Unicord S720L 2x12 Combo

This amp was made in the early 1970's I play blues, R&B, grunge, some country and jazz. The features were well covered the review I read and that is where I learned about the amp once I found one.

I connected various pedals to this unit and used the features that are built into it. I found it very suitable and adaptable to the styles of music I play. The distortion I could get out of it was awesome on the grunge side. The two SG speakers I never heard of are some of the best sound quality that I'v ever heard. Beats the hell out of the Fender Hot Rod Deville that I bought before I came across this amp.

In the time I've had it, I've had zero problems, in fact my Fender amp has been in the shop under warranty 3 times...lucky me! I use this amp, which if I bought first, I would have walked away and never purchased he Fender after hearing this amp. I like the tube amp sound, but all you're getting is the name these days made where there's cheap labor. The build quality, made in the USA, blows away any of the american makers amps I've seen not made in the USA.

This amp is from the 1970's, so this is not any. The way it's working it will probably outlive me. :-) I've knocked my Fender, but I should say their warranty support is excellent.

I've been playing for over 40 years. If it were stolen, I'd try to find another one, but what are chances? Most likely that any real player won't give it up. This is one of the best solid state amps I've owned and I've ton of solid state and tube amps over years.

I learned of this esoteric amp and set out to find one as one of my friends got one and I was blown away. It was made I believe in the 1970's. I learned that Unicord was the U.S. distributor for Marshall and that the Unicord engineers had designed the pre-amp stage for some U.S. distributed Marshalls at that time instead of the English engineers doing it, so I wanted to try one as I heard good things. As it turns out, the same engineers incorporated similar designs into the amp I purhased, which sort of makes it an illegimate Marshall in sheeps clothing. Okay, the amp has two channels. The first channel has a "pull" to boost knob and a "clipping" knob (I'll explain this neat feature later). The second channel is a straight channel. There is a luscious reverb as well along with a master volume knob. There is also three inputs. One each for channels 1 or 2 and a "mix" input that allows you to switch channels with a foot switch, but I don't have a switch. It's simple stereo jack for the foot switch, so I could have one made of use one from another amp if I wanted to. I just prefer to use channel one as that's fantastic.

This is a solid state amp that you can drive to get lots of clean headroom if you want, but the engineers put this "clipping" knob which simulates (very well I might add) the clipping of overdriven tube amps (think Marshall here at full volume if you want that or anywhere in between). I can similar sounds as well to an overdriven Ampeg or Fender tube amp. I'm thinking like a Fender Twin (known for clean usually), but with RCA 6L6GC black plates in it that give it a warm super tube overdrive. Hey that's if you can afford those tubes. Well the point here is this very neat clipping control combined with the boost control on channel one gives you all the various "tube sounds" if you want them.

This is amp loud! I don't think it's more than 100 watts RMS, if that, but the original speakers in it are extremely efficient. You all know that the difference between a 50 watt amp driving speakers and a 100 watt amp driving the same speakers is only 3db! So if you have very efficient speakers, a 50 watt amp can actually be louder than a 100 watt amp. Anyways, I don't know who made the speakers, but they are outstanding and I have a similar Peavey 2x12 amp with Celestion 70's in it. These speakers are as good or better.

I've been playing for 50 years and have played every amp out there U.S. and British at one point and another and this amp is a great compromise of all these sounds. I can do 50-60's rock & roll, motown, staxx, country, heavy metal and even jazz just by tweaking the controls. This is has got the simulation amps with built in models beat by a mile, but the trick is that YOU HAVE TO ADJUST it to any sound you want, you cannot press a button. The tube sound from a solid state with controls I mention is fantastic.

Is there a downside, yes. The downside is that I cannot get thunderous bass out of the amp, but this is not a bass amp anyways. For general guitar use if you have to play many styles, this is your amp. This amp blows away ANY of the new Marshall solid state amps I ever played, and they're not cheap either. Plus they are not capable of being used as well in the varied music styles I mentioned.

The amp is built like a tank. I would take it to any gig without a backup and you figure the thing is decades old! Common sense dictates even if you have the best brand new amp out there that you still bring a backup amp, "just in case".

The company is out of business, so there is no support. Luckilly the components from what my friend, the electronics guru, tells me is common off the shelf stuff, so there's zero problems in fixing it should it need a repair. He has one as well and has used it for years without ever needing a repair.

The amp is absolutely super, because it's so versatile. One time you have a clean Fender Twin with tons of headroom and then with tweaking some knobs you have a Marshall amp. It can't get any better.

I would definitely get this again if it were lost or stolen. Unfortunately, they've become more pricey than pre-CBS Fender Blackface amps or vintage Marshalls, because some players have found out about them hiding under a rock for so many years. Problem is I had to pay a lot to get one in decent shape, but the pleasure of using it makes up for the pain of paying big bucks for it. Once people find out the prices are sure to go up. I'm looking for a second one and a third one right now.