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guigui01 « An extreme and versatile amp »
Published on 12/31/13 at 00:02To begin, I would like to remind that in NOS, everything is custom, the type of power tubes, the sound itself, through the number of channels.
So mine has 4 EL34 power lights, a clear channel and channel distortion, a noise gate and built a switch back to go from 100W to 50W and an effects loop.
Each channel has a volume, gain, EQ acute low, medium,. The distortion channel has an additional sweep button.
For the power unit: 2 volumes (the 2nd volume is added to the first, which makes it easy to boost solos), a presence and a rumble).
All this is very complete, and perfectly matches my expectations, so I put 10.
UTILIZATION
So for this amp, no manual, but hey, if you know turn buttons, I think we can get away
After, simply trusting his ears to find the sound that suits us . A small light indicating which channel it is directly on the head would have been a little more, but it's history quibble.
The sweep button is the ultimate weapon of channel distortion. Basically if you dig or if it boosts the mids, with the sweep button is varied this hollow or the bump of low mids to high mids.
The presence knob boosts the treble, and the rumble button reinforces the bass.
SOUNDS
I play this amp now for September 2012, I waited all this time to post a review to be the most critical and can not put a comment in the euphoria of beginning.
I use this head with 4x12 cabinet NOS V30 that goes with it.
This amp is perfectly suited to the style of music I play. My group is made of tinted hardcore thrash metal, and this amp has nothing to envy the big brands, quite the contrary. My friend guitarist also has a NOS, and whether repeated, concert or recording, 2 amps OUR blend to perfection, without a breath by the other or more guitar before . We have a relatively fat sound, and even then, the bassist remains audible and very present.
Once it cleared point of his talk more precisely. I play this head with different guitars (Jackson, Gibson, Capelli) all equipped with bareknuckle pickups.
Let's start with channel 1. For my part, I like clean tones that are borderline cruncher. The fact that the channel has a gain 1, one can obtain very crystalline or sounds by pushing the gain get cool enough crunch. I'm not a big fan of clean sounds, but it perfectly meets all the expectations we may have, be it a rather warm vintage sound or a more accurate and modern sound.
In terms of the channel 2. The gain of channel 2 starts where one stops on channel 1. It is therefore a crunch pushed up mountains saturations. The sound can be sculpted at will thanks to the sweep button, and even digging mediums, in group play, the amp is present and audible, which is not the case with all amps. With the equalizer, the rumble and the presence results in a multitude of excellent / great sound, whether fat, precise, everyone can find his account, provided you take the time to trituer all buttons in all sense. Because with the sweep button without changing setting, it radically changes the sound of the amp.
Afterwards, there was grain NOS. OUR grain is sound Thick, but still accurate and incisive, but very argneux defined. Love it or do not, personally, I love and that is also what pushed me to take this head.
To this point I can only put 10 because the amp was designed by Gerard listening to my requests and expectations, so it perfectly meets all what I expected.
I had the chance to go to the shop to find this amp before buying. So I had a full demonstration by Gerard. Although this amp is very suitable for metal, I was bleuffé by extensive accessible by the head registers pallet: you can play very bold and very punchy rock, rockabilly, rock old school. Everything goes!
OVERALL OPINION
I use since September 2012, as a group. I repeat every week with, I did concerts, recording, and I still love the sound it delivers.
After seeing that it is the custom, I recommend get in touch with Gerard NOS to try and discuss with him the sounds you want, he will listen and advise.
Before buying this amp I have used a Marshall EL34 power amp 100x100 in which I connected a Mesa Boogie Studio Preamp, Marshall JMP1 a Engl E530 and a Hughes & Kettner Trilogy head all on different speakers: Randall 2x12 in V30, Ibanez 4x12, 4x12 Hughes & Kettner V30.
I never found the sound quality before, with so many sonic possibilities.
In summary, I would say that if it again, I would not hesitate to take the plunge. It is not more expensive than the big American brands, and it's just as good a job for the made in France. Gerard is primarily a guitarist, so he knows the requirements of guitarists.
