In approach, if not aesthetic, Steve O'Boyle of Ugly Amps got his start much like the folks at now-defunct Analog Outfitters. Like A.O., Ugly Amps initially used parts salvaged from vintage PA systems—thus the tongue-in-cheek company name. These days, he stocks his small-batch designs with all-new parts. His latest offering, the 5881-powered, 20-watt "Lil" Ugly, puts a high-gain channel alongside a clean channel whose tones are a welcome departure from many amps in this category—all at just 12 pounds.
Home-Brew Vs. Frugal?
Visually, "Lil" Ugly's vibes veer toward spartan, even DIY. But a closer look reveals why: It packs a lot into a compact, remarkably lightweight design. Where many two-channel "lunchbox" designs sacrifice space for a shared EQ, "Lil" boasts independent controls for both. The "ugly" (dirty) side has three bands plusa mid-shift knob and a mid-boost button. The clean side, meanwhile, has bass and treble controls. Each channel has its own master and gain controls (the latter marked "volume" on the clean side). Around back are a global presence control, a series effects loop with send- and return-level knobs, dual speaker outputs (with 3-way impedance selector), a channel-selector button, a loop-engage button, and a jack for the included footswitch that controls the two latter functions.
Recorded using an Eastwood Sidejack Baritone DLX with Curtis Novak JM-HR pickups (neck, then bridge) into an Ibanez ES-2 Echo Shifter, then into "Lil" Ugly and a 2x10 cab with Celestion G10 Gold and Warehouse G10C/S speakers. Miked with a Royer R-121 feeding an Audient iD44 then into GarageBand with no EQ-ing, compression, or effects.
Construction feels solid, and the transformers are impressively hefty for an amp in this weight class. But the top corners of the folded-steel housing are just sharp enough to draw blood if you're not careful. Inside, the two large PC boards are neatly traced and wired, though the tube sockets and control pots are mounted to them rather than the chassis. Meanwhile, control pots feel well attached and appearto be chassis mounted, a factor that could affect longevity or ease and cost of repair.
Enjoyin’ the Ugly
I tested "Lil" with my baritone Eastwood Sidejack with Curtis Novak JM-WR humbuckers, routing the amp through a variety of speaker and cabinet types: a large 1x12 with a 50-watt, ceramic-magnet Weber Gray Wolf, a small 1x12 with a 35-watt alnico Celestion Ruby, and a 2x10 with a 40-watt alnico Celestion G10 Gold and a 75-watt, ceramic Warehouse G10/S. I shouldn't have been surprised at how big a difference each cab and speaker combo made, but part of it goes back to the Ugly's unique clean channel.
O'Boyle has pulled something lovely and interesting here. "Lil" cleans are fat, warm, and cushy, a little reminiscent of a lower-powered vintage Super Reverb (minus the reverb).
On many high-gain heads, especially more affordable ones, the clean channel sounds like a lower-gain version of the lead side, often yielding clinical or brittle cleans. But O'Boyle has pulled off something lovely and interesting here. "Lil" cleans are fat, warm, cushy, and a little reminiscent of a lower-powered vintage Super Reverb (minus the reverb). Because the clean channel has ample bass and leans toward the dark side, I preferred parking bass at 9 o'clock, treble at 2 o'clock, and volume (gain) at 10 o'clock for just a smidge of grit.
Given its 20-watt power rating and the fact that 5881s typically break up sooner than the 6L6s they're interchangeable with, it's no surprise that "Lil" doesn't have a lot of clean headroom. In fact, to compete with my favorite gain-channel settings, I had to push the clean master volume to max. At extreme drive-channel settings, you're unlikely to switch channels without a noticeable decibel drop or not-so-clean cleans.
Keeping the ugly channel's gain at almost 3 o'clock and master at about 11 o'clock feels like the magic recipe—availing tones seething enough for extreme metal, while ranging to Fender-y cleans in the other direction. Dirt is classically British—very Marshall-esque, but with more available saturation. Even at ferocious settings, note separation is distinct and articulation crystalline. What's more, the ugly channel responds very dynamically to pick attack, providing wide mellow-to-aggressive response without guitar-volume manipulation. To boot, the ugly channel's EQ range is generous—particularly the vast midrange, which spans honky to thin and nasal, scooped, and razor sharp.
The Verdict
Ugly Amps' "Lil" Ugly has so much going for it that the name risks undercutting its credibility. The execution may not be quite as refined as big brands, and some features might seem superfluous in big pedalboard age (presence and mid boost, for example). And the wide dirty-to-clean range mean taking extra care to find a speaker that lets both sides shine. But for the money I'm not sure there's much out there with a 1-2 punch quite like the "Lil" Ugly. Well done!
