PRS Guitars have announced a new line of SE-series amplifiers that will be shipping later this year. The new line includes three amps: the PRS SE 20, the PRS SE 30, and the PRS SE 50:

Modeled after the acclaimed PRS SE line of guitars, this new amp line continues the concept of providing affordable musical instruments and equipment without sacrificing tone, usability, or quality. The lineup, scheduled to start shipping in the fall of 2011, includes the PRS SE 20 featuring 6V6 tubes, PRS SE 30 featuring 5881’s, and PRS SE 50 featuring EL34’s– all of which are offered as closed back 1×12 combos or as heads. The clean and lead channel gain stages are driven by 12AX7 preamp tubes. Loop, verb, and phase inverter utilize 12AT7s. These are all tube amps with all pots, jacks, and switches chassis mounted and tube sockets board mounted, offering incredible quality and value. A PRS SE 2×12 cabinet is available as well. All the amps in this family feature two channels with separate EQ, an effects loop, and reverb (all newer features for PRS –introduced on the 2 Channel “H” and “C”). Each amp also boasts custom wound transformers, 0.090 aluminum chassis, high-end “on-on-on” selector switches, only the best NNS tubes, custom-voiced speakers, custom knobs, and more.

I’ve owned several of the Korean-made PRS SE guitars, and they were all very well-made for the price point. I would expect the amps to be of the same quality. Elderly Instruments has some preliminary pricing for the amps on their website, although I don’t know if the final pricing has been determined yet.

Below is a demo video of the PRS SE 20. This video highlights the flexibility of the clean channel. Hopefully, there will be some more demos soon highlighting more features of the amps. For now, check out the demo below:

This past weekend I attended the Nashville Amp Expo. It was a great time checking out a bunch of new gear and chatting about guitars with some great people, including Anthony Stauffer of StevieSnacks.com. He and I spent a good amount of time speaking with Sam Timberlake, creator of the Samamp line of amps.

I first heard about Samamp through Anthony’s demo of the VAC 23 and have been curious to learn more about them ever since. Sam has developed a system of using appliance lights to lower the wattage of his amps without negatively affecting the tone like other attenuation methods. He calls this feature Variable Amplitude Clipping (VAC). By using this feature he is able to provide multiple wattage options in one amp. For example, the VAC 23 amp has the following wattage options: 3, 5, 11, 18, and 23. These power options make the amp suitable for both home hobbyists and gigging musicians.

I was really looking forward to hearing this amp in person. However, when I visited Sam’s room at the show, I saw that he has released a new model called the VAC 40 Series II, which builds upon the VAC 23. As its name implies, the VAC 40 can go up to 40 watts, but it can also go down to 4 watts. Like the VAC 23, the VAC 40 clean tone is similar to Fender amps. In addition to the clean channel, the VAC 40 adds a second, gain channel. The gain channel is really smooth. Sam has developed a foot pedal to use with the amp to switch channels that also has a configurable volume roll-back knob for use with the gain channel, so you effectively get two levels of gain out of the gain channel.

Check out Anthony’s review of the VAC 40 for a little more detail about the features of the amp. Additionally, in his review he has posted a video that I shot of him playing through the amp. Note that the video was shot using his iPhone, so the sound quality suffers a little, and I’m apparently a shaky camera operator.

I really liked the Samamp VAC 40 Series II amp. The amp is really versatile, and the features are well thought-out. If you’re looking for a hand-made boutique amp, then I recommend checking out the Samamp line of amps. The VAC 40 starts out at about $1600, so they aren’t the cheapest amps around, but they are very well-made and sound great.

Mesa/Boogie have announced the Mini Rectifier Twenty Five, a lightweight, 25-watt version of their high-gain rectifier series of amps. The amp uses two EL-84 power tubes and five 12AX7 preamp tubes. It has two switchable power modes: 10 watts and 25 watts. Additionally, the amp has two channels and four operating modes. Channel 1 features Clean and Pushed modes, and Channel 2 features Vintage and Modern gain modes. A nice addition to the amp is an all tube, fully buffered effects loop that you can bypass if it’s not in use.

