The Industrial Amps Rock 120 head has certainly earned its place in my arsenal of extraordinary amplifiers. From great sounding classic rock to all out metal the IA delivers. A truly over the top sounding amp that can move some air. The 120 has permanently assumed duty here at WireWorld Studio, and you can be sure, you will be hearing it on upcoming projects.

www.michaelwagener.com

Honestly, Industrial Amps (IA) was specifically not on my radar for the show, and it was for a shallow reason: I don't like how their amps look. (I guess I still haven't completely learned that ol' "book by its cover" thing - sorry Mom!)

After my Sommatone visit, the tones of the Slick-18 still in my head, I smiled at a woman whom I later found out was JoAnn of Industrial Amps, walked past her and waited for the elevator.

Fortunately, the elevator was a long time in coming - because as I'm standing there, it gradually dawns on me that the tone I'm hearing from somewhere is really, really good. I mean REALLY good.

I follow my ears right past JoAnn into the Industrial Amps room. Sitting there are two guys, one of whom is playing an Epiphone Les Paul into a little combo with a $1,400-and-change price tag on it. It sounds ridiculously good.

I say something to the guy, who hands the guitar to his buddy who commences pouring out some cool riffage. The amp still sounds really good, so it wasn't the player. We're all shaking our heads at each other like a bunch of dashboard bobbleheads, mumbling comments about how great this amp sounds.

Strangely, I'm in no hurry to plug in. I just want to listen. But finally that guy stops playing, and says something like, "That amp sounds amazing, the best amp I've heard at the show." I wasn't sure about that, but it was sounding pretty damn good!

Then another guy whom I end up talking to, named Steven, proceeds to plug his Gibson Les Paul into the amp, and is really digging it (so am I). He starts to go off about how great the amp is, and I'm thinking he's JoAnn's son-in-law when he tells me he bought one at last year's NY/NJ Amp Show. He says it was the best amp he heard at that show, still digs it and plays it often despite having several high-dollar amps.

Steven switches to the IA Blues 60 to check that amp out - and likes it, but plugs again into the smaller amp, which I come to find out is the Overdrive 15 combo (its lone speaker is a Celestion V30). As he plays, I twiddle knobs. A multitude of good sounds were available, even a clean sound - but who the hell wants that?!

For some reason other than the usual, my brain deserts me. I ask JoAnn what makes these amps special, or some other stupidly-worded question. She waves over Tony, the man behind the amps, a guy who retired from IBM and decided he wanted to build a military-spec guitar amplifier that, he tells me, rocks like something between a Marshall and a Soldano.

How, why, what's in it, what's the mojo - I discover almost none of that. Even though I've been a reporter, editor, publisher, etc. for the better part of 20 years, that part of my brain isn't working. Apparently only the auditory cortex is functioning.

Long story short, I played through the Overdrive 15 with Steven's Les Paul and then my P-90 Epi Les Paul, and it sounded great. The guitars sounded different (always a concern of mine) as they should, and the P-90s really shined.

I WANT ONE!

I tried the other IA amps, but honestly didn't give them much of a chance because I really didn't want to stop playing the Overdrive 15. I will say that the Rock 120's headroom did wonderful things for distorted chords - huge string-to-string clarity - but you'd expect that with all that power. I also liked the Rock 120 with 6L6s vs. the one with EL-34s.

But the Overdrive 15 - a LOUD 15 watts, by the way - was the one for me.

WoodyTone bottom line: I will own an Overdrive 15 - unless I end up liking a different IA amp more. If you ever have an opportunity to play an IA amp, do it. You may like the look, but if not, don't write if off because of that. It might be just the Wood you've been searching for.

