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Johnson Amplification
When you're scouring a trade show for hot new gear, you occasionally need time to chill out. And after four days at the Messe, I needed a lot of chilling. Luckily, many manufacturers offer little headphone stations, where you can pick up a guitar, plug into the latest compact preamp, and . . . decompress. So I had ample time to play the Line 6 Pod and a variety of Zoom products. I even played the smooth-sounding and feature-laden Digitech RP2000. But the coolest product, hands-down, was the Johnson J-Station. As you may know, Johnson makes the Millennium amp, which features digital modeling technology. But where some digital models can sound harsh and gritty, I'm pleased to report that the J-Station sounds as much like a vintage amp as possible -- at least through headphones. Particular favorites were the Boutique setting, which nailed the slightly dirty sound, and Brit Combo, a truly excellent clean tone. It's simple to use. Scroll through the different models with a single knob. Then adjust gain, bass, mid, treble, and volume, just as you would on an amp. There's an onboard tuner and a minimal array of effects. These weren't as intuitive to use as the models, but they were easily sussed out through a few minutes of investigation. There's also MIDI and the ability to store the sounds you program. Johnson says that the unit is intended for live use and direct recording. True, you might want to use their tube amp for gigs and sessions - but for recording demos and late-night practice sessions with headphones, the J-Station is almost a must-have item. Retail price was listed as 1,150 DM, which should put the J-Station in the $400-$500 range Stateside. www.johnson-amp.com, 801-566-8800 |
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