I actually thought your playing sounds really fantastic out of it especially cranked-up! It does have that really garage rock tone! It might sound amazing paired with another amp with a fat low tone like a bassman !
@jamesonguitar Who cares what you think. Like you have the best ear? You’re playing new fenders. I play a 64 Princeton. So what do you know. Quite putting out bs with your opinion and STFU on the 5w version. Dumbazz
Bought it. ❤ it! I’ve read all the negativity, but I listen with my ears, not my eyes. Great clean, great cranked sound at lower wattage. Needless to say, I don’t agree with your “review.” Go play the amp in-store. If you like it, buy it. If not🤷🏼♂️ Premier Guitar loved it too and even gave reasons it’s better than the vintage ones. Again, if this amp appeals to you, go try it.
If it’s a new amp, you may need to play the speaker in for several months of daily use. I’ve noticed my amps and home stereo speakers etc suddenly sound much better somewhere down the road, sometimes as much as a year later. Good looking amp for sure.
@JamesOnGuitar Yeah they are great for something so small. After going to That Pedal Show last week I've been gassing for a Two Rock! Your channel isn't helping ha!
@@hellosailoreffectsofficialIf you can’t get TwoRock out of your head, be sure to speak with Doug at Coda Music about what you’re thinking because he will keep stuff for you which comes and goes a few times at the store. Many times it’s customers having bought new from Coda and then trading on to other things after a while. Doug is also extremely accommodating with trades and multiple items towards more expensive gear. Good contacts to have if you decide to go down the TR path. Far more relaxed at negotiating than Peach.
Thanks for your detailed review - cancelled my order with Thomann today based on your insights. Gone for the Tone King Gremlin 5W instead. Been watching your channel for a few years now! Keep it going
I bought a '65 Falcon. It's very loud even on "1"... but does not get to the good break up sound until 3 and up. What might I do to get that sound at a lower volume? Is your on 10 all the time? Thanks
Hey James, Great video. I tried the larger amp in Coda. I loved the look of this and was expecting it to be a bit more controllable, volume wise! Even on the lowest setting it was kinda of brittle and ice picky and very loud, really wanted this amp, a Gibson fan boy I was disappointed. I was looking for a smaller companion to my DRZ Remedy and for living room playing. I ended up getting the Baby Magnatone from Peach, love it! Now the PRS DGT is pulling me in! Keep em coming James, glad to see you back on the Tube😊
That’s sort of my feeling when I go back from my Two Rock to any of the smaller wattage combos. They don’t necessarily sound boxy, but more 2-dimensional. I do think simple guitars like a Tele or Junior work better with that setup.
Love old Gibsons, have the GA-19RVT tweed, GA-6 poo brown and GA-40 in tweed/poo brown mix. Tha GA-19RVT is the Tweed era falcon, not too different sounding from your crest era. But here you are comparing a single ended 5w amp to a push pull amp of 4 times the power - apples to elephants. A comparison the new Falcon 20 would be suited here for a more even ground and judging from the clips, they have nailed the old school gibson vibe. I think they made a mistake calling both Falcon. The small one should rather be Skylark or something else.
I’m not gonna lie, you’re playing is so damn good that you make the app sound pretty damn righteous. And yes, it may not hold a candle to your old Falcon with all its swagger, but still this new one, as brittle as it may be, sounds like it would sit well in a mix. And that’s a big part of the idea behind a 5W amp, right? To have something that breaks up at low volume in the studio. But as you say, if it doesn’t feel good under the fingers, it’ll never find its place in your heart.
You have such a great hand, mate. There were many good sounds there haha. Ps: are you going to continue on the Voodoo Chile journey? If you do can you please talk more about the pickups on the strats? I'm on a similar trek myself.
I’ve played through these and the 20 did it for me . Added a blues breaker in front and I haven’t touched my other amps since . Such a full sound that my other combos like blues jr or evh 5150 don’t really reach. The 10 was thin to me .
