A lot has changed since the 1960s, but the guitar tones created in those pre-moon landing days still stand among the greatest. The BUGERA V22 is a stunning 1x12 combo that not only exudes that unbelievable sound, but also possesses modern flourishes capable of taking it to any corner of the musical landscape. Perfect for practice, home recording or small club gigs, this loud lad channels its mojo from two EL84 power valves. These give it the bratty, breakup-prone power amp compression (especially in triode mode – more on that later!) its 6L6GC-equipped siblings can only achieve at high volumes.
Old Soul, New Tricks
The V22 gives you everything that antique amps deliver—without the bloated price tags. Don’t be fooled, though; this amp packs a special feature that makes it so much more than a tribute to the early days of guitar amplification. To explain, we must take a quick step back in time…Before greasy juvenile delinquents hijacked the blues, guitar amps generally came in two species: those with triode (having three active electrodes) power valves and those with pentode (containing five active electrodes) power valves. Triode valves, which came before pentodes, provide what a lot of guitarists describe as a “gentler” tone. Pentodes, on the other hand, are decidedly more “in-your-face.” The V22 is built for power pentode tubes, but that doesn’t mean you have to settle for a singular pentode personality. This amp includes a Mode switch, allowing you to operate the power section as if it had triode tubes (at roughly 40 percent less power). So what’ll it be today—old-school or oldest-school? Voracious Vintage
The sound of the V22 begins with a two-channel (Clean and Lead) preamp. Plug into either the Bright or Normal inputs, then adjust the three-band EQ (Bass, Mid, Treble) and Presence control to create a sound all your own. Its three 12AX7 preamp tubes provide a vast feast of fuzz. Take your tone anywhere from dignified blues to garage-leveling madness. The dual EL84 valves in the power stage propel its terse cockney tone through a BUGERA 12" speaker. If you need to feed more speakers, the V22’s Impedence switch makes it compatible with 4, 8 or 16 ohms, making it compatible with just about any speaker cabinet you can find. You also get reverb, but for utmost durability and sound, this classic effect is derived from a professional quality digital processor. The spring reverb found in antique amps sound great, but they’re delicate and expensive to repair. This modern touch gives you a vintage sounding reverb sound that’s every bit as beautiful, but a million times less breakable. And if all these features weren’t enough…you also get an incredibly durable footswitch allowing you to select channels and engage the reverb without stopping mid-show. Whether you’re making a record, practicing, or paying your dues on the dive bar circuit, the V22 can complement your craft with the gold-standard tones of the past—today! |
