DIGITAL-ONLY REVIEW > 65 AMPS
65AMPS
EMPIRE
BY JORDAN WAGNER
Over the last decade, 65amps has focused a lot on designing tube amps
with a classic big and beefy sound that can
be conveyed at lower volumes. 65amps’
concern with that formula is derived from
practical experience. Co-founder and Sheryl
Crow guitarist Peter Stroud needed an amp
that could sit better in the mix at Crow’s
lower stage volumes. Peter and amp whiz
Dan Boul have been perfecting the formula
ever since. The company’s newest creation,
the 22-watt Empire, guns for the tones pro-
duced by big British amps like the Marshall’s
Superlead and JCM800 amplifiers.
For the Glory of the Empire
The Empire possesses the same Art Deco
flair you see in the rest of the 65amps line.
The head itself weighs in at around 30
pounds—light compared to most other
amps its size—and is built with the same
finger-jointed Baltic birch as its brethren.
Footswitchable
Bump switch
Three gain
voices
2 6V6
power
section
The Empire is built around an all-tube
circuit and powered by a dual 6V6 power
section and a 12AX7-driven preamp. The
Empire’s maximum output of 22 watts is
generated by the 6V6s, but Boul worked
with the circuit to give the amp amore
EL34-like vibe. And Boul’s more than 20
years of research in modding American-voiced amps to take on British qualities
clearly pays off here.
Feature-wise, there really isn’t a whole lot
to the Empire. That’s a good thing, and the
amp’s simple Marshall-esque control layout
suits its mission. A simple three-band EQ
covers most of the tone shaping, along with
a presence and master volume control. The
other keys to unlocking sounds within the
Empire are the three individual preamp
gain controls—one of which covers the
amp’s cleaner tones, and the other two for
mid gain and molten high gain sounds. If
you’re in the mood to kick up the selected
volume’s intensity, a two-way switch labeled
Bump ratchets up the gain with a touch of
mid range that helps the tone cut through
just a little bit more effectively. The amp’s
included two-button footswitch controls
the three different preamp structures and
allows you go to any of the 3 channels from
any position.
The amp’s master control reacts in a
very familiar fashion, governing the overall
volume of the amp. It’s circuitry, however,
is what they call a “Master Voltage” circuit,
which gives the player the option of raising
or lowering the amp’s volume by adjusting the actual output wattage. Turning the
control counter-clockwise lowers the amp’s
B+ voltage and wattage without affecting the filament voltage. This allows you
to set the amp as low as three watts, with
the worthy goal of retaining the amp’s feel
and response. Dialed back to 10 o’clock, it
was really quite remarkable just how well
the tone retained the cutting-yet-rounded
upper midrange I experienced on higher
settings. Likewise, the amp’s spongy feel was
preserved, though I found there was more
DR2 PREMIER GUITAR JANUARY 2012
premierguitar.com
