot of your amps follow a long Two-Rock lineage. Would you ever branch into something like a plexi-style or high-gain design?
I love playing, and I have a JTM45 and a ’63 Bluesbreaker behind me. I still love playing those amps, but trying to have a cohesive product line where everything fits together is definitely a main goal of ours.
That’s a good transition with our Divided by 13 acquisition. A lot of the reason for buying it was, every time we’ve tried to do an EL84, EL34, or Marshall-inspired amp, people go, “That’s not what Two-Rock does. They're trying to be something they're not.” That was always a problem.
Fred [Taccone, founder of Divided by 13] became a friend of mine. When he mentioned he wanted to get out of the business, I thought, “This gives me the outlet to do those kinds of amps without cannibalizing and diluting the Two-Rock thing.” It’s its own thing, and Two-Rock is its own thing, too. They don’t compete with each other at all.
You brought Divided by 13 in-house with Two-Rock, and the same team builds both amps. Why not use the opportunity to grow and gain market share?
Mac and I are both very aligned that we want to keep Two-Rock a small company. Large retailers wanted to carry Two-Rock for many years, but I just don’t think it fits with what we do. It’s a great financial move, and they’re great, but I still want to be able to touch every amp and make sure it’s built exactly the way it should be. I don’t ever want to lose that quality. With other companies, we’ve seen what happens when people try to blow it up too big.
A shot from Lester’s humble workbench. He could expand Two-Rock and Divided by 13, but he’d rather stay small and hands-on with each and every amp they build.
Two-Rock Amps definitely do things your own way. They’re all-tube, many of them are 100 watts, and they use a cascading gain-stage design that can take a while to get used to. But it all works somehow.
I’m a clean-headroom guy. My goal is to make the biggest, most three-dimensional, clean amplifier you can. Back in 2016, the small amp thing was really popular, but we started building 100-watt amps because that’s what I love to play. Everyone thought Mac and I were absolutely crazy.
But we use that wattage for bandwidth, not sheer volume. You can use [our amps] at bedroom volumes. I put a lot of work, as well as my team, into it. We have a very usable master volume and a proprietary transformer. That’s why you see people playing our 100-watt Classic Reverb Signatures and Bloomfield Drives in small venues.
And our amps do have a lot of tone options, but the controls are laid out the way you use them. We’re not doing a bunch of crazy switching. It makes sense, at least in my brain.
Two-Rock players like John Mayer, Matt Schofield, Joey Landreth, and Ariel Posen are all known for their soulful playing and beautiful tones. Eric Johnson is even playing your amps. Why do you think they all gravitate toward Two-Rock?
You get out of an amp what you put into it, that extra little five percent to 10 percent. Eric, Joey, Ariel, Josh [Smith], Doyle Bramhall [II], and Ben Harper are all looking for that extra five percent to 10 percent. We can tweak the amp and get it to where they want it, but they pull that stuff out of them.
We’re blessed to have the artist roster we have, and it’s 100 percent organic. We don’t do artist endorsements. All our artists pay for the amps. It’s just because they love them. We’re so blessed to have that; I can’t even tell you.
YouTube
Watch Rhett Schull’s now-infamous video on why his Classic Reverb Signature changed his mind on Two-Rock amps.
You don’t have a paid artist roster, and you don’t put out a ton of video content. On top of that, a lot of people claim tube amps are dead. Still, you’re one of the most talked about brands in the industry. How did you make that happen?
It was extremely organic. There was no marketing plan. I was flying all over the country with the Classic Reverb Signature, going to dealers and artists, saying, “This is what the new amps are going to sound like.” It’s a crazy business model that I wouldn’t recommend to anyone, but it forced us to build the best amp we could.
And I think the fact that I’m a player first helped. I’m still obsessed. As the market has gone away from vacuum tubes, I’ve gone backward. My rebuttal is, “We’re just going to make them even more badass! We’re going to make them more high-end and tweak the components even more!” I think a lot of the players we have gravitate towards that.
Guitarist/YouTube influencer Rhett Schull recently released a video on the Classic Reverb titled, “The Best Guitar Amp I’ve Ever Owned.” That’s a bold statement, especially from someone who makes a living in the industry. What’s it like when players drop words like “best” to describe your work?
It’s funny, but Rhett was a Two-Rock critic for a long time because he never played them. He was saying, “These are overpriced. I played these other ones, and they’re just as good.” Then he got a chance, tried one, and said, “Okay, I get it. This isn’t like anything else. This is a different thing.” We’re so blessed to have guys like that who are brand ambassadors that carry the torch for us.