Based on reports I’ve heard, the Mini Rectifier Twenty Five will retail for about $999. You can check out sound samples on the Mesa/Boogie website.

This is a video of Andy Timmons demonstrating the new Mesa TransAtlantic TA-30. He shows off some of the versatility of the amp, and he plays a little sample of his upcoming album. Good amp, and great player.

Over the past few years, Egnater Amps have been creating a number of unique amplifiers, including the Rebel series and, most recently, the 15-watt Tweaker amp. I’ve played each of these amps, and they are quite versatile. For example, the original Tweaker amp provides a lot of options and voices for tweaking the amp, hence the name.

One of the newest amps in the Egnater line is the Tweaker-40, which expands on the original Tweaker by increasing the wattage to 40 watts, using 6L6 tubes instead of 6V6, and adding a second channel. I was thinking about buying a new amp recently, and the Tweaker was one of the few that I was looking at based on the number of voices that are available from the amp. I found the lack of a second channel to be a bit of a detractor. I’m glad to see that the Tweaker-40 adds a second channel, which is also footswitchable. These options make an already versatile amp even more versatile.

If you’re in the market for a versatile and affordable amp, I’d recommend checking out the Egnater Tweaker and Rebel series of amps.

Premier Guitar’s Jason Shadrick recently visited with Grace Potter and the Nocturnals at the House of Blues in Chicago to talk guitars, pedals, and amps. Grace and guitarists Scott Tournet and Benny Yurco give Jason a tour of each of their rigs:

As a side note, I’ve had the pleasure of seeing the band live a number of times now, and each time has been better than the last. I highly recommend seeing them live if you get a chance.

The Marshall Class 5 Head and updated combo that I mentioned in January has finally been officially announced. Marshall has recorded a demo of the amps that you can see below:

I played the first version of the combo last year, and, while I liked the sound, it was too loud for home use, which is what I was interested in. The new low-power mode on the combo looks like it’ll solve that problem and enable you to get the classic Marshall Plexi-style distorted tone at very low volumes. The head also looks really cool, but it doesn’t have the low-power mode if that is important to you.

Fender has announced three new special edition versions of their popular G-DEC 30 amp. The three new models include a country-focused model, a blues-focused model, and a metal-focused model.

Here’s what Fender says about the new amps:

Like the standard 30-watt blackface G-DEC 3 Thirty, all three new FSR models come equipped with 100 presets, a wealth of CD-quality backing tracks, easy computer connectivity and Fender FUSE™ software for custom configuration. Unlike the standard model, however, each of these three distinctive new amps features a striking cosmetic treatment created especially for its individual musical personality.

The G-DEC 3 Thirty Blues is a vintage-style amp with a classic Fender look, with blonde vinyl covering, oxblood grille cloth and chrome corners that tastefully evoke the early 1960s. Onboard CD-quality backing track loops by dozens of top musicians give a special nod to the blues, with other tracks in various vintage jazz, R&B and soul styles and 100 tone presets appropriate to these styles.

The G-DEC 3 Thirty Metal goes horns up for shredders and punks alike, with black hardware and grille cloth and covered in hardcore black-white-gray camo. It features onboard CD-quality backing track loops by members of Hatebreed, Anthrax, Cannibal Corpse, Whitechapel, Sepultura, Bad Religion and others, plus several sick drums-only metal loops, a few Southern rock tracks thrown in just for fun, and 100 tone presets perfect for all these sounds.

The G-DEC 3 Thirty Country saddles up with stylish western “cowboy tooled” vinyl covering, wheat grille cloth and chrome corners. Its onboard CD-quality backing track loops by dozens of top musicians give a special nod to classic and modern country, rockabilly, and Americana styles, with 100 tone presets by acclaimed pickers Brad Paisley, Keith Urban, James Burton and more that are ideal sounds for the tracks.

