The Nace purrs and growls at almost any level, thanks to the V-Power’s ability to glide anywhere within a pre-overdrive radius of 1 to 18-watts. And you can change the power output without affecting the spanky feel you get from setting the gain and master volume at higher levels.
Light, Tight, Fit To Fight
At a mere 34 pounds, this is a very practical working musician’s amp. It’s easy to carry—with an unusually wide and comfortable handle—and the power range to play any gig, from a corner bar to Enormo-dome when you mic’ it up. The tube array is a familiar, dependable set: one 12AX7 in the preamp section, a 12AT7 for the phase splitter, and two EL84s in the power section. The front panel array is dirt-simple, but in a good way. There are ‘on’ and ‘standby’ toggles, the V-Power dial, a surprisingly saucy-sounding digital reverb, bass and treble controls, and master volume and gain dials. There are also old-school ‘high’ and ‘low’ impedance inputs.
Flip the PRO-18 around and you’ll see an effects loop, a ¼” “recording” out jack (another nice consideration for the volume constrained) footswitch inputs for reverb and boost, and 4-, 8-, and 16-ohm speaker outs.
Another nod to classic Marshall architecture is the PRO-18’s 8-ohm, 25-watt Celestion G12M greenback speaker, which yielded a harmonically rich and articulate voice at any setting, and really sparkled when tricked-up with digital delay and modulation effects—enabling every note to hang like ripe cherries in the air. I suspect the well crafted, open-back, lightwood cabinet enhanced the resonance considerably.
Ratings
Pros:
A rich, articulate voice, clean or dirty. Consistent distortion levels at all settings. Lightweight.
Cons:
Slightly pricy.
Tones:
Versatility:
Build/Design:
Value:
Street:
$1,799
Nace PRO-18 Tweed Combo
naceamps.com
Slammin’ and jammin’
I prefer to road test amps. So after becoming smitten in my music room while pairing the PRO-18 with a ’90 Les Paul Classic, a ’73 Stratocaster, and a ’58 Les Paul Special, I brought the Nace out for a club date and a live-audience radio show broadcast. Using the "high" input in both cases, the Nace sounded lush and quiet through the magnifying glass of the club P.A.—even under stage lights and with my single-coils broadcasting 60-cycle hum.
In the quieter confines of my home studio, the Nace revealed even more of its refined side. The Les Paul sounded full and thunderous (especially for chords) but also very smooth—giving single notes a sonorous, rounded quality. It had a lovely calming effect with my Stratocaster too, communicating exactly enough of the Fender’s bite and brittle emotion, and none of the brightness that can skewer ears with more temperamental amps. P-90s too could sound just a little hairy, but in all the right ways–sounding sturdy and searing.
The Verdict
The Nace PRO-18 Tweed Tolex Combo is a terrific Marshall-style amp that can cover a lot of turf—from rowdy to refined and many spaces in between— with warmth and real character. Its quietness and wide range of attack-mode tones also make it a perfect studio mate. And the V-Power circuit helps the Nace maintain the more aggressive side of its personality when you’re playing in a small club or your apartment after midnight. What’s more, it’s immensely agreeable to guitar and pickups types from across the spectrum—smoothing ice pick single coil tones and humbuckers alike.
While the PRO-18 is a damn-near perfect gigging machine thanks to its light weight, abundance of pretty sounds, and whisper-to-howl range, the $1,799 street price might be just out of range for a lot of working players. But if you can swing it, it’s also likely to be worth every penny of the investment.
Watch the Review Demo: