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Charlie Wilkins
Soldano SLO Plus Super Lead Overdive
Icon In Reach
If the iconic Soldano SLO-100 is perpetually on your wish list but its price tag keeps you from pulling the trigger, its creator now has a realistic alternative. Expanding on the original single-channel SLO Overdrive pedal, the SLO Plus introduces a Normal channel alongside Overdrive, each with dedicated controls that allow for detailed tweaking of…
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Charlie Wilkins
Dr Z Octal Six 1×12 combo
Valve Variation
Classic guitar amplifiers have made certain vacuum tubes household names (among gearheads) – 12AX7, 12AT7, 6L6, 6V6, EL84, and EL34. Working with various combinations of them along with carefully selected transformers and filter capacitors, amp builders tailor their creations to stand apart from the crowd. When Joe Walsh called Mike Zaite to discuss a custom…
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Charlie Wilkins
Friedman Plex
Mystique Maker
Dave Friedman built his brand (and reputation) by making supercharged Marshall-inspired amps, and his latest hones in on one of his personal favorites – a beloved ’68 JMP Superlead – with a handful of player-friendly tweaks. Friedman Amplification’s 50-watt Plex head is propelled by two EL34s pushed by a trio of 12AX7s, and sports a…
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Charlie Wilkins
Rock N Roll Relics Revenge Jr
Rock guitarist Billy Rowe turned his love of instruments into a company that makes hand-built electrics that capture the vibe, tone, and feel of prized vintage models. His latest is the Revenge Jr. With its offset Firebird-meets-Telecaster body shape and lightweight cedar body, the Revenge Jr is a stripped-down version of Rowe’s dual-humbucker Revenge, with…
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Charlie Wilkins
Dr. Z Z-80
Built for the Beatles to use as a bass amp on their mid-’60s U.S. stadium tour, the Vox AC80 proved unreliable. When country music star Brad Paisley got his hands on one decades later, he loved its tone but also found it couldn’t keep up on tour. So, he asked friend (and longtime amp builder)…
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Charlie Wilkins
Gibson Falcon 5
Timeless
Drawing inspiration from its classic Skylark amplifiers of the 1950s and ’60s, Gibson is revisiting those beloved tones with the Falcon 5. Designed by Randall Smith and his Mesa/Boogie team (which became part of Gibson in 2021), the Falcon 5 pays homage to vintage tube amp tones while bringing modern features and craftsmanship. The Falcon…
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Charlie Wilkins
Carr Bel-Ray 1×12
Brit-Based Invasion
Carr Amplifiers are renowned for their build quality and vintage-inspired tones. Not one to rest on his laurels, founder Steve Carr continually pushes the envelope with designs that capture the essence of his favorite vintage amps. His latest is the Bel-Ray. Available as a stand-alone head or 16-watt 1×12 combo, its three-way toggle switch accesses…
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Charlie Wilkins
Strymon Ultraviolet Vintage Vibe
Modern Spin
Pioneered by Jimi Hendrix, the Uni-Vibe became synonymous with psychedelic rock sounds in the 1960s. Strymon’s modern interpretation is the Ultraviolet Vintage Vibe. The Ultraviolet offers a variety of tone-shaping controls. Its Mode toggle provides three mix configurations; Chorus delivers the classic Uni-Vibe by creating a 50/50-mix of dry/wet signal, Blend reduces intensity by changing…
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Charlie Wilkins
Bray Coco 50
Feelin’ Brown
Eddie Van Halen’s “brown sound” is, for many players, the Holy Grail of guitar tone. Featured on his band’s 1978, debut album, it continues to captivate listeners and amp builders, many of whom have taken on the challenge of re-creating it. The latest to try is SoCal’s own David Bray, with his Coco 50. Bray’s…
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Charlie Wilkins
Bad Cat Jet Black Combo
Back in Black
Guitar players around the globe praised Bad Cat’s Black Cat amp for its tone, but wanted more punch. Its ear twisted, the company delivered by doubling the output and tweaking the EQ to create the Jet Black. A 38-watt, two-channel combo amp with Celestion Vintage 30 speaker, EL84 power tubes, and 12ax7 preamp tubes, the…
