Quick clip with the PRS Archon 50 Head

[Ascension]

Was working on the Easter set we are recording tonight and had my camera in the room so threw a quick low volume demo of the Archon together. Playing my Carvin ST 300 with a Hybrid bridge and SNS neck. Running nothing but a HOF mini in the loop as the Archon doesn't have built in verb and the guitar only has a 3 way no taps so everything is full humbucker.
Quick sloppy throw together as I was packing to head out to the recording session.

 

[JMP/HBE]

Re: Quick clip with the PRS Archon 50 Head

Was working on the Easter set we are recording tonight and had my camera in the room so threw a quick low volume demo of the Archon together. Playing my Carvin ST 300 with a Hybrid bridge and SNS neck. Running nothing but a HOF mini in the loop as the Archon doesn't have built in verb and the guitar only has a 3 way no taps so everything is full humbucker.
Quick sloppy throw together as I was packing to head out to the recording session.

Sounds very compressed & buzzy. Beats what i started on 40 years ago.

 

[chadd]

Re: Quick clip with the PRS Archon 50 Head

Sounds very compressed & buzzy.

Definitely a harshness to it that sounds odd to my ear

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: Quick clip with the PRS Archon 50 Head

The sound kinda reminds me of those Mesa Triple Rectifiers that were all the rage in the 00s.

 

[Phantasmagoria]

Re: Quick clip with the PRS Archon 50 Head

Sounds pretty fine to me..

There's some extra compression ...but that's understandable since the gain's cranked pretty high ('gain' seems to be a bad word these days ) and the recording probably compressed it more, plus the lows are'nt coming through..

Bet that amp would sound sweet standing out in front of it ...or in a recording :bigthumb:

 

[Ascension]

Re: Quick clip with the PRS Archon 50 Head

Buzzy or harsh is not even in the ballpark for this amp and it has bottom for days plus the gain was only at about 10 oclock. Super low bedroom volume so that was a factor. Warmest and smoothest high gain amp with real clarity I have ever played through. Guess need to get it out some where it can really breath as wouldn't swap this thing tone wise at volume for a really good SLO. Makes my Boogies and every Marshall I have ever owned sound thin buzzy and harsh in comparison.

 

[Ascension]

Re: Quick clip with the PRS Archon 50 Head

Snapped that out quick on the way out the door headed for a recording. You guys are right it does sound odd and trust me NOTHING like it sounded in the room with it. Owned a lot of really high end amps over the years but this thing really knocks me out every time I plug into it. What is sad is had several outdoor City fests that we were playing this spring but---.

 

[dave74]

Re: Quick clip with the PRS Archon 50 Head

The sound kinda reminds me of those Mesa Triple Rectifiers that were all the rage in the 00s.

Honestly you can make an old or newer t-rec sound about however you want. It's all about the user.
Just switching to vintage high-gain instantly drops the fizz at lower volumes.
With the volume even moderate the fizz is totally controllable in modern mode also.
Raw mode with some goosed gain, treble and presence makes an amazing platform for boost/od pedals.

 

[JMP/HBE]

Re: Quick clip with the PRS Archon 50 Head

Honestly you can make an old or newer t-rec sound about however you want. It's all about the user.
Just switching to vintage high-gain instantly drops the fizz at lower volumes.
With the volume even moderate the fizz is totally controllable in modern mode also.
Raw mode with some goosed gain, treble and presence makes an amazing platform for boost/od pedals.

Yep i have a MESA DR. Sounds nothing like the PRS and extremely well made. Honestly Asian made PRS stuff is okay but Paul has gotten away from his mission statement. Clearly he isn't able to sell enough guitars to pay the bills or he wouldn't have gotten into all these other areas of marketing. Usually
when a company does that the next step is bankruptcy because its not sustaining. Ive never met a PRS product i had to have. Never been a fan of their guitars either. Having said that if the PRS SE Tremonti guitar would have been available in say 1971 i would have been all over it. Amps not so much.

 

[devastone]

Re: Quick clip with the PRS Archon 50 Head

I'll bet the Blackstar cab has a 70/80 in it, not a fan of that speaker at all. And yes, low volume doesn't let it breath, but still sounds like a great amp!

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: Quick clip with the PRS Archon 50 Head

Yep i have a MESA DR. Sounds nothing like the PRS and extremely well made. Honestly Asian made PRS stuff is okay but Paul has gotten away from his mission statement. Clearly he isn't able to sell enough guitars to pay the bills or he wouldn't have gotten into all these other areas of marketing. Usually
when a company does that the next step is bankruptcy because its not sustaining. Ive never met a PRS product i had to have. Never been a fan of their guitars either. Having said that if the PRS SE Tremonti guitar would have been available in say 1971 i would have been all over it. Amps not so much.

