Carr Bel Ray Hardwood (Ltd Edition)

With the big, powerful amplifiers of the golden age of guitar tone ever harder to use on stage and in the studio, the Carr Bel-Ray reconfigures three legendary ’60s to early ’70s sounds from across the pond into a portable, club-friendly package that dishes out classic British chime, crunch, and kerrang in a format today’s player can actually use.

Fronting a dual-EL84 output stage that generates 16 watts of power, the Bel-Ray sports a front end of two 12AX7s plus a fat British-voiced EF86* pentode tube in a triple-threat preamp that delivers Top Boost chime, Plexi grind, and H-Watt punch at the twist of a switch.

Juicy, tactile dynamics and multi-dimensional playing feel are ensured by tube rectification courtesy of an EZ81—an essential part of the power supplies in the smaller ’60s AC combos and 18-watters alike—and atmospherics are maximized by a tube-driven, bias-modulated tremolo circuit that oozes a warm, lush, swampy throb.

Atop this versatile foundation, the Bel-Ray carries the kind of feature set that has made Carr Amplifiers famous for their ability to deliver vintage-caliber tones to modern playing situations. The Level (aka Volume) control is coupled with a High/Low volume-taper toggle which selects between a direct signal or one with a partial Master Volume inserted after the following EF86 stage. In High, the volume comes on fast and furious, hitting the output stage harder for increased crunch. Set to Low, the volume rolls up gradually and drives the EL84s less aggressively, perfect for at-home nighttime playing and quieter settings.

This limited-edition Bel Ray won’t be around forever. Get it before we sell out!