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 | Download Example 1 Blues - Schroeder Radio Lane |
| Download Example 2 Chicken Pickin' - Nash Tele |
| Download Example 3 Rock Riff - Schroeder Radio Lane Bridge Pup |
Though he formed JT Sound Inc. a mere four years ago, John Tomaszewicz has been pursuing his passion for innovative tube amp designs since the early 1970s. An electrical engineer by training, John spent the early part of his career working for a large electronic manufacturer designing and testing a host of electrical circuits. After teaching himself tube amp design, John took the lessons learned from his day job (along with access to expensive electrical testing equipment) to begin designing tube amp circuits that “take the next step forward” rather than mimic a particular vintage vibe.
As a gigging guitarist and recording engineer, John wanted his amps to meet the goal of having exceptional clarity, responsiveness and enhanced frequency response. The result is an amp designed to excel in both the studio and onstage. An emphasis on reliability and serviceability are also incorporated into the design through the use of components that exceed their respective ratings.
The Benefits of Innovation
While the circuit design of the TZZ-15112 is unique, its aesthetics borrow from some timeless designs. Out of the box, the amp has a striking resemblance to the venerable Marshall 1974X 1x12 Combo, with its expertly applied black tolex covering, contrasting white piping and “Bluesbreaker” colored grille cloth. The top-mounted chassis utilizes a combination of black studio knobs (Cut, Gain, Sustain, Master Volume) and white “chicken-head”-style knobs for its passive tone stack (Bass, Middle, Treble, Presence) and Pre Amp Gain controls. The use of black and white knobs is a thoughtful design decision, as it proves useful in adjusting levels in low light conditions. The black control panel is finished off with a single input, indicator light, standby switch and power switch. The rear of the amp features an open-back cabinet design and with an effects loop, 4 and 8 ohm outputs, power input and a pair of fuses. All in all, a very attractive amp—my only quibble is that it lacks corner guards to protect it when you take it out to be heard.
Under the hood, its overall design reflects the hand of an experienced amplifier builder. The cabinet is made from 13-ply Baltic birch and features 1/4" finger joints. Situated in the cabinet is one 12" Veteran 30 speaker from Warehouse Guitar Speakers, LLC. This US-based direct seller of speakers produces well-executed versions of classic speaker models. According to WGS, the Veteran 30 takes all the goodness of the Celestion Vintage 30 speaker with a tonal improvement smoothing the “spike” in the uppermids. Housed in a spot-welded chassis made from heavy gauge aluminum, the circuit is constructed using a printed circuit board to maintain consistency, as well as point-to-point wiring for the chassis-mounted tube sockets. The amp’s modular design makes servicing easier for techs.
With an emphasis on reliability, TomasZewicz does not use any relays or switches in the circuit (other than On/Off and Standby) and every component used in the circuit has ratings that exceed the voltage and temperature environment over the required frequency band. Although TomasZewicz believes superior performance is achieved in the circuit design versus components used, the amp features a beefy custom Pacific power transformer (with two extra taps for the sustain circuit), an ultra-linear Hammond output transformer, PEC pots and Sprague Orange Cap Drop capacitors. The amp also features an array of JJ tubes that include a pair of EL84s in the power section and a 12DW7/ECC832 in the preamp, followed by one 12AX7/ECC83 and then three 12AT7/ECC81s for the makeup gain stage and the tube-buffered effects loop. The phase inverter tubes are run in parallel, adding a level of smoothness and fatness to its overall tone (think Matchless). Its cathode bias design does not require re-biasing, so tube tweakers can rejoice accordingly.
The TZZ-11512 has some interesting features that are worth noting. The integrated Sustain feature on this amp is a studio-quality design: a dynamic control device that offers just the right amount of compression with a hint of drive. It works in tandem with the Drive control to push the power section on the amp to the desired level of breakup. These controls could easily be sold separately as a discrete effect. The Cut knob acts as a low-pass filter on the power amp, and Presence offers more crispness to the overall tone. The Pre-Amp Gain knob adds an articulate, smooth drive tone that sits somewhere between a Vox- and Plexitype overdrive. The tube-powered buffered effects loop sounds great with no treble loss.
