Hello Everybody-
My name is Jordan Wilkow. I've been a member of the clonewheel group for a while now, but this is my first posting. I recently purchased a particularly cool piece of gear by Speakeasy Vintage Music, and I thought many of you might like to hear about it.
I am the very proud owner of a Speakeasy Road Box Mk II, with a 250 watt solid state amp, plus the new 122 Absolute Modeling Amplifier. I consulted with Steve Hayes regarding this purchase for several months, considered quite a few options (I'd be happy to get into more detail on these alternatives if there's interest), and I am absolutely thrilled with what we ended up with.
I've wanted a Leslie 122 for a long time, but always held off for fear of several downsides... I thought that the 60 watt tube amp would too often not be loud enough for my needs, I thought the size/unwieldy-ness of the speaker cabinet would just be too unmanageable, and the prospect of purchasing a road case to protect the cabinet and make transportation and lifting more manageable seemed too expensive, and came with its own set of inconveniences (dealing with empty road cases that size at a bar gig can be a total pain).
Enter the RB Mk II 250 watt amp w/122 AMA!.... Steve Hayes built me a Road Box Mk II (a speaker cabinet the size of a 142 or 145), but instead of the stock 60 watt tube amp, he gave me a 4x-more-powerful 250 watt solid state amp (volume concerns flew out the window). Ah, but what about the compromise in tone quality by going with a solid state amp instead of a tube amp? Have no fear - this is where the AMA unit comes in to play. It's a two-space rack piece that has a tube preamp (like that found in the SE preamp pedals), AND a tube power amp (four tubes in all, I believe).
I run my Voce V5 through a volume pedal and into the AMA unit. The AMA "tube-i-fies" the signal (excuse the layman's jargon), and then it runs out the back and into the 250 watt amp inside the speaker cabinet. The AMA gives me pre and post gain (along with killer treble and bass eq), and I can make it growl and distort at very low volumes, or rattle the walls while keeping the tone relatively clean. To be fair, I haven't been able to A/B it with a stock 122, but the tone is warm and nuanced, the distortion thick, beefy, and gurgle-y - the "instant-smile-factor" is definitely in effect.
I was, however, able to A/B it with my previous rig - a Motion Sound Pro-3t and Low Pro with SE preamp pedal, and there's just no comparison. I loved my MS/SE rig, and it treated me well for hundreds of gigs. But playing the Voce through the RB II...it was like I was hearing the drawbars for the first time. Tonal clarity, character, vibrancy - the whole package. And whereas I always had some anxiety that the SE pedal might push the MS components too hard, the RB II just keeps asking for more.
As for my other potential Leslie downsides... The truck bed liner that coats the SE speaker cabinet seems totally indestructible. Attack the cabinet with a screwdriver and I think the screwdriver would give up first. I'm fairly certain I wouldn't put the RB by itself on a plane, but for truck/trailer touring, I think a road case is totally unnecessary (in fact, another unexpected plus with having all the tubes in the AMA rack unit, is that none of them are exposed and in danger of getting kicked, as is the case with the conventional placement of a 122 amp in the bottom of the speaker cabinet). The recessed handles and removable casters make lifting and transporting the unit pretty manageable - certainly so relative to your average Leslie cabinet. It's heavy, but two people have no problem lifting it, and over flat surfaces of course, it's no problem. As for the AMA unit - Steve put it in an SKB rack case for me. It's relatively light, and has been no problem to deal with.
Other pluses... The gear is just so nice. The cabinet was built from the ground up, and is like a tank. Nothing feels remotely flimsy or cheap, or looks as though it came off an assembly line. The workmanship is outstanding...these are characteristics I really wasn't able to appreciate until I actually had the unit in front of me and got my hands on it. It's really just awesome.
By far the most significant plus that I hadn't anticipated though, was Steve's customer service. As I mentioned earlier, arriving at the unit that was right for me was a process that took place over several months, involved a great deal of time on the phone and even a little trial and error. I can recall talking with Steve on Sunday afternoons, or 11pm on a Tuesday night after a gig, basically whenever I was looking for him, and I was always talking with the very guy who was designing and building the gear we were discussing. And in between conversations, it was evident he had spent time thinking about the questions and concerns I had raised, and was coming back to me with thoughtful feedback. It was always abundantly clear that Steve cares a great deal for "his" musicians, and that really made the entire experience a true pleasure.
Downsides? Well look, the stuff ain't cheap. Many of you that are familiar with SE products already know that. There is definitely (much) cheaper gear out there. But if you can afford to take "value" into serious consideration, Speakeasy really can't be beat. The craftsmanship is top of the line. The sound quality is absolutely the top of the line. The flexibility and concern for the working musician is top of the line. And as for the customer service, well, you truly feel as though you're joining the "Speakeasy family", not to mention essentially getting your own (extremely knowledgeable) organ/leslie tech.
I'm hopeful this was of interest/help to some of you. I'd be more than happy to answer any questions or fill in any gaps - just let me know! On another note, I know that there are a handful of you out there that are regular contributors to this group, and I have to say that your info and insight over the years has been extremely helpful. Thanks very much for the time you put into your thoughtful contributions, and for continuing to make this a vibrant, rewarding community to be a part of!