Seems they were going for a very specific vibe here. If you’re a single amp kind of guy, this isn’t it. But if you’re looking for a fun, different 2nd or 3rd amp to mess around with, and get some gritty blues rock sounds, that record in an interesting way, this could be a fun toy. Definitely a different voice than, say, my 68 VC, but they both seem to have that small 5 watt thing going on, just different flavors.
The amp actually sounds much better in your video here than i have heard it on most others back when it was the "hot new thing" from Mesa,.oh i mean ,.Gibson. TH-cam compresses the audio a lot and perhaps that has increased along with other recent changes and that might explain the lack of harshness in your demo as compared to the others i remember a few months ago. My reaction to those other reviews were that the amp seemed to sound fizzy and buzzy and lacked clarity. But thats all fine if thats the groove and tone you're after but to be honest the tele and the p90 Jr sounded fine ,.
Completely disagree, maybe try the 12” 20. I purchased a Falcon 20, and I absolutely love the way it sounds, almost as much as my Overdrive Reverb. My only complaint was the fan whine at low volumes. A $16 silent Noctua fan, a screwdriver, and about 30mins, took care of that. 😉
Listened to the new vs vintage clips with the Esquire back to back multiple times-it seems to me that the new amp is tighter, with more clarity and more punch. The vintage amp is mushier and creamier . . . More swamp.
James I listened to this video twice to be sure I wasn’t going nuts… I thought the double cut Jnr P90 sounded awful period and was waiting to hear what on earth was coming next… and then proceeded to really enjoy the Esquire (especially) and other guitars 🤷♂️ So I am curious do you feel the TH-cam video captures what you heard in the room or is it drastically different? I have no interest in owning such an amp, but given how polarising this amp can be, I will have to try it next time I’m visiting Coda. So in summary I found this video fascinating because I’ve never watched a video about how bad someone feels for gear and immediately wanted to try it for myself. 😂 It will certainly be interesting to hear your thoughts on the other 20watt model if you can bear to do that 😊
Update after playing all 3 amps at the Gibson Garage London. First I demo’d a series of Murphy Lab Les Paul’s through the small Falcon 5. I thought the sound was impressive coming from such a small enclosure and 10” speaker. It came across rich and not really brash or harsh to my ears. The feel was good in the moment. So I got curious and tried playing through the 1x12 and 2x10 Falcon 20’s. I thought the 1x12 was a LITTLE fuller but didn’t find the tremolo up to much. Finally I tried the 2x10 with 2 channels and thought that was VERY nice. That one really put a smile on my face. One of the Gibson Garage employees comment they fell in love and took one home. I then visit Denmark street where another guitarist was talking about recent amps and how he was so surprised with the 2x10 variant he also took one home unexpectedly. So for anyone curious I say try one and yes I too think the 2x10 is a real peach. Sure you can argue about pricing but I’m just talking about tone, feel and sheer enjoyment of playing through the amp.
I actually didn’t mind some of those tones. You might be a little harsh. But I would have liked to see you play with the tone on the amp and show some examples. It’s hard to see what it was set at. Was it the same every example? With just a single tone knob wouldn’t it need a little manipulation between the guitars? I dunno. You complain about the tone but don’t show any manipulation of the tone knob? Cheers for the video though. Im quite interested in the 20. Would tune in to see your thoughts on it too, should you do it of course!
So I normally show all of that and I should have explained more - I had to keep the tone low (about a 1/4) and where it was otherwise it was honestly nasty!
@@JamesOnGuitar thanks James! Hopefully the 20 is better. The dual 20 has a completely different tone sweep as well. Maybe you’ll enjoy them more. All the best
The worst part is not it being "re designed"... but it being approved as a product and thrown in the wild! 😂 Btw.WE WANT A FULL ON REVIEW OF THAT LUCEM!!
