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After weeks of amp comparisons, internet research, and thoughtful consideration, I chose an Evans RE200 amp. I'm looking for that Benson tone on the now out of print "Blue Benson" album, or Pat Martino's El Hombre tone. My main guitar is a Barney Jazzmaker Deluxe . I called Evans amps yesterday and spoke to Scot who is the man and could not believe how helpful, knowledgeable, and just a great guy in general he is. Today I pulled the trigger and ordered it, and called back Scot to let him know. He asked me about my preferred tone, things I like, my guitar, players whose tone I dig, to get a feel for what I was looking for. He's got some of the top players in the world using his gear, but he made me feel like I was George Benson. A real genuine guy!
I should get my amp in less than a week. I'll be sure to post my impressions and maybe a video. Jeez - I feel like a kid a few days before Christmas! Can't wait!
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01-04-2013 11:23 AM
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Let us know how you like it. Several times I've read of new owners initially complaining about the tone, then after more experimentation, declaring "there it is ! That's the tone I was looking for !". Apparently there is a lot of interaction between the various tone controls and more-than-normal experimentation with settings is required on this amp. The amp is also supposed to be capable of producing tones for just about any style. Mellow traditional jazz guitar tone to twangy country Telecaster - it's all supposed to be there.
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Another resident of the Nutmeg State here and Evans fan. I've owned two in the past, an earlier (1998) version of the AE200 head and a later version of that head that I purchased here on this Forum. I initially bought them for use with pedal steel guitar (they're a bigger player in that market), but they work great for jazz guitar as well. It does take a bit of experimenting with the numerous (and, as noted, interactive) controls to dial in the sound you want -- but I promise it's there. Initially, they can come off as a bit bright, but that can be tamed with some tweaking. Enjoy!
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I haven't played through anything better than the RE200. Very musical amp imo. The controls are more like a studio preamp - lots of tone shaping potential.
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These replies are just making the wait seem longer!
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Best amp I ever had. So versatile, including a wonderful jazz tone. And it's light and gigable. Enjoy.
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Jack Zucker did a mini review here of the AH200 head (your amp without a speaker). He was another one who noted the required experimentation with the tone controls. He gave it a pretty favorable review and Jack seems to be fairly critical and picky.
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I'm awaiting the UPS guy's delivery of an AH200 hybrid - an older version with a tube preamp. Supposed to arrive tomorrow. I'm planning on using it with a 1x15" cab that I've had for years and haven't used much. I'm very excited to see how it all works.
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The amp arrived this morning, and I just got around to playing with it. The packaging was well done, I must say. I was worried about possible damage during shipping, but it was a non-issue. It was very well packed. As I unboxed it, the first thing I noticed was how light the amp was. 27 pounds, but it seemed lighter for some reason. Maybe because I'm a massive he-man. Lol. (Well, the massive part is true.)
The RE200 is a great looking amp, with the beige grille cloth. And it is built really well, with a lot of attention to detail. There is even a cord winder that is better than any I have seen. It allowed me to unwind just enough of the power cord to reach the wall socket, while the rest of the cord stayed nice and tidy on the amp. I read an interview with Scot (owner of Evans) about the amp, and he thought about everything, including cabinet woods.(Evans-interview)
Anyway - let's get to the sound. I fooled around with the amp a bit before dialing it in. I was immediately impressed with the amount of clean power this amp had. I just couldn't believe the amount of sound coming from a such a lightweight package. Not just loud, but loud and clean, with plenty of headroom. (although it can do an overdriven rock sound too, but I wasn't looking for that.)
I wanted to dial in the sound of my Barney archtop so I followed a tutorial that was on YouTube. ( ) I will say this - the control you have over the sound is so granular that you're not going to figure it out in just an hour. It will probably take me a few days to really get comfy with using this amp, and finding the tone I want. The tone shaping controls on the RE200 are so much more than simply bass, mid, and treble. They interact with each other, and you just have to get used to them. I'd imagine that once you do, the sky is the limit. I did manage to find some settings that I liked very much. Ideally though, I want that Pat Martino El Hombre sound.