The Archon is not Asian-made.

 

[JMP/HBE]

Re: Quick clip with the PRS Archon 50 Head

The Archon is not Asian-made.

For $2300 you would hope not. The ole "assembled in USA" thing.

I think Paul could sell 24 karat turds in burled walnut and some folks would buy it if it has "PRS" on it.

 

[devastone]

Re: Quick clip with the PRS Archon 50 Head

For $2300 you would hope not. The ole "assembled in USA" thing.

I think Paul could sell 24 karat turds in burled walnut and some folks would buy it if it has "PRS" on it.

Nobody makes an amp that all the parts are MIA, resistors, capcitors, etc... are all made outside of the US, mostly in Asia.

 

[Laughing Kookaburra]

Re: Quick clip with the PRS Archon 50 Head

Snapped that out quick on the way out the door headed for a recording. You guys are right it does sound odd and trust me NOTHING like it sounded in the room with it. Owned a lot of really high end amps over the years but this thing really knocks me out every time I plug into it. What is sad is had several outdoor City fests that we were playing this spring but---.

I get the recording limitations, so my imagination fills in the blanks. Thinking that it’s a cool sound!

 

[Demanic]

Re: Quick clip with the PRS Archon 50 Head

It reminds me of the Carvin sound.
You should run them in stereo for a kick.

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[Ascension]

Re: Quick clip with the PRS Archon 50 Head

Yep i have a MESA DR. Sounds nothing like the PRS and extremely well made. Honestly Asian made PRS stuff is okay but Paul has gotten away from his mission statement. Clearly he isn't able to sell enough guitars to pay the bills or he wouldn't have gotten into all these other areas of marketing. Usually
when a company does that the next step is bankruptcy because its not sustaining. Ive never met a PRS product i had to have. Never been a fan of their guitars either. Having said that if the PRS SE Tremonti guitar would have been available in say 1971 i would have been all over it. Amps not so much.

My Archon is no import its a hand built US amp and will give any Boogie a run in construction. The MT-15 is however an import. Own 2 Boogies now from the 1990's and have owned quite a few over the years and the 2 I have now aren't going anywhere so not slagging them. However this Archon is the absolute equal of the very best of the Boogies in build quality as are most of the real US PRS amps.

 

[Ascension]

Re: Quick clip with the PRS Archon 50 Head

Nobody makes an amp that all the parts are MIA, resistors, capacitors, etc... are all made outside of the US, mostly in Asia.

Unfortunately ( for now anyway ) You are correct.
This Archon isn't a import like the SE, Sonsera or the MT-15 it is a hand wired amp and was US built in Massachusetts. Cleans sound like a very very good old Fender warm, round and very forgiving with tons of headroom. The crunch side is unique in some ways it is similar to a Rec but is a LOT more alive, dynamic and open harmonically. It's a VERY touch sensitive fluid and dynamic amp!! I stole the Archon off another rather large forum for just about the same price a new import MT-15 would be shipped and including tax so--. Build date on it is April 2019 came in all the factory packaging with all the paperwork with the footswitch and was mint. Now I want a 2 channel C head LOL!!

 

[Ascension]

Re: Quick clip with the PRS Archon 50 Head

I'll bet the Blackstar cab has a 70/80 in it, not a fan of that speaker at all. And yes, low volume doesn't let it breath, but still sounds like a great amp!

Did when I got it but is long gone. Has had several speakers in the cab settled on a WGS Retro 30 and this cab is a MONSTER!! One of the best 1/12's I have ever heard and will spank many 2/12's!
Head to head Archon 50 VS 5150III 50 and the cab is loaded with Heritage 30's which I absolutely do not care for with the PRS amps!.

 

[devastone]

Re: Quick clip with the PRS Archon 50 Head

Unfortunately ( for now anyway ) You are correct.

Component manufacturing will never come back to the US, and hasn't been here for decades. I was speaking to JMP/HBE who seemed to imply (I could be wrong) that his Mesa was built with US made components.

 

[Demanic]

Re: Quick clip with the PRS Archon 50 Head

Component manufacturing will never come back to the US, and hasn't been here for decades. I was speaking to JMP/HBE who seemed to imply (I could be wrong) that his Mesa was built with US made components.

Don't be so sure about that.

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