Amplification overload
Valves, digital, analogue with digital control… Every possible form of guitar and bass amp has been covered this year, with great strides being made across the board, from shrinking down classics (Peavey 6505 Piranha) to bigger gig-ready combos (Blackstar ID:Core 100) and mini-valve technology (Vox Nutube).
Here’s what you can expect this year – whatever the next 12 months brings, it’s bound to sound good…
Orange 10th Anniversary Tiny Terror
After 10 years of the lunchbox revolution-inducing Tiny Terror, the amp is set to be discontinued – the 10th Anniversary ‘Shiny Terror’ commemorates its great service, with handwired point-to-point construction and a polished stainless steel chassis, while the cab comes in British Racing Green with 10” Celestion G10 Alnico Gold speakers.
Vox Nutube
State-of-the-art Japanese production has allowed Vox to shrink traditional valves to 30% of their original size and consume only 2% of the power.
This 150-watt head is only a prototype, but it sounded rather good on the show floor, we must say.
Blackstar ID:Core 100
Blackstar’s ID:Core line has been a runaway success, so the company has seen fit to release two gig-ready combos: a 100-watt and 150-watt.
Both amps utilise guitar rather than full-range speakers, and add an impressive polyphonic pitch-shifter and fully functioned looper – when the amps hit in May, they’re expected to hit around the £220 and £299 mark. Unbelievable value for money, that.
Peavey 6505 Piranha Micro Head
A teeny tiny 20-watt head that aims to mimic the crushing output of Peavey’s longstanding metal behemoth, the 6505, all for just $179 – Peavey also launched a fairly niche 6505 subwoofer, which sounds ridiculously heavy in person.
Stone Deaf SD50
All analogue valve amps with digital control is the name of Stone Deaf’s game, and the SD50 offers switchable wattage, a pair of channels and up to 32 presets, as well as MIDI switching – we also love the diddy eight-watt version, the SD8, too (below).
Hughes & Kettner TubeMeister Deluxe 20 & 40
Two new models join the successful H&K TM range, both with completely overhauled voicings, plus a new Red Box AE DI out, which features FRFR technology – the first time such a feat has been achieved in a valve amp.