Sarge here. I'd like to make a few comments on the INDUSTRIAL AMPS ROCK 120 and EXTENDED RANGE 4-12 cab. To begin, I am somewhat of an amp collector. Currently the list is about 30 amps long, with the obligatory complement of vintage Fenders, Gibsons, Ampegs, Silvertones, Magnatones, Vox, and other "weirdos" as well as some killer boutique offerings. My preference is primarily on amp heads so I can apply them to a similarly varied cabinet collection. In addition to having the incurable affliction of amp collecting I am one of the corporate owners of Creation Audio Labs, Inc. Creation Audio Labs is a pro audio repair facility and we also design and manufacture very high end guitar and bass pedals and rack devices. So with these two "feathers in my hat," I feel like I can provide a fairly reliable synopsis of how any particular amp sounds.

I met Tony and JoAnn of Industrial Amps at the recent Boston Guitar Show. Our demo expert Bryan Lionman played the Rock 120 and came running back to our booth insisting that I go and demo the amp. Upon plugging into the amp it was immediately obvious that he was right. The IA Rock 120 is indeed, a "New Vintage." With the classic and heavy channels, ANY rock tone can be achieved. The amp with the extended cab is extremely useful for the super low end detuned or dropped tunings and 7 string applications. And did I mention that the amp is LOUD? This amp is very loud but amazingly, very absent of the very harsh upper mid trash that makes your ears cave in. As IA says, the rig provides "tone you can feel" with out killing your hearing. The build quality is above top-notch, and the components are super high end. A+++ all the way.

I also happen to be a close friend of legendary rock producer / engineer Michael Wagener. It goes without saying that he knows great rock and metal guitar tone. I took the 120 out to Michael's Wire World Studio for his perusal. Now I must say here, that on previous "amp tests" with Wagener on some of my very expensive boutique heads it was a very quick "you're outta here" vote on weather the amp was approved or not. The 120 got a VERY big thumbs up from Michael and he now has used the IA on several projects. Look for a statement from him soon as well.

I highly recommend the Industrial Amps to anyone playing guitar. From the mini 15 watt models, the 60, and up to the killing machine 120, the IA's will keep you covered. For all you dealers out there get on board now. This is a significant amp that will be in great demand. Catch IA at a show or come by the Creation Audio Labs shop and play a little. Call me at 615-884-7520, I will personally talk to you about the amp and the IA company. This is not a drill...this is the real thing.

I will have one of them each soon... after all, how many amps a man need?

"All he can get."

Gary "Sarge" Gistinger

President

Creation Audio Labs, Inc.

"Industrial Amps", is hands down one of the best amps I have ever played. Its also one of the BEST built amplifiers I have ever owned. This is one Amplifier that will never let you Down"!!"

In Memory of Bobby Farrera Bobby could funnel the power of the human spirit through his guitar and back into the souls of the people around him – Where his music and force of life Remain now and forever.

Thank you Bobby!

Well, I’ve had a lot of fun with the Overdrive 15 in the past week and I’m really impressed with the amp. I’d like to give you an overview of my thoughts and then ask a couple of questions. First off, It took me a little bit and thenI finally realized this amp is pretty heavy. I recorded it yesterday and it tracked really well. I must say I was kind of surprised. I’ve attached a clip for you, please let me know your thoughts. I think the amp is really cool looking. I like the switches, the way they feel, and I noticed they are sealed. The pots feel great and the amp is very tweakable. What I mean by that is when you turn a knob you can hear an audible difference. This amp has a lot of gain on tap. The clip I did for you is way heavier than the music I ordinarily write and record but I really like the aspect of getting such a heavy tone out of a low wattage amp, which is exactly what I was looking to do with this 15 watter. With the 6V6 power tubes I had expected the amp to be a little more Classic Rock. Maybe sounding something like one of the Divided By 13 6V6ers. The only thing I questioned was the solid state rectifier. I’m thinking that’s what makes the amp so quick in its ability to track and It might have something to do with its tightness. I was also really surprised at how well the bottom end holds together and the amount of bass response coming from the 6V6s. I’m familiar with the way 6V6s respond in a Deluxe Reverb when you crank the amp up, the bottom end turns to mush. The Overdrive 15 holds together really well.