I don't think it sounds that bad, at least recorded over TH-cam anyway. Probably sounds way boxier in the room. It is very bright and harsh sounding but it's a sound at the end of the day. Is it your or my preference? Na probably not. I enjoyed the vid anyway 🙂
Hi ya James, I can say this before I even watch the entire video, I've seen your choices of amps and guitars and you definitely have excellent taste in gear lol! This amp I believe was made by them to be budget friendly ( Budget friendly compared to most of Gibson's pricing that is... ). I am sure if they decided to build this thing and also hand wire it like the old days he amp would've probably have costed like 4 grand or even more 🤣 Anyhow, I do think they sound decent for what they are personally however I'm not about to buy one either. I have a Friedman Dirty Shirley that gives me a beautiful break up sound for a crunch type of Rock & Roll here. Thanks for sharing your thoughts though. Tommy~
The thing is, is it really budget friendly? £400 more than the custom 57 champ and not as nice tbh! But yeah I take your point :) imo they should have gone the 'boutique' way and made it incredible as anyway I think it has a limited audience
@@JamesOnGuitar PS~ Gibson just slapped a 21 thousand dollar price tag on their new 'Red Eye' replica they made... so ya, Budget friendly in a Gibson version of a budget lol.... certainly not Joe Blow's budget!
Man, there is no comparison with that vintage amp. So much of that is the speaker. Here’s a test, run each amp through the same vintage speaker. See what the amp difference is actually like
I always watch, if available, videos on the build and board quality. From what I've seen it's overpriced for the build quality and components. Finally played one, was not impressed.
Finally! A youtube gear test channel that tells you how shitty something sounds when you can hear with your own ears how shitty it sounds. I'm a devout follower of your channel and many times not completely d'accord with your findings. But this review is spot on! Thank you for this really valuable resource for the GAS-inflicted crowd out here that doesn't get stuff just sent to them... ...is ther some way to subscribe a couple hundred times more? ;-)
Duuuude, Dagan from PMT is the worst for that. He will be playing something that sounds like absolute sewage, all the while telling you how great it is.
Then again, great guitar playing, too much whining though , that amp sounds great. Everyone playing the same licks to justify an amp sound doesn't cut it either...
Is it just me or is this guy like completely wrong about the sound? Honestly, I’ve played through one of these and it sounds amazing! Not sure about the longevity of it. But I truly don’t understand this negativity on the tone from this guy.
Amp techs aren't impressed with the new Gibson amps either. You clearly demonstrated how the originals sound superior, nothing to add to that. Sadly, this is the way of things anymore. To actually reproduce many of the vintage amps from the past would require they be priced outside the reach of many people. Add to that the fact that you don't exactly see a lot of folks waxing nostalgic for a vintage Gibson amp, there isn't a market for a high-end reissue. So we get this as a result. The old rule is true, you get what you pay for. And if you didn't, you probably got ripped off.
Gibson and / or Mesa Boogie can't make a true reissue of a vintage amp, or at least make one profitable. It really doesn't matter how it looks, if it doesn't sound how you want it to.
The amp is, A swing....and a MISS! Opposed to hitting it out of the park. I am with you James. The "tones" from this amp is like an ice pick in the ears. Harsh and sterile. This coming from a guy that loves Gibson guitars and owns several.
Can you tell how I feel about it?
I actually thought your playing sounds really fantastic out of it especially cranked-up! It does have that really garage rock tone! It might sound amazing paired with another amp with a fat low tone like a bassman !
@jamesonguitar Who cares what you think. Like you have the best ear? You’re playing new fenders. I play a 64 Princeton. So what do you know. Quite putting out bs with your opinion and STFU on the 5w version. Dumbazz
I liked the sound to be honest
Bought it. ❤ it! I’ve read all the negativity, but I listen with my ears, not my eyes. Great clean, great cranked sound at lower wattage. Needless to say, I don’t agree with your “review.” Go play the amp in-store. If you like it, buy it. If not🤷🏼♂️ Premier Guitar loved it too and even gave reasons it’s better than the vintage ones. Again, if this amp appeals to you, go try it.
I cannot believe you only have 11k subs. Your reviews are superb, in depth and honest.
thanks!
I thought is sounded great. Probably not an amp one would use for everything but it does what you want a low wattage amp to do imo.
If it’s a new amp, you may need to play the speaker in for several months of daily use. I’ve noticed my amps and home stereo speakers etc suddenly sound much better somewhere down the road, sometimes as much as a year later. Good looking amp for sure.
