
A study in Orange: Joanna Connor routinely puts her amp and her Delaney signature model through seven- or eight-hour shifts in the heart of Chicago's blues scene. But for now, it's used for jams at a friend's art studio.
How blues firebrand Joanna Connor gets tube-like tone from a durable, solid-state combo.
The best way to get a fix on your priorities for an amp is to play, play, play. Joanna Connor's been tirelessly bending notes and wailing slide since the late '80s: initially touring the U.S. and Europe, and then, since 2005, holding court at clubs in her adopted home of Chicago, letting the world come to her at tourist destinations like the House of Blues and Kingston Mines.
Kingston Mines, in particular, is a crucible. Up until the pandemic, Connor played there four nights a week—typically starting at 7:30 p.m. with an hour-long acoustic set, then bringing on her band to lay down the law of blues until 2:30 a.m. on weeknights and 4:30 a.m. on weekends. Those are long, tough performances, but they splashed fuel on what was already a conflagrant playing style, blending loud, burly, Les Paul tone with an immense vocabulary of blues, rock, and much more, including a soloing approach as likely to nod to Hendrix as Elmore James, Lonnie Brooks, or even Professor Longhair. Those shows also brought Connor to an amplifier that she says can stand up to punishment and still deliver the big sounds she needs: an Orange Crush Pro 120 Combo.
While blues tones are generally considered the province of glowing tubes, this solid-state option serves Connor well. "Tube amps are divas, in a sense," she says. "If you're not babying them, they have issues. I played a Victoria 2x12 for 20 years on the road, and I loved it, until it literally fell apart. Playing those long nights puts a lot of abuse on an amp. Kingston Mines is a long room, and more than 400 people can squeeze into the place. I also like my band to play hard, so I need an amp that can get over their stage volume and get my sound into the room, on top."
"Tube amps are divas, in a sense. If you're not babying them, they have issues."
Connor was using the club's backline on the night Orange's global artist relations manager, Alex Auxier, caught her live. She tried a number of Orange tube amps after he offered an endorsement, but she selected the 120-watt Crush. With two 60-watt, 12" Voice of the World speakers and an 18 mm birch plywood cabinet, the Crush is no lightweight, sonically or literally, at 63 pounds. The controls are a global master volume, and the clean channel sports volume, bass, and treble dials, while the dirty channel has 3-band EQ and gain. There's a buffered effects loop and reverb channel switching, with digital hall, spring, and plate options.
That array covers all the basics, but Connor keeps things close to the bone, using only the clean channel and a handful of pedals—a Boss Blues Driver, a Way Huge Blue Hippo Chorus, and a Rocktron Short Timer delay ("I use delay instead of reverb," she notes)—to project the sound of her Les Pauls and her Delaney signature model, a single-coil guitar that's shaped like a Paul, with a Stetsbar vibrato arm. "To switch between rhythm and lead sounds, I use the pedals, and for slide, I use the pickup selector more, and I tend to leave my guitar controls wide open," she relates.
As for the Crush, Connor keeps all the controls on the clean channel at about 2 o'clock. At that point, even the clean channel yields organic-sounding breakup—a result of the amp's all-analog signal path, inspired by Orange's Rockerveb series. "I turn it up good and loud, so it's responsive and the lows, mids, and highs are all apparent, but not to the point where your ear drums are bleeding," she says. "I get a nice, warm heavy bottom out of it. A lot of amps can't handle the amount of bass I like without distorting or getting muddy, but this amp has nice presence and is crisp and clean. It has the warmth of a tube amp."
Connor uses few stomps—just an overdrive, digital delay, and a chorus—and prefers to drive her amp to create boldly sculpted tones.
