SOUND CHECK

PRS HAS DULY noted in their announcement of the new Archon Classic amplifier head that it is not a reissue of the original Archon amp, which PRS introduced 12 years ago in 2013.

- By Chris Gill

Although the original Archon has undergone a few changes since then, it still remains pretty faithful to its original tonal characteristics, so a reissue simply isn't needed. The new PRS Archon Classic is actually a new amp circuit based on the Archon design but revoiced to offer "classic" tones based on the character of hot-rodded amps of the Seventies and Eighties.

Like the current PRS Archon 50 head, the Archon Classic is an all-tube 50-watt head featuring two fully independent channels. The Classic's Clean channel is hotter than the Archon 50's Clean channel. Meanwhile, the gain of the Classic's Lead channel is dialed back a bit and it has a different tonal personality than the Archon 50, which we'll discuss in more detail. For players who lean more towards timeless, traditional tones over cutting-edge textures, the Archon Classic offers a compelling alternative.

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