NAMM 2013 Video: Alex Skolnick Demos His Signature Budda AS Preceptor Guitar Amp
Here's a Guitar World video from the 2013 Winter NAMM Show, which took place January 24 to 27 in Anaheim, California.
During the gear-filled weekend, we paid a visit to the Peavey/Budda Amplification booth to check out several new pieces of gear. On Saturday afternoon at NAMM, Alex Skolnick of Testament and the Alex Skolnick Trio introduced the NAMM crowd to his new signature Budda AS Preceptor guitar amp, going through each of the amp's three channels.
All three of the AS Preceptor’s independent channels — Clean, Rhythm and Lead — include separate three-band EQ, Reverb, Resonance, Presence, and true bypass effects loop with send and return levels.
Each channel also features Over-Boost, a stompbox-style lead boost that engages an additional tube-driven gain circuit to give players a supercharged boost. The effects loop on channel 2 can also be used as a global loop for incredible versatility in effects routing.
The amp features:
- 120 Watts into 16, 8 or 4 ohms with half-power switch
- 3 channels: clean, rhythm and lead
- Five 12AX7 preamp tubes used in three completely independent channels
- One 12AX7 tube used in tube-driven stomp box style Over-Boost circuit
- One 12AX7 tube used as the phase splitter driving the power amp
- Four EL-34 power amp tubes and convertible to use four 6L6GC tubes
- LED indication of correct output tube biasing
- Two 5U4 rectifier tubes convertible to use 5AR4/GZ34 tubes
- Unique PowerPan control allows panning between solid state and tube rectification
- Power amp can use 6L6GC or EL-34 tubes (plus KT66, KT88, 5881 and 6CA7 with re-biasing)
- Rectifier can use 5U4, 5AR4 or GZ34 tubes
- Full / Half Power switch
For more about Budda, head to budda.com.
Thanks for following along with our continuous NAMM 2013 coverage on Twitter during the NAMM Show! Even though the NAMM Show is over, be sure to follow Guitar World on Twitter right here.
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Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.