Aiken Amplification Invader Head

Features of the Aiken Invader head are available at the aiken amplification website.

This amp nails the 60's - 70's "plexi" sound. Of course, it is much more versatile and reliable than an old Marshall plexi. Oversixed transformers allow you to overdrive the power tubes, yet keep the volume extremely low through the use of Randall Aiken's on-board attenuator. I require absolutely no overdrive/distortion pedals with this amp. The sound is chimey and sparkling as the volume is rolled off on my guitars volume knob. With the subtle turn of the guitar volume, the amp begins to display a very satisfying rhythm crunch.
Bring the volume up even more and it takes you into lead territory.
I love the fact that I can set the parameters on the bass, treble, mid, and volumes on the front of the amp and then just work my tone from the guitars volume control. Not many amps on the market today have such touch sensitivity available. Many amps require two-channels or a pedal out front to get clean and crunch. Not the Aiken Invader.
Again, the tone of this amp rivals the old Marshall plexis, but with outstanding volume control.

Over built. I heard that Randall stopped making the Invader because it was very labor-intensive. The transformers are huge! Point-to-point, finest parts I've ever seen in a Marshall style amp. Pure quality and attention to detail. He is easily to contact at his new shop, and has an outstanding website, giving technical details on every part of amp-building and tone-achievement. He's nothing short of an amp genius. This amp will outlast my great-grandchildren.

I've never had a reason to call or contact Randall. I enjoy reading all the positive things other Aiken amp owners have to say about him. I'm totally confident in his product and support. I've never heard or read a negative word about Randall or his amps.

I am so, so, lucky to have found one of these used. They NEVER show up on ebay. Everyone who owns one of these have hung on to them for dear life. If you ever find one...get it quick! The Invader is no longer made, but you can check out the specs on the Aiken website. The 18 watt EL84's are the most difficult to find out there. Not many were made apparently. Again, the tone is what sets the Invader miles apart from Blockhead, Germino, Ceriatone, and other "plexi clones" out there on the market. The built in attenuator is a stroke of genius which allows a guitarist to get that cranked up smooth-tube overdrive at bedroom volumes. You really have to hear it to believe it. Someday these will be collectors items....like Dumbles?? We'll see.

Features are listed on previous reviews. And they all add something!!

Oh, my! This is THE Marshall plexi sound at a volume level that won't get me thrown out of the house. This the ZZ Top Tres Hombres sound. This amp can produce any tone you want that you've heard coming out of those old Marshall plexi's. The wiring is PTP, beautifully layed out, and built to last as long as those old plexi's from the 60's.
Randall Aiken is a master amp builder. Check out his Aiken amp website. The guy knows everything there is to know about building plexi amps. The tone I get is unbelievable.

What can I say...?? Built like a tank!!

Randall Aiken provides his address, phone number, and email address on his amplifier manuals. He WANTS to hear from you if you have any concerns whatsoever about his wonderful amps. This really instills confidence in his product, unlike other boutique builders out there.

I was so, so fortunate to find one of these for sale. The Invader amp is not made anymore. It originally went for around $2000, I believe. I was lucky to find one. It seems that everyone who purchased one, is keeping theirs hidden. Bummer for everyone else out there who never got one, especially since 18 watt amps are back in vogue again.
And that's another thing, my EL84's are perfect for the type of tone I need: chimey, meaty when I dig in, and just the right volume for any, and I mean any occasion. Germino amps are nice...but way too loud in getting the plexi sound. Blockhead amps...the same. Ceriatone amps are okay, but fizzy sounding when cranked. If you want the true Marshall plexi tone, either get a $6000 Marshall plexi (and a Hotplate), or get an Aiken Invader.....if you can find one.

This one's for us young'uns (I'm 17). Features been gone over many times. THe attenuator is the best one I've ever played. Nuff said.

I use an Epi Les Paul with schaller pickup from '83 (before my time!), two Suhrs (strat and a tele), and a good ol' ES-345. I use an EV SR-0 speaker, and you can get almost any sound you want. Gotta love them tubes. Turn down the attenuator, not much (if any) loss of tone. Sweet deal.

I play jazz, rock, and metal, and I can get Freddie Green to Slash to Dimebag (RIP).

This thing hasn't broken on me in 3 years (I have the third Mark II). I've sent it in for some mods Randall suggested, though. Great guy, as I met him at NAMM '03. The man can build one heck of an amp.

Randall answers call personally, and it's never a problem to get him to do something. He doesn't give you the runaround, and he is the best guy I've ever dealt with (listen up, Mr. Rockaforte!).

