Tag: features

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.

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.

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.

PRS P22
Price: $6,092 (as tested, retail), $3630 (street)
Info: prsguitars.com.

While PRS has for several years offered a piezo bridge-pickup system in its Hollowbody models, it recently worked with LR Baggs to improve their collaborative piezo, and the end result is being offered for the first time on a production PRS solidbody.

The P22 is based on PRS’ Custom 22 but with a slightly thicker double-cut mahogany body a la the McCarty model, figured maple top, set mahogany neck with 25″ scale and 22 frets, a PRS/LR Baggs wraparound bridge/tailpiece, and Phase III locking tuners. Our test guitar sported a fancy maple top in Black Gold Burst finish with the company’s V12 topcoat, and Bird inlays on the fretboard. Electronics include a pair of PRS 53/10 humbuckers mated to a five-way blade selector, master Volume and Tone controls for the magnetic pickups along with a master Volume for the piezo, and a three-way mini toggle to combine (or switch between) the two systems. The five-way gives the player the bridge humbucker alone (in position one), the inside coils of the neck pickup and the bridge humbucker (position two), both humbuckers (three), the inside coil of the bridge pickup and the neck humbucker (four), and the neck humbucker alone (five).

The P22 has two output jacks; one mixes the acoustic and magnetic pickups into a standard instrument cable for use with a single amp, the other routes the piezo to a separate acoustic amp or PA system. Also on the jack plate is the piezo’s 9-volt battery compartment, which houses six mini pots that control the output of individual string saddles on the piezo.

Our tester had PRS’ Pattern Regular neck profile (also borrowed from the McCarty), which has a very comfortable feel, fitting right between the company’s Wide Thin and Wide Fat profiles. The fretboard’s rolled edge gives it a lived-in feel, while the low string action and nicely polished frets made bending easy. The one piece mahogany body was light and resonant, fit and finish of all components was nicely executed, and intonation was spot-on.

Other notable features include PRS’ new pickup bobbins, which have a slightly squared shape along with new surrounds with recessed cavities that keep the height-adjustment screws flush with the top of the ring, and Phase III locking tuners that have an elegant semi-open-back design, larger buttons, and tighter gear ratio.

We tested the P22’s 53/10 magnetic pickups through a 6L6-powered 1×12″ combo and its piezo through a 1×12″ acoustic amp. The 53/10s, while true full-sized humbuckers, take inspiration from single-coils of the early ’50s, producing a thick, articulate tone with a single-coil top-end snap. Through the amp’s overdrive channel, they have plenty of midrange punch, with sweeter highs and excellent note separation. Positions two and four, which mix single-coil and humbuckers, produce a surprisingly Fender-ish quack. Darker humbucker tones are achieved by simply rolling back the well-voiced Tone control without appreciable loss of clarity.

Through a dedicated acoustic amp, the new PRS/Baggs bridge produced an outstanding acoustic tone with a realistic, “woody” vibe and clear, crisp highs, even mids, and tight low-end response. The tone is not metallic-sounding in the least. Rather, it’s warm and round, but still exhibits the classic piezo “glassy” top-end shimmer, without, of course, the feedback, howling, or noise rendered by a traditional acoustic/electric when it’s turned up or moved too close the amp. And as a player, one needn’t adapt their technique, so it remains easy to solo in upper registers, execute full bends, and do things that prove challenging an acoustic. While having to use two cables and running into two amps complicates matters a bit, it’s key to getting an authentic acoustic sound without sacrificing regular electric tone, as well as adding a new dimension and space when both systems are engaged.

The 53/10 pickups and re-tooled piezo make the P22 one of the most versatile-sounding guitars on the market. With its huge palate of single-coil, humbucker, and acoustic tones, excellent playability, quality, and killer looks, the P22 will be the go-to guitar for many.

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

Strymon Flint Tremolo & Reverb

Price: $200
Info: www.strymon.net.

In just a few short years, Strymon has established itself as a premier developer of pedal effects. With boxes like the highly praised El Capistan dTape Echo, they’ve cut out a niche building DSP effects that recapture the sounds of iconic analog gear with remarkable authenticity.

A recent addition to Strymon’s lineup is the Flint, a two-in-one pedal that re-creates tremolo and reverb circuits from historic guitar amps and studio effects. With the Flint, the dynamic duo of trem and ’verb as heard in much-coveted, seldom-acquired gear can be dropped right into your signal chain.

