on the top panel. Another very thoughtful
touch is the red LED that flashes when you’re
powering up to let you know the tubes are
still warming up. When the tubes are ready
to crank, the LED glows a solid red.
The bottom back panel has the standard
IEC input for power, and in addition to the
aforementioned USB jack, Pentode/Triode
and Bias switches, there are speaker outputs
for 16, 8, or 4 Ω.
Out on the range
While the DV40 pumps out tones that
run a wide gamut, it regularly—and
impressively—evoked at least four of my
favorite tones: a 1980s Jim Kelley combo,
Ty Tabor’s Gretchen Goes to Nebraska tones,
Sheer Heart Attack-era Brian May saturation
and sustain, and the sounds of a cranked
’70s Orange OR120.
Channel 2 engages an extra 12AX7 stage
to add more gain—which effectively makes
it more like a single-channel amp with a
boost. You have to be careful with the bright
mode in this channel, though, because
distorted sounds don’t work nearly as well
with channel two’s added top end as they
do for the cleaner channel one. Further, on
channel 2 the bottom end has a compressed,
crunchy character that’s simultaneously tight
and loose—it’s almost as if there were a germanium boost engaged. Even with the drive
at the lowest settings, there is an interesting
grind in the distortion that separates notes
Red w o o d
Expect the lightweight champion
of the world to be like this:
a full-grown Huber, but lighter than
anything you‘ve ever seen before.
Tasteful the way it looks, elegant
in the way it sounds, this redwood
redefines the relationship between
weight and sound. Expect its pure
tone to take over your world.
DESIGNED AND MANUFACTURED IN THE USA
www.tech21nyc.com
Nik Huber Guitars
Borsigstr. 13
63110 Rodgau /Germany
Fon + 49 - (0) 61 06 - 77 21 66
Fax + 49 - (0) 61 06 - 77 21 67
www.nikhuber-guitars.com