Photo by Maleki Raei
To get an earful of Connor's dramatic playing, check out her new album produced by Joe Bonamassa, 4801 South Indiana Avenue. The address is that of the now-long-gone Theresa's Lounge, where the Massachusetts-born Connor first dropped roots in the Windy City. And the sound is granite-solid blues-rock with a Chicago and Memphis spin, paying respect to a host of foundational musicians, including Hound Dog Taylor, Albert King, Magic Sam, and Johnnie Taylor. Her guitar is unspared and unsparing throughout, although you won't hear the Crush at work. Bonamassa dipped into his notably swank collection of vintage gear and dug out a '55 tweed Fender Deluxe to channel her slide and lead playing. But you'll see the amp behind her in the album's first video, Connor's version of Magic Sam's totemic "I Feel So Good," where her slide playing will scald your cranium. (You can find it with the online version of this column.) You can also peruse her substantial recorded catalog, where 2019's stylistically diverse Rise and 1996's Big Girl Blues provide an especially good introduction.
With her regular gigs at Kingston Mines and the House of Blues—typically covering six or seven nights a week—on hold along with the rest of the world, Connor has been teaching online and working on adding more jazz to her vocabulary. As for her Orange Crush, it's waiting for the stage at a friend's art studio—at ground level. "I'm not dragging that thing up to the second floor of my house," she says, laughing. "I leave at his place, and we get together and jam every Thursday."
YouTube It
Listen to Joanna Conner kick ass on slide guitar in her take on Chicago blues legend Magic Sam's "I Feel So Good," from her new album, 4801 South Indiana Avenue, produced by Joe Bonamassa. Her Orange Crush Pro 120 combo has her back onstage.
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Empress Effects is proud to announce the release of the Bass ParaEq, a bass-specific parametric EQ pedal.
Building on the success of their acclaimed ParaEq MKII series, which has already gained popularity with bassists, the Bass ParaEq offers the same studio-grade precision but with features tailored for bass instruments.
Basses of all types – including electric and upright basses with active and passive electronics – can benefit from the Bass ParaEq’s tone-sculpting capabilities.
The new pedal follows the success of the Empress Bass Compressor and ParaEq MKII Deluxe, which have become some of the company’s best-reviewed and top-selling products. The Bass Compressor’s popularity confirmed what Empress had long suspected: bassists are eager for tools built with their needs in mind, not just adaptations of guitar gear.
The Bass ParaEq retains the line’s powerful 3-band parametric EQ and studio-style features while introducing a bass-optimized frequency layout, a selectable 10MΩ Hi-Z input for piezo-equipped instruments, a dynamically-adjusted low shelf, and automatic balanced output detection—perfect for live and studio use alike.
The Bass ParaEq also offers an output boost, adjustable by a dedicated top-mounted knob and activated by its own footswitch, capable of delivering up to 30dB of boost. It’s perfect for helping your bass punch through during key moments in live performance.
Whether dialing in clarity for a dense mix or compensating for an unfamiliar venue, the Bass ParaEq offers precise tonal control in a compact, road-ready form. With 27V of internal headroom to prevent clipping from even the hottest active pickups, the Bass ParaEq is the ultimate studio-style EQ designed to travel.
Key features of the Bass ParaEq include:
- Adjustable frequency bands tailored for bass instruments
- Selectable 10MΩ Hi-Z input for upright basses and piezo pickups
- Auto-detecting balanced output for long cable runs and direct recording
- Three sweepable parametric bands with variable Q
- High-pass, low-pass, low shelf, and high shelf filters
- Transparent analog signal path with 27V of internal headroom
- Buffered bypass switching
- Powered by standard 9V external supply, 300mA (no battery compartment)
The Bass ParaEq is now shipping worldwide. It can be purchased from the Empress Effects website for $374 USD and through authorized Empress dealers globally.
Kiesel Guitars has introduced their newest solid body electric guitar: the Kyber.
With its modern performance specs and competitive pricing, the Kyber is Kiesel's most forward-thinking design yet, engineered for comfort, quick playing, and precision with every note.
