Month: December 2013

  • Vic Flick Honored by National Guitar Museum

    Vic Flick honored by National Guitar MuseumThe National Guitar Museum has announced that Vic Flick, the guitarist who played on hundreds of London sessions and is best know for playing the guitar on the James Bond theme, will receive its “Lifetime Achievement” Award for 2013. Flick’s work spans four decades of popular music, from movie soundtracks to jazz to rock and roll.

    “In 1962, Vic played guitar on the soundtrack to Dr. No – in the process creating the James Bond theme song,” said HP Newquist, executive director of The National Guitar Museum. “His sinister opening riff has been featured in dozens of Bond movies ever since, and the popularity of the Bond franchise means that hundreds of millions [of people] have heard Vic’s playing, We’re honored to be able to recognize his contribution to the guitar with this award.”

    In announcing the award, the NGM said Flick was so respected in the London session scene that he was recruited to play guitar on the soundtrack to The Beatles’ film Hard Day’s Night. He was asked to help promote the Fender Stratocaster when it was introduced in the U.K., and performed on albums by Tom Jones, Nancy Sinatra, Herman’s Hermits,  Henry Mancini, and others. His work was recognized in 2012 by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He still makes an occasional public appearance, and in 2008 published his autobiography, Vic Flick, Guitarman.

    Flick is the fourth recipient of the the NGM’s award, following David “Honeyboy” Edwards in 2010, Roger McGuinn of The Byrds in 2011, and B.B. King in 2012.

  • Gretsch Jet Firebird

    Gretsch Jet Firebird

    1959 Gretsch Jet Fire Bird
    1959 Gretsch Jet Fire Bird

    Given the number of jet-related model monikers in Gretsch’s 1950s and ’60s catalogs, one might get the impression the company built airplanes. There were the flashy “fighters” like the Duo-Jet, Silver Jet, and Jet Fire Bird. Then there were the sturdy, reliable “tankers” represented by laminated archtops like the Corsair and the seldom-seen Jet 21. On the “commercial” side were the Jet Airliner, Jet Mainliner, Jet Twin, Astro-Jet, and the Roc Jet.

    The single-cutaway Jet Series debuted in 1953 with the Model 6128 Duo-Jet, finished with a black top. Clearly intended to compete with Gibson’s 1952 Les Paul model (whose shape it very closely resembled) the Duo-Jet started as an imitator. However, by ’54, Gretsch began to forge guitars that were unique, visually, and had a sound all their own thanks to their DeArmond pickups. At a time when  few guitars were adorned in anything other than sunburst or natural finishes, Gretsch outfit many of its models with dazzling colors and cool-looking appointments. The company quickly outflanked the Les Paul by expanding the Jet Series to include the sparkle-top Silver Jet (Model 6129) in ’54 and the flashy Oriental Red Jet Fire Bird (Model 6131) in ’55. Next to glittery silver and red, even the gold-topped Les Paul looked a bit tame. Three other instruments without airplane-sounding names were introduced at the time – the Western adorned Round-Up (Model 6130) and Chet Atkins Solidbody (Model 6121) in ’54/early ’55, and the spectacular white-and-gold sparkle of the White Penguin (Model 6134) in ’55.

    The Jet Fire Bird first appeared in the company’s 1955 Guitars For Moderns catalog. The flashy little semi-solid was the only production-model Gretsch to feature the vibrant Oriental Red top (the only others were the guitars specially built for Bo Diddley). The perfectly contrasting ebony black finish on the back, sides, and neck, combined with the chrome-plated hardware, offered a strong visual statement! Gretsch touted the Jet Fire Bird as being “for the progressive guitarist.”

    A 1957 Gretsch Jet Fire Bird with a 1946 Dickerson M.O.T., 1957 Gretsch Electromatic, and a 1958 Fender Deluxe amp.
    A 1957 Gretsch Jet Fire Bird with a 1946 Dickerson M.O.T., 1957 Gretsch Electromatic, and a 1958 Fender Deluxe amp.

