Blues Saraceno and his Chandler Limited GAV19T Guitar Amplifier
Vintage sound appeal and the ability to ‘play well’ with pedals are key attributes
Los Angeles, CA – March 2013 … Finding a guitar amp that delivers big full sound with a rich, dynamic distortion is a common challenge for today’s electric guitarist. The ability to control that distortion to one’s liking is not always as easy as one would expect. For guitarist / composer / producer Blues Saraceno, finding that one amp that really hits all the bases resulted in his purchase of the GAV19T guitar amplifier from Shell Rock, IA-based Chandler Limited.
Blues Saraceno is widely known for his commanding musical presence. He was discovered by Guitar for the Practicing Musician magazine at age 16 and has toured with Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker (of the legendary band Cream), Poison, and has played on sessions with leading artists including Ziggy Marley and Melissa Etheridge. These days he is actively engaged in the creation of music for TV and film. With as much time as Blues spends in the recording studio, the Chandler GAV19T guitar amp plays a critical role in all he does.
“I’ve had my GAV19T for about three months,” Blues reports, “and I believe I was one of the company’s first customers. I’ve been really impressed with this amp. It has a wonderful ability to take stomp boxes. My father builds Dirty Boy Pedals, which I use, and they work extremely well with this amp. Over the years, I’ve encountered numerous amps that easily get overwhelmed and lose their character when using pedals, but not this one. Further, the GAV19T—like numerous other Chandler products—excels at delivering the vintage qualities many musicians look for in a way that blends beautifully with the contemporary requirements of today’s production.”
“This amp excels in the midrange—reminiscent of that early British honky, squawky sound, but with a really full spectrum,” Blues continued. “This amp delivers a big full sound when recorded. Equally important, the amp mates well with a variety of guitars. I can blend the GAV19T with my Humbuckers, with a single coil pickup, and with anything in-between. With this amp, I can always find the sweet spot, and that’s what makes it such a terrific studio tool.”
The Chandler GAV19T guitar amplifier incorporates its overdrive and tone circuitry directly within the power section. This design enables the amplifier to be highly overdriven while still maintaining the amplifier’s classic tone—a trait that Blues really appreciates. “Many guitarists prefer a warmer, richer sound and, to get that, it always comes down to the amp’s power section,” Blues explained. “With the GAV19T, you can drive it right to the sweet spot without it overloading the speakers or the recording mics. Chandler’s design of the power section allows you to really open this amp up.”
With the Chandler GAV19T guitar amp, Tone can be selected as either Normal or Intense. This is achieved by a slight imbalance in the matching of GAV19T’s push-pull power section. Here, too, Blues was very complimentary of Chandler Limited’s design. “I like the amp in its Normal setting,” he says. “This setting provides me a lot of flexibility with my pedals and, ultimately, provides the richest sound that really works well with my style of music.”
For anyone involved with musical electronics, quality customer and technical support services are essential. Here, too, Blues rates Chandler Limited a first-class operation. “I’ve been very impressed with the company’s support services,” he says. “They’re very responsive—I always get through to someone knowledgeable who is ready to assist. And because they’re a boutique operation, they can respond and implement changes far more rapidly than most companies. I’ve been very impressed.”
Before turning his attention back to his various projects, Blues offered these parting thoughts, “The Chandler GAV19T guitar amp fills a very specific spot in my sonic palette. If this amp was ever stolen, I’d immediately replace it with another one. It’s that important to me. When it comes to great sound, the proof is in the results. I suggest visiting my website (www.bluessaraceno.com) or going to the Chandler website and listening to a clip I did using the amp. I believe that says it all!”
To learn more about Blues Saraceno, visit him online at www.bluessaraceno.com.
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