Check out our special coverage of Amps to go along with the August 2016 issue of PG.
Hughes & Kettner
TubeMeister Deluxe 20
Small enough to comfortably carry on a plane as hand luggage, TubeMeister Deluxe 20 takes you from pure, pristine clean tones to an authentic brown sound and devastatingly powerful modern-day high gain at the tap of a footswitch. Other groundbreaking made-in-Germany Hughes & Kettner features ā like a power soak for enjoying amazing tube sounds at any volume, and the FRFR-ready Red Box AE DI that lets you connect your guitar direct to your recording setup or the PA ā make the Deluxe 20 your ideal amp partner whether you Rock on Stage, Play at Home or Record at Night!
CHANNELS Two: Clean and Lead (+ Boost)
POWER 20 Watts
POWER SOAK 5, 1, 0 Watts
TUBES 2 x EL84 (power amp), 2 x 12AX7(preamp)
EFFECTS LOOP Serial
DI OUTPUT Red Box AE
SPEAKER OUTPUTS 1 x 8-16 Ī©
DIMENSIONS 14.02 x 6.14 x 5.91ā
WEIGHT 11lbs
PROTECTIVE COVER Included
Street Price: $699
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Two-Rock Amplification
Cardiff
A 15-watt EL84 amp with minimal compression and a fuller/fatter midrange and stout low end, Cardiff reflects the perfect marriage of British heritage and Two-Rock performance. Cardiff lets you dial in your own tone via a single input jack, bass, treble and volume control, a Contour Control, and a passive effects loop. Cardiff is available as a head with a matching 1 x 12 cabinet loaded with a Two-Rock 12-65B Speaker or 1x12 Combo.
Street Price: $1595 Head, $595 1x12 Cabinet
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Tone King Amplifiers
Royalist 45 MK II Combo
The Royalist MKII captures the essence of early British tones ranging from JTM45 to Plexi/Super Lead. It features a single channel preamp, an all-tube signal path with three 12AX7A preamp tubes, and two EL34 output tubes. Its series-wired effects loop is tube buffered for superb transparency. A built-in Ironman-II power attenuator uses a reactive load circuit and sophisticated compensation circuitry to deliver the genuine tone and feel of a "raging stack", even at bedroom volume.
Street Price: $2,995
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Fishman
Loudbox Acoustic Instrument Amplifiers
The industryās best-selling acoustic instrument amplifiers, Fishmanās Loudbox series offers the power and features that musicians demand. Each model provides ultra-clean acoustic power, two channels featuring Fishmanās legendary preamp and tone control designs, digital reverb, feedback-fighting Phase control, Ā¼ā and XLR inputs, and balanced XLR D.I. outputs. Loudbox acoustic instrument amplifiers deliver the tonal quality that has made the Fishman name the standard for great acoustic sound.
Starting at: $329.95
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Henriksen Amplifiers
The Bud
If you play, you need a Bud.
The Bud is the without question the smallest, TRULY GIGABLE guitar amplifier on the market with unmatched tone quality! At 9x9x9 inches, 17 pounds and 120 watts of analog power, you won't believe the volume and tone coming from either your electric or acoustic guitar, or any stringed instrument with a pickup for that matter, and with a feature set that allows you the versatility to cover almost any kind of gig, this is a MUST HAVE piece of gear for the working musician.
Starting at: $1,099
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Fryette Amplification
ValvulatorĀ® GP/DI
Introducing The Fryette ValvulatorĀ® GP/DI, Desktop Recording Amplifier. This is is an ALL-TUBE low-power guitar amplifier, pre-amplifier, direct box, and all-around low-volume-playing solution. The GP/DI is specifically designed to work in situations where you can't or donāt need to play loud, such as late-night playing and recording, headphone practicing, and recording straight into the board live. It is the first all-tube guitar amplifier designed to do that without any additional equipment and a minimum of trouble.
ā¢ One Watt all-tube Amplifier with integrated reactive load.
ā¢ Extremely broad tonal range, from clean to high gain.
ā¢ Analog Speaker Sim "Cab + Mic" section for direct recording.
ā¢ Built-in tube Direct Injection output, usable separately as a Tube Direct box , or together with the amplifier.Ā
ā¢ Balanced XLR outputs for amp out or tube buffered D.I.
