Emil Werstler

"My ultimate amp is the Bogner Shiva 20th anniversary. This amp is the lead tone on Crown of Phantoms. It’s like the old Shiva models but with a few mods that make it a stronger product in my opinion. The 20th anniversary mod and gain structure are gorgeous.

I think chasing the brown sound is an overly romanticized idea based on players in the past that “had it” no matter what they played on. Whenever I play a legit amp with “the brown sound” I usually go home thinking I have issues with my hands. So you’ll find a lot of players using overdrive up front to make it more manageable. This defeats the whole purpose. This amp has it all. Less tubes with more power make this thing sound REALLY pissed yet smooth. With two KT88’s in the power section at 90 watts, and the best clean tone EVER, I’m sold."

“Finding the right amp can be a life-long journey. There always seems to be an imperfection in design covered up by excess features. For the multi-genre player, It is nearly impossible to find one amp for all styles until now. The ARCHON delivers the best clean and dirty channels I've ever heard in one amp. Finally, I get to just plug in and play.”

"My go-to amp for metal is the Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier. I think no matter what room you play it has a more natural mid range than most typical amps available for rental overseas. When the tubes are new, yet broken in, this amp is just punishing. It breaks up nicely and is percussive enough to get the job done. The external switching features really gel with the GCX, which we will get into later."

"I find it advantageous that a lot of sound guys are familiar with the Mesa Boogie 4×12 straight (standard sized) cabinet with vintage 30s. I often find myself wondering if people actually like the way the 30s sound or if they just trust someone else’s influence too much. This cab, however, does get the job done and I find that it responds well with the Rectifier. It lives on its side when I’m using casters."