Line 6 DT25 112 Combo

Mar 26,2012
The partnership between Line 6 and boutique amp maker Reinhold Bogner has resulted in some interesting hybrid amps that marry digital modeling technology with pure tube power sections. Initially released as the Spider Valve More...

Bolt BTC-100/212 and BTC-50/410 Combos

Mar 26,2012
Advances in digital signal processing and its use in guitar amps have made it possible to offer breathtaking feature sets. Purists will argue, however, that for optimum tone and feel, tubes still rule the roost. Working from More...

Bradley Labs Iron Horse

Mar 23,2012
Eager to reach your fingertips into the very nerve endings of your amplifier’s circuitry? Then Bradley Labs’ Iron Horse might be an amp for you. This handbuilt, small-shop, point-to-point creation has switches to alter the More...

Two Solid-State Micro Amps

Feb 16,2012
For those who want to get really small, several manufacturers offer solid-state micro amps such as these pedal-sized products from Electro-Harmonix and Traynor. I tested them with a PRS Custom 24, through a cab containing a More...

Hughes & Kettner Tubemeister 18 Head

Feb 16,2012
Germany’s Hughes & Kettner is well known for its excellent high-powered rock amps, so it’s no surprise that the company has entered the mini-amp arena with an amp that has the features pro players demand and a sound that More...

Mesa/Boogie Mini Rectifier Twenty-Five

Feb 16,2012
Mesa/Boogie has been hitting on all cylinders in recent years, introducing great new amplifiers such as the Mark V, Electra Dyne, Transatlantic TA-15 and TA-30, Royal Atlantic, and now the new Mini Rectifier Twenty-Five, which More...

Carvin V3M

Feb 15,2012
The V3M joins the ranks of the mini-amp market in size only, as the amp is basically a scaled down version of the 100-watt V3. Powered by four EL84s, the V3M pumps out 50 watts, and can also be set to operate at 22 or 7 watts. More...

Three New Mini Tube Amps

Feb 15,2012
The compact amp market continues to expand as new releases by Carvin, Hughes & Kettner, and Mesa/Boogie add to the list of small, tube-powered heads that have been popping up over the last few years. Ranging from 15 watts to as More...

Unchained! An EVH Gear Roundup

Feb 15,2012
Wolfgang HT It’s a tribute to Eddie Van Halen, his EVH design team, and Fender that all four Wolfgangs we tested were extremely consistent in build quality, playability, and sounds. The major design elements discussed in More...

EVH Roundtable The Designers Discuss the Gear

Feb 15,2012
Mr. EVH spins knowledge with Chip Ellis (left)and Matt Bruck (right).To provide a nuts-and-bolts peek INTO the development of EVH gear, we were fortunate to be able to assemble—and quiz—the main “people resources” of the More...

The Origin of the EVH Brand

Feb 15,2012
It’s impossible to think about iconic guitar heroes without thinking about the tools they used to ply their trade. Whether it’s Hendrix and his white Strat, or Jimmy Page and his ’59 ’burst, there is an inextricable link More...

EVH’s Mike Ulrich On The Making of the 5150 III

Feb 15,2012
When did you get involved with the design of the 5150 III? Pretty much at the beginning. When we were first approached by Ed to do this, Fender had taken a tack of trying to provide existing platforms that we felt were More...

EVH 5150 III 50 Watt

Feb 15,2012
With the introduction of the 5150 III 50 Watt, guitarists now have a smaller version of the famed 100-watt 5150 III head that was designed to meet Eddie Van Halen’s demanding specifications. Clad in neatly applied white More...

Guitar Gear Gone Wild! A Guide to All the Stuff You Want in 2012

Apr 19,2012
Those in the know are aware that , every January , the Winter NAMM show brings together hundreds of music-equipment manufacturers hawking their latest products. It’s madness. The never-ending cacophony of guitars, basses, amps, More...

5 Tube Combo Amps

Apr 17,2012
Long favored by studio players and on-the-go working musicians, small combo amps are seeing ever more use these days by guitarists who have found that 15 or 20 watts of tube power driving a 10" or 12" speaker can provide More...

Next