The original Supro amps were produced by Valco and sold through department stores in the ’50s and ’60s. Despite their built-for-beginners status, these humble amps have often served as secret weapons for great guitarists, notably Jimmy Page during Zep’s early years. Supros lack the power of Marshalls and the rich, balanced tones of Fenders, but their explosive presence and rude overdrive have lent a punky edge to many great recordings.
Valco folded in 1968. But about a decade ago, famed amp designer Bruce Zinky revived the brand. The Supro name changed hands a few years ago, and now Dave Koltai of Pigtronix fame runs the show, releasing new Supro models while retaining many of Zinky’s innovations.
New Supros aren’t clones—they’re made from modern materials using modern manufacturing techniques. But don’t mistake them for generic amps with a bit of retro-cool window dressing. Consider the new Saturn combo: It’s not based on a particular vintage model, and its innards are strictly 21st-century. Yet it nails the unvarnished aggression of the best Supro combos while adding meaningful refinements. If you love the Led Zeppelin I sound, chances are you’ll dig this amp.
Vintage Modern
The U.S.-made Saturn is the smallest amp in the current Supro line, a single-channel combo with tube reverb and tremolo. It puts out 15 watts via a pair of 6973s—tubes found in many second-tier ’60s brands, and currently experiencing a bit of a renaissance. (The rectifier tube is a vintage-accurate 5U4.) Saturn’s solid-wood cabinet houses a 12" custom-voiced Eminence speaker. The amp’s controls are simple: volume, bass, treble, reverb level, and tremolo rate/depth. The knobs, logo, grille, and “rhino hide” vinyl provide an authentic ’60s look.
Inside is a different story: Parts are assembled on a pair of modern circuit boards, with board-mounted pots and jacks. (The components in old Supros are linked via terminal strip.) The boards are oriented at a 90-degree angle to each other, with some tubes pointing down toward the floor and other face inward toward the speaker, though they’re all accessible without disassembling the amp. The transformers are custom-made to Zinky’s specs.
But despite its modern construction techniques, Saturn’s creators seem to have designed the amp with reverence for the colors and quirks that make Supros special.
Biased for Badness
Like old Supros, Saturn is a cathode-biased “Class A” amp, and the trademark qualities of that architecture are front-and-center here. Tones are lively, responsive, and loose. Highs crackle with energy. The amp transitions to distortion at relatively low levels.
On the other hand, Saturn isn’t particularly loud. It’s definitely powerful enough to annoy your neighbors, but it may not be sufficiently beefy for gigs with aggressive drummers unless you have good monitors and a reliable sound person. You can pretty much forget about obtaining crystalline tones at anything more than modest volume. And while Saturn’s lows aren’t thin, they’re hardly weighty—this amp doesn’t do “chunk.” (Actually, modern Supros tend to have noticeably stouter lows than original models, but still, don’t expect to see many metal players using them. However, blues hounds, early Zep freaks, antique R&B aficionados, and indie troublemakers will probably relish this sound.)
For the players likeliest to cherish amps of this type, these traits are features, not bugs. Saturn doesn’t thump like a Marshall or spank like a Fender, and that’s part of the point. Instead, you get blunt, ultra-present attack and an attitude I can only describe as “snotty” (in the best possible punk-rock sense). Tones tend to feel literally in-your-face in that “Communication Breakdown” way. And recording guitarists will love how Saturn delivers high-octane overdrive at relatively low levels.
Set the Controls for … Whatever
Saturn’s 2-band tone controls are limited but effective. The bass pot’s taper is a bit odd—lows come on suddenly and strongly at around 10 o’clock, as opposed to easing in gradually. But chances are you’ll just dial in a setting that suits your pickups and park it there. Meanwhile, like the best small Fender tweeds, Saturn boasts phenomenal dynamic response.
Ratings
Pros:
Vibey Valco tones with meaningful improvements.
Cons:
Not cheap for a circuit-board amp. Footswitch not included.
Tones:
Ease of Use:
Build/Design:
Value:
Street:
$1,400
Supro 1648RT Saturn Reverb
suprousa.com
Many users will simply turn the amp up till it growls and then scarcely touch the thing, sculpting tone via their hands and guitars. In fact, players of this persuasion are likeliest to dig Saturn the most.
