T H E GA S STATION aFForDable moDelling amp rounD-up Words Nick Guppy Photography Joseph Branston 96 TOTAL GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017 TGR289.gear_test.
the tg test Great, authentic tone is mainstream digital modelling’s bold new frontier. We check out four affordable contenders… o kay, we all love vintage valve amps, but let’s be honest, the technology that makes them work is yesterday’s news.
T H E GA S STATION VoX VaLVetRoNIX Vt100X £388 Hybrid howitzer BoSS KataNa 100 £275 Boss sharpens the cutting edge What’s a valve doing in a digital amp? Hang on, doesn’t Boss make effects? The VT100X preamp features a real 12AX7 valve for authentic drive and distortion effects, so it’s a hybrid design.
the tg test MaRSHaLL Code50 1X12 CoMBo £259 Hi-tech for rock gods BLaCKStaR Id:CoRe SteReo 40 V2 CoMBo £159 Tone to the core Has Marshall cracked the Code? What does the V2 stand for here? Very funny. The Code range is Marshall’s first serious attempt at modelling amps and as you’d expect, they pack in loads of Marshall sounds, together with some other classics.
the tg test Head to head The Vox has a real preamp valve for extra tonal authenticity Which of our foursome is the model citizen? A 100 ll four combos have excellent low-noise performance – it’s worth noting the Blackstar uses an external power supply, while the other three use regular 240V kettle leads – and each also sports an easily navigated control panel.
T H E GA S STATION FINaL VeRdICt Picking the top mod for you… W hile all four amps are affordable, there’s quite a range of prices here – although it’s worth noting each model comes in a range of sizes to suit your needs. Blackstar’s ID:Core Stereo 40 is less than half the cost of the Vox, yet for home use it’s quicker to get working, as well as taking up less space. It’s perfect for the home recording enthusiast who wants to get authentic tone onto a track with minimal hassle.
