Rocktron Product Reviews – Egnater TOL50
Egnater by RocktronTOL50 2 x 12 Combo
PRODUCT REVIEWfrom Soundcheck Magazine,
April 1998, by Ira Stylidiotis, translated by Rob Terstall
WITH JOINED FORCES
What can you do, when you’re building the very best amps, but you can only deliver to a small minority of guitarists, due to capacity problems? You look for a powerful partner and celebrate the
beginning of a wonderful friendship!
Most probably, gourmets amongst you soundworshipers will start drooling upon hearing the name Bruce Egnater. Until the beginning of last year the man self-produced his top class tubeamps. But the way it is with garage worksheds, the completion of the amps took a long long time, not to speak of the price of these handmade gems. Egnater decided to join forces with the Rocktron company, and this colaboration is bearing it’s first fruits: the line has broadened, production is in top gear and pricing is surprisingly moderate, considering the high quality.
The TOL 50 combo is available with one or two 12″ speakers. The exterior comes in a very attractive look: oxblood speaker cloth, black covering material and a control panel accessable from the top; all this creating a vintage flair. Workmanship is examplary. To hoist the heavyweight from the floor, the amp features a sturdy grip. Additional grips on the sides wouldn’t have been a bad choice, in my opinion, but maybe this is being qualified by the inclusion of a set of casters.
The combo on review has two Egnater-Pro speakers, presumably produced by Eminence. As an option, you can have Celestions. For reverb, Egnater opted for an Accutronics 3-spring vintage model, tucked away on the bottom of the cab. A generous vent louver allows a look into the inside. Interestingly, the chassis has been mounted vertically, so that the tubes and transformers are parallel to level ground. Four 12AX7 and two EL34 power tubes are perfectly fixed with metal caps and clasps and the horizontal mounting secures examplary protection. This way, down-hanging tubes, that can be damaged all too easily from the outside, are something of the past.
Aside the main switch is a standby-switch with a special feature: you can select 50 or 10 Watt for output power. Channel 1 and channel 2 have separate gain- and mastervolume controls, as well as bright- and boost switches. Additionally, the clean channel allows for a choice of vintage- or a classic american clean character by a voicing switch. The equalizer panel is equipped nobly: aside bass, mid, treble and presence, a so-called density control pays attendance. It is used for tonal volume; the word fatness
hits the nail on the head in describing its duty. In the master section we find a reverb and a fx level/mix control, the latter being of dual duty also. A switch offers the luxury to select between serial and parallel effect modes. In the serial position, the control functions as a master volume; in parallel it controls the effect volume.
Channel selection is manually or by means of an included footswitch. Its dual design lets you also boost each section. Aside a mains jack and an earth switch are connections for the footswitch and an additional reverb switch. Send and return jacks are obligatory, a further jack is titled Slave Out, not to be confused with a recording output, the direct signal from the output stage can be routed from here to sepatate effect- or additional amps systems. A push-pull pot takes care of the signal level, between 0 and -15 dB. An internal and an external speaker jack with impedance selector round off the back panel.
Upon reviewing an amp of this noble category, I obviously apply a different standard and the yardstick lies high. The clean channel first: reduced gain elicits the cleanest possible tones, with incredible punch and clarity, depending on the eq settings. The TOL 50 delivers voluptuous power that makes you feel dizzy. It really frees its power reserves though, when you unleash the mighty bass fundament with the density control and the boost function. Even low volume settings are able to penetrate a block of tenements. The voicing switch offers a drastic change from a vintage character, underlining a raw british sound, to american classic, offering well-measured US-twang. When you set the gain control higher, this channel gently drifts into the crunch department.
The 10 Watt setting rewards you with singing overdrive at endurable loudness. If you want full power, kick in the 50 W mode. Only at the very highest volume, the entire dynamics are being exhausted. Channel two really behaves at reduced gain settings. Even with humbuckers, the keyword is clean, but with enormous power and fatness. But don’t you fret, this channel is not purebred vintage. Until the gain pot reaches its full clockwise position, you’re being taken through the full program of overdrive, saturation and monster tones. The tone controls are highly effective and allow for distinctive nuances. Ever dominating though, is a full, round, punchy tone. No question about it: a tone in a class of its own, a tone that lives and breathes. Bruce Egnater calls it the tone of life, and I think that leaves nothing to be added.
Upshot:
Tube guru Bruce Egnater’s first partnership with Rocktron sets a new standard right off the bat. The TOL 50 presents itself well seasoned, the extraordinary tones come with dynamics and power, seeking their kind.
Valuation:
Sound character:
Sound quality:
Sound diversity:
Workmanship:
Handling:
Roadworthiness:
Rock, Blues, Jazz
very good
very good
very good
good
good
Find out more about the TOL50
Article Copyright © 1998 Soundcheck Magazine.Article edited for the web.
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