As famously well as tremolo and reverb work in tandem, they are discrete effects in the Flint, each with its own bypass switch, LED indicator, and parameter controls on the face of a handsome black box. On the trem side, a mini switch selects between three tremolo types: ’61 harmonic band filtering (think early brownface Fenders like the Concert and Twin), ’63 power-tube bias (brownface Princeton), and ’65 photocell (Deluxe Reverb). The Speed knob controls how fast or slow the trem oscillates, and Intensity controls the depth of the effect, ranging from no effect at hard left to smooth waves around 12 o’clock to the stuttering chop of a square wave at hard right.

On the reverb side, a mini switch selects between ’60s spring tank, ’70s electronic plate (inspired by the EMT 250), and ’80s studio rack hall (Lexicon, Alesis). The Mix knob controls the wet/dry balance, Decay lengthens or shortens the reverb trail, and Color varies the reverb tone – great for tailoring the Flint to your existing rig.

Strymon engineers note that they don’t model any specific amps or effects, but pore over the schematics of old circuits to learn how to re-create their unique and most desirable characteristics. While one musician will appreciate, say, how well Flint’s ’70s reverb plate emulates the coveted EMT 250 (to learn more, clench your wallet tightly and then check eBay), another will simply enjoy the ease with which gentle waves of vintage trem, an ambient wash, or a genuine surf tone can be recalled. In fact, Flint not only captures those vintage colors faithfully but expands on original parameters. The reverbs can create nearly infinite decays, for example, and trem speeds can run slower than the original amps allowed. Any analog purists out there are still free to set their Flint dials for vintage limitations, if they prefer.

Tremolo and reverb are wisely paired, and interact under the Flint’s hood in compelling and highly usable ways. Each can bolster the other’s best qualities or rescue an effect that needs tweaking. A reverb set to short decay and dark color adds girth to a hard-edged trem; a photocell trem softens and warms a hollow reverb. The Flint makes it possible to dial in completely convincing tones from days long gone but also allows the player to selectively dial out the undesirable sonic characteristics of those original circuits – a ticking trem, a splashy reverb attack – and replace them without sacrificing a tone’s organic, natural quality.

Secondary functions of all the front-panel knobs, accessed by holding down the two bypass switches, make possible more variations and customizations, such as a 3dB boost or cut when an effect is engaged. The order of the effects in the signal chain can be swapped; though the default setting is Reverb>Tremolo, in keeping with traditional circuit routing, reversing the order produces the more real-world sound of an amp with tremolo in a reverberating hall – the guitar signal reverberates without the peculiar sound of a reverb trail being tremmed. Another conscientiously added feature gives the player the capability to rig Flint for analog bypass rather than true bypass, so that active reverb sounds sustain when the effect is bypassed rather than abruptly cutting off.

On the back panel, the input is configured for mono but internal jumpers can be reset for TRS stereo input. There are left and right stereo outputs, plus a jack for one of three external connections: an expression pedal for continuous control over any selectable parameter; a Strymon “Favorite” switch for recalling one favorite preset in addition to the current dial settings; or a switch for tapping in tremolo tempos.

For anyone on that Holy Grail quest for vintage tone, the influence of tremolo and reverb shouldn’t be underestimated. If you have been inching closer to it, the Flint may be the big step you need. But for players with any kind of rig, playing any style, the Flint delivers high-quality trem and reverb as if plucked from the chassis of a classic piece of gear.

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.

Siegmund Doppler Vibe

Price: $495
Info: www.siegmundguitars.com.

It’s been said that Buddy Guy was the first guitarist to put his instrument through a Leslie rotating speaker. Supposedly, this was done in a pinch after his amp crapped out during a 1965 session for Junior Wells’ seminal Hoodoo Man Blues, but the result was a fresh new sound.
Soon after, the Beatles started experimenting with rotating speakers, followed by Jimi Hendrix and Cream. As more guitarists picked up on the Leslie, they were faced with the problem of moving these behemoths that were often the size of a small refrigerator.

As the ’60s progressed, the Uni-Vibe became what many believe to be the first pedal to simulate a Leslie. Since then, dozens of pedals have been devised to produce shimmering, liquid tones. The latest entry into the war of the vibes comes from Chris Siegmund, founder of Siegmund Guitars and Amplifiers. His hand-built, tube-driven Doppler Vibe, contained in a heavy-duty, blue octagonal case, provides a range of great Leslie-esque tones, from lush chorus to fast tremolo.