ā¢ Fully functional self-contained "Re-Amping" solution.
ā¢ Can drive a 1-12ā cabinet
ā¢ Made in the USA
Starting at: $799
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Fryette Amplification
Pittbull UltraLead Head
The Fryette PittbullĀ® Ultra-Lead is a powerful, versatile channel switching amplifier suited for players of any style. Uncompromising personality makes it the choice of world-class players from all genres of music. The Ultra-Lead's KT88 power section provides stunning clarity and definition whether playing ultra-clean or maximum gain.
The FatBottom 212 low-profile cabinets feature Fane F70G speakers and mono/stereo input capability. Front mounted speakers produce a tight, focused low end and extended projection.
Starting at:
$3,799 (Ultra-Lead head);
$999 (FatBottom 212 F70G)
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Fryette Amplification
Power StationĀ®
The Fryette Power StationĀ® PS-2 is a reactive load coupled to a dual 6L6 vacuum tube power amplifier that allows you to attenuate a high powered guitar amp, or boost a low powered guitar amp.
ā¢ Perfectly preserves the tone of the attenuated amplifier.
ā¢ Maintains dynamic feel at any volume.
ā¢ Provides an effects loop.
ā¢ New Input Level sensitivity switch, rear panel Low Pass Filter Bypass switch, and Balanced XLR Line Output.
Street Price: $699
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Fane USA
Ascension F70
"FANEāS NEW ASCENSION RANGE OF 12" speakers was developed with input from Southern California amp designer Steven Fryette, and aims to capture the punchy, bold, yet harmonically complex and responsive performance that people love in the classic late-ā60s and early-ā70s speakers from this under-appreciated British maker. The Fane sound became legendary due to their use in certain Hiwatt guitar cabinets of the era, and Faneās new models provide added versatility for the contemporary player." (Guitar Player, March 2016)
The Fane Ascension F70 offers a stunningly detailed top-end, rich mid-range and warm low-end with an intricate three-dimensional vintage crunch. The beauty of the F70 is that you need not even change your amplifier's setting to appreciate its ability to articulate delicate passages or manage pummeling abuse with ease. Whether your application is a head and cab or an open back combo, the F70 adds a welcome new dimension to existing rigs.
Street Price: $199
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Radial Engineering ltd.
Radial JDX Direct-Driveā¢
Emulates the sound of a guitar amplifier while doubling as a direct box. Unlike a typical DI that merely transfers the sound from guitar/pedals to the PA, the Direct-Drive simulates the tone and feel of an amp, producing much more realistic sound. With the Direct-Drive on your pedalboard, you can do a gig without an amp! A passive thru-put feeds a stage amp (if you want one) and a dedicated tuner output is buffered to eliminate pickup loading and tuner noise. Guitar signal goes through a series of carefully sculpted filters to create Radialās signature 'Shure-SM57ā¢-on-a-Marshallā¢- 4x12-cabinet' tone. 'Vintage Marshallā¢' and 'early Fender Twinā¢' alternate voicings can be further tailored with the 'presence' switch for extra sparkle. Output via Ā¼ā guitar-level and balanced XLR to feed the PA. A 180Ā° polarity reverse phase-aligns monitors/PA sound with stage amp and a 'Lift' switch eliminates hum and buzz caused by ground loops.
Street Price: $899.99
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Tube Amp Doctor
TAD STR-SERIES Premium Quality Tubes
Tube Amp Doctor's STR-TUBES are inspired by the most wanted NOS tubes of the golden age of tube manufacturing. They are produced to our exclusive designs and strict specifications.Ā
A unique sequence of tests, our burn-in process and our sophisticated and genuine bias-matching, carried out by our highly experienced staff, make TAD's STR-TUBES the finest and best selected premium quality tubes currently in the market. Here are only some of the benefits - everything for the one and only goal ā the ultimate tone:Ā
ā¢ Better overall responseĀ
ā¢ Increased, dynamic headroomĀ
ā¢ Superior tone and performanceĀ
ā¢ Maximum reliability, consistency and sturdinessĀ
ā¢ Designed and tested in Germany
ā¢ All tubes tested individually
ā¢ Power Tubes are matched by Ia (PC) and Gm (TC) with lowest tolerances
Street Price: varies
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Tube Amp Doctor
TAD CAPACITORS
Handmade TAD MUSTARD CAPS produced with the authentic film-to-foil alu/PE design, exclusively for TAD!