But I don’t ever sit here and say our stuff is the best. Actually, guys go, “I have a black-panel Deluxe Reverb and a plexi. What [Two-Rock] should I get?” I’m always saying, “Dude, you’re good. What else do you need?!” I’m the worst self-promoter in the world. [laughs]
You guys have defied the odds so far, but where do you see the tube-amp market going in the future? Will people still be playing Two-Rocks?
I wake up in cold sweats about it every single night. Just getting tubes is hard, and for a long time, people wanted quantity over quality. Now, at least for my generation, it’s like, “No, I just want one or two really nice amps that sound good, play good, and feel good.” So there's a nostalgia and a vibe with it that I don’t see going anywhere. There’s too much love for it.
With that in mind, where do you want to take Two-Rock in the next 10 years?
Sustainability is a big thing. This is a very cyclical business. I’ve been in it my whole life. I’ve seen things go up, seen things go down. People, amps, and guitars are trendy and cool, but then they fall off. You try to reach too far, and then it doesn’t work anymore. So I think it’s just staying steady, keeping course, and sustaining what we have. We just want to build really good guitar amplifiers, work with cool artists, and keep going.
It seems to be working. Everybody is talking about Two-Rock right now.
Thank you. I’m very uncomfortable with praise like that. That’s not my thing. I just like to build and play amps.
Down Under’s number one country guitar export—and November 2024 Premier Guitar cover model—Keith Urban rolled into Cincinnati’s Riverbend Music Center last month, so John Bohlinger and the Rig Rundown team drove up to meet him. Urban travels with a friendly crew of vintage guitars, so there was much to see and play. In fact, so much that they ran out of time after getting through the axes! Later, Bohli and Co. met up with Urban tech Chris Miller to wrap their heads around the rest of the straightforward pedal-free rig he’s rockin’ this summer.
Last year, Urban released High, his 12th studio record, so you’ll be sure to catch those tunes and more in his extensive jam-friendly sets. Here’s a look at what Keith is bringing with him to stages across the U.S., including a prototype signature PRS to vintage Gibsons and a pair of heavy-lifting Marshalls.
Keith shows off his latest go-to, which is the prototype for his PRS signature axe. “It started from me wanting to see if I could get a guitar that I could lean on most of the night,” Urban says of the ongoing design project. He tells Bohlinger he was looking for a better tonal response than his preferred Tele, “Clarence”—a 1989 Fender Custom 40th Anniversary model—and blended in some measurements from some of his Gibsons.
The humbucker-loaded PRS has a sunburst finish and a unique f-hole inspired by Urban’s left-forearm tattoo. This one has a Fender scale, but they’re still refining the neck details for the signature model.
Here’s Clarence
And lest we forget. Here’s a look at Clarence, Urban’s workhorse guitar until this tour.
Spirit of ’52
Here‘s what an original-year-of-issue GibsonLes Paul that’s still running the miles looks like, complete with trapeze tailpiece. This ’52 goldtop and its kin established the template.
Single-coil Joy
Apparently there was some magic in 1964, and it made its way into that year’s Stratocasters. Strats like Urban’s ’64 are considered among the best in the breed, known for their balanced tone, comfy neck profile, original black-bottom pickups, transitional logos, and the dot fretboards on models made early that year.
Bass Break
There’s one song in the set where Urban tackles bass duties, and he turns to this 1972 Fender Mustang bass, which he loves for its punchy tone. The electrical tape on the lower bout is there to ensure that the pickguard stays put!
An SG You Just Have to Play
This 1964 Gibson SG Junior is one Urban insists Bohlinger plays to understand. “I love the simplicity of it,” Urban says. The cherry red axe was a gift from session legend Dann Huff. He also rocks a ’52 Les Paul during the course of the set.
Urban turns to D’Addario NYXL strings—.010s in most cases—and he goes back and forth between his D’Addario signature Ultem pick with raised edges and D’Addario Casein picks.
All Amp
This pair of 100-watt Marshall Super Lead JMPs does most of the heavy lifting to bring Urban’s tone to life—he’s rolling sans pedalboard for this tour! The bottom head is the main one and the top one is there just in case. Since these monsters have to deliver overdriven tones, they stay cranked—the gain sits around 7—and they push a vintage checkerboard Marshall 4x12 loaded with Celestion G12H-150 Redbacks.
