AJ Ghent’s uniquely inspired Singing Guitar has its roots in the Sacred Steel musical style and African-American gospel traditions that developed out of a group of Pentecostal churches across the South. Ghent comes from a long line of innovative players, including his father, Aubrey Ghent Sr., and grandfather, Henry Nelson. His great uncle Willie Eason is credited as the founder of the Sacred Steel rhythmic guitar style.Ghent invited John Bohlinger and the PG team to his soundcheck before his show at Nashville’s City Winery to talk through his rig and play some inspiring music on his lap and pedal steels.
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Guitars
Ghent keeps it simple on this current solo tour. His number one is this 6-string Asher custom model lap steel built to 25" scale. The neck-through-body is African okoume wood, from the Congo, similar to mahogany but lighter. The top is quilted maple and the fretboard is rosewood. There’s a Lindy Fralin Pure PAF in the bridge, and a Fralin hum-free P90 in the neck position, hidden under a humbucker cover. There’s also a LR Baggs acoustic Tune-o-matic-style bridge, with acoustic pickups under the saddles. A Bartolini acoustic magnetic blend circuit combines with a chicken head control knob to blend the acoustic with the other pickups. Ghent uses Rocky Mountain Slides Company slides, and Dunlop finger and thumb picks. The coveted Asher is strung with Asher Electro Hawaiian Lap Steel Strings.
This 6-string Jackson Maverick HD pedal steel guitar features two foot pedals and four knee levers. It’s based on the classic Sho-Bud Maverick. Ghent runs it straight into a Goodrich volume pedal then into his amp, sans effects. The Jackson is strung with either D’Addarios or Asher Electro Hawaiian strings, depending on what is handy.
Pedalboard
Ghent’s tone is really about the guitar and the amp, but he does have a modest pedalboard that includes an Eventide H90 and a Boss RC-5 Loop Station. He uses Lava Cable to connect the dots.
Amps
AJ runs his lap steel through his pedals then onto his AJ Ghent 12" Signature Edition Guitar Amplifier by Quilter Labs. The signature combo is stacked with a Celestion Copperback speaker.
For his pedal steel, Ghent plugs directly into his Milkman The Amp 100, which feeds a Quilter Labs BlockDock 15 1x15 extension cabinet.
Shop AJ Ghent's Rig
2-Quilter Labs Overdrive 202 Guitar Head
Quilter AJ Ghent 12" Signature Edition Guitar Amplifier
Quilter Labs BlockDock 12CB 1 x 12" Extension Cabinet
Boss RC-5 Loop Station Compact
Eventide H90 Harmonizer Multi-Effects Pedal
Quilter Labs BlockDock 15 1 x 15" Extension Cabinet
Celestion Copperback 12-inch 250-watt Guitar Amp Replacement Speaker
A Pint of Perfection
Pint’s build is a thing of beauty. The solid pine cabinet is flawless. The top-shelf parts include Mercury Magnetics transformers and Jupiter capacitors. The 12" ceramic speaker is also by Jupiter. (Alnico-magnet speakers from Jupiter and Celestion are upgrade options.) The components are neatly arrayed on turret board and linked by fastidiously organized wires. In addition to the two 6V6s, there’s a 5Y3 tube rectifier, plus 12AX7s for the preamp, trem, and reverb.
Yep, Pint is sort of a Champ on steroids. The shimmery cleans are detailed and three-dimensional, with ample low mids to balance their sparkle. Tones start clipping relatively early in the volume knob’s range, but all settings are extremely touch-responsive. It’s easy to control the amount of distortion via finger pressure and guitar knob adjustments. You can literally go from warm, sweet jazz tones to violent clipping without touching the amp. Class-A circuits are by nature less efficient (that is, quieter) than their A/B equivalents, but Pint’s dual power tubes are at least loud enough for small gigs with light-touch drums and bass.
Ratings
Pros:
Stellar workmanship. Deep, detailed tones. Glorious trem and reverb.
Cons:
Class A distortion isn’t for everybody. Pricey.
Tones:
Ease of Use:
Build/Design:
Value:
Street:
$2,499
Milkman Sound Pint
milkmansound.com
Presence Plus
Be aware, though, that while I’ve given Pint the highest possible tone rating, the amp’s maximum-volume sounds aren’t for everybody. Many players romanticize class-A distortion until they actually encounter it. The hot class-A sound is bright, noisy, and at times painfully present. If you prefer your high-gain tones tight and fat, this simply may not be the circuit for you. (Whenever I post demo clips of a maxed-out tweed-style amp, discerning readers inevitably inform me how crappy I sound.)
Take these comments as clarifications, not criticisms. I happen to dig anarchic class A overdrive. You can also generate less harsh colors with lower amp volume settings and overdrive pedals. Also, the two tone controls are perfectly voiced to shape distorted tones. The treble knob can help tame that brutal presence or add sheen when playing darker-toned pickups. The bass knob also helps rein in diffuse distorted sounds. (Ironically, siphoning off lows can make the highs sing more sweetly.) And naturally, some players will use Pint chiefly for its lovely clean and lightly overdriven tones, rarely venturing into the meltdown zone.
Pint’s effects are stellar. The tremolo throb is sweet and sexy, and the rate knob has a nice, musical taper. The reverb is a warm bath you never want to exit, with more headroom and top-end detail than you tend to encounter on vintage amps.
The Verdict
With its dual single-ended design, Pint provides a fresh take on familiar Fender flavors. Its workmanship is faultless. Rich and beguiling clean tones make the amp ideal for refined jazz and fingerstyle guitarists playing in living rooms and intimate venues. Lightly overdriven tones have impact and complexity. The maxed-out class-A distortion won’t suit all tastes, though some players will thrill to its punky edge. The luscious trem and ’verb are to die for. When the price is $249 per watt, you should expect excellence. Thankfully, Pint pours it on.