Buy it. There's no better Marshall sound (yup, even modern Marshalls fall short). I play aminly bass, and if this were stlen, somebody would end up really badly hurt.

I've waited 6 months to post this review, to make sure my opinion was tempered and based on more than just new-toy-lust syndrome, so here we go.

"Features" are meaningless to me if I do not have a use for them, they have to provide functionality of flexibility as opposed to just being a bunch of buttons on a control panel. Having said this, I will rate this amp at 10, because this amp has 3 key clever elements that add true value and practical functionality:

1) an ali/plexi mini switch that truly changes the voicing of the amp from a looser/warmer sound (plexi) to a tighter more aggresive tone (ali);
2) An incorporated attenuator that IMHO is the best thing out there, becuase it works beautifully without sucking away too much tone, it is based on ceramic resistors as opposed to caps, coils and transformers (Trainwreck/Fisher style)
3) A great reverb that allows you to dial the dwell decay along with the reverb intensity.

There are additional features worthy of mention: The amp has a bias trim pot and VOM access points on the rear panel, allowing quick re-biasing without removing the chassis; a nicely executed cabinet, with a killer Bluesbreaker grille cloth and metallic brand plate; and finally a voltage selector along with a separate impedance selector for your choice of cabinet: 4, 8 or 16 ohms. Almost forgot, I do love the single input with internally bridged channels (avoids having to have the jumper cbale in the front of the amp), the two volume controls are interactive and allow you to sculpt your sound ver effectively. After that, the "standard" knobs: presence, treble, middle and bass.

I think this amp deserves a solid 10 on the sound department. Rather than extensive rambling, check out the sound clips that Eddie Berman has on Aiken section of www.indoorstorm.com The clips are exactly the way the amp sounds, no studio effects or recording garbage to taint the true tone. Absolutely killer sound. I play classic rock/blues and this amp gives me that in spades. The sound quality is truly amazing: it is the absolute best Marshall-tone I have been able to find, hands down (I have owned 50W and 100W re-issue plexis, including a JTM-45 and clones, TSL's, DSL's, all sorts of Fenders, Carr, Mojave, THD, etc.) I currently own a Two Rock Jade, a Victoria 20112 (like a Fender '59 1x12 tweed deluxe) and a Vox AC30HWH, all killer amps in their own league. The Aiken Invader gets the most play time of all. I usually just plug straight in without any effects, very ocassionally an Addrock Boostmaster or a tubescreamer may make its way, which the amp takes very well. Guitars: a Gibson 60' Les Paul Historic Re-issue with burstbuckers, a Suhr basswood/maple cap with buckers, and two Suhr classics, one with V60LP's and the other one with V54's. I have tried this amp with several speaker combinations: a 4x12 with G12H30's, an Aiken 2x12 cab with two Aiken A12L speakers (greenbackish' sounding), the same cab with G12H30's, and finally a ZBest 2x12 with a G12H30 and a Greenback. The absolute winner is the ZBest 2x12. The 4x12 is too large for the power rating of the amp. The Aiken cab sounded very nice and warm, but tighter with the G12H30's as opposed to the stock speakers. The ZBest is just perfect: the greenback gives you a nice warm vintage tone, and the G12H30 keeps the low end tight. Plus the cab is closed, but front ported thiele style and tuned to 30 Hz, so the projection is very full, it sounds like a much bigger cab - I have it upright: IMHO it is better sounding this way. The porting greatly reduces the boominess and compression normally seen in smaller cabs. I spent a lot of time with the speaker setup, and I'm glad I did, it really made a big difference. The amp sounds great with either single coils or my Les Paul. The sounds cleans up when you lower your guitar volume, and has the most beautiful vintage tone I have heard. If you like late 60's early 70's Marshalls, you HAVE to try this amp. Works equally well with humbuckers or single coils. It can be sweet and clean, or gnarly and fat. Very touch sensitive, and it seems so connected to your fingers and pick attack. The amp is quiet, and the chassis layout and wiring are very well executed (I looked inside). I normally have the amp in Ali, and I place both volumes at about 12, and just dial the grind with my guitar volume. If I need a fatter sound for my strats, just turn volume 2 up a notch, want more warm high end, turn up volume 1, that simple. It has a killer grind. The other thing I really like is the attenuator. I have tried so many of them, and I have sold great amps becuase I play a lot at home and can not afford the loudness, so I was forced to use attenuators that eat the tone. I'll give a not-so-elegant analogy that makes the point: amp attenuators are like sex with condoms: they work but it does not have the same feel... :) The attenuator in this amps is amazingly effective: I can notch it all the way down until the quietest setting before the continuous knob, and it retains the feel and fun of playing full bore with most of the tone. I am yet to find an amp or setting that gives me that, and I've tried all sorts of things. The other nice thing is that amazingly, it keeps a lot of the low end intact. Please, believe me, it is always cooler to open the amp, no arguing, but this attenuator allows you to balance the volume with the setting you are playing in, while retaining the feel of the amp. Without attenuation, it can be VERY loud, most amazing 18 watts you've heard. I simply love it. This amp does not do metal, but it kills at classic rock and blues.

