Review

The Jet City motto pledges “100% tube tone, 0% bull****”, and given this is the new firm of US amp hero Mike Soldano (TG introduced the brand in last issue), it’s a ratio you can believe. In fact, so devoid of bull’ is the JCA20H that it has “no gimmick features to dilute the signal” and only the bare tone-shaping bones of Volume, Gain, EQ and Presence.

Arrogant in its simplicity and a little heftier than you’d expect from a lunchbox, the JCA20H quickly sets out its stall as the choice of the valve purist.

At 20 watts, this beast has power to burn; as with the MoFo it also has three 12AX7 preamp tubes that are voiced to produce the luxurious cleans and a fat, swaggering overdrive, which always retain a certain warmth and bottom end, however far you roll the Treble.

Jet City says its heads are not made for “smooth jazz”, and we’d go along with that. Pushed into the red, this amp runs hot and ballsy, and the response means you’ll play harder too.

In use

(Click here for demo recording settings)

Next: Jet City JCA20H verdict