Peavey’s solid-state amps have been subject to many sarcastic jokes by tube amps snobs, little matters that they were the sonic centerpiece of the groundbreaking power rock sound of bands like Pixies and Queens of the Stone Age. Acorn Amps Solid State is here to fix this with a pedal that recreates the sound of a Peavey Decade, a tiny, 10-Watt combo amp.
To deliver the most authentic reproduction of the Decade this pedal incorporates the TDA series class-AB power amp device that was utilized in the original amp design.
The result is a quirky-looking amp-in-a-box that can produce a range of tones from bright cleans to ultra-gain breakup.
Also, this thing can be used as either a preamp in your pedal chain or as a standalone 10-watt amplifier plugged directly to a speaker cab – they can even be used together at the same time. Additionally, a toggle switch lets you select between sending the signal out before or after the power amp circuit!
The two footswitches engage two tone modes: Normal and Saturation.
Check out the videos, we added this pedal to both our guides to the best power amp pedals and best overdrive pedals.
Acorn Amps Solid State, Builder’s Notes
Last year, a relatively overlooked low-wattage practice amp was revealed to be a studio secret weapon for achieving wiry and aggressive tones for guitar, bass, and even drums and vocals. The latest innovation from Acorn Amplifiers, the Solid State, is a full circuit recreation of that now-mythic amp packed into a pedal enclosure and loaded with features. This is not just a preamp in a pedal box. The Acorn Amps Solid State incorporates the TDA series class-AB power amp device that was utilized in the original amp design, giving you the most authentic reproduction available in a modern pedal format. From spanky, bright cleans to ultra-gain breakup, the Acorn Solid State is a complete guitar amp that fits on your pedalboard in a standard 1590BB enclosure. Two separate output jacks allow the Solid State to be used as either a preamp in your pedal chain or as a standalone 10 watt amplifier plugged directly to a speaker cab; they can even be used together at the same time. Additionally, a toggle switch lets you select between sending the signal out before or after the power amp circuit for maximum tonal versatility. Preorder ships April 2022.
Features include:
• Full 10 watt solid-state guitar amp circuitry (preamp and power amp)
• Low, Mid, & High controls to dial in your tonal frequency
• Two separate output jacks to use with a speaker cab or normal pedalboard wiring or both together at once
• Two footswitchable tone modes – Normal and Saturation
• Toggle switch to send the signal out from two different points on the circuit path as well as a mute switch for quick studio tracking
• Bi-color LED indicator that lights up green in Normal mode and red in Saturation mode
• True bypass & powered by 18VDC pedal power