I am not 10, because Gerard is all the time trying to design its new amps and so I know he can do even better: D
So mine has 4 EL34 power lights, a clear channel and channel distortion, a noise gate and built a switch back to go from 100W to 50W and an effects loop.
Each channel has a volume, gain, EQ acute low, medium,. The distortion channel has an additional sweep button.
For the power unit: 2 volumes (the 2nd volume is added to the first, which makes it easy to boost solos), a presence and a rumble).
All this is very complete, and perfectly matches my expectations, so I put 10.
UTILIZATION
So for this amp, no manual, but hey, if you know turn buttons, I think we can get away
After, simply trusting his ears to find the sound that suits us . A small light indicating which channel it is directly on the head would have been a little more, but it's history quibble. The sweep button is the ultimate weapon of channel distortion. Basically if you dig or if it boosts the mids, with the sweep button is varied this hollow or the bump of low mids to high mids.
The presence knob boosts the treble, and the rumble button reinforces the bass.
SOUNDS
I play this amp now for September 2012, I waited all this time to post a review to be the most critical and can not put a comment in the euphoria of beginning.
I use this head with 4x12 cabinet NOS V30 that goes with it.
This amp is perfectly suited to the style of music I play. My group is made of tinted hardcore thrash metal, and this amp has nothing to envy the big brands, quite the contrary. My friend guitarist also has a NOS, and whether repeated, concert or recording, 2 amps OUR blend to perfection, without a breath by the other or more guitar before . We have a relatively fat sound, and even then, the bassist remains audible and very present.
Once it cleared point of his talk more precisely. I play this head with different guitars (Jackson, Gibson, Capelli) all equipped with bareknuckle pickups.
Let's start with channel 1. For my part, I like clean tones that are borderline cruncher. The fact that the channel has a gain 1, one can obtain very crystalline or sounds by pushing the gain get cool enough crunch. I'm not a big fan of clean sounds, but it perfectly meets all the expectations we may have, be it a rather warm vintage sound or a more accurate and modern sound.
In terms of the channel 2. The gain of channel 2 starts where one stops on channel 1. It is therefore a crunch pushed up mountains saturations. The sound can be sculpted at will thanks to the sweep button, and even digging mediums, in group play, the amp is present and audible, which is not the case with all amps. With the equalizer, the rumble and the presence results in a multitude of excellent / great sound, whether fat, precise, everyone can find his account, provided you take the time to trituer all buttons in all sense. Because with the sweep button without changing setting, it radically changes the sound of the amp.
Afterwards, there was grain NOS. OUR grain is sound Thick, but still accurate and incisive, but very argneux defined. Love it or do not, personally, I love and that is also what pushed me to take this head.
To this point I can only put 10 because the amp was designed by Gerard listening to my requests and expectations, so it perfectly meets all what I expected.
I had the chance to go to the shop to find this amp before buying. So I had a full demonstration by Gerard. Although this amp is very suitable for metal, I was bleuffé by extensive accessible by the head registers pallet: you can play very bold and very punchy rock, rockabilly, rock old school. Everything goes!
OVERALL OPINION
I use since September 2012, as a group. I repeat every week with, I did concerts, recording, and I still love the sound it delivers.
After seeing that it is the custom, I recommend get in touch with Gerard NOS to try and discuss with him the sounds you want, he will listen and advise.
Before buying this amp I have used a Marshall EL34 power amp 100x100 in which I connected a Mesa Boogie Studio Preamp, Marshall JMP1 a Engl E530 and a Hughes & Kettner Trilogy head all on different speakers: Randall 2x12 in V30, Ibanez 4x12, 4x12 Hughes & Kettner V30.
I never found the sound quality before, with so many sonic possibilities.
In summary, I would say that if it again, I would not hesitate to take the plunge. It is not more expensive than the big American brands, and it's just as good a job for the made in France. Gerard is primarily a guitarist, so he knows the requirements of guitarists.
I am not 10, because Gerard is all the time trying to design its new amps and so I know he can do even better: D