    1957 was an exceptional year for Gretsch, in general, and for the Jet Fire Bird, in particular. Our example from ’57 is what Gretsch buffs refer to as the “Bo Diddley Jet Fire Bird.” Two of its distinct features/appointments are also shared with other 1957 Gretsch instruments and make them especially cool – the open-back Grover tuners with butterfly-shaped buttons, and the Brazilian rosewood fingerboard featuring “humped-back” position markers. Unique characteristics of this version of the 6131 include the Oriental Red top (6131 models from other years appear to have much less pink/red and more of a maroon/red and even burgundy-red-colored top) – and the silver  Lucite pickguard with a pantographed Gretsch logo in black letters (the finish on the 6120 appeared particularly distinctive in model year 1957). Commonly referred to as the “Duane Eddy 6120,” its amber-red finish was a vibrant red/orange; 6120s from other years display much less red in their finish. The Bo Diddley version of the Jet Fire Bird was never pictured in Gretsch literature. Diddley, however, did appear with one on the covers of two of his early albums, Bo Diddley and Go Bo Diddley.

    The ’57 Jet Fire Bird you see here is perched against a matching ’57 Gretsch Electromatic Twin (Model 6161) amplifier. Gretsch amps from this period were made by the Valco Manufacturing Company and are very cool-looking units. They’re decent-sounding practice amps and probably at their best when used for lap-steel work. The Electromatic Twin is rated at 14 watts and has Gretsch’s “wrap-around-grille,” a look very much like many radios from this time period. This amp has two 11″ x 6″ oval-shaped speakers, one round “porthole” tweeter, and is covered in Charcoal Gray Tolex with a subtle silverflake pattern that matches the covering on the Jet Fire Bird’s case (notice the yellow piping around the top and bottom of the amp). Sitting atop the amp is the perfect finishing touch – a hard-to-find vibrato footswitch.

    BO DIDDLEY ALBUM COVERS

    In spite of their great sound and exceptional visual appeal, the original Gretsch Jet Series guitars were produced in fairly small numbers, and sold modestly – not surprising given Gretsch’s focus on the hollowbody guitar. In spite of this, a lot of guitarists have flown a Jet during their careers – players as diverse as Diddley, Cliff Gallup, Atkins, George Harrison, Thumbs Carlille, Hank Garland, Billy Zoom, Jeff Beck, Joe Perry, Tom Keifer, and Dan Fogelberg. The next time you’re at a guitar show, if you see a squadron of Gretsch Jets, check ‘em out. And if there’s a cool-looking red one, take it for a test flight.

    This article originally appeared in Vintage Guitar Classics No. 3. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.

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  • The Drew & Sebastian Avenger

    The Drew & Sebastian Avenger

    At first glance, the D&S Avenger looks like a long-lost prototype from Leo’s shop, with its offset-waist shape and familiar pickup/ hardware/ control setup.

    The Avenger’s two-piece alder body sports a well-executed tobacco-sunburst finish and deep contours. Its one-piece 25.5″-scale bolt-on maple neck has a vintage C profile, aged/tinted poly finish with modern 9.5″-radius fretboard and Dunlop 6105 frets. The hardware has many classic elements, including a box-style chrome bridge, brass saddles, chrome control plate, knurled chrome-dome knobs, Kluson-style vintage tuners, and a single-ply pickguard. The Avenger’s Joe Barden bridge, while classic in design, uses compensated brass saddles and a cutout on its treble side for better string/control access. Electronics include a pair of U.K.-made Wizard Velvet single-coil pickups with Alnico II magnets, master Volume and Tone controls, a three-way blade pickup selector, and an Electrosocket output jack.

