Penn Instrument Company Custom Series 210 Combo

This amp might not be able to give you that heavy metal distortion, but it gives you everything from smooth cleans to strong rock crunch. Only one channel but just use the volume on the guitar like you're supossed to. If you connect the two channels on top you can get really full sounds that rival vintage Fenders.

I play anything from jazz to classic rock and etc. and it sounds great. Very smooth tube distortion and very basic set-up. Just plug and play, it sounds great no matter how you set it up. If you spend a little time tweaking it, you're given heavenly sounds.

Never had a problem, if you look underneath the hood, it is hard to tell what could go wrong. All tube so if a tube goes, replace it. Thats about it.

Never talked Penn myself, but have heard they are wonderful and I could talk to the man who actually built my amp, I like that. If I were to do some changes I would call them first to see what they feel like I should do because they know the amp from inside out.

Great amp, if you want heavier distortion buy a newer Marshall, but if you want a classic smooth Fender/early Marshall sound buy one of these and if you need more gain, throw some quality pedals in front, it reacts well with pedals.

This is a custom made amplifier made by Bill Penn of the Penn Instrument Company in Colt's Neck, New Jersey for Keith Zuccolo, the original owner. It was completed on 3-5-96. It is a 35-watt amplifier which uses two 6L6GC power tubes, a GZ34/5AR4 rectifier tube, and three 12AX7 pre-amp tubes. It has bright & normal channels which can be bridged effectively. It does not have reverb (as the standard Penn "Pennalizer" series does), but it doesn't need it! Features include an EQ bypass (footswitchable), jack for 16 ohm load and two jacks for 8 ohm speaker loads, and a triode/pentode switch which significantly alters the break-up threshold. It is completely wired by hand (by Bill Penn himself), point-to-point. Bill Penn has told me, "this amp is a sort of tweed-ish or early Marshall-ish type circuit. It's kind of a Bassman or early Plexi style cathode follower pre-amp into a long tail pair phase inverter (driver). It is class A/B fixed (adjustable) biased. An easily accessible pot is inside the amp to adjust the bias." There are no features I miss with this amp as it responds very well with pedals for extra gain if needed. In the pentode mode, it has enough power to cut through in almost any situation, and the triode mode is perfect for situations in which lower volume & quicker break-up is desired.

I play a PRS McCarty Brazilian Rosewood, a PRS McCarty and a Roger Sadowsky Vintage Tele. This amp sounds great with single coils or with hujmbuckers. It can sound sweet and clear; it can sound gritty & biting with a few adjustments. Rhythm sounds are smooth and clear, balanced. Lead sounds are distinct, and all sounds are harmonically rich and pleasing. This amplifier could be used effectively in almost any style except metal, I imagine. It's a very quiet amplifier when idling regardless of settings. The sounds are different and quite usable whether using the bright or normal channels, bridging the channels, using the pentode mode, using the triode mode, etc. The EQ bypass allows a grittier, rawer sound for leads. Distortion is not extreme, but using a pedal for overdrive will allow added distortion if desired (the breakup without a pedal is enough for me). With regard to sound quality and versatility, this Penn amplifier provides about all many musicians would ever need. It's simply a great-sounding amplifier and one of the finest I've had the pleasure of using (..and I've owned Matchless, Victoria, Fender, Mesa, Groove Tubes, THD, Bogner, and many, many more over the years). It doesn't pale next to any other amplifier I've heard.

I've owned one other Penn for about 5 years, and I've owned this one for several months. I have never had any problem whatsoever with either one of the Penns. They are built meticulously with top quality parts throughout. The chassis is heavy-duty. In fact, UPS dropped my older one off a truck a few years ago and bent the chassis badly. Even then, the amplifier never had any problems with operation.

Bill Penn is about as responsive and helpful as you could ever expect from an amp builder, I believe. He is more than willing to answer any questions or provide support. Although I've never needed repairs for my Penn Amps, I know I can get them serviced easily with Bill's help. (My amp tech once rebiased the older Penn for me and remarked that it was a beautifully-made amplifier that would be easy to service regardless of the problem. He also noted that every part used was top quality....and, believe me, my amp tech doesn't give this kind of praise easily.)

I've played for more than 25 years. In addition to the guitars and the other Penn amp noted above, I currently own a Matchless HC-30 with an ES1012 cab, a Hoffman 30 watt 210 combo, and a THD Plexi from the mid-90's that I use as a head & in a 210 combo cabinet. If the Penns were lost, I'd definitely buy another. They can be purchased for rather widely varying prices used, but, new or used, the prices are very reasonable compared to most "boutique" amps. The only thing I think should be different about Penn amps is this: MORE PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THEM! They should be promoted more effectively and widely. The only dealer I know of is Hoboken Vintage Guitars. These amps should be nationally known. I saw one review several years ago in Vintage Guitar Magazine, but I've seen little else. Go to the Penn Instrument website to see more about Bill Penn's amps and the Penn Instrument Company.