Waller Amplification DFX Wedge 50 112 Combo

The Waller DFX Wedge 50 is a 50 watt solis state combo amp. It has a 12" speaker, 2 channels (clean, overdrive) which are footswitchable, 4 built in digital effects (reverb, delay, chorus, flange) which can be controlled via a MIDI input, two inputs (hi/low), built in noise reduction circuitry, headphone out, external speaker out. The amp front is in a slight wedge shape so that the speaker is pointing slightly up to help the guitarist hear the amp better while playing in front of it. I don't know when the amp was made, but it is no longer in production (this model at least). Seperate level controls for the two channels, but a single EQ section for each.

This is where this amp really shines. The DFX 50 is surprisingly warm sounding for a solid state amp. The clean channel really chimes well and has that tubish transparency to it. The overdrive channel goes from a bluesy growl to a Mesa scream with a ton of usable gain. The digital reverb sounds very nice and the effects are all very usable. Guitar wise, I play a Fender American Tele, a Japanese made Fender Strat and a Gibson Les Paul Faded into the amp, and they all sound different - just like they are supposed to. Solid state amps are not always good at bringing out the differences, but the Waller really does. The EQ section has the standard Hi/Mid/Low knobs, and they really do adjust the tone well. This amp has the versatility to do just about any music style well - country to metal. The built in 'Decimator Noise Reduction' works quite well, and can be turned on and off via a button on the back of the amp.

The amp is new to me, but is very well built. I don't have enough of a track record with the company to guess reliability.

Waller amps are built by ISP Technologies, a company started by Buck Waller who started Rocktron and invented the 'Hush' noise reduction system. Since this amp is not in current production, there is no info available online about it. I did email ISP and they got back to me in a couple a days and said they would mail me an owners manual if they had any spares. That was nice...

Comparing guitar amps is so much like apples and oranges. I got this amp to be a light weight practice amp that could do small gig's mic'd if needed. It sounded great in the store, and even better once I really tore into it at home. I didn't want a modeling amp, just a great sounding one and that was what I got. I've owned quite a few solid state amps in my time and this is the warmest sounding one I have ever owned. It really is a top shelf solid state amp. It sounds better than some tube amps I have owned. It was head over heels above the other SS amps I tried in the store.

For a solid state practice amp and for small gigs this amp is at the top of the food chain. It has the volume and warmth I would expect in a much more expensive amp. It has a great clean channel and a very versatile high gain channel, making this amp wonderful for a wide variety of musical styles. The only thing it is missing, for my tastes, is a seperate EQ for each channel. No, it's not as great as a good tube amp, but it ain't a tube amp. For what it is - solid state - it's a keeper! If it were lost or stolen I'd be really ticked off since they are out of production and I've never seen one on EBay. I'd probably check out the current production models in the Waller amp line and buy one. Great amp - if you see one - buy it!