Compact, Low-Wattage Tube Amplifiers Reimagine Vintage Tone for the Modern Player
After a long hiatus, Gibson is proud to be back in the guitar amplifier business. Inspired by vintage Gibson amplifiers and reimagined for today’s players, the Falcon 5 and Falcon 20 are handcrafted in Petaluma, California. Focusing on great sound, simplicity, and ease of use, the new Falcon models pay homage to the 1960s Falcons, the very first guitar amplifiers available with reverb, while continuing Gibson’s long legacy of groundbreaking amplifier innovation that dates back to the 1930s. They offer the versatility demanded on modern stages and home studios with exceptional build quality, quiet operation, and voicings that will captivate and delight players. The Gibson Falcon Amplifiers are available now in North America at authorized Gibson dealers and on www.gibson.com, with the rest of the world launching in April 2024.
The compact Falcon 5 and Falcon 20 combos hark back to the Gibson amplifiers from the late 1950s and early 1960s that inspired them, but beneath their vintage-style Cream Bronco vinyl and Oxblood grille cloths are all-new circuits developed by Gibson Master Pioneer Randall Smith founder of MESA/Boogie®, and the Gibson Amps Design Team in Petaluma.
The small, but raucous Falcon 5 delivers around seven watts of single-ended, pure Class A power from a single 6V6 power tube, switchable down to around three watts. Alongside volume and tone controls with a wider, more usable range, there’s a level control for the Falcon 5’s lush onboard all-tube spring reverb, while a 10-inch Jensen® Blackbird 40 Alnico speaker helps deliver the Falcon 5’s touch-sensitive, harmonically rich tube tones.
The Falcon 20 expands both the power and the feature set. The dual 6V6 power stage utilizes patented Multi-Watt™ technology to deliver 12, five, or bedroom-friendly one-watt Class A power modes, and the hypnotic throb of all-tube tremolo joins spring reverb in the onboard effects section, switchable remotely via the supplied two-button footswitch. A 12-inch Jensen Blackbird 40 Alnico speaker offers greater spread and projection, along with enhanced bass response.
Both Falcon circuits have been designed with the option to substitute the supplied 6V6 power tubes with optional 6L6 tubes, further adding to their flexibility, headroom, and punch. With their elegant cosmetics and boutique build quality, the Falcon 5 and Falcon 20 are the ultimate companions for Gibson’s finest stringed instruments.
“Over the last two years, I’ve witnessed the Gibson team working together to design and develop the new Gibson amplifiers and I couldn’t be prouder and more excited about what they have accomplished,” says Cesar Gueikian, President, and CEO of Gibson Brands. “It started with Randy Smith researching the Gibson sound, exploring the sound of many original Gibson amplifiers to design a new and improved circuit board that he passed on to the Lab team. John Marshall, Tommy Waugh, Jim Aschow, Doug West, Steve Mueller, Mat Koehler, and Craig Hockenberry all came together to create the amplifier and brought the new Gibson Falcon to the finish line. Upon playing the final prototype I immediately called Randy and told him, this is the Gibson sound, only better!”
“This is such a proud day for all of us at Gibson,” adds Mat Koehler, Vice President of Product, Gibson Brands. “We’re back in the amplifier game in a big way. The Falcon 5 and 20 have an amazing balance of historic DNA and modern build quality and they offer unprecedented value to players, not to mention timeless designs that will look as great on stage as they will in homes.”
Explore the Gibson Falcon Amplifiers, HERE.
About The Author
