22 Tango

The 22 Tango was my first design, a quest to get the most volume and headroom possible form a pair of 6V6 output tubes. Using a high plate voltage and the huge Mercury Magnetics Radio Spares output transformer (designed for an amp with twice the power), the 22 Tango achieved surprising volume levels with sweet swirly cleans and when pushed, it could get down right rowdy! It really got people's attention, so much so that it was featured in Guitar Player Magazine in 2009 thanks to all the buzz it created.

As time went by, many things were learned by developing various new circuits. I took a step back and reviewed my body of work. The 22 Tango in its original form is a bit of a wild ride. In the hands of the right player it is glorious, but it can make a fool of you if you don't know how to stroke it the right way! So, armed with the extra knowledge I'd gained over the years, I set out to re-design the circuit for better balance and more tonal control, while maintaning that larger than life punch and swirl the 22 Tango was always known for, and boy does it deliver!

The result is a huge sounding clean monster with sweet breakup when pushed. The tone leans much more toward "mid 60's American amps with black control panels" than the original circuit, but it is very much it's own thing.

The new circuit uses a pentode input stage which gives the 22 Tango enhanced dynamics and pedal compatability. The tone circuit is voiced to be slightly less scooped as well which will allow the 22 Tango to work better in live settings. The range of controls in the tone stack allow the player to adjust for just about any guitar and pickup combination. No more flabbing out strumming cowboy chords on the neck pickup!

So, the 22 Tango was the first, and now it's BACK. BIG TIME! To those of you who are original 22 Tango owners, if you like what youre reading here, I'm offering a retrofit. Conctact me for pricing and details.