TG204 Audio: Four low-watt valve amp heads

Total Guitar 204's Group Test features four low-watt valve amp heads from Orange, Hayden, Blackstar and Jet City and you can hear them in action here.

For our audio demo, we played the same parts through each head to create an indie-rock-style track. Every demo was recorded using the same Eminence-loaded cab mic'd with a Shure SM57 halfway between the centre cone and speaker edge.

Each example includes two clean and two overdriven rhythm tracks, as well as an overdriven lead track, all of which are panned symmetrically. We kept the same flat EQ settings for each example, varying the gain control to consistent settings for the clean and overdriven sounds.

The drums and bass were programmed in Apple Logic Express 9 using Steven Slate Drums EX and Logic's built in bass patch.

Check out TG204 (on sale 9 July) for the full review

Blackstar HT Studio 20

Hayden Mini-Mofo

Jet City JCA 20H

Orange Tiny Terror Hardwired Edition

Stuart has been working for guitar publications since 2008, beginning his career as Reviews Editor for Total Guitar before becoming Editor for six years. During this time, he and the team brought the magazine into the modern age with digital editions, a Youtube channel and the Apple chart-bothering Total Guitar Podcast. Stuart has also served as a freelance writer for Guitar World, Guitarist and MusicRadar reviewing hundreds of products spanning everything from acoustic guitars to valve amps, modelers and plugins. When not spouting his opinions on the best new gear, Stuart has been reminded on many occasions that the 'never meet your heroes' rule is entirely wrong, clocking-up interviews with the likes of Eddie Van Halen, Foo Fighters, Green Day and many, many more.