Another impression I had about the sound of this amp is the liveliness and the string separation. I have tried a few solid state amps that were - mushy. That's the best I can describe it. They didn't give me the clear and distinct definition I was looking for. I am not describing tone here, but rather clarity of sound, to which you then add your own tone shaping. The Evans is clear and pure, and makes my guitar sound so good.
Like I said, it will take a few days to get accustomed to using this amp. I am so glad I chose this amp. Granted, this is the "honeymoon phase", so I may be a little biased. But, I know what I wanted and expected, and I was not disappointed. It is everything it claims to be. I'll post back once I spend more time with my new amp.
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Great to hear you're happy with your new amp. I'll definitely be looking forward to a fuller report in a month or so!
Actually, I've called Evans twice over the years with a question, spoke to Scot both times, and I was very, very impressed with him. Very friendly fellow and yeah, he really seems to care about what you want and, IIRC, he's also able to tailor the actual amp to your needs to a certain degree that you'd be buying. IIRC.
Does it do the 'overdriven rock sounds' via onboard gain controls, etc., or are you suggesting that it takes OD pedals well? Is this more like an Acoustic Image direction or a solid-state version of a Deluxe?
Ha! Both calls had me wanting to order one right on the spot, but I wasn't financially prepared at those times. Maybe one day.
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I mentioned the overdriven sounds for two reasons - things I've read, as well as the pre and post volume controls. In addition, I do remember reading that it handles OD pedals very well. Unlike so many jazz amps, this one is not a one trick pony, and can do it all.
Originally Posted by ooglybong
I've never played an AI amp, but my one hour's worth of experience with the Evans RE200 would say it is the best of both worlds. It has the reliability and power of a lightweight solid state amp, with the sound and warmth of a tube amp - if/when you want it. With the tone controls, it can be made to sound like pretty much anything you want. Personally I prefer fat, round, and warm. Originally Posted by ooglybong
Another huge plus is that Evans amps have a three year warranty! That's very comforting, though I doubt I'll ever need it, given the build quality.Last edited by FlatNine; 01-10-2013 at 10:03 AM.
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They are indeed built like tanks. I recall taking my AE200 to my local tech to have a reverb unit replaced (broken spring) and he was very impressed with the build quality of the amp. Originally Posted by FlatNine
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I just received my AH200 head. It is an older one with a tube preamp. Two things struck me when I plugged it in. First, the clean sound, which is all I care about, had a very good snap to it; very touch-sensitive.
The other think I noticed is that it is not very loud. I'm thinking that the culprit is that my 1x15" cabinet has an Eminence Legend, which might not be allowing the amp to operate at full capacity. When I hook my Princeton Reverb up to that cabinet, it is louder than the Evans. I've ordered an Eminence Beta 15A to see if that helps out a bit.
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I have a JE (Jazz Enclosure) 150 . . . 150 watts. I bought it new directly from Evans 12-10-1997 . . . $862. (I just looked at the receipt)
Here's just about the highest praise an amp can ever receive; The amp developed a problem after a few years. I took it up to Andy Fuchs, of Fuchs Audio, Clifton NJ. As many of you know, Andy's list of customers reads like a who's who in the world of rock super stars. His company builds stock, and custom build amps and pedals. When I went to pick my amp up after it was repaired, Andy was absolutely raving about it. He said that after the repair, he took the amp for a test ride with his strat and his Les Paul. He was amazed at its performance. He told me virtually every tech in his shop was very impressed with it. He said to me . . . . "I don't build solid state amps currently, but I'm considering getting into it. If I do . . . this is the kind of amp I want to build".
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I thought I had a negative thing to say about the amp, but I was wrong! I was sitting playing through it this afternoon. The amp was sitting right next to my chair. I couldn't see the controls on the amp face that well. Aha - I did find something wrong I thought. That will lend credibility to my mini-review. Then I remembered that the amp had the tilt-back stand on the bottom. I extended the stand and tipped back the amp, and all the controls were in perfect view.
