Thrill Seeker

The latest amp from legendary British amp builder Dennis Cornell packs quite a punch in a small package. Your journey into the analogue zone starts here…

- Nick Guppy

Dennis Cornell is one of the legendary figures of British guitar amplification, with a history that goes way back to the early 1960s, when he worked for the Arbiter group. Back then, Cornell was part of the team behind Sound City amplifiers and the original Fuzz Face effect, popularised by Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck and many other influential artists from that era. Still active today, Dennis puts his name to modern amplifiers and pedals that are used by Eric Clapton, Noel Gallagher and many other top players who value the tank-like build quality and vintage vibe that Cornell is known for. For this review we’re taking a look at a small but potent addition to the range, the all-new Cornell Explorer 10.

It’s a typical ‘lunchbox’ head – a format that’s become a popular seller for many builders – with a rugged grey-painted steel case and perforated cover set off by smart gold handle trims that match the gold-screened badge and lettering. Despite compact dimensions, the Explorer 10 is reassuringly weighty because of its oversized mains and output transformers.

Behind the bottom cover plate, most of the electronics are hand-soldered onto a substantial and completely rigid 4.8mm thick circuit board, which combines printed tracks with turret and eyelet-style wiring. This blend of techniques allows components to be laid out in a similar fashion to 1950s American amps when needed, preserving the often-overlooked subtle interactions that are part of many vintage valve circuits. The main board also holds the base for the Explorer’s single 6L6 output valve, while the two 12AX7 preamplifier valve bases are chassis-mounted with hand-wired links. Component quality is first class, with expensive carbon comp resistors and exceptionally neat wiring.