Brunetti XL R EVO head.........
'In Italy Brunetti amps are so popular they outsell every other brand. Yet these all-valve lovelies, designed and built by self-confessed tube addict Marco Brunetti, have only just made their presence known in the UK, we Brits now have the opportunity to try them out in purpose built demo rooms.
Brunettis range from rack pre and power amps to a variety of feature-laden heads. They're every bit on a par with the big US names as far as build and spec are concerned, and a vast list of Itlaian session men have adopted a Brunetti. So will this XL head please our English ears?
All Brunettis are hand-made using the best custom-designed components. The tough metal grille that gards the valves, together with the clean, brushed aluminium control panel just exude class. The tolex-covered plywood cabinet is unique, as it harbours an ingenious 19-inch rack space for effect-processor mounting. This space has a removable cover if you prefer the pure XL sound. All the corners are protected by metal covers, with a regular-strap-handle and sturdy rubber feet completing the package. Around the back there's the usual Euro-lead socket, fuseholders, 4/8/16 ohm impedance selector with dual speaker outputs, MIDI in and thru (for channel switching only), a five-pin DIN footswitch sockets, effects send and return with variable level controls for each, and finally, a preamp output. The XL's front panel is exceptionally well-equpped, with logically labelled and laid-out controlls. First come three separate gain controls: these are for the clean, boost and XL (high gain) channels. The clean channel features a bright switch while the boost channel has a three-way selector between 'extra', 'fat' or 'normal' boost. Next in line are the clean channel's bass, middle and treble controls, and clean channel volume control with a green status light wich also acts as a channel switch. The boost channel has its own trio of tone controls, but this time the mid pot features a toggle switch giving 'add', 'normal' and 'cut' options to the mid frequencies. Both the boost and XL channels have their own volume knobs, with status light/push-switches, and finally, a master volume control sots alongside the presence pot, with the giant toggle switches for standby and mains on/off at the far right.
The XL head is clearly aimed at high-gain fans because ther's a tremendous amount of juice on tap. It's capable of extremes too, as the clean channel is just as impressive in its clarity and body as the XL channel is in dirt and meatiness. The player interaction is great, with the XL responding sensitively both to pick attack and dynamics; I found it virtually impossible to dial up a bad sound. Even the potentially problematic 'break-up' blues tones are here, enbedded in the boost channel and plenty versatile enough for even the most demanding sessioneer.
This is a beautifully thought-out and put-together amp. Through my 4x12, the XL showed nothing but brilliance. The no frills tones are instant and excellent, and even at nearly a grand the Brunetti is an ambassador for value, hand-made build quality and design. I have no reservations in saying it's one of the best heads I've ever heard, and with the option of a MIDI rack processor onboard, potentially one of the most versatile too.. 'Guitarist - 1999/08.
need i say anymore?!!
feel free to ring the guitar workshop to find out more about these amps!!!
or come and visit us to try one out!
we can 99.9% guarantee that you will not be able to find a single fault with these amps!
www.theguitarworkshop.co.uk
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