So far, so good. It feels solid, and inspection of the inside of the amp reveals very good build quality and quality components. Only time will tell. Comparing it to other amps I've had, I think it will be handed over to my grandchildren in perfect working condition.

Excellent. I called once to ask a few questions and get some info, and I spoke to Randall, the owner. My emails were replied withing one day, and the treatment was polite and professional. Being a bit of techie guy, I liked a lot of the links and articles on his website as well. If they treat all customers like they treated me, they will be around for years to come. I bought this amp from Indoor Storm in NC. GREAT service and honest, sincere customer service. I have no connections to them, I am just a customer that likes to be treated professionally and have my questions answered. I would highly recommend them to anyone.

I bough this amp after listening to the sounds clips in www.IndoorStorm.com I remember thinking that if the amp sounds anywhere like this, I want it. I have not been dissapointed, I think this is a truly versatile amp, and a killer deal for the money if you are a classic Marshall tone freak. The amp is well built, and sounds awesome. I don't believe a true "bedroom" amp exists, but this one sure comes close, you need to move some air to get great tone, the key is not to get too loud. Check this amp out, I think you are in for a great surprise.

Aiken Invader Mark II manufactured in 2004. You can get the features and a lot of good technical summary from the Aiken website - www.aikenamps.com. There are two unique features that differentiate this amp from others. The first is the built in attenuator. I've used a Powerbrake, a Hotplate and a Weber MASS. Next to the MASS, this is the best attenuator I have heard. It gives the MASS a run for the money, and it is a standard feature on this amp.

The second feature is the dual volume control. Volume 1 is a bright circuit and volume 2 is a warm circuit. You can blend these two to get exactly the sonic feel that matches your guitar and pickups.

The third feature (did I say two - OOPS) is the plexi/ali switch. It changes the feel from a plexi, darker tone, to a more aggressive tone reminiscent of the early JCM 800 aluminum faceplates.

Each control on this amp actually does something in shaping the tone. Even the Presence actually changes the feel of the sound. I have never really used presence on other amps because it didn't do much. Now I know how itis supposed to work.

I've got a simple pallet of instruments - a Les Paul Standard with Burstbucker Pro pups and 60's neck. Great sounding and feeling guitar. But this is about an amp.

I like playing just about anything - although I have only marginal talent and abilities. I tend to the range of music that goes from blues to hard rock. Once in a while I practice chord changes in a jazz like manner and do the country thing, but more like Clapton or Eagles country (think Wonderful Tonight).

I can reach all of these styles from this amp. I've been playing a Marshall DSL50 for about a year and really like it, but there was something missing. From what I read about the Aiken, I thought I would give it a try. Jeff Noyes, at Noyes Guitar, was more than helpful in getting the amp.

In a nutshell, the Aiken is three dimensional compared to the Marshall's more two dimensional sound. You have to really hear it to understand it. I took my 4x12 cabinet and switched it to stereo and plugged each amp into one side. So I had the aiken on 2 speakers and the Marshall on 2 speakers. All I did was move my guitar back and forth to do the comparison. The Aiken was more articulate and had greater depth along the whole range from clean to crunch. It is like the difference between a diamond and a piece of crystal. Both are beautiful, but there is a depth to the diamond that you can't get with the crystal.

The Aiken is touch sensitive. I've never really played an amp with this type of sensitivity. For the first time my guitar's volume and tone knobs actually have a big impact on the sound of my playing. At a low volume the sound is crisp and clean with a chime that is so nice that I can just play at that level all day.

When you turn it up to the 5-7 range you get into that classic blues area where the single notes shine and the chords grind. Here is where putting the LP in the middle position and rolling off the tone just melts the music in your hands.

Pushing the volume all the way up gets a full crunch that is not brutal, but very muscular. And you can still play single notes that cut right through. There is enough distortion here for anything this side of Dimebag Darryl's metal.

At any setting the amp is quiet. I mean really quiet.

