NOCTURNE
BlondeShell
BY SHAWN HAMMOND
to watch a video of the amp at
premierguitar.com/jul2012
CLICKHere…
Considering how many players have been influenced by rockabilly/swing-jazz icon Brian Setzer and his twangtastic
Gretsch-through-a-Bassman rig over the last
30 years, it’s shocking how few companies
are making clones of the Fender 6G6-B version he favors—especially when you consider how rare it is (the blonde heads he uses
were only in production from 1962–64).
Never mind how many amp manufacturers
take huge cues from so many other vintage
Fender designs.
Run by Tavo Vega out of his shop in
Southern California, Nocturne Amplification
is one of the few outfits today specializing
in 6G6-B Bassman-based designs. While
the company also offers other products
intended to help you replicate key aspects of
the Stray Cats frontman’s tone (including the
Dyno Brain and Atomic Brain pedals, which
mimic the tonal characteristics imparted by
a Roland RE-301 Space Echo’s preamp section), the Blondeshell represents the pinnacle
of Vega’s Setzer love. Based on the normal
channel of a 6G6-B Bassman, it aims to capture the coveted amp tones on Brian Setzer
Orchestra albums. For those who don’t have
a collection of Space Echo units, it also
includes built-in spring reverb for ambience
(period-correct 6G6-Bs don’t have it).
Interestingly, the Blondeshell (and all
other Nocturne products, for that matter) are built through co-op partnerships
Vega has established with other craftsmen
throughout the US. The amp’s custom
aluminum chassis and fiberglass-epoxy
eyelet circuit boards—which use Mercury
Magnetics transformers, Sprague Orange
Drop coupling capacitors, and Mallory
150-series caps—are built by Ron Williams,
and then Vega assembles the final product
in a Mojo Musical Supply cab.
Behind the Sparkle
The 50-watt Blondeshell runs of a pair of
Tung-Sol 5881 power tubes, and it uses two
Ruby Tubes 12AX7s—one each for the pre-
amp and phase inverter—as well as a Tung-
Sol 12AX7, which drives the long-spring
MOD reverb tank. The front panel includes
normal and lo inputs, five knobs—volume,
treble, bass, reverb, and presence—and a
white jeweled power indicator. Around back,
notable features include super-handy bias
points for the power section, 8 Ω and 4 Ω
speaker outs, and a Plank/F-Hole voicing
toggle. More on that later.
Dropping the Bombshells
To test the Blondeshell, I paired it with a
closed-back Bogner 2x12 cab loaded with
Celestion Vintage 30s (Setzer’s speaker of
choice), and plugged in a variety of guitars—
a Gretsch Electromatic G5120 loaded with
Normal
and Lo
inputs