The amp has a really nice handle on it and I really like the solid mahogany skids. Nice touch! The effects loop works perfectly, I ran two different types of stomp delays through it: a Boss DD-20 and my Echoczar. Sounds Great! The lighted power cord is also a nice feature. So you know, on the recording I used my ’73 Les Paul Custom Black Beauty with an Evidence Audio cord straight into the amp. The speaker cabinet was my ’68 Marshall basketweave 4x12 loaded with V30’s. I miced my two favorite speakers in that cab with Shure SM57s and ran the mics through a Universal Audio 6176 and a Vintech X73i and then straight into Pro Tools HD. I used no EQ on the mic pres or in the DAW. All I did was double track. I was really happy with the tone I got. Oh, I should mention the mics were each about 4 inches off the grille cloth and pretty much centered on the dust covers. I added a little Waves Renaissance verb at the end of the clip.

www.nicksterling.com
Nic posted the clip at the "Huge Racks" guitar forum.
Here is the link.

For the last 20 years, the only brand of guitar amplifiers that I have used consistently is Marshall. I've tried other brands of amps, but in the end I always went back to Marshall, that is... until now!

First of all, the design of this amp has to be one of the coolest that I've ever seen before! The white color that surrounds the amp makes it look all sweet and innocent. Don't be fooled be the amp's subtle appearance however, it's a little devil in disguise!

The second I plugged my guitar into the amp and turned up the volume, I knew that this might very well be THE amp of my dreams!The clean sound is really clean. It's not like a lot of other amps in which you sometimes hear unwanted distortion on the clean channel. When I discovered that, it was a nice surprice to say at least. The clean channel is versatile enough to handle any style of music that calls for it. When I turned up the volume on the amp, my shelf started shaking, and that was on the clean channel. I couldn't wait to see what this bad boy could do on the dirty channel!!!

Unable to remain patient, I switched the amp to the dirty channel! At first, I dialed the gain to 4, and it was badass! I got that really cool AC/DC type of distortion. It was providing that 'dirty' sound that I could previously only get from a Marshall. The distortion also reminded me of oldschool KISS, which was a huge influence on my guitar playing... Excellent! Now for the REALLY fun part, here's what happened when I dialed the gain all the way up to 10? For me, that's always the ultimate test since the main genres I play are metal and hard rock! The sound the amp achieved when I turned the gain to 10 was the sound that was missing in every other amp I've ever tried! The amp produced a thick and ballsy gain with a lot of edge and clarity! Even though the gain was at the max level, I could still play chords and hear every note of them clearly. The solo tone was crystal clear, and also thick sounding!

I can't wait to play live with this amp and really push this beast to its limits! All in all, The 'Rock 120' amp by Industrial amps is by far one the best sounding amplifiers I've ever tried, and this one will stay in my rig for many years to come. This amp is unlike any other amp out there and it truly has a voice of its own!

See Jonas's post on Harmony Central

It was gracious of you to provide me with your array of amplifier models to test drive and show to my guitar buddies and nearby dealers.

The biggest challenge I had was to try to figure out which one I loved best, and for which applications. I tried them with my archtops, semi hollow bodies, Les Pauls, Teles and Strats.

I started with the smaller combo's first and was blown away with the power, volume and tone of the Crunch 15 combo and head with the added reverb. It had that classic tone sort of vintage amp tone. Then I went to the Overdrive 15 and dialed up the gain pot, hit a few power chords and some solo improv and thought.."wow, how nice it would be to have one of each on stage with an A/B switch between them. So, I took the pair out on a smaller gig and had a ball. Used the Les Paul and the Strat on this gig. The band I was gigging with was quite impressed with both their appearance, ruggedness and overall sound. I like the size of these amps.

