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best balance of volume versus clippability. If you’ve ever played an AC 15 or AC30 you will instantly fall into familiar territory where
the subtle changes in your picking can push things in and out of clip with amazing expression. The 15W and 30W Power Modes also
work well with TOP BOOST for using the guitar’s Volume control to take you from clean to varying degrees of saturation by rolling up
and down without losing the sweet harmonic top end spectrum.
The 15W Power Mode will provide a sweeter blend of upper harmonics and allow you to bring the onset of clip down to lower volume
levels. Watch the BASS control setting in 15W as the lower power is not capable of managing high levels of GAIN and BASS together.
If you intend to run the GAIN control high when in 15W, don’t be surprised to see your BASS control below 10:00 – or even off – to
achieve tight tracking bottom end response. The (Dyna-Watt) 40W Power Mode will respond the opposite way and allow you to run
both GAIN and BASS higher than in either 15W or 30W Modes. This mode is probably better suited to when you are using TOP
BOOST for either really clean (GAIN 10:00 or below) or really heavy sounds (GAIN above 3:00) where you need the bottom end tight
and percussive. In these two regions the extra power and headroom, along with the accentuation in the upper mids that comes with
this burst of attack-instant-voltage-release, really focuses things and adds authority.
CHANNEL 2:
TWEED:
This is the lowest gain of the three Modes in Channel 2 and is aimed at clean and edge of clip sounds. It draws the
framework of its circuit architecture from the early tweed amps from Southern Cal and then gets a healthy dose of magic from the 40
years of little secrets we’ve discovered to arrive at a beyond vintage level of Tone and performance.
When using TWEED for clean work the 30W and 40W (Dyna-Watt) Power Modes provide the best blend of
sparkle, warmth and headroom – with the 40W being the obvious choice for live performance high head-
room clean situations. To explore the world of soft clip sounds in TWEED, set the GAIN high (3:00 – 5:30),
the BASS low (8:00 – 10:30) and ponder the differences between 15W and 30W until you find just the right
response for your needs.
Just keep in mind that it is always a good idea when looking for overdriven sounds, especially in the TWEED
and NORMAL Modes, to reduce the BASS setting as you increase the GAIN control. This will avoid flubbiness and keep the attack
tight and focused.
HI 1:
We’re back across the water again for a high gain tribute to the “other” great British amp and HI 1 captures all the tight attack,
thumpy, tight bottom and midrange cut that these amps are famous for. HI 1 is the choice anytime you need attack and a higher, quicker
feeling bottom end response.
Many players prefer this circuit for crunch or overdriven rhythmic playing, citing its percussive nature tracks tighter in the hands and is
more defined in a mix. It also shines for use with shorter scale mahogany guitars that have a woodier, throatier top end and more lower
midrange as a dominant part of their character.
When looking for single note solo sounds in HI 1 it may be necessary to run the TREBLE a little lower than you would for high gain chord-
ing, say somewhere in the 9:30 – 10:30 range to soften the attack and round out the notes a bit for a smoother more vocal character.
When dialing up lower gain sounds in HI 1, whether for chording or lead work, try setting the BASS rather high - 1:30 – 3:30 – to add air
and girth to the sound. In general you can apply the BASS a little more liberally in HI 1 than in some of the other Modes as the increased
upper midrange attack present here will keep things tighter longer and the frequency of BASS is a bit higher than in HI 2, so it can follow
the attack a little easier in the time domain.
As far as power-matching, HI 1 is pretty friendly with all three choices, however 30W and 40W showcase the classic Brit response best
with 30W leaning toward smoother soloing and 40W excelling at tight percussive chording. The 15W position works good for lower to
medium gain soloing, but don’t expect it to be as tight or percussive for the rhythmic work as the two higher power Multi-Watt Modes.
Th e MO d e s : (Co n t i n u e d )
NORMAL
30 30
HI 1
TOP BST
40W
FT
SW
15W
TWEED
HI 2
40W
15W
MASTER
PULL
CUT /
BOOST
PULL
GAIN/
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