65Amps
Tupelo Combo Amp Review
 |
Download Example 1 Slightly overdriven clean with tremolo. Guitar: Richmond Dorchester |
|
|
Download Example 2 Raw, dynamic rock rhythm. Guitar: Hamer Korina |
|
|
Download Example 3 Edgy, Strat-style lead/rhythm tones. Guitar: Godin Passion RG-3 |
| All clips recorded directly into Pro Tools HD3 with a Shure SM57 into a Chandler LTD-1 mic pre with no EQ. Small bit of Lexicon room reverb on all tracks. | |
By Design
Designed to produce a bigger
and bolder flavor of the great '60s American amps with more tonal
and modern gain options, the Tupelo pushes 20 watts through a
pair of 6V6s, three 12AX7s, and a solid state rectifier. The combo
is made of 1/2 blind dovetail-jointed Baltic birch and covered in
the classic and classy 65Amps black and tan color scheme with
gold piping and basket weave-like grille cloth. Like in the Lil'
Elvis, the speaker of choice is a Celestion G12H-30.
Front panel controls from left to right are Volume, Smooth switch,
Tone, Bump switch, Intensity, Speed, and Master. The rear panel
offers a passive effects loop, two-button footswitch jack, dual
speaker outs, an 8/16-ohm impedance switch, and IEC power cord
input. The power section has been optimized for 6V6s and includes
newly designed Mercury Magnetics
iron to maximize the tone. The transformers are big and beefy
-- cool!
Peaking inside the beautifully designed and cleanly laid out
chassis, you can see a mix of NOS carbon comp and metal film
resistors as well as a selection of Sozo caps. According to
65Amps, they use the carbon comps in the tonal paths and the
metal film resistors where stability is critical. The Sozo
caps are also a mix of modern and vintage styles. With all of these
additions I was ready to get right to it and check out what the
Tupelo had to offer, so it was time to plug in.
Big American
I won't lie -- I've heard
the clips of [65Amps co-founder and Sheryl Crow
guitarist] Peter Stroud playing through the Tupelo and
was blown away with that big, open jangle and gorgeous, chimey
distortion, so I was expecting a lot. First up was my standard
litmus test of a 2003 Gibson Murphy Les Paul R8. With the
controls all set at about the halfway mark and the tremolo off, the
amp kicked my ass right out of the gate. The Les Paul didn't
have the same chime as Peter's Elliot guitar but I'd
expect that from the different guitars. The tone was thick and chewy
with a bold and wide bottom end and a killer crunch that had just
enough top without being brittle. You could feel the headroom and
power on big chords, making me realize just how loud 20 watts is --
I was shaking the walls.
Backing off the volume knob on the guitar cleaned the amp up very
nicely and brought out the more subtle tones that you only get from
that type of combination. Throwing caution to the wind, I dimed the
controls and hit the Bump switch. This setting gave me that open
throttle feel, similar to my favorite Marshalls where it's on
the verge of feedback and notes effortlessly glide out of the
guitar. Because the Master is a voltage control, it works
differently than a typical master volume by bringing the voltage
down correctly and effectively reducing the volume. At all but the
lowest settings it didn't harshly affect the tone. You can bring it
down to a comfortable bedroom volume without killing the integrity
of the sound, which is a nice bonus and also useful for late night
studio sessions at the house.
The Smooth switch is labeled
with a "+" and "-" on either side of the switch. In the "+"
position, it acts like a boost of some sort and added a nice edge to
the sound while increasing the gain. Both positions sound great, and
if you'd like a little smoother sound, you can switch to the "-"
position and take some of that edge off. I found this very useful
for matching guitars to the Tupelo. In particular, my
Strat liked the sound of the "-" position when using the bridge
pickup.
Let's not forget the tremolo! The tremolo is engaged either with the
included footswitch or using the Intensity knob. The trem has a
unique sound and a depth that I've rarely encountered on an amp.
With the Intensity set at full and the Speed at the lowest position,
it produced a thick throbbing that was syrupy and gooey. Bringing
the speed up and backing down the Intensity took the focus off the
effect, resulting in a beautiful swirl and depth that added richness
and texture to the tone. The effect was so addictive I found myself
leaving it on almost all the time, including soloing. It's that
good.
|
|
| 65Amps uses a combination of vintage American Allen Bradley carbon composite resistors and modern 1% Mil-spec metal film resistors in their circuitry. The carbon comp resistors are used in the tone path, while the more stable 1% Mil-spec metal film are used in areas that do not affect the tone as heavily. This creates a unusually repeatable and predictable formula that 65Amps says provides the best of vintage tone and modern stability and safety. 65amps purchased over 350,000 vintage Allen Bradley 5% Mil-spec resistors from the military and can build in this fashion for years. |
The Les Paul wasn't the
only guitar that loved the Tupelo. Over the review period I
ran a Hamer Korina Special through it with devastating
results. The tone was so raw and edgy that it ended up being the
star of a track on my upcoming CD. An Epiphone Sheraton
matched nicely with the amp and gave off shades of tones that I
hadn't heard come out of that particular guitar before. As much as I
loved the dirty tone, it was the semi-clean, backed-off volume knob
sound that blew me away and had me playing for hours. A Richmond
Dorchester with Lace Alumitone pickups and a Bigsby
produced a glassiness and class, and the combination of the tremolo
and a little dip of the Bigsby was right out of a David
Lynch film. This could very well be my favorite sounding guitar
with the Tupelo for cleans and slide.
The amp's passive effects loop worked flawlessly with a variety of
pedals and effects I ran through it. While I don't usually use
effects loops these days, it did bring up the point that if one is
designed well there's no reason not to use one for time-based or
other effects.
Buy if...
portable, versatile, big American tone is what you're looking for
Skip if...
you need more power (what? You're playing the Enormodome tonight?)
Rating...
MSRP
$2395 - 65Amps -
65amps.com
