Paul Weller’s 50th birthday, Marshall Lead & Bass 50 PW amp, a limited edition of 50. You can’t fool us: there’s a theme developing here. Dave Petersen finds out if Marshall hits the target. Nobody would argue with Marshall’s choice of Paul Weller as a figurehead for their latest signature amp – for musical credibility. […]
Vintage Amps
65 Amps Stone Pony
Based in California, 65Amps founders Peter Stroud and Dan Boul set out to build the best valve amplifiers on the market. Huw Price finds out what the fuss is all about. Inspired largely by the great British amps of the ’60s – the Marshall 18W, JTM45 and plexi, the Vox AC15, AC30 and AC50 – […]
Aria AB-50 Combo
Plugging into a full bass rig at home can severely damage your loved ones will to live. Gareth Morgan looks at a cheeky little alternative that doesn’t cost the earth. In contrast to the heavy Hartke artillery of last month. We’re taking a look at an all-important piece of home-use gear that often gets neglected: […]
Torres British Boxer
If you’re chasing a great valve sound but money’s too tight to mention. Then Torres British Boxer offers both factory-assembled amps and build-your-own kits. Review by Huw Price Torres Engineering has been manufacturing guitar amp kits for many years. And Dan Torres’ book Inside Tube Amps probably kickstarted the careers of many of today’s small-scale […]
Torres British Invasion
If you’re chasing a great valve sound but money’s too tight to mention, then Torres British Invasion offers both factory-assembled amps and build-your-own kits. Review by Huw Price There are two versions of the two-channel British Invasion, a 20W and a 50W. This is the 20W, with a pair of EL84 power valves and an […]
Orange OR50 & PPC412LTD CAB
Britain’s very own Orange Amps is celebrating its 40th anniversary with this excellent 50W rig. Dave Petersen dodges the balloons and cake and heads straight for his guitar. To mark its 40th birthday, They introduced this special new model Orange OR50 at this year’s Frankfurt fair in February. It has similar dimensions to the Thunderverb […]
Laney Cub 8 / Laney Cub 10
One five-watt class A monster, one Laney Cub 8 class A/B charmer: Laney’s new import line makes the miniature valve amp dilemma a whole lot harder. Review by Dave Walsh Lyndon Laney is something of a reclusive figure in the British guitar industry. Since his humble beginnings in his parents’ garden shed he’s been successfully […]
Orange Dual Terror
If you loved the Tiny Terror but need more power or a boosted second channel, then the Orange Dual Terror could be your new squeeze. Review by Dave Walsh When Orange unveiled the all-valve Tiny Terror in 2007, the performance of this DVD boxset-sized amp caused a sensation among tonehounds. Some, however, fancied a bit […]
Markacoustic AC121 Combo
Shunning the Markbass bumblebee livery for moody black. Markacoustic AC121 Combo amps can handle basses, guitars, mandolins, banjos and lots more. Review by Gareth Morgan Marco De Virgiliis’ Markacoustic combos are designed for acoustic basses and a range of other acoustic instruments. The latest addition to the three-unit range. The swanky AC121, is a plain […]
Ampeg Micro-VR Head & SVT 210AV 200W Cabinet
Nothing says big-bottomed bass more than an SVT looming at the back of the stage and nothing says hug me like Ampeg Micro-VR Head new miniature version. Review by Gareth Morgan We can only speculate why Ampeg, in its 40th year, has decided to produce a miniaturised version of the beloved 1970s SVT. The result […]