New Amp: Splawn Streetrod 1x12 Combo (2018)

Picked up this beauty using Guitar Center’s online used section. It was marked down in price and the idea of a miniature Splawn like my 2008 Quickrod, coupled with a Creamback speaker, sounded great to me.

This amp is much larger than I expected it to be - nearly 2x12 sized, despite housing a single speaker. The production date is from 2018 so it is the most recent circuit, although lacks the B+ voltage switch some of the newest ones are optioned with. The Blue tolex is gorgeous and contrasts nicely with the Marshall-like gold front panel and knobs.

This amp is both brighter and more scooped than my Quickrod head. The bass is much stronger and full sounding, and is definitely not as much of a “classic” sounding amp as the QR. The 2008 QR is an older circuit design, so I’m not surprised they are so different. I do find this Streetrod can get lost in the mix a little and when turning up the volume to compensate a little, it starts to sound a little thinner because the attack is concentrated in the upper upper mids, accentuating some of its flaws. Played alone however, it sounds fantastic - maybe the right mixing would bring this amp to life. The clean channel is extremely similar to my 2008 QR and I wouldn’t be surprised if it is identical in circuit, although the SR lacks the gain control of the QR heads here.

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