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Celebrating 10 years of Revv & 5 years since the release of the G2, Revv is debuting V2 circuit revisions of the G2, G3, & G4, implementing new designs for more tone in 3 little pedals, in a limited edition colorway.
The Revv Amplification 5th Anniversary G-Series V2 Lineup features:
- 3 Fresh Flavors of Boutique Canadian Tone - G-Series pedals are sonic recreations of 3 of Revv’s boutique amp channels used by Nashville session stars & metal touring artists alike.
- The Standard, Redefined - V2 circuit revisions are based on the Generator 120 MK3 Rev. B & incorporate new design elements for the most tube-like response & tone ever.
- Limited Edition - Exclusive new colorway featuring a black enclosure w/ custom graphics, embossed Revv badge, & color-coded knobs.
- Find Your Sound - The G2 is a powerful & versatile overdrive capable of everything from touch-sensitive boost to organic vintage stack tones, taken from Revv’s Green Channel.
- High Gain Clarity - The G3 utilizes Revv’s legendary Purple Channel, a tight & responsive high gain tone perfect for drop tuning & cutting through any mix.
- Fat Solo Tones - The G4 is based on Revv’s thick & saturated Red Channel, the ideal sound for chewy crunch, modern rock wall of sound, & liquid sustaining solos.
- Made in Canada - 100% analog circuit w/ top jacks, true bypass, & 2 year warranty.
Revv’s G-Series pedals have a street price of $229 & can be ordered immediately through many fine dealers worldwide.
For more information, please visit revvamplification.com.
Revv G3 Purple Channel Preamp/Overdrive/Distortion Pedal - Anniversary Edition
Hats off to Carmen Vandenberg of Bones UK, our celebrity Question of the Month respondent.
Guest Picker - Carmen Vandenberg, Bones UK
The cover of Soft, Bones UK’s new album, due in mid-September.
A: My favorite method these days (and to be honest, from when I started playing) is to put on my favorite blues records, listen with my eyes closed, and, at the end, see what my brain compartmentalizes and keeps stored away. Then, I try and play back what I heard and what my fingers or brain decided they liked!
Bone UK’s labelmade, Des Rocks.
Obsession: Right now, I am into anyone trying to create sounds that haven’t been made before—bands like Queens of the Stone Age, Jack White, and our labelmate, Des Rocs! There’s a Colombian band called Diamanté Electrico who I’ve been really into recently. Really anyone who’s trying to create innovative and inspiring sounds.
Reader of the Month - Sam C. Schiff.
Sam spent endless hours trying to learn the solo Leslie West played on “Long Red,” off of The Road Goes Ever On.
A: The best way to learn guitar is to listen to some good guitar playing! Put on a record, hear something tasty, and play on repeat until it comes out of your fingers. For me, it was Leslie West playing “Long Red” on the Mountain album, The Road Goes Ever On. I stayed up all night listening to that track until I could match Leslie’s phrasing. I still can’t, no one can, but I learned a lot!
Smith’s own low-wattage amp build.
Obsession: My latest musical obsession is low-wattage tube amps like the 5-watt Fender Champ heard on the Laylaalbum. Crank it up all the way for great tube distortion and sustain, and it’s still not loud enough to wake up the neighbors!
Gear Editor - Charles Saufley
Charles Saufley takes to gear like a duck to water!
A: Learning by ear and feel is most fun for me. I write and free-form jam more than I learn other people’s licks. When I do want to learn something specific, I’ll poke around on YouTube for a demo or a lesson or watch films of a player I like, and then typically mangle that in my own “special” way that yields something else. But I rarely have patience for tabs or notation.
The Grateful Dead’s 1967 debut album.
Obsession: Distorted and overdriven sounds with very little sustain—Keith Richards’ Between the Buttons tones, for example. Jerry Garcia’s plonky tones on the first Grateful Dead LP are another cool, less-fuzzy version of that texture.
Publisher - Jon Levy
A: I’m a primitive beast: The only way I can learn new music is by ear, so it’s a good thing I find that method enjoyable. I’m entirely illiterate with staff notation. Put sheet music in front of me and I’ll stare at it with twitchy, fearful incomprehension like an ape gaping at the monolith in 2001: A Space Odyssey. I’m almost as clueless with tab, but I can follow along with chord charts if I’m under duress.
The two-hit wonders behind the early ’70s soft-rock hits, “Fallin’ in Love” and “Don't Pull Your Love.”
Obsession: Revisiting and learning AM-radio pop hits circa 1966–1972. The Grass Roots, Edison Lighthouse, the Association, the Archies, and Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds—nothing is too cheesy for me to dissect and savor. Yes, I admit I have a serious problem.