    Acoustically, the Avenger exhibits very good natural tone, thanks to its resonant alder body and precise neck joint. In fact, fit and finish on the Avenger was great, from the meticulously fitted polished frets to the clear, flaw-free finish. And setup was top-notch, with a dead-straight neck, nice, playable action, and spot-on intonation. Its playability was outstanding, and loaded with vintage feel and vibe. Its body is bigger than the Fender that inspired its design, but at 8.25 pounds, it’s not heavy, and its deep contours make it comfortable to play whether sitting or standing.

    Through a Fender ’65 reissue Super Reverb (12AX7/6L6) 4×10″ combo, the Avenger’s bridge pickup produced classic twang, with snappy highs and punchy lows, but with a smoother, more-even upper midrange and rich harmonic tone. The neck pickup had slightly less output (typical of most such setups), but with a throaty quality that blended well with the bridge pickup to produce a nice jangle in the middle position. The neck pickup came to life through a PRS H2 (12AX7/6L6) 1×12″combo, with its more-aggressive tone and overdrive channel; the tone was meatier and jumped more than it did through the Fender. The bridge pickup also liked the 1×12″, offering a very articulate, aggressive overdrive with a lot of natural sustain – without having to pile on preamp gain. The Tone control was well-tapered and very useful, darkening the neck pickup for a thick jazz/blues tone, or simply taking the high-end edge off of the bridge pickup, for a less-cutting rhythm sound. The Avenger’s resonance was evident through both amps, as it rendered a nice, complex harmonic signature and a killer fat sound. But it really shined through the PRS’ overdrive channel with a bit more attitude than through the Fender.

    The D&S Avenger is a cool mix of vintage vibe and modern playability; it’s a well-crafted axe that begs to be plugged in and played.

    D&S Avenger
    Price: $2,095 (direct, as tested
    Contact: www.facebook.com/drewandsebastian/

    This article originally appeared in VG August 2011 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.

  • Spectrum 5

    Spectrum 5

    All Spectrum 5

    Joining playful mid-’60s cultural icons such as the Ford Mustang, NBC’s “The Monkees,” the Beatles’ “Nowhere Man” and Cassius Clay, the Teisco Del Rey Spectrum 5 was the high-water mark of original Japanese design from the era. It’s also one of the most sought-after import guitars – with good reason.

    02 spectrum 5Debuting circa 1966 and lasting only a few years, the Spectrum 5 was the top of the line for the Tokyo Electronics Company in the psychedelic late ‘60s, when suppliers could not keep up with demand for guitars.
    The Spectrum 5 was a part of a larger Spectrum series that shared the same elegant styling; however, it’s the 5 that’s special.

    As the ’66 Teisco Del Rey catalog boasts, the Spectrum 5 “has unique features which no other guitar in the world can match.” While the mahogany body with Mosrite-inspired German-carve edge, the seven layer, hand-rubbed lacquer finish, and Kay-influenced fretboard inlays were standard for the Spectrum series, the staggered pickups with stereo/mono output and a five-ply ebony neck were unique to the 5. The four-and-two tuner arrangement on the headstock was used on other Teiscos, but the plastic faceplate adds a tasteful touch. Some Spectrums had natural-faced headstocks, others had matching colors. The vibrato had an integral bridge that moved with the assembly to eliminate friction and wear on the strings.

    03 Spectrum 5The name of this guitar derived from the switches’ ability to produce five tonal colors – a “spectrum of sound” – which could be used alone or in any combination. For stereo output – bass through one channel, treble through the other – two jacks were used.

    As lovely as the Spectrum 5 was, it hardly caught on. In ’66, at least in the United States – the world’s dominant guitar market – anything “made in Japan” carried a negative connotation no matter how well-executed. There are photographs of Nils Lofgren playing one of these, and the intrepid David Lindley plays a Spectrum 4 (with four pickups, typical Japanese vibrato, and mono-only output).

    04 Spectrum 5The Spectrum 5 – along with a few other collectible guitars like the Yamaha SG series – reflect the end of the first era of Japanese guitar making. As the ’70s dawned, the emphasis shifted to copying successful American instruments and consolidating market share.

