NAW: Archon 50 head

[Jbyrd78]

After watching a few YouTube videos, I decided to take a gamble and buy and Archon 50, making it my first PRS amp. Came home from running errands last Tuesday to that baby sitting on the porch. Unfortunately everyone in the house was home, and I worked out of town for the rest of the week, so I had to wait to take the amp for a test drive this weekend.
I finally got around to playing it, and all I have to say is WOW!
I'm really suprised that this amp, or any other PRS amps don't get talked about alot more! The clean channel on this baby has alot of clarity and is also very articulate. I thought my H&K TriAmp MKII had a great clean channel, but this Archon 50 probably has the best cleans I have ever heard on an amp!
As for the gain channel, well let's just say it's amazing as well! If you even need to turn the gain knob past half way, well you have a problem lol. Hopefully this amp proves to be reliable for the long haul

 

[bodia]

Nice! Love my 50 from 2015

 

[Toolmaster Of Brainerd]

Nice! My archon 100 is not my only amp, but it gets 99% of my play time. With a few choice pedals, that amp can be used for anything.

Did you get a combo or a head? If it's a head, what kind of cabinet / speakers are you using?

 

[RickP]

I'm really suprised that this amp, or any other PRS amps don't get talked about alot more!

I totally agree. They’ve remained a relatively minor player in the amp maker ranks, despite having put out some great amps at several price levels. I think a part of it is that they don’t keep a model available for long if it doesn’t sell to their expectation, and this has kept the number of any one PRS amp model building to a tipping point of popularity and use. And when they’ve had a major, high-profile player using one, the model has been too prohibitively expensive to become common. Personally, I expect several of their CAD amps to maintain a cult following into the future even if they never become Marshall/Fender/Mesa/Vox popular.

Congrats on your Archon! I’ve heard nothing but good comments on them. Fractal Audio Systems added an Archon model to the Axe Fx several years ago, and it gets a lot of use, so the amp has been inspirational in analog and digital format!

 

[Jbyrd78]

Nice! My archon 100 is not my only amp, but it gets 99% of my play time. With a few choice pedals, that amp can be used for anything.

Did you get a combo or a head? If it's a head, what kind of cabinet / speakers are you using?

I bought the head. I'm running it into a B-52 AT-4X12 cabinet. I also have a 2x12 cab that has a 25 watt Greenback & a 65 watt Creamback in it that I'm going to try it out thru as well.

I totally agree. They’ve remained a relatively minor player in the amp maker ranks, despite having put out some great amps at several price levels. I think a part of it is that they don’t keep a model available for long if it doesn’t sell to their expectation, and this has kept the number of any one PRS amp model building to a tipping point of popularity and use. And when they’ve had a major, high-profile player using one, the model has been too prohibitively expensive to become common. Personally, I expect several of their CAD amps to maintain a cult following into the future even if they never become Marshall/Fender/Mesa/Vox popular.

Congrats on your Archon! I’ve heard nothing but good comments on them. Fractal Audio Systems added an Archon model to the Axe Fx several years ago, and it gets a lot of use, so the amp has been inspirational in analog and digital format!

That's cool to hear about Fractal Audio adding an Archon model. I have a Kemper Profiler Stage, I think I'm going to look and see if I can find some Archon profiles, and compare them with the actual head. Yeah, I'm seriously impressed with this amp. The only thing I don't like about it, is that they mounted the chasis to the top of the cabinet, instead of mounting it to the bottom like they did the previous rendition of it.What is CAD amps?

 

[RickP]

What is CAD amps?

Paul Reed Smith‘s “Custom Amp Designs.” When they started doing amps, it was all custom designs where you could get special things and mods, in any of a wide range of cabinets, coverings, and colors of wood panels. The 25th Anniversary, HX/DA, Blistertone, DG, Recording, MDT, J-Mod and others were custom hand-wired designs that Paul and Doug Sewell came up with during this time.

There are still USA built amps from PRS, though most of their best seller’s are made elsewhere these days. The good thing is that, like the SE series guitars, it appears PRS maintains a great relationship and watch over the companies doing the build work, and the results have spoken for themselves. The new HDRX 20 is looking to be another solid example of this.

That said, I’m a big fan of the USA built CAD amps, the HXDA in particular. I’d also love to try a DG and Blistertone. I guess I’m just a fan of the stuff they make in-house!

 

[László]

The only thing I don't like about it, is that they mounted the chasis to the top of the cabinet, instead of mounting it to the bottom like they did the previous rendition of it.What is CAD amps?

I'll add a little to what Rick said. They're cost-no-object, incredibly well made, amps that sound utterly killer, mostly hand wired. Even the tag boards surpass military standards in thickness, and no corners were cut. The tubes are all chassis-mounted, not on circuit or tag boards. The chassis corners aren't just bent into shape, they're welded. Etc.