The Doppler Vibe, which comes with its own power supply, is relatively simple to operate, having only five controls. The Intensity knob controls the level of effect, from subtle to pulsating. Speed regulates the rate of pulse, made visible by a blinking red LED in the center of the pedal. Additional range of speed up and down can be invoked through a Fast/Slow toggle (an optional foot controller – a wah-wah-style rocker pedal – does this manually by overriding the speed controls).

The Doppler Vibe’s Balance and Tone controls are a little more involved and have a unique relationship. Balance combines both sides of the phase when in mono mode, while the Tone knob splits it into unique, out-of-phase signals. In stereo mode the two allow the player to emphasize different sides of phase through the two amps, creating an effect that can best be described as ranging from a rotating speaker effect to a pitch-shifting vibrato.

When tested through a ’66 blackface Vibrolux Reverb, it becomes apparent in mono mode that the micro tubes within the Doppler Vibe provided a significant signal boost, warming up the front end of the amp – a nice touch, especially when using a bright guitar, in this case a 1970 maple-neck Strat. It didn’t, however, color the sound of the guitar. The optional foot controller allows the player to ramp up from slow to fast just like a real Leslie, a great feature as that speed variation becomes an effect onto itself. With the foot controller rocked all the way back, the Doppler Vibe provided a nice, slow chorusy sound, à la Hendrix’s “Angel.” With a push forward of the pedal, the speed escalated to a “Burning of the Midnight Lamp” fast tremolo.

The real fun began when a ’69 smallbox Marshall 50 and 2×12 cab were plugged into the Doppler Vibe’s stereo input. Placing the amps about 20 feet apart transformed the room into a giant rotating speaker cabinet. This was truly a transcendent experience, with waves of sound coming through the two amps at slightly different times, phases, and pitches. A Tube Screamer placed in front of the Doppler Vibe increased the intensity until the pulsating was almost visible.

When put through the tube-buffered effects loop of a Colby dtb50 (VG, Feb. 2013), the Doppler Vibe seemed to become one with the amp. Although the pedal increased the hotness of the signal, it didn’t bring a noticeable level of additional noise when using the effects loop.

By placing waves of bass and treble around the room when in stereo mode, the Doppler Vibe closely mimics a rotating speaker, though this effect pedal goes way beyond simple Leslie clone. It is a very usable effect that should inspire many who want to add a little “spin” to their sound – and avoid a little pain in their backs!

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.

Effectrode Tube-Vibe
Price: $429 (Tube-Vibe)
Contact: www.effectrode.com

Goran Fat Boy
Price: $429
Contact: www.goranguitars.com

In the annals of guitar stompboxes, there are no tones more elusive than the mystical swirls of a modulation pedal and the warm roar of an overdrive box. Builders big and small put their stamp on these two classic designs, tweaking circuits and then some. As evidence, we offer two new boutique pedals – the Effectrode Tube-Vibe and Goran Fat Boy overdrive.

The Effectrode Tube-Vibe is an inventive redesign of the (in)famous Uni-Vibe. As the name suggests, the most noticeable innovation is its use of tubes as a central component of the circuit, providing low noise and tons of headroom. The tubes are protected by two metal bars so that they can’t be smashed by an errant footstomp, and are interchangeable with other 9-pin tubes. The design was further revamped with Effectrode’s true-bypass switching system and a 1-meg input, which ensures a clear signal path and that pickups won’t overload.

Other cool features include a Chorus/Vibrato switch and a Classic/Smooth switch that alternates between a more-classic Uni-Vibe tone and a more spacey/surreal sound. Additionally, the two low-frequency oscillators (LFOs) can be frozen at specific frequency notches to work as a filter. The Tube-Vibe also has an LED that flashes at the same tempo of the LFOs, so guitarists can match the Tube-Vibe to the tempo they’re playing.

The Tube-Vibe has three knobs – Speed (to control the rate of the LFOs), Intensity (depth of the LFOs), and Volume. Along the back are the input for the power supply, a jack for an expression pedal, the input and output jacks, as well the Chorus/Vibrato and Classic/Smooth switches.

We tested the Tube-Vibe with a humbucker-equipped guitar through a tube amp and a modeling amp. With the Chorus and Classic positions selected (to establish a baseline to the original UniVibe), we experienced a terrifically warm, lush vibe perfectly suited to knocking out Robin Trower’s “Bridge of Sighs” or Hendrix’s “Machine Gun.” The Speed and Intensity controls have enough range for everything from subtly nuanced modulation for clean arpeggios to psychedelic freakouts. Flipping on the Vibrato mode reveals cool pitch-bending warbles that make any lick unique and refreshing. The Smooth mode is a nice complement to the Classic mode’s thick, marshy vibe, bringing a lighter, dreamier modulation to the table that is excellent for odd, dissonant chording. We also had fun using an expression pedal to vary the speed and add further dynamics to our riffs.