    This article originally appeared in Vintage Guitar Classics No. 1 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.

  • Widman Set Neck

    Widman Set Neck

    Widman Set Neck

    Widman Set Neck
    Price: $3,900
    Info: widmancustomelectrics.com.

    John Widman is a custom guitar builder whose artistic leanings began while he worked as a graphic designer and photographer. After building bolt-neck instruments using off-the-shelf parts, he began crafting instruments from scratch, and recently introduced the Set Neck.

    A chambered single-cut, the Set Neck is built from a single piece of Honduran mahogany, while the top is carved from Bastonge walnut, which is bound with ivoroid and given a player-friendly tummy contour. The neck is quarter-sawn Honduran mahogany, and the bound-ebony fingerboard has a compound radius (7.25″ to 9.5″) with mother-of-pearl dot inlays. Its scale length is 25.5″, while the neck measures .84″ deep at the first fret and at 13/4″ wide at the bone nut. Its 24 frets are of the medium-tall variety. Hardware includes a Schaller roller bridge, Schaller tuners, and a Bigsby B7 vibrato. Pickups are Lindy Fralin Pure PAF and measure 8k at the neck, 8.5k at the bridge. To dial in sounds, it uses a three-way pickup selector, two Tone pots, and a master Volume; knobs are large, nickel-plated Schaller speed-type.

    The guitar can be ordered with various colors, top woods, pickups, hardware, and nut widths, and from the box, our tester boasted smooth fretwork that played very clean even through step-and-a-half bends on every string.

    Fit and finish was top notch. Details such as binding, headstock veneer, and body shaping were all done with a critical eye for detail. Yes, the guitar has a nitro lacquer finish, and although it is glossy, it is thin and hard. We were also glad to see a well-cured finish, as there was no area of the guitar that felt sticky, even while played in the middle of a humid summer day in Nashville, Tennessee.

    To put the Widman through its paces, we used a boutique 30-watt/1×12 tube combo and ’71 Fender Bassman head with a 2×12 running a Vintage 30/G12H-30 combination. Starting with a clean tone from the Bassman, the guitar offered a Kalamazoo solidbody flavor; its scale length focused low-end response and gave the instrument a tighter feel. The neck pickup exhibited thick tones with no woofiness, while the bridge pickup was clear and refined. Running both gave an exceptional fingerstyle tone. The Volume and Tone controls worked with an even taper and solid feel, and the Bigsby gave the melodious waver craved by so many players. Widman did some particularly nice work in the nut, and roller bridge kept the guitar in tune, even under heavy use of the Bigsby.

    Plugged into the new amp (which is based on a Marshall plexi), the guitar’s tones became a bit more saturated. Perhaps most attractive was the bridge pickup running with the amp gradually turned up until it reached a nice level of grind. The guitar produced fat, sustained tones with plenty of cut in every position.

    The Widman is a classic in terms of function, with refreshing styling an era of reissues and copies; fit, finish, components, and playability are top-notch, and the longer scale and walnut top are nice twists. There are many vintage-styled instruments, but painfully few offer this level of execution.

    This article originally appeared in VG January 2012 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.

  • Black Cat Pedals Introduces Mona Wah

    Black Cat Mona wahBlack Cat Pedals’ new Mona Wah uses a custom-tuned inductor and newly engineered wah pot the company says yields a subtly not possible with other wahs and a sweep that covers the entire range of the pot. The Mona Modern uses Dale resistors and Wima film capacitors, and is optimized for a clean, full frequency response, while the Mona Vintage uses carbon-comp resistors, NOS vintage capacitors, and is voiced more like a vintage Vox wah. Each is available in standard and deluxe editions; standard versions have three internal trimpots (Frequency, Q, and Volume), plus a buffer with an external mini-switch that allows the user to bypass the buffer. The Deluxe Edition moves the three controls to the outside and adds a three-position mini-switch to select voicings. Other features include a powdercoat holographic sparkle finish, a lighter-weight, pedalboard-friendly design, dual LED indicators, true-bypass switch, Switchcraft jacks, and uses a 2.1mm Boss style power jack or 9-volt battery. Go to www.blackcatpedals.com.

