A brief review of the all-new Hard Truckers/Louis Electric 'Captain Trips' amp by Tom San Filippo of Half Step. Thought it might be an interesting read. Enjoy! Peace Glenn
I recently had the privilege of playing through the brand new Louis Electric "Captain Trips" amplifier for Half Step's performance at the 1st Annual Dead Gear Expo.
I have to honestly say that using this amp in conjunction with a Hard Truckers JG-1 2x12 speaker cabinet was the most rewarding and satisfying amp setup that I have experienced in a very long time.
Simply put, "Captain Trips" delivers the punch, roundness and clarity of Garcia's sound with great authenticity. Even at a low volume, this unique tone can be achieved. However, I couldn't help but be LOUD AND CLEAR because there is some pretty serious power to this amp. And connecting a Hard Trucker JG-1 2x12 cabinet to it is an undeniable match made in heaven.
One of the major benefits of the "Captain Trips" is the easy bypass of the amp's power tubes. A flip of a switch enables you to easily hook up an external power amp. We added a Mcintosh MC2300 to the mix and it gave us a clear comparison between Trips ultra clean power compared to the legendary Mcintosh. I have to say that pound for pound the "Captain Trips" held it's own to the mac, but there was a bit more noticeable mojo with the power amp. It's great to know that you can easily have the best of both worlds without modification.
Overall I felt the vibe of this rig put me right inside the music and in the end made me play better... and that is key. Being in the position of paying homage to Garcia's sound with Half Step, I feel this setup sent me and the band over the top.
To all those cats out there who are serious about doing the music justice, the "Captain Trips" amp from Louis Electric gets right to the heart of the Jerry tone. The rest is up to your fingers.
Tom San Filippo
Lead Guitarist of "Half Step - Playing the Music of the Grateful Dead"
I recently had the privilege of playing through the brand new Louis Electric "Captain Trips" amplifier for Half Step's performance at the 1st Annual Dead Gear Expo.
I have to honestly say that using this amp in conjunction with a Hard Truckers JG-1 2x12 speaker cabinet was the most rewarding and satisfying amp setup that I have experienced in a very long time.
Simply put, "Captain Trips" delivers the punch, roundness and clarity of Garcia's sound with great authenticity. Even at a low volume, this unique tone can be achieved. However, I couldn't help but be LOUD AND CLEAR because there is some pretty serious power to this amp. And connecting a Hard Trucker JG-1 2x12 cabinet to it is an undeniable match made in heaven.
One of the major benefits of the "Captain Trips" is the easy bypass of the amp's power tubes. A flip of a switch enables you to easily hook up an external power amp. We added a Mcintosh MC2300 to the mix and it gave us a clear comparison between Trips ultra clean power compared to the legendary Mcintosh. I have to say that pound for pound the "Captain Trips" held it's own to the mac, but there was a bit more noticeable mojo with the power amp. It's great to know that you can easily have the best of both worlds without modification.
Overall I felt the vibe of this rig put me right inside the music and in the end made me play better... and that is key. Being in the position of paying homage to Garcia's sound with Half Step, I feel this setup sent me and the band over the top.
To all those cats out there who are serious about doing the music justice, the "Captain Trips" amp from Louis Electric gets right to the heart of the Jerry tone. The rest is up to your fingers.
Tom San Filippo
Lead Guitarist of "Half Step - Playing the Music of the Grateful Dead"
