Blues Saraceno

"A long time ago a young guitar prodigy named Blues Saraceno recorded some solo instrumental records. This budding virtuoso guitarist was developing his signature tone and hunting for an amp that would create the sound to set him apart. His search led to a custom built, one-of-a-kind amplifier made just for him – he called it “Dirty Boy”. Saraceno’s original Dirty Boy is the inspiration for Mojave Ampworks’ latest and most ambitious offering."

"My constant search for true amp greatness has led me to Mojave amplification. I was originally approached by Mojave Amplification to do some sound clips for their line of amplifiers, After having a chance to play four different models of their product line (Plexi 45, Coyote, Scorpion and Sidewinder.... each one stellar in it's own right), I came to the conclusion that they were the best sounding modern amps that I had heard! What started as a work for hire turned into an endorsement situation based solely on the merit of their product. I really feel that the Mojave product stands out from the pack. I found it refreshing to finally play on a non-master volume amp that gave me that shade of "old school" classic tone with just the right amount of that newer "edge" that you need in order for it to compete with what is going on in music today. After getting familiar with the Mojave product line, I settled on the "Sidewinder" model as my personal first choice. It's a 4xEL 84 power section, around 30 watts.... I tend to favor the sound of cranked up power section over the typical fizzy pre amp sound that a lot of players go for, so the Sidewinder suited my requirements perfectly. Another added bonus was that the Mojave responded well to having fuzz/fizz and boost pedals driving its front end. Recording the Mojave amplifiers was a pleasure. I have posted the mp3's on my Gear page so that you can give them a listen for yourself."

“I’ve had my GAV19T for about three months,” Blues reports, “and I believe I was one of the company’s first customers. I’ve been really impressed with this amp. It has a wonderful ability to take stomp boxes. My father builds Dirty Boy Pedals, which I use, and they work extremely well with this amp. Over the years, I’ve encountered numerous amps that easily get overwhelmed and lose their character when using pedals, but not this one. Further, the GAV19T—like numerous other Chandler products—excels at delivering the vintage qualities many musicians look for in a way that blends beautifully with the contemporary requirements of today’s production.”

“This amp excels in the midrange—reminiscent of that early British honky, squawky sound, but with a really full spectrum,” Blues continued. “This amp delivers a big full sound when recorded. Equally important, the amp mates well with a variety of guitars. I can blend the GAV19T with my Humbuckers, with a single coil pickup, and with anything in-between. With this amp, I can always find the sweet spot, and that’s what makes it such a terrific studio tool.”

The Chandler GAV19T guitar amplifier incorporates its overdrive and tone circuitry directly within the power section. This design enables the amplifier to be highly overdriven while still maintaining the amplifier’s classic tone—a trait that Blues really appreciates. “Many guitarists prefer a warmer, richer sound and, to get that, it always comes down to the amp’s power section,” Blues explained. “With the GAV19T, you can drive it right to the sweet spot without it overloading the speakers or the recording mics. Chandler’s design of the power section allows you to really open this amp up.”

With the Chandler GAV19T guitar amp, Tone can be selected as either Normal or Intense. This is achieved by a slight imbalance in the matching of GAV19T’s push-pull power section. Here, too, Blues was very complimentary of Chandler Limited’s design. “I like the amp in its Normal setting,” he says. “This setting provides me a lot of flexibility with my pedals and, ultimately, provides the richest sound that really works well with my style of music.”

For anyone involved with musical electronics, quality customer and technical support services are essential. Here, too, Blues rates Chandler Limited a first-class operation. “I’ve been very impressed with the company’s support services,” he says. “They’re very responsive—I always get through to someone knowledgeable who is ready to assist. And because they’re a boutique operation, they can respond and implement changes far more rapidly than most companies. I’ve been very impressed.”

Before turning his attention back to his various projects, Blues offered these parting thoughts, “The Chandler GAV19T guitar amp fills a very specific spot in my sonic palette. If this amp was ever stolen, I’d immediately replace it with another one. It’s that important to me. When it comes to great sound, the proof is in the results. I suggest visiting my website (www.bluessaraceno.com) or going to the Chandler website and listening to a clip I did using the amp. I believe that says it all!”