Black Volt Sparrow Amplifier w/ R2R Electric Booster Channel — Feat. 1967 Gibson Guitars ES-335
The Black Volt Amplification Sparrow returns — this time with the 1967 Gibson ES-335 and semi-hollow tones. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.
In this episode the Black Volt Amplification Sparrow takes a second run — featuring the 1967 Gibson ES-335, with the R2R Electric Booster Channel, R2R Electric Time-O-Lite Fuzz, and Effectrode Tube Vibe.
Watch the first Sparrow demo with the Gibson Custom Shop Les Paul: https://youtu.be/y_IdcyLuOz0 Buy a Black Volt Sparrow with R2R Electric Booster Channel: https://blackvoltamplification.com/products/the-sparrow-amplifier Follow Black Volt: https://www.instagram.com/blackvoltamplification/
Giovanni "Gio" Loria builds Black Volt Amplification completely by hand in Los Angeles. The Sparrow was born from a specific Gibson GA5 that Johnny Depp left with Gio for repair — that amp's character, combined with the Fender Tweed Champ and Princeton, became the circuit foundation. 5 watts, one 6V6, one 12AX7, custom 10" speaker on this unit. One Volume, one Tone. Hand-wired in LA from the highest quality components.
The optional R2R Electric Booster Channel — designed by Chris Vincent (@djlavalamp) specifically for this amp's input stage — is explored at length from 01:48. At lower Boost settings it pushes the 6V6 into warm, singing breakup. Cranked, it delivers super-distortion and fuzz territory. Bypassed from 10:04, the Normal Channel cranked shows the Sparrow's natural voice — which is equally compelling, and where the 1967 ES-335's acoustic resonance and semi-hollow character comes through most clearly.
The first demo with the Custom Shop Les Paul showed what the Sparrow does with a solid mahogany instrument. This demo is the other side: a 1967 ES-335, maple/mahogany laminate semi-hollow with its own acoustic projection and bloom. The semi-hollow body adds a different kind of complexity to the interaction with the Sparrow's 5-watt single-ended circuit — particularly in the fuzz cleanup sections, where the ES-335's natural sustain and open midrange character give the Time-O-Lite Fuzz (explored from 14:41) a different starting point than the Les Paul provided.
🔊 Black Volt Amplification: https://blackvoltamplification.com 🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers
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🎸 1967 Gibson ES-335 🎛️ Black Volt x R2R Electric Booster Channel (built-in) | R2R Electric Time-O-Lite Fuzz | Effectrode Tube Vibe 🔊 Black Volt Amplification Sparrow | 5W | 6V6 | 12AX7 | Custom 10" Speaker | Hand-Wired in LA
Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Ohma Ribbon | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Ableton Live 12