TAD Audio Caps feature the authentic flat-foil design and will refine tone with excellent overtones and rich details.
TAD Gold Caps are available in radial and axial shape - high temperature resistant, vintage correct sizes and specifications.
TAD Vintage Oil Caps complete our premium line of foil capacitors, vintage correct specs and values, for a smooth, natural and harmonically delightful tone.
Street Price: varies
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Tube Amp Doctor
TAD Reverb Cans
Our high-quality, classic TAD REVERB CANS bring back the stunning reverb sound of the 60s. The ideal drop-in replacement and upgrade for vintage and modern amps!
Street Price: varies
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ProCo Sound
Evolution Silent Instrument Cable 20ft
We could say that evolution cables are the best sounding cables on the market....except they don't sound at all. An unnoticeable, uninhibited link in an audio chain so often bound by the constraints of inadequate cables. A Sonically Superior design combined with the truly evolutionary Softtouch jacket, Evolution will change how you feel about cables and revolutionize the way you connect to YOUR world.
Pro Co EVOLUTION Instrument Cable Features:
100% oxygen-free wire for long life and great sound
Noiseless dual-shielded design rejects outside noise
Neutrik black and gold connectors for a solid, clean connection
Silent Switch eliminates amp pops when removing cable
Supple soft touch jacket
Street Price: $73.99
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Bergantino Audio Systems
Bergantino B|Amp
The B|Amp is an incredibly flexible, easy to use, state-of-the-art Bass Amplifier, delivering maximum performance in a compact package. The B|Amp takes a new approach by including the speaker cabinetās response as part of the signal path. No other bass amplifier on the market has the ability to manage speakers and overall system performance like the B|AMP. This is accomplished through our Proprietary Profile EQ system. The B|Amp is a game changer in Bass Amplification!
Street Price: $1,399 ProNet
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Swart Amplifier Co.
MOD84
The MOD84, Swartās first EL-84 offering, is 15w of 100% hand-wired, turret board construction, USA made with 3-way interactive EQ, top controls, tube reverb, tremolo, and rectification. It has some of the most soulful cleans with the ability to intertwine some fur and angst with push/attack. It's got that Swart harmonic richness while still being open and transparent, featuring excellent touch sensitivity. This is really a do it all amp that can cross musical genres.
Street Price: $1,750 w/Celestion Creamback
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GURUS Amps
5015 Head
5015 is our Single Channel + iChannelā¢ 50W head in a lunchbox size. Thanks to its easy 3 controls you can sculpt your tone to reach best performances in every situations, from your home to a big stage. You can obtain a totally clean sound with lot of headroom to use as a platform for your pedals rig, and/or choose to get it to compression of both stages, preamp or power section using its separate controls volume and master to obtain stunning vintage or modern tone.
With the SexyToneā¢, you can manage the EQ curve of your amp simply with a single knob which works on 3filters simultaneously, moving the entire tone-stack curve for best result and as a fine tuning of your final tone, matching the right cab etc..
It is equipped by a tube buffered Serial loop and has 3 out on 4,8 and 16Ohms.
Street Price: $900
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Roland
Blues Cube Hot
GIG-READY BLUES CUBE āTUBE LOGICā TONE IN A PORTABLE COMBO AMP
ā¢ Performance-ready 30-watt compact combo guitar amplifier with authentic tube tone and touch response
ā¢ Rolandās comprehensive Tube Logic design delivers the interactive tonal behaviors of famous fine-tuned vintage tube amps, including preamp and output tube saturation characteristics, power supply compression, and much more
ā¢ Master volume, three-band EQ, and onboard reverb, plus footswitchable Boost for natural crunch and Tone for bright presence
ā¢ Four-way Power Control (0.5 W, 5 W, 15 W, Max) allows for cranked-up tones at any volume
ā¢ Classic open-back design with custom 12-inch speaker and poplar cabinet for enhanced presence on stage
ā¢ Stylish, modern look with a vintage vibe
ā¢ Efficient, lightweight design provides easy portability without sacrificing tone quality
ā¢ USB output for high-quality direct recording to a computer
ā¢ Available in two color variations: Vintage Blond and Black
Street Price: $499
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Friedman Amplification
Runt-50 Combo
ā¢ 50-Watt all tube amplifier / Two channels
ā¢ 2 x EL-34 power tubes / 4 x 12AX7 preamp tubes
ā¢ Clean channel with Volume, Bass, Treble and ? Bright switch
ā¢ Lead channel with Volume, Gain, three-band EQ ? and a boost switch.
