New amp day (kinda - I've had it a few weeks now but wanted to gig it and do a few sessions with it before I commented) - Louis Electric Columbia Reverb. And it's stunning.
It's Lou Rosaro's take on a Princeton Reverb (in fact it was originally called a Princetone, presumably until he got a slap on the wrists from Fender) with a few updates like a 12" speaker, a mid control, and the ability to take 6L6s instead of the 6V6s that are currently in there.
I'd called Doug at Coda Music with a pretty specific set of requirements, and we pretty much narrowed my requirements down to this one amp, at least in theory. Now that I've had it in my grasp for a little time, I can say it's one of the very best amplifiers I've ever played through.
I've had a chance to A-B it with all the studio's favourites, and it's right there at the top of the pile. It's a VERY vintage sound and feel - I've owned a couple of vintage Fenders from the 60s and this really reminds me of them. My current favourite amp for clean sounds and mild break up is my trusty Tone King Imperial, and the Columbia is very similar in a lot of ways, even if it sounds quite different tonally. It handled every guitar I could throw at it beautifully - tele, strat, P90 tele, P90 Les Paul, Gretsch, 335, Ricky 12, Danelectro Baritone - and for one of my favourite sounds (neck humbucker played hard but staying clean) it was probably the best I've heard.
Just like the Imperial, it has a huge but defined and clear bottom end - the Imperial is pretty legendary for sounding far bigger than a 1x12 amp, and the Columbia sounds just the same. The reverb is the best I've heard on any amp, period. The tremolo is beautiful - not quite as deep and choppy as that of the Imperial, but even smoother.
I've been able to compare it directly to some lovely amps and on recordings with others I've owned in recent years - the Imperial, my Carr Sportsman, Black Cat 30, Budda SD45, Redplate CDS2, Lazy J20, Two Rock Studio Pro Plus 35 - and it may well be my favourite amp of all. Just stunning.
If you're after a classic, beautiful blackface thing, you owe it to yourself to try one of these out.
Comments
I must try one !
Let me know if you're interested in it, not that I'm currently selling!
The 6L6 and 6V6 models are exactly the same amp, you just need to rebias for one or the other and there's a bias pot on the back. I may buy another Columbia at some point and keep it fitted with 6L6s.
I was interested in that KR12, but I'd just bought an amp when it went up for sale! Still interested