Colby Amplification has just released the new Elpico, a vintage-inspired guitar amp tone machine that'll help players nail the sound of '60s rock 'n' roll. The initial design of the new Colby Elpico started out as a recreation of the late-'50s Elpico AC55—a 15-watt portable PA combo—but with updates and upgrades to suit modern-day players.
You may have heard of the original Elpico AC55, as a young Paul McCartney has been pictured next to one a Beatles stage. Even more famously, an AC55 with a ripped speaker is what helped the Kinks create the distorted guitar in songs like "You Really Got Me" from their first record.
This new reimagining from Colby Amplification replicates the parts of the circuit that make the original unique but adds in some nice features for modern players. The amp uses a pair of EL84s in ultralinear mode for 15 watts of power, and is also packed with a trio of 12AX7s and an EZ81 tube rectifier.
The new Elpico features a master volume, three EQ controls, and two inputs (the original had three—one for a gramophone, which has been removed). Each channel gets its own volume control and its own newly added bright switch. There's also a third new "normal/cascade" switch which players can use to cascade the channels for additional gain.
The new Colby Elpico is available both as a half stack and 1x12 combo with a Celestion 12-inch G12M speaker. You can find both options available now, right here on Reverb.