The 1960s witnessed the creation of amp designs destined to remain the choice of guitarists for centuries to come. Those that survived may have very different flavors, but they all have one thing in common: they respond very dynamically to the player's nuances. BUGERA captures these amps' musicality in a stunning 1x12 combo(V55) and amp head (V55HD) whose modern touches put a wider palette of vintage voicings at your fingertips. With a proud pair of 6L6 power valves in the output stage, the V55HD bathes your guitar in clean California sunshine. Let's go trippin'...

Old Guts, New Glory

Bugera went to great lengths to give these amp the ability to deliver everything those dusty relics of the rock revolution did--minus the collector-sized pricetags. But in true BUGERA fashion, they took this labor of love one step farther to give you maximum tonal possibilities. To explain, let's take a quick detour to the late 1940s...

Before hillbillies began co-opting the blues, amps came in two varieties: those with triode (having three active electrodes) power valves and those with pentode (containing five active electrodes) power valves. Triode valves, which predated the pentodes, provide what many guitarists agree is a "softer" tone. Pentodes produce a slightly more urgent, aggressive sound. The V55 and V55HD run on power pentode tubes, but include a Mode switch that lets you run the power section as if it had triode tubes - that is, at about 40 percent less power. This gives you the… read more option of going beyond old-school - straight to elderly school. Welcome to your personal tonal time machine.

A cutting-edge classic

The old amps that defined electric guitar tone were often single-channel amps. These amps offer that same vintage clean, but add a second channel for modern high-gain tones. To begin, take your pick of the Bright or Normal inputs, then twist the three-band EQ (Bass, Mid, Treble) and Presence control to sculpt your signature sound. Depending on which channel you choose, three 12AX7 preamp tubes take your tone anywhere from dignified blues to garage-leveling madness.

The V55HD's power stage's dual 6L6 valves propel this tone through a BUGERA 12" speaker. Need to feed more speakers? Both amps have an Impedance switch that toggles between 4, 8 and 16 ohms, making them compatible with virtually any speaker cabinet. These amps also have reverb, but in the interest of tone and durability, their reverb is derived from a studio-caliber digital processor. The spring reverb found in their post-war predecessors sound lovely, but they're delicate and expensive to repair. The V55HD's modern update gives you an equally mesmerizing vintage reverb sound without the wallet-draining vintage reliability. And if all these features weren't enough...you also get a road-tough footswitch that allows you to select channels and activate/kill the reverb remotely. So whether you're in the studio, rehearsing in the garage or pulling into Champaign-Urbana for a gig that pays two pitchers, the V55HD is able to complement your craft with the gold-standard tones of the past--today!

Features

- Hand-built 55-Watt guitar head driven by 2 x 6L6 valves
- Way cool vintage look and feel
- Authentic 2-channel preamp design from the '60s featuring 3 x 12AX7 valves--everything from purring blues to mind-blowing crunch
- Integrated high-class reverb with dedicated Reverb control
- Vintage Equalizer section with dedicated Bass, Mid, Treble and Presence controls
- Normal and Bright inputs for ultimate sound character to perfectly match your guitar
- Multi-gain stage Lead channel with Pre Gain, Post Gain and Master controls
- Amazing Mode switch to select between Triode or Pentode operation
- Heavy-duty footswitch for Channel and Reverb function included
- Impedance switch (4, 8 and 16 Ohms) to match virtually any speaker cabinet
- High-quality components and exceptionally rugged construction ensure long life read less