Designed by Maryland amp guru Jeff Bober, is an ultra-simple, handmade, 18 watt, 2x10 combo with a minimal layout that includes volume, treble and bass controls and normal and high gain inputs. The amp is equipped with a simple post-EQ effects loop and a direct out that taps off the speaker output. The direct out also features a treble reducing circuit to minimize high-frequency glitch.

Our test sample sported oxblood grill cloth with gray piping and black vinyl covering. Other colors are available. Two wedge-shaped rubber feet attached to the bottom front corners of the cabinet allow easy tilt-back, and the optional Budda Bucket ($79), a cleverly designed angled rear panel accepts a single rack processor. The exquisitely crafted, purple anodized, welded-aluminum chassis houses a phenolic turret board loaded with 1watt carbon film resistors and polyester caps. The power-supply caps are also mounted on phenolic turret strips, and teflon-jacketed stranded wire is used throughout. The ceramic tube sockets are mounted directly to the chassis, as are the Mouser pots and Switchcraft jacks. The Budda's exceptionally clean layout and wiring is among the nicest we've seen and the cabinet is constructed from solid finger jointed pine for superior tonal response.

Unlike many boutique amps, the Twinmaster is not a clone of a popular vintage design. The high-gain input adds a tube stage to overdrive the normal input's gain stage, which in turn drives the unique tone-control stack.

The first preamp tube is a Russian 12AX7A followed by a Chinese 12AX7A. Two cathode-biased Russian EL 84s are used in the class AB output stage, and the rectifier is a Russian 5U4. The 12AX7's have metal shields and the 5U4 uses a hat style retainer, but there are no retainers for the EL84s---a potential problem since the EL84s are especially easy to bump out of their sockets. (See manufacturers response at end of article for update.)

We tested the Budda using a '57 Fender Strat reissue with Lindy Fralin pickups, a Hamer Special with Duncan P-90 pickups, a Gibson Les Paul Deluxe with min-humbuckers and a Gibson Les Paul Standard with full-size humbuckers.

We were especially impressed with the high gain inputs smooth, creamy overdriven lead tone. Predictable, the sound became even thicker and richer when we switched to the Hamer, the Les Paul Deluxe, and finally the Les Paul Standard. The Budda's true soul is revealed with the humbucking/high-gain team. It was a snap to get snarling, vintage-Marshall lead tones, and the amp's great dynamic sensitivity made changing from crystal clean tone to smokin' lead simply a matter of varying picking attack.

In this mode, the punchy, aggressive nature of the amp was exposed. The Twinmaster's bottom stayed surprisingly tight, even with the volume knob cranked wide open, - this amp was born to rock!

Using the Strat plugged into the normal input, we were surprised by the depth and fatness of the Mojo Tone M10R ceramic-magnet speakers. They delivered a good clean tone sound and really came to life when we switched to the high-gain input.

The Twinmaster is also available with a Celestion 30 12" speaker or as a head for $850. Its hot lead tones are loud enough for small clubs, and the simple, quick-to-learn controls offer usable sounds at just about any position. Add to this the impeccable hand workmanship, and you have a tough amp to beat in the under-$900 category.

By Terry Buddingh, ©1995 Miller Freeman, Inc.
Reprinted from the June 1995 issue of Guitar Player Magazine.