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Just Jazz Guitar Magazine: Review Evans RE300 Amplifier

By Dr. Steve Kinigstein / Nov 1 2014

Recently, I was introduced to the new Evans RE300 amplifier.  In my career which has spanned over 70 years, I have used just about every amplifier made – including the one built by the Signal Corps on Guadalcanal during World War II!  Very few have had the sound of the guitar like the Evans amplifier.  I’m glad I met Scot Buffington…and his amplifier.

Mundell Lowe

I use my Evans amplifier to evaluate the tone of the guitars I build and those I repair.  I think that speaks to the clarity of the Evans.  It’s my “go to.”

C.B. Hill, Master Luthier, C.B. Hill Guitars

I’ve been an Evans amplifier user for well over ten years.  Scot Buffington always gets it right.  If such a thing as perfection exists, his work exemplifies it.  I wouldn’t even dream of using any other amplifier.

Mel Deal

The Evans RE300 is a combination of the most pristine sound you could get; yet it’s powerful and smooth.  You get great sound at any volume.  It even could sound sweet and pretty at festival levels.  If you like your guitar, you’ll love the Evans.  I take great pride having my name attached to this amp.

Ron Eschete

It only stands to reason that veteran amplifier designer/builder Scot Buffington along with his wife/collaborator/business partner Julia, could nail it so successfully. In addition to Scot’s acoustical engineering skills, he is also a player (7-string archtop). Total up the assets yielded by the combination of knowledge and creative vision. Now factor in the experience of being on the bandstand in a variety of situations and knowing firsthand what a player strives to get from an amplifier. Mr. Buffington did not merely conceptualize and build a “Players Amp” – the new RE300 is a “Nitpicking Attention To Even The Minutest Detail Perfectionist’s Amp”. This result is due to the fact that the overall development of the Evans RE300, from initial concept to realization, was done with a complete sense of pragmatic logic influenced by the love of music and an obviously reverential respect for the artistry of those who build the instruments that wind up in our hands. He also intends the musician to have complete and absolute dominion over the sound that is produced. To describe the character of this amplifier accurately, I will say that in all applicable areas it is objective in nature so that the musician could be completely subjective. Let me explain what I mean.

The only aspects of this solid-state combo amplifier of which Scot assumes to know what every musician wants are those of convenience. The RE300 is 16 ½ inches tall, 14 ½ inches wide, 10 ½ inches deep at the bottom, 9 ½ inches deep at the top, and weighs only 31 pounds. Moreover, you don’t have to worry about losing a power cord: on this amp the 15 foot cord is undetachable. To depict how the character of the sound that is produced is left exclusively to the preferences of the player, let’s look at some of the controls on the front face of the amp.

There are, of course, the usual Master Volume, and Volume controls. If you simply want the pure unaltered acoustic sound of your axe, this is as far as you have to go. The acoustic sound that you hear coming from the 10 inch Eminence speaker will remain true up to about 3 or 4 times the volume that your instrument naturally produces. There are also the standard Treble and Bass controls. Things start getting interesting with the adjustments called “Buff” and the “Body”. The “Buff” control gives you the ability to flavor your sound with overtones that are usually the exclusive attribute of tube amps. Use the “Body” knob for mid-range adjustments and to take off a bit of bite in the highs. If, however, you want to boost the highs go to the control called “Expand”. (It also boosts some lows, but “Depth” is the adjustment you will generally rely on for that.) If you want to make your strings sound fatter, here is a bit of magic that was devised by Las Vegas musician Buzz Evans (Buzz, who is no relation to the company that bears the same surname, is reputed to have a pair of the best ears in the business). Switch to “Reverb + Flange” on the back panel. Turn the “Dwell” control to about 7 o’clock, clockwise just past the center détente. It will sound as if you are going from 11’s to 13’s!

There are two inputs on the RE300: “Normal” and “+6db”. The “Normal” input is for archtops and flattops. The “+6db” is for solid bodies.

I tested the amp using two of my 7-string archtops (both really good, active guitars) and Ron Eschete’s new “2-5-1” that was recently designed and made for him by the marvelous luthier, C.B. Hill. No matter how hard I pushed (and this amp has enough power to take down low flying aircraft!), the tone remained virtuous. I never got that dreaded “splat”. The benefits of this amp do not end here.

I don’t know if any singers, violinists, mandolinists, or keyboard players read this magazine. If any do, they will be pleased to learn that this amp works for them too.

There is no argument that $1398 is a lot of money to plunk down. Nobody will debate the fact that there are many “decent” amplifiers out there for lower prices. There are however, to my knowledge and experience, no combo amplifiers in existence that will equal the quality of the Evans RE300. Furthermore, even at this price, the musician will be saving money, ultimately spending less, because given its remarkable sound and Olympian power, the new Evans RE300 is the last amp players will ever need to buy. If you’re curious, you can easily go to the Evans website: www.evansamps.com. Since two of the many vital elements of the mission Scot and Julia have undertaken are the aspects of personalization and individuality, why not just call Scot and speak to him yourself? His number is (336) 270-5700. He’d be happy to have a real “one on one” conversation with you that addresses your specific preferences – he’s that kind of cat.

SPECIFICATIONS

  • Wooden cabinet dimensions: 16 ½” H x 14 ½ ” W x 10 ½ “ D, 31 lbs
  • Unique passive tone controls and Effects loop
  • Non-detachable 15’ power cord and tilt-back stand
  • ¼” jack Preamp, External speaker and Headphone outputs
  • Adjustable delay for: Reverb, Reverb + Flange, or Reverb + Chorus
  • Speaker output impedance 8 or 4 Ohms
  • 300W @ 1 % THD + N into 4 Ohms
  • 10” Eminence Delta speaker
  • Backed by a three year warranty

The retail price for the RE300 is $1748.  The direct price is $1398.