  • Electro-Harmonix Releases Soul Food OD

    E-H Soul Food ODThe Electro-Harmonix Soul Food overdrive pedal is designed to produce a range from clean boost  to heavy amp saturationwithout adding coloration. Its Volume control sets overall output, Drive adjusts saturation and gain, and Treble helps create upper harmonics. An internal switch allows the the player to run the pedal in high-quality buffered or true-bypass modes. It’s housed in a compact die-cast package, ships with a 9.6-Volt/DC200mA adapter, and can be powered by a 9-volt battery. Learn more at www.ehx.com.

  • AweSome Musical Instruments Releases T4 Switch

    Awesome T4 Pickup Switch UpgradeAweSome Musical Instruments’ T4 Pickup Switch Upgrade for Les-Paul-style guitars is designed to generate 68 tones from two four-wire humbuckers. The switch replaces two Volume and Tone controls and disables the standard three-way toggle. Learn more at www.AweSome-Guitars.com.

  • Yamaha Image

    Yamaha Image

    1989 Yamaha Image Custom
    1989 Yamaha Image Custom

    Some years back, an insurance company promoted itself as “the quiet company.” While they probably wouldn’t like to hear it, in many ways that description fits Yamaha guitars.

    Whether you say acoustic or electric, Yamaha is almost never the first name that leaps to mind. Nevertheless, since the mid 1960s, Yamaha has been quietly turning out excellent acoustic and electric guitars. Some had startlingly wonderful designs, many had innovative features, and some may be regarded now as classics. But virtually all of the better-grade models have been made with exceptional quality.

    One guitar that answers all these encomiums is this 1989 Yamaha Image Custom.

    Much of the time, the people behind striking guitar designs like this are anonymous. But in the case of the Yamaha Image, we know whodunit. His name is Martyn Booth, and today he makes custom guitars.

    Booth’s interest in guitar began in the early ’60s, when at age 14 he wanted a guitar but couldn’t afford one. So he built one in his dad’s workshop – “little more than a toy,” as he tells it. Over the next few years, he borrowed friends’ guitars and returned them with much improved setups. By the late ’60s, he had achieved his dream of being in a band (a prog-rock outfit Booth describes as the “promising but never quite made it” type). The band gave up trying to make it big in 1975, and Booth needed to find a paying job. A friend worked for a Norlin/Gibson distributor in the U.K. and helped him land work there as a repairman.

    The idea that would become the Yamaha Image began in 1980, when Gibson introduced the 335-S, its solidbody take on the ES-335. Booth was not impressed, and started work on his own version. Time passed, and by ’87, Booth was working for the Yamaha organization in the U.K. Yamaha was looking for an upscale guitar to complement its venerable SG line. Booth dusted off his solidbody 335, and the Yamaha Image was born… well, in the U.S. it was the Image. In the U.K., the name was already taken, so it was called the MSG (Martyn’s Solid Guitar). It had a mahogany body with a carved maple cap and glued-in mahogany neck. Scale was 25”, top binding was maple, and finish options were blond, cherry, and orange sunburst.

    The MSG/Image guitars were made in three grades. The Standard had twin humbuckers, rosewood fingerboard, and a stop-tail with strings running through the body. The Deluxe had an ebony ’board and RM Pro double-locking vibrato.

    The Custom, shown here, had a Brazilian rosewood fingerboard and the latest technology from Yamaha’s Japanese labs; pickups were Hybrid Integrated Pickup System (HIPS), with active/passive options, the vibrato was a then-new needle-bearing type with a small thumbwheel on top for adjusting spring tension, and instead of a cumbersome locking nut, it had Gotoh Magnum Lok tuners with a screw-down shaft that locks the strings in place.

