Zwengel Banshee 50 212 Combo

It's been stated before. So I won't go into all that.

First off for all the people who said these things were dead quite...you're either deaf or are just used to it. This thing while idling was one of the noisiest things I've heard in a while. I've built amps that when they're fully cranked aren't as noisy as this amp is. Also this thing has no usable gain. If you like the 60's 70's distortion and don't mind the noise then buy it and never look back. If you like modern high-gain, well you're just SOL my friend. The clean channel will not distort even with the gain dimmed so that's actually a good thing, but I haven't played it past 4 so it could be different on past 5.

Don't know nor do I care as it's going back the same day I got it.

The owner of the company was supposedly and ass-hole, but I've never dealt with him. Doesn't help that he's out of business.

I've been playing for about 6 years and I'm very picky about my gear. If I was going to keep this amp and it was stolen I'd be pissed for being out the money, but not for losing an amp. I've played just about everything there is to play and I honestly like my Tweed clone that I built myself more than any other I've played,so maybe I'll just keep that and say screw the other guys.

From what I understand, the amp is approx. 2 yrs.old, one of the few
made for 'music store' sale (most Zwengels were/are custom built to
individual order in his shop). It is a 2-channel switchable design with a sophisticated effects loop. Power is 50 STUPIFYING watts! I
can't turn the Master vol. for either Vintage/Modern channel past 2 without fearing bodily harm...really. (It uses 4-12AX7s and 2 6L6s.)
Speakers are 2 Celestion Vintage 30s. I thought my 1978 Boogie Mark II was the ultimate "play any gig, anywhere, no matter what" box, but
the Banshee trumps it on every level. It will sing at any volume with
the most perfectly musical harmonics I've ever heard. You could play
any music genre with this amp, but I think it has a Rock & Roll heart.

I'm playing a Parker Fly Classic and a Squier Chambered Tele...they
both sound better with the Zwengel than any other amp I've tried.
The amp is NOISELESS. Overdrive possibilities seem limitless as you
mix the Gain & Master controls, everything from a hint of breakup to
absolute Armageddon blister. ( Yes, the distortion can be metallic &
brutal or ear-friendly smooth according to your EQ mixing abilities.)
This thing will scare the shit out of any Twin, Marshall or Boogie
I've ever owned.

The Banshee 50 is entirely hand-wired and uses all military grade
components...a BMW in the flock of VWs.
I haven't gigged with it long enough to even consider a breakdown,
but with a solid 10-yr. warranty, I'm not worried about it. I've
never read about any Zwengel owners being unhappy with dependability.

Again, the Banshee comes with a transferable 10-yr. warranty. I
play-tested one at Carl Zwengel's shop and he was as friendly and
helpful as you could wish for. He'll stand behind this amp. I just
hope he keeps on making them for other players to enjoy.

I've played professionally for 39 yrs. and didn't think I'd ever be as
thrilled as I am to own a new amplifier. It meets every expectation I
had for it. I would replace it if stolen. I compared the Zwengel with
quite a few other amps in its division/class ( Hot Cat, Fender "Re-issue" tweed stuff, Genz-Benz, new Mesas, etc.) and know I made the right decision buying it. The people at American Guitar Boutique put
the Banshee on equal footing with obscenely priced 'head-only' gear
like Roccaforte and Two-Rock, so I believe Zwengels are a great value
for your money. I am very happy with everything about it!

I just bought #1 back from Len, and after re-tubing it and re-mounting V30's back in it, this amp works just like I remember it did. As far as features go, it's been covered below fairly well. It has all the features that I need.

After the re-tube and mounting up a pair of broke-in V30's, this amp sounds fricking great. I don't know why I ever sold it in the first place.

I depended on it before, and I depend it now. This amp is put together by hand, old-school style. It's wired up to be extremely easy to repair in the field if need be. A 10-year fully transferable warranty comes with each Banshee, so this particular one I'm re-reviewing has about 3-4 years left.

I have not changed my opinion of Carl Zwengel since the first day I met him, years ago. He has treated me fairly, honestly, and with respect since day one. He's gotten into some hot water with certain people on the internet, but that will never change the respect I have of him as a friend and an amazing amp builder.

