2 0 0L.A.
8 Amp Show
Tonic Amps. Photo: Loni Spector
This year’s L.A. Amp Show involved about
50 manufacturers—most of them were amp
manufacturers, but some guitar, effects
and accessories companies were there,
too. Held at the Airtel Plaza Hotel in Van
Nuys, California over the weekend of
October 4th and 5th, the fourth year of this
event involved the usual sights. There was
an interesting mix of celebs like Warren
DiMartini, Steve Trovato, Zakk Wylde and
Tommy Smothers—who managed to beat
Zakk at arm wrestling in the hotel bar;
live performances by Carl Verheyen, Raj
Phanse, Marc Ford, and the Travis Larsen
Band; a “Tone Wizards” panel session;
and of course, lots and lots of gear. New
this year was a “Vintage Amp Exchange,”
where owners of pre-1970 amps were welcome to bring their stuff to sell, trade or
simply show off.
As for the actual show of newer gear, there
was no shortage of buzz-worthy stuff. With
so many big name manufacturers, boutique
operations and startups bringing their “A”
game (knowing that NAMM is around the
corner), we needed both days to check
everything out—and we still ended up missing a few rooms. Here’s a sampling of what
our staffers and contributors on the scene in
L.A. got excited about:
Goodsell Amplifiers
The words luscious and sweet come to
mind when you talk about what Goodsell
is known for; their amps sound amazing,
too. The Atlanta company’s reputation for
versatile, pro-level tone is best exemplified
by their line of Super 17 amps, but Richard
Goodsell is now making a high-gain growler
called the Black Dog. This 50-watt, EL84-
equipped, face-melting head is loud as hell,
with thick overdrive and Goodsell’s famed
touch sensitivity. Look for the street price to
come in under $2000 when these puppies
make it to retailers.
superseventeen.com
Soultone Amplification
When we walked into the Soultone room,
we were greeted with righteous JTM45-ish
sounds by a player who was readily channeling Hendrix. Yes, the chops were there but
the Soultone head had a lot to do with it,
too. There was some serious, unadulterated
plexi action going on in the room.
With a wide range of looks, from vintage to
classy gator-skin luggage, Soultone’s amps
had a commanding visual presence as well.
The company offers what it calls a Heavy
Duty line and a Pro line, in addition to kits
for DIYers.
soultoneamps.com
Blackstar Amplification
“That’s only 5 watts?” was a commonly
heard response from guitarists after playing Blackstar’s HT- 5, the British company’s
new mini-stack consisting of a 12BH7
dual-triode valve head with two Celestion-loaded 1x10 cabs. While it will definitely
find a spot in studios and practice rooms
for its ability to breakup without shattering
eardrums, it just so happens that this little
rig can do a bit of blasting, too. The head’s
preamp borrows from the company’s HT
pedal circuitry, offers speaker emulated
output and a convincing voicing switch for
1x12 or 4x10 characteristics. Suffice it to
say that AC/DC licks were in abundance as
people demo’ed the HT- 5. Due for release
in mid-November, the company is also
planning a combo version with a single 10”
speaker. British music stores are pricing the
mini-stack and the combo at around £400
and £300, respectively.
blackstaramps.co.uk
Egnater
Mini-stacks are indeed in right now, and
nothing proved this more than Bruce
Egnater’s Rebel 20 head. Although we first
ran into it at the N. Y. Amp Show back in
May, this was the first time we’ve heard
the final version. This 20 watter has undergone some changes since its initial release
in January of this year, and is now ready
for prime time with variable wattage and
the company’s unique tube mix feature. It
comes equipped with three 12AX7s and
both EL84 and 6V6 power tubes, which can
be blended with a dial instead of simply
being switched from one set to the other.
Rebel cabs are equipped with a custom-voiced Celestion Elite 80 12” speaker that
provides plenty of heft in a half stack configuration—but you might as well get a full
stack to hear this rig in its element. The
Rebel has plenty of pop but allows you to
match your guitar’s pickups and your own
taste like no other amp can—pick your own