Low-watt amps have become quite popular over the past few years as people have tried to find great tone at lower volumes. Low-watt amps are not new, though. Fender introduced the 5-watt Champ amp in 1948, and many other manufacturers have offered low-watt amps since. However, it seems that more companies are offering low-watt amps than ever before. Blackheart Engineering is a company that I started hearing about a year or so ago that is making a line of popular low-watt amps. They make a 1-watt amp (Little Ant), a 5-watt amp (Little Giant), and a 15-watt amp (Handsome Devil). Additionally, if you’re looking for a 100-watt head, Blackheart makes one of those too, called the Hothead.

I have the 5-watt Little Giant Combo*, which includes a 12-inch Eminence speaker. The Little Giant combo is a single-ended, class A amp that uses one EL84 tube and one 12Ax7 preamp tube. The amp includes a volume control and three tone controls: Treble, Middle, and Bass. Also included is a Pentode/Triode switch that switches the amp from 5 watts of output to 3 watts. The street price for the Little Giant combo is about $350. The Little Giant is available as a head for about $200. Blackheart amps are distributed by Crate.

First Impressions

After opening the box, I was impressed with the quality of the construction of the amp. Truth be told, I wasn’t expecting much from a $350 amp, but I was pleasantly surprised. The amp is well put together and seems to be well designed. The cabinet seems solid and there aren’t any tears in the covering.

Max Headroom

Many complaints about low-wattage amps center around the fact that many of them don’t have much clean headroom. In other words, the amp begins distorting earlier than desired. However, the Little Giant has much more clean headroom than I expected. In fact, I was actually hoping for a little more distortion at lower volumes! I can’t get natural tube distortion at volumes low enough to be played for long within my home. That being said, when you can turn it up loud enough to get natural distortion, the distortion is very smooth and warm sounding; a very satisfying tone.

Tone

The amp is very warm sounding. I have a Fender Blues Jr. amp, and the Little Giant seems a little darker and warmer than the Blues Jr. However, it’s a very pleasing sound. A Strat sounds very clean through the amp, but not quite as bright as when played through the Blues Jr. The 3 tone controls are fairly responsive on the amp, so it’s easy to adjust the tone to suit your tastes. I prefer a bit of midrange from my amps, and the Little Giant sounds very good with a bit of midrange. One of my favorite settings so far is putting the Treble on 5, the Midrange on 6, and the Bass on 4. This setting works well with my Strat and my PRS SE Singlecut, although I tend to roll off the tone on my Strat a little.

Pentode/Triode Switch

While I like the option of being able to switch the amp down to 3 watts, doing so cuts out some of the top end from the amp. That is, there is a noticeable difference in tone between the 5-watt setting and the 3-watt setting. Other amps that utilize the Pentode/Triode switch combination also suffer from this cut in frequency. There is also an audible pop when switching the wattage. Because the amp is a warmer-sounding amp to begin with, I tend to use the 5 watt setting more than the 3 watt setting. But, if you want to get to the distortion sooner, the 3 watt option helps you get there earlier than the 5 watt setting.

Conclusion

If you’re in the market for a low-watt tube amp, there are a lot of options available to you. However, I think at $350 the Blackheart Engineering Little Giant combo amp provides a good value with a solid construction, well thought-out engineering, and, most importantly, good tone. However, even though it’s only five watts, it’s a loud five watts, so you might need pedals if you want good distorted tones at low volumes. The three watt switch can be used to get to the distorted tones a little faster, but you do lose a little top-end by switching to the three watt setting.

Here’s a video demo of the Little Giant head and cabinet. You can get a feel for the clean and the distorted tones, which are quite pleasing:

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a Little Giant combo amp review unit for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Kevin Frazier from Grid1 recently let me know about his company’s new product: a 60 watt lithium battery-powered tube amp called the G1 BPT212. The amp was launched at the Winter NAMM show in Anaheim about a week ago. It features 2 12″ speakers, a lithium rechargeable battery, two footswitchable channels, and your choice of wood cabinet. The company claims to get 4-6 hours per charge. Frazier recently demoed the amp for Guitar Player magazine. The G1 is expected to ship in February.