When I first began playing guitar there was a trend toward large guitar amplifiers. It seemed that the bigger and louder the amplifier, the more "cool factor" the player had regardless of their talent level. In the club environment the drummer would fight for the space to set up his kit due to the fact the guitarist had taken up half of the meager stage with his mega-stack not to mention a rack or two of outboard effects gear.

Over the years I have seen a growing number of players become a little more realistic in the sizes of their amplifiers, as well as transition away from rack gear and toward individual effects pedals. Even so, many of the smaller combo amplifiers today are still quite bulky and heavy, and the smaller versions tend to be underpowered for the stage environment. Today we are going to look at a pertinent solution to problems that amplifiers have created for musicians around the world. The “Lunchbox” and the “Club” by ZT Amplifiers are extremely compact lightweight amplifiers that pack a punch like no other amplifier on the market in their size class.

Over the past couple of years, personal public address (PA) systems (sometimes called sound reinforcement (SR) systems), have made major inroads into the market space previously owned entirely by guitar amplifiers. The first compelling product I can remember is the Fender Passport series followed by the excellent Bose PAS. More recently, personal PA systems have become available to an even wider audience with even smaller options such as the Mackie SRM150 and the Fishman SoloAmp – known affectionately as “mini-PAs”.

Historically, amplifiers were (and still are) typically chosen by guitarists over PA systems because guitar amplifiers are designed to accentuate particular frequency bands (predominantly mid-range) that guitars typically occupy. Also, amplifiers are often designed to exhibit certain behaviors (or voices) – which include such factors as compression and distortion when driven at stage volumes. Contrastingly, PA systems are designed to be nearly sonically transparent, with as little harmonic distortion as possible.

So, given these advantages, why have personal PAs become popular? There are a couple of reasons. First, many guitarists are now using pre-amps and modeling devices to deliver their preferred sound. This is true of acoustic guitarists who often have a pre-amp built directly into the guitar (such as those made by L.R. Baggs, Fishman, and Shadow) and many electric guitarists who have adopted the use of multi-effects to drive their tone (such as those made by Line 6, VOX, DigiTech, Zoom, and IK Multimedia). Second, PA systems are typically much more versatile than single instrument amplifiers.

One of the leaders in sound reinforcement technologies is Mackie. Taking the same approach used in their very popular SRM series, they have elected to enter this market with the SRM150 compact active PA system. I had the pleasure of taking this lightweight yet durable device for spin. Read the rest of this review to find out the details!

Although the acoustic guitar dates back centuries, the electric guitar has dominated popular music styles since the 1930's when Jazz guitarists required amplification to be heard in "Big Band" swing styles.

Even with recent advances in acoustic pickup design, electric guitar amplification has continued to be the main marketing focus for most amplifier manufacturers. Endless resources have been poured into designing, improving, and selling electric guitar amplifiers, while in comparison, the acoustic guitar players are really left with only a few valid selections in dedicated acoustic amplifiers.

One company who has taken the time and money to address the acoustic guitar players need for amplification is Hartke. Hartke is a division of Samson Technologies, and is best known for their incredible, yet affordable, bass amplifiers. Their reputation in the bass amplification market has propelled them to becoming one of the highest selling bass amplifier companies in the world.

I recently took the time to really look over the Hartke product line, and I noticed that they leverage their ability to continually innovate on their designs. This dedication is notable when you also notice that their pricing is extremely competitive for their market sector. I have seen the Hartke AC75 acoustic guitar amplifier in many catalogs and websites, and recently received this amplifier for review. Read on for the details of my testing of this amazing acoustic guitar amplifier.

All guitarists have had the fight the compelling urge to drag their guitar everywhere – including the local mall. As an electric guitarist, options for an ultra-portable rig are somewhat limited due to the need for amplification. An acoustic guitar is one option since they are usually loud enough for small groups and campfires, but they tend to be a bit too big to cart around easily. Unfortunately, acoustics don’t offer the sound and feel of an electric. An electric guitar by itself is actually portable enough for most people, but then you run into the need for outside amplification to get any kind of volume.

Thus we enter the realm of portable amps. Usually a guitarist jumping into the portable market means a very depressed guitarist. If you are tone conscious, then good sounds are nearly impossible to come by unless you decide to also deal with loading up on a decent amp to go with you, which is not only uncomfortable and unwieldy, but starts to hurt after a while (ask me how I know!)