Introducing the Kiesel Kyber Guitar
- Engineered with a lightweight body to reduce fatigue during long performances without sacrificing tone. Six-string Kybers, configured with the standard woods and a fixed bridge, weigh in at 6 pounds or under on average
- Unique shape made for ergonomic comfort in any playing position and enhanced classical position
- The Kyber features Kiesel's most extreme arm contour and a uniquely shaped body that enhances classical position support while still excelling in standard position.
- The new minimalist yet aggressive headstock pairs perfectly with the body's sleek lines, giving the Kyber a balanced, modern silhouette.
- Hidden strap buttons mounted on rear for excellent balance while giving a clean, ultra-modern look to the front
- Lower horn cutaway design for maximum access to the upper frets
- Sculpted neck heel for seamless playing
- Available in 6 or 7 strings, fixed or tremolo in both standard and multiscale configurations Choose between fixed bridges, tremolos, or multiscale configurations for your perfect setup.
Pricing for the Kyber starts at $1599 and will vary depending on options and features. Learn more about Kiesel’s new Kyber model at kieselguitars.com
The Sunset is a fully analog, zero latency bass amplifier simulator. It features a ¼” input, XLR and ¼” outputs, gain and volume controls and extensive equalization. It’s intended to replace your bass amp both live and in the studio.
If you need a full sounding amp simulator with a lot of EQ, the Sunset is for you. It features a five band equalizer with Treble, Bass, Parametric Midrange (with frequency and level controls), Resonance (for ultra lows), and Presence (for ultra highs). All are carefully tuned for bass guitar. But don’t let that hold you back if you’re a keyboard player. Pianos and synthesizers sound great with the Sunset!
The Sunset includes Gain and master Volume controls which allow you to add compression and classic tube amp growl. It has both ¼” phone and balanced XLR outputs - which lets you use it as a high quality active direct box. Finally, the Sunset features zero latency all analog circuitry – important for the instrument most responsible for the band’s groove.
Introducing the Sunset Bass Amp Simulator
- Zero Latency bass amp simulator.
- Go direct into the PA or DAW.
- Five Band EQ:
- Treble and Bass controls.
- Parametric midrange with level and frequency controls.
- Presence control for extreme highs.
- Resonance control for extreme lows.
- Gain control to add compression and harmonics.
- Master Volume.
- XLR and 1/4" outputs.
- Full bypass.
- 9VDC, 200mA.
Artwork by Aaron Cheney
MAP price: $210 USD ($299 CAD).
PG contributor Tom Butwin reveals his favorite songwriting secret weapon: the partial capo. Watch how the Shubb C7 and C8 can simulate alternate tunings without retuning your guitar—and spark fresh creative ideas instantly.
Shubb C8b Partial Capo for Drop-D Tuning - Brass
The C8 covers five of the six strings, leaving either the low E or high E string open, depending on how it's positioned.
- Standard setup: Placed on the 2nd fret while leaving the low E string open, it simulates Drop D-style sounds—except you're still in standard tuning (key of E). You get that big, droning bass feel without retuning.
- Reverse setup: Flipping the capo allows the high E string to ring, giving you shimmering drones and new melodic options across familiar chord shapes.
- A flexible tool that lets you simulate alternate tunings and create rich sonic textures—all while keeping your guitar in standard tuning.
Shubb C7b Partial Capo for DADGAD Tuning - Brass
The C7 covers three of the six strings—either D, G, and B or A, D, and G—depending on how it's flipped.
- Typical setup (D, G, B): Creates an open A chord shape at the 2nd fret without needing your fingers. This frees you up for new voicings and droning notes in the key of A.
- Reversed setup (A, D, G): Gets you close to a DADGAD-style tuning vibe, but still keeps you in standard tuning—great for modal, spacious textures often found in folk or cinematic guitar parts.
Use it alone or stack it with the C8 for wild, layered effects and truly out-of-the-box inspiration.