Hear the amps being played

Listen to the Three Sisters of Ainsty

These recordings are intended to show how Colson amplifiers respond when clean, pushed or used with pedals.

The aim is to give a real-world sense of feel, response and openness, not to present a polished studio production.

All clips were recorded using my Fender Telecaster Custom 1972, fitted with a Bigsby tailpiece and a Seymour Duncan Little ’59 pickup on the bridge.

While playing, I moved between the stock neck pickup and the bridge pickup, so you can hear how the amplifier responds to different voices.

I used a Rode NT1-A studio condenser microphone into an M-Track 2×2 interface. I also added a small amount of analogue delay through the amp’s effects loop to give the recordings some space, while keeping the relationship between the amplifier’s pre-amp, power amp, speaker and cabinet intact.

The audio files have not been cleaned up or altered in a DAW in any way.

Clean: wider voice

A more open clean setting, with a wider feel and more space around the notes. This is useful for hearing the cabinet, speaker and analogue platform working together as a responsive pedal-friendly base.

Clean: mid-forward

This is a focused clean sound with a little more midrange presence. The clip shows the amp’s ability to sit forward without becoming harsh, while still keeping the guitar’s character intact as playing moves between the neck and bridge pickups.

With gain

A driven sound from the amp itself, showing how the platform responds when pushed. The focus here is on the feel and the way the notes compress, bloom and stay connected to the guitar rather than becoming buried or overwhelmed.

With pedals: The Tube Screamer & The Rat

This clip uses a Tube Screamer and Rat to show how the amplifier handles classic analogue drive and distortion pedals. The goal is a rich, responsive pedal platform: enough character and physicality from the amp, cabinet and speaker, while still letting the pedals speak clearly.

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Colson amplifiers are made in very small numbers and every one is unique.

Finished pieces are available through the online store.