Noble Twenty Watt

My Noble Twenty Watt head was made in 2008.

The best feature about the Noble is its unique design. The amps 12ax7 tubes for the preamp stage and for power tubes it has two EL84s and one EL34. There is a standard input jack on the front as well as a direct input to plug a pre-amp directly into the power stage of the amp. The head doesn't have any crazy (unnecessary)shaping ability via EQ etc but it does have an "edge" knob that you can use to dial up or down the high end of the amp. I run edge at about 2 o'clock, it's a great mix that allows the sparkle to shine through. The amp also has a bass switch that will give a little more low end when it's turned on. I've never had a need for this though I get lots of natural low end through my guitars. The owner and builder of Noble (Jack) told me that the true character of my guitar would shine through with this amp and he's right. By staying away from the 97 knob EQ that most amps have my guitar displayed true character that absolutely blows my mind.

Apparently Noble has "ground up" designs inside the amp that have never been used by anyone else in the amp world. What I know is that the sound is crisp, true and clear. Part of the design includes a switch on each power tube that allows you to turn off any of the three power tubes as you see fit. Generally I turn off both EL84 tubes and just run with the EL34 tube turned on. I still have more than enough volume and more importantly headroom for the venues I frequent.

The head also has a switch to change impedance relative to the type of cab you play. It will handle 4, 12, or 16 ohm cabinets. I've used 8 and 16 ohm cabs with no issues.

Another feature of the amp that may be taken for granted by some but it should be noted; the head is small and very light. As any gigging musician knows, lugging gear around is no fun. Since the head is light it helps the load feel more manageable.

Jack also helped me out with my speaker cab. I had one that I built myself but I moved ahead with his suggested modifications. he suggested a couple specially chosen Jensen speakers and he also suggested I port the back of the cab. That thing has never sounded better! He matched a ceramic and an alnico speaker that sound absolutely amazing together. He wired my input plate with a special switch that allows me to run either speaker independently or together. Honestly I never run a single speaker but it's nice to know I have the ability. I was given a special jack plate made by Noble that lists what the speakers are and what the impedance load is depending on where the selection switch is.

I'm not sure if looks are a feature but I love the way the amp looks. It's clean and striking. The attention to detail with appearance gets me almost as many compliments at shows as the tone does.

The final feature I'll mention is the custom fitted head cover that I purchased from Noble for a few bucks. It fits the head perfectly and has holes stitched in for the handles of the head. It is a nice fit and goes a long way to protect my head from dust and scrapes etc.

I use a Fender Custom Shop Player's Strat, PRS Singlecut, and a Squire Tele with my head. The sound is fantastic! The amp has great headroom and sparkle. I love running through a clean boost pedal and letting the natural overdrive from the amp sing through. It's a great sound! Each of my guitars has a different and distinct style and the Noble brings out the nuances of each of them. My PRS has more growl, my strat has more glassy chime and my tele has more clear twang than with any other amp I've ever plugged into.

I use lots of pedals to get different sounds from the amp. Of course this is not a high gain head but it's not meant to be. Noble set out to provide a great clean tone to build on and that's what the head does. With each of the distortions or boosts I put in front of the amp the outcome is great. Whether I'm using a big sustainey fuzz pedal or a gritty TS9 the tone is tight and clear. My favorite setting is just running the EL34 tube, volume at 2 o'clock, edge at 2 o'clock and bass switch off. The result is a pristine clean tone that will growl a bit with overdrive when you really bang on the guitar.

This amp is not noisy at all even with single coils. I never get any hum even in old buildings with bad wiring (my house).

At first I wasn't sure if twenty watts would be enough but it really is. Again I almost always run with just an EL34 and no EL84 tubes turned on. When I played Paramount's Great America I didn't have any problems with having enough volume. The sound guy was still telling me to turn down. I hate it when they say that...

I gig without a backup. The amp sees local and road use and has never let me down. I recently ordered a complete set of replacement tubes for the head from Noble but just as a precaution while I'm on the road. I've never had a problem nor do I expect that I will. This thing is build solid! The switches and pots all feel positive and sturdy.

It's never let me down, that's a 10!

I've never had a problem getting a hold of Jack via phone or email. He's responsive and courteous. He'll even spend time talking gear with me out of the blue. Jack has amazing knowledge of pedals and rig set-ups so I bend his ear from time to time and he always talks with me for as long as I need to come to a conclusion.

As far as repair work, that's never been an issue.

I believe the amp has a lifetime warranty and it is transferable.

I've been playing for almost 15 years now. I have several different rack amp rigs and a vintage Music Man twin. None of them compare with the Noble. Before I found this amp I was looking at an Orange. After playing the Orange again I'm positive that I bought a better product.

If my head were stolen I'd weep and go into a deep depression. Then I'd call my insurance company, get a check and call Noble to order another head.