I now own 3 Zwengel Banshee amplifiers. Two of them are the first and last from the first series, and then the first one from the second series. I've been playing out for 27 years, and the Banshee is just a great amplifier for live or studio. I can own any amp I want, and I've played through just about everything made up to this point. I'm sticking with the Banshee.

This is an update to my previous review. While Carl Zwengel builds a very nice amplifier, he's a lousy business man. Carl NEVER returns emails, he can't/ won't meet deadlines and is generally unresponsive and dosen't care about his customers. This is the experience I have had. I will never do business with Mr. Zwengel again. If you decide to buy a Zwengel amp, my advice is NOT to deal directly with Carl...use a distributor (if there are any left)

Well....this review has been a while coming. I've had my Banshee Combo well over a year now. It's actually the first one reviewed at the bottom of the page, and the first Banshee ever manufactured...formally owned by John Bridges. The amp has 2 channels.......Vintage and Modern with a shared EQ, effects loop, speaker damping control, and a bright and mid switch on the front of the amp. The amp is conservatively rated at 50 all tube watts....but man is this amp loud! The cabinet is nicely built, and has two 12" vintage 30 speakers (which after some experimentation i found to be best suited for this amp) The amp uses 6L6's.

The amp sounds phenominal! Beautiful, lush cleans and a growling, in your face overdrive. Set for the Vintage channel....you can go from blues to fat AC/DC, Zep, classic rock tones that ROCK! I love using the mid switch on this channel! The modern setting adds another pre amp tube to the circut giving you more gain and compression, perfect for more modern tones and singing leads! This amp oozes harmonic complexity! I have owned/do own many high end tube amps....and the Zwengel is one of my favorites. It's like Carl took my favorite amp (my 1964 Deluxe Reverb) and added more depth, power and options to it while still retaining the magic that circut is known for!

Go to Carl Zwengels website and check out the wiring job he does....some of the neatest and best work I've ever seen! All PTP....and solid as a rock with massive overrated transformers. Beautiful workmanship!

I've talked to Carl many times, and he is knowledgeable and accessable. The amp has a 10 year transferable warranty....that says it all.

This amp gets a 10 from me.....it gets the tone. I own another Zwengel....a prototype of Carl's new circut that will shortly go into production....and the 2 are some of the nicest amps money can buy! The only thing I wish is that the mid switch on the front panel was footswitchable....but thats really nit-picky, and most likely a very difficult thing to do. Overall....this is a great amp that covers a lot of ground musically.

The Zwengel Banshee 50 2x12 Combo I purchased is a 2002 model. It is a beautiful amp in appearance, and equally as attractive internally. It's an all tube, point-to-point hand wired amp with two custom 12" Celestion Vintage 30 speakers housed in a solid 3/4" pine cabinet and covered with the coolest purplish-brown tolex. It features two footswitchable channels each with its own gain and level controls: Vintage, which has the tonal qualities and response equal to and greater than the best tweed amps ever made, including the recreations currently produced by several botique amp makers. The Modern channel has got to be expierenced first hand. Words will not adquately covey the depth of sustain and distortion possible with this channel selected. Think Soldano, Mesa, Koch -- then think again. Operationally speaking this amp is beautifully simple to operate. It's got 50 wats of killer power (you can use either 5881 or 6L6 output tubes, and there's 4 12AX7s in the preamp section), shared eq tone controls (don't let this throw you for a loop, each channel retains its own destinctive characteristices no matter how you set the knobs), bright and mid boost switches, a tube buffered parallel effects loop with both send and mix controls, variable damping, and enough volume to cover any venue. I play Blues, Rock (both classic and the heavier forms), Country Rock, Country, Pop and a bit of Jazz. The sound combinations you can dial in with the Banshee 50 more than adaquately covers any material I could possibly want to perform. It doesn't have reverb or tremolo. This may seem a detriment to some, but with the variety of effects on the market today it is more likely a blessing. And, who knows, just because Carl Zwengle makes a great amp doesn't necessarily mean that he would make a good reverb or tremolo unit.