ā¢ XLR Cab Simulated output with Ground Lift, Axis ? and Level switches.
ā¢ Ultra transparent series FX loop
ā¢ 4, 8 and 16 ohm impedance selector
ā¢ Single button footswitch
Street Price: $1,999.99
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Morgan Amplification
MVP23 combo
ā¢ Power: Ā¼ - 23w variable (tube)
ā¢ Hand-wired in the USA
ā¢ 2x EL-84 power tubes
ā¢ 2x 12AX7 preamp tubes
ā¢ Celestion G12H75 Creamback
ā¢ Power Level control
ā¢ Gain
ā¢ Volume
ā¢ Treble
ā¢ Mid
ā¢ Bass
ā¢ 2x8 ohm 1x16 ohm outputs
ā¢ Limited lifetime warranty
Street Price: $1,749.00
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Celestion
Neo Creamback
The Neo Creamback delivers all the magical tone youād expect from a traditional Creamback. The difference is the neodymium magnet, which makes this speaker around half the weight of a traditional guitar speaker. You still get the low end punch, warm midrange and sweet highs the Creamback is famous for: push it hard and enjoy the ārace-car growlā. But pick up a cab loaded with Neo Creambacks and see what makes this speaker truly different.
Street Price: $169
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MESA/BoogieĀ®
JP-2Cā¢
Inspired by their long-standing relationship with John Petrucci, MESA/BoogieĀ® is proud to introduce the JP-2Cā¢. The model is MESAās first unlimited-build signature amplifier and joins the MARK Series as a next generation re-issue of the legendary MARK IIC+ā¢. With modernized features, benefitting from over three decades of R&D, the JP-2C delivers three channels, two assignable EQs, 60/100 watts, MIDI, Cabcloneā¢ DI and the legendary IIC+ tone that so many recording artists and MESA enthusiasts covet.
Street Price: $2,499
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Revv Amplification Inc
Generator 120
The Generator 120 watt amplifier, is a 4 channel variable gain, all tube amplifier designed to be everything the touring musician, or the weekend warrior, will need in an amplifier. From beautiful warm sparkling cleans, vintage style crunch, to deep metal rhythm or searing leads, this amplifier does it all and more.
Street Price: $2,499
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Park Amplifiers
Park Little Rock 18
The Park Little Rock 18 a finely tuned classic rock amp. It features the same preamp as higher powered Park amps plus switchable cascaded channels for higher gain and a power amp capable of using a number of power tubes (6V6, 6L6, EL34 for 14 to 24 watts). The amp produces beautiful clean tones plus overdriven blues and classic rock tones all at playing levels that are suitable for the bedroom, studio or small club.
Street Price: $2,499
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TELEFUNKEN Elektroakustik
Black Diamond Series Vaccuum Tubes
TELEFUNKEN vacuum tubes have been the benchmark of excellence in all audio applications for many decades. This rich history continues with the introduction of new production tubes from TELEFUNKEN Elektroakustik.
Each tube is meticulously measured for all critical parameters of performance including transconductance, gain, noise, and microphonics. In addition to the rigorous testing procedure, all new TELEFUNKEN tubes are cryogenically treated to ensure durability, and subjected to an extended burn-in period to ensure superior stability.
Street Price: varies
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Goodsell Amplifiers
Mark IV Series Custom Amplifiers
Goodsell's Custom Mark IV Series amps feature a cathode-follower 3-way tone stack, offering more control over Goodell's sumptuous tube-driven sonics. Available with reverb and award-winning bias-vary tremolo. Configurations include 1x12 combo shown here; 2x10, 2x12 and 1x15 combos; and head-only versions built to order. Call Richard Goodsell today to discuss your next custom build.