Plugging In
I took John’s advice and put all the studio knobs to zero and began dialing in certain tones. Pushing the Sustain and Drive up in tandem with the Pre-Amp Gain set around 3, I was instantly greeted with a tone that was filled with EL84 chime laced with tasty harmonics. Think REM- or Early Tom Pettytype tones. The passive tone stack also acts as a Volume control, and bringing up their respective levels brought out the responsiveness and articulation of the fundamental tone. With so much sustain at my fingertips, I found myself playing single-note lines at an ever slowing pace to enjoy the harmonic complexity of each note. Pushing the Pre- Amp Gain along with the Drive and Sustain knobs revealed a more-than-adequate power section with no discernable “sag,” as power chords barked with authority and solid string separation. I found the amp easily capable of handling both single-coil and humbucking pickups, with my favorite being a Nash “Keef” Tele loaded with a Lollar Special pickup in the bridge that consistently offered up a pleasing blend of drive and chime.
The Final Mojo
I was able to jam with the amp with another guitarist and a drummer and found the amp sat well in the mix. The amp’s responsiveness was evident as small changes in pick attack and guitar volume control brought substantial changes in overall tone. At times I found myself wanting more clean headroom with slightly less hum, but I’m sure TomasZewicz’s higher-powered EL34 heads and combos could offer the additional sonic real estate. It is great to see an original amp circuit in a “saturated” amp market; I suggest folks consider TomasZewicz’s offerings.
Buy if...
you’re seeking classic rock/blues tones that “cut through the mix” with articulation, harmonic complexity and tremendous sustain.
Skip if...
you require two channels, reverb or copious amounts clean headroom.
Rating...
MSRP $1825 - JT Sound Inc. - jtsoundinc.com |
Revv G3 Purple Channel Preamp/Overdrive/Distortion Pedal - Anniversary Edition
The Revv G3 revolutionized high gain pedals in 2018 with its tube-like response & tight, clear high gain tones. Suddenly the same boutique tones used by metal artists & producers worldwide were available to anyone in a compact pedal. Now the G3 returns with a new V2 circuit revision that raises the bar again.
If 3 Were 6
With six times the controls found on the 1 and 2 versions (if you discount the original’s on/off slider switch,) the LPB-3’s control complement offers pre-gain, boost, mid freq, bass, treble, and mid knobs, with a center detent on the latter three so you can find the midpoint easily. A mini-toggle labeled “max” selects between 20 dB and 33 dB of maximum gain, and another labeled “Q” flips the resonance of the mid EQ between high and low. Obviously, this represents a significant expansion of the LPB’s capabilities.
More than just a booster with a passive tone, the LPB-3 boasts a genuine active EQ stage plus parametric midrange section, comprising the two knobs with shaded legends, mid freq and mid level. The gain stages have also been reimagined to include a pre-gain stage before the EQ, which enables up to 20 dB of input gain. The boost stage that follows the EQ is essentially a level control with gain to allow for up to 33 dB of gain through the LPB-3 when the “max” mini toggle is set to 33dB
A slider switch accessible inside the pedal selects between buffered or true bypass for the hard-latch footswitch. An AC adapter is included, which supplies 200mA of DC at 9.6 volts to the center-negative power input, and EHX specifies that nothing supplying less than 120mA or more than 12 volts should be used. There’s no space for an internal battery.
Power-Boosted
The LPB-3 reveals boatloads of range that betters many linear boosts on the market. There’s lots of tone-shaping power here. Uncolored boost is available when you want it, and the preamp gain knob colors and fattens your signal as you crank it up—even before you tap into the massive flexibility in the EQ stage.
“The preamp gain knob colors and fattens your signal as you crank it up—even before you tap into the massive flexibility in the EQ stage.”
I found the two mid controls work best when used judiciously, and my guitars and amps preferred subtle changes pretty close to the midpoint on each. However, there are still tremendous variations in your mid boost (or scoop, for that matter) within just 15 or 20 percent range in either direction from the center detent. Pushing the boost and pre-gain too far, particularly with the 33 dB setting engaged, can lead to some harsh sounds, but they are easy to avoid and might even be desirable for some users that like to work at more creative extremes.
The Verdict
The new LPB-3 has much, much more range than its predecessors, providing flexible preamp, boost, and overdrive sounds that can be reshaped in significant ways via the powerful EQ. It gives precise tone-tuning flexibility to sticklers that like to match a guitar and amp to a song in a very precise way, but also opens up more radical paths for experimentalists. That it does all this at a $129 price is beyond reasonable.
Electro-Harmonix Lpb-3 Linear Power Booster & Eq Effect Pedal Silver And Blue
