Acorn Amplifiers unveils the Peavey Decade-inspired Solid State preamp pedal, based on Josh Homme's "secret weapon" amp
The stompbox is billed as a recreation of the tiny practice amp, which was recently revealed as the key to Homme's Queens of the Stone Age tone
Atlantan effects pedal builder Acorn Amplifiers has unveiled the Solid State – an amp/preamp pedal inspired by the Peavey Decade practice amp, which was recently revealed to be the secret behind Josh Homme’s Queens of the Stone Age tone.
Since Homme dropped the unexpected gear bombshell while in conversation on Apple TV’s Watch the Sound with Mark Ronson, a number of pedal builders have sought to put Peavey’s practice amp tones into a pedal – most notably Ten Years is a Decade, which built St. Vincent her own Peavey pedal.
Now, Acorn Amplifiers has thrown its hat into the Decade ring with its all-new Solid State, which is described as a “full circuit recreation” of the practice amp in pedal form.
In terms of specifics, the Solid State boasts the TDA series class-AB poweramp that was found in the original, which promises to provide “the most authentic recreation” of the amp on the market, from spanky cleans to ultra-dirty break-ups.
Acorn Amplifiers has attempted to be as faithful as possible to the original blueprint, right down to the aesthetics and controls. Like the Peavey Decade, there are five control knobs: two for Pre and Post gain stages and a three-band EQ comprising Low, Mid and High.
And, like its amp counterpart, the Solid State incorporates some suitable practice amp looks, including the silver panels that flank the faux mesh speaker cover.
Elsewhere, the Solid State has two output jacks for operating as either a standard preamp in your pedal chain or as a fully fledged 10-watt amp when plugged directly into a speaker cabinet. Both can also be used in tandem.
Get The Pick Newsletter
All the latest guitar news, interviews, lessons, reviews, deals and more, direct to your inbox!
Acorn Amps has also sought to reimagine the original design by introducing two footswitchable tone modes that flick between Normal and Saturation voices – which are accessible via separate input jacks on the Peavey – as well as a toggle switch that sends the signal out either before or after the power amp circuit.
You can check out the Acorn Amps Solid State in action in the video above.
The Solid State is available to preorder now for $299, and will begin shipping in April.
For more information, visit Acorn Amps.
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month**
Join now for unlimited access
US pricing $3.99 per month or $39.00 per year
UK pricing £2.99 per month or £29.00 per year
Europe pricing €3.49 per month or €34.00 per year
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Matt is a Senior Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World, Guitarist and Total Guitar. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician.
“We sought to take the iconic Tube Screamer and push it further”: Ibanez reimagines its beloved overdrive pedal into its most high-end format yet – with a $300 hand-wired TS808
“The most disgusting pitch-shifting pedal I’ve ever had”: Introducing the Noise Pedal – a “new take on the iconic Whammy sound” that transforms your guitar tone into a nightmare