Street Price: $1,499
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Dusky Electronics
DāO Amplifier
The Dusky Electronics DāO Amplifier is an all new, original design, vacuum tube musical instrument amplifier. The DāO combines a classic, short signal path architecture with modern refinements for low noise and high reliability, to produce an amplifier that feels like an extension of yourselfāan exquisite tool for seamlessly conveying your artistic intent. This is no clone. The DāO delivers enormous clean sounds or wicked breakup with a musical feel you must try for yourself.
Street Price: $1,500
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3 Monkeys Amps
Nashville Howler
Designed in conjunction with Grammy Award winning songwriter, musician, and producer Gordon Kennedy, The Nashville Howler has plenty of clean headroom and a Marshallesque tone stack making it the ideal bedroom and small venue amp.Ā
Described by Gordon as a "Tweed Deluxe with a British accent!"
Controls are VOLUME, TREBLE, MIDDLE, BASS, and PRESENCE. Two cathode biased 6V6 power tubes and three 12AX7 preamp tubes combine for about 15 watts of power.
Street Price: $1,849
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Selenium, an alternative to silicon and germanium, helps make an overdrive of great nuance and delectable boost and low-gain overdrive tones.
Clever application of alternative materials that results in a simple, make-everything-sound-better boost and low-gain overdrive.
Might not have enough overdrive for some tastes (although thatās kind of the idea).
$240 street
Cusack Project 34 Selenium Rectifier Pre/Drive Pedal
cusackmusic.com
The term āselenium rectifierā might be Greek to most guitarists, but if it rings a bell with any vintage-amp enthusiasts thatās likely because you pulled one of these green, sugar-cube-sized components out of your ampās tube-biasing network to replace it with a silicon diode.
Thatās a long-winded way of saying that, just like silicon or germanium diodesāaka ārectifiersāāthe lesser-seen selenium can also be used for gain stages in a preamp or drive pedal. Enter the new Project 34 Selenium Rectifier Pre/Drive from Michigan-based boutique maker Cusack, named after the elementās atomic number, of course.
An Ounce of Pre-Vention
As quirky as the Project 34 might seem, itās not the first time that company founder Jon Cusack indulged his long-standing interest in the element. In 2021, he tested the waters with a small 20-unit run of the Screamer Fuzz Selenium pedal and has now tamed the stuff further to tap levels of gain running from pre-boost to light overdrive. Having used up his supply of selenium rectifiers on the fuzz run, however, Cusack had to search far and wide to find more before the Project 34 could launch.
āToday they are usually relegated to just a few larger industrial and military applications,ā Cusack reports, ābut after over a year of searching we finally located what we needed to make another pedal. While they are a very expensive component, they certainly do have a sound of their own.ā
The control interface comprises gain, level, and a traditional bright-to-bassy tone knob, the range of which is increased exponentially by the 3-position contour switch: Up summons medium bass response, middle is flat response with no bass boost, and down is maximum bass boost. The soft-touch, non-latching footswitch taps a true-bypass on/off state, and power requires a standard center-negative 9V supply rated at for least 5 mA of current draw, but you can run the Project 34 on up to 18V DC.
Going Nuclear
Tested with a Telecaster and an ES-355 into a tweed Deluxe-style 1x12 combo and a 65 Amps London head and 2x12 cab, the Project 34 is a very natural-sounding low-gain overdrive with a dynamic response and just enough compression that it doesnāt flatten the touchy-feely pick attack. The key adjectives here are juicy, sweet, rich, and full. Itās never harsh or grating.
āThe gain knob is pretty subtle from 10 oāclock up, which actually helps keep the Project 34 in character.ā
Thereās plenty of output available via the level control, but the gain knob is pretty subtle from 10 oāclock up, which actually helps keep the Project 34 in character. Settings below there remain relatively cleanāamp-setting dependent, of courseāand from that point on up the overdrive ramps up very gradually, which, in amp-like fashion, is heard as a slight increase in saturation and compression. The pedal was especially fantastic with the Telecaster and the tweed-style combo, but also interacted really well with humbuckers into EL84s, which certainly canāt be said for all overdrives.
