PRS Sonzera

So I just slapped together a stay-at-home pedal board for the first-floor music room that really needs a nice but small amp - my Archon and Fender HRDX are upstairs in the big music room, with a much more serious board in front.

And this new Sonzera 20W combo seems to fit the bill.

But the 50W head, out to a semi-spare 1x12" cab I have, would also be pretty sweet.

Either way, $xxx MAP and I'm good to go.

Hmm, "into temptation, safe in the wide open arms of hell"...

cos that's where I'd end up. Waaaayyy too many other things that are a higher priority. Like that sofa I was supposed to go out and buy three years ago when I bought my first PRS instead...

:confused:
 
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Looking forward to playing these two amps. I've been looking for a cheapish Dumble/fusion style amp, but nothing <$1k has really turned me on.

If I eventually get one then I'd like to try a more "vintage voiced" preamp tube (Tung-Sol?) and maybe even see if 6V6s would work.
 
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Yeah, I have my sights set on either the 50w combo or 50w head. NAMM G.A.S. strikes again! Under $1k makes it doable-ish..

I've already got a Friedman 50w 1x12 combo now, plus a 1x12 cab and 2x12 cab. Probably get the Sonzera combo though; I just like combos stacked on cabs! Price is great; I like the reverb per channel on the 50, and the idea that the dirt channel can be set as an extension of the clean channel; like an amp channel switch that functions as a lead boost / clean boost:

"The lead channel is related to the clean channel circuit-wise, so that it can be set up to act as a boosted clean channel"

I especially like the idea of that configuration for using pedalboard dirt. Clean and 'more', or clean and boost; instead of clean, and dirty. I think for me, being focused on using the amp with a pedalboard, this idea the Sonzera uses is appealing.. Also, they give you the dual bright switches on the 50w, and per channel reverb controls.
 
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I'm feeling some GAS for the 50w head, I'm looking for a clean pedal platform, and at that price, it's 1k less than some of the other amps I'm considering.
Don't know how I feel about the power and standby switches placement on the back though. :oops:
 
I'm feeling some GAS for the 50w head, I'm looking for a clean pedal platform, and at that price, it's 1k less than some of the other amps I'm considering.
Don't know how I feel about the power and standby switches placement on the back though. :oops:

The Classic location for them, a la vintage Fenders! You can handle it, buddy! :)

It's not THAT hard to reach over the top of the amp to turn it on and off. :eek: ;)
 
Well, I have mastered the art of unhooking bras in the dark ;)

+1 on what Les said. And, I totally get where you're coming from D. I had to learn how to take off bras in the dark too. My wife makes me turn out the light cuz she doesn't want to see my manzier :eek:
 
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+1 on what Les said. And, I totally get where you're coming from D. I had to learn how to take off bras in the dark too. My wife makes me turn out the light cuz she doesn't want to see my manzier :eek:
Bro, brah, bro.
 
We're making it sound like Nutella, only for shrimp. Or am I the only one that washes down chocolate with bourbon?:oops:

Instead of bourbon, JW's Black Label, but yes, another one here :cool:
 
Dang ya'all! Now I have even more GAS for this amp, since I called Musician's Friend today - they can't do deals until they are in stock, but then they can do some discounting and such.. And I've got some MF points to redeem for around $45.

Ten days; guy told they expect to have them in stock on Monday 2/13..

So, what have I got think about for ten days, thanks to ya'all? Bourbon and Chocolate! lol :) For me, it's Crown and Coke; or Maker's and Coke. Mostly just Guinness these days! Though I do miss the good old 'car bomb' days when we played gigs in an Irish bar! Half a pint of Guinness in a pint glass, drop a shot glass with Jameson and Bailey's into the pint glass and chug it!

Cheers! Happy Friday!
 
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I don't know if I had anything to do with it or not. This is one of the things that I brought up when Doug Sewell and I spoke last summer. Doesn't matter, I just glad they did it.

Did you notice that on the Sonzera, the labeling for each of the dials is above the dial where you can read it? Most amps have the lettering applied UNDER the dials. Unless you have a 100 amp head sitting on top of two 4x12 cabinets stacked vertically, you don't need the dial labels written under the dials. You can't read them there! Most gigs you are going to walk over to your amp which you will have to look down at. Even if you have it sitting on a chair with bungee cord holding it in place, you still can't read what dial does what. Maybe you've been using the same amp for 30 years and you have memorized all the knobs but all the best PRS amps have only been out for a few years and we ain't there yet with them. Having to bend way over to try and read the dials practically upside down (because your head is no longer upright when you have to bend over that far) is a real hassle. The Sonzera has the lettering ABOVE the dial where you can clearly and quickly see what all the dials do at a glance and make quick adjustments as needed. That is a fantastic feature!!
 
...I do miss the good old 'car bomb' days when we played gigs in an Irish bar! Half a pint of Guinness in a pint glass, drop a shot glass with Jameson and Bailey's into the pint glass and chug it!
I do recall buying these for CRGTR and Timmy from Downundah at NAMM last year...on top of whisky, tequila shots and a couple pints. The next day was brutal. :D
 
Well, I have mastered the art of unhooking bras in the dark ;)

I kind of felt I had that going for me by the end of high school, but there's always that urge to keep studying technique. And even the masters have to keep practicing.

'Did they even have bras in 1161, Les?"

"Yes. You think hooks are difficult? Try undoing laces in the dark with one hand. Of course, peasant girls wore no underwear at all, but they were a different challenge entirely."

"What was the challenge, Les?"

"Mainly that they didn't bathe all that often."
 
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For what it's worth, Premier Guitar just posted a review of the 50 watt combo. Here's 'the problem', the Soundcloud audio sample is terrible, really awful playing and tone. How the editors could allow such a horrible example be posted of the amp is beyond me. The copy praises the amp for price to performance, but if you were to base you purchase on this clip, you'd run away fast.

https://www.premierguitar.com/artic...&utm_campaign=PGN - 021817&utm_term=PG Weekly
 
Argh, that does sound AWFUL! Like, recorded on a 2003 flip-phone awful. Although I don't trust the clowns at PG or Guitar World to do a decent sound sample.

Sweetwater put up a very nice video with Paul and Doug, much better sounds. Although the 50 head does sound very bassy through the 4x12, but I don't think they used a mic on the cab for that video, so it could just be a result of where the mics are relative to the cab.

The 20 combo, on the other hand, has sounded great every time I've heard it, has a midrange sweetness to it. I like the power of 50 watts, but if the 20 really sounds that much better...
 
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