TONY BRUNO CUSTOM AMPS
UNDERGROUND CUSTOM
BY ADAM PERLMUTTER
While many collectors acquire gui- tars and amplifiers, Tony Bruno
is constantly on the search for capacitors
and resistors, both new-old-stock (NOS)
and modern. Bruno keeps a library of
these parts in the upstate New York shop
where they become the guts of some of the
most coveted boutique tube amps in the
world today. Some of these amps—like the
Underground 30, a mid-powered machine,
and the Cow Tipper Pro II 22, a 22-watt,
6V6 blackface Fender-inspired model—
have already become legend. Bruno’s reputation even led to a gig working with Vox
on the design of new amps.
Bruno’s latest offering under his own
name is the Underground Custom, an
evolution of the Underground 30 that
incorporates different capacitors and resis-
tors, adds a Mid control, and includes
a negative feedback loop that re-voices
the amp significantly. The amp is the
product of Bruno’s restless need to refine
his work, and that drive has won over
more than a few high-profile guitarists.
One of Bruno’s most prominent fans is
country superstar Brad Paisley, who set
aside his beloved Trainwreck in favor of
a new Underground for recording the
leads on his forthcoming album, This is
Country Music. Given this endorsement
and Bruno’s work to date, we were super-
psyched to review the amp.
