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themaddog « Packs a mean punch for the size »
Published on 06/18/11 at 10:36This is a 150 watt solid state amplifier that can be run in mono or stereo. It uses the standard 1/4" guitar cable jacks with an auxiliary section with RCA inputs to plug in a CD or MP3 player. There is a headphone output, a balanced line out, and the amplifier has controls for gain, low, mid, high, and output level. There is also an effects loop. The main appeal of the amp is it's very small, very light-weight size.
UTILIZATION
The controls are very simple to use, and it provides a decent sound at full, loud volumes quite easily. I don't think I've ever needed to crack open the manual for this amp.
SOUNDS
The tone out of this amplifier is decent, but relatively flat due to the limited controls. It's basically got the same tone as a small practice amp, only on a much more powerful scale. It is fairly quiet and doesn't produce much hiss. However, if pedals or other pre-amp equipment is placed in front of this amp or as part of its effects loop, the tone vastly improves. At this point, the PowerBlock essentially becomes a cheap power amp.
OVERALL OPINION
The main appeal of this amp is its very compact size and weight. Because of this, it makes an excellent backup amp, which is what I used it for when gigging. Fortunately I never needed to use it live because my main rig never went down. I have used it in practice through a half-stack and a 1x12 combo and it works well, so long as effects equipment is used on the front-end for tone shaping.
I've never had any problems with the amplifier. In all honesty, with the right front-end effects gear, 90% of the audience probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference in tone between using this amplifier or a high-end amplifier like a Mesa Boogie.
UTILIZATION
The controls are very simple to use, and it provides a decent sound at full, loud volumes quite easily. I don't think I've ever needed to crack open the manual for this amp.
SOUNDS
The tone out of this amplifier is decent, but relatively flat due to the limited controls. It's basically got the same tone as a small practice amp, only on a much more powerful scale. It is fairly quiet and doesn't produce much hiss. However, if pedals or other pre-amp equipment is placed in front of this amp or as part of its effects loop, the tone vastly improves. At this point, the PowerBlock essentially becomes a cheap power amp.
OVERALL OPINION
The main appeal of this amp is its very compact size and weight. Because of this, it makes an excellent backup amp, which is what I used it for when gigging. Fortunately I never needed to use it live because my main rig never went down. I have used it in practice through a half-stack and a 1x12 combo and it works well, so long as effects equipment is used on the front-end for tone shaping.
I've never had any problems with the amplifier. In all honesty, with the right front-end effects gear, 90% of the audience probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference in tone between using this amplifier or a high-end amplifier like a Mesa Boogie.