Blue Tone Pro 30M 1 x 12 Combo Solid State Reviews 
4 / 5 based on 1 reviewsI've been looking for a reliable solid state amp for a while now, after blowing my valves up countless times in my AC30. That's no big deal when you're Brian May, I guess, but I can't afford to keep paying out like that. I read about these amps last year and tried one in a shop. The sound was great but the price a bit steep for solid state. The price was £799 then but has come way down to £499, and after reading about the Pete Townshend and Uli Jon Roth endorsements I thought I should get me one now. So I paid £499, but direct from the company, as they no longer deal through shops.
It's compact, way more manageable than my AC30. Not as loud, of course, but then I don't play places where I need to blow my own head off any more. It simulates a Marshall, so the blurb on the web site says, but I can hear a unique tone in it, and it gets quite Fendery sometimes, and other times I can hear my Vox! It's a gorgeous tone, and definitely valve like. You really wouldn't know the difference, it's the first solid state 'boutique' amp I've come across, but it's less than half the price of a comparative valve amp.
I'm not one for multi channel switching amps, and I don't use effects. If you want an amp with all the gimmicks on it (that you never use anyway 'cos you only want 'that' sound, then avoid this amp! I hope I don't upset too many people here, but it's for the players who can play the guitar, and not the effects pedals or in-built gizmos you find on digitals these days.
The badge! Oh,dear! Maybe could do with reverb, even though I don't use it myself it will put others off. It could also do with an insert point too, but then as I'm predominantly a small club player these days that doesn't matter to me either (it's great for home recording when you can get a big Marshall stack sound at low volume, unlike those crappy digital things).
Very good. Very well made British amp, as you would expect. A Vintage 30 Celestion speaker, very solid construction. It comes with a foot switch for extra gain for soloing.
I would definitely recommend this amp to anyone looking for that classic vintage rock sound. Die-hard valve fans should really give this amp a go. You can get early Clapton, Townshend, AC/DC, Zepp/Purple and Free all out of one amp, with no effects, just you and your guitar. And that, folks, it how it should be!
Oh, yes, and a good dose of The Darkness, too, if you must.
Andy Grieg rated this unit
on
2004-04-19.
