Review Demo - Supro Saturn Reverb
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- Опубліковано 16 лис 2024
- Read the review: bit.ly/SuproSaturn
The original Supro amps were produced by Valco and sold through department stores in the ’50s and ’60s. Despite their built-for-beginners status, these humble amps have often served as secret weapons for great guitarists, notably Jimmy Page during Zep’s early years. Supros lack the power of Marshalls and the rich, balanced tones of Fenders, but their explosive presence and rude overdrive have lent a punky edge to many great recordings.
Valco folded in 1968. But about a decade ago, famed amp designer Bruce Zinky revived the brand. The Supro name changed hands a few years ago, and now Dave Koltai of Pigtronix fame runs the show, releasing new Supro models while retaining many of Zinky’s innovations.
New Supros aren’t clones-they’re made from modern materials using modern manufacturing techniques. But don’t mistake them for generic amps with a bit of retro-cool window dressing. Consider the new Saturn combo: It’s not based on a particular vintage model, and its innards are strictly 21st-century. Yet it nails the unvarnished aggression of the best Supro combos while adding meaningful refinements. If you love the Led Zeppelin I sound, chances are you’ll dig this amp.
Vintage Modern
The U.S.-made Saturn is the smallest amp in the current Supro line, a single-channel combo with tube reverb and tremolo. It puts out 15 watts via a pair of 6973s-tubes found in many second-tier ’60s brands, and currently experiencing a bit of a renaissance. (The rectifier tube is a vintage-accurate 5U4.) Saturn’s solid-wood cabinet houses a 12" custom-voiced Eminence speaker. The amp’s controls are simple: volume, bass, treble, reverb level, and tremolo rate/depth. The knobs, logo, grille, and “rhino hide” vinyl provide an authentic ’60s look.
Inside is a different story: Parts are assembled on a pair of modern circuit boards, with board-mounted pots and jacks. (The components in old Supros are linked via terminal strip.) The boards are oriented at a 90-degree angle to each other, with some tubes pointing down toward the floor and other face inward toward the speaker, though they’re all accessible without disassembling the amp. The transformers are custom-made to Zinky’s specs.
To continue reading the review on the Supro Saturn, visit: bit.ly/SuproSaturn
Please, let this guy do all the gear demos!
Another great review John, and awesome playing as well. Thanks for always inspiring me even after all these years.
These supro amps look stunning
Great review and beautiful playing!
What a killer tone. I'm dying to get my hands on one!
Just got a supro big star. It's a sweet amp. 212 with a 1+2 channel running simultaneously. It's an awesome amp.
Amazing sounding amp and great demo video too!!!
Nice playing. Nice soooouuuund!!!
John, please do a review of the Supro Royal Reverb! Thanks!
Great demo
John you rock! Keep up the good work. And Happy 420!
Nice review. Would have been good to hear some Zep, though!
Nicely done John!
GREAT intro snippet - who has EVER done "Son of a Preacher Man" on a product demo? This amp seems more than a little like a blackface Princeton Reverb - it ignited my GAS impulse, but the angel on my other shoulder reminded me I already own two Princetons. Thanks - I needed that...
I WANT. I WANT.I WANT.
If anyone wants one of these, Sweetwater has them on close-out for $750!!!
Great Review John !
lovely playing beautiful amp!
Too rich for PCB, get a vintage hand wired for the same $$$ and anyone can service it. It looks like a VCR inside! Great demo though! John kills it every time.
Played one, they sound very good!
Great amp. I got this one a couple of weeks ago.
I would have bet money that lick was played on a Wurlitzer electric piano.
Yes please I'll take one.
Not only does John nail Keith Richard's sound, he does a pretty good impression of Mick's Sticky Fingers cover too.
nitemareman1 which rolling stones song is at the begining its buggin me
It's Dusty Springfield Son of a Preacher Man.
Happy 4/20 everyone
I love all the new Supro stuff, but this video mostly made me want a Ross Distortion pedal =|
They uploaded this on 4/20 and the song he played in the beginning is also in Hits from the Bong by Cypress Hill !!!
Matt Hammer Cypress Hill sampled that lick from Dusty Springfield's 'Son of a Preacher Man.' Not everything is weed related, dumass.
I tested it in a shop but i always heard a background noise also at low volume wich i do not find in amps like Fender is it typical from supro or it could have been just a cable or elettricità mistake?
Class A amps are usually noisey, a hum in the background constantly which can drive you nuts, some smaller Fenders use class A circuit and they hum too. The fades when you start playing, I stick to class A/B when I can like the Fender Deluxe or twin. The class A circuit is usually a more basic sound but people like the clean /clear tone I suppose that's why they still make em like that. If you do get one an amp repair man can upgrade the capacitors to get rud of the hum if it is too much.
That is a lot of money for an amp made with PCBs and board-mounted controls. Production numbers aside, I suspect there is some "vintage tax" in the pricing.
***** ah not this guy again
MuscleDad420 Yeah, there is nothing worse than someone familiar with the amp market commenting on an amp demo.
***** There is nothing wrong with a well-built amp using pcb technology. The issue is when a company starts piling in relays and channel-switching features. The street price point for this amp is fair.
***** For a US-made amp designed by Bruce Zinky the price is reasonable to me, especially when compared to similar non-US PCB Fender amps. This is the first amp in a long time that has excited me.
Spill a beer & that VCR is toast
Anyone know why this Tele looks so different than the regular sunburst? It is
so beautiful! What is this color?
For black shade doesn't seem as overwhelming as another tri Color bursts.
+rolando e. limon Thanks, the only one i've seen like this is
the Ron Wood 3 ! Beautiful Tele John!
+jim leiss ESP makes a Ron Wood Signature tele, they may have that finish. Also look into a vintage 1978 burst telecaster those had a similar burst.
+rolando e. limon Yes, I was talking about the ESP LTD. I'll check out the 78. Thanks!
+jim leiss
Check the Squier Classic Vibe Telecaster Custom.
intl.fender.com/en-GB/squier/guitars/telecaster/classic-vibe-telecaster-custom-rosewood-fingerboard-3-color-sunburst/
The binding is a bit bright on the Squier, and it'd need a new 'guard. It's close though.
Name of the first song?
Looking for the noun knob.
What's the song in the beginning? I know I've heard it a million times before
bloc01 Son of a preacher man
What is the knob behind the bridge?? I have seen these recently.
Tom Pernal it's a B-bender, not a knob. the strap button on the upper bout of the guitar is attached to a mechanism inside the guitar, so when he pushes down on the neck it activates the mechanism to pull the B string up in pitch to give a pedal steel type note bend.
I realized that after I posted...
But, thanks nonetheless.
Tom Pernal the internet doesn't think you did
Supro seems to be discontinuing a lot of their amp line. That's not a good thing and is a signal to me they're in trouble.
Why do some people say the new ones are better than the old ones?! Sheesh!
Because better quality components and cabinets
Cause they for the most part are sound wise. Great components. Near Mesa level pcb board minus the tube mounting. I have a Tremo-Verb and love it. I did however have to exchange it twice. though the exchange process was talking to Dave himself and was more painless than I knew possible. Zinky is famous for his Supro style amps. combine that with the demand of perfection from Dave and Pigtronix and you've got a line that could go very far.
You can get a hand wired supro clone off ebay these days.
+Brian Cullen What are they called?
+jim leiss Can't remember but I bet Eric McChanson could make one if you send him a schematic
+Brian Cullen Thanks, I'll try to find him!
+Brian Cullen Second thought, I'm going with Supro!
Why does it seem like this guy is in the 80's. lol. Awesome amp though