Top-cut high
EQ switch
Master
Volume
Mid Lift
Switch
Pre- and Post-
Gain controls
Dual 6V6 power section
25-watt Warehouse
Green Beret 12” speaker
part of a typical tone stack configuration—
dialing it down extends the highs and lows
to create a very Fender-like mid-scooped
tone. The High control, meanwhile, is a
Vox-style top-boost reverse-wired to enable
players to move from chiming to much
darker tones by backing off the control.
Borrowing a move from Nolatone’s June
Bug design, the Pre- and Post-Gain controls
work in tandem to control the amount of
gain to the second stage and phase inverter
respectively.
Rockin’ the Filament
With a Godin Icon Type 2 with Duncan
P-Rails in hand, I got right down to the
business of exploring the wide-open voice
of the Rotten Johnny. With the Godin set
to the humbucker position, I cranked the
Master to full, set the Post Gain to around
noon and brought up the Pre Gain until I
got a rich, full distortion. The sound was
raw and thick, but I wanted a little more
clarity, so I dialed back the Bottom knob by
a few clicks, scaling down the thickness a
touch, but opening up the sound consider-
ably. The combination was reminiscent of
Frampton’s Rockin’ the Fillmore-era Humble
Pie tone—a pretty huge sound for a 15-watt
1x12 combo. And if I closed my eyes,
I’d swear I was listening to a full stack in
miniature. For years, I’ve tried to harness
100- and 50-watt amps with attenuators
and master volumes and never been totally
successful. Needless to say, I was stunned
when two 6V6s pushing a single 12" gave
me what I’ve been looking for—and then
some.
