Gear Awards
Goodsell SuperSeventeen Mark III
The SuperSeventeen Mark III lent an EL84 chime and
sparkle that shined the brightest somewhere between
clean and dirty. If 17 watts is too high, it is switchable
down to 5 watts, which opens up even more tones.
Said reviewer James Egolf [August ‘08], “Although the
Mark Three always sounds like a Mark Three, it hints at
a bastard amalgam of an AC15 and a tweed Deluxe in
17-watt mode, and suggests an old Princeton in a 12”
enclosure when producing 5 watts.”
REVISITED:
Retro King 18-Watt Combo
“I actually purchased [the amp], which alone speaks volumes about it, as I
already have a number of great amps in my stable. The decision to do so was
based on one thing alone: the tone. I discovered that when using the amp with
the master at various positions, the degree of output tube saturation could be
so varied that I could use the amp for a much wider palette of tones than I had
imagined. I have occasion to play a variety of types of gigs both live and in the
studio, and the light weight and smaller size made it a great choice for both of
these venues. With my Les Paul and the BSM Rory Gallagher booster pedal I
am able to get an absolutely vicious harmonic-laden octave sustaining tone that
I think any rocker would die for. With my Strats and Teles and using no pedals
at all I could do all the modern snarly country and blues licks with great touch
sensitivity and feel. It’s not the loudest amp on the block, but it speaks more
convincingly than most others.” – Kenny Rardin
Carr Mini Mercury
Want low wattage? Try a variable output that gets as
small as a tenth of a watt. The Mini Mercury’s downsiz-ing to a 10” speaker (from the Mercury’s original 12”)
gave it a completely new sound when coupled with the
amp’s EL34s. The amp’s Boost circuit was the top draw,
however, bringing a smile to the face of reviewer James
Egolf, who said [March ‘08], “If you’ve ever uttered the
words ‘British’ and ‘Top Boost’ in the same sentence,
the Boost circuit alone is worth whatever price Steve
[Carr] wants.”
