www.carramps.com
Arriving a little more than 10 years after the original Skylark, Carr Amplifiers’ new Skylark Special adds versatility and enhanced tonal depths to squeeze a lot more into this diminutive combo.
Specs remain much the same, deriving 12 watts of power from a pair of 6V6GT output tubes into a 12″ Celestion A-Type speaker. But, while it looks much the same, the 21″ x 15.5″ x 9″ cabinet that houses it all is now made with Baltic-birch ply, resulting in a four-pound weight loss (now 32 pounds total) and a more-focused sound.
Circuit-wise, the core inspiration for the Skylark Special remains the tweed Fender Harvard of the late ’50s, but to this foundation, designer Steve Carr added his H73 mode, accessed with a mini-toggle. Popular on Carr’s Bel-Ray model, it induces a somewhat fatter Hiwatt-inspired voice with more clang and punch. The control panel retains its High/Low gain switch, along with its original controls for Volume, Treble, Mid, Bass, Reverb, and Presence, completed by an attenuator switch to drop the output from the amp’s full 12 watts to anything between 1.2 and 0. Other changes include a reworked reverb circuit, a change from solid-state rectification to an EZ81 tube for a more tactile playing feel, and the swapping in of nine U.S.-made Jupiter tone caps, at a cost of some five times each the price of the JB caps formerly populating the circuit. The entire thing is hand-wired, point-to-point, with high-quality components throughout.
Tested with an ES-355 and Telecaster, the Skylark Special quickly revealed a lush, rich character that was warmly enveloping for such a small amp, and supremely inspiring throughout the ride. The central sound is in the Fender camp circa late ’50s and early ’60s, but with far more versatility than any of the originals provide, plus the bonus of the bolder H73 mode. As such, it delves effortlessly into everything from sparkling-yet-trenchant cleans to sweet and touch-sensitive overdrive, the latter enabled at bedroom volumes if desired. It’s all available through a broad range of voicings easily EQ’d to taste and enhanced by deep, multi-dimensional reverb. Lows can get a little loose with heavily attenuated settings, but that’s to be expected. All in all, it’s an extremely appealing club-sized package with a succulent voice, and boasting outstanding build quality – just as we’ve come to expect from Carr. – Dave Hunter
This article originally appeared in VG’s May 2025 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