I play my 1995 Custom 24 Paul Reed Smith through my Banshee50. The tremendous tonal variety offered by the PRS five-way rotary selector combined with the killer sounds of the Banshee 50 make me a very happy guitarist indeed in terms of knowing I have a first class stage rig. I run a TC Electronics G-Major effect rack through the Banshee effects loop. It took some experimenting to get the levels right, but the results is fantastic. My effects, running through the loop, do not color the amp tones at all. As mentioned above, both channels offer a multitude of tonal possibilities. The Vintage channel can be set to give you crystal clear voicings suitable for all the mellow styles of playing. Country players will love this channel. Want Blues? I've found some of the bluesiest tones ever in this amp -- everything from B.B. King to Z.Z. Top. Those seeking to emulate SVR will fall in love with the Vintage. You can also dial in enough gain to get into Classic Rock crunch. The Modern channel offers even more variety -- everything from Gary Moore clear, howling sustain, to Van Halen and everything in between. If you play Hard Rock, Metal, Grunge, Thrash, etc. you'll fall in love with the Modern channel. Even if you don't play these styles you'll love the ability to switch from the Vintage to the Modern for killer solos that can peel the paint off the walls. Did I mention the power of the Banshee 50? I've played this amp on the same stage with stacks twice the size of the Banshee with no problems whatsoever in being heard. All in all the sound of this amp is to die for -- it's that good.

I've owned this amp for a couple of months so I've had absolutely no issues in terms of breakdowns, etc.,. It plays, feels and looks to be everything and more that the manufacturer says it is. Aside from keeping an extra set of tubes,I can't imagine this amp ever having any serious problems. I don't hesitate to take this out without a backup. I've owned many amps in my day. The best word I can use to describe the Banshee 50 by means of comparison, is "solid."

I've emailed Carl Zwengel several times and have had all my questions promptly and sincerely answered. I think any man who gives you a 10-year unconditional warranty, as Carl does, when you buy one of his amps, is more than worthy of one's trust and faith. I'm going to rate this category a 10 based on that fact alone.

I've been playing for 37 years mostly as a second job, though I did go on the road full time during the 70s for about five years. During those years I've owned many guitars and amps. I can say without any hesitation that the Zwengel Banshee 50 2x12 Combo is the best amp I've ever had the pleasure to own. I felt the same way when I got my PRS several years ago -- they're expensive, yes. But as in all things -- maybe more so with musical equipment -- you get what you pay for. I tell my friends my guitar and, now, my amp are worth every penny I paid for them. Before purchasing this amp I had narrowed my search down to either the Zwengel, a Hot Cat or a Koch. I know I made the right choice. In closing I think the best thing I can say about this amp is that it's like having, not two, but three amps for the price of one. By taking the time to find a good balanced eq setting that allows for the two channels to work together, and by keeping the level of the Modern four or more notches below the Vintage level setting, one can use one channel on one song, and the other on the next song. Then, by having taken the time to acheive this balance, one can jump back and forth between both channels during the same song without any annoying volume spikes. And when you've acheived that, you'll know, like I know, that this is indeed one great guitar amplifier. If anything, God forbid, should happen to mine, I wouldn't hesitate to buy another.

This is an all tube, point to point, hand wired,two channel footswitchable 50 watt high gain 2x12 amplifier with Celestion Vintage 30 speakers. Channel 1 is called vintage and channel 2 is modern high gain. It has a single set of Eq's like the Boogie Mark amps, and also has a parallel effects loop with a send level and return mix control, footswitchable channel selection, bright and mid boost, 4/8/16 ohm outs and a speaker damping control. As far as features go, it's not loaded to the gills but what it does have is completely usable and makes it very instrument/rig friendly. It's not the most heavily feature laden amp out there but it's got a hell of a lot more than most other high end amp makers have to offer. The vintage channel is voiced a little dark and has slightly less output than the lead channel which is somewhat brighter. Both channels also have a preamp gain and master volume control which work great for reducing the level without screwing with the tone. There's also a couple of interesting options available including tube type choices, casters, and a custom voicing option.

The sound quality of this rig is stunning. The tone controls are super reactive and the amp cleans up great with changes in pick attack and guitar volume setting. The vintage channel is very full and warm with some sweet breakup at higher volume setting. If you dime this channel it crunches up great and gets a killer grind when you push it with humbuckers. The modern channel has a lead tone thats to die for. This is what a lead channel is supposed to sound like. It doesn't compress and get all fizzy on the top end and the bottom is huge and super tight with a ton of sustain and note articulation. In general it has a bit of a midrange thing going on that's hard to put a finger on but gives the amp a really unique tone that just cuts through in a band. I should point out that this amp is LOUD AS HELL, particularly in the modern channel, and can hang with a 100 watt 4x12.

