Sweeter Mids, Smoother Twang
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Sweeter Mids, Smoother Twang The Savage Audio Macht 12x CRATE V-SERIES Crate’s revamped V-Series AVAGE AUDIO GAINED The Macht series is Savage’s foray Savage installs a handy tube diagram V18 amplifier uses a pair of EL84 A solid reputation for its into 6V6-based guitar amps. The inside the cabinet. tubes. The 33-watt, dual-channel repair work before moving Macht 12x is its 12-watt, class A amp, One of the first things you notice V33 uses four EL84s, and the V50 into amplifier production with a built-in Studio/Stage attenua- about the Macht 12 is the size of uses a pair of 6L6s. The V-50’s Sin 1990. Today, the company builds tor that adjusts power output down its output transformer; you don’t overdrive channel uses a shared a full line of studio and stage amps to less than half, where Savage says normally see one so robust in a 12- tone stack, Boost and Presence with a list of players that includes is a “sweet spot.” watt amp. controls, and a spring reverb. Look Mike McCreedy and Stone Gossard of The 22-pound, 12-watt Macht The matching cab is made of nine- for more at crateamps.com. Pearl Jam, Beck, Peter Buck of R.E.M., 12x head has High and Low inputs, ply birch, open in back and available and Doyle Bramhall, II. controls for Volume, Tone, Tremolo with a variety with basketweave Speed, Depth, the attenuator switch, grillecloth options. Our cab was and on/off switch. Other features equipped with a Celestion Vintage SAVAGE MACHT 12X include jacks for 4-, 8-, and 16-ohm 10, and other format options include Price: $1,570 (head), $650 1x10" cab. speaker outputs and a jack for a 1x15", 1x12", or 2x8" with speakers Contact: Savage Audio, Inc. 12500 tremolo footswitch. The tube layout from Celestion, Jensen, E-V, JBL, Em- GUYATONE MICRO EFFECTS Chowen Avenue South, Suite 112, consists of two JJ 12AX7s, a pair of inence, Mojotone, and Tone Tubby. Guyatone’s line of Micro Effects Savage, MN 55337; phone (952) JJ 6V6s, and a Sovtek 5AR4 rectifier The amp is also available as a combo, was recently bolstered with five 894-1022; www.savageamps.com. tube, all mounted horizontally. In and can be ordered with a variety of new boxes; the CB-3 Cool Booster, a nice throwback sort of touch, coverings. The owner’s manual gives HD-3 Hot Drive Distortion, MO-3 specs, a troubleshooting guide, Micro Octave, OD-2+ Overdrive, and even suggestions and the SS-3 Sonic Shaper. Check for preamp tube sub- them out at guyatone.com. stitutions. With a Fender Tele- GUILD CONTEMPORARY SERIES caster, the amp went Guild’s Contemporary Series f rom clea n, sweet, CO guitars have a red spruce top brown-Deluxe-like tone and mahogany back and sides. to robust tweed Deluxe The CVs have a spruce top and as the Volume knob was flame maple back and sides. Both turned to its upper re- have a bound ebony fingerboard, gions. And for the record, ebony bridge, abalone dot inlays, comparing the Macht 12 to and ivoroid body binding. a Deluxe is somewhat unfair The Guild Traditional Series not only because of its more recently saw the addition of the grand robust transformers, but its orchestra-size F-47M and F-47MC Tone control is full-range, (solid flame maple back and sides) not of the treble-roll-off and the F-47R and F-47RC (rosewood variety. back and sides), as well as the DV-4 The amp exhibits a won- and DV-6 spruce top dreadnought derful compression that is guitars. For more, go to fender.com. especially evident when playing a Strat on the neck pickup or a humbucker-equipped guitar. The compression was not the stompbox variety either, but more high-end studio type. Never squashing, but always beautifully LINE 6 TONEPORT GX framing the sound. The Line 6 TonePort GX audio inter- Fully cranked, the Macht 12x face records 24-bit audio with USB 1 really shows its teeth, producing a connectivity, /4"input, and access to tight, gritty overdrive that no pedal Line 6’s GuitarPort Online features. could possibly provide – that’s what It also allows play-along with MP3s cranked 6V6s do! The Celestion and works with most recording Vintage 10, of course, adds its own platforms. See it at line6.com. 182 VINTAGE GUITAR NOVEMBER 2007 vintageguitar.com flavor of high-cholesterol midrange Zen Drives to modeling pedals, it out amp, and its built-in attenuator to every note. If you desire more accepts all with open arms. Even makes it a godsend for those who clarity while staying crunchy, the a pummeling from a cranked ’70s strive for good tone but are always optional Celestion G-12H-30 or an MXR