With the features I mentioned in the first section, there is a slightly more complex dialing in process for this amp. You can get to wonderful tones very easily, but after you play with the separate volumes, the plexi/ali, the presence and the EQ, you begin to get a sense that the Aiken amp is not just a fantastic design, but a truly tuned guitar amplifier that can be contoured to the individual players characteristics. Couple the really useful amp controls with its responsiveness to the guitar settings and you have an opportunity to paint a sonic landscape that will keep you happy for quite some time.

This amp is, quite literally, much better than my mediocre talent. I do believe in using equipment that is as good as you can get. It won't hold you back. I have been around long enough to know that tastes change, but I do not see me changing this amp for some time, if ever.

Some observations. I found that with my LP I use mostly volume 1, the brighter volume. If I were playing a strat I might use more of the volume 2. In either case, the two different tone plants allow you to tailor the sound to your liking.

The Aiken Invader is not a Marshall clone. That wonderful sound is at it's core, but what Randall Aiken has done is rethink how an amplifier should work. I have always liked the richer sound of Marshall amps and am a tube amp addict, so the Aiken Invader was quick to draw my attention. I am quite pleased with everything about this amp. Did I mention the great reverb? I didn't think I was going to like it as much as I do and now I wouldn't want the amp without it.

This amp runs a bit more than what you pay for a DSL50, but for the incremental difference, you are getting a superior buil

This thing is built with top quality parts that have been chosen to work together in a cohesive form. You can tell that Randall Aiken loves tube amps because there is a lot of care and attention to detail in this design. I am sure it will last as long as I want to play it.

During the purchase process Randall and Minton were more than helpful via email and telephone calls. Great responsiveness and you can tell they love what they are doing.

I have been playing electric guitar more seriously for about 10 years, but only seriously for the last 2. I am fortunate that I can get good equipment. Over the years I have owned a number of amps, the best of which were Marshall's. The DSL50 I have now was as good as any Marshall I ever played. The Aiken Invader MKII is a different amp than the Marshall, but gives me the tone that I have been looking for and the ability to shift it through re-dialing the controls if my equipment or my ears change. With most other amps you pretty much get the one tone in either clean or crunch depending on what you do with a gain control. With the Invader you have several tonal choices within the context of a classic British feel and, more important, an amp that truly reflects the guitar you are playing.

If this were stolen, I would be on the phone to Jeff Noyes to order another one. There is nothing on this amp that I find excessive or unusable. Everything is well thought out and has real function. Just a great amp. You know it is if you keep wanting to go and play some more.

30W MkII Invader head, made in Oct 2003. Very cool control panel. Single input. Plex1/Ali switch which changes the amps sound from looser/warmer (plexi) to tighter/brighter (ali). Two internally jumpered channels, one voiced dark, the other voiced bright. Separate volume controls for each so they can be blended to taste. The usual treb/mid/bass/presesnce controls. Two knob reverb so you can control the relative mix and the decay. Two knob attenuator, first knob takes it down in -3 db incrememnts to -15 db, then the second knob takes it from -15 db to nil in a continuous fashion. Jewel light power indicator, and power and "Glory" switches (I love Randall's humor! Glory is the standby switch, LOL!). Back panel includes two speaker outs, 4/8/16 Ohm impedance selector switch, bias test points and trim pot, and my amp has a custom 1/2 power switch which switches from pentode (full power) to triode (1/2 power).

This amp has everything you need to dial in AWESOME 60s/70s Marshall amp Classic Rock tones!

I'm using this amp with Les Pauls and Strats through a 2x12 semi-open back cab with Greenbacks. This is THE BEST amp I have ever played for getting a variety of 60s/70s Marshall amp tones! From Clapton Cream and Bluesbreaker tones to Trower to Hendrix to early Van Halen, it's all in there!! The blending of the dark/bright channels is a key feature in the amp's versatility.

It's only a 30 watt amp, but it plays very loud and will cut through the mix in a band setting with no problem. It cleans up very well just rolling back on the guitar's volume knob. It is very pedal friendly and you can easily get silly over the top nasty gain sounds if you want.

Ha! This is one of the finest amps made today. It is built rock solid! There is no question about this.

Randall and Minton will bend over backwards to make you happy. Randall has a great sense of humor, too! :-)

No concerns here.

I've been playing guitar in pop/rock/blues/jazz bands for over three decades. I've owned many fine amps: Fender, Marshall, Peavey, Carvin, Roland, TopHat, Carr, Dr. Z, Soldano, Bruno, Two Rock, etc etc. The quality of construction of the Invader is the best of the best. The Invader absolutely NAILS a variety of 60s/70s Marshall amp sounds. Randall is a wonderful engineer and amp builder. What more could anyone possibly want?