Next, I turned my attention to that of the larger combos, the Blues 60 with the 6L6's and the Rock 120 with the EL-34's....both with 2 x 12 speaker combinations. Well, I absolutely fell in love with the Blues 60. Their appearance to begin with was stunning...I just dig the glass panel...a real touch of class. I took that amp out on a special gig sponsored by the local Smooth Jazz radio station. I had my trio with me that night and we all thought the sound and tone were outstanding on that amp. I used my arched top jazz guitar that night and primarily the classic channel. The amp had all the right tonal features for an evening of great music.

Later, I was called to do a gig in Colorado at an outside concert at a fairground. I drove up with the IA Rock 120 for that gig...Yeah, the pretty white one with the bright red control panel. Folks at the fair, including other bands that performed were blown away with it's beauty and sound. I figured since it was an outside gig and there were big crowds and lots of background noise that the extra headroom would come in handy. I was right. I know why you call that one the Rock 120...it rocks for sure. Used my Les Paul SG Custom 3 pickup model on that gig....Yup, the white guitar with the white amp....that was cool.

Lastly, I started experimenting with different cabinet head combinations using the Crunch 15, Blues 60 and Rock 120 heads and the various cabs. 1 x 12, 4 x 12 and extended 4 x 12 cabs. I even tried them with a 2 x 12 cab of my own equipped with a pair of vintage Celestion G12-65's. Here's what I found. I really like the open back 1 x 12 with the Crunch 15...great combination and good for a lot of my work. I already mentioned that my favorite gigging amp is the Blues 60 combo... But when I got up to the Rock 120 head with the extended 4 x 12, well let me just say that it rocked my world. I've never heard anything like that in my life. Although to really get the full enjoyment out of this amp, you'd need a rather large venue, but with that extended 4 x 12 cabinet tuned to a low B...we're talking "earthquake" here... nearly ground moving tone. You could even fight terrorism with this one. Loud, powerful and it just oozes with the ultimate in guitar tone. Who said there's no such thing as Utopia? Guitarists that are fortunate enough to own one of these will certainly think different...that's a promise. I imagine it would be a great combo for baritone and Bass VI guitars, too.

You were right Sean...you don't just hear the tone in these IA amps, you "feel the tone, too." They're refined and built like battleships, and are equipped with the best components available on the globe...and, they are classy looking too.

I had my amp tech check them out and when he saw Tony's point to point wiring and how neat it was, he looked at me and said.."If they sound as good as they look, we're dealing with some serious guitar amplifiers here." I think we already know he was quite impressed with the sound, as well. We were both particularly excited to know that these amps are multi purpose...they have a great clean tone, nice crunch and incredible overdrive capabilities at any volume. They possess both the classic and modern tones, all in one package, particularly the Blues 60 and Rock 120 models.

BTW...I forgot to mention that the Rock 120 and Blues 60 heads with the glass front panels that show the tubes glowing from behind makes these classy looking and great sounding amps really stand out on stage....After seeing an IA on stage, nothing else compares.

I'd sure like to try out a Blues 60 head with a 15" JBL D-130 F speaker or a Weber California Alnico 15" sometime, too. Bet that would be really great for my jazz work.

In conclusion, I'll be putting the following in my next year's amp budget. I want a Crunch 15R head (white) and 1 x 12 (white), a Blues 60 combo Black (cloth grill) and a Rock 120 head with Extended 4 x 12 cab (black). There wouldn't be a gig on earth that I couldn't handle with that arsenal. I wouldn't mind having a pair of Crunch 15 and Overdrive 15 combo's either. In fact, I wish I could have one of each....but, I'd have to buy a bigger house.

Good luck with your fine products and thanks for stopping by to see me with your unique line of amplifiers. They're absolutely incredible sounding and drop dead gorgeous to look at.

Wayne Wesley Johnson on the web...

