Product: Adams V-50 High Gain
Price Paid: UNKNOWN
Submitted
06/25/2008
at
01:36pm
by
Budman
Features
:
9
Hand built in May 2008 by master amp guru Bill Adams in Tucson, AZ. From a feature perspective, this amp is pretty straight-forward: Single channel 50 watt head powered by 2 EL34's. This particular model was built with no effects loop which helps to preserve the quality of the tone. Bill also added his new high-gain circuit to this head which really makes it shine! I have recently been enamored by high-quality, single channel amps, and this head absolutely does what I want it to do.
Sound Quality
:
9
I use a variety of humbucker equipped guitars through this amp, included a PRS, Peavey Wolfgang, Ibanez RGs, and Les Pauls. I play mostly classic rock, with a touch of metal and I find that when I turn this amp on, it returns the favor. I really like the high-gain circuit Bill created for this amp as it adds depth to the sound. Even small tweaks to the tone controls will greatly change the character in this amp, so it may take a little while to find the sound you have in your head, but it does give you tremendous tonal possibilities. This is not, however, a Plexi clone. It has the low end girth of a Mesa/Boogie, with a noticably vintage gain structure. The V-50 is very touch sensitive, and I use my guitar's volume knob to go from a very useful clean to full-on crunch. I generally use my Boss Super OD to "crisp" the attack and provide an additional boost for solos.
Reliability
:
No Opinion
I have had no problems with my V-50, and from the looks of the construction, do not feel I ever will. Bill even builds the cabinets by hand, and they provide a rock solid enclosure for this amp head.
Customer Support
:
10
I'm able to e-mail Bill directly with any questions and he usually gets back to me the same day. Now that's responsive!
Overall Rating
:
9
I have several amps, but this one is special because of the unique tone and the way it cuts through the mix in a band situation. My bandmates actually commented on how much they liked my sound the first day I brought this amp to practice, which is a first! Overall I really like how clean I can make this amp by only using my guitar's volume knob, and feel this is a fantastic hand-wired amp that I plan on using for a long time!