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Here's a thread on this forum about settings on the Evans. May not apply exactly for you, but it's more info :
Evans amp settings
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Thanks va3ux. I do need to learn and experiment so I can dial in what I want quickly. Besides that, Scot offered to spend some time with me on the phone today to show me how to get my ideal sound! How is that for customer support. I don't want to sound like a commercial for Evans amps, but I don't think there is anything that could be done better. Superb build quality, great range of great tones, very portable, an excellent warranty, and incredible personal service. Oh yeah - a 7 day money back trial if I don't like the amp. (Which ain't gonna happen!) Originally Posted by va3ux
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You're beginning to sound like a commercial for Evans but it appears to be well justified. The owner of the company offers to spend time on the phone with you to help you learn the product ? Where else does that happen ? No where !
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Well . . . Evans is a great amp and Scott is a great guy. But, there are in fact others who would offer similar after sales support. Alessandro, Andy Fuchs are two who come to mind immediately. Companies like Evans, Alessandro, Fuchs Audio . . . they offer the "boutique builder" aspect of customer intimacy comparable to the smaller and the boutique guitar builders vs the Gibsons and Fenders of the world. Not meant at all as a knock on Gibson and Fender . . . just a comparison between the smaller company's ability to focus on its end user customers vs the much larger ones. Originally Posted by va3ux
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Originally Posted by va3ux
Yeah, I know. I never gush about anything really, and didn't want to come across as some starry-eyed customer. The fact that I have had only positive things to say about this amp probably raises eyebrows, as it should. It also will probably bring my own credibility into question. But I haven't found anything I wasn't happy with. Yes, the RE200 does take a lot of fiddling to understand how to customize the sound to your liking. And I would also suggest writing the settings down, because if you mess them up on your way to a gig, you're screwed unless you really understand how all the control work and interact. But, IMO, that level of control is a real plus.
Overall, you can't go wrong with this amp. I'm loving it and it has changed my opinion that you must have tubes to get a warm sound.
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Of course, just keep in mind that every room is different-sounding, right? (But, yeah, definitely write down the settings for when you're back home and want your ideal sound back again.) As you can expect, your living room settings will probably not 100% apply inside a stuffed club or on a concert stage. And gig levels/settings will surely change with a bassist and drummer. Just sayin'... Originally Posted by FlatNine
Speaking of settings, those Evans amps have some pretty unique controls. Any wisdom you'd care to share?
Was Scott able to be as helpful since you're using your own cabinet? (I'd expect so, but your 1x15" is not the most commonly encountered set-up. From what you're saying, though, sounds like it's been working out great.)
Absolutely. You're sounding about how I feel about my Fender Jazzmaster UltraLight. Warm SS amp indeed. Originally Posted by FlatNine
So glad you're having such a great time with your new amp. One of these days (I've been saying this since c.2000!), I'm gonna buy one of those...
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Agreed on that, although I would guess (hope) that you wouldn't need to change things too much. Originally Posted by ooglybong
Ask me again in a couple of weeks. :-) Originally Posted by ooglybong
I have the standard RE200, which has the 10" Eminence speaker in it. Maybe you've confused two of the posts? Originally Posted by ooglybong
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We can always hope, right? :-) Originally Posted by FlatNine
Oops. Sorry. Looking back earlier, it looked like you were going to pair it with an old 1x15" you hadn't used lately. Or was that somebody else? Originally Posted by FlatNine
Say, is there an extension speaker output on the RE200, and have you tried it yet?
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Yes - the 1 x 15" guy was Encinitastubes. Originally Posted by ooglybong
There is an extension jack, and adding another speaker increases the power output from 100 watts to 200 watts. (Adding another speaker in parallel cuts the impedance in half which will then double the current. Not all amps can handle this load, but this one can.)Last edited by FlatNine; 01-11-2013 at 01:18 PM.
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Cool. Does Evans offer a matching extension cab? (Bet they can if requested.) Originally Posted by FlatNine
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