Grab it!
I was listening to a clip of the HXDA I did last year. The whole purpose of the clip was to demonstrate how the amp - at a single setting - responds to the guitar’s volume control and the player’s touch, both of which it does in spades. However, I also was reminded how clearly each fundamental note comes through, even with some solid crunch on the amp. Call it string-to-string definition, or whatever you like, I think the amp has it.
I have no idea whether PRS plans an encore with a new model in the HXDA’s lineage, but here’s how the amp responds with changes ONLY to the guitar’s volume. I didn’t touch the amp. This is the neck pickup on both the track that’s got very slight breakup, and (if memory serves) on the crunchier track. I started with the guitar volume on 4, and the crunch track’s guitar volume is at 6. Neck pickup for both on the 20th Anniversary of Private Stock Ltd. that uses Paul’s Guitar pickups at the neck and bridge, and a 57/08 Narrowfield in the middle.
If you listen on good speakers or headphones, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to get these types of tones with a single channel amp.
https://soundcloud.com/lschefman/ps-20-hxda
Underneath the gritty harmonics, you can still hear the guitar. That’s pretty unusual! Most amps conceal that.
Incidentally, the amp also does clean tones, but I rarely go truly clean. It does harder distortion, too, but I rarely go more gainy.
My own thinking is that it’s hard to find amps that will do what this one does, and it’s something that truly, is what a great single channel amp is capable of. I get that PRS will probably come out with a whiz-bang of an encore, but until that happens, I still think this is one hellaciously great amp! If you can find one NOS or in good condition used, really, they’re fantastic amps.
Also, it’s mostly hand-wired, is built like a tank, and should last a long time with routine maintenance. Mine is tubed with NOS Mullard 12AX7s in the preamp, and NOS Siemens EL34s in the power amp. I like what these tubes do.
Doug Sewell is a brilliant amp builder.
I was listening to a clip of the HXDA I did last year. The whole purpose of the clip was to demonstrate how the amp - at a single setting - responds to the guitar’s volume control and the player’s touch, both of which it does in spades. However, I also was reminded how clearly each fundamental note comes through, even with some solid crunch on the amp. Call it string-to-string definition, or whatever you like, I think the amp has it.
I have no idea whether PRS plans an encore with a new model in the HXDA’s lineage, but here’s how the amp responds with changes ONLY to the guitar’s volume. I didn’t touch the amp. This is the neck pickup on both the track that’s got very slight breakup, and (if memory serves) on the crunchier track. I started with the guitar volume on 4, and the crunch track’s guitar volume is at 6. Neck pickup for both on the 20th Anniversary of Private Stock Ltd. that uses Paul’s Guitar pickups at the neck and bridge, and a 57/08 Narrowfield in the middle.
If you listen on good speakers or headphones, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to get these types of tones with a single channel amp.
https://soundcloud.com/lschefman/ps-20-hxda
Underneath the gritty harmonics, you can still hear the guitar. That’s pretty unusual! Most amps conceal that.
Incidentally, the amp also does clean tones, but I rarely go truly clean. It does harder distortion, too, but I rarely go more gainy.
My own thinking is that it’s hard to find amps that will do what this one does, and it’s something that truly, is what a great single channel amp is capable of. I get that PRS will probably come out with a whiz-bang of an encore, but until that happens, I still think this is one hellaciously great amp! If you can find one NOS or in good condition used, really, they’re fantastic amps.
Also, it’s mostly hand-wired, is built like a tank, and should last a long time with routine maintenance. Mine is tubed with NOS Mullard 12AX7s in the preamp, and NOS Siemens EL34s in the power amp. I like what these tubes do.
Doug Sewell is a brilliant amp builder.
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I KNOW your amp well! 
