Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: Nolly on February 10, 2009, 07:31:07 PM
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I've wanted a second, more basic amp head to keep alongside the VH4 rig for a while now, and I had my eye set on a Cornford MK50HII. However, a week or so ago I saw something that caught my eye in the seconds out section, and today I took a 2 hour drive to go and check it out. Within a few seconds of plugging in I knew I had to buy it.
(http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh76/Nollythegreat/Guitar%20stuff/Elmwood/HPIM0607.jpg)
(http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh76/Nollythegreat/Guitar%20stuff/Elmwood/HPIM0608.jpg)
(http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh76/Nollythegreat/Guitar%20stuff/Elmwood/HPIM0610.jpg)
Elmwood are a fairly unheard of small boutique Swedish amp company, but most reviews out there tend to be extremely positive.
The amp is an EL34 driven 60w head, with a switchable 30w option. It has two channels, each with an added boost function with it's own separate gain knob. The clean channel's boost also has a seperate preamp volume if you want to kick the poweramp harder. There are also twin footswitchable master volumes, a parallel FX loop and global "edge" and "fat" knobs on the back of the amp to tweak the whole voicing.
The aesthetics are very classy - the thick black vinyl used is plush and smooth, and the polished black faceplate with blue LEDs looks great. The logo plate is actually slightly pearlescent and looks better in person than in the pics (it does seem like an identical font to both Bogner and Egnater amps though, which is strange). The cabinet itself is very compact in width, but deep, and feels very sturdy.
Onto the sounds.
The clean channel is absolutely gorgeous. It has an amazing depth and chime to it, with a sparkly high end and round and warm low end. The clarity and bloom is out of this world. As you wind up the channel volume, it breaks up in a beautiful and smooth British-voiced manner. Flick the boost switch on and the gain keeps winding up to an old-school Marshall-y bark without any harshness in the high end. The note definition is shockingly clear at all times. The sound is open and dynamic, but sustains like you're using a compressor. The amp is worth it for this channel alone.
Channel 2 takes everything up a notch to some serious dirt. Again, it's very smooth and fat with no fizz at all, but still with the same sparkling note definition. The sound is huge and it has a roaring fat midrange. It's incredible for hard rock tones, like Nuno Bettencourt's tones with Extreme, but as the gain goes up further, you're into full on metal sounds. With the gain maxed, it's in serious metal crunch territory, with a thick chewy low end. It's not as tight as the VH4 is, but it is open and still incredibly clear with the same exceptional note definition as before. The amp is also very quiet, even with the gain right up. Add a tubescreamer in front, and things get ridiculous, the low end tightens up a tad, and the midrange gets more focussed and pronounced. The sound is just monstrous, think Killswitch Engage, and stays tight and clear even with the F8 in drop E. There's serious djent on offer with appropriate EQing too.
With the amp's boost engaged, you get even more gain to play with and slight increase in compression that makes it incredible for soloing. The sound is fluid and smooth in all the right ways, again with silly note definition. The attack is fast and responsive but still juicy and really encourages you to dig in. The low end doesn't loosen up at all, so you can still use it for rhythm. In fact, at higher volumes the low end seems to tighten up on it's own, so I'm still in two minds about whether or not the tubescreamer is needed when you're playing louder. You can still get the necessary boost for solos by using the second master volume, even if you're using the same settings for rhythm and leads.
I've not really messed with the 30w setting, mainly because the amp still sounds great quiet with the full 60w, but from my limited try it did seem to make the amp compress a tad. I imagine that at rehearsal volumes it will make pushing the power amp considerably easier.
I'd like to add that Paul (Pauldem) was absolutely great to do business with, a thoroughly nice guy and knows his stuff. I believe he's still selling a custom Schecter, do go check it out in Seconds Out.
Enough talk, I'm going to go play some more :)
Nolly
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sweet, those elmwoods are meant to be great, never seen one though :(
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I messaged him yesterday about buying it but you got there first :lol:
Congratz man :D
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NICE!!!
You finally have an amp with font like my Egnater :D
The Elmwoods look really classy, both in the black vinyl and the red head cases.
I want to hear it on Thursday!
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Awesome!
Can we get a clip with this and the f8 by any chance?
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I can't wait to hear the youtube clips, i've only scarcely heard of these! sounds killer though
Didn't know you had a VH4, how do those compare to the Herbert? I'm intending to go try some Diezels out soon...
Though im still happy with my Laney VH100R for most things, the Diezel's are perfect for the band sounds im aiming at.
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Cheers guys, and sorry to Lew!!, you missed a killer amp I'm afraid!
I've recorded a clip using the Elmwood and the VH4 to the Player's section, you can check it out here:
http://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=15991.new#new
Sorry it's not the F8, I will do one with it at somepoint, but doing this one has taken enough time already!
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Show off !!
(seriously jealous person speaking here :wink:)
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NICE!!!
You finally have an amp with font like my Egnater :D
The Elmwoods look really classy, both in the black vinyl and the red head cases.
I want to hear it on Thursday!
Congrats, very nice amp indeed. I always found them Elmwoods dark, yet crunchy - which is a really rare thing to get!!
Reinhold B. was the first one using that font for amps though, everything else is just copycats :)
Hey, Clips or it didn't happen!
:O)
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It's always worrying when your house is approached by two guys with metal cases. Even more so when one has a seemingly bionic leg :D!!
Then two Blackmachines appear from the cases, one being an 8 string and there is a VH4 to boot 8). It was all a bit Christmas for me, I must have looked like a rabbit in headlights. I went on to find out that both Adam and Pete are monster players, so I was more than happy to watch the demo take place.
It's Good to know the amp has gone to a home where it will be used properly. Saying that I did have a few moments of, 'This sounds real sweet, should I be selling?'. Thankfully I flicked on the Splawns once the guys had departed and was reminded why they are the amp for me.
All in all, great fun. Now, is Doug doing a run of B6 this year?
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All in all, great fun. Now, is Doug doing a run of B6 this year?
I think it's a case of 'get on the list for next year!'
:D
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Have always lusted after an Elmwood since seeing Treetopper's clips on Youtube (was sorely tempted myself after seeing this amp in Seconds Out).
Great amp, excellent review and clip of KSE Rose of Sharyn 8) 8)
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wow
and I thought Nolly couldn't get any greater :lol:
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cool amp!!!
wish you very much fun with it!!!
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Cheers dudes!
I'm very very happy with this, I thought my VH4 couldn't be topped for note definition, but the Elmwood may just have it beat. The VH4 has the edge for outright low end brutality though, and I almost died from the sheer win emanated when I hooked them up in stereo!
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Cheers guys, and sorry to Lew!!, you missed a killer amp I'm afraid!
No worries man.
Hope it electrocutes you
:lol:
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Cheers guys, and sorry to Lew!!, you missed a killer amp I'm afraid!
No worries man.
Hope it electrocutes you
:lol:
the great Nolly can't be electrocuted by any human made technology
HE might zap the amp with his great awesomeness 8)
:lol: