NOLATONE AMPWORKS
ROTTEN JOHNNY
BY STEVE OUIMETTE
The en vogue status of low-wattage combo amps remains a boon for any
guitarist on the lookout for a compact amp.
Just about every major amp company and
most boutique shops are offering at least
one model in the 12- to 18-watt range and
that’s a great thing. What’s not to like about
an amp that you can push hard without
blowing out the windows or that you can
throw in the front seat of your car for a gig?
Nolatone Ampworks—and the work
of Paul Sanders—are already standouts in
this fast-growing amp category. Handbuilt
by Paul in Raleigh, North Carolina, using
only the highest quality parts, Nolatone
models like the June Bug and Chimey
Limey have already made a mark for their
interpretations of Fender Tweed and Vox
tones. They might also be some of the
sharpest looking amplifiers available today.
And on both the sound and visual front,
Nolatone’s 15-watt Rotten Johnny is every
bit as spectacular a performer as its cousins
in the Nolatone line.
The Dirt
Weighing in at a very reasonable 28 pounds
with dimensions similar to a Fender Blues
Junior ( 18" x 16" x 10. 5"), the Rotten
Johnny is an open-back 1x12 combo constructed of solid dovetail-jointed pine. Our
review Rotten Johnny came in covered in
two-tone brown and crème vinyl with basketweave grille cloth, and sported the signature Nolatone “V” panel TV front design.
The 12" speaker is a 25-watt Warehouse
Green Beret, which is designed to sound
like a broken-in Celestion greenback. The
circuit is built around two JJ 6V6 power
tubes (you can also request EL84s) and
two 12AX7s. Everything under the hood
is top-notch, including custom Mercury
Magnetics iron, 1-watt carbon film resistors, F&T filter caps, Switchcraft jacks, and
Carling switches laid out on a hand-wired
turret board.
Unlike many lower-wattage amps, the
Rotten Johnny offers far more control
For years I’ve tried to harness 100- and
50-watt amps with attenuators and master
volume controls. I was stunned when two
6V6s pushing a single 12" gave me what
I’ve been looking for—and then some.
options than a single volume and tone
control. The top panel consists of a unique
3-band EQ (Bottom, Mid, Top), as well as
Pre- and Post-Gain controls and a Master
volume. A Mid Lift switch (which can
also be activated by a footswitch) effec-
tively works as a boost for solos. Power and
standby switches reside next to a red jewel
power indicator.
