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Lisa Sharken
Gibson Super Goldtone GA-30RV
Contemporary Classic
Gibson returned to the ampli-fier business in the late ’90s with its Goldtone amps, de-rived from the ’50s-era Trace Elliot/Vellocette line. The original models – the GA-15, GA-15RV, and GA-30RVS – were all covered in brown tolex. Then, taking things a step further, Gibson developed the Super Goldtone amps, which are a totally new design…
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Lisa Sharken
Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler
The Masters of Reality Return
In the late ’60s, in Birm-ingham, England, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler, vocalist Ozzy Osbourne and drummer Bill Ward first united as a group, calling themselves Earth. By ’69 the band changed its name to Black Sabbath and its mystical stage antics and dark, tuned-down heavy rock music played at ear-splitting volume, soon became…
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Lisa Sharken
Jim Marshall
Father of the Mighty Marshall Stack
When it comes to guitar amplifiers, two names stand tall beyond the others: Leo Fender and Jim Marshall. Even “civilians” recognize these names. Two names, from two different countries, with two very individual sounds. Although Marshall’s original amplifier designs were largely influenced by Fender’s original Bassman, the resulting amplifier later took on a whole new…
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Lisa Sharken
Jim Marshall
Father of the Mighty Marshall Stack
When it comes to guitar amplifiers, two names stand tall beyond the others: Leo Fender and Jim Marshall. Even
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Lisa Sharken
Laney VC30-212
Contemporary Classic
Laney’s VC30-212 is a 30-watt Class A tube combo amp available in 2×10, 1×12, and 2×12 configurations. We tested the 2×12 version, which is loaded with two HH Invader Vintage 35 12″ speakers. The VC30 uses four EL-84 power tubes and three ECC83 or 7025 preamp tubes. The cabinet is covered in classic black tolex…
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Lisa Sharken
Baker B1H and BJH
Top quality looks, playability, and tone
This month, the VG Product Advisory Council received a pair of Baker guitars, a B1H and a BJH, from new-kid-on-the-block Gene Baker, in California. Both guitars are mid-sized semi-hollow designs that offer a lot of eye candy, not the least of which is beautifully matched deep flame-maple tops. Our testers had sunburst finishes, but others…
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Lisa Sharken
Carvin VL212 Legacy Combo
Hotrodded Marshall, glimpse of gussied-up Fender
Carvin’s Legacy series amplifiers were designed exclusively for fretboard wizard Steve Vai – un-questionably one of the best players around is Vai well-known for his keen ear, incredible technique, and formidable tone. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with his work, Vai was introduced to the guitar community as a fiery young player…
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Lisa Sharken
Blackbox Effects Inferno, X-Ray, Cobalt, Ultraviolet 2, Oxygen
Stimulating sounds
During a recent chat with our friends at Willie’s Gui-tars, Minneapolis, we were turned on to an interesting new line of boutique stompboxes made by Blackbox Music Electronics – a small company based in their hometown. Each pedal is handmade, handwired, and handpainted. We received a selection of five alluring pedals: the Inferno, X-Ray, Cobalt,…
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Lisa Sharken
Pefftronics Super Rand-O-Matic
Big sounds from a little device
In the words of the great Monty Python, “Now, here’s something completely different…” The Pefftronics SB-101 Super Rand-O-Matic is a modulation effect unlike anything we’ve heard. It can create basic chorus, flanger, phase shifter, or delay effects, but it’s much more versatile and can produce sounds usually obtainable only when manually manipulating the control knobs…
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Lisa Sharken
Rick Gram Tone Zone Pedals
Lots of the promised tone, no noise
Rick Gram’s Woman Tone Overdrive, Franken Tone, and Catch-A-Buzz overdrive and distortion effects are designed and hand-built. And despite limited production, they carry a much lower pricetag than many other boutique pedals. All three are enclosed in the same lightweight, rugged plastic casing and each is ornamented with specially-designed artwork. Each is also equipped with…