For all the snippets in my audio demo (see the online version of this review), I simply set the tone controls at noon, advanced the volume 80%, and then scarcely touched the amp except to tweak the reverb and tremolo. I felt no need to alter the volume or tone settings, even when switching between the ’63 Strat, ’80s Les Paul, and Gretsch-like “parts” guitar heard in the demo clip.
Wet and Wobbly
A hefty, four-spring tank delivers gooey-good reverb. The tremolo is equally lovely, if quirky in a signature Supro way. It’s relatively restrained—maximum settings throb, but never chop. Also, the response varies according to the volume settings.
Again, these are features, not bugs: As Dave Koltai explained to me, these traits are inevitable side effects of the Supro circuit, which employs output-tube tremolo, and whose modulation depth is limited by the cathode-bias architecture. Want to play an accurate cover of “How Soon Is Now?” Get a damn Twin Reverb. Meanwhile, I dig how Saturn delivers a cool variation on the familiar Fender flavor. You can toggle the reverb and tremolo via footswitch (sold separately).
The Verdict
Saturn delivers a great mid-century American sound in an authentic-sounding but technologically innovative way. Some might balk at spending $1,400 on a small, circuit-board amp, but Supro didn’t simply clone some vintage circuit—Saturn’s creators clearly invested much time and ingenuity in capturing a classic color while delivering such meaningful improvements as lower noise, greater bass response, and roadworthy construction. At this price, you could buy an original Valco amp—maybe more than one. But frankly, Saturn is likely to sound better than any of them, and it definitely stands a better change of surviving the stage and the van. It’s a compelling option for guitarists seeking cool vintage tones from outside the Fender/Marshall/Vox axis.
Watch the Review Demo:
Ratings
Pros: Incredible note separation. clean tones with humbuckers sound surprisingly clear. Drive channels have a perfect balance of girth, punch, detail, and cut.
Cons: Channels 2 and 3 share an EQ section. Expensive.
Tones:
Ease of Use:
Build/Design:
Value:
Street: $2,999
diezel.typo3.inpublica.de
The Diezel D-Moll is a 100-watt powerhouse that delivers crystal clean tones and smoldering overdrive from six ECC83 preamp tubes and a quartet of KT77 power tubes. Each of the three channels—clean, crunch, and lead—has dedicated gain and channel volumes. The clean channel uses a dedicated 3-band EQ, while the crunch and lead channels share a 3-band EQ.
Diezel also threw in their highly regarded variable mid-cut circuit, along with two master controls, a series/parallel effects loop, and a pair of presence and deep knobs for tweaking the highs and lows. The amp’s channel-switching, midcut, effects loop, and muting functions can be activated from the front panel, a standalone MIDI controller, or Diezel’s own Columbus footswitch.
Diezel amps have always been known for refined tone and smooth response, and the D-Moll does not disappoint on either count. The clean channel does a bang-up job at delivering massive body and warmth from the dark-toned humbuckers in a Les Paul, but also adds a beautiful piano-like chime in the upper mids and highs. Few high-gain amps have clean tones on par with a great Fender or Vox, but the D-Moll’s exquisite clarity could easily bump it onto that exclusive list.
Channel 2 delivers the smooth and highly detailed overdrive that the third channel from Diezel’s VH4 made famous, but with spongier lows and a more rounded top end. Both single notes and riffs have monstrous body, and the midcut circuit yanks back the low mids for supremely vicious metal tones.
The third channel has considerably more gain than the second, but except for a stronger upper-mid focus, their voices aren’t that different, and channel 3’s fluid lead tones are a perfect compliment to channel 2’s ripping onslaught.
The ferocious nature of the D-Moll’s overdrive makes it pretty intimidating, But it’s the remarkable note separation, midrange detail (which is present across the entire gain range), and refinement at even high-gain settings that make the amp truly special in its class.
Watch Ola Englund demo the amp:
See more Monsters of High Gain 2013 reviews and videos:
If you’re tempted to relegate the JCM1-C to toy status by its looks alone, think again. The amp’s diminutive stature might make it look unassuming from a distance, but a closer look shows reveals a very high-quality and very detailed tribute to its 80’s ancestor. And its tube-driven circuit captures the original JCM800’s feel and aggressive tones astonishingly well, while letting you unleash molten overdrive at much more agreeable volume levels.
Looks that Kill
Clearly, the JCM1-C is a really cool-looking amplifier, and it’s hard not to gaze at the grille cloth and oversized logo without thinking of an era where rock ruled the charts and a certain top-hatted guitarist lit the Sunset Strip on fire.