I'm so glad I'm not the only one! I have a 65 Skylark GA-5T and it's on another level to the reissue Falcon.
oh nice one man! love those
@JamesOnGuitar Yeah they are great for something so small. After going to That Pedal Show last week I've been gassing for a Two Rock! Your channel isn't helping ha!
@@hellosailoreffectsofficialIf you can’t get TwoRock out of your head, be sure to speak with Doug at Coda Music about what you’re thinking because he will keep stuff for you which comes and goes a few times at the store. Many times it’s customers having bought new from Coda and then trading on to other things after a while. Doug is also extremely accommodating with trades and multiple items towards more expensive gear. Good contacts to have if you decide to go down the TR path. Far more relaxed at negotiating than Peach.
Thanks for your detailed review - cancelled my order with Thomann today based on your insights. Gone for the Tone King Gremlin 5W instead. Been watching your channel for a few years now! Keep it going
To me the new one sounds way better.
100% agree. After this video I went down to our local guitar shop, I spent the money and got one. Amazing!!
Same!
I bought a '65 Falcon. It's very loud even on "1"... but does not get to the good break up sound until 3 and up. What might I do to get that sound at a lower volume? Is your on 10 all the time? Thanks
Boost pedal
Hey James, Great video. I tried the larger amp in Coda. I loved the look of this and was expecting it to be a bit more controllable, volume wise! Even on the lowest setting it was kinda of brittle and ice picky and very loud, really wanted this amp, a Gibson fan boy I was disappointed. I was looking for a smaller companion to my DRZ Remedy and for living room playing. I ended up getting the Baby Magnatone from Peach, love it! Now the PRS DGT is pulling me in! Keep em coming James, glad to see you back on the Tube😊
That’s sort of my feeling when I go back from my Two Rock to any of the smaller wattage combos. They don’t necessarily sound boxy, but more 2-dimensional.
I do think simple guitars like a Tele or Junior work better with that setup.
Love old Gibsons, have the GA-19RVT tweed, GA-6 poo brown and GA-40 in tweed/poo brown mix. Tha GA-19RVT is the Tweed era falcon, not too different sounding from your crest era.
But here you are comparing a single ended 5w amp to a push pull amp of 4 times the power - apples to elephants. A comparison the new Falcon 20 would be suited here for a more even ground and judging from the clips, they have nailed the old school gibson vibe.
I think they made a mistake calling both Falcon. The small one should rather be Skylark or something else.
Shame this isn't a patch on the vintage falcon you demo'd a few months back. That was pure 'Sad days lonley nights' to my ears.
The vintage one sounds so much better. Could be the 12 inch speaker and 6v6 vs whatever the new one has though. Thanks for the good work.
I’m not gonna lie, you’re playing is so damn good that you make the app sound pretty damn righteous. And yes, it may not hold a candle to your old Falcon with all its swagger, but still this new one, as brittle as it may be, sounds like it would sit well in a mix. And that’s a big part of the idea behind a 5W amp, right? To have something that breaks up at low volume in the studio. But as you say, if it doesn’t feel good under the fingers, it’ll never find its place in your heart.
You have such a great hand, mate. There were many good sounds there haha.
Ps: are you going to continue on the Voodoo Chile journey? If you do can you please talk more about the pickups on the strats? I'm on a similar trek myself.
I’ve played through these and the 20 did it for me . Added a blues breaker in front and I haven’t touched my other amps since . Such a full sound that my other combos like blues jr or evh 5150 don’t really reach. The 10 was thin to me .
I played the 20 at the store and it was pretty cool sounding!
@@musicproductionvideos5019 yeah man definitely vintage inspired but with pedals some pedals in front it can do a lot
Seems they were going for a very specific vibe here. If you’re a single amp kind of guy, this isn’t it. But if you’re looking for a fun, different 2nd or 3rd amp to mess around with, and get some gritty blues rock sounds, that record in an interesting way, this could be a fun toy. Definitely a different voice than, say, my 68 VC, but they both seem to have that small 5 watt thing going on, just different flavors.
