of a tendency to muddy up at lower wattage ranges.
The Empire’s matching 2x12 extension
cabinet is loaded with 65amps’ recommended combination of Celestion G12H30
and Alnico Blue speakers, although the
cabinet is also available in Alnico Blue and
Gold, and G12H30 and Gold configurations. The back of the cabinet features a
rectangular port that runs from either edge
of the amp and is specifically tuned to kick
out a balance of punch, muscular tone, and
airy openness.
Command and Conquer
Spanning two decades worth of vintage
Marshall-type tones with just 22 watts
and 6V6s is no easy trick. And the Empire
accomplishes those goals exceedingly
well. There’s about a million ways for a
player to fine tune those tones as well. A
good set of ears and some patience will
help you find the amp’s sweet spots. And
it can be easy to go overboard with the
Empire’s sensitive EQ controls and copious amounts of gain. Finding the tones
that work best with your playing is one
of the most rewarding aspects of working
with this amp, however.
I delved into the Empire’s control
layout by setting everything at noon,
plugging in a 2011 Fender Classic Player
Stratocaster, and selecting the first Volume
control. Picking through a jazzy chord
progression, the Empire’s sweet, stinging
high end bristled on top of its hard-hitting
upper midrange frequencies, along with
a bouncy low end that contributed balance. Single note melodies sustained and
rang extremely well and the dynamics
premierguitar.com
were excellent for legato work. The amp’s
incredible touch sensitivity became more
apparent with a flip of the bump switch,
and the outpouring of smooth gain and
added punchy midrange was more than
enough to satisfy my Pete Townshend
rhythm jones.
The Empire is capable of really great
cleans, though I had to ride the guitar’s
volume knob to get the tone really pristine. This might seem like a limitation to
a lot of players, but it’s really a reflection
of what a wide range of tones this amp has
when you use the control you have available at your fingertips.
A switch to more Malcolm Young-inspired riffing on volume 2 reveals the
channel’s Plexi nature. Chords had eerily
similar ring to a late ’60s Superlead, most
notably in the clear, glassy high end and
roaring mids. The Empire’s volume 2 voice
might be a bit darker than what you’d associate with a Superlead. And the tone can
become a bit congested given how aggressive it is in the mids and lows and how
easy it was for me to overdrive its 22-watt
power section. Switching to a 1978 Gibson
Les Paul Custom with a hot set of Tom
Anderson humbuckers drove that point
home. That said, I was able to keep the
tone clear and consistent by finding the
proper balance between the Volume 2 and
Master Volume controls, making sure the
mids and lows were in check via the EQ
section, and being unafraid to use the guitar’s volume control.
The amp’s third volume control was
designed with ’80s hard rockers and
shredheads in mind, and wow, it’s capable
of some serious grind. Volume 2 and 3
REVIEW > 65AMPS
also work in tandem with one another,
combining the rich, muscular voicing of
volume 2 and the ripping, almost razor-like qualities of Volume 3 into one mean
smorgasbord of rock raunch. Thoughts
of Jerry Cantrell’s thick tones on Dirt
and Facelift came to mind when moving
between dirgier chord progressions and
bluesy, drawn-out melodies. The amount
of gain produced by the two volume sections meant keeping both lower than three
o’clock. But as soon as I was able to tune
them together for a clear tone with the Les
Paul’s output, the amp’s pleasing dynamics
shone though.
The Verdict
65amps have—once again—crafted a really
special and versatile amp in the Empire. Its
touch sensitivity, solid build and rich tones
place it among the British-voiced boutique
amps. It’s one of the most versatile too. You
won’t get away with hiding behind a wall of
gain to mask your mistakes—the Empire is
just too detailed for that. And you should
be ready to do some fine tuning of the amp
and your guitar to fully utilize the Empire’s
range. But for old-school players who cut
their teeth on the raunchy and defined
tones of classic Marshalls of yesteryear, the
Empire should feel like an old friend ripping behind them on stage.
Rating:
Buy If...
you need an amp that captures
the sweet British-based rock
and blues tones produced in the
mid ’60s and beyond, without
the raging volume levels.
Skip If...
more volume and/or reverb is
needed, or if chiming American
cleans are more your bag.
65amps
Street $2,900 (head)
$949 (2x12 cabinet)
65amps.com
to hear audio clips of the amp at
premierguitar.com/jan2012
CLICKHere…
PREMIER GUITAR JANUARY 2012 DR3
