Cornell Traveller 5

Cornell Traveller 5 1x10" All-Valve Combo

This is a superb example of the Cornell Traveller 5, a beautifully conceived, British-built low-wattage valve amplifier designed for players who take their tone seriously. Hand-built in the UK by Cornell Amplification, the Traveller 5 combines genuine single-ended EL84 valve character with a remarkably useful range of output levels, making it equally at home in the studio, at home or on a small stage. The 1x10" version is particularly appealing, giving the amp a little more authority and openness than the smaller original configuration.

This particular example is in excellent condition. We originally supplied it new to its first owner, who has now traded it back to us for a new Martin guitar. It has seen just a few hours of careful home use and is therefore in fantastic condition throughout. A lovely opportunity to acquire one of Cornell's hand-built valve amplifiers in virtually as-new condition, but without the new price tag.

At its heart, the Traveller 5 is a single-ended Class A 5-watt amplifier, using one 12AX7 preamp valve and a single EL84 output valve. The output is delivered through a 10" 8-ohm Celestion speaker, with Cornell's compact cabinet design giving the amplifier a surprisingly substantial voice for its modest dimensions.

The control layout is deliberately simple: Gain, Tone and Volume, together with Cornell's Clean/Mean switch and four-way power selection. The amplifier can be run at 5 watts, 1.5 watts, 0.25 watts or 0.05 watts, allowing the output stage to be worked hard without requiring concert-level volume. This is one of the great strengths of the Traveller 5 for recording and home use.

The Clean setting gives a warm, articulate valve response with plenty of clarity and touch sensitivity. It works beautifully with single-coil guitars, producing chiming chords, responsive picking dynamics and a lovely edge-of-breakup character as the amplifier is pushed. Move to the Mean setting and the midrange becomes more pronounced, producing a thicker, more aggressive voice with a very convincing British-flavoured crunch.

The EL84 output stage is where this little amplifier really comes alive. Dig in with a pick and it responds immediately, moving from clean to grit and then into rich, harmonically complex overdrive. Back off the guitar volume and it cleans up beautifully, making the Traveller an exceptionally expressive amplifier for blues, classic rock, roots and more dynamic styles of playing.

The four output settings make the Traveller particularly useful for serious recording work. At the higher settings there is enough power for rehearsal and smaller venues, while the lower settings allow you to explore the natural compression and breakup of the valves at genuinely manageable volumes. It is an amplifier that rewards interaction with the guitar rather than simply providing a fixed sound.

Factory specification:

• Cornell Traveller 5 1x10" Combo
• Hand-built in the UK
• 5-watt single-ended Class A design
• 1 x 12AX7 preamp valve
• 1 x EL84 output valve
• 1 x 10" Celestion 8-ohm speaker
• Clean / Mean gain structure switch
• Gain, Tone and Volume controls
• Four output settings: 5W, 1.5W, 0.25W and 0.05W
• High and Low inputs
• 8-ohm output
• Plywood cabinet
• Black Tolex covering
• Salt and pepper/basket-weave style grille
• Stainless steel chassis
• Approx. 17" high x 13" wide x 7¼" deep
• Approx. 29 lb / 13.2 kg

Cornell amplifiers have earned a strong following among professional players and studio musicians for their expressive valve response and carefully voiced circuits. Denis Cornell has also built amplifiers for players including Eric Clapton, Noel Gallagher and Wilko Johnson, giving the brand considerable pedigree amongst serious guitar players.

For the player who understands that great guitar tone isn't necessarily about watts, the Traveller 5 is a particularly compelling amplifier. The combination of EL84 compression, Class A responsiveness, useful power attenuation and the punch and clarity of the 1x10" Celestion makes this a wonderfully musical little amp.

A superb, virtually unused example of a hand-built British valve classic, and an excellent choice for the serious electric guitar player looking for genuine touch-sensitive tube tone without the volume and size of a larger amplifier.