As we’ve seen with Tone King sharing Friedman’s IR Tube Preamp Platform for its two floor-based-amps, we now get 2 different roll-outs of Synergy’s Machine Learning Power Amp Platform for 2 very different audiences. With a full-fat Amp-top / Rack unit for Friedman, and a more compact floor-based Pedal unit for Wampler. 

The Friedman IR-Load is the all-singing and dancing unit - with a much higher power load - which David says should work for amps of up to 200W. The genius of this solution ...

There is of course a decent amount of sharing between Boutique Amps Distribution brands, and the Tone King Imperial Floor Amp owes everything to Friedman’s IR Platform - upon which it is built.

Obviously it’s been tuned to replicating Tone King’s Amps, first the Imperial, and then the Royalist. Each of those have different parameters in accordance with their source amps - and are built up on very similar circuits - but somewhat miniaturised.

The Imperial Floor Amp has already been a ...

This is a culmination of a life’s work for Thomas Blug - we’ve seen Amp 1, Mercury and Iridium editions over the years - and it’s like seeing an elite watchmaker add further complication to his triple-axis tourbillon watch!

You have 26 digitally-enhanced controls - which shape analog components (including a 100W NanoTube) into myriad amp and pedal profiles - by engaging and fine-tuning those components in various ways. Thomas has been developing this for at least a decade now - with the aim...

The Cube range of Amps is somewhat unique as it straddles both Boss and Roland brands - which is very unusual. Moreover the selection of amps is variously marked out by a mix of Boss, Cube and Roland decals.

Back in 2022 some of the formerly Roland Cube Amps switched to Boss branding - and I thought all those amp models would eventually transition to Boss - all bar the Jazz Chorus, Blues Cubes, and some of the PA type speakers - but Roland has held onto some of those Cube Models too - which...

I had meant to acquire the GP-5 - but since this expanded range edition came out - it made more sense to get this one - it has a little more about, and a more elegant interface. Like the GP-5 it also has a neat Bluetooth app, while you can seemingly get to most things via the pedal interface. This one has only just landed for me - so I’ve only just scratched the surface so far - but I am really liking it already!

Controls - 3 x quick access Parameters, Core Parameters Rotary / Menu Select, ...

So this is essentially a late birthday present - which arrived in the 3rd week of November - so I’ve had it for a few weeks already.

There is still no sign of the Stand!? - which I also ordered in on the Kickstarter Campaign - nor any advice as to when that might land!

For the amp itself I’m hugely impressed with its build and feature set - high quality materials throughout and an incredible amount of features onboard - every other amp manufacturer should sit up and take notice! I was ...

I personally find it sightly infuriating when demoers announce something as gamechanging which is anything but. In this sense TONEX is largely playing catch-up with the industry’s current leaders in that space - Boss, Fender and Nux.

Each of their solutions has compelling reasons for acquisition - but in truth it’s mostly about what core platform you’re mainly subcribed to. If you largely play though Boss Katana Amps like I do - then the Katana : GO is the natural extension for that ...

So I attended Boss’s inaugural workshop / masterclass event at the Roland Store on Denmark Street. Hosted by Matt Knight, and featuring Guitarist / Creator / Social Media superstar Sophie Burrell - who just happens to be a major Boss Katana Ambassador for around 10 years now, where she featured very prominently in Boss’s recent Katana Gen 3 rollout.

I’ve been peripherally aware of her for several years now - while early on I used to occasionally confuse her for Sophie Lloyd! I do remember ...

Whenever I see a pedal like this, I immediately think of the many ’Headphone’ only pedal shows that I attend - for which this ’Easy Listening’ mini pedal would be the perfect headphone amp at the end of any of those pedal-chains.

Inside you have an Analog Amp Simulator circuit - which is voiced to sound like that most classic of Fender ’65 Deluxe Amps. You have just the one control - a Master Volume - and you can connected the pedal direct to a set of headphones, a mixer, or front of house ...