Wednesday, April 11, 2012

A 12+8 Harp Amp from Bruce Collins

This is the amp Bruce Collins of Mission Amps made for Al Chesis. It is similar to my 1x12 Chicago “32-20” amp, but it has a 12-inch and 8-inch speakers. It uses a softer rectifier tube to bring the power down a bit and give it a saggier tone.

I played a set on this amp last night at Al’s blues jam at the Boulder Outlook. NICE! It barks some big tone with a hell of a bite. Nice attack. I used Al’s bullet mic with a CR element… a good combination.

The 12-inch speaker is the Eminence Cannabis Rex, which still needs a little breaking in. I know these speakers well, and after they get a few hours of stage time they freaking snarl when you spank them. The 8-incher is a Jensen P8R. It definitely cuts through the mix. I polled the audience after my set and everybody I talked to said they could clearly hear the harp even during a typically raucous jam.

The cab is a bit larger than my 5E3 tweed Mission amp… I think it is a tweed Super cab. It is still smaller and lighter than the backbreakers many of us use, and it stood up to a stage full of drunk and enthusiastic guitar players. Impressive.

Contact Bruce Collins at Mission Amps for price and details.

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