The amp actually sounds much better in your video here than i have heard it on most others back when it was the "hot new thing" from Mesa,.oh i mean ,.Gibson.
TH-cam compresses the audio a lot and perhaps that has increased along with other recent changes and that might explain the lack of harshness in your demo as compared to the others i remember a few months ago.
My reaction to those other reviews were that the amp seemed to sound fizzy and buzzy and lacked clarity. But thats all fine if thats the groove and tone you're after but to be honest the tele and the p90 Jr sounded fine ,.
Completely disagree, maybe try the 12” 20. I purchased a Falcon 20, and I absolutely love the way it sounds, almost as much as my Overdrive Reverb. My only complaint was the fan whine at low volumes. A $16 silent Noctua fan, a screwdriver, and about 30mins, took care of that. 😉
Listened to the new vs vintage clips with the Esquire back to back multiple times-it seems to me that the new amp is tighter, with more clarity and more punch. The vintage amp is mushier and creamier . . . More swamp.
James I listened to this video twice to be sure I wasn’t going nuts… I thought the double cut Jnr P90 sounded awful period and was waiting to hear what on earth was coming next… and then proceeded to really enjoy the Esquire (especially) and other guitars 🤷♂️
So I am curious do you feel the TH-cam video captures what you heard in the room or is it drastically different?
I have no interest in owning such an amp, but given how polarising this amp can be, I will have to try it next time I’m visiting Coda. So in summary I found this video fascinating because I’ve never watched a video about how bad someone feels for gear and immediately wanted to try it for myself. 😂
It will certainly be interesting to hear your thoughts on the other 20watt model if you can bear to do that 😊
Update after playing all 3 amps at the Gibson Garage London. First I demo’d a series of Murphy Lab Les Paul’s through the small Falcon 5. I thought the sound was impressive coming from such a small enclosure and 10” speaker. It came across rich and not really brash or harsh to my ears. The feel was good in the moment.
So I got curious and tried playing through the 1x12 and 2x10 Falcon 20’s. I thought the 1x12 was a LITTLE fuller but didn’t find the tremolo up to much. Finally I tried the 2x10 with 2 channels and thought that was VERY nice. That one really put a smile on my face. One of the Gibson Garage employees comment they fell
in love and took one home. I then visit Denmark street where another guitarist was talking about recent amps and how he was so surprised with the 2x10 variant he also took one home unexpectedly. So for anyone curious I say try one and yes I too think the 2x10 is a real peach. Sure you can argue about pricing but I’m just talking about tone, feel and sheer enjoyment of playing through the amp.
I actually didn’t mind some of those tones. You might be a little harsh. But I would have liked to see you play with the tone on the amp and show some examples. It’s hard to see what it was set at. Was it the same every example? With just a single tone knob wouldn’t it need a little manipulation between the guitars? I dunno. You complain about the tone but don’t show any manipulation of the tone knob?
Cheers for the video though. Im quite interested in the 20. Would tune in to see your thoughts on it too, should you do it of course!
So I normally show all of that and I should have explained more - I had to keep the tone low (about a 1/4) and where it was otherwise it was honestly nasty!
@@JamesOnGuitar thanks James! Hopefully the 20 is better. The dual 20 has a completely different tone sweep as well. Maybe you’ll enjoy them more. All the best
The worst part is not it being "re designed"... but it being approved as a product and thrown in the wild! 😂
Btw.WE WANT A FULL ON REVIEW OF THAT LUCEM!!
Hey James,
You still sounded amazing here despite your gripes with the amp haha
haha thanks
You bought a nachocaster?
Forget the amp, that Collings is not from this world🤩🔥
I don't think it sounds that bad, at least recorded over TH-cam anyway. Probably sounds way boxier in the room. It is very bright and harsh sounding but it's a sound at the end of the day. Is it your or my preference? Na probably not.
I enjoyed the vid anyway 🙂
It is a sound - as always someone somewhere will use it to great effect no doubt!
