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