I think I’ve tried nearly every portable option out there, and the more I try the more I’ve started to expect to be let down. But I can now say that there is some light at the end of the tunnel with some cool innovators leading the way. Welcome the Mighty Moe Amp Strap as one of those bright ideas.

The Mighty Moe is something that you’ll probably see and say “Why didn’t someone do that sooner?” Well I’m right there with you. The idea of putting a portable amp on a strap seems like a no-brainer. The idea is pretty straight forward – take one of those little belt clip style amps and mount it onto a strap. Not only does this put the amp in a place where it’s not going to be in the way, but it also places it so that other people can actually hear it.

I love the word “vintage”. If you were to believe all the hucksters on eBay, you’d think that vintage gear refers to any old piece of junk that was made some time in the past. A title like “Vintage POD 2.0” and “Vintage PRS SE” wouldn’t be too far of a stretch! When I think of vintage gear I think of high quality items that reference a special era or particular method of production. For me, it’s as much about image and feel as it is about tone. I think about pre-war acoustic guitars, 1950’s and 60’s Fender and Gibson guitars and amps, and maybe lawsuit era Japanese acoustic and electric guitars. Oh..and vacuum tubes…lots of them. These are all rarities for varying reasons including limited production, materials, technology, and manufacturing. Some of these items simply can’t be reproduced.

My other observation about vintage gear is that most of it is pretty junky. That amp was probably sitting under a porch for 20 years in the rain with someone using a pair of vice-grips to turn the knobs. That old guitar was probably locked in a grandmother’s attic with no saddle and three strings somehow still attached. The stuff that I really want, the good condition stuff, is already in a collection somewhere or too costly for the average person to even contemplate.

What I really want is for items of desirable quality to be re-manufactured. I like the idea of “new-vintage”. Where I get the quality, the vibe, and the feel … and maybe even the personality and “squirelliness” … of vintage gear without the crazy price tag and with a warranty!

The great thing is that I have seen a renaissance of sorts in the market. A recognition of the real meaning of vintage. Ampeg is one company returning to its roots with the Diamond Blue Series of guitar and bass amps. In this review, I’ll be taking a hard look at the good lookin and great sounding Jet 20 (J-20) guitar combo amp.

In the early days of live and recorded music, small combo amplifiers were all that were available to the guitar players of the world. Most of these initial amplifiers did not even break the 35 watt barrier until the need arose for large arena shows. With these large venues came the creation of amplifiers boasting 100 watts of ear spliting power (or more).

While these large scale amplifiers have become a mainstay for big shows, they are still considered by many engineers and players to be too big for the studio. Most people familiar with tube amplifiers know that the amplifier needs to reach a certain gain threshold before the tone really begins to shine. This is why quality low watt tube amplifiers are more appropirate for recording since it is easier to drive them to their maximum potential in smaller rooms at volumes that won't shatter glass.

I recently received a Crate 30 watt Palomino V32 class “A” tube amplifier for review. While it may still be a little bigger than most engineers would like, it is a good all-purpose amp for the player who is gigging at small venues or micing up to a P.A. in addition to studio work, and only wants to deal with one amplifier. Read on for our thoughts on the Palomino!

If you think of the creation of a song in the same terms of building a house, the bass player works closely with the drummer to lay the foundation that the other instruments build their parts on. Unfortunately, the bass player is probably the most disregarded player in a band. Let’s face it. When was the last time you saw a great looking house, and thought, “What a great foundation that house is built on”? As sure as a house without a foundation will fail, so will your song without the dedication of a great bass player using the best tools of the trade.

If you were to design a poll for both professional and semi-pro bass players on what the best bass amplifiers on the market were today, I would be willing to bet that Ampeg would come out as the clear winner. I have personally seen more Ampeg amplifiers on big stages and in small venues, than any other company’s product. To put Ampeg’s popularity in perspective, you could ask the same players their opinion on the best bass guitar on the market. You would probably get a very wide and diverse list of companies, and not one guitar brand would even come close to the percentage commanded by Ampeg's line of bass amps. This is largely in part due to the fact that for over five decades, Ampeg has led the industry in the creation of innovative bass amplification products for all levels of musicians.

The bass guitar is a unique instrument in the fact that it is felt as much as it is heard. I recently received an amplifier head and speaker cab with incredibly great tone and enough raw, clean, chest thumping power to make your heart feel like a BB rattling around in a basketball. If you want to know more about the Ampeg SVT-6 PRO and the SVT-410HLF speaker cabinet, please read on.

