owned a tube-powered TV (and, no doubt,
because there are very few uses for them
today), there are literally tons of them out
there—and they’re cheap, to boot. I was able
to locate some online for only $8 apiece—a
considerable bargain given how much good
NOS 12AX7s go for nowadays. Mack’s use
of an overlooked—but affordable and easy-to-acquire—tube from a bygone era is crafty,
thoughtful, and, frankly, a breath of fresh air.
A Gem in the Rough
Mack touts several improvements in the
2G that its predecessor didn’t have—most
notably, additional clean headroom and a
refined overdrive sound. The clean tones are
perceptibly better, too. After plugging the
head into a Marshall 2x12 extension cabinet
with two Celestion Greenback speakers, I
grabbed a 2008 Fender American Telecaster
and laid into some hard, Keith Richards-inspired riffs using the amp’s Hot mode.
Even with a very heavy-handed pick
attack and the controls at noon, it was
almost impossible to distort the amp in any
significant way—an unqualified improvement on the original design. In addition, the
amp throws a surprising amount of volume
and punch. Most players wouldn’t consider 4
watts to be usable anywhere but the studio,
but standing in front of the Gem 2G for a
few moments might change their opinion. I
could have easily played a small gig with this
rig, and I’d have no qualms about mic’ing it
for use at a mid-sized or large venue.
Though the Hot channel’s sound was
punchy and full, the higher frequencies
lacked the sparkle you’d find in, say, a
Vox AC15. And its clean tones, with their
rounded-off high end, fast attack, and even
response, sounded better for blues and jazz
than rock or country material. It’s still a great
amp for a variety of genres, but I couldn’t
help thinking it would feel more at home
kicking out some smooth Jim Hall progressions than a soaring Led Zeppelin lead.
To find out how far I could push the
little tyke in Melt mode, I grabbed a 1978
Les Paul Custom with Tom Anderson hum-
buckers—including an especially hot H3 in
the bridge position. If you savor metal-style
gain, the Mack may not be the perfect amp.
But you can still generate plenty of crunch
by overdriving the power tube with aggres-
sive use of the Volume and Gain controls. It
certainly sounded cool in a Marc Bolan-type
of way, with a vintage fuzziness reminiscent
of early- to mid-’70s guitar tones. Fans of
late-’60s and ’70s rock tones are sure to
embrace the Mack’s capacity for dry, husky
distortion. And if you’re feeling like the
Gain control doesn’t have quite enough on
tap, you can get a little nastier by boosting
the Treble control—which increases high
frequencies by up to 6dB.
The Verdict
The beautifully built, accessibly priced, and
super-compact Mack Amps Gem 2G marks a
fine evolution of great idea. There’s a noticeable bump in clean headroom, and the full-bodied clean tones have an immediate attack
and surprising volume.
As far as the overdrive tones go, they’re
not going to be everybody’s cup of tea. If
you’re looking for gain in the range of, say,
the Vox Night Train, you’ll probably need
to add a distortion pedal to your signal
chain. However, this works in the favor of
players who are after a smooth, even clean
sound that sits in the mix well and that’s
never overbearing or harsh. If that’s your
objective, the Mack Gem 2G is well worth
checking out.
Rating:
Buy If...
you need a small, affordable,
and surprisingly loud head with
brawny clean tones.
Skip If...
you prefer metal-style saturation
and preamp gain.
Mack Amps
Direct $449
mackamps.com
or use a mobile device to watch a
video review of the amp at
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