The Verdict
Although I almost hate to use the term, the Project 34 is a very organic gain stage that just makes everything sound better, and does so with a selenium-driven voice thatās an interesting twist on the standard preamp/drive. For all the variations on boost and low/medium-gain overdrive out there itās still a very welcome addition to the market, and definitely worth checking outāparticularly if youāre looking for subtler shades of overdrive.
You may know the Gibson EB-6, but what you may not know is that its first iteration looked nothing like its latest.
When many guitarists first encounter Gibsonās EB-6, a rare, vintage 6-string bass, they assume it must be a response to the Fender Bass VI. And manyEB-6 basses sport an SG-style body shape, so they do look exceedingly modern. (Itās easy to imagine a stoner-rock or doom-metal band keeping one amid an arsenal of Dunables and EGCs.) But the earliest EB-6 basses didnāt look anything like SGs, and they arrived a full year before the more famous Fender.
The Gibson EB-6 was announced in 1959 and came into the world in 1960, not with a dual-horn body but with that of an elegant ES-335. They looked stately, with a thin, semi-hollow body, f-holes, and a sunburst finish. Our pick for this Vintage Vault column is one such first-year model, in about as original condition as youāre able to find today. āWhy?ā you may be asking. Well, read on....
When the EB-6 was introduced, the Bass VI was still a glimmer in Leo Fenderās eye. The real competition were the Danelectro 6-string basses that seemed to have popped up out of nowhere and were suddenly being used on lots of hit records by the likes of Elvis, Patsy Cline, and other household names. Danos like the UB-2 (introduced in ā56), the Longhorn 4623 (ā58), and the Shorthorn 3612 (ā58) were the earliest attempts any company made at a 6-string bass in this style: not quite a standard electric bass, not quite a guitar, nor, for that matter, quite like a baritone guitar.
The only change this vintage EB-6 features is a replacement set of Kluson tuners.
Photo by Ken Lapworth
Gibson, Fender, and others during this era would in fact call these basses ābaritone guitars,ā to add to our confusion today. But these vintage ābaritonesā were all tuned one octave below a standard guitar, with scale lengths around 30", while most modern baritones are tuned B-to-B or A-to-A and have scale lengths between 26" and 30".)
At the time, those Danelectros were instrumental to what was called the ātic-tacā bass sound of Nashville records produced by Chet Atkins, or the āclick-bassā tones made out west by producer Lee Hazlewood. Gibson wanted something for this market, and the EB-6 was born.
āWhen the EB-6 was introduced, the Bass VI was still a glimmer in Leo Fenderās eye.ā
The 30.5" scale 1960 EB-6 has a single humbucking pickup, a volume knob, a tone knob, and a small, push-button āTone Selector Switchā that engages a treble circuit for an instant tic-tac sound. (Without engaging that switch, you get a bass-heavy tone so deep that cowboy chords will sound like a muddy mess.)
The EB-6, for better or for worse, did not unseat the Danelectros, and a November 1959 price list from Gibson hints at why: The EB-6 retailed for $340, compared to Dano price tags that ranged from $85 to $150. Only a few dozen EB-6 basses were shipped in 1960, and only 67 total are known to have been built before Gibson changed the shape to the SG style in 1962.
Most players who come across an EB-6 today think it was a response to the Fender Bass VI, but the former actually beat the latter to the market by a full year.
Photo by Ken Lapworth
Itās sad that so few were built. Sure, it was a high-end model made to achieve the novelty tic-tac sound of cheaper instruments, but in its full-voiced glory, the EB-6 has a huge potential of tones. It would sound great in our contemporary guitar era where more players are exploring baritone ranges, and where so many people got back into the Bass VI after seeing the Beatles play one in the 2021 documentary, Get Back.
Itās sadder, still, how many original-era EB-6s have been parted out in the decades since. Remember earlier when I wrote that our Vintage Vaultpick was about as original as you could find? Thatās because the modelās single humbucker is a PAF, its Kluson tuners are double-line, and its knobs are identical to those on Les Paul āBursts. So as people repaired broken āBursts, converted other LPs to āBursts, or otherwise sought to give other Gibsons a āGolden Eraā sound and look ... they often stripped these forgotten EB-6 basses for parts.
