• Very Nice Amplifier

  
  As reviewed by Chuco on 6/10/2010

  I purchased this head and matching 2x12 cabinet approximately 3 months ago after playing the 2X12 combo. After playin this amp daily for three months, I am still impressed every time I turn it on. The build quality is superb. The tolex covering looks great, the knobs and toggle switches all feel solid. The foot pedal is solid and buttons give a nice tactile response so that you are sure that it is engaged/disengaged. The tone I am able to get out of this thing is superb. Small adjustments of the knobs are all it takes to dial it in. I would like to see the addition of tap tempo on the footswitch for future models.

  4 of 4 people found this review helpful.
  Was this review helpful?
  Thank You for rating this review!

• great amp

  
  As reviewed by chris on 3/24/2010

  i bought this amp about a year ago and have had no regrets since. it is very clean and clear and the ability to add a little bit to it with the crunch switch which is nice. the distortion on the other channel is phenominal. pedals arent a necessity with this this amp but if you really want to shape the tone you could get one. the footswitch it comes with makes it a lot easier to control. it also has great reverb and delay options. this amp is well worth it and if u play real heavy metal this amp will give you the sound you want. i added a metal zone pedal to it just for kicks and it worked out perfectly. this amp can handle anything from classic rock to modern metal and down to some nice clean stuff. whatever sound you are looking for and dont want to spend a fortune this amp is the way to go.

  4 of 4 people found this review helpful.
  Was this review helpful?
  Thank You for rating this review!

• Modern Fix for Vintage Tone Junkies

  
  As reviewed by Larry Cugini on 6/29/2012

  In a word: EXCELLENT! On first listen, this amp will exceed most pro players' expectations. It has the ability to cut from 40 watts to 20 watts. It has two truly separate channels, each with its own EQ, though they share the delay and reverb effects. The Delay has a tap speed button and offers three types of repeat: ducking, tape, and analog. The Reverb offers plate, hall, and spring options. The controls are easy to use, but I am not a big fan of those tiny "clean/crunch", "bright", "punch", "mid shift", and "deep" switches. They are reeeeeally small, hard to see in dim light, and despite their diminutive stature they are very powerful controls, so you want to set them right. They aren't represented on the footswitch, either. Otherwise, the chicken head knobs are cool and heavy-duty and the LED's are actually rather attractive looking. This is a tube tone machine, pure and simple. The sounds that this head can give you are top notch, I can find no compromise. I have dialed in all levels of clean, crunch, bark, and scream with no harshness or "holes" in tone. It's warm and big sounding. The switchable 40-watt/20-watt option is very useful for changing the tube drive pressure, greatly modifying the breakup you send to your speakers. If the user takes the time to fully understand the controls and what they can do, the variety of sounds that can be achieved is absolutely impressive. (Don't let anyone tell you that this is not a good head for metal, either, because if set right, with mids scooped, it can get that huge, chunky "dub-dub-dub" thunder.) The ease of use and effectiveness of the delay and reverb effects cannot be overstated. I particularly like the way the presence of the effects remains steady when you switch between channels, i.e., the reverb does not over-soak or rob bite with the introduction of distortion and the delay doesn't increase or decrease the "edge" of the tone you switch to or from. So far I have not been able to "shoot holes" in the construction or materials. It's very substantial. The knobs feel good and the fluidity of the pots is noticeable right away. Even the rubber feet are heavy duty. To say that this is a good amp "for the money" would rob it of merit. This is a sweet amp period, and it just happens to be reasonably priced. With music store returns policies being pretty relaxed these days, I suggest that anyone interested in trying it does so in their own private environment. Don't test drive it in a store while ten young Deathclockers wail on Marshall half-stacks and expect to hear all the Alchemist has to offer. It takes hours to get all the subtle nuances. If you take one home, I am confident you will not return it. Based upon tone, construction, and value, I give this one ten out of ten. My complaints are so minor that they should be excluded from the overall rating.

  1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
  Was this review helpful?
  Thank You for rating this review!

You must be logged in to write a review. Please click here to login.