I've had a lot of great boutique amps. These are up there with the Two-Rocks, etc., of the world, and my guess is they'll be future classics. Get 'em while you still can.*


*I will of course be quite dead when they're really worth 'classics' money, something I feel is one of life's greater gyps!

 

[Bogner]

I love my original Archon 50 and 100. I wasn't as impressed with the new revision in comparison.

 

[Jbyrd78]

Paul Reed Smith‘s “Custom Amp Designs.” When they started doing amps, it was all custom designs where you could get special things and mods, in any of a wide range of cabinets, coverings, and colors of wood panels. The 25th Anniversary, HX/DA, Blistertone, DG, Recording, MDT, J-Mod and others were custom hand-wired designs that Paul and Doug Sewell came up with during this time.

There are still USA built amps from PRS, though most of their best seller’s are made elsewhere these days. The good thing is that, like the SE series guitars, it appears PRS maintains a great relationship and watch over the companies doing the build work, and the results have spoken for themselves. The new HDRX 20 is looking to be another solid example of this.

That said, I’m a big fan of the USA built CAD amps, the HXDA in particular. I’d also love to try a DG and Blistertone. I guess I’m just a fan of the stuff they make in-house!

Thank's for that clarification. I'm already on the prowl for my next PRS amp lol. I found someone local to me sellin a 1x12 PRS Sonzera amp. Looks like it's time to do my homework on that amp.

I'll add a little to what Rick said. They're cost-no-object, incredibly well made, amps that sound utterly killer, mostly hand wired. Even the tag boards surpass military standards in thickness, and no corners were cut. The tubes are all chassis-mounted, not on circuit or tag boards. The chassis corners aren't just bent into shape, they're welded. Etc.

I've had a lot of great boutique amps. These are up there with the Two-Rocks, etc., of the world, and my guess is they'll be future classics. Get 'em while you still can.*


*I will of course be quite dead when they're really worth 'classics' money, something I feel is one of life's greater gyps!

So you are saying that even though my amp is made in Indonesia, that it's pretty much PTP wired like the American version was?

 

[RickP]

Thank's for that clarification. I'm already on the prowl for my next PRS amp lol. I found someone local to me sellin a 1x12 PRS Sonzera amp. Looks like it's time to do my homework on that amp.

So you are saying that even though my amp is made in Indonesia, that it's pretty much PTP wired like the American version was?

Sonzeras were also made under contract outside the US, and wouldn’t be in the CAD amp group. I think Les was also describing CAD amps specifically, which are built like a custom boutique amplifier, because that’s exactly what they are!

Obviously, there are some changes made to get to the price point where non-US amps are located. Sacrificing some of those hand wired or chassis mount practices saves a lot of man-hours, as does altering the parts list that’s going inside. It’s not insignificant to point out the obvious… not being made in the US means labor cost to build are a fraction of what it would be here. So, yes, a CAD amp is different. That said, what counts is the sound coming out of the speakers. And if it’s good, it’s good, no matter what components and construction it came through on the way! Paul and his team make sure that is the case.

Like a Private Stock guitar, some have the desire (and finances!) to own the ultimate. That can’t be made anywhere else but Stephensville. Even if the quality could be matched, there is a pride of ownership in an original work of art from the original artists. To me, CAD amps are the Private Stock among PRS amps. The best they can make. The cost is high, and worth it to the person who desires the best example of amp craftsmanship. The remainder of the amp line are simply well made, great sounding amps for the player who doesn’t want or need the extras of a CAD amp. Nothing bad, and a lot of good, about them. Like the SE or S2 lines, these amps bring PRS quality to every player, giving them what they need with incredible “bang for the buck.” It’s all good.

 

[László]

Thank's for that clarification. I'm already on the prowl for my next PRS amp lol. I found someone local to me sellin a 1x12 PRS Sonzera amp. Looks like it's time to do my homework on that amp.

So you are saying that even though my amp is made in Indonesia, that it's pretty much PTP wired like the American version was?

No, and the US version wasn't PTP wired, either. The Archon was not a CAD amp.

Both the US and overseas Archons are circuit board amps.

 

[RickP]

Just as an example of what Les and I are saying, this is the interior of one of my HXDAs.

Again, it’s a craftsmanship, hand built thing. It’s the best sounding amp I’ve owned, which is in part due to how it’s made, and what is used In the build. Worth the cost, in other words… just like PRS guitars.

I’m sharing this to help you understand the distinctions in the PRS lineup, but don’t get too hung up on it. Like I said earlier, sound is what counts, and if your amp sounds good then that’s a good amp!

 

[ken374]

Just as an example of what Les and I are saying, this is the interior of one of my HXDAs.

Again, it’s a craftsmanship, hand built thing. It’s the best sounding amp I’ve owned, which is in part due to how it’s made, and what is used In the build. Worth the cost, in other words… just like PRS guitars.

I’m sharing this to help you understand the distinctions in the PRS lineup, but don’t get too hung up on it. Like I said earlier, sound is what counts, and if your amp sounds good then that’s a good amp!

Nice caps