This original EB-6 is up for sale now from Reverb seller Emerald City Guitars for a $16,950 asking price at the time of writing. The only thing that isnāt original about it is a replacement set of Kluson tuners, not because its originals were stolen but just to help preserve them. (They will be included in the case.)
With so few surviving 335-style EB-6 basses, Reverb doesnāt have a ton of sales data to compare prices to. Ten years ago, a lucky buyer found a nearly original 1960 EB-6 for about $7,000. But Emerald Cityās $16,950 asking price is closer to more recent examples and asking prices.
Sources: Prices on Gibson Instruments, November 1, 1959, Tony Baconās āDanelectroās UB-2 and the Early Days of 6-String Bassesā Reverb News article, Gruhnās Guide to Vintage Guitars, Tom Wheelerās American Guitars: An Illustrated History, Reverb listings and Price Guide sales data.
An '80s-era cult favorite is back.
Originally released in the 1980s, the Victory has long been a cult favorite among guitarists for its distinctive double cutaway design and excellent upper-fret access. These new models feature flexible electronics, enhanced body contours, improved weight and balance, and an Explorer headstock shape.
A Cult Classic Made Modern
The new Victory features refined body contours, improved weight and balance, and an updated headstock shape based on the popular Gibson Explorer.
Effortless Playing
With a fast-playing SlimTaper neck profile and ebony fretboard with a compound radius, the Victory delivers low action without fret buzz everywhere on the fretboard.
Flexible Electronics
The two 80s Tribute humbucker pickups are wired to push/pull master volume and tone controls for coil splitting and inner/outer coil selection when the coils are split.
For more information, please visit gibson.com.
Gibson Victory Figured Top Electric Guitar - Iguana Burst
Victory Figured Top Iguana BurstThe SDE-3 fuses the vintage digital character of the legendary Roland SDE-3000 rackmount delay into a pedalboard-friendly stompbox with a host of modern features.
Released in 1983, the Roland SDE-3000 rackmount delay was a staple for pro players of the era and remains revered for its rich analog/digital hybrid sound and distinctive modulation. BOSS reimagined this retro classic in 2023 with the acclaimed SDE-3000D and SDE-3000EVH, two wide-format pedals with stereo sound, advanced features, and expanded connectivity. The SDE-3 brings the authentic SDE-3000 vibe to a streamlined BOSS compact, enhanced with innovative creative tools for every musical style. The SDE-3 delivers evocative delay sounds that drip with warmth and musicality. The efficient panel provides the primary controls of its vintage benchmarkāincluding delay time, feedback, and independent rate and depth knobs for the modulationāplus additional knobs for expanded sonic potential.
A wide range of tones are available, from basic mono delays and ā80s-style mod/delay combos to moody textures for ambient, chill, and lo-fi music. Along with reproducing the SDE-3000's original mono sound, the SDE-3 includes a powerful Offset knob to create interesting tones with two simultaneous delays. With one simple control, the user can instantly add a second delay to the primary delay. This provides a wealth of mono and stereo colors not available with other delay pedals, including unique doubled sounds and timed dual delays with tap tempo control. The versatile SDE-3 provides output configurations to suit any stage or studio scenario.
Two stereo modes include discrete left/right delays and a panning option for ultra-wide sounds that move across the stereo field. Dry and effect-only signals can be sent to two amps for wet/dry setups, and the direct sound can be muted for studio mixing and parallel effect rigs. The SDE-3 offers numerous control options to enhance live and studio performances. Tap tempo mode is available with a press and hold of the pedal switch, while the TRS MIDI input can be used to sync the delay time with clock signals from DAWs, pedals, and drum machines. Optional external footswitches provide on-demand access to tap tempo and a hold function for on-the-fly looping. Alternately, an expression pedal can be used to control the Level, Feedback, and Time knobs for delay mix adjustment, wild pitch effects, and dramatic self-oscillation.
The new BOSS SDE-3 Dual Delay Pedal will be available for purchase at authorized U.S. BOSS retailers in October for $219.99. To learn more, visit www.boss.info.