REVIEW > 65AMPS
65AMPS
LONDON PRO
BY STEVE OUIMETTE
The innovative 65amps has so con- sistently built great amplifiers that
it’s hard not to get excited about a new
release. Over the past year or so, I’ve
reviewed both the Lil Elvis and the Tupelo
and was impressed by what I saw and
heard. But as a British amp fanatic, I could
hardly wait to check out the 18-watt,
EL84-powered London Pro.
The London Pro belongs to 65amps’
Working Pro Line—a more affordable
series of amplifiers (in relative terms)
for players who want 65amps features
and quality with fewer frills. The
London Pro is an evolution of
65’s first amp, the London. And
given its wattage and the EL84
circuitry in Channel 1, the Pro
is sure to grab the attention of players
who like the original London, or dig
the chime and overdrive Vox’s ground-breaking AC15 combo. But with its
switchable preamp section, the London
Pro should also appeal to players who
require more gain stages.
3-position selector for choosing Channel 1, 2, or both
Dual sets of Volume and Tone controls
Slightly Stripped
The London Pro achieves its more accessible price by trimming some of the
cosmetics—like metal vents and recessed
panels—that cost more to manufacture.
That doesn’t mean the London Pro isn’t
a striking amp. On the contrary, with a
big, red 65 logo on the head and cab, the
Pro is a perfect picture of understated
cool. The black-and tan split-front cab
has a retro vibe, and the head’s leather
handle and big rubber feet make it comfortable to haul and resistant to vibration. With its white silk-screened lettering, the black control panel is laid out
thoughtfully and is easy to read.
Moving from left to right, burly power and
standby switches bookend a red jewel lamp,
which is followed by a Master Voltage (master
volume) knob. Channel 1’s controls consist of
Tone and Volume with a red LED indicator.
Channel 2 also sports two knobs—Tone (with
a push-pull Bright control) and Volume (with
a push-pull Boost control)—plus a blue status
LED. Between the channels, a 3-way toggle
lets you select either channel or combine
them. Simple and elegant.
premierguitar.com
PREMIER GUITAR MAY 2011 163
