In a celebration of great British amp building, Hamstead Soundworks releases a single-channel masterpiece to follow up its Artist 20RT – home-grown tone at its best
Based in the electric guitar hotspot of South Cambridgeshire, Hamstead Soundworks has steadily been gaining worldwide recognition for its superb handmade amps and pedals over the last few years, ever since the launch of the Artist 20RT, a single-channel boutique design. The brand has its own cult following and a select user list, including James Bay and Carl Verheyen, alongside hardworking session pros such as Adam Goldsmith and Neil Cowlan. Now, a new amp in the catalogue promises to take the Hamstead sound to new heights: the Artist 60+RT.
This latest addition certainly stays true to the Hamstead ethos, with superb build quality using top-grade materials. The cabinet dimensions are slightly taller and deeper than average, but slim plywood panels and an aluminium chassis balance the visuals, while helping to keep the head quite portable. The Artist’s understated, almost minimalist styling is underscored with exceptional attention to detail that holds up under the closest scrutiny. The blonde vinyl on our sample is perfectly cut and glued, with subtle black piping accents, while the combination of chickenhead knobs, chrome LED bezels and brushed silver control panel is more in keeping with top-end hi-fi gear.
Underneath the Artist 60’s handsome exterior, the electronics are equally impressive, with a high-grade fibreglass PCB for the small components, custombuilt transformers and meticulous handwiring to valve bases, pots and switchgear. The hand soldering is cleaner than almost every other amp we’ve looked at, giving off an overall vibe of impeccable quality and military spec reliability that comes from designer Peter Hamstead’s background in radar and avionics.
This story is from the January 2019 edition of Guitarist.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the January 2019 edition of Guitarist.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
FOR THE ROSES
Ivison Guitars has only been in business for six years, but its Dakota model has already headlined Glastonbury with Guns N’ Roses star Richard Fortus. We meet founder Neil Ivison to find out how he's making new electrics that evoke the raw spirit of retro tone
HISTORY REPEATING
Gibson's highest-tier replicas of famous Les Pauls are commanding almost as much as vintage guitars these days. We find out what all the fuss is about and examine a rare recreation of Jimmy Page's fiendishly complex #2 Les Paul Standard
WHAT THE WORLD IS WAITING FOR
Off the radar since The Stone Roses reunion burnt out - and largely absent from the studio for two decades - John Squire's collaboration with Liam Gallagher reclaims his place among the greats. He invites us to his studio to talk classic riffs, career-ending injuries, getting snubbed by Gibson, and why music keeps pulling him back in
TELL ME STRAIGHT
Keith Richards, the legendary master of the ageless riff, talks about the magic and loss of Hackney Diamonds, the sparkling new Rolling Stones album
DENNY LAINE 1944-2023
Multi-instrumetlist, singer-songwriter Denny Laine died at the end of last year after a career that saw him top the charts in both The Moody Blues and Wings
Vibe 'n' Drive
Eventide's latest dot9 series pedal combines two independent effects for some classic vintage-rock sounds
Face Lift
Flattley releases an upgraded 1960s-style silicon fuzz with a buffer and extended tonal options
Air Supply
Boss's new Katana addition pumps up the volume - suited to serious players looking for a compact, wireless amp solution
Standard Shimmers
Back in 2023, revitalised Brit-maker PJD rejigged its range to start with the new solidbody hardtail Standards. Need a vibrato? No problem: here comes the Standard Plus
Golden Brown
Last year we were mightily impressed when we looked at builder Rich Jones' Parlour and Orchestra acoustics. This time it's the turn of his entry-level, all-mahogany dreadnought