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AMPLIFIER FAQ
Sliding it out if the cabinet reveals a well-designed and
manufactured circuit board with all of the components
top-side, with the traces located underneath.
The mains transformer sits off the board on the
right-hand side of the chassis, along with the power
switch and associated power wiring. It’s hard to miss
the three-spring reverb unit located on the circuit
board, it’s (comparatively) huge and runs almost the
length of the thing. The potentiometers are sturdy
Taiwanese-made 24mm units from Alpha and are easy
to clean and, if required, replace. After the service is
completed, it’s time to button it all back up and give
the amp a play test.
Plugging in a Les Paul, selecting the bridge pickup gain down to three, set the master to full, bass and mids ABOVE LEFT The spring
and turning the gain up to about three o’clock ushers on two, and the treble to whatever suits, and with my reverb unit almost runs
in a classic 1980s rock tone that wanders ever so close 1960 Epiphone Century, I can get anything from Wes the length of the board
to the sound you hear on Van Halen’s eponymous Montgomery to Joe Pass. Turn the mids up a smidge ABOVE RIGHT This
debut album. Turn it up a little more, push the mids further and I could Django all night at the Hot Club. Kalamazoo-made Epiphone
past eight and soon we’re in Thin Lizzy territory. The There we go then: the small amp that can do it all. Century is a surprisingly good
master volume is fantastic, and it’s not terribly I’m so enamoured with the Reverb 12’s jazz tone that match for the Reverb 12
difficult to eke out brilliant tones even at bedroom- I’ve just purchased one for myself. For only £120
friendly volumes – a vanishingly rare and increasingly delivered, I’d be mad to say no. TOP The output transistors
prized amp trait these days. are isolated in deep heat sinks
Here’s something I didn’t know until now: the Visit riftamps.com for more on Rift’s range of
Reverb 12 is also a fantastic jazz amplifier. Turn the British-built boutique amplifiers
GUITAR MAGAZINE 133