The amp uses a completely analog circuit, though due to its size limits, it’s obviously not an exact replica of the 1981 2203 JCM800 that inspired this wee version. But it takes more than a few cues from that amp in order to emulate its sound and feel. The JCM-1 uses two ECC83 tubes in the preamp, and sends the signal to a single ECC82 (that’s a 12AU7 in Yank speak) for one watt of output to a 10" Celestion speaker. You can also connect an 8 Ω or 16 Ω extension cab for bigger tones. The output tube also runs in the same push/pull configuration used in the original JCM800s, so that it can deliver a very similar bark and snarl. And if its fully cranked single watt is too much for your sleeping roommate across the hall, there’s a handy switch on the back to lower the wattage down to 0.1 watts.
The faceplate sports a simple EQ control layout of bass, middle, and treble controls, which have been fine-tuned to be interactive like those on the original JCM800. Next to the EQ controls you’ll find separate preamp gain and volume knobs for adjusting overdrive and volume amounts, and a single high-sensitivity input. The presence control and low-sensitivity inputs from the original amp have been scrapped, which is unfortunate because they helped make that amp a much more versatile tone machine. But while it could have been really cool to hear how those missing features would work in the JCM1-C, Marshall threw in a switchable gain boost that’s built to deliver smoother tone akin to that of a 1987 Silver Jubilee, another anniversary amplifier that’s a favorite of many Marshall enthusiasts.
Marshall Law
After plugging in a humbucker-equipped Les Paul and striking a few overdriven chords, I was amazed to hear just how well the JCM1-C captures the vibe of the original JCM800 amps. It handles light and searing overdrive with ease, reacts to playing dynamics extremely well, and its moderate output makes it easy to record big tones.
With the preamp gain set below 2 o’clock, the JCM1-C purrs with a warm and woody midrange and a bright attack. It’s the classic JCM800 rhythm tone all the way, complete with a sensitive midrange that gradually thickens up the harder you dig into the strings.
Switching from open-chord, Malcolm Young-inspired riffing to lead lines highlights the amp’s cutting, stinging edge. Getting these more balanced tones requires that the master volume knob is set just high enough for the amp to push a little air, but not so high that the power amp overdrives and blunts the attack. It’s at this point the amp also becomes most sensitive to changes from the guitar’s volume knob and picking dynamics, so finding this sweet spot is really necessary if you want to get both overdriven and clean tones through pick attack and riding the guitar’s volume.
Ratings
Pros:
Killer emulations of classic JCM800 overdrive at conversation volumes. Great sensitivity. Classic looks.
Cons:
No presence control or low-sensitivity input. Volume attenuation can muffle the tone. Expensive.
Tones:
Ease of Use:
Build:
Value:
Street:
$799 (JCM1-C 1x10 combo)
$749 (JCM1-H head)
Marshall
marshallamps.com
The amp also excels at big high-gain tones, and has heaps of preamp gain on tap for covering everything from Iron Maiden to Eyehategod. Pushing the control up to the 3 o’clock range starts to add hair and extra presence to the tone, which is really effective for getting older thrash tones with a scooped midrange like early Metallica or Megadeth. Pushing up the midrange and treble delivers a clear and raunchy overdrive that smacks of Slash’s sound during the main riff to “Paradise City,” and pulling back on the guitar’s volume reduces the scream to a purr, without any real loss of thickness. The switchable boost applies a velvety smooth edge to the attack and thickens the mids and gain, but doesn’t boost the presence so much that it becomes nasally and irritating.
The amp’s attenuator works very well at lowering the volume when you need to get really quiet, but it doesn’t, however, have a particularly pleasing effect on the tone. The volume gets so low that the tone sounds very muffled and fuzzy, and sometimes mid-gain settings and cleaner tones are barely even audible. It’s a great feature if you just want to practice without disturbing anyone in your immediate area, but in general, your tone will sound squashed and condensed.
The Verdict
The JCM1-C nails the aggressive, snarling tones produced by the original JCM800s during metal’s heyday, and manages to pack them into a solid, portable, and very cool-looking package. Most players will probably find the amp’s responsiveness, tone, and one watt of power more than sufficient for bedroom and studio use, but it can feel a little less than versatile given the price tag. Regardless of affordability, it’s a fabulous high-gain amp with classic Marshall feel and tone, and a hell of a tribute to one of the greatest amplifiers in history.