Post Amp Effects
Delays and modulation are all added to Urban’s tones after three mics capture the sound of the Marshall cab. That signal hits this Fractal Axe-Fx II XL+, which Chris Miller controls offstage. A Mission Engineering expression is the only pedal Urban utilizes, which controls a model of a Cry Baby in the Fractal.
With a tone vocabulary that spans clean, smoky, grinding, and growling—plus a Two notes speaker simulator—the 25-watt Airwave is a ferociously fun, potentially formidable amp for any size stage or studio.
Needless to say, the splashy news about Supro’s Airwave is its onboard Two notes cab sim that expands the amp’s studio and live capabilities, not to mention a player’s creative options. Having Two notes cab simulations onboard is a cool thing. It takes many of the cab sim tailoring capabilities of, say, the Universal Audio OX or Boss’ WAZA Tube Expander, and makes them part of the Airwave’s amp architecture, which is no small victory for convenience.
- YouTube
But the 2x6V6 Airwave is a very cool stage and studio amp before you ever touch the cabinet simulation capabilities. At 25 watts, with tube-driven tremolo and spring reverb, it’s a cool alternative for players considering a tweed Deluxe, Deluxe Reverb, Princeton Reverb, or, for that matter, any of Supro’s excellent low- to mid-power combos. But while it’s not quite the blank slate a Deluxe Reverb is (the Airwave’s voice is generally more compressed, with lower headroom), if I had to record or play a show with the Airwave, a delay pedal, and a guitar, I’d do so confident that I had about 4-zillion awesome, tender-to-gnarly textures to work with.
Little Basher
The Airwave is a handsome amp, designed with lots of vintage Supro motifs, a wide aluminum control panel, rocker switches, and a control layout that are more than a little evocative of the Rolling Stones’ early Ampegs. There’s also a little Stones swagger in its voice. For while it can do a very convincing approximation of bright, almost-cleanish Princeton Reverb or Deluxe Reverb sounds, it’s basically grittier than either of those. Not in a way that confines the Airwave to garage-rock trash realms, but which hints at sepia-tone speaker sounds and a loud, rowdy vintage Supro or tweed Fender edge when you dig in with a flatpick. These savage-around-the-edges facets of the Airwave’s personality are tempered, perhaps, by the 12'' speaker, which adds thickening counterpoint to the barky midrange growl and enhances bass frequencies. It helps make the 3-band EQ section feel more sensitive and interactive, too.
The tone variations available between just the EQ and master volume/gain control interplay are plentiful. But all those sounds can be dramatically recast and even made electrifyingly aggressive with the onboard, switchable boost and drive, which are activated by the two rocker switches on the front panel or optional footswitches.
Alternate Realities
To interface with the Airwave’s Two notes capabilities, you download the Torpedo Remote app. But you can obtain excellent sounds without going deep, thanks in part to the amp’s onboard boost and drive switches. They feel like pedals perfectly selected to work with the amp and each other. The drive in particular is tough and snarling. And though your results may differ, to me the effects feel organically enmeshed in the fabric of the amp’s output. Both effects can be gritty, punchy, and explosive extensions of the amp, and together they can make it sound huge for 25 watts. The Torpedo Remote app calls up more-or-less photorealistic representations of several studios and live spaces (ancient temples included!), microphones, and cabinets. As in many other cab sim applications, you can readily and easily change microphones, slide microphone positions back and forth, switch between virtual cabinets of various sizes, as well as add preamps and reverbs with easy-to-use analog-style interfaces. If the wealth of sounds here isn’t already everything you need to get a great recorded sound, they get you off to a great start. What’s important, though, is how seamlessly they function with the whole range of the amp’s tones.
The Verdict
Although $1.5K might seem like a lot to pay for an Indonesia-built tube amp, it’s noteworthy that amps like the Fender ’65 Deluxe Reverb reissue are now pushing the $1.8K barrier. But the Airwave includes a useful and well-integrated Two notes Torpedo cab sim solution worth several hundred dollars by itself. Most impressively, Airwave excels in both the purely analog and digital cab sim realms without compromising capabilities in either. The amp has loads of personality and range. It’s up for a punky Kinks/Ramones rumble or Alvin Lee rippage, but just as eager to please as a clean-cut extra in a Jaguar-and-spring-reverb surf party flick or vintage soul session. If you’re the kind of artist inclined to do a little of all that in your recording and performing life, the Airwave satisfies on every count.