    In addition to the active/passive option (with its mini-toggle with LED), controls include a three-way mini-toggle, volume, midrange boost, and passive tone controls. Two other mini-toggles serve as coil taps. Active mode basically consists of a power-boost function, which can give nasty overdrive distortion depending on the amp and settings. There are more versatile tonal arrangements, but this does give a lot of color.

    One of the coolest features of the Image Custom is a line of LED dot markers running along the top edge of the fingerboard. A little switch where the jack normally would be turns on this groovy feature – so cool! Also worth noting is the wide fingerboard and jumbo frets, both nice if you like them.

    The MSG/Image debuted in ’88. The following year, the headstock shape was altered a bit and the Volume knob moved on the Standard and Deluxe models. Collectors often refer to these versions as Mach 1 and Mach 2, respectively. The line ended in 1991 or ’92. Prominent Image players included Alan Murphy (Go West, Kate Bush, Level 42), Barry Finnerty, Bireli Lagrene, Mick Box (Uriah Heep), Captain Sensible (The Damned), Andy Powell (Wishbone Ash), Mick Abrahams (Jethro Tull, Blodwyn Pig), and Scott Gorham (Thin Lizzy). Gary Moore apparently got one fitted with EMG pickups, but he seems not to have been impressed.

    Booth left Yamaha in 1990 to start his own shop. In 2002, he resurrected the design, trimmed it down a bit, refined some features, and it’s now available as the Martyn Booth Classic and Signature. His output hovers around 50 per year.

    We don’t know whether the MSG/Image guitars are rare birds. Demand for them remains high, and few show up on the market. They appear to have been more popular in the U.K. than in the U.S. They were expensive and appeared at a time when tastes were changing – it was not a “heavy metal” guitar, and it certainly wasn’t an instrument to be wielded by Nirvana.

    Nevertheless, the Yamaha Image is another fine example of a superbly made guitar that has gone quietly unnoticed except by devoted fans. Quietly, that is, until you pick it up, throw on the fingerboard LEDs, and shove that switch into active overdrive!

    This article originally appeared in VG May 2010 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.

  • 3rd Power Amplification’s Solo Dream 1, Solo Dream 4, and Switchback 112

    3rd Power Amplification’s Solo Dream 1, Solo Dream 4, and Switchback 112

    Price: $1,899 (Dream Solo 1 combo); $1,699 (Dream Solo 4 head); $699 (Switchback 112)
    Info: www.3rdpower.com

    Recording/touring guitarist, studio engineer, and industry veteran Jamie Scott made the metamorphosis into amp designer by learning to repair and modify Marshall heads. He quickly realized that he wanted amps to sound full, responsive, and what he refers to as “fader up” – i.e., fully formed and ready to “fader up” on a recording console or a live sound board.

    Scott’s vision became reality with the debut of his 3rd Power HD100, which received instant market acceptance thanks to notable users like Simon Townshend, Richie Sambora, Neal Schon, and Steve Miller. Requests for more vintage-styled amps followed, and Scott responded with the American and British Dream series, mining the tones of vintage classics. The former features channels called Brownface and Blackface, while the British Dream offers ’59 AC and’68 Plexi.

    Dream amps instantly found homes among artists and producers alike, with studio guys like Justin Niebank and Paul Ebersold, and guitar legends like Joe Walsh and Vince Gill counting themselves among Dream users. Two years later, Scott responded to customer demand for single-channel entries in the Dream series by introducing four Dream Solo amplifiers, including the Dream Solo 1 and 4 (DS1 and DS4), based on the aforementioned Brownface and’68 Plexi channels, respectively.