This is a brand new amp so it'd better be reliable at this point so my opinion may change a year from now but I doubt it. Would I gig this amp without a backup? In a heartbeat! The fit and finish is perfect and all the pots and switches have a nice firm feel to them. Overall the amp has a rock solid feel to it. It's also got a some of the biggest trannies I've ever seen in a 50w amp. Easily on par with the old Traynor amps. You could probably throw this sucker off a cliff and it'd survive.

This is a really small company right now so you'll actually get to talt to the owner and the designer which is totally cool and sure beats getting a hard pitch from some sales rep who doesnt have a clue. I can't say what it'll be like down the road but when ordering the amp I received fast email response and when talking to the man on the phone he was really easy to talk to and didn't try to ram a sale down my throat. He also does what he calls platform mods to his amps so you can order an amp tweaked up the way you want it. I don't know of anybody else that offers this as a standard option. Way cool. It's also got a 10 yr warranty on it which is really nice compared to what's offered by most of the other mfg's out there.

I was looking for a more consolidated rig to replace my Mesa dual rectifier and this amp just kills it...hands down! I'm really hard pressed to find any major flaws with this amplifier without nitpicking. I will say that I'm not floored by the fx loop. It's pre-master volume line level loop so it's kind of a pain in the ass to get dialed in right. Don't even think about running pedals here! Another minor problem is that the amp is damn heavy so I'd strongly recomend jumping on the casters option. If this amp had reverb and a slightly better loop I woud say it'd be close to the perfect amp. Overall, this is a total score on just almost every level. Plenty of features without going nuts, really flexable, hand wired, solid build quality and ripping tone! If they can get this company off the ground this guy is going to be a major thorn in the side of several boutique amp manufacturers.

Here goes...this is the first Banshee off the line, serial #1. Carl Zwengel is the man behind this amp. This amp is a hand wired, all tube, 2 channel, 50 watt, 2x12 combo. On the front panel the footswitchable clean and dirty channels (each with their own gain and master knobs) share a single eq section. There is a bright switch for the clean channel and a mid switch for the dirty channel. There is also a switch to change channels when the footswitch is not used. High and Low input jacks are provided. A power, standby switch, and pilot light are mounted on the front panel, as well. On the back panel, there is a fully adjustable parallel f/x loop. Also on the back is an impedance selector, footswitch jack, and a polarity switch. The power cord is a standard, detachable 3-prong. The amp comes with Ruby 12AX7's and 6L6's. The cosmetics...cool brown/purpleish tolex, black grillcloth with white piping, black control panels with white lettering, and black chicken head knobs. Vintage 30's are the speakers. The transformers are designed by Carl and built to his specs.

This amp sounds incredible. The shared eq is voiced perfectly for both channels. If the notion of a shared eq turns you off, just keep reading. The clean channel can get anywhere from tweed town to a Blackface Super Reverb that's crapping all over itself (trust me on this; I own one). The dirty channel gets into SLO territory very confidently (I own one of these, too). The note articulation with obscure chords is the same as the Soldano, but the notes have more beef on them. What this amp does that makes the SLO sweat is how it cleans up without volume loss. Doing this with a 5-way in position 4 is heaven. The way it cleans up is like it's morphing between the two channels...it really is a trip. The amount of available volume on tap is also amazing. This amp can hang with most 1/2 stacks, no problem. Oh, and it's quiet as hell.

Carl guarantees his amps for 10 years. The circuit layout is this amp is a work of art. Wires are bent at right angles; ganged wires are hand-twisted; solder joints are solid and clean. This amp is made to take abuse, because it's basically built like they used to make them.

How many amp guys do you know that will talk your ears off? You litterally have cut him off, because he is so into his craft, and doesn't mind at all to answer any questions. Information just flows from this guy, freely. In the year that I've known him, he's never been rude, mad, upset, or even slightly pissed off. He lives for amps....my kind of guy.

I've been playing around 25 years. I've played through a ton of amps in my lifetime. Out of all the tweeds, blackfaces, superleads, and modern boutiqes...this amp is unique. It brings together the best of the best into one package. In this age of clones and clowns, this amp has few if any equals.