Hi ya James,
I can say this before I even watch the entire video, I've seen your choices of amps and guitars and you definitely have excellent taste in gear lol! This amp I believe was made by them to be budget friendly ( Budget friendly compared to most of Gibson's pricing that is... ). I am sure if they decided to build this thing and also hand wire it like the old days he amp would've probably have costed like 4 grand or even more 🤣
Anyhow, I do think they sound decent for what they are personally however I'm not about to buy one either. I have a Friedman Dirty Shirley that gives me a beautiful break up sound for a crunch type of Rock & Roll here. Thanks for sharing your thoughts though.
Tommy~
The thing is, is it really budget friendly? £400 more than the custom 57 champ and not as nice tbh! But yeah I take your point :) imo they should have gone the 'boutique' way and made it incredible as anyway I think it has a limited audience
@@JamesOnGuitar Agreed :)
I'm still watching this video here, I dig your E blues and I have just stolen one of your little nuances 😃
@@JamesOnGuitar PS~ Gibson just slapped a 21 thousand dollar price tag on their new 'Red Eye' replica they made... so ya, Budget friendly in a Gibson version of a budget lol.... certainly not Joe Blow's budget!
Man, there is no comparison with that vintage amp. So much of that is the speaker. Here’s a test, run each amp through the same vintage speaker. See what the amp difference is actually like
Only problem is the cost is too high for a 5 Watt amp.
If I owned that original falcon I’d be disappointed too. Cheers
I always watch, if available, videos on the build and board quality. From what I've seen it's overpriced for the build quality and components. Finally played one, was not impressed.
Records well, and would probably gig well too. But as a soothing bedroom amp Mmmm?
Finally! A youtube gear test channel that tells you how shitty something sounds when you can hear with your own ears how shitty it sounds. I'm a devout follower of your channel and many times not completely d'accord with your findings. But this review is spot on! Thank you for this really valuable resource for the GAS-inflicted crowd out here that doesn't get stuff just sent to them...
...is ther some way to subscribe a couple hundred times more? ;-)
Duuuude, Dagan from PMT is the worst for that. He will be playing something that sounds like absolute sewage, all the while telling you how great it is.
I'd buy a Fillmore or Cali Tweed over this amp any day.
Then again, great guitar playing, too much whining though , that amp sounds great. Everyone playing the same licks to justify an amp sound doesn't cut it either...
Is it just me or is this guy like completely wrong about the sound? Honestly, I’ve played through one of these and it sounds amazing! Not sure about the longevity of it. But I truly don’t understand this negativity on the tone from this guy.
I have yet to see a demo of this amp where it doesn't sound like a turd.
Save your time…just get a Tone King Imperial MkII.
How is this worth £1,600?
This amp was never an option for me, regardless of sound, because I've just come to dislike Gibson so much.
Amp techs aren't impressed with the new Gibson amps either. You clearly demonstrated how the originals sound superior, nothing to add to that. Sadly, this is the way of things anymore. To actually reproduce many of the vintage amps from the past would require they be priced outside the reach of many people. Add to that the fact that you don't exactly see a lot of folks waxing nostalgic for a vintage Gibson amp, there isn't a market for a high-end reissue. So we get this as a result. The old rule is true, you get what you pay for. And if you didn't, you probably got ripped off.
Gibson guitar's are good, Fender Guitar's and Amps are great....
Gibson and / or Mesa Boogie can't make a true reissue of a vintage amp, or at least make one profitable.
It really doesn't matter how it looks, if it doesn't sound how you want it to.
That thing needs a ceramic speaker.
good idea!
Agreed. Too nasally. Too much highs and not enough bass. They did it wrong.
No thanks. 😅
Underpowered, under-engineered, overpriced, vanilla sounding, throwaway practice amp.
I have heard so much worse
Everything Gibson is overpriced
The amp is, A swing....and a MISS! Opposed to hitting it out of the park. I am with you James. The "tones" from this amp is like an ice pick in the ears. Harsh and sterile. This coming from a guy that loves Gibson guitars and owns several.
yup, such a shame