    Both the DS1 and DS4 have a power section comprising two JJ 6V6s and a silicon diode rectifier. The preamps differ in the DS1’s two 12AX7s versus the DS4’s three 12AX7 preamp tubes. The DS1 has Volume, Tone, and Presence controls, as well as a Bright switch, while the DS4 has Treble, Middle, Bass, and Presence controls. Both amps have a rear-mounted HybridMaster control knob, along with 4/8/16-ohm speaker outputs, as well as a passive effects loop. Both are neatly wired in point-to-point fashion and utilize vacuum tubes that are burned in for stability and sonically tested and graded for optimal performance. The DS1 tested was a combo (also available as a head) while the DS4 was a head (also available as a combo). Both the DS1 and the 3rd Power Switchback 112 cab through which the DS4 head was played utilize the Eminence Legend V128 12″ 100-watt speaker that Scott breaks in to give his amps better responsiveness and tone right out of the box.

    After plugging a1967 Telecaster into the DS1 and beginning the ceremonial twisting of the knobs, it became immediately apparent that this nod to the original is spot on. The DS1 has the pronounced midrange and woody thwack that say “brownface.” As good as the clean is, the dirtier tones are even more satisfying, with their percussive, juicy, and aggressive flavors. As much as the gear illuminati might say the tweed Twin is the sound of Keith Richards, the DS1 displays Keef tones in spades.

    3RDPOWERAMPS

    A ’59 reissue Les Paul and a Strat also performed well; the Les Paul, by nature of its higher output, turned the amp into a rocker lower on the Volume dial. While the DS1 has a single Tone control, just like the venerable original, the addition of Presence and Bright controls allow one to dial in the tone to the sweet spot and then add shimmer and clarity as needed with the additional controls. Additionally, the HybridMaster feature makes even the dirtiest tones available at low volumes.

    The DS1 seems to always have a nicely “framed” tone regardless of setting, confirming Scott’s “fader up” philosophy of amps. When pressed on this, Scott indicates that his amps have proprietary TubeMIX circuitry (similar to a summing bus on a recording console) that applies subtle noise reduction, limiting compression, and some gain to EQ correction. How it all works is unclear; what is clear is that the tones of both amps are very pleasing. Finally on the DS1, both the speaker and the cab are noteworthy. Scott uses proprietary deflection panels inside his cabs to help reduce standing waves and disperse sound. To some ears it gives the amp more of 3D sound than a standard open-back cab.

    The DS4 is the bestseller of the Dream Solo series, and after plugging into one, it’s clear why. At lower volume settings the amp is very sweet and, frankly, Fender-y in nature. However, as the volume is raised, the amp’s plexi pedigree quickly becomes obvious. Gritty, full, and punchy tones emanate, and thanks again to the HybridMaster control, the amp is capable of great crunch tones even at low volume. And unlike most master volume controls, Scott’s approach does not suck the life out of the amp’s tone – it simply allows the player to set a desired sound then the overall level. A peek inside the chassis reveals a brilliantly simple combination of circuits that regulate not just signal level, but voltage and current flow in various stages.

    The DS4’s familiar three-band EQ is quite useful for dialing in the best tone for the instrument. Each dial exhibits nice variation from 0 to 10, but never so drastic as to make the amp picky as to position – or make the player afraid to breathe on it once the sweet spot is found. The Switchback cab with its 12″ Eminence V128 perfectly handles clean and dirty tones. And its ability to switch from open- to closed-back configuration gives it more tonal variation and versatility. Overall, it is a great amp with stellar cleans and dirt tones that are much richer and more responsive than any stompbox.

    The 3rd Power Dream Solo amps are fantastic tools and they arrive ready to be played. Scott’s passion for tone, attention to detail, and experience as a player have resulted in a desire to build amps that not only sound like the amps of yesteryear, but are dialed in to work well in modern band and gigging contexts, thus features like the HybridMaster volume control, the Switchback cab, and the TubeMIX feature that subtly compresses tone to give Dream amps their signature “fader up” quality. These features add up to vintage hues sculpted to please the most finicky soundman, producer, or tone aficionado.

    This article originally appeared in VG March 2013 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.