More info at RE300

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RE200 in www.archtop-germany.de

By Andreas Behringer / March 10 2013

Auf deutsch (View in German)

Evans amplifiers are especially popular with pedal steel guitarists in the US, although they are becoming increasingly prevalent among jazz players as well. In Germany these amps are still fairly unknown – an incomprehensible situation that warrants the following review.

Overview: The RE200 model was developed together with Ron Escheté (hence the acronym) and contains a 10ʼʼ speaker. Evans offers two bigger combos – the JE200 with a 12ʼʼ and the SE200 with a 15″ speaker – in addition to a highly portable head, all of which contain the same amp as the RE200, i.e. the only difference is in the speaker configuration and, thus, in the size of the cabinet.

Construction:Due to its vintage looks, the first visual impression of the RE200 belies its state-of-the- art conception. From the meticulous Tolex covering of the cabinet to the exquisite leather handle, Evanʼs attention to detail and scrupulous craftsmanship is in marked contrast to most of the solid state amps available today. Turning one of the amp`s controls by a gnatʼs whisker reveals Evansʼ commitment to quality. Compared to the look and feel of similar products from the same country of origin, the RE200 is decidedly high end.

The 10″ Deltalite Neodymium speaker by Eminence is mounted behind a screwedon, removable rear panel between the top mounted preamp and the 200W RMS rated power amp residing on the floor of the cabinet. Further features include jacks for an extension cabinet and FX send/return, as well as headphone- and line-out. By virtue of an extendable clamp at the bottom of the cassisʼ front, the combo can be tilted backwards; this simple device is surprisingly effective and makes you wonder why no one else has thought of this before.

The Amp measures 360 x 430 x 240 mm (width x height x depth) – a bit more compact than a Polytone – and comes with a durable, high quality vinyl cover.

Handling and sound: Although the amp`s controls are labeled somewhat unusually, they make perfect sense once you understand how they work (mostly interactive). Apart from the two input- jacks (normal or +6dB) and the volume and master controls, you have the ubiquitous EQ-controls. A special feature is the highly tweakable mid control, which is divided into a knob for the upper (“Body”) and lower mids (“Depth”). To take advantage of the depth control, it is necessary to set the body-control between 2 and 3 or higher. These controls are particularly useful and can help avoid feedbackproblems with acoustic Archtop Guitars without relinquishing the guitar`s natural lows at higher volumes.

The “Buff”- control is one of the ampʼs secret weapon and responsible for a really nice and flattering high-end shimmer. It is not comparable to a normal treble control – you won`t get ice pick sharp highs; instead, the sound is rendered glossy while increasing fullness and warmth. (The manual mentions “tube- like overtones” but it really defies description and I don`t know of any other amp with a comparable feature.)

The “Expand” switch (or knob, on newer models) is a high- and low-end booster that should probably be in the off-position when playing the amp with an Archtop. The very natural sounding reverb is divided into a mix-control at the front panel and a “Dwell” control at the back, where you can also find a preset-switch for the reverb (stand alone) and a combination of chorus/reverb or chorus/flanger. Personally, I consider both effects a neat if inessential bonus because the sound and tweakability of an analog pedal is more appealing to me. Your mileage may vary, of course, depending on how – and how often – you employ these effects; itʼs simply a matter of taste.

If you`re afraid you might only get a good sound out of this amp after hours of fiddling with the controls, rest assured for this is definitely not the case. Due to the controlsʼ effectiveness you will always obtain remarkable results, even when utilizing more extreme settings (a possible exception is the treble-control – handle with care), provided that you have a good sounding guitar. And this is, perhaps, the most important fact: The RE200 always sounds like the guitar played through it, albeit without being blandly neutral or garishly hi-fi. Lest you require a point of reference: The ampʼs sound has a specific color reminiscent of vintage Fender amps. Of course, such comparisons always need to take into account the relationship of the cabinet`s and the speaker`s size, but it is simply amazing how much warmth and headroom this amp provides in spite of its small size – 10″ speaker and digital power amp notwithstanding.

Simply put, the RE200 feels great. You always have the guitar and the amp working together so that the RE200 actually becomes part of your instrument. Clipping is not an issue since the ample headroom is more than sufficient in most situations. Given the amp`s force de frappe, its ability to cut through even in bigger line-ups is as remarkable as its sound quality. By the way: The amp is not just your Archtopʼs best friend, but also sounds really great with solid body guitars, always amplifying the instrument`s specific voice and characteristics in a perfectly musical way.

Conclusion: If you prefer an amp as acoustic- and neutral-sounding as possible, you might want to opt for an AER et al. However, if you`re looking for a really beautiful and extraordinary musical blend of your guitar`s natural sound and an amp-voice without “Polytone- touch”, it doesn`t get any better than the Evans. As far as Iʼm concerned, the RE200 strikes the best balance between portability and sound currently available. The sound-quality and workmanship are of the highest order. The only discernible drawback is perhaps the idiosyncratic labeling of the controls, but since you get used to them no time, thatʼs really nitpicking.

I have been playing this amp professionally for three years and can gladly state that it is reliable and never failed me once. The Evans RE200 is highly recommended and available either directly from Evans Custom Amplifiers or through the German distributor WBS Steelguitars.

Guitars used for testing & performing:

  • Stefan Hahl La Petite Supreme (15″ Acoustic Archtop with Dommenget Jazzbucker Pickup)
  • James Tyler Mongoose Retro (Lollar Mini- Humbucker / Kinman AVn 48b Pickups)
  • James Tyler Studio Elite HD (Tyler Secret Humbucker / Kinman AVn 62 Pickups)
  • Steinberger GM (EMG Pickups)