The Tube-Vibe is a cool tweak on the original UniVibe, bringing both innovation and improved tone to a revered design. It brings a multitude of options to the table and the runs the spectrum of the phase based modulation, it’s definitely a must have for those in the know about vibe pedals.

The Fat Boy, from Goran Custom Guitars, is a dual-mode overdrive designed to drive clean amps into heavier territory. Its pressed-steel construction hints at durability, while the control layout is smart and professional. Internal components are equally impressive, including Black Gate electrolytic capacitors, new-old stock Allen Bradley composite resistors, and a military-grade op-amp.

Atop the Fat Boy are the controls for the two channels. For the Drive Channel, they are Gain, Tone, and Volume. The Solo Channel has knobs Gain and Volume. Between the two sets, a switch selects Fat or Vintage modes; Fat is reminiscent of JCM-series Marshall amps, while Vintage recalls the classic overdrive of early Marshalls and Fender tweed amps.

The Fat Boy has two stompswitches; one activates the Drive channel, the other Solo mode. These are not separate entities, but rather, interactive modes. Drive serves as the base tone, while Solo acts as a boost, giving the Drive more gain, more volume, or both.

We started testing the Fat Boy using a humbucker-equipped guitar plugged into an amp set clean. The Vintage mode did a very good job emulating the sound of early Marshalls and Fenders while not sacrificing depth, as many such pedals do. From its lowest gain setting to the highest, it was just tight enough for rhythm work without losing the sonic fluidity characterized by the vintage amps. The higher gain stages seemed more British in character, while lower gain settings had Fender grit and rumble. One of the great things about the two-mode system is that one can have a very low gain setting on the Drive channel, then kick on the Solo mode and add an extraordinary amount of gain and sustain for lead playing without sacrificing tone.

The Fat mode delivers on its promise of JCM-era overdrive, and there’s more than a modest difference between it and the Vintage mode. Where Vintage is loose and more present in the midrange, Fat is super-tight, with a classic scooped sound. Fat definitely takes you back to the ’80s (but without glitter and hairspray!) with a sound that’s pure testosterone. It’ll definitely put some hair on your chest when you kick in the solo mode, which heaps on even more gain for explosive rhythm riffs and molten solos.

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

Shaw Audio Bass 130
Price: $1,350
Contact: www.tremcaster.com, phone: (330) 608-2043

In a day where gear companies often focus on utilitarian products, it’s nice when high-end craftsmanship rears its head. Ken Doles and the crew at DoleSonic Amplifiers are a good example with their latest offering, the Half Back Stack.

A Class-A/10-watt offering, the amp sports an interesting tube combination – a single KT66, 12AX7, and a 5Y3 NOS rectifier. The KT66 gives the Half Back a unique voice, yet it’s not too broad a departure for traditionalists who may be more accustomed to the softer output of tubes like a 6V6; the Half Back can also be ordered with a 6V6, 6L6 or EL34.

The Half Back’s controls are elegant and simple – single Volume and Tone with three-way Voicing switch that allows the user to toggle between Bright, Normal, and Boost settings. An impedance switch on the back panel allows for 4- to 8-ohm loads. Equally appealing is the amp’s speaker cabinet. Made of pine with a 3/4″ birch plywood baffle that gives it a high level of structural integrity while optimizing sound dispersion. The piggyback format exudes cool, especially with custom touches like a vintage-style custom grillecloth and leather strap handles. Head and cab are hand-stained in a finish that accentuates the design and wood grain.

Plugging in a solidbody with dual humbuckers, the first word that comes to mind is “warmth.” Notes all over the neck translate clearly, with a pronounced roundness – not overbearing. The Class A circuitry provides nice top-end presence without being overly chimey. Single-coil solidbodies render plenty of snap and bite – again, with that warmth. The DoleSonic excels as a jazz amp; hollowbodies blossom through the stack, and it loves flatwound strings.

Don’t for a second think the Half Back is simply a clean-sounding low-watt amp. On the contrary, DoleSonic’s design provides really nice overdrive; virtually all distortion settings proved usable and musical. When pushed, the roundness of the amp’s tone helps retain the same warmth. From subtle breakup to full steam ahead, the amp begs to be pushed, and you quickly forget you’re working with just 10 watts.

In all, the DoleSonic Half Back Stack is an impressive package. In the studio or on stage, its looks are timeless, its tone much the same.

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