This head was made custom for me by Randall and is basically a 2 el34 Invader head but with a diiferent power transformer to give it 45 -50 watts which I wanted for increased clean headroom.

The invaders are like having the best Marshall you ever heard but with lots of goodies added that Marshall doesn't have.

Like a Marshall it has two channels but they are bridged internally. Unlike a marshall where you have to bridge the two channels, Randall Aiken has done this internally. Very cool!
The amp has a 2 knob reverb; reverb intensity and dwell. This is reall cool because the dwell allows you to shorten the tail of the reverb which really makes sense when using reverb at higher gain setting. Also if the reverb is turned all the way down it is taken totally out of the chain.
The other thing that sets this amp apart is the on-board attenuator. Randall makes the best attenuator I've heard and then puts it right on the amp so you don't have to carry around another piece of equipment. What's so cool about this is that n matter room I'm in I can have the right power. From a 50 watt amp to a 1/2 watt amp I can dial in power tube overdrive at any level. (The attenuator also has another knob that becomes active on the most attenuated level. It allows you to reduce the power down to real bedroom levels)

One other thing I forgot to mention is a Ali/Plexi switch that changes the basic character of the amp from sounding like an aluminum Marshall to a plexi style marshall. This really works!

The amp also has onboard biasing capability without have to remove the chassis. (The only other amp I've seen that has this is the Komet, which I owned and sold this year after hearing the Aiken.)

I use this amp with a 64 strat, a Nocaster relic, a 57 Les Paul Goldtop reissue, and a Warmoth frankenstrat with 57 classic humbuckers.

I run the head through either a 2x12 Aiken cab with 2 of Aiken's greenback copies(really great cab) or 1x12 mojo cab with a celestion classic lead 80.
To describe the sound, initially think of the best Marshall tone. That description is a bit misleading because this amp covers two of the best (in my opinion) periods of Marshall tone. Playing with the ali/plexi switch on the ali side is like playing a great aluminum panel marshall but with the ability to play a more reasonable volumes if necessary due to the attenuator. I don't know how to describe tone very well, I just know if sounds good or not and if it works for me.

Getting back to describing the amp as sounding like a great marshall, remember that the earliest marshalls were based on a fender bassman. Playing the amp in the plexi mode adds more bass into the tone making it to my ears more fender bassman like but with more mids and don't forget the really good sounding reverb.

What I like so much about this amp is the ability to set the amp so that I can play anywhere from really clean to pretty heavy grind by controlling the volume knob on my guitar. Most everyone always associates marshalls with heavy metal or rock but Marshall cleans have always been my favorite, especially on the old marshalls.

I play every week in a band that plays country, zydeco, blues, and funk and this amp covers all of those styles as well as any kind of wild Rock.

Knowing how well these amps are made I don't have any worries about it's reliability.

There is no better customer service than Randall Aiken. If you ever have any questions or concerns, Randall wants to know about them. He participates in several online forums and regularly anwsers questions about his products.

I've been playing for 42 years. Started playing in bands in 7th grade, and played the rock circuit in LA in the mid 70s, did the lounge tour thing and still play every week now in the Atlanta area.

I really have had most every amp. The last couple of years I went on a search for the ultimate amp. I bought and sold the following: Allesandro Working Dog, Divided by 13 ERT 33, Komet 60, Dr Z maz jr, Cornell Plexi 45/50, Matchless SC-30, several reissue tweed bassmans, budda dual stage 30, budda verbmaster 18, and I'm sure I'm forgetting some others.

I also bought a Dr. Z Route 66 that I love and am keeping.

For me the Aiken's are the ultimate amps. I currently have a tomcat 1x12 combo on order for my pickup and carry amp.

Plexy/illuminum configuration/tone switch. Changes the soudn from a Vintage Marshall plexy or illuminum sound. Volume attenuator on the front that is the best one I've ever heard and actually just sounds like a volume control preserving all the tone just at a lower volume. MUCH better sounding then the hot plate which I also own. And it has a Fender style spring reverb which is very cool and also an XLR output. For a vintage style amp it has a lot of features.

Best amp I've ever heard or played through. Better than all my vintage Marshalls and better than any Dr. Z I've ever heard. I set it up in the studio right outa the box and I haevn't had another amp turned on since. The tone on tape is amazing. This guy Aiken should be huge. Like I said. The best I've ever heard.

Only had it a little while so I don't know yet? So far a 10 though.

Randall Aiken is on it. He's a great guy and a fricken genius as far as I can tell. http://www.aikenamps.com/

I can't wait to turn it on every day. What else can I say? If I could give it an 11 I would. :>) http://www.aikenamps.com/