First let me thank you for providing me with your wonderful I. A. Classic 120! To take the time and expense to get one for me to try,is above and beyond anything I have ever experience in Amplifier MFG. I was so impressed by the sonic properties of this Industrial Strength, Janitor in an Amp there are no words to describe. What an amazing product! Tony has set a new standard in not only structural integrity , but in Classic looks and Beauty. The Sonic smoothness and sustained is paramount in any sound re-enforcement I have used to date. As a working man with a guitar, this interacted with my Fender Telecaster and made it sound better! In fact it made me sound better than I am. Even the Nashville Cats/Pickers commented on the IA amp's look and sound! My hat's off to IA products. The Best just got Better! Big Names and old Standards have BETTER WATCH OUT! There's a New Amp in Town! You're the BEST! GBY, Anthony, April, 22. 2007.

www.anthonyandguitarstreet.com

"This is Gene Minix, guitarist of "The Feederband", and believe me when I say that I've been through just about every amp out there in my 25 years of playing professionally. But until recently, I thought I'd be switching every year to the latest and supposedly greatest. But now that I've found Industrial Amps, all I have to worry about is which guitar is best. These amps are monsters right out of the box. I've never heard distortion like this straight from the amp. Come to think of it, I've never heard distortion like this from a pedal either. Do yourself a favor and give these guys a little of your time to show you what they've got to offer, you will not be sorry!!!"

http://www.feederbandmusic.com

Thanks Tony for such a sweet sounding Blues 60. Primarily a Marshall player since the 60s it wasn't too hard to adjust to this Amp. It was nice chatting and learning a little more about the design and build. It should survive the apocalypse without any issues. It's nice to have an easy choice between a solid state and tube rectifier. Both sound great but I think I prefer the tube, it provides just enough compression or lag to smooth things out. The Classic / Clean side is amazingly dynamic, its starts to overdrive at about 4 1/2 and reacts to the guitar volume nicely. Both channels are in phase so there's no cancellation should I use both simultaneously. Also has a nice balance between the Classic (clean) and Heavy (overdrive) channels. I've found I can switch channels (which is kind of new to me being my first) and by rolling off my guitar volume a bit I can make the change almost unnoticeably and give it more gain on the heavy side and go up from there. Plenty of bass for a combo and quite loud. Tone stack has an ample range of Treble, Presence and Bass, Midrange is similar to my old Marshalls. It seems to have Brit soul in it. I'll have to swap out the 6L6s and load a pair of 6CA7s/EL34s to verify. This is the first amp that I'm probably not going to need an overdrive in front. That's a change for me, I rely on a Butler Tube Driver, OCD, Fulldrive and a few others through my Marshalls. IA really thought out this design and obviously didn't cut any corners by any means. I like that you kept the reverb just on the Classic side and not both. Right now I'm just using a DL4 for delays in the loop. I'll probably loop in my EP3 Echoplex or Tubeplex at some point and see how that works out. Very well pleased with this combo.

I was curious about recording with an ipod touch with tascam pcm recorder app with the internal mic. I used the Blues 60 and a Parker P-38 to test the levels. Nothing fancy, but it gives an idea what the amp sounds like from clean to pushed. Straight in with a looper in the loop. Reverb and delays from the rack through a marshall 9005 tube 50/50 power amp into 2 - 1x12 cabs, a wet/dry/wet setup. Curious about the levels I set the limiter and and the gain at almost defeat. 6 feet away from the IA amp about 20 degrees off axis with mic about 150 degrees facing away from amp. It's just a noodling test sample, nothing serious. Obviously I needed to clean the 5 way switch on the Parker, and need much more practice..;)

IA Blues 60 / iPod levels test

Thanks again Tony for all!
Jamie

I have been playing for over 20 years. I currently own a modified Marshall 50 watt Plexi and a VHT Deliverance 60 with VHT D412 cab. I have owned and played many amps such as Soldanos, Two-Rock, Engl, Reinhardt, Cameron, Komet, Fuchs, Diezel, the list goes on and on. I not only would by another Industrial Amp is this were lost or stolen, but plan on keeping this one and buying an Industrial Amp head as well! Truth be told I can't say enough good things about this amp, I get totally inspired when I play it and that is what plugging into an amp is all about for me. I would highly recommend checking these amps out if you get the chance!

See the rest on Harmony Central here...