Dynacomp produced smooth, being told to turn down. Kudos also Alnico Blue might suit you better splat-free overdrive. for making it a head/cab; separating than the Vintage 10. Speaking of effects, the Macht the tubes from the speakers is one The Studio/Stage settings are 12x has a built-in Tremolo circuit of the smartest things one can do extremely well-conceived. In the reminiscent of that aboard a black- to prolong tube life. And it gives the low-output Studio mode, the amp face Fender. But unlike its Fullerton player the option of sitting in a studio retains its vibe, sacrificing only a forefather, the Macht 12x’s tremolo control room with the head, while PEAVEY JSX MINI/OCC GUITAR slight bit of treble response, which can be dialed from a very control- the cab sits down the hall. Though it The Peavey JSX Mini Colossal is easily remedied with a touch of lable seasick slow to insanely fast. may not offer the scooped mids of a uses a 12AX7 preamp tube and the Tone knob. As the amp is dimed It is superbly smooth, and requires blackface Fender or the glassy highs of EL84 power tube. It has a built-in in either mode, it becomes brighter, only a very small drop in overall level a Vox AC30, the Macht 12x produces attenuator, XLR direct output, necessitating rolling back the Tone when engaged. robust tones for 6V6 lovers looking and optical tremolo circuit. control. And it certainly is no surprise Overall, the Macht 12x is a very for sweeter midrange and less twang. that the amp is pedal-friendly. From toneful, well-built, well-thought- – Zac Childs The limited-edition Peavey Orange County Choppers Custom guitar, de- signed by Peavey and OCC, has a quilt- ed-maple top and OCC-tooled chrome 3 Quad-6V6 Hoochie-Koo platework, 24 /4" scale with 24 frets, mahogany neck, ebony fretboard, cus- The VVT Rick Derringer Hyperdrive tom OCC strap, and commemorative plaque. Learn more at peavey.com. O A CErtAIN DEGREE, owner of two VVT 6V6-based amps, nents and construction we’ve seen in MARKLEY GEORGE LYNCH the Vintage Vacuum Tube but he needed something with more other VVT amps, including point- SUPER-V STRINGS Amplifiers Rick Derringer power for live gigs, two channels, to-point wiring, Mercury Magnetics Dean Markley Super-V nickel steel Hyperdrive model was born and most important, something that transformers, carbon-composition strings are available in four gauged Tof intimidation. could produce high gain without resistors, and an aluminum chassis. sets – light (.009-.042), regular (.010- When VVT proprietors Tony Al- buzz. After testing a prototype four- The Hyperdrive’s clean, eye-catch- .046), LTHB (.010-.052), and medium bany and Jim Hill began discussing 6V6-powered head designed for him ing aesthetics include an ivory-tolex- (.011-.052). Visit deanmarkley.com. a signature amp head with a guitarist by Albany, Derringer was satiated, covered cabinet that measures 20" Rick Derringer, whose style can shift and suggested only a few cosmetic x 9" x 8", brushed-copper control from hard rock to blues to jazz, they changes and the addition of a boost panels, copper-finished vent panels, figured they’d have their hands full. circuit. The VVT Rick Derringer solid cherry-wood trim and a stitched Derringer was already the proud Hyperdrive was born! leather handle (options include black The amp uses three JJ/Tesla 12AX7 tolex and figured maple wood trim). tubes in the preamp (phase inverter/ The front-panel includes controls PRS DAVID GRIssOM DGT VVT RICK DERRIN- clean channel/OD channel) and four for Gain and Level for the Overdrive The PRS David Grissom DGT GER HYPERDRIVE JJ/Tesla 6V6 power tubes producing channel, a Volume control for the signature model PRS is a McCarty Price: $2,499 45 watts. It has two footswitchable Clean channel, shared Bass, Middle, Trem model with special pickups, Contact: VVT Amplifiers, 2580B channels (with footswitchable pre- Treble, and Presence controls for special wiring, a smaller neck, bigger Old Washington Road, Waldorf, MD amp mid boost in both channels) and both channels, as well as a Master frets, and heavy-gauge strings. 2060; phone (301) 396-4100; www. the high-quality compo- Read more at prsguitars.com. vvtamps.com. SEYMOUR DUNCAN BLACK- OUTS, SHAPE SHIFTER Seymour Duncan Blackouts are active pickups for electric guitar available in neck and bridge models, or as a two-pickup set. All include mounting hardware, including pots, jack, and a battery clip. The Duncan Shape Shifter Tap Tremolo uses an analog signal path with Rate control an LED that pulses in time with the effect, Ratio 184 vintageguitar.com.