When I first started out playing in bands, it did not take me long to see that the lead guitar players seemed to be the ones who owned the band sound systems. I am not quit sure why this is, but a recent survey that I saw in a major publication reinforced this observable fact by saying that guitar players are the number one crossover market spender for live sound systems, and home recording equipment. Today, I am an example of this myself, with a large amount of money invested in equipment that is outside of the guitar specific market.

The first time that I went into a music store with the goal of buying a power amplifier for my bands sound system, I admit that I knew next to nothing. After talking to the salesman for some advice, it became increasingly apparent that he knew even less than I did! So, after some comparisons I decided to get a new model that had recently been introduced to the market. It was called the Mackie 1400i. This would be one of those times where I rolled the dice and came up a clear winner. Since then I have had the opportunity to try out several other power amplifiers, but I always came back to the M-1400i for my most demanding applications.

When I went to the Winter NAMM show in 2005, I was disappointed to learn from the Mackie staff that 1400i was going to be discontinued after what had been a long standing run as a bright star in the industry. Fortunately, I was also told that there was going to be a new and improved power amplifier series coming out soon. I am glad to say it is finally here and I have received my “FR Series” power amplifier for review.

At GuitarGearHeads, we really like to give you the real story so you can choose the best products that represent the best value for your dollar. When I mention my recent positive experiences with Crate amplifiers, some players react with some initial skepticism - especially those that have been playing for more than a few years. I can understand this point of view since it wasn't too long ago (10 years or so) that I would not have placed Crate very high on the "initial quality" list. One of the great things about my job with GuitarGearHeads is that I am sometimes challenged to road test gear that I would normally not consider based on hearsay or past experience. Twice now I have had to reevaluate my feelings toward a particular manufacturer’s product line. Crate is one of these companies.

Crate began as a small amplifier company that initially specialized in affordable, yet great sounding amplifiers for guitar players. These early amp models were actually built into old shipping crates giving them their signature name. I had the opportunity to see a few of these old amplifiers a few years back. They are very unique, vintage items that are currently highly sought after by discerning collectors.

The truth of the matter is this...for a couple of years Crate took a downturn in quality. Unfortunately, this bump in the road still haunts them today, even though their recent product lines are quite good. In fact, many respected big name players like Sammy Hagar, Bo Diddly, and Billy Gibbons can be seen found with Crate amplifiers as a part of their touring rigs.

I recently received the VTX200SH head as well as both the GT412SL and GT212SL Crate speaker cabs. I'll come out and say right now that I was extremely pleased with the quality and tone delivered by this equipment. You owe it to yourself (and your wallet) to check this gear out. Read on for the full review!

Written by Guest Reviewer: Larry Reese

According to Jim Marshall, “…the new MG Series raises the standard for what can be expected from a value-for-money range of guitar amplifiers and defines a new benchmark.” “…the power amp section…boasts FDD (Frequency Dependent Damping)—a radical new feature that is exclusive to Marshall Amplification and accruately mimics the way our all-valve amplifiers interact with a loudspeaker.”

All that may sound a bit technical, and even though I don’t fully understand it, I certainly believe it. I’ve never owned a solid state amp before that sounded so good. This is truly a stand-alone amp that will hold its own—even around tube amps. The bottom-end is a bit light when compared to tube amps, but that can easily be remedied by adding an equalizer or other device that will boost the low frequencies. With a bit of harmonic tweaking from my Aphex 204 Aural Exciter, or the BBE Sonic Maximizer, or even a stomp-box EQ, the bottom-end will dig a hole in the ground, so watch out if you live in a two-story house and be sure to keep it on the ground level.

As far as the high-end and mids go, don’t even worry about it—no help needed there. From the soft and mellow “bluesy” tones found in SRV’s “Riviera Paradise” to the piercing haunting highs needed for EVH’s “Respect the Wind,” you can count on it all to be there with this amp. The midrange and contour control settings work together to take care of your overall midrange tone. Dial out your mid’s by backing off the midrange and turning down the contour to “0”, and this will bring out the bass and treble in your tone for a more traditional sound. By adjusting the amount of midrange in conjunction with the contour control, you can reshape the midrange of your sound. Go with a contour of “5” and bump up the midrange for a rich and heavy thickness in your midrange output, or dial in some ‘hold on to your GuitarGearHead hat’ ballsy and just plain mean tone with a wide open contour, high mid’s, and pushing the volume till the paint on the walls starts to melt—now you’re cooking!