Dead Ringers
Guitarist|September 2022
Universal Audio's UAFX range expands with these 'one amp per box' emulators that capture the sounds of the world's greatest vintage guitar amplifiers
Trevor Curwen
Dead Ringers

UNIVERSAL AUDIO UAFX AMP EMULATORS

£339 EACH

CONTACT Universal Audio PHONE +44 33 08080136 WEB www.uaudio.com

What You Need To Know

1 Doesn't Universal Audio specialise in plug-ins and studio gear?

Correct, but the company branched out into guitar pedals last year with the Golden Reverberator, Starlight Echo Station and Astra Modulation Machine units.

2 Are these more of the same, then?

They may look similar, but these are not effects pedals as such - they provide full-blown amp and speaker simulation. Each pedal represents one particular amp type.

3 Just one amp! There are usually multiple amps in these things....

Yes, but by dedicating all of its DSP to a single amp type, each pedal ought to be able to offer a really detailed and nuanced emulation of that amp and can also reproduce the exact same set of knobs the amp has for some familiar tweaking. So if it means increased sonic accuracy and playability, we'll take it!

Following last year's pedal debuts, Universal Audio's UAFX range continues to grow with these new Amp Emulators, which the company says emulate the best vintage guitar amps of all time. Each pedal represents one particular amp type: Woodrow '55 Instrument Amplifier is based on Fender tweed amps from the 50s; Dream '65 Reverb Amplifier represents the later black-panel Fenders with an emulation of the Deluxe Reverb; and Ruby'63 Top Boost Amplifier channels our homegrown Vox AC30.

This story is from the September 2022 edition of Guitarist.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the September 2022 edition of Guitarist.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM GUITARISTView All
FOR THE ROSES
Guitarist

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

time-read
8 mins  |
March 2024
HISTORY REPEATING
Guitarist

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

time-read
10 mins  |
March 2024
WHAT THE WORLD IS WAITING FOR
Guitarist

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

time-read
10+ mins  |
March 2024
TELL ME STRAIGHT
Guitarist

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

time-read
10+ mins  |
March 2024
DENNY LAINE 1944-2023
Guitarist

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

time-read
3 mins  |
March 2024
Vibe 'n' Drive
Guitarist

Vibe 'n' Drive

Eventide's latest dot9 series pedal combines two independent effects for some classic vintage-rock sounds

time-read
2 mins  |
March 2024
Face Lift
Guitarist

Face Lift

Flattley releases an upgraded 1960s-style silicon fuzz with a buffer and extended tonal options

time-read
2 mins  |
March 2024
Air Supply
Guitarist

Air Supply

Boss's new Katana addition pumps up the volume - suited to serious players looking for a compact, wireless amp solution

time-read
2 mins  |
March 2024
Standard Shimmers
Guitarist

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

time-read
4 mins  |
March 2024
Golden Brown
Guitarist

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

time-read
5 mins  |
March 2024