Review by
a visitor on Apr 25, 2007
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Ordered and purchased from Adams Electronics, Tuscon, AZ, in 2007. Price $725.00. Wanted a good 50 watt tube head for recording and performing metal.
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Features |
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50 watts RMS with five 12AX7's in preamp, and two EL34-EH in power section. Two footswitchable channels, with two different front-panel switched overdrive flavors: mild and "overload" (I named the later, because it's quite unique, yet very suitable for modern death/black metal). Has 4/8/16 ohm cab out's. Has the "line-out" I asked for, and it works with PA, mixer, digital recorder, but you must have a cab or speaker load connected when using it.....This head has no effect's loop, or reverb, by request. It's just a stripped down high gain machine. Has one input jack, instead of the usual high/low inputs. Looks like a very old marshall, but brand new with black hardware-but the three switches in the front panel are chrome.... better tolex job, and nice gold piping around the front panel.
The only weak point is when running the line-out on the heavier OD, to the fostex digital recorder I have, it's fuzzy sounding. Mic'-ing my 2x12 results in superb, huge sound, good definition. I usually mic my cab anyway, with this ADAMS, or my old RH50-T Randall tube head-which has no line-out.
Strong points....in-your-face high gain distortion unlike any other....louder at ANY setting than the comparable 50 watt Randall. Beautiful clean channel...mic'ed, or line'd.....The milder overdrive selection is good for '60's and '70's jam-band sh-t, pop, douchbag country-western....but it does add that much versatility. You can play any kind of music with this head. |
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Playability |
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I get the sound I want out of this head. I got what I asked for, and paid for.
This amp is sensitive to how hard or soft I play. I like that. |
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Quality |
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For a tube head, it's pretty noise free on either channel, or OD selection. Doesn't hum like the other's. Pretty damn loud for a 50 watt. Good bass response with no sloppiness. It can shred, or dirge, or slay. |
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Durability |
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Built by William Adams. Seems to be very solid. I believe it is a fixed bias-type head, so no adjustment's should be needed. It was shipped with the power tubes removed. All I had to do was carefully put in the '34's and go straight to hell....
It should be great for playing out. I'll have my Randall for back-up, but probably won't need it much.
The supplied single button channel-switching footswitch has a plastic box, though....I'm used to metal boxes for such things. It does work fine....but it can move around the floor, or carpet easily. The tiny rubberized feet on the bottom of it don't keep it in place very long. |
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Overall |
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I think I made the right choice. I was going to get something else, made in china. Right now, I think I have the best head I ever bought. |
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