Jet City 20

[mawso]

So I went to the local music shop to buy some strings, and they had some of those Jet City amps and cabs kicking around.  I asked if I could have a go on the 20 watt head, so they plugged me into that, with the matching cab.

Despite all the marketing push re: Mike Soldano, it's nothing like a cheap SLO.  It doesn't have anything like the same clarity and definition under high gain that you get from those amps.  It's a pity that they push the Soldano angle so much, because they actually have something really cool of their own going on.  It's got a real "earthy" kinda sound, but more gain and tightness on tap to really call a vintage or classic rock amp.  It's really responsive, you could get it sounding nice and thick without sounding muddy, it loved both the 'buckers and the single coils, and it cleaned up with the volume knob, and for that matter just by picking softer.  I reckon that in a band situation these things would cut through like a motherfucker.

It's not a proper test.. I'm not sure you can really have a full opinion on an amp until you've rehearsed and gigged it a few times. Obviously I can't say anything about how reliable these things are.  But if you want a really cool, dirty, crankable 20 watt single channel amp for not a lot of $$ these are probably worth trying.

I used an HSS Jackson, I just picked it up off the shelf as I am a superstrat dude most of the time, but it turned out to be a terrible guitar.. it felt lifeless, and I felt like I was struggling with it the whole time, which is kinda shit because part of the appeal of a superstrat is that they're meant to be easy to play.  Anyway, even with a sub-par guitar it seemed like a cool amp.  I started to turn the master up to see how it goes when it's at a proper volume, and the salesdude had a bit of a panic about that.. I obliged him, because I really had no intention of buying anything except strings today.  But I'd love to try one dimed, with a nicer guitar, and into a 212 or 412.

[VOLVO)))]

They're mean. I've cranked ones in guitar center. I enjoy those little amps.

[black_out]

I've been eye balling the Picovalve. Seems like it'd  be a really solid little studio amp.

[eoin_not_ian]

I have seen these about a bit. If I was making a switch to guitar I would seriously consider one if I was buying new.