Victoria VIC 105 Price: $1,495 Contact: Victoria Amp Co.; phone (630) 820-6400; victoriaamp.com. In the 1990s, Mark Baier put himself on the map making quality reproductions of choice ’50s tweed-amp circuits. For the last decade, Baier has broadened his amp line with models that are not reproductions, but the product of his own fertile imagination. [...]
Rick Gessner is a tweed amp enthusiast who has more than made a splash since entering the fray in 2005. His versions of tweed-era Fender classics (with subtle refinements), along with his Spring Thing reverb unit, have been making waves with players from Pat Travers to Brad Paisley. The ValveTrain 205 is Gessner’s interpretation of [...]
Pigtronix Envelope Phaser II Price: $249 (street). Contact: Phone (631) 331-7447; Pigtronix.com. Pigtronix effects are known not only for their tones, but their sophistication. So it’s no surpise that the Envelope Phaser II has a potentially daunting array of control knobs and switches, some with familiar names (Sensitivity, Depth, Speed), others less common (Resonance, Staccato, [...]
Mark Baier launched the Victoria Amplifier Company in 1993, intent on reproducing the tones and aesthetic style of the great tweed amps of the late 1950s. He began twisting these classic designs into exciting variations that still pay homage to Leo. One example of this new direction is the Regal II, a vintage-Valco-meets-Fender-inspired amp with [...]
G.E. Smith is a guitarist, vintage-instrument authority, and holder of several past high-profile gig including 10 years as the bandleader on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live,” where he proudly displayed pieces from his vintage collection while laying down nasty licks with some of the coolest tone ever parlayed. Prior to that gig, he spent six years [...]
All photos by Rusty Russell. For a guy born in New Zealand and reared in Australia, Keith Urban certainly knows how to grab the attention of Yankee music fans. The supertalented artist not only writes hit songs, gather accolades, and recently married a movie star (that’d be Nicole Kidman!), he is also a straight-up hellacious [...]
The Savage Audio Macht 12x Savage Audio gained a solid reputation for its repair work before moving into amplifier production in 1990. Today, the company builds a full line of studio and stage amps with a list of players that includes Mike McCreedy and Stone Gossard of Pearl Jam, Beck, Peter Buck of R.E.M., and [...]
Burriss Amps and Pedals Zac Childs Burriss Switchmaster 2×12, DB-Special , Shadow, Boostier, Boostier, and Chaloopa. Guitarist and amplifier repairman Bob Burriss started building his line of amps in 1994, after building many custom/one-off amps. In ’06, he introduced the Switchmaster, DB Special, and Shadow amps. All three have a hinged lower back panel that [...]
Photo: Rusty Russell. Ten years into what has become a stellar career, when Brad Paisley hits your town to play a show these days, it’s with nine semi tractor-trailer rigs and a fleet of buses. His five studio albums have all reached multi-platinum status and he has volleyed 12 songs into the #1 position on [...]
Photo: Rusty Russell Brent Rowan is a 29-year veteran of the recording industry who has worked with legendary country artists including George Jones, Glen Campbell, Chet Atkins, and George Strait, as well as current country superstars like Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney, and Brooks & Dunn. Pretty impressive, but what you would expect from a top [...]
